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AQA GCSE Biology revision notes

Short notes for every spec point. Pick a topic, then a note.

1

Cell biology

3 subtopics · 17 notes

Cell structure
  1. Eukaryotes and prokaryotes
  2. Animal and plant cells
  3. Required practical 1: using a light microscope
  4. Cell specialisation
  5. Cell differentiation
  6. Microscopy
  7. Culturing microorganisms Triple only
  8. Culture calculations Triple only
  9. Required practical 2: antiseptics and antibiotics Triple only
Cell division
  1. Chromosomes
  2. Mitosis and the cell cycle
  3. Stem cells
Transport in cells
  1. Diffusion
  2. Surface area to volume ratio
  3. Exchange surfaces
  4. Osmosis
  5. Active transport
All cell biology notes (PDF)19 pages
2

Organisation

3 subtopics · 27 notes

Principles of organisation
  1. Cells, tissues, organs and organ systems
  2. Size and scale
Animal tissues, organs and organ systems
  1. The digestive system
  2. Enzymes
  3. Amylase, proteases and lipases
  4. Bile
  5. Required practical: food tests
  6. Required practical: the effect of pH on amylase
  7. The heart and the double circulatory system
  8. Controlling the heart rate
  9. The lungs and gas exchange
  10. Blood vessels
  11. Blood
  12. Coronary heart disease
  13. Treating cardiovascular disease
  14. Health and disease
  15. Handling data about disease
  16. Risk factors and causes
  17. The effect of lifestyle on disease
  18. The cost of non-communicable diseases
  19. Using data about risk factors
  20. Cancer
Plant tissues, organs and systems
  1. Plant tissues
  2. The leaf as an organ
  3. Roots, xylem and phloem
  4. Transpiration and stomata
  5. Factors affecting the rate of transpiration
All organisation notes (PDF)23 pages
3

Infection and response

3 subtopics · 13 notes

Communicable diseases
  1. Communicable (infectious) diseases
  2. Viral diseases
  3. Bacterial diseases
  4. Fungal diseases
  5. Protist diseases
  6. Human defence systems
  7. Vaccination
  8. Antibiotics and painkillers
  9. Discovery and development of drugs
Monoclonal antibodies Triple onlyHigher tier
  1. Producing monoclonal antibodies
  2. Uses of monoclonal antibodies
Plant disease Triple only
  1. Detection and identification of plant diseases
  2. Plant defence responses
All infection and response notes (PDF)14 pages
5

Homeostasis and response

4 subtopics · 23 notes

Homeostasis
  1. What homeostasis is
  2. Parts of a control system
The human nervous system
  1. Structure and function of the nervous system
  2. Reflex actions and the reflex arc
  3. Required practical: reaction time
  4. The brain Triple only
  5. The eye: structures and their functions Triple only
  6. Accommodation Triple only
  7. Defects of the eye Triple only
  8. Control of body temperature Triple only
Hormonal coordination in humans
  1. The human endocrine system
  2. Control of blood glucose concentration
  3. Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes
  4. Water balance and the effect of osmosis on cells Triple only
  5. The kidneys and urea Triple only
  6. ADH and water level Triple onlyHigher tier
  7. Kidney failure: dialysis and transplant Triple only
  8. Hormones in human reproduction
  9. Contraception
  10. The use of hormones to treat infertility Higher tier
  11. Adrenaline, thyroxine and negative feedback Higher tier
Plant hormones Triple only
  1. Plant hormones, phototropism and gravitropism
  2. Uses of plant hormones Higher tier
All homeostasis and response notes (PDF)24 pages
6

Inheritance, variation and evolution

4 subtopics · 22 notes

Reproduction
  1. Sexual and asexual reproduction
  2. Meiosis
  3. Advantages and disadvantages of sexual and asexual reproduction Triple only
  4. DNA and the genome
  5. DNA structure Triple only
  6. Genetic inheritance
  7. Inherited disorders
  8. Sex determination
Variation and evolution
  1. Variation
  2. Evolution
  3. Selective breeding
  4. Genetic engineering
  5. Cloning Triple only
The development of understanding of genetics and evolution
  1. Theory of evolution Triple only
  2. Speciation Triple only
  3. The understanding of genetics Triple only
  4. Evidence for evolution
  5. Fossils
  6. Extinction
  7. Resistant bacteria
Classification of living organisms
  1. The Linnaean system and binomial names
  2. Developments in classification
All inheritance, variation and evolution notes (PDF)23 pages
7

Ecology

5 subtopics · 23 notes

Adaptations, interdependence and competition
  1. Communities
  2. Abiotic factors
  3. Biotic factors
  4. Adaptations
Organisation of an ecosystem
  1. Producers, consumers and food chains
  2. Sampling: distribution and abundance
  3. Predator-prey cycles
  4. How materials are cycled
  5. Decomposition Triple only
  6. Impact of environmental change Triple onlyHigher tier
Biodiversity and the effect of human interaction on ecosystems
  1. Biodiversity
  2. Waste management
  3. Land use
  4. Deforestation
  5. Global warming
  6. Maintaining biodiversity
Trophic levels in an ecosystem Triple only
  1. Trophic levels
  2. Pyramids of biomass
  3. Transfer of biomass
Food production Triple only
  1. Factors affecting food security
  2. Farming techniques
  3. Sustainable fisheries
  4. Role of biotechnology
All ecology notes (PDF)22 pages