AQA GCSE Biology Paper 1 – Complete

Revision Notes & Exam Practice (2025

Updated)

What does a nucleus do? - ANSW✔️-It contains genetic material and controls the activities of the cell

What does cytoplasm do? - ANSW✔️-It's a gel-like substance where most of the chemical reactions
happen. It contains enzymes that control these chemical reactions

What does a cell membrane do? - ANSW✔️-It holds the cell together and controls what goes in and out

What do mitochondria do? - ANSW✔️-These are where most of the reactions for aerobic respiration
occur. Respiration transfers energy that the cell needs to work

What do ribosomes do? - ANSW✔️-This is where protein synthesis takes place - where proteins are
made in the cell

What do cell walls do? - ANSW✔️-They are made of cellulose and they support and strengthen the cell

What does a vacuole do? - ANSW✔️-It contains cell sap and helps maintain the shape of the cell

What do chloroplasts do? - ANSW✔️-This is where photosynthesis occurs, which makes food for the
plant. They contain chlorophyll - a green pigment - which absorbs light needed for photosynthesis
What do bacterial cells contain? - ANSW✔️-Cytoplasm, cell membrane, cell wall, flagella, ribosomes,
mitochondria, slime capsule, plasmids (small rings of DNA) and a single circular strand of DNA that floats
freely in the cytoplasm

What do bacterial cells NOT contain? - ANSW✔️-A nucleus

What is the equation for magnification? - ANSW✔️-Image size divided by actual size

What is differentiation? - ANSW✔️-The process by which a cell changes to become specialised for its
job

What are undifferentiated cells called? - ANSW✔️-Stem cells

What are sperm cells specialised for and how are they specialised? - ANSW✔️-Reproduction - they
transport the male DNA to the female DNA

-It has a flagella and a streamlined head to help it swim towards the egg

-There are lots of mitochondria in the cell to provide the energy needed

-It carries enzymes in its head to help digest through the egg cell membranes

What are nerve cells specialised for and how are they specialised? - ANSW✔️-Rapid signalling - they
carry electrical signals from one part of the body to another

-They are long to cover more distance

-They have branched connections at their ends to connect to other nerve cells and form a network
throughout the body

What are muscle cells specialised for and how are they specialised? - ANSW✔️-Contraction - they need
to contract quickly

-They are long so they have space to contract

-They contain lots of mitochondria to generate the energy needed for contraction
What are root hair cells specialised for and how are they specialised? - ANSW✔️-Absorbing water and
minerals

-They are cells on the surface of plant roots which grow into long hairs that stick out into the soil

-They have a large surface area for absorbing water and mineral ions from the soil

What are chromosomes? - ANSW✔️-Coiled up lengths of DNA molecules that are found in the nuclei

What do multicellular organisms use mitosis for? - ANSW✔️-To grow or replace cells that have been
damaged

What are stem cells? - ANSW✔️-They are undifferentiated cells that divide to produce lots more
undifferentiated cells. They then differentiate into different types of cell

Where are stem cells found? - ANSW✔️-In early human embryos or the bone marrow of adults

What do embryonic stem cells do? - ANSW✔️-1) Used to replace faulty cells in sick people - insulin-
producing cells for diabetes and nerve cells for paralysed spinal injuries

2) Used to replace faulty blood cells

What is diffusion? - ANSW✔️-Diffusion is the movement of particles from an area of high concentration
to an area of low concentration

Name the substances that can diffuse through cell membranes - ANSW✔️-Glucose, water, oxygen and
amino acids

Name two substances that can't diffuse through cell membranes - ANSW✔️-Protein and starch

What is osmosis? - ANSW✔️-Osmosis is the passive movement of water molecules through a partially
permeable cell membrane from an area of high water concentration to an area of low water
concentration
What are the two main differences between active transport and diffusion? - ANSW✔️-Active transport
uses energy whereas diffusion doesn't. Active transport goes against the concentration gradient
whereas diffusion goes along it

Adaptations of Exchange Surfaces - ANSW✔️-1) Large surface area - lots of substances can diffuse at
once

2) Lots of blood vessels - to get stuff into and out of the blood quickly

3) Thin membrane - short distance for substances to diffuse

4) Often ventilated - air moves in & out

Give two ways that the villi in the small intestine are adapted for absorbing digested food - ANSW✔️-1)
A single layer of surface cells

2) A very good blood supply to assist quick absorption

Explain how the leaves are adapted to maximise the amount of carbon dioxide that gets into their cells -
ANSW✔️-1) The exchange surface in a leaf is covered in stomata which the carbon dioxide diffuses
through

2) The leaf has a flattened shape which increases the area of its exchange surface, therefore it's more
effective

3) The walls of the cells inside the leaf act as another exchange surface

4) The air spaces inside the leaf increase the area of the exchange surface which increases the chance
for carbon dioxide to enter the cells

What affects the rate of diffusion? - ANSW✔️-Concentration gradient - the steeper the gradient, the
faster the rate

Temperature - the higher the temperature, the faster the rate (the particles have more energy thus
move around faster)

Surface area - the larger it is, the faster the rate

Diffusion distance - the shorter the distance, the faster the rate

Examples of active transport - ANSW✔️-Plants = Root hairs absorb minerals and water. Each branch of
a root will be covered in tiny hairs, therefore increasing the surface area for the absorption of minerals
and water. The concentration of minerals is usually higher in the root hair cells than in the soil around
them, therefore they can't use diffusion for this process.

Animals = Glucose is taken in from the gut and from kidney tubules.

