Grade 10 · CAPS

Grade 10 Chemistry of Life

Life Sciences practice questions and a worked example

Grade 10 Chemistry of Life is part of the CAPS Life Sciences curriculum, covering the biomolecules that make up living organisms — carbohydrates, proteins, lipids and nucleic acids — and the role enzymes play in the chemical reactions of metabolism, including how temperature and pH affect enzyme activity. Learners also work through food tests used to identify these compounds in practice, such as testing for starch, protein, fats and reducing sugars. The practice questions below are drawn from ReClass's own question bank, based on real Grade 10 CAPS assessments, giving learners a chance to work through Chemistry of Life questions in the same style they will meet in a test.

Worked example

3.2.3 Draw a line graph to represent the enzyme activity at different temperatures.

Answer

A line graph plotting enzyme activity (reactions per second) on the y-axis against temperature (°C) on the x-axis, using the data: 10°C = 5, 37°C = 25, 50°C = 10 — activity rises to a peak around 37°C then falls.

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Chemistry of Life

Question 1 of 3

1.1.2 The diagram below shows enzyme action. What does Q represent in the diagram above?
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More practice questions

Explore additional Grade 10 Chemistry of Life questions.

  • 2
    1.2.3 Give the correct biological term for organic compounds made up of the elements C, H, O and N.
  • 3
    1.2.4 Give the correct biological term for fats mainly derived from plants, that are liquids at room temperature.
  • 4
    1.3.1 Indicate whether the description 'Nutrients needed in small quantities' applies to A ONLY, B ONLY, BOTH A AND B or NONE of the items in COLUMN II.
  • 5
    3.1.1 (a) Name ONE organic nutrient present in peanuts.

Common mistakes

  • Confusing the reagent used to test for a compound with the colour change that indicates a positive result (e.g. naming Benedict's solution when asked for the colour change it produces).
  • Forgetting that a food can test positive for more than one organic compound (e.g. peanuts contain both starch and fat).
  • Not linking an enzyme's optimum temperature to its normal environment (e.g. explaining why pepsin works best around body temperature).

More Grade 10 Life Sciences topics

Aligned to CAPS Grade 10 Life Sciences — Chemistry of Life. Curriculum source: CAPS for the FET Phase, Department of Basic Education.

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