Biology GCSE Revision Guide:
,Table of Content:
Characteristics of Life, Magnification, Viruses & Cells 2-4
Bacteria & Fungi 5 -7
Diffusion, Osmosis & Active Transport 8 - 10
Plant Transport 11 - 14
Photosynthesis 15 - 18
Human Reproduction 19 - 20
Respiration 21 - 23
Ventilation 24 - 29
Circulation 30 - 41
Biological Molecules 42 - 44
Enzymes 45 - 47
Digestion 48 - 50
Ecology 51 - 53
Nitrogen Cycle 54 - 55
Carbon Cycle, Deforestation & Greenhouse Gases 56 - 58
Food Production, Pest Control & Eutrophication 59 - 61
Selective Breeding 62 - 64
Genetics 65 - 67
Protein Synthesis 68 - 74
Meiosis & Mitosis 75 - 78
Inheritance 79 - 81
Genetic Engineering 82 - 84
GM Plants, Animals, Cloning & Stem Cells 85 - 88
Hormones 89 - 90
Menstrual Cycle 91 - 92
Homeostasis 93 - 95
Nervous System & The Eye 96 - 98
Synapses & The Eye 99 - 101
Plant Hormones 102 - 104
Kidney 105 - 109
Experimental Design 110
1
,Characteristics of Life, Magnification, Viruses & Cells:
Magnification:
Image Size = Actual Size x Magnification
Magnification = Image Size / Actual Size
Actual Size = Image Size / Magnification
- 1 metre = 1000 millimetres
- 1 millimetre = 1000 micrometres
- 1 micrometre = 1000 nanometers
What are the 8 characteristics of life?
- Movement: By the action of muscles in animals and slow growth movements in
plants
- Respire: Release energy from their food
- Sensitivity: Sensitive to changes in their surroundings
- Homeostasis: Maintain a steady state inside the body
- Growth: Increase in size and complexity using materials from their food
- Reproduce: Produce offspring
- Excrete: Get rid of waste products
- Nutrition: Plants make their own food, animals eat other organisms
Diagram of Animal & Plant Cells:
- Cytoplasm is the living material that makes up a cell - it has a jelly like texture and is
between a solid and a liquid
- Cytoplasm contains many different organelles
Identify 2 differences between Animal & Plant Cells:
- Plant Cells have a cell wall whereas Animal Cells don’t
- Plant Cells have chloroplasts whereas Animals Cells don’t
2
, Identify 3 common things between Animal & Plant Cells:
- They both contain Cytoplasm, a Nucleus and a Cell Membrane
Diagram of a Virus Cell:
- They are not a cell but are particles
- They have no nucleus or cytoplasm
How do Viruses work?
- They enter the host cell and take over the genetic machinery to make more virus
particles
- The host cell dies after many virus particles have been made and the particles are
released to infect more cells
Give an example of a Virus and what it infects:
- HIV (Human Immunodeficiency Virus) causes the illness AIDS (Acquired Immune
Deficiency Syndrome)
Why are Viruses not considered living?
- Viruses are not considered as living as they do not feed, respire, excrete, move, grow
or respond to their surroundings
- They are said to not carry out the normal characteristic of living things except
reproduction (done parasitically)
Cells Structure Table:
Bacteria Animal Plant Fungi Protoctists Virus
Nucleus No Yes Yes Yes Yes No
Cell Wall Yes No Yes Yes Rarely No
3
,Table of Content:
Characteristics of Life, Magnification, Viruses & Cells 2-4
Bacteria & Fungi 5 -7
Diffusion, Osmosis & Active Transport 8 - 10
Plant Transport 11 - 14
Photosynthesis 15 - 18
Human Reproduction 19 - 20
Respiration 21 - 23
Ventilation 24 - 29
Circulation 30 - 41
Biological Molecules 42 - 44
Enzymes 45 - 47
Digestion 48 - 50
Ecology 51 - 53
Nitrogen Cycle 54 - 55
Carbon Cycle, Deforestation & Greenhouse Gases 56 - 58
Food Production, Pest Control & Eutrophication 59 - 61
Selective Breeding 62 - 64
Genetics 65 - 67
Protein Synthesis 68 - 74
Meiosis & Mitosis 75 - 78
Inheritance 79 - 81
Genetic Engineering 82 - 84
GM Plants, Animals, Cloning & Stem Cells 85 - 88
Hormones 89 - 90
Menstrual Cycle 91 - 92
Homeostasis 93 - 95
Nervous System & The Eye 96 - 98
Synapses & The Eye 99 - 101
Plant Hormones 102 - 104
Kidney 105 - 109
Experimental Design 110
1
,Characteristics of Life, Magnification, Viruses & Cells:
Magnification:
Image Size = Actual Size x Magnification
Magnification = Image Size / Actual Size
Actual Size = Image Size / Magnification
- 1 metre = 1000 millimetres
- 1 millimetre = 1000 micrometres
- 1 micrometre = 1000 nanometers
What are the 8 characteristics of life?
- Movement: By the action of muscles in animals and slow growth movements in
plants
- Respire: Release energy from their food
- Sensitivity: Sensitive to changes in their surroundings
- Homeostasis: Maintain a steady state inside the body
- Growth: Increase in size and complexity using materials from their food
- Reproduce: Produce offspring
- Excrete: Get rid of waste products
- Nutrition: Plants make their own food, animals eat other organisms
Diagram of Animal & Plant Cells:
- Cytoplasm is the living material that makes up a cell - it has a jelly like texture and is
between a solid and a liquid
- Cytoplasm contains many different organelles
Identify 2 differences between Animal & Plant Cells:
- Plant Cells have a cell wall whereas Animal Cells don’t
- Plant Cells have chloroplasts whereas Animals Cells don’t
2
, Identify 3 common things between Animal & Plant Cells:
- They both contain Cytoplasm, a Nucleus and a Cell Membrane
Diagram of a Virus Cell:
- They are not a cell but are particles
- They have no nucleus or cytoplasm
How do Viruses work?
- They enter the host cell and take over the genetic machinery to make more virus
particles
- The host cell dies after many virus particles have been made and the particles are
released to infect more cells
Give an example of a Virus and what it infects:
- HIV (Human Immunodeficiency Virus) causes the illness AIDS (Acquired Immune
Deficiency Syndrome)
Why are Viruses not considered living?
- Viruses are not considered as living as they do not feed, respire, excrete, move, grow
or respond to their surroundings
- They are said to not carry out the normal characteristic of living things except
reproduction (done parasitically)
Cells Structure Table:
Bacteria Animal Plant Fungi Protoctists Virus
Nucleus No Yes Yes Yes Yes No
Cell Wall Yes No Yes Yes Rarely No
3