How are alveoli in the lungs specialised to maximise the diffusion of oxygen and carbon dioxide? -
ANSW✔️--an enormous surface area

-a moist lining for dissolving gases

-very thin walls

-a good blood supply

How do fish respire? - ANSW✔️--Water enters the fish through the mouth and passes out through the
gills

-During this process, oxygen diffuses from the water into the blood in the gills and carbon dioxide
diffuses from the blood into the water

How are fish adapted for gas exchange? - ANSW✔️--Each gill is made up of lots of gill filaments which
create a large surface area for the exchange of gases

-Gill filaments are covered in lamellae which increase the surface even more

-The lamellae have lots of blood capillaries to speed up diffusion

-The lamellae have a thin surface layer of cells to minimise the diffusion distance

-Blood flows through the lamellae one way and water flows over in the opposite direction which
maintains a higher concentration gradient between the blood and the water

-The concentration of oxygen in the water is always higher than that in the blood to maximise the
amount of oxygen diffusion from the water into the blood

Microscopy Practical - Preparing the Slide - ANSW✔️-1) Add a drop of water to the middle of a clean
slide

2) Cut up an onion & separate it out into layers. Use tweezers to peel off some epidermal tissue from
the bottom of one of the layers

3) Using the tweezers, place the epidermal tissue into the water on the slide

4) Add a drop of iodine solution - a stain used to highlight objects in a cell by adding colour to them
5) Place a cover slip on top - stand the cover slip upright on the slide, next to the water droplet. Then,
carefully tilt & lower it so it covers the specimen. Try not to get any air bubbles under there - there'll
obstruct your view

Microscopy Practical - Using a Light Microscope - ANSW✔️-1) Clip the slide you've prepared onto the
stage

2) Select the lowest-powered objective lens

3) Use the coarse adjustment knob to move the stage up to just below the objective lens

4) Look down the eyepiece. Use the coarse adjustment knob to move the stage downwards until the
image is roughly in focus

5) Adjust the focus with the fine adjustment knob, until you get a clear image of what's on the slide

Microscopy Practical - Drawing Observations - ANSW✔️-1) Draw what you see under the microscope
using a pencil with a sharp point

2) Make sure your drawing takes up at least half of the space available & that it is drawn with clear,
unbroken lines

3) Your drawing should not include any colouring or shading

4) If you are drawing cells, the subcellular structures should be drawn in proportion

5) Include a title & write down the magnification that it was observed under

6) Label the important features of your drawing using straight, uncrossed lines

What happens during binary fission? - ANSW✔️-1) The circular DNA & plasmid(s) replicate

2) The cell gets bigger & the circular DNA strands move to opposite poles of the cell

3) The cytoplasm begins to divide & new cell walls begin to form

4) The cytoplasm divides & two daughter cells are produced. Each daughter cell has one copy of the
circular DNA, but can have a variable number of copies of the plasmid(s)

What is binary fission? - ANSW✔️-A type of simple cell division used by prokaryotic cells to reproduce
& split into two

What conditions do bacteria need to divide? - ANSW✔️-1) Warm environment

2) Lots of nutrients

What is the mean division time? - ANSW✔️-The average amount of time it takes for one bacterial cell
to divide into two

How do you make an agar plate? - ANSW✔️-Hot agar jelly is poured into shallow Petri dishes. When the
jelly's cooled & set, inoculating loops can be used to transfer the microorganisms to the culture medium.
Alternatively, a sterile dropping pipette & spreader can be used to get an even covering of bacteria. The
microorganisms then multiply

Investigating the Effect of Antibiotics on Bacterial Growth - Method - ANSW✔️-1) Place paper discs
soaked in different types of antibiotics on an agar plate that has an even covering of bacteria. Leave
some space between the discs

2) The antibiotic should diffuse into the agar jelly. Antibiotic-resistant bacteria that aren't affected by
the antibiotic will continue to grow on the agar around the paper discs, but non-resistant strains will die.
A clear area will be left where the bacteria have died - an inhibition zone

3) Make sure you use a control - a paper disc that has not been soaked in an antibiotic. Instead, soak it in
sterile water so you can be sure that any difference between the growth of bacteria around the control
disc & around one of the antibiotic discs is due to the effect of the antibiotic alone

4) Leave the plate for 48 hours at 25°C

5) The more effective the antibiotic is, the large the inhibition zone will be

Avoiding Contamination - ANSW✔️-1) The Petri dishes & culture medium must be sterilised before use
(heating to a high temperature), to kill any unwanted microorganisms

2) If an inoculating loop is used to transfer the bacteria to the culture medium, it should be sterilised
first by passing it through a hot flame

3) After transferring the bacteria, the lid of the Petri dish should be lightly taped on - stops any
microorganisms from the air getting it

4) The Petri dish should be stored upside down - stops drops of condensation falling onto the agar
surface

Investigating the Effect of Sugar Solutions on Plant Tissue - Method - ANSW✔️-1) Cut up a potato into
identical cylinders, and get some beakers with different sugar solutions in them: one should be pure
water & another should be a very concentrated sugar solution
2) Measure the mass of the cylinders, then leave one cylinder in each beaker for 24 hours

3) Take them out, dry them with a paper towel & measure their masses again

4) If the cylinders have drawn in water by osmosis, they'll have increased in mass. If water has been
drawn out, they'll have decreased in mass

5) The dependent variable is the chip mass & the independent variable is the concentration of the sugar
solution. All other variables must be kept the same

Possible Errors of the Potato Chip Experiment - ANSW✔️-1) Some potato cylinders were not fully dried

2) Water evaporated from the beakers

3) The potato chips weren't identical sizes

4) The volumes of water weren't identical

Types of eukaryotic cells - ANSW✔️-Animal cells

Plant cells

What are light microscopes? - ANSW✔️-They use light & lenses to form an image of a specimen &
magnify it

Allow us to see individual cells & large subcellular structures e.g. nuclei

What are electron microscopes? - ANSW✔️-They use electrons to form an image

They have a higher magnification & a higher resolution

Allow us to see smaller things in more detail e.g. internal structure of mitochondria & chloroplasts &
ribosomes & plasmids

Disadvantages of Stem Cells - ANSW✔️-1) Stem cells grown in the lab may become contaminated with
a virus - this will be passed onto the patient & make them sicker

2) Some people think that human embryos shouldn't be used for experiments - each one is a potential
human life

3) Scientists should focus more on finding & developing other sources of stem cells
What is a tissue? - ANSW✔️-A tissue is a group of similar cells that work together to carry out a
particular function

Examples of tissues - ANSW✔️-Muscular tissue - contracts to move whatever it's attached to

