6. (a) Figure 8 shows two potato chips - Edexcel - GCSE Biology Combined Science - Question 6 - 2018 - Paper 1

Potato chip B has a greater increase in mass than potato chip A primarily due to its larger surface area.

• The greater surface area allows more water molecules to enter the potato chip through the process of osmosis.
• Since potato chip B is larger, it can absorb more water compared to the smaller size of potato chip A.

When potato chip A is transferred from distilled water to a concentrated salt solution, the following occurs:

• The cells will lose water due to osmosis.
• Water molecules will move from the area of higher water concentration (inside the potato cells) to the area of lower water concentration (the concentrated salt solution).
• As a result, the cells will become plasmolyzed, potentially leading to a reduction in their mass and causing them to shrink.

Selective breeding can be conducted as follows:

1. Select Parent Plants: Choose variety A because it produces large potatoes and variety B because it is faster growing and produces many potatoes.

2. Crossbreed: Crossbreed the two varieties by transferring pollen from the flower of variety A to the flower of variety B or vice versa.

3. Grow the Offspring: Cultivate the resulting offspring.

4. Select Desired Characteristics: Choose the plants that display the desired traits of faster growth and larger potatoes.

5. Repeat the Process: Continue the process over many generations to ensure that the desired traits are consistently passed on to the offspring.