1. 1
   A gardener is examining the different parts of a hibiscus flower in their garden, trying to identify the male and female parts before deciding whether to try pollinating it by hand.

   (a)

   A gardener examines a hibiscus flower in their garden and identifies its different parts. Which part of the flower produces pollen?

   [1 mark]

   • AThe stigma
   • BThe anther
   • CThe ovary
   • DThe sepal

   (b)

   Which part of the flower is adapted to receive pollen grains?

   [1 mark]

   • AThe filament
   • BThe petal
   • CThe stigma
   • DThe ovule

   (c)

   The gardener wonders whether to transfer pollen within the same flower or from a different hibiscus plant. Explain the difference between self-pollination and cross-pollination.

   [2 marks]

   Total for question 1: 4 marks

2. 2
   A mango orchard farmer relies on bees visiting the orchard's flowers to produce a good fruit crop each year, while a neighbouring farmer grows a wind-pollinated grass crop with small, dull, sticky-free flowers that release enormous quantities of pollen into the air.

   (a)

   A mango orchard farmer relies on bees to visit the orchard's flowers, while a nearby farmer grows a wind-pollinated grass crop with small, dull flowers that produce huge amounts of pollen. Which feature would you expect the mango flowers to have, as an insect-pollinated species?

   [1 mark]

   • ALarge, brightly coloured petals and nectar to attract insects
   • BSmall, dull or absent petals and no scent
   • CLarge amounts of light, smooth pollen released into the air
   • DFeathery stigmas hanging outside the flower to catch airborne pollen

   (b)

   Which feature would you expect the neighbouring wind-pollinated grass crop's flowers to have?

   [1 mark]

   • ABrightly coloured petals to attract pollinators
   • BSweet nectar to reward visiting insects
   • CStrong scent to attract bees from a distance
   • DSmall or absent petals and large, exposed anthers

   (c)

   Explain why the mango farmer depends on bees for a good fruit crop, while the grass farmer's crop does not need any insects at all.

   [2 marks]

   Total for question 2: 4 marks

3. 3
   A nature reserve ranger is studying how different plants along a coastline disperse their seeds away from the parent plant, including dandelions, coconut palms and berry-producing shrubs, and is also monitoring which seeds successfully germinate the following season.

   (a)

   A nature reserve ranger studies how different plants along a coastline disperse their seeds, noting dandelions with fluffy seed heads, coconut palms dropping fruits into the sea, and berry-producing shrubs eaten by birds. Describe three different methods of seed dispersal shown by these plants, giving an example of each.

   [3 marks]

   (b)

   Explain why it is beneficial for these plants to disperse their seeds away from the parent plant, and describe the conditions that a seed needs in order to germinate successfully.

   [4 marks]

   Total for question 3: 7 marks

4. 4
   A commercial plant nursery uses two different approaches to produce fruit trees for sale: breeding new varieties by growing plants from seed, and rapidly multiplying an already successful variety using methods that do not involve seeds at all.

   (a)

   A commercial plant nursery is breeding a new variety of fruit tree by growing plants from seed. Describe the processes of pollination, fertilisation and seed/fruit formation that must occur for this new variety to be produced.

   [6 marks]

   (b)

   Once the nursery has bred a successful new variety, they want to produce many identical copies quickly. Describe natural and artificial methods of asexual reproduction in plants that the nursery could use, and explain why these methods produce plants identical to the original.

   [6 marks]

   Total for question 4: 12 marks

End of questions