Glandular tissue - makes and secretes chemicals like enzymes and hormones

Epithelial tissue - covers some parts of the human body e.g. the inside of the gut

What is an organ system? - ANSW✔️-An organ system is a group of organs working together to carry
out a particular function

Example of an organ system - ANSW✔️-Digestive system - glands (pancreas and salivary glands),
stomach, liver, small intestine and large intestine

Why can enzymes be described as biological catalysts? - ANSW✔️-They speed up useful chemical
reactions in the body

Why do enzymes only usually catalyse one reaction? - ANSW✔️-Their active site is only complimentary
to one type of substrate

What does it mean when an enzyme is denatured? - ANSW✔️-Its active site has changed shape due to
intense heat or acidic conditions

Where is amylase found? - ANSW✔️-It's made in the salivary gland and the pancreas and it works in the
small intestine

What is the role of lipases? - ANSW✔️-They break down lipids into fatty acids and glycerol

Where is bile made and stored? - ANSW✔️-It's made in the liver and stored in the gall bladder
What does bile do? - ANSW✔️-It emulsifies fats into smaller, more soluble pieces which gives the fat a
bigger surface area for lipase to work on. It also neutralises the stomach acid to make the conditions
alkaline, therefore the enzymes can work in the small intestine

What are organs? - ANSW✔️-Organs are groups of tissues that work together to perform certain
functions

What are the tissues in the stomach and what do they do? - ANSW✔️-Muscular tissue - moves the
stomach wall to churn up the food

Glandular tissue - makes digestive juices to digest food

Epithelial tissue - covers the inside and outside of the stomach

What is the name of the substance when a substrate fits into the enzyme's active site? - ANSW✔️-
Enzyme substrate complex

What is the name of the substance when the enzyme's active site has turned the substrate into two
products? - ANSW✔️-Enzyme product complex

What is the optimum pH for enzymes? - ANSW✔️-The pH level that they are most active at. E.g., pepsin
has an optimum pH of 2

What does amylase break down? - ANSW✔️-It catalyses the breakdown of starch to maltose

What do carbohydrases break down? - ANSW✔️-Carbohydrates into simple sugars

What do proteases break down? - ANSW✔️-Proteins into amino acids

Where are proteases found? - ANSW✔️-They're made in the stomach (called pepsin here) and the
pancreas and found in the small intestine

Where are lipases found? - ANSW✔️-They're made in the pancreas and work in the small intestine
Name three substances and what they test for - ANSW✔️-Benedict's Test - testing for sugars - goes red

Iodine solution - tests for starch - goes blue-black

Biuret Test - tests for proteins - goes purple

What do the salivary glands do? - ANSW✔️-They produce amylase in the saliva

What does the stomach do? - ANSW✔️--It pummels the food with its muscular walls

-It produces pepsin

-It produces hydrochloric acid to kill bacteria and give the right pH for pepsin to work

What does the pancreas do? - ANSW✔️-It produces amylase, protease and lipase then releases them
into the small intestine

What does the small intestine do? - ANSW✔️-It contains protease, amylase and lipase to complete
digestion. Digested food is absorbed into the blood here

What does the rectum do? - ANSW✔️-It stores faeces

What does the large intestine do? - ANSW✔️-It's where excess water is absorbed from the food

What does the gall bladder do? - ANSW✔️-It stores bile before it's released into the small intestine

What does the liver do? - ANSW✔️-It produces bile which neutralises stomach acid and emulsifies fat

Where are the lungs? - ANSW✔️-The thorax

What are the lungs surrounded by? - ANSW✔️-Pleural membrane

What protects the lungs? - ANSW✔️-The ribcage

What goes down the trachea? - ANSW✔️-The air that you breathe in

What tubes join onto the trachea? - ANSW✔️-The bronchi

What do the bronchi split off into? - ANSW✔️-Bronchioles

What are the small bags at the end of bronchioles called? - ANSW✔️-Alveoli

What happens in an alveolus? - ANSW✔️-Gas exchange. The blood passing next to the alveoli contains
lots of carbon dioxide and little oxygen. The oxygen diffuses out of the alveoli (high concentration) and
into the blood (low concentration) and the carbon dioxide diffuses out of the blood (high concentration)
and into the alveoli (low concentration) to be breathed out.

What surrounds the alveoli? - ANSW✔️-Lots of blood capillaries

What happens when blood reaches body cells? - ANSW✔️-Oxygen is released from the red blood cells
and diffuses into the body cells. At the same time, carbon dioxide diffuses out of the body cells and into
the blood. It's then carried back to the heart

What makes up the circulatory system? - ANSW✔️-The heart, blood vessels and blood

What happens on the right side of the heart? - ANSW✔️-Deoxygenated blood flows in through the
vena cava and into the right atrium. The atrium contracts and pushes the blood through the tricuspid
valve, into the right ventricle. The valve closes and the ventricle contracts, to push the blood through
the right semi-lunar valve. The valve will close and the blood is pushed out of the pulmonary artery to go
up to the lungs

What happens on the left side of the heart? - ANSW✔️-Oxygenated blood flows in through the
pulmonary vein and into the left atrium. The atrium contracts and pushes the blood through the
bicuspid valve, into the left ventricle. The valve closes and the ventricle contracts to push the blood
through the left semi-lunar valve. The valve will then close and the blood flows out of the aorta to all the
cells in the body for gas exchange

How does the heart pump blood around the body? - ANSW✔️-Blood flows into the two atria from the
vena cava (right atrium) and the pulmonary vein (left atrium). The atria contract, pushing the blood into
the ventricles through valves. The ventricles contract and force the blood through more valves into the
pulmonary artery (right ventricle) and the aorta (left ventricle) and out of the heart

What are the three types of blood vessels? - ANSW✔️-Arteries, capillaries and veins

What do arteries do? - ANSW✔️--They carry blood under high amounts of pressure

-Their walls are strong, elastic and thick

-They have the smallest lumens

-They contain thick layers of muscle to make them strong and elastic fibres to allow them to stretch and
spring back

What do capillaries do? - ANSW✔️--Arteries branch into capillaries

-They are really tiny - too small to see

-They carry blood really close to every cell in the body to exchange substances with them

