Characteristics of living thingsIB MYP Biology: Mind map

Exam questions on Characteristics of living things

1. A class in Wellington watches a candle burn. The flame gets bigger when more wax melts, it uses oxygen from the air, it releases carbon dioxide and heat, and it flickers and moves in the draught. A student suggests that the candle must be alive.
   Explain why the burning candle is not a living thing.2 marks
2. A student in Vancouver grows bean seedlings on a windowsill. Over two weeks the shoots bend towards the window and the plants grow from 5 cm to 12 cm tall. The dry mass of the plants increases. The student also notes that the plants make their own food using light.
   Outline how a bean plant shows sensitivity and how it carries out reproduction.2 marks
3. A scientist is given three samples from a field station: a dry seed that has been stored in a jar for 20 years and shows no obvious movement or growth, a flask of yeast and sugar solution that is bubbling, and an iron nail that is covered in orange rust.
   Describe three pieces of evidence that could show that the yeast is living, naming the life process for each.3 marks