Biology Gcse Revision Notes
Trippple Award Specification
(4BIO) Examination in 2012
Trippple Award Specification
Key words are underlined in red. Practical work is printed in italics.
Section 1: The nature and variety of living organisms
Characteristics of living organisms include;
M ovement
R espitation
S ensitivity
G rowth
R eproduction
E xcretion
N utrition
In addition, all living organisms contain nucleic acids (DNA) and have the ability to control their internal conditions. Finally, all living organisms can die.
Living organisms are classified into 5 groups, each of which has certain characteristics you need to learn
Plants:
1. Multicellular organisms 2. Cells contain chloroplasts and are able to carry out photosynthesis 3. Cells have cellulose cell walls 4. They store carbohydrates as starch or sucrose.
Examples include flowering plants, such as a cereal (e.g. maize) and a herbaceous legume (e.g. peas or beans).
Animals:
1. Multicellular organisms 2. Cells do not contain chloroplasts and are not able to carry out photosynthesis 3. Cells have no cell walls 4. They have a nervous system 5. They often store carbohydrate as glycogen
Examples include mammals (e.g. humans) and insects (e.g. housefly).
Fungi:
1. They are saprophytic and feed by excreting digestive enzymes onto food and absorbing the digested products 2. Cells do not contain chloroplasts and are not able to carry out photosynthesis 3. Cells are joined together to form threads, called hyphae. Hyphae contain many nuclei, because they are made from many cells. 4. Cell walls are made from chitin (a protein) 5. They store carbohydrates as glycogen.
Examples include Mucor and Yeast (which is single celled).
Bacteria:
1. Made from single cells 2. Cells do not contain a nucleus, but have a small piece of circular DNA instead (a bacterial chromosome). 3. Some bacteria can carry out
(4BIO) Examination in 2012
Trippple Award Specification
Key words are underlined in red. Practical work is printed in italics.
Section 1: The nature and variety of living organisms
Characteristics of living organisms include;
M ovement
R espitation
S ensitivity
G rowth
R eproduction
E xcretion
N utrition
In addition, all living organisms contain nucleic acids (DNA) and have the ability to control their internal conditions. Finally, all living organisms can die.
Living organisms are classified into 5 groups, each of which has certain characteristics you need to learn
Plants:
1. Multicellular organisms 2. Cells contain chloroplasts and are able to carry out photosynthesis 3. Cells have cellulose cell walls 4. They store carbohydrates as starch or sucrose.
Examples include flowering plants, such as a cereal (e.g. maize) and a herbaceous legume (e.g. peas or beans).
Animals:
1. Multicellular organisms 2. Cells do not contain chloroplasts and are not able to carry out photosynthesis 3. Cells have no cell walls 4. They have a nervous system 5. They often store carbohydrate as glycogen
Examples include mammals (e.g. humans) and insects (e.g. housefly).
Fungi:
1. They are saprophytic and feed by excreting digestive enzymes onto food and absorbing the digested products 2. Cells do not contain chloroplasts and are not able to carry out photosynthesis 3. Cells are joined together to form threads, called hyphae. Hyphae contain many nuclei, because they are made from many cells. 4. Cell walls are made from chitin (a protein) 5. They store carbohydrates as glycogen.
Examples include Mucor and Yeast (which is single celled).
Bacteria:
1. Made from single cells 2. Cells do not contain a nucleus, but have a small piece of circular DNA instead (a bacterial chromosome). 3. Some bacteria can carry out