Cambridge International AS & A Level
7: Genetics, population genetics and
evolutionary processes – Topic questions
The questions in this document have been compiled from past papers, as indicated in the table below.
Use these questions to formatively assess your learners’ understanding of this topic.
Question Year Series Paper number
7 2017 May/June 41
7 2017 May/June 42
3 2015 May/June 41
The mark scheme for each question is provided at the end of the document.
You can find the complete question papers and the complete mark schemes (with additional notes where
available) on the School Support Hub at [Link]/support
7: Genetics, population genetics ... – Topic questions Copyright (c) UCLES 2018
16
7 (a) The stems of raspberry plants have spines.
Fig. 7.1 shows part of a raspberry plant.
spines
Fig. 7.1
The colour of the spines is controlled by two genes, A/a and B/b. The two genes are on
different pairs of chromosomes.
• Allele A produces a pink anthocyanin pigment in the spines.
• Allele B has no effect by itself, but increases the colour produced by allele A to give
red spines.
• Alleles a and b have no effect on colour.
• In the absence of anthocyanin, the spines are green.
State the colour of the spines of raspberry plants with the genotypes Aabb and aaBB.
Aabb .........................................................................................................................................
aaBB ................................................................................................................................... [2]
7: Genetics, population genetics ... – Topic questions 2 Copyright (c) UCLES 2018
(b) Plants with the genotype AaBb were crossed with plants with the genotype aabb. The
resulting seeds were sown and the seedlings grown until their stems developed spines.
Use a genetic diagram to show the outcome of this cross, including the ratio of offspring
phenotypes.
[5]
(c) Suggest why the ratio you have given in your genetic diagram would be different if the genes
A/a and B/b were on the same homologous pair of chromosomes.
...................................................................................................................................................
...................................................................................................................................................
...................................................................................................................................................
...................................................................................................................................................
.............................................................................................................................................. [2]
[Total: 9]
7: Genetics, population genetics ... – Topic questions 3 Copyright (c) UCLES 2018
17
7 (a) Cats with either black fur or white fur are common in Europe, whereas cats with brown fur are
less common.
A gene, coding for an enzyme involved in pigment production, has two alleles.
• The dominant allele, B, results in black fur.
• The recessive allele, b, results in brown fur.
A second gene can affect fur colour.
• The dominant allele, A, prevents pigment production, resulting in a cat with white fur.
• The recessive allele, a, has no effect on fur colour.
The two genes are on different pairs of autosomes.
Use a genetic diagram to show how a cross between two cats, heterozygous at both loci, can
produce offspring with three different colours: white, black and brown.
State the expected ratio of the different coloured offspring.
[6]
7: Genetics, population genetics ... – Topic questions 4 Copyright (c) UCLES 2018
18
(b) Suggest how the presence of allele A prevents pigment production.
...................................................................................................................................................
...................................................................................................................................................
...................................................................................................................................................
...................................................................................................................................................
...................................................................................................................................................
...................................................................................................................................................
.............................................................................................................................................. [3]
[Total: 9]
7: Genetics, population genetics ... – Topic questions 5 Copyright (c) UCLES 2018
3 The monkey flower, Mimulus guttatus, is cross-pollinated by bumblebees. It does not normally
self-pollinate.
Since the number of bumblebees in many parts of the world is falling, an experiment was carried
out in Kansas to investigate the effects on these plants of the loss of pollinators.
• 1600 Mimulus plants were grown in a field.
• 1600 Mimulus plants were grown in a glasshouse which bumblebees could not enter.
Seeds were repeatedly collected and sown for several generations at each site.
At first, the plants in the glasshouse produced few seeds, but after five generations the plants
were able to self-pollinate and the number of seeds produced was almost the same as that of the
plants in the field.
After five generations, the flowers of the plants in the glasshouse were significantly smaller than
those of the plants in the field.
(a) Explain why offspring produced by cross-pollination and self-pollination differ in their genetic
variation.
...................................................................................................................................................
...................................................................................................................................................
...................................................................................................................................................
...................................................................................................................................................
...................................................................................................................................................
...................................................................................................................................................
...................................................................................................................................................
.............................................................................................................................................. [3]
(b) Suggest how smaller flowers could lead to an increase in self-pollination.
...................................................................................................................................................
