Figure 6 shows a root hair cell from a strawberry plant - Edexcel - GCSE Biology - Question 3 - 2020 - Paper 1

The structure of root hair cells is specialized for efficient water absorption. They have long, thin projections, known as root hairs, which increase the surface area available for absorption. This allows more water to enter the cell. Additionally, the cell wall of root hairs is thin, which shortens the distance that water must travel to enter the cell.

The area of fungus at 30 °C is 72 cm². To find the mean rate of growth, we calculate:

$ext{Mean Rate} = \frac{72 \text{ cm}^2}{5 \text{ days}} = 14.4 \text{ cm}^2 \text{ per day}$

The growth/area of fungus increases as the temperature rises from 5 °C to 30 °C.

Boiling denatures the enzymes present in the fungus. Enzymes are heat sensitive proteins, and heating them alters their shape, specifically the active site. Once denatured, substrates cannot fit into the active site, preventing the enzymatic reactions involved in decomposition.

Osmosis will cause water to move out of the fungus cells into the surrounding sugar solution, leading to dehydration of the cells and ultimately causing them to die.