Edexcel AS Biology — Unit 3 booklet A comprehensive guide based on the exams assessment objectives By: Dr. Mohab Megahed1. Variables of an inve: Question 1 Assessment Objectives igation > Independent variable: The variable changed by the experimenter (the one you decide about) > Dependent variable: The variable measured by the expermenter (the one you measure) > Controlled variables: The variables that must be kept constant during the investigation as they might affect the results. 2. Aspects of an investigation >» Accuracy: * Accuracy can be defined as the difference between actual values and measured values. The higher the difference the lower the accuracy and vice versa, * Accuracy is increased by changing the measuring method and using a more sensitive measuring apparatus. > Validity: ¢ This means how correct is your experimental procedure. ¢ Validity is increased by keeping all other factors constant to have a > Reli . fair test (controlled variables). bility: ‘This means how similar your results are after several replications. Error bars/ Range bars show spread of data around the mean. So, they give an indication on the variability of data. The larger the error bars, the wider the data variability and the lower the data reliability (& vice versa). If error bars are overlapping, this reduces data reliability. Standard deviation (SD) is similar to error bars but it takes the sample size into consideration. It is equal sized on both sides of the mean. Reliability is increased by controlling all variables and measuring the dependent variable accurately. Repetition only measures reliability but doesn’t increase it (if repetition by other scientists gave similar results this enhances reliability) © Dr.Mohab Megahed é a = Repeat a measurement os ot mle mere ral er ete or pcr ht matter bit alovs one to et ania of ow lal the3. Data tabulation > Independent Variable: comes in the first column in vertically oriented graphs OR upper row in horizontally oriented graphs. > Dependent Variable: comes in the second column in vertically oriented graphs OR lower row in horizontally oriented graphs. » Include ST units in the headings of your columns / rows. Remember: Sum of readings > you may be asked to calculate the mean = , then you 5 Their number might include the mean in a third column in your table. 4. Data presentation in Graphs » Independent variable on X-axis. > Dependent variable on Y-axis. > Use more than 50% of both axes. > > > Plot all points accurately. Use circled dots or crosses. Join points with neat straight lines, don’t extrapolate. Don’t forget the SI units in your axes labels. Remember: Your comment on a given graph should include deserption of the trend, pattern & data manipulation (subtraction, division or percentage change). Don’t make theoretical assumptions except if you were asked to explain the changes shown by the graph. Don’t comment on minor changes like a small drop or increase tetween two points except if it has a clear biological significance LMA ResultsPlus RE Examiner Tip ‘When describing graphs always look for tho ‘big picture’ and do not talk about overy minor detail. Do not intorprot small changes (ike the minor fall at tho ond here) as to do with anything other than exporimontal ofror unless you think there is definito biological roason for it, © Dr.Mohab Megahed weN.B. Some commonly used technical terms: © Dr.Mohab Megahed Precise results: They are results taken using a sensitive instrument that measures to smaller increments. (readings with more decimal places) Qualitative: a qualitative test tells you what is present. It has the disadvantage of being subjective. Quantitative: a quantitative test tells you how much is present. It has the advantage of being objective. Random errors: unpredictable non consistent errors that occur while taking measurements. They can affect each individual measurement in a random way and they affect the pattern of change by producing anomalous results (outliers) Systematic errors: quantified consistent errors affecting alll measurements. They don’t affect the pattern of change. They most commonly arise from poor calibration of the measuring equipment. For example, if a stop watch is faulty and runs 10% slower than normal, then all timings will be underestimated by 10%. Hypothesis: a conclusion based on an observation. wo5. Knowledge of the core practical investigations: Effect of caffeine on Daphnia’s Heart Rate % Select a large specimen and transfer it with a pipette to the center of a small dry petri dish. E Place a small blob of silicon onto the floor of the petri dish, then gently place the posterior end of Daphnia in silicon to be | anchored. conditions. Place the petri dish on the stage of a light microscope and observe under low pressure. (make sure that you are counting heart beats not flapping of the legs) Remember: Daphnia has no temperature regulation system so high power of microscope will increase its core body temperature affecting the heart rate. Replace distilled water with different caffeine concentrations, count the heart beats each time and record the results. Replicate the experiment and calculate the average. Why Daphnia? ea 23 a9 As an invertebrate, it has a less developed