VCE Biology Question Thread

[vox nihili]

The exact question was "Explain how salmonella would be recognised from other cells"
I think you're right, PF, that it would be other way around. i should have spoken about B cells, but i was just stupid enough to think that the wording would be "by other cells" rather than "from other cells"
That's my problem, i overthink the way questions are worded. that's usually where i lose marks

I think it's a pretty poorly worded question to be perfectly honest. Just sounds like a really odd way of asking "explain the immune response".

[Abi21]

Hi,
So i was just wondering, for the bio exam, are the unit 3 questions used to determine your unit 3 sac grade and the unit 4 questions used to determine GA2?
Thanks in advance

[Sine]

Hi,
So i was just wondering, for the bio exam, are the unit 3 questions used to determine your unit 3 sac grade and the unit 4 questions used to determine GA2?
Thanks in advance

which exam? the internal exam or external exam?

[Abi21]

which exam? the internal exam or external exam?

the external one (end of year)

[Sine]

the external one (end of year)

the whole exam will be used to standerdised both units and they won't make a distinction between questions from unit 3 or 4 (this is also impossible since some questions will overlap between both units)

[MAGGOT]

Do we need to know about PRRs and molecular patterns for phagocytic cells?

[TheBigC]

Do we need to know about PRRs and molecular patterns for phagocytic cells?

Molecular patterns: yes (PAMPs, I assume)
PRRs: Not necessarily (though, useful)... just be familiar with MHC in this case. (PRRs being non-specific receptors (in the case of innate immunity))

[vox nihili]

Do we need to know about PRRs and molecular patterns for phagocytic cells?

Molecular patterns: yes (PAMPs, I assume)
PRRs: Not necessarily (though, useful)... just be familiar with MHC in this case. (PRRs being non-specific receptors (in the case of innate immunity))

It's a bit unclear whether or not we need to know about signalling in the innate immune system (PAMPs and PRRs—remembering of course that we don't call what T-cells and B-cells recognise PAMPs; PAMPS being only relevant to the innate immune system as it were). Some textbooks talk about it, others don't. The study design isn't hugely clear about it either.

My best bet would be that knowing the concept, without perhaps knowing the detail, is probably a reasonable mid point. I say that though without any strong evidence to back that up, because we haven't had enough exams yet to get a feel for the new SD.

[TheBigC]

It's a bit unclear whether or not we need to know about signalling in the innate immune system (PAMPs and PRRs—remembering of course that we don't call what T-cells and B-cells recognise PAMPs; PAMPS being only relevant to the innate immune system as it were). Some textbooks talk about it, others don't. The study design isn't hugely clear about it either.

My best bet would be that knowing the concept, without perhaps knowing the detail, is probably a reasonable mid point. I say that though without any strong evidence to back that up, because we haven't had enough exams yet to get a feel for the new SD.

Fair fair. The reason I said yes to PAMPs is due to my exam experience. In 2017 they threw a question relating to sterile environments (something never lucidly mentioned in the SD), thus I presumed that PAMPs could come up despite no clear mention. One could argue that the 2017 question was general knowledge, though one could also argue that PAMPs are general knowledge...(at least for a biology student)

[vox nihili]

Fair fair. The reason I said yes to PAMPs is due to my exam experience. In 2017 they threw a question relating to sterile environments (something never lucidly mentioned in the SD), thus I presumed that PAMPs could come up despite no clear mention. One could argue that the 2017 question was general knowledge, though one could also argue that PAMPs are general knowledge...(at least for a biology student)

VCAA exams shouldn't test general knowledge though, they should adhere to the study design.

Can you remember which question it was? I do vaguely remember seeing one that I thought might have referenced PAMPs. Thanks for reminding! That could be the insight we need to answer this question properly.

[TheBigC]

VCAA exams shouldn't test general knowledge though, they should adhere to the study design.

Can you remember which question it was? I do vaguely remember seeing one that I thought might have referenced PAMPs. Thanks for reminding! That could be the insight we need to answer this question properly.

Sorry, the wording of my previous statement was poor - as far as I am aware, there wasn't any question that referenced PAMPs (maybe I just didn't notice), however what I was referring to was 2017 VCAA BIOL Q4a. This was a 'general knowledge'-style question and I was concerned that something coincident to this may arise in a future exam, however referencing PAMPs (i.e. an individual was wounded and fungal peptides entered his bloodstream. Part a)... part b)... etc.).

[PopcornTime]

Can someone check the following?

If you increase the IV range : then are we able to make more predictions about the data and this would improve accuracy

Is it a limitation to not compare primary data with secondary data and would this improve reliability or validity? I assume reliability.

Use of improved equipment/ method -- this would improve precision

[TheBigC]

If you increase the IV range : then are we able to make more predictions about the data and this would improve accuracy - accuracy is dependent on equipment and method, not range of data

Is it a limitation to not compare primary data with secondary data and would this improve reliability or validity? I assume reliability. TICK

Use of improved equipment/ method - this would improve precision - this would improve accuracy too

[PopcornTime]

If you increase the IV range : then are we able to make more predictions about the data and this would improve accuracy - accuracy is dependent on equipment and method, not range of data

Is it a limitation to not compare primary data with secondary data and would this improve reliability or validity? I assume reliability. TICK

Use of improved equipment/ method - this would improve precision - this would improve accuracy too

Then what would increasing the IV range improve if not accuracy or precision? Could it be validity, because we are able to ensure that the results reflect on the concept being tested over a wider IV range?

Validity is the extent to which an experiment measures the concept being test

[Scribe]

Hey guys,

Are we supposed to know specific pathogens for the VCE Biology course? Which pathogens should we know and what level of understanding should we have?

Thanks