1.1

understand how living organisms share the following characteristics:

• they require nutrition

• they respire

• they excrete their waste

• they respond to their surroundings

• they move

• they control their internal conditions

• they reproduce

• they grow and develop.

1.2

describe the common features shown by eukaryotic organisms: plants, animals, fungi

and protoctists

Plants: these are multicellular organisms; their cells contain chloroplasts and are able

to carry out photosynthesis; their cells have cellulose cell walls; they store

carbohydrates as starch or sucrose. Examples include flowering plants, such as a

cereal (for example, maize), and a herbaceous legume (for example, peas or beans).

Animals: these are multicellular organisms; their cells do not contain chloroplasts and

are not able to carry out photosynthesis; they have no cell walls; they usually have

nervous co-ordination and are able to move from one place to another; they often

store carbohydrate as glycogen. Examples include mammals (for example, humans)

and insects (for example, housefly and mosquito).

Fungi: these are organisms that are not able to carry out photosynthesis; their body

is usually organised into a mycelium made from thread-like structures called hyphae,

which contain many nuclei; some examples are single-celled; their cells have walls

made of chitin; they feed by extracellular secretion of digestive enzymes onto food

material and absorption of the organic products; this is known as saprotrophic

nutrition; they may store carbohydrate as glycogen. Examples include Mucor, which

has the typical fungal hyphal structure, and yeast, which is single-celled.

Protoctists: these are microscopic single-celled organisms. Some, like Amoeba, that

live in pond water, have features like an animal cell, while others, like Chlorella, have

chloroplasts and are more like plants. A pathogenic example is Plasmodium,

responsible for causing malaria.

1.3

describe the common features shown by prokaryotic organisms such as bacteria

Bacteria: these are microscopic single-celled organisms; they have a cell wall, cell

membrane, cytoplasm and plasmids; they lack a nucleus but contain a circular

chromosome of DNA; some bacteria can carry out photosynthesis but most feed off

other living or dead organisms. Examples include Lactobacillus bulgaricus, a

rod-shaped bacterium used in the production of yoghurt from milk, and

Pneumococcus, a spherical bacterium that acts as the pathogen causing pneumonia.

1.4 understand the term pathogen and know that pathogens may include fungi, bacteria,

protoctists or viruses

Viruses: these are not living organisms. They are small particles, smaller than

bacteria; they are parasitic and can reproduce only inside living cells; they infect

every type of living organism. They have a wide variety of shapes and sizes; they

have no cellular structure but have a protein coat and contain one type of nucleic

acid, either DNA or RNA. Examples include the tobacco mosaic virus that causes

discolouring of the leaves of tobacco plants by preventing the formation of

chloroplasts, the influenza virus that causes ‘flu’ and the HIV virus that causes AIDS.

2.1

describe the levels of organisation in organisms: organelles, cells, tissues, organs and

systems

2.2

describe cell structures, including the nucleus, cytoplasm, cell membrane, cell wall,

mitochondria, chloroplasts, ribosomes and vacuole

2.3

describe the functions of the nucleus, cytoplasm, cell membrane, cell wall,

mitochondria, chloroplasts, ribosomes and vacuole

2.4

know the similarities and differences in the structure of plant and animal cells

2.7

identify the chemical elements present in carbohydrates, proteins and lipids

(fats and oils)

2.8

describe the structure of carbohydrates, proteins and lipids as large molecules made

up from smaller basic units: starch and glycogen from simple sugars, protein from

amino acids, and lipid from fatty acids and glycerol

2.9

practical: investigate food samples for the presence of glucose, starch, protein and fat

2.10

understand the role of enzymes as biological catalysts in metabolic reactions

2.11

understand how temperature changes can affect enzyme function, including changes

to the shape of active site

2.12

practical: investigate how enzyme activity can be affected by changes in temperature

2.13

understand how enzyme function can be affected by changes in pH altering the active

site

2.15

understand the processes of diffusion, osmosis and active transport by which

substances move into and out of cells

2.16

understand how factors affect the rate of movement of substances into and out of

cells, including the effects of surface area to volume ratio, distance, temperature and

concentration gradient

2.17

practical: investigate diffusion and osmosis using living and non-living systems

2.18

understand the process of photosynthesis and its importance in the conversion of

light energy to chemical energy

2.19

know the word equation and the balanced chemical symbol equation for

photosynthesis

2.20

understand how varying carbon dioxide concentration, light intensity and temperature

affect the rate of photosynthesis

2.21

describe the structure of the leaf and explain how it is adapted for photosynthesis

2.22

understand that plants require mineral ions for growth, and that magnesium ions are

needed for chlorophyll and nitrate ions are needed for amino acids

2.23

practical: investigate photosynthesis, showing the evolution of oxygen from a water

plant, the production of starch and the requirements of light, carbon dioxide and

chlorophyll

2.24

understand that a balanced diet should include appropriate proportions of

carbohydrate, protein, lipid, vitamins, minerals, water and dietary fibre

2.25

identify the sources and describe the functions of carbohydrate, protein, lipid

(fats and oils), vitamins A, C and D, the mineral ions calcium and iron, water and

dietary fibre as components of the diet

2.26

understand how energy requirements vary with activity levels, age and pregnancy

2.27

describe the structure and function of the human alimentary canal, including the

mouth, oesophagus, stomach, small intestine (duodenum and ileum), large intestine