-They have permeable walls - substances can diffuse in and out

-They supply food and oxygen and take away waste like carbon dioxide

-Their walls are one cell thick - this increases the rate of diffusion

What do veins do? - ANSW✔️--Capillaries join up to form veins

-The blood is at low pressure in the veins so the walls aren't as thick as an artery's

-They have the biggest lumen to help the blood flow despite the lower pressure

-They have valves to help keep the blood flowing in the right direction

What is the rate of blood flow? - ANSW✔️-Volume of blood divided by the number of minutes
What are the four components of blood? - ANSW✔️-Red blood cells, white blood cells, platelets and
plasma

What do red blood cells do? - ANSW✔️--They carry oxygen from the lungs to all the cells in the body

-They have a biconcave disc shape - creates a large surface area and allows them to fit through
capillaries

-They have no nucleus - can store even more oxygen

-They contain haemoglobin - this binds to oxygen to form oxyhaemoglobin

What do white blood cells do? - ANSW✔️--They can change shape to ingest microbes - this process is
phagocytosis

-Others produce antibodies to fight microbes

-Some produce antitoxins to neutralise any toxins produced by the microbes

-They have a nucleus

What do platelets do? - ANSW✔️--They are small fragments of cells that have no nucleus

-They help the blood to clot at a wound - stops blood pouring out and microbes getting into your
bloodstream

-Lack of platelets can cause excessive bleeding and bruising

What does plasma do? - ANSW✔️-Plasma carries:

-red blood cells

-white blood cells

-glucose

-amino acids

-carbon dioxide

-urea

-hormones

-proteins

-antibodies
-antitoxins

What are stents? - ANSW✔️--Tubes that are inserted inside arteries to keep them open which allows
the blood to pass through to the heart muscles

-They lower the risk of a heart attack in people with coronary heart disease

-They are effective for a long time

-There is a risk of infection from surgery and the patient could develop a blood clot near the stent -
thrombosis

What are statins? - ANSW✔️--Drugs that reduce the amount of bad cholesterol (LDL) in your
bloodstream

-They slow down the rate of fatty deposits forming

-They reduce the risk of strokes, coronary heart disease and heart attacks

-They increase the amount of good cholesterol (HDL) in your bloodstream - HDL removes LDL from the
blood

-They are a long-term drug that must be taken regularly - could be forgotten to be taken

-They can have some negative side effects e.g. headaches, kidney failure, liver damage and memory loss

-It takes time for them to kick in

How does coronary heart disease occur? - ANSW✔️-The coronary arteries are blocked by layers of fatty
material building up. It causes the arteries to narrow therefore the blood flow is restricted and there's a
lack of oxygen to the heart - can result in a heart attack

What are artificial hearts used for? - ANSW✔️--If heart donor organs aren't available or suitable, they
are used instead

-They are mechanical devices that pump blood around the body if someone's heart has failed

-They're usually temporary to allow someone's heart to rest and heal

-They're made from metal or plastic, therefore, they're less likely to be rejected by the body's immune
system

-Surgery to fit one can cause bleeding and infection

-They don't work as well as healthy natural ones

-Blood doesn't flow through them smoothly which can cause blood clots which leads to strokes

What are artificial heart valves used for? - ANSW✔️--If heart valves become damaged or weakened by
heart attacks, infection or old age they can stiffen up or become leaky

-Artificial heart valves replace the natural valves - they can either be mechanical or taken from a cow or
a pig

-It's less drastic than a heart transplant

-It still takes major surgery and there can be a problem with blood clotting

What is artificial blood used for? - ANSW✔️--It's a blood substitute (e.g. a salt solution) which can
replace a large lost volume of blood

-It's safe and can generally keep people alive no matter how big the blood loss

-It gives the patient time to develop new blood cells or time to wait for a blood transfusion

What is health? - ANSW✔️-The state of physical and mental wellbeing

What are communicable diseases? - ANSW✔️-Diseases that can be spread from person to person or
between animals and people. They can be caused by pathogens and can be described as contagious or
infectious. Examples include measles and malaria

What are non-communicable diseases? - ANSW✔️-Diseases that cannot be spread between people or
between animals and people. They generally last for a long time and get worse slowly. Example include
asthma, cancer and coronary heart disease

What's the problem with a weak immune system? - ANSW✔️-You have an increased chance of
suffering from communicable diseases (e.g. the flu) because the body is less likely to be able to defend
itself against the pathogen that causes the disease

What can some types of cancer be triggered by? - ANSW✔️-Infection by certain viruses

E.g. the hepatitis virus can cause long-term infections in the liver which increases the chance of getting
liver cancer. Also, infection with HPV can cause cervical cancer
What are asthma sufferers in danger of? - ANSW✔️-Their symptoms becoming worse - immune system
reactions in the body caused by infection by a pathogen can trigger allergic reactions (e.g. skin rashes) or
worsen the symptoms of asthma

How can be mental health problems be triggered? - ANSW✔️-When someone is suffering from severe
physical body problems, especially if they have an impact on their ability to do normal activities or affect
their life expectancy

What factors can affect you health? - ANSW✔️-1) Balanced diet - provides your body with everything it
needs

2) Stress - being constantly under lots of stress can lead to health issues

3) Life situation - having easy access to medicine or things that can prevent illness e.g. buy healthy food
or condoms to prevent catching an STD

What are risk factors? - ANSW✔️-Things that are linked to an increase in your chance of contracting a
disease

E.g. smoking, obesity, drinking, exposure to radiation

Smoking as a risk factor - ANSW✔️-Causes cardiovascular disease, lung disease and lung cancer. It
damages the walls of arteries and the cells in the lining of the lungs

Obesity as a risk factor - ANSW✔️-Causes Type 2 diabetes - makes the body less sensitive to insulin

Drinking as a risk factor - ANSW✔️-Drinking too much alcohol causes liver disease, affects brain
function and damages the nerve cells in the brain

Exposure to radiation as a risk factor - ANSW✔️-Cancer can be caused by exposure to ionising

radiation, a carcinogen (something that causes cancer)

