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March 29, 2024, 08:37:55 am

Author Topic: VCE Biology Question Thread  (Read 3570968 times)  Share 

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PhoenixxFire

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Re: VCE Biology Question Thread
« Reply #10830 on: October 16, 2018, 08:25:14 am »
+1
Average SAC scores are fairly meaningless. Your rank and the strength of your cohort is more important. Assuming you’re a fairly high rank and/or in a decent cohort then yeah you can definitely still get over 40 if you do well on the exam.
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C14M8S

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Re: VCE Biology Question Thread
« Reply #10831 on: October 16, 2018, 07:39:39 pm »
0
1) How does the cell know how it should undergo alternative splicing? How do cells know which regions should be classed as introns or exons at any given moment? I understand that transcription factors play a part in this, but how can they cause this?
2) How does alternative folding work? Theoretically shouldn't folding occur the same way every time if the primary structure of a protein is the same?
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peachxmh

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Re: VCE Biology Question Thread
« Reply #10832 on: October 16, 2018, 09:11:05 pm »
0
Is it high or low acidity that is conducive to fossilisation (/or both)? I've heard that high acidity reduces the rate of decay but in a recent VCAA exam I did, it said low acidity enabled fossilisation to occur.
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M-D

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Re: VCE Biology Question Thread
« Reply #10833 on: October 17, 2018, 09:53:28 am »
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Hi,

Would anyone have the solutions for the VCAA Sample exam (February 2017 version)?

Thanks

napkin101

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Re: VCE Biology Question Thread
« Reply #10834 on: October 17, 2018, 12:01:40 pm »
0
How many essential amino acids does VCAA want us to know? Some websites say there are 10 while a lot of others say 9. Thanks

PhoenixxFire

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Re: VCE Biology Question Thread
« Reply #10835 on: October 17, 2018, 02:40:59 pm »
+5
1) How does the cell know how it should undergo alternative splicing? How do cells know which regions should be classed as introns or exons at any given moment? I understand that transcription factors play a part in this, but how can they cause this?
2) How does alternative folding work? Theoretically shouldn't folding occur the same way every time if the primary structure of a protein is the same?
This is way beyond the study design and I don't know the answers, but for 2) (because this is sort of relevant for VCE), whilst the secondary structure is due to reactions between amino acids, it is folded into its tertiary structure by enzymes, and so I'd imagine that different enzymes would result in the folding occurring in a different way (I don't know why there'd be different enzymes though). Very interesting questions though!

Is it high or low acidity that is conducive to fossilisation (/or both)? I've heard that high acidity reduces the rate of decay but in a recent VCAA exam I did, it said low acidity enabled fossilisation to occur.
High acidity does reduce rate of decay (because it kills bacteria) but it also dissolves calcium carbonate (hard shells, bones, etc.) - so low acidity would make the hard bits stay longer - more chance for it to fossilise rather than just disappear. I'd say neither of them are a great answer. Did this question specifically require you to talk about acidity? If not I'd just stick with the known conditions (anoxic environment, rapid burial, etc.)

Hi,

Would anyone have the solutions for the VCAA Sample exam (February 2017 version)?

Thanks
Yep, Vox wrote some here.

How many essential amino acids does VCAA want us to know? Some websites say there are 10 while a lot of others say 9. Thanks
You don't need to know how many are essential.
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C14M8S

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Re: VCE Biology Question Thread
« Reply #10836 on: October 17, 2018, 08:03:10 pm »
0
I've got a few more questions.
1) Can rationally designed drugs be detected as foreign and treated as antigens by the immune system?
2) For the context of VCE biology, can antisense mRNA being used as a silencer be used as a form of 'rationally designed drug' or does that fall under a different category?
3) Are there any good resources that focus solely on experimental design terminology that I should look in to, or should I just stick to practice exams at this stage?
« Last Edit: October 17, 2018, 08:10:38 pm by C14M8S »
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bdarrag

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Re: VCE Biology Question Thread
« Reply #10837 on: October 17, 2018, 08:12:08 pm »
0
Hi, My Biology exam is in a few weeks, What is the best way to study smart and efficiently so that I maximise my study score but spend the minimum time on biology?

C14M8S

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Re: VCE Biology Question Thread
« Reply #10838 on: October 17, 2018, 08:39:28 pm »
+1
Hi, My Biology exam is in a few weeks, What is the best way to study smart and efficiently so that I maximise my study score but spend the minimum time on biology?
Pratice exams are probably your best bet - they're very useful as diagnostic tools. They might seem like they take a while, but they're by far the most time efficient method of study if you want to perform well.
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Scribe

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Re: VCE Biology Question Thread
« Reply #10839 on: October 17, 2018, 09:18:19 pm »
0
Hi!
If a question were to ask us to describe a relative dating technique, do we describe stratigraphy or the use of index fossils?

For example, in question 7a of the 2007 Biology Exam 2 (https://www.vcaa.vic.edu.au/Documents/exams/biology/biology2_assessrep_07.pdf), a mark was given for describing stratigraphy but I described index fossils.
However, in question 6iii of the 2010 Biology Exam 2 (https://www.vcaa.vic.edu.au/Documents/exams/biology/BiolEx2_AssRep03.pdf), a mark was given for either describing stratigraphy or index fossils.

Thanks!

