How many NESA Biology questions cover Causes and Effects?

AusGrader has 18 NESA Biology questions on Causes and Effects, all with instant AI grading and detailed marking feedback.

NESA Biology Causes and Effects

5 sample questions with marking guides and sample answers · Avg. score: 66.7%

2020

SCSA

1 mark

Type 2 diabetes is a condition whereby a person can

produce glucagon but their cells do not respond to it.

produce insulin but their cells do not respond to it.

no longer produce insulin.

no longer produce glucagon.

Q28

2021

SCSA

1 mark

Q28

1 mark

Alpha and Beta Thalassemia have similarities and differences in their inheritance patterns. Which of the following is correct?

Both are autosomal dominant conditions controlled on multiple gene loci.

Alpha Thalassemia is fatal for homozygote individuals while Beta Thalassemia is not.

Both are autosomal recessive conditions that result in affected individuals having four defective globin genes.

Beta Thalassemia is fatal for heterozygote individuals while Alpha Thalassemia is not.

Q24

2024

NESA

5 marks

Q24a

2 marks

Outline the cause of a disease due to environmental exposure.

Lung cancer can be caused by exposure to inhalation of smoke from cigarettes.

Marking Criteria

Descriptor	Marks
Outlines a cause of a disease relating to environmental exposure	2
Provides some relevant information	1
None of the above	0

Q24b

3 marks

Explain how an educational program or campaign can be used to decrease the incidence of a disease caused by environmental exposure.

An educational program in schools could teach students that UV exposure causes skin cancer, and that to protect from this, they should wear hats and sunscreen when outside. This will help to increase student’s understanding of the risk and therefore increase compliance, and help to prevent the cause of skin cancer (UV rays damaging DNA in cells).

Marking Criteria

Descriptor	Marks
Explains how a program/campaign will help to decrease the incidence of the disease	3
Outlines features of a relevant program/campaign	2
Provides some relevant information	1
None of the above	0

Q34

2021

SCSA

12 marks

Q34

Approximately 1 in 25 people from the Ashkenazi Jewish community in Australia will be a genetic carrier for Tay-Sachs as well as other genetic conditions, such as cystic fibrosis. There are several theories as to why the frequency of these genetic conditions is high in the Ashkenazi Jewish population.

Q34c

A genetic carrier screening program for Tay-Sachs disease was carried out at a high school that has a significant number of Jewish students. One process the specimens were passed through during screening was polymerase chain reaction (PCR).

Q34a

1 mark

State what is Tay-Sachs.

Any 1 of the following:

Degenerative neurological disease
Caused by deficiency of the HexA enzyme
Disorder of lipid metabolism
Autosomal recessive disease

Marking Criteria

Descriptor	Marks
1 mark for any one of the following: Degenerative neurological disease; Caused by deficiency of the HexA enzyme; Disorder of lipid metabolism; Autosomal recessive disease	1

Q34b

4 marks

Explain how the high incidence of Tay-Sachs within the Ashkenazi Jewish community in Australia is an example of the founder effect.

There was a r migration of a small group to Australia, with some or one individual/s carrying the allele for Tay-Sachs disease. Due to restricted breeding within the gene pool, the frequency of the allele increases over time.

Marking Criteria

Descriptor	Marks
Identifies a small original population or migration of a small group to Australia	1
States that some (or one) individuals carried the allele for Tay-Sachs disease	1
Describes restricted breeding within the gene pool or cultural isolation	1
Explains that the frequency of the allele increases over time	1

Q34c

3 marks

Outline what occurs in each stage of the PCR process.

Denaturing:
Annealing:
Extension:

Denaturing separates complementary base pairs.

Annealing involves adding a primer, which is a small single strand of DNA, to bind to complementary base sequences.

Extension involves DNA polymerase making a copy of DNA strands through a repeated series.

Marking Criteria

Denaturing

Descriptor	Marks
Describes that it separates complementary base pairs, DNA strands separate, or heating separates the DNA	1

Annealing

Descriptor	Marks
Describes adding a primer (small single strand of DNA) to bind to complementary base sequences	1

Extension

Descriptor	Marks
Describes that DNA polymerase makes a copy of DNA strands through repeated series, elongation, or replication	1

Q34d

4 marks

During the Second World War, tuberculosis (TB) ran unchecked in Eastern European Jewish settlements. Often, healthy relatives of children with Tay-Sachs disease did not contract TB, even when exposed repeatedly.

Using the theory of natural selection, explain why Tay-Sachs disease still exists in the Ashkenazi Jewish populations today.

Individuals are heterozygous for Tay-Sachs. There is isolation of the gene pool. Individuals that are heterozygous are more likely to survive. Suitable genes are passed onto offspring, while individuals that do not possess suitable genes die off.