What are benign tumours? - ANSW✔️-Tumour grows until there's no more room

The tumour stays in once place (usually in a membrane)

Isn't dangerous or cancerous

What are malignant tumours? - ANSW✔️-Tumours grow and spread to nearby healthy tissues -
invading these tissues forms secondary tumours

Cells can break off and spread to other parts of the body via the bloodstream

Is dangerous and cancerous - can be fatal

Risk factors for cancer - ANSW✔️-Smoking - lung, mouth, bowel, stomach and cervical cancer

Obesity - bowel, liver and kidney cancer

UV exposure - skin cancer

Viral infection - infection with hepatitis B/C can increase the risk of developing liver cancer

Epidermal tissue - ANSW✔️-Covers the whole plant

Palisade mesophyll tissue - ANSW✔️-Where most photosynthesis happens

Spongy mesophyll tissue - ANSW✔️-Contains big air spaces to allow gases to diffuse in and out of cells

Meristem tissue - ANSW✔️-Found at the growing tips of roots and shoots

Able to differentiate into lots of different types of plant cell - allows the plant to grow - plant stem cell

Waxy cuticle - ANSW✔️-Reduces water loss via evaporation

Upper epidermis - ANSW✔️-Transparent so light can pass through it to reach the palisade layer

Palisade layer - ANSW✔️-Contains chloroplasts - where photosynthesis takes place

Located near the top of the plant to absorb as much sunlight as possible

Large surface area with chloroplasts packed tightly together

Stomata - ANSW✔️-Little holes in the lower epidermis that allow carbon dioxide to diffuse into the leaf

Guard cells - ANSW✔️-Control the opening and closing of the stomata

They don't open up at night as there is no sunlight

Phloem - ANSW✔️-Made up of elongated living cells

Transports food substances made in the leaves to the rest of the plant for immediate use or storage

Transport food substances in both directions - translocation

Xylem - ANSW✔️-Made up of dead cells

Transports water and mineral ions from the roots to the stem and the leaves

Transports them one way only

Movement of water from the roots, through the xylem and out of the leaves is called transpiration

What is transpiration? - ANSW✔️-The loss of water from plants by evaporation Water evaporates from
the leaves

Side effect of photosynthesis

How does light intensity affect transpiration? - ANSW✔️-The brighter the light, the greater the rate

In bright light, the stomata will stay open for longer

How does temperature affect transpiration? - ANSW✔️-The warmer it is, the faster the rate

The hotter it gets, the more kinetic energy the water molecules gain

How does air flow affect transpiration? - ANSW✔️-The better the air flow around a leaf, the greater the
rate

A good air flow will sweep water vapour away which maintains a low concentration gradient of water in
the air outside the leaf

Diffusion happens quicker from an area of high concentration to an area of low concentration
How does humidity affect transpiration? - ANSW✔️-The drier the air around a leaf, the faster the rate

Humid air contains lots of water, so the lower the humidity, the faster diffusion will take place

How are guard cells adapted to open and close stomata? - ANSW✔️-When the plant has lots of water,
they fill with water and become turgid - opens the stomata

When the plant is short of water, they lose water and become flaccid - closes the stomata

Thin outer walls and thicker inner walls control the opening and closing

Sensitive to light so they close at night

What is a pacemaker? - ANSW✔️-A group of cells in the right atrium wall that control the resting heart
rate

They produce a small electrical impulse which spreads to the surrounding muscle cells, causing them to
contract

Artificial pacemakers can be used to control heartbeat if the natural pacemaker cells don't work well e.g.
irregular heartbeat - they are little devices implanted under the skin and have a wire going to the heart -
they produce an electric current to keep the heart beating regularly

Investigation into the Effect of pH on Enzyme Activity - Method - ANSW✔️-1) Put a drop of iodine
solution into every well of a spotting tile

2) Place a Bunsen burner on a heatproof mat, & a tripod & gauze over the Bunsen burner. Put a beaker
of water on top of the tripod & heat the water until it is 35°C - keep the temperature of water constant
throughout the experiment

3) Use a syringe to add 1cm³ of amylase solution and 1cm³ of a buffer solution with a pH of 5 to a boiling
tube. Using test tube holders, put the tube into the beaker of water & wait for 5 minutes

4) Next, use a different syringe to add 5cm³ of a starch solution to the boiling tube

5) Immediately mix the contents of the boiling tube & start a stopwatch

6) Use continuous sampling to record how long it takes for the amylase to break down all of the starch -
use a dropping pipette to take a fresh sample from the boiling tube every 30 seconds & put a drop into a
well. When the iodine solution stays browny-orange, starch is no longer present

7) Repeat the experiment with the buffer solutions of different pH values to see how pH affects the time
taken for the starch to be broken down
Calculation - Rate of Reaction - ANSW✔️-Rate = 1000/time

Benedict's Test - testing for sugars - ANSW✔️-1) Prepare a food sample & transfer 5cm³ to a test tube

2) Prepare a water bath so that it's set to 75°C

3) Add some Benedict's solution to the test tube (about 10 drops) using a pipette

4) Place the test tube in the water bath using a test tube holder & leave it there for 5 minutes. Ensure
the tube is pointing away from you

5) If the food sample contains a reducing sugar, the solution in the test tube will change from the normal
blue colour to green, yellow or brick-red - depends how much sugar is in the food

Iodine Solution - testing for starch - ANSW✔️-1) Make a food sample & transfer 5cm³ of it to a test tube

2) Add a few drops of iodine solution & gently shake the tube to mix the contents - if the sample
contains starch, the colour of the solution will change from browny-orange to blue-black

Biuret Test - testing for proteins - ANSW✔️-1) Prepare a sample of your food & transfer 2cm³ of it to a
test tube

2) Add 2cm³ of biuret solution to the sample & mix the contents of the tube by gently shaking it

3) If the food sample contains protein, the solution will change from blue to pink or purple

Sudan III Test - testing for lipids - ANSW✔️-1) Prepare a sample of the food you're testing & transfer
5cm³ into a test tube