(colon and rectum) and pancreas

2.28

understand how food is moved through the gut by peristalsis

2.29

understand the role of digestive enzymes, including the digestion of starch to glucose

by amylase and maltase, the digestion of proteins to amino acids by proteases and

the digestion of lipids to fatty acids and glycerol by lipases

2.30

understand that bile is produced by the liver and stored in the gall bladder

2.31

understand the role of bile in neutralising stomach acid and emulsifying lipids

2.32

understand how the small intestine is adapted for absorption, including the structure

of a villus

2.34

understand how the process of respiration produces ATP in living organisms

2.35

know that ATP provides energy for cells

2.36

describe the differences between aerobic and anaerobic respiration

2.37

know the word equation and the balanced chemical symbol equation for aerobic

respiration in living organisms

2.38

know the word equation for anaerobic respiration in plants and in animals

2.39

practical: investigate the evolution of carbon dioxide and heat from respiring seeds or

other suitable living organisms

2.46

describe the structure of the thorax, including the ribs, intercostal muscles,

diaphragm, trachea, bronchi, bronchioles, alveoli and pleural membranes

2.47

understand the role of the intercostal muscles and the diaphragm in ventilation

2.48

explain how alveoli are adapted for gas exchange by diffusion between air in the

lungs and blood in capillaries

2.49

understand the biological consequences of smoking in relation to the lungs and the

circulatory system, including coronary heart disease

2.50

practical: investigate breathing in humans, including the release of carbon dioxide

and the effect of exercise

2.51

understand why simple, unicellular organisms can rely on diffusion for movement of

substances in and out of the cell

2.52

understand the need for a transport system in multicellular organisms

2.53

describe the role of phloem in transporting sucrose and amino acids between the

leaves and other parts of the plant

2.54

describe the role of xylem in transporting water and mineral ions from the roots to

other parts of the plant

2.59

describe the composition of the blood: red blood cells, white blood cells, platelets and

plasma

2.60

understand the role of plasma in the transport of carbon dioxide, digested food, urea,

hormones and heat energy

2.61

understand how adaptations of red blood cells make them suitable for the transport of oxygen, including shape, the absence of a nucleus and the presence of haemoglobin

2.62

understand how the immune system responds to disease using white blood cells,

illustrated by phagocytes ingesting pathogens and lymphocytes releasing antibodies

specific to the pathogen

2.65

describe the structure of the heart and how it functions

2.66

explain how the heart rate changes during exercise and under the influence of

adrenaline

2.67

understand how factors may increase the risk of developing coronary heart disease

2.68

understand how the structure of arteries, veins and capillaries relates to their function

2.69

understand the general structure of the circulation system, including the blood

vessels to and from the heart and the lungs, the liver and the kidneys

2.70

understand the origin of carbon dioxide and oxygen as waste products of metabolism

and their loss from the stomata of a leaf

2.71

know the excretory products of the lungs, kidneys and skin (organs of excretion)

2.80

understand how organisms are able to respond to changes in their environment

2.81

understand that homeostasis is the maintenance of a constant internal environment,

and that body water content and body temperature are both examples of homeostasis

2.82

understand that a co-ordinated response requires a stimulus, a receptor and an

effector

2.83

understand that plants respond to stimuli

2.84

describe the geotropic and phototropic responses of roots and stems

2.85

understand the role of auxin in the phototropic response of stems

2.86

describe how nervous and hormonal communication control responses and

understand the differences between the two systems

2.87

understand that the central nervous system consists of the brain and spinal cord and

is linked to sense organs by nerves

2.88

understand that stimulation of receptors in the sense organs sends electrical impulses

along nerves into and out of the central nervous system, resulting in rapid responses

2.89

understand the role of neurotransmitters at synapses

2.90

describe the structure and functioning of a simple reflex arc illustrated by the

withdrawal of a finger from a hot object

2.91

describe the structure and function of the eye as a receptor

2.92

understand the function of the eye in focusing on near and distant objects, and in

responding to changes in light intensity

2.93

describe the role of the skin in temperature regulation, with reference to sweating,

vasoconstriction and vasodilation

2.94

understand the sources, roles and effects of the following hormones: adrenaline,

insulin, testosterone, progesterone and oestrogen

3.1

understand the differences between sexual and asexual reproduction

3.2

understand that fertilisation involves the fusion of a male and female gamete to

produce a zygote that undergoes cell division and develops into an embryo

3.3

describe the structures of an insect-pollinated and a wind-pollinated flower and

explain how each is adapted for pollination

3.4

understand that the growth of the pollen tube followed by fertilisation leads to seed

and fruit formation

3.5

practical: investigate the conditions needed for seed germination

3.6

understand how germinating seeds utilise food reserves until the seedling can carry

out photosynthesis

3.7

understand that plants can reproduce asexually by natural methods

(illustrated by runners) and by artificial methods (illustrated by cuttings)

