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GCSE Biology
Revision guides

If you move on from this page to the Biotopics units, you are expected to abide by these terms of reference.
This contents page is a combination of 3 menus: 1. newer GCSE topics, 2. earlier GCSE and A/AS topics, and 3. interactive 3D molecules.

It has been rebuilt in this rather clustered format because some search engines object to expandable links sections.

GCSE topics (based on Edexcel specification - 2006 onwards)


 
GCSE
Biology
Unit number Topic title
 further information
Support material available on this site Resources available from external sites
More recent additions
Original stuff
(also in table below)
and embedded videos
B1 a 1. *Environment Feeding relationships 
Competition
Food chains and webs
Examples of food chains
Measuring population sizes
Ecological pyramids
Conversion of biomass and energy
Alien Invasions
Predator prey interdependence
Natural Selection
ECOSYSTEMS
HUMANS AND THE ENVIRONMENT
Can GM save the world?

Post about this programme on the Bioethicsbytes site
Extracts below:
Amish farmers embrace GM crops - BBC video showing corn borer larvae

How to create a GM plant - BBC video  

Darwin stuff

Open University Darwin site
(from the above) Devolve Me
2. *Genes The two methods of reproduction
Follow-on information from above:
strawberries
potatoes
bananas
onions
apples
genetic fingerprinting

Genes, DNA and Chromosomes
Human genome project
Gene therapy
Cloning for body part transplants
Rabbit genetics
Pedigrees
DNA STRUCTURE, REPLICATION and NUCLEAR DIVISION
Asexual reproduction and artificial propagation
As above - might not be filtered
Another attempt
CLONES and CLONING
Cell division and chromosomes
VARIATION, HEREDITY AND ENVIRONMENT
GENETICS
GENETIC INHERITANCE DIAGRAMS
GENETIC PEDIGREES
MANIPULATING GENES
Thanks biotutors!
Peppered moth simulation
Stem Cells in The Spotlight
Transgenic cloning to make chocolate milk!
Cloning mini mouse
b 3. *Electrical and Chemical Signals Measuring Reaction Times (modified) [word document]
Table converting drop distance to time [excel spreadsheet]
Nervous co-ordination
Passage of nervous impulses
Voluntary and reflex actions
How the eye works
The iris reflex
Hormonal control of the menstrual cyclean external link
THE BRAIN AND NERVOUS SYSTEM
RESPONSE AND CO-ORDINATION & DRUGS
BLOOD
HORMONES AND THE ENDOCRINE SYSTEM
THE HUMAN REPRODUCTIVE SYSTEM
Birth control
PREGNANCY AND BIRTH
THE EYE AND VISION
Reaction times testers
Sheepan external link
Traffic lightan external link
How many boxes can you check in 30 seconds?an external link
Bigger stimulus promptan external link
4. *Use, Misuse and Abuse Opiates and cannabinoids
Paracetamol
Spiders on drugs video
Microbes and disease
Methods of microbial transmission
The body’s defence systems against microbial diseases
Tuberculosis
TB prevention and control
The distribution of TB
MICRO-ORGANISMS CAUSING DISEASE
Some recommended URLs
B2 1. *Inside Living Cells Aerobic respiration
Effects of exercise
DNA STRUCTURE, REPLICATION and NUCLEAR DIVISION
DNA and PROTEIN SYNTHESIS
Micro-organisms as alternatives in food production
  
2. *Divide and Develop  DNA STRUCTURE, REPLICATION and NUCLEAR DIVISION
 
 
3. *Energy Flow   Cell structure
CYCLES IN THE ECOSYSTEM
 
4. *Interdependence     

Extreme environments

Links to some good video material
B3 1. *Biotechnology Pharmaceutical molecules in 3-D
aspirin
taxol
quinine, artemesinin etc

Functional foods

Microbial products
FERMENTATION USING OTHER MICRO-ORGANISMS
MANIPULATING GENES
  BBC news etc files on Stem Cells
2. Behaviour in Humans and Other AnimalsFeeding behaviour
Domestication of animals by Man

