Biology 5090 · O Level · Mammalian sense organs

Mammalian sense organs — practice question

In 1931, a scientist was transferring powdered PTC into a bottle. A small quantity of the powder was accidentally released into the air. Soon after, another scientist in the same room reported a bitter taste in her mouth from the powder floating in the air.
(a)[4]

Describe, referring to named parts of the nervous system, the pathway that enabled the scientist to detect that the powder tasted bitter.

(b(i))[1]

The scientist who poured the powder did not notice any bitter taste. It was later discovered that inheritance of two different forms of the same gene determines whether a person can detect a bitter taste from PTC or not. State the term used for different forms of the same gene.

(b(ii))[1]

A few years later, it was discovered that environmental factors lead people to detect a range of different bitter-taste strengths from PTC. State the type of variation now known to be shown by this characteristic.

(c(i))[1]

State the trophic level that plants occupy in a food web.

(c(ii))[1]

State the term for animals that feed only on plants.

(c(iii))[2]

Suggest why animals that eat only plants have fewer genes that enable them to detect chemicals that taste bitter than animals that eat both plants and animals.

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