K325 / 2027

Movement of substances

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Oxygen concentration is higher in the alveolar air than in the blood arriving at the lungs. What happens by diffusion?

  1. Oxygen moves from the blood to the alveolar air using energy from respiration.
  2. More oxygen moves from the alveolar air into the blood than in the reverse direction.
  3. Oxygen moves only into the blood; no molecules move back.
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More oxygen moves from the alveolar air into the blood than in the reverse direction.

The net movement is from higher oxygen concentration in the alveolar air to lower concentration in the blood, down the oxygen concentration gradient.

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A membrane lets water pass but not sucrose. Water potential is higher on the left than on the right. What is the net movement?

  1. Water moves from left to right by osmosis.
  2. Water moves from right to left using energy from respiration.
  3. Sucrose moves from right to left by osmosis.
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Water moves from left to right by osmosis.

Water moves from higher to lower water potential through the partially permeable membrane.

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A plant cell is placed in a solution with much lower water potential. Which observation indicates plasmolysis?

  1. The vacuole expands and presses against the wall.
  2. The cell wall shrinks away from the membrane.
  3. The cell membrane pulls away from the cell wall.
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The cell membrane pulls away from the cell wall.

Sufficient water loss makes the cell contents shrink and the membrane pull away from the wall.

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Glucose concentration is lower in the small intestine than inside its villus cells. How can glucose uptake into those cells continue?

  1. By osmosis, because glucose dissolves in water.
  2. By diffusion from lower to higher glucose concentration.
  3. By active transport, supported by energy from respiration.
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By active transport, supported by energy from respiration.

Glucose is taken up against its concentration gradient, from lower concentration in the intestine to higher concentration in the villus cells. This uptake depends on energy from respiration.

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Water and mineral ions both enter a root hair cell. Which statement is sufficient to identify active transport of the ions?

  1. The cell also takes in water.
  2. The ions move into the cell rather than out.
  3. The ions move from a lower concentration outside to a higher concentration inside.
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The ions move from a lower concentration outside to a higher concentration inside.

This is movement against the ion concentration gradient across the cell membrane, requiring active transport.

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A potato piece changes from 4.00 g to 4.40 g. Which conclusion fits these measurements?

  1. It gained 10% because sucrose entered by osmosis.
  2. It gained 0.40%, so a little water entered.
  3. It gained 10%, consistent with net water entry by osmosis.
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It gained 10%, consistent with net water entry by osmosis.

(4.40 - 4.00) / 4.00 x 100 = 10%. In this investigation, the gain is interpreted mainly as water entering the cells.

Check your understanding

Using the carrot results above, which answer would score full marks for "Describe the trend"?

  1. As the sucrose concentration increases, the mass of the carrot decreases.
  2. Mass change falls from 14 to -12.4 as concentration goes from 0 to 1.
  3. Mass change falls from +14.0% at 0.0 mol/dm3 to -8.8% at 0.6 mol/dm3, then levels off at -12.0% to -12.4% from 0.8 to 1.0 mol/dm3.
  4. Water leaves the carrot cells by osmosis because the solution has a lower water potential.
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Mass change falls from +14.0% at 0.0 mol/dm3 to -8.8% at 0.6 mol/dm3, then levels off at -12.0% to -12.4% from 0.8 to 1.0 mol/dm3.

It gives the direction, quotes values with units at both ends and describes the level-off with its figures.

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Write a short answer, then compare it with a sample and check for missing ideas.

Question 1 of 8

Apply diffusion to plants and humans

4 marks

A photosynthesising leaf cell has a lower carbon dioxide concentration than the surrounding air spaces. In a human small intestine, a fatty acid has a higher concentration outside an absorbing cell than inside, and can cross its membrane. Explain the net movement of each substance. [4]

For each example, name the substance, compare its concentrations and state the net direction.

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