2) Use a pipette to add 3 drops of Sudan III stain solution to the test tube & gently shake the tube

3) The solution stains lipids, therefore if the mixture contains lipids, it will separate out into two layers -
the top layer will be bright red

What is a catalyst? - ANSW✔️-A substance which increases the speed of a reaction, without being
changed or used up in the reaction

Big Molecules - ANSW✔️-Starch

Proteins

Fats
Small Molecules - ANSW✔️-Sugar

Amino acids

Glycerol

Fatty acids

What is a double circulatory system? - ANSW✔️-Two circuits joined together

Humans have one

What are coronary arteries? - ANSW✔️-Arteries that branch off the aorta & surround the heart,
ensuring that it gets all the oxygenated blood it needs

Human Cost of Disease - ANSW✔️-1) Millions of deaths

2) Lower quality of life

3) Shorter lifespan

4) Effect of disease spreads to family members & relatives

Financial Cost of Disease - ANSW✔️-1) Cost to the NHS of researching & treating these diseases is huge

2) Families may have to move or adapt their home to help a family member with a disease

3) If a family member has to give up work or dies, the family's income will be reduced

4) Reduction in the number of people able to work can also affect a country's economy

Why is the mean rate of water uptake higher on a hot day? - ANSW✔️-Water molecules will have more
kinetic energy, thus they'll be released from the stomata by transpiration faster

The roots will need to absorb more water to replace the large amounts of water lost from evaporation

How does the movement of potassium ions into the guard cells cause the stoma to open? - ANSW✔️-1)
Ions increase the concentration of the solution

2) Water moves into the guard cells by osmosis

3) The cell swells unevenly due to having a thicker inner wall & a thinner outer wall

How does amylase break down starch? - ANSW✔️-1) The starch substrate fits into the active site of the
amylase to form a complimentary shape

2) The bonds in the substrate are broken to form two smaller substrates

How do viruses make you ill? - ANSW✔️-They invade healthy cells and replicate inside them. The cells
will burst and release all the copies of the virus

What are protists? - ANSW✔️-Single-celled eukaryotes

What are parasites? - ANSW✔️-Protists that live in or inside other organisms and cause damage. They
are transferred by a vector

How can pathogens be spread? - ANSW✔️-1) Water - drinking/bathing in dirty water e.g. cholera

2) Air - breathing it in or the spreading of droplets from coughs or sneezes e.g. the flu

3) Direct contact - touching contaminated surfaces e.g. athlete's foot

Measles - ANSW✔️-Virus spread by droplets from a sneeze or a cough

Symptoms: red skin rash and a fever

It can sometimes lead to pneumonia or encephalitis (a brain infection)

Can be vaccinated against

HIV - ANSW✔️-Virus spread by sexual contact or by exchanging bodily fluids e.g. sharing needles when
taking drugs

Symptoms: flu-like symptoms for a few weeks

Antiretroviral drugs stop the HIV virus replicating

The virus attacks immune cells

If the immune system is badly damaged, it can't cope with other infections or cancer - the virus at this
stage is known as AIDS
Tobacco Mosaic Virus (TMV) - ANSW✔️-Virus that affects many species of plants e.g. tomatoes

Symptoms: a mosaic pattern on the leaves - parts of the leaves become discoloured

The discolouration prevents the plant from photosynthesising as well, thus the virus affects growth

Rose Black Spot - ANSW✔️-Fungus that causes purple/black spots to appear on leaves of rose plants -
the leaves then turn yellow and fall off

Inhibits the process of photosynthesis and growth

Spread via the environment e.g. water or wind

Treatment: fungicides and stripping the plant of its affected leaves and then burning the leaves so the
virus doesn't spread

Malaria - ANSW✔️-Caused by a protist

Mosquitoes are vectors that acquire the malarial protist from feeding on infected animals

Each time a mosquito feeds on another animal, it infects it by inserting the protist into the blood vessels

Symptoms: repeating episodes of fever - can be fatal

Insecticides and mosquito nets help prevent malaria

Salmonella - ANSW✔️-Bacteria that causes food poisoning by producing toxins

Symptoms: fever, stomach cramps, vomiting and diarrhoea

Caused by eating food contaminated with salmonella e.g. uncooked chicken

In the UK, most chickens are vaccinated against salmonella

Gonorrhoea - ANSW✔️-Bacterial disease

Sexually transmitted disease (STD) caused by sexual contact e.g. unprotected sex

Symptoms: pain when urinating; thick yellow/green discharge from the vagina/penis

Originally treated with penicillin - now some strains have become resistant to it

Treatment with antibiotics and using barrier methods of contraception (e.g. condoms) help prevent the
spread of it
Reducing/Preventing the spread of diseases - ANSW✔️-1) Being hygienic e.g. washing hands before
preparing food or after sneezing

2) Destroying vectors e.g. vectors that are insects are killed by insecticides or destroying their habitats

3) Isolating infected individuals e.g. quarantine for people with communicable diseases

4) Vaccination - vaccinating against communicable diseases stops them from being developed then
passed on

What is a vector? - ANSW✔️-Organisms that spread disease

The skin as a defence - ANSW✔️-Acts as a barrier to pathogens

Secretes antimicrobial substances which kill pathogens

Hairs and mucus as a defence - ANSW✔️-In your nose, they trap particles that contain pathogens

The trachea & bronchi as a defence - ANSW✔️-Secrete mucus which traps pathogens

Cilia as a defence - ANSW✔️-Hair-like structures which waft the mucus up to the back of your throat
where it can be swallowed (and used to trap pathogens)

The stomach as a defence - ANSW✔️-Produces hydrochloric acid which kills pathogens that make it
farther than the mouth

Phagocytes - white blood cells - ANSW✔️-Engulf foreign cells (microbes etc) and digest them

B-lymphocytes - white blood cells - ANSW✔️-Recognise foreign antigens on cells and produce
antibodies to lock onto the antigens so that the cells can be located and destroyed

The antibodies are specific to that type of antigen - they form a lock and key connection
T-lymphocytes - white blood cells - ANSW✔️-Produce antitoxins that neutralise any toxins produced by
bacteria

