VCE Biology Question Thread

[Biology24123]

Do we need to be able to explain the process of DNA sequencing like the different methods or just the general principle?

[vox nihili]

Do we need to be able to explain the process of DNA sequencing like the different methods or just the general principle?

General principle

[Sine]

Are we required to know about action potentials and the role of Ca2+ in the release of neurotransmitters into the synapse?
If so what part of the study design mentions this?

[Biology24123]

We are required to know that.

[vox nihili]

Are we required to know about action potentials and the role of Ca2+ in the release of neurotransmitters into the synapse?
If so what part of the study design mentions this?

You should know what action potentials are, but certainly don't need to understand what calcium does in the synapse. Basically, you have to be able to appreciate that neural signals are an electrochemical process and that sodium and potassium and important in that process.

[cosine]

Are we required to know about action potentials and the role of Ca2+ in the release of neurotransmitters into the synapse?
If so what part of the study design mentions this?

Just to add on what Mr. T-Rav said, you don't need to know what Ca2+ does in the release of neurotransmitters, but you must certainly know that it is present in the pre-synaptic knobs.

[paper-back]

When asked for the differences between mitosis and binary fission is it correct to say that;
Mitosis is a more complex form of division and
Mitosis does not involve the replication of DNA, whereas binary fission does?

[cosine]

When asked for the differences between mitosis and binary fission is it correct to say that;
Mitosis is a more complex form of division and
Mitosis does not involve the replication of DNA, whereas binary fission does?

The first one is a big vague in my opinion, I would say that mitosis is the nuclear division of eukaryotic cells, whereas binary fission is the cellular division of prokaryotic cells.

However, you are correct in saying that DNA replication only occurs in binary fission, as DNA replication occurs during the S phase of the cell cycle, and not actual mitosis. But just not entirely sure about the first point you stated.

[paper-back]

The first one is a big vague in my opinion, I would say that mitosis is the nuclear division of eukaryotic cells, whereas binary fission is the cellular division of prokaryotic cells.

However, you are correct in saying that DNA replication only occurs in binary fission, as DNA replication occurs during the S phase of the cell cycle, and not actual mitosis. But just not entirely sure about the first point you stated.

Thanks Cosine,
Yeah, I wrote those two responses down for my SAC and only after realised that I should've compared prokaryotic and eukaryotic cells

[heids]

Plus, binary fission doesn't involve phases (prophase, metaphase etc.), and it's faster than mitosis, and it doesn't involve centrioles and spindles, and it doesn't involve the division of the nucleus.

I wouldn't include the DNA replication thing personally just because while it doesn't happen during mitosis, it does happen during the cell cycle, and mitosis involves replicated DNA.  I agree it's correct, but a little dangerous.

[cosine]

Plus, binary fission doesn't involve phases (prophase, metaphase etc.), and it's faster than mitosis, and it doesn't involve centrioles and spindles, and it doesn't involve the division of the nucleus.

I wouldn't include the DNA replication thing personally just because while it doesn't happen during mitosis, it does happen during the cell cycle, and mitosis involves replicated DNA.  I agree it's correct, but a little dangerous.

Is it safe to say that binary fission is cellular division of prokaryotic cells?

Also *coughemailcough* xD

[StupidProdigy]

What's the purpose of dna sequencing? I get how it works and that the result is a complementary strand, but couldn't we just figure out the complementary strand with normal base pairing rules instead of having to make heaps of strands and sort them by their length to get the complement?

[BakedDwarf]

When we are determining particular stages of mitosis using different stains of dyes, if we had to choose two of the three following organelles:
- Plasma membrane
- Nuclear membrane
- Microtubules
to make visible, which ones would you choose? And why?

[Biology24123]

Nuclear membrane and Microtubules. Nuclear membrane disintegrates after prophase and Microtubules form at the start of metaphase and dissapear at the end of anaphase

[BakedDwarf]

Nuclear membrane and Microtubules. Nuclear membrane disintegrates after prophase and Microtubules form at the start of metaphase and dissapear at the end of anaphase

How would we then distinguish telophase? I thought that by using a plasma membrane strain, we can observe the two different groups of nuclei that are contained within one cell. And I don't think the nuclear membrane would help with this because it would just appear as two different nuclei in two different cells.