nervous system. So, it has minimal pain sensation. Transparent, so its heart can be viewed without dissections, Abundant in nature, so there are no threats of food chain disruption. Independent variable: caffeine concentration Dependent variable: heart rate of daphnia Controlled variables: UPON Size of Daphnia. . Habitat from which Daphnia is obtained. . Time of acclimatization. . Volume of solutions. Temperature of the surroundings. © Dr.Mohab Megahed 4Investigating Vitamin € content of different juices > Add equal sized drops of the tested juice using a pipette (drop by drop) to a test tube containing 2cm? of the blue DCPIP solution & shake well. squeezing > Count the number of drops needed to mete! decolorize DCPIP. >» Repeat the process and calculate the average. > To compare vitamin C concentration of different juices, use number of drops as a reference. >» The higher the number of drops needed to decolorize DCPIP, the lower is vitamin C concentration and vice versa. > To increase reliability, you may suggest measuring the vclume of drops rather than just counting them (why?). > To know the exact vitamin C concentration of the tested juice you can use a calibration curve OR repeat the process with a vitamin C juice of know concentration & record the results then use the following equation: Cone. B = (Vol. A * cone. A)/ yol.B Vol. A= volume of Vitamin C solution in ml Conc. A = Concentration of vitamin C solution in mg/ml Vol. B = Volume of fruit juice in ml Cone. B = concentration of vitamin C in fruit juice in mg/ml Independent variable: fruit juice Dependent variable: volume of juice required to decolorize 1 cm’ of DCPIP. Controlled variables: ‘Temperature of the surroundings. Volume and concentration of DCPIP solution. Extent of shaking the tube. > > > > Same end point colour © Dr.Mohab Megahed wEffect of temperature on cell membranes > Use acork borer to cut equal sized pieces of fresh beetroot. >» Rinse all discs under fresh water for 5 minutes to remove any pigment produced from cutting. > Label test tubes with temperatures ranging from 30°C - 100 °C with intervals of 10 °C and place 5 cm3 of distilled water in each test tube. > Prepare a water bath using a large beaker, tripod, gauze and Bunsen burner (wear goggles). > Heat the first test tube gently to 30° C then remove the Bunsen bumer. > Place 6 beetroot discs in this test tube. >» Leave beetroots for at least 20 minutes and then shake the tube and hold it to light to observe the color of the solution. > Repeat the procedure for other test tubes with different temperatures. > Compare colors of solution in different test tubes. > If possible, use a clean cuvette & a colorimeter which could cither measure transmission of light or absorbance of color (to increase accuracy & consequently reliability). Independent variable: Temperature of water. Dependent variable: Absorbance of color from the resulting solution. Controlled variables: > Volume of distilled water in the test tubes. > Number of beetroot cubes in the test tubes > Time left in water. > Size of beet root cubes > Storage age and storage conditions of beetroots. Expected outcome: As the temperature increases, the intensity of red color increases. Beetroots have Betalain pigment stored in their vacuoles, High temperatures causes coagulation of membrane proteins & melting of the phospholipid bilayer leading to loss of selective permeability and escape of the Betalain pigment from the vacuole into cytoplasm then outside the cells into water, + N.B. Alcohol also causes loss of membrane permeability as it dissolves the phospholipid bilayer. To investigate the effect of alcohol on membrane permeability, the same investigation is repeated but with usin, ig a range of alcohol concentrations and fixing the temperature. © Dr.Mohab Megahed aEffect of Changing Substrate Concentration on the Rate of Reaction 2m syringe sors easy Sjincer water > Use a large syringe to measure 20 cm’ of pureed potato into a conical flask. » Half fill the water bowl with water. > Fill the 50cm measuring cylinder with water and invert it over the water bowl. > Measure 2 cm’ of Hydrogen peroxide and add them to the pureed potato. » After, 30 seconds note the volume of oxygen in the measuring cylinder. > Divide the volume of oxygen given out by 30 to get the initial rate of reaction in terms of cm’ s™. > Repeat the whole process using different concentration of H;Q3. > Record the results ina table. > Plot a graph showing the effect of changing HO, concentration on the rate of reaction. Independent variable: substrate concentration Dependent variable: Initial rate of reaction at each concentration. Controlled variables: > Temperature > pH > Volume of the enzyme > Concentration of the enzyme > Volume of the substrate st N.B. To investigate the effect of enzyme concentration on the rate of reaction, repeat the same investigation but with varying the volume of pureed potatoes used and fixing H,0) concentration, © Dr.Mohab MegahedInvestigating Mitosis by squashing Root Tip > Cut off 3 to 4 mm of the terminal 1cm of onion root. > Place the root tips on a watch glass containing 2em> of HCL (HCL dissolves pectin of the middle lamella allowing for spread and separation of cells). » Ina