.............................................................................................................................................. [1]
7: Genetics, population genetics ... – Topic questions 6 Copyright (c) UCLES 2018
8
(c) Explain how natural selection produced the smaller flower size of the plants grown for five
generations in the glasshouse.
...................................................................................................................................................
...................................................................................................................................................
...................................................................................................................................................
...................................................................................................................................................
...................................................................................................................................................
...................................................................................................................................................
...................................................................................................................................................
...................................................................................................................................................
...................................................................................................................................................
...................................................................................................................................................
...................................................................................................................................................
.............................................................................................................................................. [5]
[Total: 9]
7: Genetics, population genetics ... – Topic questions 7 Copyright (c) UCLES 2018
Mark scheme abbreviations
; separates marking points
/ alternative answers for the same point
R reject
A accept (for answers correctly cued by the question, or by extra guidance)
AW alternative wording (where responses vary more than usual)
underline actual word given must be used by candidate (grammatical variants accepted)
max indicates the maximum number of marks that can be given
ora or reverse argument
mp marking point (with relevant number)
ecf error carried forward
I ignore
AVP alternative valid point
Paper 41
Question Answer Marks
7(a) Aabb – pink ; 2
aaBB – green ;
7: Genetics, population genetics ... – Topic questions 8 Copyright (c) UCLES 2018
Question Answer Marks
7(b) 5
1 parents phenotypes red green ;
2 gametes AB Ab aB ab × ab ;
3 offspring genotypes AaBb Aabb aaBb aabb ;
4 offspring phenotypes red spines pink spines green spines green spines ;
(must be linked)
5 ratio 1 : 1 : 2
ecf mp 3 derived from incorrect 2
mp 4 matching incorrect 3
mp 5 matching incorrect 4
7(c) max 2 of: 2
1 genes would be, linked / inherited together ;
2 no independent assortment ;
3 ratio 1:1 / only two classes (of phenotypes) ; A red and green or pink and green
4 rare cross-over events / recombination (gives small numbers of third phenotype) ;
Total: 9
7: Genetics, population genetics ... – Topic questions 9 Copyright (c) UCLES 2018
Paper 42
Question Answer Marks
7(a) parental genotypes AaBb x AaBb ; 6
gametes AB Ab aB ab x AB Ab aB ab ;
offspring
;;
m
max 2 for all offspring correct
max 1 if one error
max 0 if more than one error
offspring phenotype correctly linked to genotype ;
ratio 12 white : 3 black : 1 brown ;
7: Genetics, population genetics ... – Topic questions 10 Copyright (c) UCLES 2018
Question Answer Marks
7(b) 1. example of, gene interaction / epistasis ; max 3
2. ref. to blocking (one step in) pathway to pigment production ;
3. (allele A) product / protein, inhibits enzyme (producing pigment) ;
4. (allele A) product / protein, is a repressor ; A allele codes for a repressor
5. (which) blocks transcription / RNA polymerase cannot bind / switches off allele (coding for pigment) ;
6. (by), binding to / blocking, operator / promoter ;
7. (allele A) product / protein, prevents transcription factor complex formation / AW ;
Total: 9
Question Answer Marks
3(a) self-pollination ora for cross-pollination [max 3]
1 gametes / alleles / genes / DNA, come(s) from one parent ;
2 gives, less genetic variation / more genetic uniformity ;
3 results in inbreeding ;
4 increases homozygosity / decreases heterozygosity ;
7: Genetics, population genetics ... – Topic questions 11 Copyright (c) UCLES 2018
Question Answer Marks
3(b) anthers and stigma / stamens and carpels, closer together ; 1
3(c) 1 range of flower size in original population ; [max 5]
2 genetic variation (affecting flower size) in original population ; I mutation
3 change in environment / selection pressure,
is absence of, bees / insect pollination (in greenhouse) ;
4 plants with small, flowers / petals, are,
selected for / reproduce / at a selective advantage ; ora
5 alleles for small size passed to offspring ; ora I gene
6 frequency of, advantageous / smallness, allele increases ; ora
7 directional selection ;
8 temperature / irrigation / space / competition, different in field and glasshouse ;
9 small size explanation linked to factor in mp8 ;
Total: 9
7: Genetics, population genetics ... – Topic questions 12 Copyright (c) UCLES 2018