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Date November 2016 Marks available 2 Reference code 16N.3.HL.TZ0.3
Level Higher level Paper Paper 3 Time zone TZ0 / no time zone
Command term Describe Question number 3 Adapted from N/A

Question

The diagram shows the development of potato plants (Solanum tuberosum) over 14 weeks. New tubers start growing from week 9. These are modified underground stems serving as a starch reserve and bearing buds from which new plants arise.

Scientists planted several potato plants in a greenhouse. The sucrose and amino acids in potato plant phloem exudates were measured during several weeks.

Describe briefly how scientists obtained leaf phloem sap from the potato plants.

[2]
a.

Suggest reasons for different amounts of sucrose in the leaf phloem sap of the potato plants.

[3]
b.

Markscheme

a. aphids insert stylet in «potato» plants/feed from «potato» plants

“Aphids” is essential for the mark.

b. phloem exudates/sap obtained from severed stylets

“Stylets” is essential for the mark.

a.

a. sucrose produced by leaves during photosynthesis

b. sucrose moves/translocates from source/leaves to sink/roots/tubers
OR
sucrose carried by phloem to tuber

c. «wk 5» high sucrose with increased leaf growth/photosynthesis / OWTTE

d. «wk 5-7» more sucrose used for general plant growth / OWTTE

e. «wk 7-11» concentration sucrose increases due to greater production/photosynthesis «than usage/storage» / OWTTE

f. sucrose transformed into starch in tuber «from week 9»

g. contribution of amino acids unknown so difficult to know about different amounts of sucrose / OWTTE

Award the mark for realizing that amino acids play a role in the ratio

h. «abiotic» conditions in greenhouse may vary over time / OWTTE

Accept abiotic factors only if variation through time is explicit.

 

b.

Examiners report

[N/A]
a.
[N/A]
b.

Syllabus sections

Additional higher level » Topic 9: Plant biology » 9.2 Transport in the phloem of plants
Additional higher level » Topic 9: Plant biology
Additional higher level

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