Syllabus Points

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Here are all of the syllabus points covered so far:

Ecology:

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

4.3B understand the term biodiversity

4.4B practical: investigate the distribution of organisms in their habitats and measure biodiversity 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

4.11B describe the stages in the nitrogen cycle, including the roles of nitrogen fixing bacteria, decomposers, nitrifying bacteria and denitrifying bacteria (specific names of bacteria are not required)

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

4.18B understand the effects of deforestation, including leaching, soil erosion, disturbance of evapotranspiration and the carbon cycle, and the balance of atmospheric gases

Inheritance:

syllabus points:

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

3.16B describe a DNA molecule as two strands coiled to form a double helix, the strands being linked by a series of paired bases: adenine (A) with thymine (T), and cytosine (C) with guanine (G)

3.17B understand that an RNA molecule is single stranded and contains uracil (U) instead of thymine (T)

3.18B describe the stages of protein synthesis including transcription and translation, including the role of mRNA, ribosomes, tRNA, codons and anticodons

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

3.21B understand the meaning of the term codominance

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

3.35B understand how a change in DNA can affect the phenotype by altering the sequence of amino acids in a protein

3.36B understand how most genetic mutations have no effect on the phenotype, some have a small effect and rarely do they have a significant effect

3.37B understand that the incidence of mutations can be increased by exposure to ionising radiation (for example, gamma rays, x-rays and ultraviolet rays) and some chemical mutagens (for example, chemicals in tobacco)

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

Human Reproduction:

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

3.8 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

2.95B understand the sources, roles and effects of the following hormones: FSH and LH 3.10B understand the roles of FSH and LH 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

Plant Tropisms and Reproduction:

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

Reproduction

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)

Plant Transport

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

2.55B understand how water is absorbed by root hair cells

2.56B understand that transpiration is the evaporation of water from the surface of a plant

2.57B understand how the rate of transpiration is affected by changes in humidity, wind speed, temperature and light intensity

2.58B practical: investigate the role of environmental factors in determining the rate of transpiration from a leafy shoot

Human Digestion:

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

2.33B practical: investigate the energy content in a food sample

Coordination:

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

2.86 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 and insulin

Excretion:

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

2.72B understand how the kidney carries out its roles of excretion and osmoregulation

2.73B describe the structure of the urinary system, including the kidneys, ureters, bladder and urethra

2.74B describe the structure of a nephron, including the Bowman’s capsule and glomerulus, convoluted tubules, loop of Henle and collecting duct

2.75B describe ultrafiltration in the Bowman’s capsule and the composition of the glomerular filtrate

2.76B understand how water is reabsorbed into the blood from the collecting duct

2.77B understand why selective reabsorption of glucose occurs at the proximal convoluted tubule

2.78B describe the role of ADH in regulating the water content of the blood

2.79B understand that urine contains water, urea and ions

Excretion: Additional Understanding: https://jisoobiology.blogspot.com/2019/01/excretion-summary-and-addition.html


Circulatory System and Transport:

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

2.59 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

2.63B understand how vaccination results in the manufacture of memory cells, which enable future antibody production to the pathogen to occur sooner, faster and in greater quantity

2.64B understand how platelets are involved in blood clotting, which prevents blood loss and the entry of micro-organisms

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