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A-LevelBiologyEnzymesOct/Nov 2024Paper 2 Q48 Marks

Biofuels contain alcohols that are produced by the fermentation of sugars derived from crop waste. This waste contains cellulose and other organic compounds in cell walls. Scientists investigated the production of sugars from crop waste for biofuel production. The scientists discovered that a strain of the fungus Penicillium citrinum, isolated from soil, was a good source of three different extracellular enzymes, M, N and O. These enzymes break down polysaccharides in cell walls. The scientists cultured P. citrinum in a liquid medium containing cell wall material. Samples of the liquid were taken, and the three enzymes were separated from the medium. Each enzyme was placed in a reaction mixture with an appropriate substrate. The activity of each enzyme was determined to give a measurement of the quantity of enzyme produced by P. citrinum. The results are shown in Table 4.1. [Table 4.1] Optimum conditions for each enzyme were used to obtain the results in Table 4.1. The conditions were different for each enzyme. The scientists carried out further research so that a solution containing the three enzymes (enzyme mixture) could be used for the most efficient production of sugars from crop waste. Suggest what the scientists needed to find out in their research.

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About This A-Level Biology Question

This structured question appeared in the Cambridge A-Level Biology (9700) Oct/Nov 2024 examination, Paper 2 Variant 3. It tests the topic of Enzymes and is worth 8 marks.

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