National Geographic videos
embedded on BioTopics

Apes with tools
Chimps with tools
Chimps use tools to hunt mammals
"Genius" chimp outsmarts tube

Musk Oxen vs wolves
Working Dogs
Born to Run
Wildebeest Migration

Cheetah vs gazelle
Amazing Antlers
Strawberry Poison Dart Frog

Honeybee_Waggle_Dance_Experiment
Association for the Study of Animal Behaviour
Association for the Study of Animal Behaviour
GCSE exercises from above
Patterns of Life: Moths, Adaptations and Predators

National Geographic Videos (index)

BBC science articles
Rooks reveal remarkable tool use
Rook fashions hook from wire
Mouse genome laid bare to science
Rat's 'life code' read by science
Reading the chimp book of life

Other sources
The honey bee waggle dance

Original GCSE and AS/A level material

HUMANS AS ORGANISMS (35 units)

Cell structure
How substances get into and out of cells (osmosis)
Osmosis in operation in animal and plant cells
Pupils' expts: osmosis in carrot discs
(ANIMAL &) HUMAN NUTRITION
FOOD TESTS
DIET ANALYSIS and FOOD ADDITIVES
DIGESTION & ASSOCIATED PROCESSES
THE DIGESTIVE SYSTEM
TEETH
How enzymes work
ACTION OF AMYLASE ON STARCH
CONDITIONS FOR ENZYME ACTION
ACTION OF PEPSIN (+ ACID) ON PROTEIN (EGG WHITE)
ACTION OF LIPASE (+ BILE SALTS) ON FATS (MILK)
STARCH AGAR EXPERIMENTS
THE RESPIRATION PROCESS
THE HUMAN RESPIRATORY SYSTEM
Experiments to compare carbon dioxide content of inhaled and exhaled air
DANGERS OF SMOKING
BLOOD
THE HEART AND CIRCULATORY SYSTEM
HEART PROBLEMS AND FITNESS
HOMEOSTASIS, EXCRETION AND THE KIDNEYS
PROBLEMS WITH THE KIDNEYS
SKIN AND TEMPERATURE CONTROL
SENSES, SENSITIVITY, STIMULI AND SKIN
THE EYE AND VISION
THE EAR
THE BRAIN AND NERVOUS SYSTEM
RESPONSE AND CO-ORDINATION & DRUGS
HORMONES AND THE ENDOCRINE SYSTEM
THE HUMAN REPRODUCTIVE SYSTEM
Birth control
PREGNANCY AND BIRTH

GREEN PLANTS AS ORGANISMS (7 units)

PHOTOSYNTHESIS
THE STRUCTURE OF THE LEAF
Experiment to show factors required for photosynthesis: (1) - (chlorophyll)
Experiment to show factors required for photosynthesis: (2) - (carbon dioxide and light)
TRANSPORT & SUPPORT IN PLANTS
PLANT MINERAL NUTRITION
PLANT HORMONES

SUBJECT EXTENSIONS (14 units)

VIRUSES
BACTERIA
FUNGI
BASIC MICROBIOLOGICAL TECHNIQUES
STREAKING
DILUTION PLATING
A CLOSER LOOK AT DISEASE
MALARIA
SEWAGE TREATMENT
ANTIBIOTICS
ANTIBODIES, ANTIGENS, MONOCLONAL ANTIBODIES
FERMENTATION USING OTHER MICRO-ORGANISMS
MANIPULATING GENES
MANIPULATING REPRODUCTION

BASIC MATERIAL

Using the microscope

Life processes (3 units)

7 processes of life
Human body - organs and systems
Cell division and chromosomes

Other material (26 units)

