Q1.

Uganda is a country close to the equator in Africa. Most Ugandan bred cows produce only
1 litre of milk each day. In Britain, some cows can produce nearly 30 litres of milk each
day. The milk yield of British cows exported to Uganda drops dramatically, even though
they get sufficient food.

(a) Suggest why a British cow exported to Uganda would be less likely to produce
30 litres of milk each day.

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1 mark

By selectively breeding British and Ugandan cattle, it is possible to breed cows

which produce 10 litres of milk each day.

(b) A Ugandan farmer wishes to continue the breeding programme to improve his
herd of cows further. When he is choosing which cows to use for breeding,
milk production is an important quality. Give two other important qualities he
could consider.

1. ..................................................................................................................

..................................................................................................................

2. ..................................................................................................................

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2 marks
Maximum 3 marks

Q2.
(a) The drawings below show an old and a modern variety of wheat plant.

old variety modern variety

Page 1 of 9
average mass of
grain produced 0.5 0.8
per m2 (kg)

average length
145 78
of stalk (cm)

Glucose produced by the wheat plants is used:

• to provide energy for growth

• to make cell walls

• to make starch which is stored in the grain.

Give one reason why modern wheat plants with short stalks can store more starch
in the grain. Use the drawings and information.

........................................................................................................................

........................................................................................................................
1 mark

(b) A plant breeder wants to use selective breeding to produce corn with short stalks
and a high mass of grain. He could use the following varieties of corn:

variety A variety B variety C

long stalks short stalks long stalks

high mass of grain low mass of grain low mass of grain

(i) What would the plant breeder need to do to make sure he always produced
corn with short stalks and a high mass of grain?
Describe the three steps the breeder would use.

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3 marks

(ii) Suggest one other characteristic that farmers might like corn plants to have to
increase the amount of corn produced.

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1 mark
maximum 5 marks

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Q3.
Suzie keeps five chickens in her garden. During the night they are locked in a shed. The
table shows details of Suzie’s chickens.

(a) Suzie wants each of her hens to lay as many eggs as possible.

She changes their food and water to give them the best recommended
balanced diet.

Suggest two other ways she could change the hens’ living conditions to
encourage them to lay more eggs.

1 .................................................................................................................

.................................................................................................................

2 .................................................................................................................

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2 marks

(b) Suzie plans a selective breeding programme to get chickens which lay high
numbers of eggs each year.

(i) Which hen should she choose as a mate for Elvis at the beginning of her
breeding programme?

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1 mark

(ii) How should Suzie choose hens from the offspring to continue her
breeding programme?

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1 mark

(c) All Suzie’s chickens belong to a breed called Rhode Island Red. Their living
conditions do not affect the colour of the pigment in their feathers.
What does determine the colour of the pigment in their feathers?

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1 mark

Page 3 of 9
(d) A hen’s egg contains all the food and water the developing embryo needs until
it hatches.
The eggshell has very many tiny holes making it porous.
Why must the eggshell be porous?

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1 mark
Maximum 6 marks

Q4.
Herefords and Friesians are two breeds of cattle.
Herefords produce high quality meat. Friesians produce lots of milk.

The drawings below show a Hereford cow and a Friesian cow.

Hereford cow Friesian cow

(a) (i) The two breeds of cattle are different in appearance from each other.
What causes the variation between the two breeds of cattle?

............................................................................................................

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1 mark

(ii) Suggest two environmental factors which can affect the amount of meat or
milk cattle produce.

1. .........................................................................................................

.............................................................................................................

2. .........................................................................................................

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2 marks

(b) The drawing shows a calf produced by mating a Hereford bull with a Friesian cow.
Cattle bred in this way will produce both high quality meat and a high milk yield.

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(i) What term is used to describe this deliberate mating of two different breeds of
animals to produce offspring with particular characteristics?

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1 mark

(ii) Farmers want their cattle to produce high quality meat and a high milk yield.
Suggest one other characteristic which farmers might want their cattle to
have.

