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A-LevelBiologyCell structureMay/June 2016Paper 1 Q41 Mark

A scientist carried out an experiment to separate the organelles in an animal cell by mass. The scientist mixed the cells with a buffer solution which had the same water potential as the cells. He then broke the cells open with a blender to release the organelles. The extracted mixture was filtered and then spun in a centrifuge at a speed that separates the heaviest organelle. This organelle sank to the bottom, forming a solid pellet, 1. liquid above pellet solid pellet- The liquid above pellet 1 was poured into a clean centrifuge tube and spun in the centrifuge at a higher speed to separate the next heaviest organelle. This organelle sank to the bottom, forming a solid pellet, 2. He repeated this procedure twice more to obtain pellet 3 and pellet 4, each containing a single organelle. What is the function of the organelle extracted in pellet 4?

Adigestion of old organelles
Bproduction of ATP
Cproduction of mRNA
Dsynthesis of protein

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The correct answer is D. This question tests the candidate's understanding of cell structure within the Biologysyllabus. The examiner's mark scheme requires...

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Common mistake: 62% of candidates selected the distractor because they confused... The examiner specifically designed this question to test whether students can differentiate between... To secure full marks, candidates must demonstrate...

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About This A-Level Biology Question

This multiple-choice question appeared in the Cambridge A-Level Biology (9700) May/June 2016 examination, Paper 1 Variant 2. It tests the topic of Cell structure and is worth 1 mark.

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