short time, the root tips will feel soft, pick up the softened root tips and transfer them gently using a forceps to a microscopic slide with a drop of acetocarmine stain (to highlight chromosomes). > Use a sharp scalpel to cut the root tip into tiny pieces (iron reacts with acetocarmine giving a better stain). ) Apply a clean cover to the slide and heat gently over a slide warmer (This {tthe diffusion of the stain into cells) ) Invert the slide over filter paper and apply pressure by your thumb (this is called squashing) to flatten and disperse cells in order to be easily viewed under the microscope. > Important Experimental Precaution: © Apply pressure straight downwards to avoid lateral movement of the cover slip to prevent overlapping of the cells. > Use the low power of light microscope to scan the area with dividing cells then use the high power to view mitotic features & observe the different stages of mitosis. cutting 3mm. Watch glass transfer to a slide & stain Cut again Apply a cover slip heat in a slide warmer © Dr.Mohab Megahed 8Important Safety precautions: 1. Cut away from yourself to prevent injuring your hands. 2. Be careful while handling the microscopic slide as it is made of fragile glassware so it might break cutting your hands. 3. Wear eye goggles to protect your eyes from HCL & stain. 4. Wear a lab coat to protect your clothes from the stain. Different cell cycle phases as viewed under the light microscope Interphase Prophase = Metaphase Anaphase Telophase Zones of the Root > Protective root cap: constitutes the terminal Imm of the root tip and formed of dead cells. >» Zone of cell division: the cells are dividing and increasing in number (Not size). ont pc mei ) Zone of cell elongation: the cells are growing and franiaaer ies Tote) increasing in size (Not number). ay ~~ NB. a Total number itotic cel Mitotic Index (Mn) = otlnun ber of mitoticcells Total number of cellscounted Dr.Mohab Megahed 9Investigating Totipotency using Plant Tissue Culture > Select a clean floret from a fresh Cauliflower head. > Cut the floret into 20 equal sized cuboids (x5x5 mm), those are your explants. > Measure 2.5g of agar powder and add 250cm> sotchesser distilled water. > While agar is still molten, pour 2cm’ into each of 6 test tubes then allow to cool and solidify. Carefully add one explant to each test tube. Cover the tubes with insulating tape to prevent dehydration. Label each tube carefully and incubate in light at 20°c to 28°c (why?). Examine each culture carefully on weekly basis, record and sketch any changes you observe. i >» Precaution: Autoclave test tubes at 110°C for 15 min after experiment. = N.B.: Short necked test tubes should be used in order to remove explants easily. v& N.B.: Although tissue culture should be done under complete aseptic conditions, this was not done here. Why? This is a simple investigation and typical sterilization is difficult for students to do in the school lab. Moreover, bleaching agents such as chlorine are toxic and cause severe irritation so it is not safe to use them by non-professionals. Factors to be controlled: > Mass of agar used. > Volume of distilled water added to agar. > Size of explants. > Source of explants. >» Time of incubation. > Temperature (20°C to 28°C) ) Advantages of tissue culture: » Produces large quantities of genetically identical plants. > New plants are disease free. » New plants can be produced at any time of the year. » Conserves plant species which are at risk of extinction. > Disadvantages of tissue culture: ) Reduced gene pool increases vulnerability to new diseases. » Reduces the chances of producing new antibiotics. > Differentiation: is the process by which a less specialized cell becomes more specialized. ) Dedifferentiation: the process by which specialized cells lose their specialization and return to previous forms. © Dr.Mohab Megahed 10 —Measuring Tensile Strength of Plant Fibers Force Measurement Grips for Plant Siber Specimen Add Weights Suspend plant fibers using a force meter. Attach a recorded weight to the opposite end (100gm). Keep increasing the weight gradually until the fiber breaks. Determine the weight at which the tested fiber breaks. Repeat the process and get average. Repeat the process with different plant fibers to compare ‘heir tensile strength. Independent variable: Type & source of plant fibre. Dependent variable: maximum weight the plant fibre can hold (tensile strength) Controlled variables: » Same age of plants and same storage conditions. » Fibers should be of the same length at the start and same diameter. » External conditions as temperature of the room or humidity. & N.B.: Tensile strength: It is the maximum stress a material can withstand without breaking. To measure tensile strength: » Record the average mass at which the fiber breaks after several repetitions. >» Covert mass into force > Divide the force by the cross sectional area of the investigated fiber, © Dr.Mohab Megahed rTInvestigating Effect of Mineral Deficiency on Plant Growth > Make up culture medium and set up 8 tubes containing the fellowing: ¢ Normal medium. © Medium lacking phosphate. © Medium lacking nitrate. © Medium lacking Sulphate. ¢ Medium lacking calcium. ¢ Medium lacking potassium. © Medium lacking iron. ¢ Medium lacking magnesium. ) ep ecustoe fume aie eens chin ee? To avoid over growth of algae in water which might encourage microorganisms & to simulate soil conditions). > Select eight maize seedlings and set up the culture. » Cover tubes with cotton wool not a plug, this allows air entry for respiration of roots. > Leave at room temperature and each weak record: 1. Shoot and root length. 