Protein synthesis: past paper questions
Real questions on protein synthesis
The newest 20 of 53 written questions. Open one to see it on the real paper.
- 9700/21 · October/November 2025 · Q6a(iii)[1]
Name the organelle where the translation of mRNA takes place to produce lysozyme.
See it on the paper → - 9700/41 · October/November 2025 · Q4b[4]
CDV can be passed from domestic dogs to wolves. • • • Domestic dogs are more numerous in the southern part of the area occupied by wolves. Domestic dogs are less numerous in the northern part of the area occupied by wolves. The relative frequency of black wolves compared to grey wolves increases from the north to the s...
See it on the paper → - 9700/41 · October/November 2025 · Q4c[4]
Several different populations of wolves were compared. Fig. 4.1 shows the relationship between the percentage of wolves in a population that have anti‑CDV antibodies in their blood and the percentage of wolves in that population that are black. The line of best fit was calculated after comparing the different populatio...
See it on the paper → - 9700/41 · October/November 2025 · Q8b(i)[1]
Name the type of enzyme that could be used to cut out the pat gene from S. viridochromogenes.
See it on the paper → - 9700/41 · October/November 2025 · Q8b(ii)[1]
Name the enzyme that could be used to join the pat gene to a plasmid by forming phosphodiester bonds.
See it on the paper → - 9700/43 · October/November 2025 · Q4b[4]
CDV can be passed from domestic dogs to wolves. • • • Domestic dogs are more numerous in the southern part of the area occupied by wolves. Domestic dogs are less numerous in the northern part of the area occupied by wolves. The relative frequency of black wolves compared to grey wolves increases from the north to the s...
See it on the paper → - 9700/43 · October/November 2025 · Q4c[4]
Several different populations of wolves were compared. Fig. 4.1 shows the relationship between the percentage of wolves in a population that have anti‑CDV antibodies in their blood and the percentage of wolves in that population that are black. The line of best fit was calculated after comparing the different populatio...
See it on the paper → - 9700/23 · May/June 2025 · Q5b(ii)[2]
Fig. 5.3 is a diagram showing DNA triplet codes on the non‑transcribed strand of a gene and the amino acids coded by the triplets. oli ne Glut amin e C A G T C A G Pr C T A G T C A G ne ini T T A T G G C C A A C Lysin G T e G C T G Leucine A C Asparagine C T A G A T G T Aspa A Leucine T A C acid rtic C A Gluta G e T n...
See it on the paper → - 9700/43 · May/June 2025 · Q4a[4]
Suggest and explain how A. harrisii and A. leucurus evolved from an ancestral species.
See it on the paper → - 9700/22 · February/March 2025 · Q5b(ii)[1]
Name the RNA strand formed during transcription of a eukaryotic gene.
See it on the paper → - 9700/21 · May/June 2024 · Q3b[2]
HIV has a nucleic acid core of RNA. The virus also contains the enzyme reverse transcriptase. After HIV enters T‑lymphocytes, reverse transcriptase catalyses the formation of DNA using activated DNA nucleotides with the viral RNA as a template. Some drugs, such as tenofovir, have been developed to inhibit the action of...
See it on the paper → - 9700/21 · May/June 2024 · Q4c[4]
Stem cells are found in the lining of the bronchi. Describe the function of centrioles and explain how they are involved in the cell cycle of a stem cell.
See it on the paper → - 9700/43 · May/June 2024 · Q5b(i)[3]
Suggest and explain how mutation 999del5 accounts for a very high percentage of breast cancer cases in Iceland compared with the general global population.
See it on the paper → - 9700/22 · February/March 2024 · Q4a(ii)[1]
Table 4.2 shows all the possible template strand DNA triplets that code for the amino acids labelled aa1, aa2, aa3 and aa4 in Table 4.1. Table 4.2 amino acid DNA triplets val CAA, CAG, CAT, CAC arg GCA, GCG, GCT, GCC, TCT, TCC met TAC leu AAT, AAC, GAA, GAG, GAT, GAC Complete Table 4.3 to identify the four amino acids...
See it on the paper → - 9700/22 · February/March 2024 · Q4a(iii)[2]
One type of gene mutation is caused by the substitution of a DNA nucleotide. Using the information in Table 4.2, state and explain the effect on the final protein structure of a substitution of the nucleotide at position 3 in Table 4.1.
See it on the paper → - 9700/22 · February/March 2024 · Q4a(iv)[3]
A second type of gene mutation is caused by the deletion of a DNA nucleotide. Using the information in Table 4.2, state and explain the effect on the final protein structure of a deletion of the nucleotide at position 3 in Table 4.1.
See it on the paper → - 9700/23 · October/November 2023 · Q4b(i)[1]
State the number of amino acids that are coded for by the sequence of nucleotides on the primary transcript shown in Fig. 4.1.
See it on the paper → - 9700/23 · October/November 2023 · Q4b(ii)[2]
Use the information in Fig. 4.1 to explain why one of the strands of DNA is not transcribed.
See it on the paper → - 9700/43 · October/November 2023 · Q2b[3]
Explain why scientists use databases and computers to calculate the mean number of nucleotide differences per site.
See it on the paper → - 9700/43 · October/November 2023 · Q3a[3]
Fig. 3.1 shows Ipomoea purpurea, the common morning glory. Fig. 3.1 The gene that determines flower colour in I. purpurea has two alleles: • • a dominant allele that results in purple flowers a recessive allele that results in red flowers. A student recorded the flower colour of all the I. purpurea plants in a field. T...
See it on the paper →
What examiners said
Many responses correctly named the term as the primary transcript. Some incorrectly stated messenger RNA or mRNA. In eukaryotes, mRNA is produced only after further processing of the primary transcript.
— Examiner report, February/March 2025, 9700/22 Q5(b)(ii) (Cambridge)
Candidates gave a variety of numbers including 4, 6, 15, 20 and 64. The primary transcript shown was 16 nucleotides long and this meant that only 5 amino acids would be coded for. Some candidates acknowledged the reference to only part of a strand being shown in Fig. 4.1, and statements such as ‘five so far’ were good answers.
— Examiner report, October/November 2023, 9700/23 Q4(b)(i) (Cambridge)
There were some well-expressed answers that showed an understanding that only a template strand can be transcribed if a functional polypeptide is to be produced. The best of these used the term ‘template strand’. Others gave more confused explanations of why only one of the two strands of DNA shown in Fig. 4.1 is transcribed. The idea that the non-transcribed strand is the ‘reference strand’ was n...
— Examiner report, October/November 2023, 9700/23 Q4(b)(ii) (Cambridge)
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