The effect of temperature on activity of yeast
Direct observation of yeast population growth by counting the number of yeast cells
To monitor the progress of fermentation of different sugars by yeast
Experiment to show the effects of temperature on fermentation by yeast
Experiment to show some methods of preserving food
Food spoilage and additives
The Skeleton and Movement
Asexual reproduction and artificial propagation
Same again - different filename
Same again - but no direct references to s.x
Plant groups
Simple organisms
Invertebrate groups
Insects
Cold blooded vertebrates
Warm blooded vertebrates
Classification
Making your own key
The bluebell
The fox
The earthworm
The snail
Experiment on heat loss in penguins or test-tubes
Experiment on the effect of light intensity on photosynthesis in Elodea
Questions about skin
Flower structure
Filter feeding
Dietary guidelines

VARIATION, INHERITANCE AND EVOLUTION (8 units)

VARIATION, HEREDITY AND ENVIRONMENT
GENETICS
GENETIC INHERITANCE DIAGRAMS
GENETIC PEDIGREES
DNA STRUCTURE, REPLICATION and NUCLEAR DIVISION
DNA and PROTEIN SYNTHESIS
CLONES and CLONING
EVOLUTION and NATURAL SELECTION

LIVING ORGANISMS IN THEIR ENVIRONMENT (4 units)

CYCLES IN THE ECOSYSTEM
WATER
ECOSYSTEMS
HUMANS AND THE ENVIRONMENT

Higher level topics
- A and AS level

(25 units)
Elements in Biochemistry
Glucose structure
Condensation and hydrolysis
Condensation of monosaccharides
Hydrolysis of a disaccharide
Amino acid structure
Condensation of amino acids
Hydrolysis of a dipeptide
Formation of a lipid by condensation
Hydrolysis of a lipid
Levels of protein structure
Insulin as an example of protein structure
Haemoglobin and Myoglobin as examples of protein structure
Simple biochemical tests on carbohydrates
Chromatography of amino acids
Information about amino acids
Practical illustrating the effect of a competitive enzyme inhibitor
Unknown liquids practical(now with photo of specimen results)
Effect of pH on the action of the enzyme catalase
Glycolysis pathway
Glycolysis pathway (minimal detail)
Glycolysis pathway (more detail)

Photosynthessis: light-dependent reactions
Light-independent reactions

The kangaroo rat



CHIME section (20 topics, about 27 molecules)
carbohydrates
lipids
nucleic acids

JMol section
- interactive molecules in 3D

CARBOHYDRATES
Monosaccharides
hexoses glucose alpha and beta glucose
fructose glucose-galactose comparison
pentoses ribose deoxyribose
glucose derivatives glucosamine N acetylglucosamine
Disaccharides
glucose dimers maltose cellobiose
mixed dimers sucrose lactose
Polysaccharides
storage compounds - animal glycogen  .
storage compounds - plants amylose       [another form of amylose] amylopectin
structural compounds - plants cellulose
AMINO ACIDS
All shown on one page 20 amino acids
Individual amino acids
- seen a little larger
glycine, alanine, valine, leucine, isoleucine, serine, threonine, lysine, histidine, arginine, phenylalanine, tyrosine, tryptophan, cysteine, methionine, aspartic acid, asparagine, glutamic acid, glutamine, proline
PROTEINS
Levels of protein structure General principles as shown by Insulin
as shown by Haemoglobin as shown by Myoglobin
Enzyme structure Amylase as an example
Pepsin
Pepsinogen
More to be added soon
Fibrous proteinsCollagen
LIPIDS (FATS and OILS)
Sub-units glycerol saturated and unsaturated fatty acids
Polyunsaturated fatty acids alpha-linolenic acid gamma-linolenic acid
More about functional foods plant sterols and stanols and their esters
Neutral fats triglycerides monoglycerides and diglycerides
  phospholipids phospholipid bilayer
Sterols and steroids cholesterol  More to follow 
NUCLEIC ACIDS
Section DNA - see also * below  
nucleotidesAMP,TMP pair GMP,CMP pair
bases DNA bases RNA bases
co-enzymes ATP NAD and reduced NAD
Other molecules of biological interest
Caffeine Penicillin Another fungal product
Antimalarial compounds Taxol  Anti-Tuberculosis Drugs
ChlorophyllAcetyl choline Artificial sweeteners
Paracetamol Opiates and cannabinoids Salicin and Aspirin
Capsaicin

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