1. (a) (i) Most candidates demonstrated mastery at the plotting of the graph.

They were able to

choose and label the axes correctly and plot the points accurately. A small number of
candidates, however, plotted their graphs in their answer books instead of on the graph
paper.
(ii) Some candidates failed to state the complete time interval for the highest or lowest reaction
rate. Some left out the unit (i.e. minutes) for the time interval,
(iii) The answer to this part was satisfactory in general, but the following errors were frequently
made by candidates:
1. Some candidates did not understand that the slope of the curve represented the
reaction rate. They equated the volume of gas collected with the reaction rate.
consequently, they wrongly stated that the reaction rate increased with time as more
and more gas was collected.
2. Some candidates were able to state that the reaction rate decreased with time, but
gave the wrong explanation, e.g. that the decrease in reaction rate was due to a drop
in the amount of catalase. This reflected the fact that they held the serious
misconception that enzyme molecules were used up during a reaction.
3. Most candidates could not relate the decrease in reaction rate to the reduced chance
of collision between the substrate and enzyme molecules as the concentration of the
substrate molecules decreased.
4. Some candidates made the incorrect deduction that, because the volume of gas
collected did not change with time, the reaction rate became constant instead of
making the correct deduction, that it became zero.
(iv) This question discriminated well between stronger and weaker candidates. Some
candidates sketched the curve perfectly well- Some correctly sketched the curve to the left
of the plotted curve, but levelled off at a higher position. This suggested that some were
have wrongly believed that more enzyme would result in more products. Some were
completely wrong in sketching the curve to the right of the plotted curve. A few careless
candidates did not label the two curves.
1. (b) (i) This question demanded clarity of genetic concepts and good communicative skills. While a
small number of candidates gave good answers, most failed to provide an accurate and
logical explanation. This may be due to the fact that some candidates did not express their
deduction logically while others might have learned to use genetic diagrams in a
stereotyped manner without understanding the principles involved. This weakness in making
deductions from genetic crosses has been detected consistently throughout the years. It is
necessary for candidates to strengthen their ability in this respect in the course of their
study.
(ii) Most candidates presented the genetic diagram ---correctly, although some failed to indicate
the identity of the parents in their diagrams.
(iii) Most candidates answered this question correctly, --------------indicating that they had a good
understanding of the relationship between phenotype and genotype in inheritance .
1. (c) (i)&(ii) Most candidates could apply what they had learned to explain the biological
principles involved. However, many stated wrongly that the gall bladder was
responsible for producing bile instead of strong bile, and some confused the gall
bladder for the urinary bladder. A considerable number of candidates failed to point
out that the importance of emulsification of fat is to provide a large surface area for the
action of lipase.
2. (a) (i) Many candidates held the misconception that fatty -----acids and glycerol, the products of fat
digestion, enter the Lymph vessel as is. In fact, fatty acid and glycerol recombine in the
epithelium of the villus to form fat which then enters the lacteal as fine fat droplets.

