What you’ll learn

Cell structure and transport

Content Covered

• In this unit they will know the difference in magnification and resolution between a light microscope and an electron microscope; know and compare the main features of animal and plant cells, eukaryote and prokaryote cells; how animal cells differentiate to perform a particular function; how plant cells differentiate to perform a particular function; the importance of the processes of diffusion, osmosis and active transport in plants and animals; how the surface area to volume ratio varies depending on the size of an organism

Skills to develop in this topic

• How to use a microscope and calculate the magnification, real size and image size of a specimen; how to identify and compare the differences between Eukaryote and Prokaryote cells; how to calculate surface area to volume ratio

Cell division

Content Covered

• In this unit they will know how genetic information is organized in eukaryotic cells; the importance of the cell cycle and mitosis in living organisms; the changes in a cell during the different stages of the cell cycle; what is meant by cell differentiation; what stem cells are; how stem cells are used in animals and plants; what ‘therapeutic cloning’ means; some ethical issues raised by the medical use of stem cells.

Skills to develop in this topic

• Explain the processes involved in the different stages of cell division; how cells become specialized from an embryo to a fully developed organism through growth and differentiation – in animals and plants; make connections between cell differentiation and the specialised cells and adaptations; how stem cells can be used to treat some diseases and repair damaged tissues in humans; the importance of cloning plants for society; evaluate the medical use of stem cells.

Organisation and the digestive system

Content Covered

• In this unit students will know the organisation of the body in terms of cells, tissues, organs, and organ systems; the structures of the digestive system; the structure of carbohydrates, proteins, and lipids; different types of enzymes and how they work; factors which affect enzymes.

Skills to develop in this topic

• How to use a range of chemical tests to identify food groups; how to read graphs to determine the optimum conditions for enzymes; how the digestive system is adapted to its function; how to draw conclusions from the result of investigations

Organising plants and animals

Content Covered

• In this unit they will know the make-up of the blood and how it and the substances dissolved in it travel around the body; how veins, arteries and capillaries are adapted for their function; how the heart pumps blood around the body and common issues with the heart; how gas exchange occurs and how the lungs are adapted for gas exchange; the organisation of plants in terms of tissues, organ systems, and organs; the processes of translocation and transpiration Factors that affect transpiration Future learning: Understanding of transpiration will be used in B8 Photosynthesis and they will learn how substances are transported around the body in B9 and B11 and adaptations of plants to survive in extreme conditions in B15

Skills to develop in this topic

• Explain the link between the structure and function of organs and tissues in animals and plants; evaluating different methods of intervention for cardiac issues; using equipment to measure the rate of transpiration; predicting how different factors will affect the rate of transpiration.

Photosynthesis

Content Covered

• In this unit they will know the raw materials and energy source for photosynthesis; photosynthesis is an endothermic reaction; the equations that summarise photosynthesis.

Skills to develop in this topic

• Explain how plant use the glucose they make; the extra materials that plant cells need to produce protein. Some practical tests for starch, sugars and proteins; how the different factors affecting the rate of photosynthesis interact; how humans can manipulate the environment in which plant grow.

Respiration

Content Covered

• In this unit they will know the aerobic respiration; the anaerobic respiration and that less energy is transferred compared to aerobic respiration also know that anaerobic respiration takes place in lots of different organisms. They will know that metabolism is the sum of all the reactions in a cell or the body of an organisms.

Skills to develop in this topic

• Interpreting graphs regarding heart rate, pulse rate and breathing rate and interpret data to determine someone’s fitness levels.

Communicable diseases

Content Covered

• In this unit they will know what health and disease are; some causes of an ill health; how risk factors interact together and with communicable diseases; different pathogens that can cause communicable disease, including bacteria, viruses, and protists; the symptoms and treatments of a range of different animal and plant diseases; how infectious disease can be spread between organisms – both animals and plants; that the development of simple hygiene methods to prevent the spread of pathogens; how to stop the spread of disease such as the isolation of individuals who are infected, the destruction of or control of vectors, and the use of vaccination; the different defence mechanisms of the human body and plants; the roles of white blood cells in against pathogens.

Skills to develop in this topic

• Explain and interpret data on graphs (correlation between two variables, and draw conclusions from data on health); interpret and evaluate data on death rates due to diseases over time; explain the link between pathogens, disease and its symptoms; prepare an uncontaminated culture using aseptic technique; investigate the effect of disinfectants and antibiotics in the grow bacteria in the lab; explain how specific and non- specific immune responses work against disease.