2. Leaf numbers and size. 3. Appearance of any deficiency symptoms. Independent variable: Deficient mineral (minerals in the solution) Dependent variable: physical characteristics of the plant Controlled variables: > Age & species of the used seedlings. ) Volume of water in the solution, > Temperature. > Light intensity. -k Precaution: Use sterile tubes to avoid bacterial or fungal growth. Importance of minerals ) Nitrogen: formation of amino acids for protein synthesis. > Calcium: formation of middle lamella “calcium pectate”. ) Magnesium: formation of chlorophyll pigment. ) Phosphate: making ATP, DNA and RNA How to measure the Dry mass? > Place the plant in an oven at temperature 80°C for 24 hours, this removes all the water content. Then, measure the mass using a sensitive balance until you get three successive similar readings. © Dr.Mohab Megahed a2Investigating The Antimicrobial Effect of Plant Extracts > Spread bacterial culture over sterile agar plate evenly (lawn distribution or streaking method). > Prepare your plant extract by crushing in alcohol as alcohol kills bacteria that may be present. > Make holes in the agar and transfer 0.1cm? of the extract then add distilled water in one of the holes (control). Contr sample > Fix the lid vertically to prevent anaerobic conditions which encourage harmful bacteria. > Keep at 25°C for 24 hours (higher temperatures°c encourage the growth of pathogenic bacteria). Observe without opening the lid to prevent spread of bacteria. Notice the clear area around the plant extract, this is called inhibition zone. The larger the zone, the more powerful the antibacterial effect of the plant extract. > For circular inhibition zones, measure the radius by a ruler and use ar’. > For irregular inhibition zone, measure both diameters and get an average then use it in the same formula. Independent variable: Type of plant extract Dependent variable: Zone of inhibition around the hole / disc. Controlled variables: > Volume of plant extract in each hole > Concentration of plant extract > Bacterial lawn on the petri dish © Dr.Mohab Megahed 136. Safety Precautions When you are asked about safety precautions, you may use one of the following answers: © Wear eye protection (Goggles): Especially when chemicals or Bunsen bumer are used. ‘© Use water bath for heating: Use water bath for heating test tubes rather than direct flame to avoid jumping of the heated liquid out of the tube. NO CE * Wash your hands after holding biological pe AVOID materials: & bss CONTAMINATION, Such as plants or soil to avoid contamination. WASH YOUR © Take care of fragile glassware: HANDS: As pipette or microscopic slide to avoid cutting yourself. 7. Descriptive Statistics: It describes the data you have but cannot generalize beyond that. Such as mean, mode and median Sum of allmeasurments number of measurments * Mode: the most commonly occurring value. © Median: it is the middle class with equal number of values cn both sides. © Mean: the average value = N.B.: Ina normal distribution curve, the mean = median = mode. f(x) mean = median = mode 65 70 75 80 85 90 95 © Dr.Mobab Megahed 14Question 2 Assessment Objectives 1. Ability to suggest a title for a report or a given visual form Report title: Here you are supposed to use a clear statement describing the main issue discussed in the report. Avoid sinking in one of the detzils even if it constituted a big bulk of the report. Also Avoid copying statements from the body of the report. Alternatively rewrite the general concept in your own words. tl Avis ‘ug ive report reuresapcblem to been sapebiem hat hi eset ents, lblcje hast ab) Vaan oe Deanna atte 4 (ResultsPlus uo aminer Comments A straightforward correct answer which mentions both acupuncture and pain, Visual form: Here you should be keen to highlight the variable shown in a graph or a table as well as the duration in which the change was recorded. He put this nformation Inthe following table. vear | ghamberstaese | soucetinometon | (ase a7 wes iw Sats [eed 98 ame Tete Whip rie 2007 1606 | Whipade rile fame [ee ene te 8 (@ Suggest a suitable tite for this table o Marcchened_ Species .weidiside ened This answor mentions neithor the years over which the data were collected, nor is it very scientific. The best answer for this example: Threatened species worldwide between 1990 & 2008. © Dr.Mohab Megahed 152. Ability to decide where to place given visuals in the report You will be given a certain visual form (graph, table, chart) or even a certain statement and you will asked to suggest where would you place this information in the report. Always say after line ... or paragraph ... & be very careful to select the most related line in the given report. 