Provide definitions and examples for unisexual and bisexual flowers, explain why pure water is neutral, list two causes of water hardness, define blanching, and list three reasons for weaning piglets.

Here are the answers to Question 1 from the image:

1. (a)

(i) A unisexual flower is a flower that contains either male reproductive organs (stamens) or female reproductive organs (pistil), but not both.

(ii) A bisexual flower is a flower that contains both male reproductive organs (stamens) and female reproductive organs (pistil).

1. (b)

(i) Example of a unisexual flower: Maize flower (or papaya, cucumber, pumpkin).

(ii) Example of a bisexual flower: Hibiscus flower (or rose, lily, sunflower).

1. (c)

(i) Pure water is neutral because it has an equal concentration of hydrogen ions ($\text{H}^+$) and hydroxide ions ($\text{OH}^-$), resulting in a pH of 7.

(ii) Two causes of hardness of water are:

• Presence of calcium ions ($\text{Ca}^{2+}$)
• Presence of magnesium ions ($\text{Mg}^{2+}$)

(iii) Blanching is a cooking process in which food, usually a vegetable or fruit, is scalded in boiling water or steam for a short period, then plunged into iced water or placed under cold running water to stop the cooking process.

1. (d)

(i) Three reasons for weaning piglets:

• To reduce stress on the sow (mother pig) and allow her to recover and prepare for the next breeding cycle.
• To allow piglets to transition to solid food, promoting faster growth and development.
• To prevent the spread of diseases from the sow to the piglets.

(ii) Three components of the middle ear of humans:

• Malleus (hammer)
• Incus (anvil)
• Stapes (stirrup)

(iii) Function of two of the components named in (ii):

• Malleus: Transmits sound vibrations from the eardrum to the incus.
• Stapes: Transmits sound vibrations from the incus to the oval window of the inner ear.