** Biology 2017

BadBannana

Biology went quite well. Someone got caught cheating though

Bazinga_N

BadBannana wrote: »

Biology went quite well. Someone got caught cheating though

I wasn't that happy with it tbh! Accidently read the genetics question wrong and didn't realise until after the exam and I'm so annoyed over it!

I noticed someone cheating today in my exam and tbh was kinda shocked. Like it didn't really bother me that much personally but like I'm surprised they didn't get caught

DublinArnie

BadBannana wrote: »

Biology went quite well. Someone got caught cheating though

like writing something on their hand/bringing notes? (shocked)

Mr Rhode Island Red

What do people make of this: Would a 2n=4 cell in the middle of anaphase have 2 chromosomes being pulled to either end or 4 chromosomes being pulled to either end? I think it's the latter but I seem to be in the minority.

The short questions were definitely challenging especially the nutrient recycling and the human and plant reproduction one.

There's 60 people in my exam hall that did biology today, and no joke after 2 hours there was 10 people left. I nearly felt weird for taking the full 3 hours.

carefulnowted

Mr Rhode Island Red wrote: »

What do people make of this: Would a 2n=4 cell in the middle of anaphase have 2 chromosomes being pulled to either end or 4 chromosomes being pulled to either end? I think it's the latter but I seem to be in the minority.

The short questions were definitely challenging especially the nutrient recycling and the human and plant reproduction one.

There's 60 people in my exam hall that did biology today, and no joke after 2 hours there was 10 people left. I nearly felt weird for taking the full 3 hours.

It's the former - 2 chromosome strands being pulled to each end. (edit: never mind :P ) I got it wrong too in the exam, and I messed up the cleavage furrow/cell plate part of that question as well.

I found the exam pretty hard too, to be honest. It seems to be impossible to completely cover the biology course as in-depth as is required.

Nyctolust

Yeah, I found it pretty difficult too. It's bumming me out because I was hoping to get a H1 or at least a H2 but I'll actually be amazed if I get a H4.

Kind of annoyed there was no diagrams there except for the food web.

Janey B

Mr Rhode Island Red wrote: »

What do people make of this: Would a 2n=4 cell in the middle of anaphase have 2 chromosomes being pulled to either end or 4 chromosomes being pulled to either end? I think it's the latter but I seem to be in the minority.

The short questions were definitely challenging especially the nutrient recycling and the human and plant reproduction one.

There's 60 people in my exam hall that did biology today, and no joke after 2 hours there was 10 people left. I nearly felt weird for taking the full 3 hours.

2n=4 means a total of 4 chromosomes (2n means in pairs) so the diagram would have 4 chromatids at one end of the cell & 4 at the other. At this stage there are 8 chromosomes on the cell. Hope that helps.
You were right to take all the time. That paper had many open questions that needed detailed answers & questions that needed thinking about. I don't know how people could be finished so early!!

EireLemon

I was really happy with that, hoping for a H1. What was the answer for the incinerator question? Why did they choose Dublin? I said because there are a lot of people in Dublin who produce waste and also we all need energy from the incinerator!

Liordi

I kind of gave up on Biology after a devastating mock result so I stopped studying for it in February.

I thought that some of the short questions were rather difficult and the long questions seemed to lack variation. Surprised there was so much dedicated to plants, hopefully I'm not counting it but I think I got a H4/5.

Janey B

EireLemon wrote: »

I was really happy with that, hoping for a H1. What was the answer for the incinerator question? Why did they choose Dublin? I said because there are a lot of people in Dublin who produce waste and also we all need energy from the incinerator!

High population means greater amount of domestic waste & higher energy requirements. You could also say in an urban setting with more industrialised zones there would be suitable sites for an incinerator.

Conaaaa

Advantages to incineration - removing large masses of waste ??
Roll of MOs in waste disposal??
Roll in nature of a predator-pray relationship - causes a balance in nature and causes animals to migrate for new food sources ??
Are children the group of people at risk for an outbreak of measles ??
Importance of homeostasis ?
Weiiirdddddd paper !

Nyctolust

Those questions you quoted there were pretty much the only ones I found easy... lol

Mr Rhode Island Red

EireLemon wrote: »

I was really happy with that, hoping for a H1. What was the answer for the incinerator question? Why did they choose Dublin? I said because there are a lot of people in Dublin who produce waste and also we all need energy from the incinerator!

I said big population producing a lot of waste and that if they tried to develop it in the countryside they could meet a lot of opposition.

Biology can be so wishy-washy sometimes

Conor2339

BadBannana wrote: »

Biology went quite well. Someone got caught cheating though

Happened in my school today too.Girl had recorded herself speaking out the notes and accidentally unplugged her earphones and the whole exam centre heard it

Skodaa

EireLemon wrote: »

I was really happy with that, hoping for a H1. What was the answer for the incinerator question? Why did they choose Dublin? I said because there are a lot of people in Dublin who produce waste and also we all need energy from the incinerator!

I said Dublin is a highly populated area so it would be likely they'd generate more wastes than other counties

A97

Another reason for the incinerator in Dublin might be geographical. Dublin is in the east of the country and the prevailing wind would sent the fumes in a north easterly direction.

But that's not the best answer really because even though it prevents Irish pollution, Britain/Scandinavia would suffer from it.

When I did my Leaving Cert a couple of years back, my Biology teacher told me that the SEC were trying to reduce the amount of rote learning across all subjects. That seems to make sense since in recent years, there have been more Biology questions that require more logical thought and the application of things you've learned, rather than direct regurgitation, although that remains a big part of many papers.

hasdanta

Just realised I messed up the ecology question and said silage instead of slurry for the pollutant. Hope I don't lose out on too many marks here

BadBannana

hasdanta wrote: »

Just realised I messed up the ecology question and said silage instead of slurry for the pollutant. Hope I don't lose out on too many marks here

Hopefully some city kid corrects it.


Personally I think the fact that the questions were more about understanding was great. It really filters out the rote learners