Cells and Systems RAG RAG RAG

Level of organisation
2.1 describe the levels of organisation in organisms: organelles,
cells, tissues, organs and systems
Cell structure
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

Characteristics of living organisms RAG RAG RAG

1.1 Understand how living things share the following

characteristics:
they require nutrition
they respire
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
they excrete their waste
they respond to their surroundings
they move
they control their internal conditions
they reproduce
they grow and develop
Variety of living organisms RAG RAG RAG
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.
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
Gas exchange and Diffusion RAG RAG RAG
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
2.46 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
2.15 understand the processes of diffusion, (osmosis and active
transport will be taught later) 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 (osmosis will be taught later)
using living and non-living systems
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
Human Nutrition RAG RAG RAG
2.24 understand that a balanced diet should include appropriate
proportions of carbohydrate, protein, lipid, vitamins, minerals, water
and dietary fibre
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
2.25 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
2.32 understand how the small intestine is adapted for absorption,
including the structure of a villus
2.15 understand the processes of (diffusion taught previously),
osmosis and active transport by which substances move into and out of
cells
2.17 practical: investigate (diffusion taught previously) osmosis using
living and non-living systems
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
2.10 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
2.30 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
2.13 understand how enzyme function can be affected by changes in
pH altering the active site
Fourths
Plant Nutrition and Transport RAG RAG RAG
Nutrition
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
2.18 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
2.70 understand the origin of carbon dioxide and oxygen as waste
products of metabolism and their loss from the stomata of a leaf
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
Transport
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
Transport in Humans RAG RAG RAG
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 relate
to their function
2.69 understand the general structure of the circulation system, including
the blood vessels to and from the heart and lungs, liver and kidneys
Co-ordination and response RAG RAG RAG
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
Humans
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
Flowering plants
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

Excretion in Humans RAG RAG RAG

2.71 know the excretory products of the lungs, kidneys and skin (organs
of excretion)
Reproduction RAG RAG RAG
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
Flowering plants
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)
Humans
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
Ecology RAG RAG RAG
The organism in the environment
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
Feeding relationships
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
Cycles within ecosystems
4.10 describe the stages in the carbon cycle, including respiration,
photosynthesis, decomposition and combustion
Human influences on the environment
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
Fifths
DNA Structure and Protein Synthesis RAG RAG RAG
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
3.33 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
Genetic Crosses and Pedigrees RAG RAG RAG
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
Cell Division and Natural Selection RAG RAG RAG
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
3.38 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
Genetic Techniques RAG RAG RAG
Selective breeding
5.10 understand how selective breeding can develop plants with
desired characteristics
5.11 understand how selective breeding can develop animals with
desired characteristics
Genetic modification (genetic engineering)
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
Food Production RAG RAG RAG
Crop Plants
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
Micro-organisms
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