WHAT TO EXPECT FOR THE BIOLOGY JUNE PRACTICAL XM

Here's some tips:
1. Drawing Technique:

• Draw what you see, do not draw what you imagine
• Drawing should covers about 75% of the space available
• Drawing is to be done in pencil
• Give appropriate title for your drawing
• Label your drawing as instructed
  
• No criss-crossing when labelling
• Use sharp pencil for drawing
• No shading in any Biological drawing
• Avoid 3-D drawing
• No colouring allowed
• Magnification of your drawing to be included only when asked

2. Osmosis (movement of water molecules from a solution of higher water potential to a solution of lower water potential across a semi permeable membrane along a concentration gradient)

• If there is a question about osmosis, make sure you focus on movement of water molecules (osmosis has nothing to do with movement of solutes like sugar or salt)
  
• Question on osmosis usually involves materials such as potato strips, onion and visking tubings

3. Food Test (What is it that changed colour?)

• Iodine solution for testing the presence of starch (if the Iodine solution changed to blue-black, starch is present; if the Iodine solution remain unchanged, starch is absent)
  
• Benedict's solution for testing for the presence of reducing sugar (if the Benedict's solution changed to brick-red, reducing sugar is present; if the Benedict's solution remain unchanged, reducing sugar is absent)
  
• Biuret reagent for testing for the presence of protein (if the Biuret reagent changed to purple/violet, protein is present; if the Biuret reagent remain unchanged, protein is absent)
  
• Alcohol emulsion test for testing the presence of fats/oils (White emulsion indicates the presence of fats/oils; if there is no white emulsion formed, fats/oils is absent)
• Note: State clearly the name of the reagents, amount of reagent and sample to be used and for the Benedict's test, the time for boiling the sample in a water bath should also be stated clearly)

4. Urine Test/Excretion

• Reagents for Urine test are usually Benedict's solution, Biuret reagent and Sulphur
• Benedict's solution is used for testing for the presence of sugar in urine
• Biuret reagent is used for testing for the presence of protein in urine
• Sulphur is used for testing for the presence of bile in urine (Sulphur sinks if bile is present and Sulphur floats if bile is not present)
  
• If sugar is present in urine, the person is likely to be a diabetic patient
• If protein is present in urine, the person is likely to suffer kidney failure
• If bile is present in urine, the person is likely to suffer liver damage
• Relate urine composition with temperature changes (externally or internally)
  

5. Changes in Body Temperature

• Focus on how parts of your skin respond to temperature changes
• Parts involved are: the sweat glands, the arterioles/capillaries under the skin and, the hair and hair erector muscles
  

6. Flower

• Usually you are required to draw half-flower
• Parts to be labelled: petal, sepal, epicalyx, calyx, ovary, ovule, stigma, style, filament and anther
• Types of pollination: insect and wind pollinated flowers (mind the structural differences)
• Photomicrograph may be given for you to identify the pollen grains of insect and wind pollinated flowers)

7. Dispersal (Seeds and Fruits)

• You should know the types of dispersal (you should be able to identify the types by looking the structures of the seeds and fruits)
• Seed structure (cotyledons, testa, hilum, micropyle, radicle and plumule)
• Fruit structure (Pericarp consisting of the epicarp, mesocarp and endocarp; placenta)

8. Leaf Structures

• Types: monocts and dicots (structural differences)
  
• You should be able to identify the lamina, the mid rib, the veins and the petiole
• Knowing internal structures may help (remember the arrangement and distribution of the cells: palisade cells, spongy cells, guard cells and the epidermal cells. Remember the distribution of the stomata as well as the cuticle)
• Remember the structural adaptations of leaves for both photosynthesis and transpiration
  

9. Stem

• Types: monocots and dicots (structural differences)
• Distribution of the vascular bundles (xylem and phloem)
• Remember the functions of these tissues
  

I will add some more if I remember. Good luck.