What are antibodies? - ANSW✔️-Y-shaped proteins that are produced by B-lymphocytes

Vaccinations - ANSW✔️-Injecting small amounts of dead or inactive pathogens into a person's

bloodstream. The pathogens carry antigens which triggers the immune system to produce antibodies to
attack them. This helps the immune system to recognise the real pathogen and destroy it quicker and
more efficiently

PROS of vaccinations - ANSW✔️-1) Helped to control many communicable diseases that were once
common in the UK e.g. polio, measles, rubella, mumps, tetanus etc

2) Epidemics can be prevented if a large percentage of the population have been vaccinated - therefore,
fewer people are likely to spread the disease

CONS of vaccinations - ANSW✔️-1) Sometimes they don't give you immunity

2) They can sometimes trigger bad reactions e.g. swelling, fevers, seizures - bad reactions are very rare

What are painkillers? - ANSW✔️-Drugs that relieve the pain and help reduce the symptoms of a disease

What are antibiotics? - ANSW✔️-Drugs that kill or prevent the growth of bacteria without killing
healthy body cells

What is the problems with antibiotics? - ANSW✔️-Bacteria can mutate and become resistant to an
antibiotic

What is the problem with a resistant strain of bacteria? - ANSW✔️-It could cause a serious infection
that cannot be treated with antibiotics e.g. MRSA causes serious wound infections and is found in
people's noses

Drug testing - Stage 1 - ANSW✔️-Drugs are tested on human cells and tissues

However, human cells and tissue won't determine a drug's effectiveness against an entire body system
Drug testing - Stage 2 - ANSW✔️-Drugs are tested on live animals - at least two different mammals

Tests for efficacy (whether it works), toxicity (how harmful it is) and to determine the right dosage

Drug testing - Stage 3 - ANSW✔️-Drugs are tested on human volunteers

1) Drug is tested on healthy volunteers at a low dosage - reveals any harmful side effects

2) Drug is tested on the sick people it is designed to treat - used to find the optimum dosage

3) The patients are randomly sorted into 2 groups - one group gets a placebo, the other gets the actual
drug

Why do plants need mineral ions? - ANSW✔️-If there aren't enough of them, the plants will suffer from
deficiency symptoms

What are nitrates needed for? - ANSW✔️-To make proteins, which are needed for growth

What are magnesium ions needed for? - ANSW✔️-To make chlorophyll, which is needed for
photosynthesis

A lack of magnesium causes chlorosis and yellow leaves

Common symptoms of plant diseases - ANSW✔️-1) Stunted growth

2) Abnormal growths e.g. lumps

3) Spots on the leaves

4) Malformed stems or leaves

5) Patches of decay (rot)

6) Discolouration

Physical defences of plants - ANSW✔️-1) Waxy cuticle - provides a barrier to prevent pathogens from
entering

2) Cell walls - form a physical barrier against pathogens that get past the waxy cuticle

3) Layers of dead cells - found around stems that act as a barrier to pathogens
Chemical defences of plants - ANSW✔️-1) Antibacterial chemicals - these kill bacteria and are found in
mint plants and witch hazels

2) Poisons helped to deter herbivores from eating them e.g. tobacco plants, foxgloves and deadly
nightshade

Mechanical defences of plants - ANSW✔️-1) Thorns or hairs - prevent animals from touching or eating
them

2) Leaves that droop or curl when something touches them - help to knock insects off the leaves and
prevent them from eating the plant

3) Mimicking other organisms e.g. the passion flower has bright yellow spots which resemble butterfly
eggs - prevents other butterflies laying their eggs there

How do bacteria make us feel ill? - ANSW✔️-Producing toxins that damage cells and tissues

Aspirin - ANSW✔️-Used as a painkiller & to lower fever

Developed from a chemical found in willow

Digitalis - ANSW✔️-Used to treat heart conditions

Developed from a chemical found in foxgloves

What are monoclonal antibodies? - ANSW✔️-Produced from lots of clones of a single white blood cell

They're all identical & will only target one specific protein antigen

What is a hybridoma cell? - ANSW✔️-The fusion of a mouse B-lymphocyte with a tumour cell

They can be cloned lots to get lots of identical cells - these cells all produce the same (monoclonal)
antibodies which can be collected & purified

What is HCG? - ANSW✔️-Human Chorionic Gonadotropin

A hormone found in the urine of women only when they're pregnant

Pregnancy Test - Process - ANSW✔️-1) The bit of the stick you wee on has some antibodies to the HCG
hormone, with blue beads attached

2) The test strip has some more antibodies to the hormone stuck onto it

3) If you're pregnant & you wee on the stick:

-The hormone binds to the antibodies on the blue beads

-The urine moves up the stick, carrying the hormone & the beads

-The beads & hormone bind to the antibodies on the strip

-The blue beads get stuck on the strip, turning it blue

4) If you're not pregnant & you wee on the stick, the urine still moves up the stick, carrying the blue
beads - since there's nothing to stick the blue beads onto the test strip, it doesn't go blue

What are tumour markers? - ANSW✔️-Antigens on the cell membranes of cancer cells that aren't
found on normal body cells

What can an anti-cancer drug be? - ANSW✔️-1) A radioactive substance

2) A toxic drug

3) A chemical which stops cancer cells growing & dividing

How are monoclonal antibodies used to treat cancer? - ANSW✔️-They're attached to an anti-cancer
drug which is given to the patient via a drip. The antibodies target the specific cancer cells as they only
bind to tumour markers. The cancer cells are killed but the normal body cells are left untouched

What can monoclonal antibodies be used for? - ANSW✔️-1) Binding to hormones & other chemicals in
blood to measure their levels

2) Testing blood samples in laboratories for certain pathogens

3) Locating specific molecules on a cell or in a tissue

How are monoclonal antibodies used to locate specific molecules on a cell or in a tissue? - ANSW✔️-1)
Monoclonal antibodies are made that will bind to the specific molecule

2) The antibodies are then bound to a fluorescent dye

3) If the molecules are present in the sample being analysed, the monoclonal antibodies will attach to
them - they can be detected using the dye