(ii) Most candidates were able to construct a flowchart to indicate the route of transport of food
 substances, although the pulmonary circulation was sometimes left out.
(iii) Most candidates were able to describe the two different roles of the white blood cells in the
body’s defense, i.e. ingesting germs and producing antibodies.
2. (b) (i) (1) Some candidates had difficulty in calculating the excess water loss on the second day.
Some missed out the unit for the mass of water loss.
(2) Only a small number of candidates could give an accurate and complete explanation.
The candidates should note carefully the marks allocated to this question, which gave
some indication of the depth of treatment required. Many candidates did not mention
the importance of evaporation of water in sweat in promoting heat loss from the body.
Many also failed to relate the increased water loss to the higher ventilation rate during
exercise. Some mixed up “respiratory rate” with “breathing rate”.
(ii) Most candidates answered this question wrongly by stating that a larger volume of water
was reabsorbed by the kidney. When a person is in a state of dehydration, the volume of
glomerular filtrate formed is less than normal, so that the total amount of water reabsorbed
in the kidney is not likely to be greater than normal. Water conservation in this situation is
achieved by reabsorbing a greater proportion of water from the glomerular filtrate, leading
to the formation of a relatively small volume of hypertonic urine. Thus, through the excretion
of a hypertonic urine, water is conserved in the body and the water potential of blood is
raised to the normal level. On the other hand, after a person has taken in a large amount of
water, the kidney will reabsorb a smaller proportion (not a smaller volume) of water from
she glomerular filtrate than normal. This effectively lowers the water potential of blood to
normal. Similar remarks were made in previous annual reports (1988 Q.1 (c)(iii)(1)).
2. (c) (i) Most candidates arrived at a logical conclusion when comparing set-ups A and B which
differed in one condition only. Many candidates pointed out that set-- ups B and C differed in
two conditions, but they did not conclude corrective that “no definite conclusion can be
made” because there were two variables. Instead, they concluded wrongly that light and
oxygen were necessary for seed germination. This showed that they had not developed a
genuine understanding on the concept of controlling variables, which is an essential skill in
experimental design.
(ii) A common error was stating that water was needed for ------------photosynthesis during seed
germination.
(iii) This part was poorly answered, indicating that many - -candidates had a poor understanding
of the concept of ---------dry mass. They stated wrongly that the decrease in dry mass during
germination was due to the evaporation of water. Some answered that the stored food was
used up for growth instead of stating precisely that stored -------food was oxidized to release
energy for growth.
3. (a) (i)& (ii) Most candidates could give a satisfactory ---------description of the sequence of events
involved in --------Patterns A and B. Some candidates wrongly stated that the brain was
involved in the withdrawal reflex. Others wrongly indicated that the increased blood
------glucose level stimulated the pancreas through the brain or the pituitary. In fact, the
high glucose level --stimulates the pancreas directly to release an increased amount of
 insulin. Many candidates failed to appreciate that insulin is released from the pancreas
constantly but its level varies according to the level of blood glucose. Some candidates
stated wrongly that insulin was produced in the liver. Others wrongly believed that
------insulin was an enzyme and that it directly catalyzed the conversion of glucose into
glycogen in the liver. In fact ---insulin is a hormone and it only stimulates the change of
glucose into glycogen via the activities of other enzymes .
(iii) Many candidates could not grasp the basic concept that the difference in speed of response
in nervous and hormonal coordination is related to the different nature of the transmission of
messages. Some stated that the withdrawal response was faster than the hormonal
response because it was involuntary and did not involve the brain.
3. (b) (i) A small number of candidates mistook the given set-up as a bubble potometer, revealing a
lack of understanding of the principles involved in the measurement of transpiration and
water absorption. Some suggested correctly that water loss could be found by measuring
the decrease in mass of the set-up in a given period, but failed to work out the rate of water
loss.
(ii) Some candidates stated that the oil layer was to prevent oxygen from diffusing into the
water, as in the set-up for studying anaerobic respiration. This failure to carefully consider
the experimental context is an example of the consequence of rote learning without
understanding.
(iii) (1) Many candidates failed to relate the higher rate of water loss in the dry condition to the
greater vapour pressure gradient between the leaf and the atmosphere, and the
subsequent faster diffusion of water vapour from the leaf.
(2) A common error was stating that light enhanced water loss because light promoted
photosynthesis which used a lot of water.
3. (c) (i) Many candidates could not relate the probable date of -fertilization to the time of ovulation in
the menstrual cycle.
(ii) A considerable number of candidates did not include the ---complete period of menstruation,
although they did - -relate the decrease in the thickness of the uterine wall to the occurrence
of menstruation.
(iv) This part was well answered, but many candidates -------------could not point out that the sex
hormones were transported by blood so that tying the oviduct would not affect their release.
4. (a) (v) Some candidates had difficulty in visualizing that organ C and chamber D were joined by the
pulmonary artery. This is probably due to the fact that they could not identify chamber D as
the right ventricle.
4. (b) (ii) (1) Many candidates could not read the value correctly from the graph.
(2) Only a small number of candidates performed the correct calculation. Many candidates
worked out the answer wrongly by calculating the whole area of B. They should
multiply the rate of respiration by the duration of the dark period as:
12 x 11 = 132mg.
(iii) Most errors were caused by reading values wrongly from the graph.
(iv) This part was poorly answered. Most candidates failed to equate area A with the net food
 production/net amount of photosynthesis, and Area B with the net food consumption/net
respiration in specific periods. Many also wrongly stated that the marked areas (A and B)
represented the rates rather than the amounts of photosynthesis and respiration.
4. (c) (i) Some candidates stated wrongly that "construction waste" instead of "landfill" was the main
disposal method of wastes.
(iii) Some candidates did not point out that animal waste was rich in organic matter which
provided food for the growth of the bacteria.