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Pathogens are microorganisms that cause infectious diseases - AQA - GCSE Biology Combined Science - Question 4 - 2019 - Paper 1

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Pathogens are microorganisms that cause infectious diseases. What type of pathogen causes malaria? Tick (✓) one box. Bacterium: Fungus: Protist: Virus: Give t... show full transcript

Worked Solution & Example Answer:Pathogens are microorganisms that cause infectious diseases - AQA - GCSE Biology Combined Science - Question 4 - 2019 - Paper 1

Step 1

What type of pathogen causes malaria? Tick (✓) one box.

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Answer

The pathogen that causes malaria is a protist. This is because malaria is transmitted by the Plasmodium species, which belongs to the kingdom of protists.

Step 2

Give two methods used to prevent people catching malaria.

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Answer

Method 1: Insecticides.
Reason: Insecticides kill mosquitoes or reduce their population, which decreases the likelihood of bites that transmit malaria.

Method 2: Mosquito nets.
Reason: Mosquito nets act as a physical barrier to prevent mosquitoes from biting individuals while they sleep, lowering the chances of malaria transmission.

Step 3

Describe two differences between a bacterial cell and a eukaryotic cell.

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Answer

1. Nucleus: A bacterial cell does not have a nucleus, while a eukaryotic cell has a defined nucleus containing its DNA.

2. Size: Bacterial cells are generally smaller than eukaryotic cells, which is related to their simpler structure.

Step 4

Describe why there are air holes in the cap of the culture bottle.

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Answer

Air holes are present in the cap of the culture bottle to allow air or oxygen to enter, enabling the bacteria to respire. This is essential for the growth of bacteria as they need oxygen for aerobic respiration.

Step 5

Give one reason for what is happening to the number of bacteria at each of the stages.

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Answer

Stage A: The population size increases rapidly due to abundant nutrients and favorable conditions.

Stage B: The growth rate may level off as resources become limited, but the population remains high.

Stage C: The population stabilizes as the rate of births equals the rate of deaths, indicating an equilibrium.

Stage D: The population decreases as cells begin to die from lack of nutrients and the accumulation of waste products.

Step 6

Explain why a multicellular organism cannot absorb all the nutrients it needs by diffusion.

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Answer

A multicellular organism cannot absorb all the nutrients it needs by diffusion because of its larger size and increased distance from cells to the environment. Given that diffusion is less efficient over longer distances, the volume of a multicellular organism increases faster than its surface area. Thus, it cannot supply sufficient nutrients to all cells solely through the outer surface.

Calculations:
The volume of cube X (bacterial cell) is (0.0002extcm)3=8imes1012extcm3(0.0002 ext{ cm})^3 = 8 imes 10^{-12} ext{ cm}^3.
The volume of cube Y (multicellular organism) is (11extcm)3=1331extcm3(11 ext{ cm})^3 = 1331 ext{ cm}^3.
The surface area of cube Y is 6imes(11extcm)2=726extcm26 imes (11 ext{ cm})^2 = 726 ext{ cm}^2.
The surface area to volume ratio for cube X is much greater than that for cube Y, illustrating that diffusion alone is inadequate for nutrient uptake in larger organisms.

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