C14M8S

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Re: VCE Biology Question Thread
« Reply #10840 on: October 17, 2018, 09:29:35 pm »
+3
Hi!
If a question were to ask us to describe a relative dating technique, do we describe stratigraphy or the use of index fossils?
Most dating techniques that don't give an exact date are forms of relative dating, which would include both stratigraphy and index fossils.

Anyway I've got a few more questions -
1) What do lysozymes break down in particular? Is this relevant for VCE biology or should I just know that they are first-line barriers against antigens?
2) Are there any differences between classical Darwinism and Neo-Darwinism aside from the integration of modern genetics?
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Novashock

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Re: VCE Biology Question Thread
« Reply #10841 on: October 18, 2018, 09:23:06 am »
0
What is the purpose of DNA having a 3' and 5' end? I came across this question and apparently its worth 2 marks but I only got mark :( Also, what are the differences in transduction for hydrophillic and hydrophobic signalling molecules !!!! Thankyou!!
« Last Edit: October 18, 2018, 09:41:14 am by Novashock »
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PhoenixxFire

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Re: VCE Biology Question Thread
« Reply #10842 on: October 18, 2018, 09:58:11 am »
+2
Hi, My Biology exam is in a few weeks, What is the best way to study smart and efficiently so that I maximise my study score but spend the minimum time on biology?
Hey,
As C14 said, practice exams are probably best. Make sure your keep track of where you're losing marks though, so have a sheet and record what section of the study design the question was on or something like that. If you're doing very well in U3 AOS 1 but very badly in U3 AOS 2 (for example) then you know to do more revision on AOS 2 and not waste more time on things you already know well.


I've got a few more questions.
1) Can rationally designed drugs be detected as foreign and treated as antigens by the immune system?
2) For the context of VCE biology, can antisense mRNA being used as a silencer be used as a form of 'rationally designed drug' or does that fall under a different category?
3) Are there any good resources that focus solely on experimental design terminology that I should look in to, or should I just stick to practice exams at this stage?
1. I'd imagine not. I mean, it's possible but they're very small molecules and they're not cells/don't produce proteins like bacteria/viruses. (Definitely not for VCE)

2. For VCE, no. A rationally designed drug is one made specifically to fit into a molecular shape, for VCE you just need to know about enzyme inhibitors.
Spoiler
the concept of rational drug design in terms of the complementary nature (shape and charge) of small molecules
that are designed to bind tightly to target biomolecules (limited to enzymes) resulting in the enzyme’s inhibition
and giving rise to a consequential therapeutic benefit, illustrated by the Australian development of the antiviral
drug Relenza as a neuraminidase inhibitor

3. Potentially have a look at psychology resources - Experimental design has been in the psychology curriculum for ages. I'd be wary about just doing practice exams - I don't know about new ones this year but a lot of last year's commercial exams didn't really have that much experiment design in them.


Hi!
If a question were to ask us to describe a relative dating technique, do we describe stratigraphy or the use of index fossils?

For example, in question 7a of the 2007 Biology Exam 2 (https://www.vcaa.vic.edu.au/Documents/exams/biology/biology2_assessrep_07.pdf), a mark was given for describing stratigraphy but I described index fossils.
However, in question 6iii of the 2010 Biology Exam 2 (https://www.vcaa.vic.edu.au/Documents/exams/biology/BiolEx2_AssRep03.pdf), a mark was given for either describing stratigraphy or index fossils.

Thanks!
Unless there's extra information/something in another part of the question excluding that answer then yeah you should be fine with either. VCAA answers don't include all the possible options. If it was a common incorrect answer they probably would have said so though, meaning it was probably marked correct.


What is the purpose of DNA having a 3' and 5' end? I came across this question and apparently its worth 2 marks but I only got mark :( Also, what are the differences in transduction for hydrophillic and hydrophobic signalling molecules !!!! Thankyou!!
What do you mean by purpose? That's a bit of a weird way to word the question. It would probably want something like
-DNA is anti parallel
-DNA is read 5' to 3'
It's a bit weird that it asks for the 'purpose' though, rather than just asking what it means.
Hydrophilic signalling molecules cannot pass through the plasma membrane so they bind to a membrane bound receptor, which causes internal changes that leads to a second messenger molecule inside the cell (there are some pretty cool videos of this on youtube which might help if that’s confusing). Hydrophobic signalling molecules can pass through the plasms membrane, so they enter the cell and bind to an intracellular receptor in the cytosol.


Anyway I've got a few more questions -
1) What do lysozymes break down in particular? Is this relevant for VCE biology or should I just know that they are first-line barriers against antigens?
2) Are there any differences between classical Darwinism and Neo-Darwinism aside from the integration of modern genetics?
1. They break down bacterial cell walls but you don't need to know that for VCE
2. Nah, that's really the only difference. It's just been updated with current knowledge. Don't need to know about it for VCE though.
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Azim.m

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Re: VCE Biology Question Thread
« Reply #10843 on: October 19, 2018, 05:34:59 am »
0
Is question a ii still relevant to the current study design?

Owlbird83

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Re: VCE Biology Question Thread
« Reply #10844 on: October 19, 2018, 06:29:41 am »
+1
Is question a ii still relevant to the current study design?

According to my teacher we are required to know what happens in the synapse, between nerve cell, so it would be. Also we have done that question in class.
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