Marking Criteria

Descriptor	Marks
States that variation is present in individuals or individuals are heterozygous for Tay-Sachs	1
Identifies isolation of the gene pool or barriers to gene flow	1
Explains that individuals that are heterozygous are more likely to survive, not contract TB, and produce offspring	1
Explains that suitable genes are passed onto offspring or individuals that do not possess suitable genes die off	1

Q34

2023

SCSA

19 marks

Q34b

Polycystic kidney is an inherited, genetic disease in cats that may eventually cause kidney failure.

Q34c

Bovine tuberculosis is an example of a zoonosis.

Q34a

4 marks

Identify the four main groups of organisms that cause infectious diseases.

Descriptor	Marks
Identifies bacterium/bacteria	1
Identifies protist	1
Identifies fungus/fungi	1
Identifies virus	1

Q34b

3 marks

State whether polycystic kidney is an infectious disease. Justify your response.

No, it is not an infectious disease. The disease is not caused by a pathogen and is not transmitted from one host to another.

Marking Criteria

Descriptor	Marks
States clearly no/not an infectious disease	1
Explains that the disease is not caused by a pathogen	1
Explains that the disease is not transmitted from one host to another	1

Q34c

1 mark

Define the term 'zoonosis'.

An infectious disease that can be transmitted between vertebrate species.

Marking Criteria

Descriptor	Marks
Defines it as an infectious disease that can be transmitted between vertebrate species	1

Q34d

2 marks

Outline how tuberculosis is transmitted.

It is airborne. The pathogen is released into the air when infected people breathe, cough, or speak, and is then inhaled by a new host.

Marking Criteria

Descriptor	Marks
1 mark for each correct point (any 2 of): Identifies that it is airborne or spread through the air Describes that the pathogen is released into the air when infected people breathe/cough/speak States that the pathogen is inhaled by a new host	2

Q34e

4 marks

Explain why antibiotics are used to treat tuberculosis, but not influenza.

Tuberculosis is caused by a bacterium, whereas influenza is caused by a virus. Antibiotics affect bacteria but not viruses, as they target cell structures that occur in bacteria but do not occur in viruses. Therefore, influenza is treated with antiviral medication rather than antibiotics.

Marking Criteria

Descriptor	Marks
1 mark for each correct point (any 4 of): States that tuberculosis is caused by a bacterium States that influenza is caused by a virus Explains that antibiotics affect bacteria but not viruses Describes how antibiotics affect cell structures/ribosomes/cell walls/DNA replication that occur in bacteria/that do not occur in viruses States that influenza is treated with antiviral medication rather than antibiotics	4

Descriptor

Marks

1 mark for each correct point (any 4 of):

States that tuberculosis is caused by a bacterium
States that influenza is caused by a virus
Explains that antibiotics affect bacteria but not viruses
Describes how antibiotics affect cell structures/ribosomes/cell walls/DNA replication that occur in bacteria/that do not occur in viruses
States that influenza is treated with antiviral medication rather than antibiotics

Q34f

5 marks

Antibiotic treatment for tuberculosis requires daily doses for four to six months. When treatment was first made available in the 1940s, it was highly effective. Since then, antibiotic resistant strains of tuberculosis have developed.

Explain how these resistant strains have arisen.

Natural selection generates resistance, meaning some bacteria are resistant to antibiotics. These resistant bacteria survive and reproduce, while susceptible bacteria do not. As a result, the frequency of the resistant allele increases through time. Bacteria have a short generation time, so resistance will evolve over a short period of time. Furthermore, a long treatment increases the chances that people will not complete the antibiotic course, which increases the chances that some resistant bacterial cells will survive.

Marking Criteria

Descriptor	Marks
1 mark for each correct point (any 5 of): Identifies that natural selection/selection pressure/mutation generates resistance States that some bacteria are resistant to antibiotics Explains that these bacteria survive/reproduce or susceptible bacteria do not survive/reproduce Describes how the number of resistant bacteria increases or the frequency of the resistant allele increases through time Explains that bacteria have a short generation time, so resistance will evolve over a short period of time Explains that long treatment increases chances people will not complete treatment or fail to complete the antibiotic course, which increases chances some resistant bacterial cells will survive	5

Descriptor

Marks

1 mark for each correct point (any 5 of):

Identifies that natural selection/selection pressure/mutation generates resistance
States that some bacteria are resistant to antibiotics
Explains that these bacteria survive/reproduce or susceptible bacteria do not survive/reproduce
Describes how the number of resistant bacteria increases or the frequency of the resistant allele increases through time
Explains that bacteria have a short generation time, so resistance will evolve over a short period of time
Explains that long treatment increases chances people will not complete treatment or fail to complete the antibiotic course, which increases chances some resistant bacterial cells will survive

NESA Biology Causes and Effects

Denaturing

Annealing

Extension

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