Non-communicable disease

Content Covered

• In this unit they will know what non-communicable diseases are; what are the risk factors for non-communicable diseases; know the difference between malignant and benign tumours; the effect of smoking on health; the effect of alcohol and other carcinogens on health.

Skills to develop in this topic

• Interpreting data from tables; interpreting data from graphs; comparing and evaluating information

Preventing treating disease

Content Covered

• In this unit they will know how vaccines can be used to prevent disease; how drugs are discovered; how drugs are developed; how monoclonal antibodies are produced; know the uses for monoclonal antibodies.

Skills to develop in this topic

• Interpreting data from tables; interpreting data from graphs; comparing and evaluating information

Adaptations, interdependence and competition

Content Covered

• In this unit they will know what is meant by stable community; the relationship between communities and ecosystems; some of the factors that affect communities; why animals and plants compete; what makes animals and plants successful competitors; how organisms are adapted to the environment they live in.

Skills to develop in this topic

• Evaluate the importance of decomposition and the factors that affect the rate of decay and of compost formation; apply your knowledge to investigate and measure the distribution and abundance of species in a system.

Organising an ecosystem

Content Covered

• In this unit they will know the importance of photosynthesis in feeding relationships; how materials are recycled in a stable community; what the carbon cycle is.

Skills to develop in this topic

• Annotate and interpret predator and prey graphs.

Biodiversity and Ecosystem

Content Covered

• In this unit students will know: what biodiversity is and why it is important; some of the effects of the growth in the human population on the Earth and its resources; what is meant by deforestation; why loss of biodiversity matters; the environmental effects of destroying pear dogs; what is meant by global warming; different types of environmental changes; about trophic levels; how to construct accurate pyramids of biomass from appropriate data; what is meant by sustainable food production.

Skills to develop in this topic

• Explain how human activities pollute the land; how human activities pollute the water; how the rain is formed; how acid rain affects living organisms; how air pollution causes global dimming and smog; how global warming could affect life on earth; how to evaluate the effects of environmental changes on the distribution of organisms; how waste, deforestation, and global warming all have an impact on biodiversity; how to conserve fish stock and make fishing for food sustainable again; how fungi can be used to make a new type if food.

The Human Nervous System

Content Covered

• In this unit, students will know: the key elements of control systems; how the structure of the nervous system is adapted to its function; how receptors enable you to respond to changes in your environment; what reflexes are. Know how reflexes work.

Skills to develop in this topic

• Explain how to plan and carry out an investigation into the effect of a factor on human reaction time; how to select appropriate apparatus to record time. Evaluate results in detail to discuss precision and accuracy.

Hormonal coordination

Content Covered

• In this unit students will know what a hormone is; the main organs of the endocrine; the role of the pituitary gland; the role of the pancreas in monitoring and controlling blood glucose concentrations; how insulin controls blood glucose levels in the body; how glucose and insulin interact to control blood glucose levels; what cause diabetes; the difference in the way type 1 and type 2 diabetes are treated.

Skills to develop in this topic

• Explain how hormones interact to control the menstrual cycle; several different methods of hormonal and non-hormonal contraception; how hormones can be used to treat infertility; how plants respond to Light and gravity. The importance of auxin in plant responses.

Homeostasis in action

Content Covered

• In this unit students will know how the body responds to a change in temperature to cool itself down or warm itself up; what the kidney does and how it works; know that if the kidney doesn’t work it needs to be replaced by either dialysis or transplant; know what dialysis is and the benefits and drawback associated; know about kidney transplants and the benefits and drawbacks; know the ethical reasons for and against organ transplants.

Skills to develop in this topic

• Explain how systems in the body coordinate responses to changes in the internal environment or external stimuli.

Reproduction

Content Covered

• In this unit students will know: the different ways organisms reproduce, and the outcomes each method leads too; what DNA is and why the study of it is so important; know that you can predict characteristics from genetic information; know that you genetic screening is possible for embryos and why that might be important for some families.

Skills to develop in this topic

• Explain how to carry out genetic crosses; how to calculate the chances of having a specific trait or feature; how to complete a Punnett square diagram.

Variation and Evolution

Content Covered

• In this unit students will know that variation causes difference within species; know why identical twins are not always the same in every way. Know what selective breeding is.

Skills to develop in this topic

• Explain why identical twins are not always the same in every way.