Problems of Monoclonal Antibodies - ANSW✔️-1) They have side effects e.g. fever, vomiting & low
blood pressure

2) They're not as widely used as treatments due to the many side effects they have

Fungi - ANSW✔️-Some fungi are single-celled

Other fungi have a body which is made up of hyphae - these grow & penetrate human skin & the surface
of plants

Hyphae can produce spores - can spread to other plants & animals

How can you identify a plant disease? - ANSW✔️-1) Looking up the signs in a gardening manual or on a
gardening website

2) Taking the infected plant to a laboratory - scientists can identify the pathogen

3) Using testing kits that identify the pathogen using monoclonal antibodies

Why are some patients given a placebo? - ANSW✔️-It acts as a control - to see if the drug given to the
other group was actually effective

Using glucose in plants - respiration - ANSW✔️-Transfers energy from glucose which enables the plant
to convert the rest of the glucose into various other useful substances

Using glucose in plants - making cellulose - ANSW✔️-Glucose is converted into cellulose for making
strong cell walls

Using glucose in plants - making amino acids - ANSW✔️-Glucose is combined with nitrate ions to make
amino acids, which are then made into proteins

Using glucose in plants - stored as oils or fats - ANSW✔️-Glucose is turned into lipids for storing in
seeds
Using glucose in plants - stored as starch - ANSW✔️-Glucose is turned into starch and stored in roots,
stems and leaves ready for use when photosynthesis isn't happening, like in the winter. Starch is
insoluble, which makes it better for storing than glucose - a cell wall containing lots of glucose would
draw in lots of water and swell up

When is light the limiting factor? - ANSW✔️-Night time

When is temperature the limiting factor? - ANSW✔️-Winter

When is the carbon dioxide concentration the limiting factor? - ANSW✔️-When it's warm and bright
enough

Limiting factors - light intensity - ANSW✔️-As the light intensity increases, the rate of photosynthesis
increases steadily

Limiting factors - carbon dioxide concentration - ANSW✔️-As the concentration of carbon dioxide
increases, the rate of photosynthesis increases steadily

Limiting factors - temperature - ANSW✔️-If the temperature gets too high, the enzymes will denature -
45 degrees

If the temperature is too low, the enzymes will work very slowly

What is light intensity inversely proportional to? - ANSW✔️-Distance²

Greenhouses - temperature - ANSW✔️-Help to trap the sun's heat and ensure the temperature doesn't
become a limiting factor

Heaters are used in winter to maintain a high temperature

Ventilation is used in summer to prevent the temperature increasing too much

Greenhouses - light intensity - ANSW✔️-Artificial light is used after the sun goes down - gives the plant
more quality photosynthesis time

Greenhouses - carbon dioxide concentration - ANSW✔️-Paraffin heaters help increase the

concentration of carbon dioxide - as the paraffin burns, it creates carbon dioxide as a by-product

Other benefits of greenhouses - ANSW✔️-1) Easier to keep the plants free from pests

2) Fertilisers help provide all the minerals needed for healthy growth

What is respiration? - ANSW✔️-The process of transferring energy from glucose which goes on in every
cell

Is photosynthesis endothermic or exothermic? - ANSW✔️-Endothermic - energy is transferred from the

environment

Is respiration endothermic or exothermic? - ANSW✔️-Exothermic - transfers energy to the

environment

How do organisms use the energy transferred by respiration? - ANSW✔️-1) To build up larger
molecules from smaller ones e.g. proteins from amino acids

2) In animals, it's used to allow the muscles to contract

3) In mammals and birds, the energy is used to keep their body temperature steady in colder
surroundings

Aerobic respiration - ANSW✔️-Respiration using oxygen

Goes on constantly in plants and animals

Most of the reactions happen inside mitochondria

Aerobic respiration equation - ANSW✔️-Glucose + oxygen --> carbon dioxide + water

Anaerobic respiration - animals - ANSW✔️-Respiration without oxygen

Incomplete breakdown of glucose

Happens when your body can't supply enough oxygen to your muscles during vigorous exercise

Doesn't transfer as much energy as aerobic respiration - glucose isn't fully oxidised

Anaerobic respiration equation - animals - ANSW✔️-Glucose --> lactic acid

Anaerobic respiration - plants & yeasts - ANSW✔️-In yeasts, it's called fermentation

Fermentation is used to make bread and alcohol drinks

Anaerobic respiration equation - plants and yeasts - ANSW✔️-Glucose --> ethanol + carbon dioxide

What three things increase with increased respiration? - ANSW✔️-1) Breathing rate

2) Breath volume

3) Heart rate

What happens during increased respiration? - ANSW✔️-More oxygen diffuses into the blood which
causes carbon dioxide to be removed more quickly

What does anaerobic respiration lead to? - ANSW✔️-Oxygen debt - the amount of extra oxygen your
body needs to react with the build up of lactic acid and remove it from the cells

What forms when oxygen reacts with lactic acid? - ANSW✔️-Carbon dioxide and water

How else does the body cope with a high level of lactic acid? - ANSW✔️-The blood that enters your
muscles transports the lactic acid to the liver. Here, the lactic acid is converted back to glucose

Oxygen Production - Method - ANSW✔️-1) A source of white light is placed at a specific distance from
the pondweed

2) The pondweed is left to photosynthesise for a set amount of time. As it photosynthesises, the oxygen
released will collect in a capillary tube
3) At the end of the experiment, the syringe is used to draw the gas bubble in the tube up alongside a
ruler & the length of the gas bubble is measured. This is proportional to the volume of O2 produced

4) Any variable that could affect the results should be controlled

5) The experiment is repeated twice with the light source at the same distance & the mean volume of
O2 produced is calculated

6) Then, the whole experiment is repeated with the light source at different distances from the
pondweed

What are lipid molecules made up of? - ANSW✔️-One molecule of glycerol & three fatty acids

What is metabolism? - ANSW✔️-The sum of all the reactions that happen in a cell or in the body

What is muscle fatigue? - ANSW✔️-When over long periods of exercise, the muscles get tired & stop
contracting efficiently