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1 mark
Maximum 5 marks

Page 5 of 9
Mark schemes

Q1.
(a) any one from

• can’t cope with climate

accept ‘too hot’ or too dry’

• no immunity to local diseases

• do not get the food they are used to

do not accept ‘no nice grass’
1

(b) answers should give relevant qualities, which may be specific examples,
in any two of the general areas described below

any two from

• disease resistance
accept ‘healthy’

• fertility

• ability to cope with climate

accept ‘can stand the heat’

• rapid growth to maturity

• long fertile phase in life cycle

• wide diet
accept ‘eats any type of grass’
accept ‘quality of meat’
2
[3]

Q2.
(a) any one from

• less cellulose is needed or fewer cell walls produced or

less glucose changed to cellulose
accept ‘less stalk is made’

• less glucose or energy needed or used for growth

accept ‘less glucose used in respiration’
‘less starch is used for growth’ is insufficient
accept ‘it does not have to grow as much’

• more glucose is available to be changed into starch

accept ‘more glucose goes to the grain’
do not accept ‘the glucose gets to the grain quicker’

Page 6 of 9
accept ‘blown over less easily or less frequently’
1 (L7)

(b) (i) any two from

• cross plants with short stalks and low grain mass with
plants with long stalks and high grain mass
accept ‘breed from varieties A and B’
‘mix varieties A and B’ is insufficient

• collect or plant the seeds

• choose offspring with shortest stalks and which produce

a high mass of grain
accept ‘choose the best’
2 (L7)

• repeat with offspring or continue the whole process

a three mark answer must include two of the first three
marking
points and a reference to repeating or continuing the process
1 (L7)

(ii) any one from

• disease resistance

• pest resistance
‘increased amount of grain’
or ‘number of ears of corn’ are insufficient
‘more stalks’ is insufficient
accept ‘corn’ for ‘wheat’

• drought tolerance

• frost resistance

• resistance to herbicides or weed killers

• resistance to wind
accept ‘strong stalk’ or ‘long roots’
accept ‘hardy’
accept ‘big or long leaves or lots of leaves’
accept ‘faster growing’
1 (L7)
[5]

Q3.
(a) prior knowledge of poultry breeding is not expected
marks should be awarded for answers relevant to the
well-being of the chickens

Page 7 of 9
any two from

• keep them free of disease

accept ‘vaccinate them’
do not accept ‘give them an injection’

• keep the shed at the correct temperature

• more light during winter

accept ‘the right amount of light’

• keep them indoors

• keep them or the shed clean

• keep to their routine

accept ‘feed them at the same time’
or ‘let them out at the same time’
do not accept ‘more space’ or ‘more room’
or ‘more males’ or ‘more comfortable’
2 (L7)

(b) (i) Lucy

if more than one chicken is named, award no mark
1 (L7)

(ii) the ones which lay the most eggs

1 (L7)

(c) any one from

• it is inherited
accept ‘inheritance’

• colour of parents’ feathers

• genes

• chromosomes

• DNA
1 (L7)

(d) any one from

• to let oxygen in
accept ‘so that oxygen or air can get through’

• to let carbon dioxide out

accept ‘so that carbon dioxide can get through’
do not accept ‘to let it breathe’
1 (L7)
[6]

Q4.

Page 8 of 9
(a) (i) any one from

• they have inherited different characteristics

accept ‘selective breeding’

• they have different genes

accept ‘they have different DNA or alleles’
1

(ii) any two from

• amount of food
accept ‘amount of grass’

• type of food

• amount of water

• levels of disease or quality of health care

accept ‘disease’ or ‘health care’

• levels of stress

• temperature
accept ‘climate’
accept ‘amount of exercise’ or ‘amount of space’
accept ‘their hormone levels’
2

(b) (i) selective breeding

accept ‘artificial selection’ or ‘cross breeding’
do not accept ‘inter-breeding’
1

(ii) any one from

• resistance to disease
do not accept ‘good health’

• fast growth rate

• high fertility
accept ‘fertile’

• long life

• good skin for making leather

• docile temperament

• hardiness or resistance to weather

accept ‘prize-winning appearance’
accept ‘females’ or ‘heifers’
accept ‘polled’ or ‘no horns’
1
[5]

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