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A-LevelBiologyInherited change9700/43 · May/June 2020 · Q112 Marks

The courgette plant, Cucurbita pepo, produces edible fruits that vary in colour and shape. Fruit colour in courgettes is controlled by the gene A/a. Fruit shape in courgettes is controlled by the gene B/b. • A yellow fruit is produced when the dominant allele A is present. • A round fruit is produced when the dominant allele B is present. Genes A/a and B/b occur on different chromosomes. Table 1.1 shows the genotypes and phenotypes of four different varieties of courgette with respect to their fruit colour and shape. Table 1.1 name of variety | genotype | fruit colour | fruit shape ---|---|---|--- Defender | aabb | green | long Floridor | AABB | yellow | round Golden Dawn | AAbb | yellow | long Tondo di Piacenza | aaBB | green | round

  1. (a)(i)The varieties Golden Dawn and Tondo di Piacenza were grown in the same garden and cross-pollination occurred between them. The gardener grew these cross-pollinated F1 seeds into plants that formed fruits. The gardener did not know the genotypes of the parent plants and did not know that cross-pollination had occurred. State the phenotype of the fruits of the F1 plants and explain why it was unexpected for the gardener.[2]
  2. (a)(ii)The gardener crossed two of these F1 plants. Complete Fig. 1.1 with the F1 gametes, F2 genotypes and F2 phenotypes. State the ratio of fruit phenotypes in the F2 offspring. [Figure 1.1][4]
  3. (b)Watermelons, Citrullus lanatus, are plants in the same family as courgettes. They produce large round edible fruits that usually contain many hard seeds. Seeds are the structures formed when the male and female gametes fuse at fertilisation. In the 1990s a triploid (3n) watermelon plant was developed. To produce the triploid watermelon plant, a normal diploid parent plant (2n = 22) was crossed with an artificially created tetraploid plant (4n = 44). Triploid watermelon plants develop edible fruits but these are sterile and do not contain seeds, making them more enjoyable to eat. Explain why the fruits of the triploid plants are sterile and do not contain seeds.[3]
  4. (c)(i)Watermelons are attacked by watermelon mosaic virus (WMV). In 1965, a WMV-resistant plant in the same family, Cucurbita ecuadorensis (2n = 40), was found growing wild in South America. State why a WMV-resistant variety of watermelon cannot be obtained by breeding Cucurbita ecuadorensis with a normal diploid watermelon.[1]
  5. (c)(ii)Outline how the WMV-resistant trait of Cucurbita ecuadorensis could be transferred to watermelon plants.[2]

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Mark scheme

Marking points from the official mark scheme (May/June 2020). The mark or mark type is shown in brackets.

  1. [2] any two from:
  2. 1 (fruits are) yellow and round ;
  3. 2 fruits do not resemble either parent;
  4. 3 fruits resemble Floridor (variety);
  5. [4] gametes correctly entered;
  6. genotypes correctly worked out ;
  7. phenotypes match genotypes;
  8. ratio of fruit phenotypes 9 yellow round : 3 yellow long : 3 green round: 1 green long;
  9. AB | Ab | aB | ab
  10. AB | AABB yellow round | AABb yellow round | AaBB yellow round | AaBb yellow round
  11. Ab | AABb yellow round | AAbb yellow long | AaBb yellow round | Aabb yellow long
  12. aB | AaBB yellow round | AaBb yellow round | aaBB green round | aaBb green round
  13. ab | AaBb yellow round | Aabb yellow long | aaBb green round | aabb green long
  14. [3] any three from:
  15. 1 meiosis, cannot occur / is disrupted;
  16. 2 33/odd number of, chromosomes ;
  17. 3 three copies of each (homologous) chromosome ;
  18. 4 chromosomes cannot (all), pair up/ form bivalents / undergo synapsis ;
  19. 5 in prophase 1;
  20. 6 gametes / ovules (pollen), not formed;
  21. [1] different genera / chromosome numbers different (22 and 40) / offspring would be sterile ;
  22. [2] any two from:
  23. 1 genetic engineering / genetic modification / recombinant DNA technology ;
  24. 2 use restriction, enzyme / endonuclease, to cut C. ecuadorensis, genome / DNA;
  25. 3 use, vector / plasmid / A. tumefaciens ;
  26. 4 to insert WMV-resistance gene into watermelon (cells);

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About this question

Topic
Inherited change, A-Level Biology (syllabus 9700). Structured question, 12 marks.
Source
A-Level Biology, May/June 2020 Paper 4 Variant 3, question 1.

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