3. Commenting on the implications of science There are 4 types of implications; Ethical, Social, Economic & Environmental Ethical implication: You should understand that different people may hold different ethical views on the same issue. Many such issues are no: simply right or wrong. When commenting on ethical issues, either in unit 3 report or in other unit tests, you must give a balanced reasoned argument rather than just taking your pick of fixed ideas. Abortion is a good example of ethical issues. There are often strong debates between conflicting ethical positions. Anti-abortionists base their views on the principle that human life begins at fertilization and therefore destroying a fetus, no matter how old, is killing. Those who take a more liberal view argue that abortion should be allowed in some circumstances because there are other factors to take into account — for example the rights of the mother to decide & the rights of the fetus to have a quality life. In your answers, you should highlight your understanding to different ethical views and show that you have good reasons for picking one. Social implication: This refers to issues that have direct effect on other individuals or groups. Disclosure of genetic information is a good example as it may affect opportunities of future employment & affect the medical insurance profile. Economic implication: This refers to the cost and affordability of an issue. For example, developing a new drug is always a highly costing process on local health authorities. This may lie a financial burden on the government or researchers. However, there is an opposing view stating that the welfare of mankind is always a spending priority & healthy citizens are more productive so treatment is cost effective and payback is worth the investment. Environmental implication: This refers to the effect of a ceriain issue on animal, plants & the ecosystem. GM crops are good examples as they raise questions about if the increase in productivity outweighs the risks of reduced gene pool & possible gene transfer or not. © Dr.Mohab Megahed 164. Commenting on a case of cross checking: In this type of questions, you would be given a visual form (table, graph or chart) showing the results of another study and you will be asked to discuss if the results support information in the report or not. Here it is better to go for a dual argument. To hold a dual argument, try to compare both the methodology & results. For example, look for similarities in results (Both show that caffeine increases heart rate) & differences in the methodology (In this study Rats were used instead of Daphnia, Rats are vertebrates while Daphnia is an invertebrate. Also isolated Rat hearts were used while in Daphnia the whole organism was used. This reduces the validity of the comparison) 5. Commenting on the validity of a study © Look for the source of fund — a sponsor may be biased so the study may not be valid. e Credentials of Contributors — is he really a professor at Harvard? e Cross checking — look for some information from somewhere else. © Is the study peer reviewed- proper science papers are looked at by others working in the same field. 6. Writing a Bibliography or modifying a given one: A Bibliography should be listed in a recognized scientific format known as the Harvard system. You need to know properly scientific journal & web based formats. Web based reference format: Source Authorship, Year. Title of web document or web page. (type of medium), Available at: URL / address. (Accessed date) Ex.: The student accessed the NHS UK website at the 28" of August 2014 to read an article written by Dr Alicia White at 2009 titled: How to read health news. Here is the URL: www.nhs.uk/new/pages/howtoreadarticleabouthealthand healthcare.aspx The correct reference would be: NHS UK Dr Alicia White, 2009. How to read health news. (web page) Available at www.nhs.uk/new/pages/howtoreadarticleabouthealthand healthcare.aspx (Accessed 20/8/2014) “+ NB. The URL & date of visit are the most important elements here. © Dr.Mohab Megahed uvScientific journal reference format: Author(s) family name, Initials of first name. (Year). Title of article, Full title of journal, Volume number (Issue number), Starting and end pages, Publisher, Place of publishing. NB. If an article is written by a group of scientists we name the first and add et al (et al = and others) Example: write a reference for the following article; Frank Masavi and others wrote an article headed Changing Age and distribution of blood donor population in the United States. The article was written in 2007 & was published by Cornell university press in Chicago. It was published in the scientific journal of Transfusion in the second issue of Volume 48 between starting at page 251 and ending at page 257. The correct reference is: Masavi, F et al, (2007). Changing age and distribution of blood donor population in the United States, Transfusion, 48 (2), 251-257, Comell university press, Chicago. ++ NB. If you are asked to comment on the given report biblicgraphy, your answer should include: - Mentioning information in the report that had no corresponding references in the bibliography. Commenting on incorrect format of any references included in the bibliography. Good Luck © © Dr.Mohab Megahed 18