3.8

understand how the structure of the male and female reproductive systems are

adapted for their functions

3.9

understand the roles of oestrogen and progesterone in the menstrual cycle

3.11

describe the role of the placenta in the nutrition of the developing embryo

3.12

understand how the developing embryo is protected by amniotic fluid

3.13

understand the roles of oestrogen and testosterone in the development of secondary

sexual characteristics

3.14

understand that the genome is the entire DNA of an organism and that a gene is a

section of a molecule of DNA that codes for a specific protein

3.15

understand that the nucleus of a cell contains chromosomes on which genes are

located

3.19

understand how genes exist in alternative forms called alleles which give rise to

differences in inherited characteristics

3.20

understand the meaning of the terms: dominant, recessive, homozygous,

heterozygous, phenotype, and genotype

3.22

understand that most phenotypic features are the result of polygenic inheritance

rather than single genes

3.23

describe patterns of monohybrid inheritance using a genetic diagram

3.24

understand how to interpret family pedigrees

3.25

predict probabilities of outcomes from monohybrid crosses

3.26

understand how the sex of a person is controlled by one pair of chromosomes, XX in a

female and XY in a male

3.27

describe the determination of the sex of offspring at fertilisation, using a genetic

diagram

3.28

understand how division of a diploid cell by mitosis produces two cells that contain

identical sets of chromosomes

3.29

understand that mitosis occurs during growth, repair, cloning and asexual

reproduction

3.30

understand how division of a cell by meiosis produces four cells, each with half the

number of chromosomes, and that this results in the formation of genetically different

haploid gametes

3.31

understand how random fertilisation produces genetic variation of offspring

3.32

know that in human cells the diploid number of chromosomes is 46 and the haploid

number is 23

3.33

understand that variation within a species can be genetic, environmental, or a

combination of both

3.34

understand that mutation is a rare, random change in genetic material that can be

inherited

3.38

explain Darwin’s theory of evolution by natural selection

3.39

understand how resistance to antibiotics can increase in bacterial populations, and

appreciate how such an increase can lead to infections being difficult to control

4.1

understand the terms population, community, habitat and ecosystem

4.2

practical: investigate the population size of an organism in two different areas using

quadrats

4.5

understand how abiotic and biotic factors affect the population size and distribution of

organisms

4.6

understand the names given to different trophic levels, including producers, primary,

secondary and tertiary consumers and decomposers

4.7

understand the concepts of food chains, food webs, pyramids of number, pyramids of

biomass and pyramids of energy transfer

4.8

understand the transfer of substances and energy along a food chain

4.9

understand why only about 10% of energy is transferred from one trophic level to the

next

4.10

describe the stages in the carbon cycle, including respiration, photosynthesis,

decomposition and combustion

4.12

understand the biological consequences of pollution of air by sulfur dioxide and

carbon monoxide

4.13

understand that water vapour, carbon dioxide, nitrous oxide, methane and CFCs are

greenhouse gases

4.14

understand how human activities contribute to greenhouse gases

4.15

understand how an increase in greenhouse gases results in an enhanced greenhouse

effect and that this may lead to global warming and its consequences

4.16

understand the biological consequences of pollution of water by sewage

4.17

understand the biological consequences of eutrophication caused by leached minerals

from fertiliser

5.1

describe how glasshouses and polythene tunnels can be used to increase the yield of

certain crops

5.2

understand the effects on crop yield of increased carbon dioxide and increased

temperature in glasshouses

5.3

understand how the use of fertiliser can increase crop yield

5.4

understand the reasons for pest control and the advantages and disadvantages of

using pesticides and biological control with crop plants

5.5

understand the role of yeast in the production of food including bread

5.6

practical: investigate the role of anaerobic respiration by yeast in different conditions

5.7

understand the role of bacteria (Lactobacillus) in the production of yoghurt

5.8

understand the use of an industrial fermenter and explain the need to provide

suitable conditions in the fermenter, including aseptic precautions, nutrients,

optimum temperature and pH, oxygenation and agitation, for the growth of micro-organisms

5.10

understand how selective breeding can develop plants with desired characteristics

5.11

understand how selective breeding can develop animals with desired characteristics

5.12

understand how restriction enzymes are used to cut DNA at specific sites and ligase

enzymes are used to join pieces of DNA together

5.13

understand how plasmids and viruses can act as vectors, which take up pieces of

DNA, and then insert this recombinant DNA into other cells

5.14

understand how large amounts of human insulin can be manufactured from

genetically modified bacteria that are grown in a fermenter

5.15

understand how genetically modified plants can be used to improve food production

5.16

understand that the term transgenic means the transfer of genetic material from one

species to a different species