Learners should develop and practice a wide range of practical skills throughout the course as preparation for the Practical Endorsement, as well as for the written examinations.
Qualitative research is a scientific method of observation to gather non-numerical data.
Quantitative data is information about quantities; that is, information that can be measured and written down with numbers. Some examples of quantitative data are your height, your shoe size, and the length of your fingernails.
1. the act of analysing something: 2. the process of studying or examining something in an organized way to learn more about it.
The degree by which the size of an image is larger than the object itself. Image size ÷ Actual Size
The degree by which it is possible to distinguish between two objects that are very close together.
Use light to produce images. They have a magnification of up to x1500 and a resolution of 200 nm. They are easy to use and can be used on live specimens.
The electron beam is directed onto the sample to produce a 3D image with depth. The maximum magnification is x100 000
Students will need to collaborate with other students, this will require a range of social skills.
By developing a collaborative approach to learning.
The cells of all living organisms are composed of biological molecules. Proteins, carbohydrates and lipids are three of the key groups of biological macromolecules that are essential for life. A study of
the structure of these macromolecules allows a better understanding of their functions in living organisms.
Chemical bond formed between the positive charge on a hydrogen atom and the negative charge on another atom of an adjacent molecule e.g. between the Hydrogen atom of one water molecule and the Oxygen atom of an adjacent water molecule.
Chemical process in which two molecules combine to form a more complex one with the elimination of a simple substance, usually water. Many biological polymers (e.g. polysaccharides, polypeptides) are formed by condensation.
Large molecule made up of many repeating smaller molecules (monomers).
Compounds made from carbon, hydrogen and oxygen. Either monosaccharides, disaccharides and polysaccharides.
Made up of two sugar units that are formed by a condensation reaction. Monosaccharides are joined by a glycosidic bond.
Made of many sugar units that are formed by a condensation reaction. Monosaccharides are joined by a glycosidic bond.
A sugar that serves as a reducing agent. All monosaccharides are reducing sugars along with some disaccharides.
Membranes are fundamental to the cell theory. The structure of the plasma membrane allows cells to communicate with each other.
Cell division is a fundamental process that underpins life on earth.
A class of organic compounds that are fatty acids are their derivatives and are insoluble in water but soluble in organic solvents. They include triglycerides, phospholipids, waxes and steroids.
A polymer which is made up of amino acids linked by peptide bonds. May also contain prosthetic groups as part of its quaternary structure.
Section of a molecule which is attracted to water.
Section of a molecule which is repulsed by water.
Triglyceride in which one of the three fatty acid molecules is replaced by a phosphate molecule. Phospholipids are important in the structure an functioning of plasma membranes.
Metabolism in living organisms relies upon enzyme controlled reactions. Knowledge of how enzymes function and the factors that affect enzyme action has improved our understanding of biological processes and increased our use of enzymes in industry.
A substance that speeds up a chemical reaction without participating in it. Catalysts, of which enzymes are a good example, thus are not consumed in the reaction.
A protein that acts as a catalyst, a material that speeds up chemical reactions in the bodies of plants and animals without itself taking part in, or being consumed by, these reactions
The chemical process by which nutrients are broken down and converted into energy or are used in the construction of new tissue or other material in the body.
Large molecules built from long chains of 50 or more amino acids. Proteins serve the functions of promoting normal growth, repairing damaged tissue, contributing to the body's immune system, and making enzymes.
A reactant that typically is paired with a particular enzyme. Enzymes often are named after their respective substrates by adding the suffix ase (e.g., the enzyme lactase is paired with the substrate lactose).
As animals become larger and more active, transport systems become essential to supply nutrients to, and remove waste from, individual cells.
Controlling the supply of nutrients and removal of waste requires the coordinated activity of the heart and circulatory system.
As plants become larger and more complex, transport systems become essential to supply nutrients to, and remove waste from, individual cells.
The supply of nutrients from the soil relies upon the flow of water through a vascular system, as does the movement of the products of photosynthesis.
the part of a plant which attaches it to the ground or to a support, typically underground, conveying water and nourishment to the rest of the plant via numerous branches and fibres.
the vascular tissue in plants which conducts water and dissolved nutrients upwards from the root and also helps to form the woody element in the stem.
the vascular tissue in plants which conducts sugars and other metabolic products downwards from the leaves.
the system that circulates blood and lymph through the body, consisting of the heart, blood vessels, blood, lymph, and the lymphatic vessels and glands.
a hollow muscular organ that pumps the blood through the circulatory system by rhythmic contraction and dilation. In vertebrates there may be up to four chambers (as in humans), with two atria and two ventricles.
any of the muscular-walled tubes forming part of the circulation system by which blood (mainly that which has been oxygenated) is conveyed from the heart to all parts of the body.
any of the tubes forming part of the blood circulation system of the body, carrying in most cases oxygen-depleted blood towards the heart.
any of the fine branching blood vessels that form a network between the arterioles and venules.
As animals become larger and more active, ventilation and gas exchange systems become essential to supply oxygen to, and remove carbon dioxide from, their bodies. Ventilation and gas exchange systems in mammals, bony fish and insects are used as examples of the properties and functions of exchange surfaces in animals.
The surface-area-to-volume ratio, also called the surface-to-volume ratio and variously denoted sa/vol or SA:V, is the amount of surface area per unit volume of an object or collection of objects.
Diffusion happens when the particles are free to move. This is true in gases and for particles dissolved in solutions. Particles diffuse down a concentration gradient, from an area of high concentration to an area of low concentration.
The chemical processes that occur within a living organism in order to maintain life.
each of the pair of organs situated within the ribcage, consisting of elastic sacs with branching passages into which air is drawn, so that oxygen can pass into the blood and carbon dioxide be removed. Lungs are characteristic of vertebrates other than fi
any of the many tiny air sacs of the lungs which allow for rapid gaseous exchange.
(in vertebrates) the lower part of the alimentary canal from the end of the stomach to the anus.
Evolution has generated a very wide variety of organisms. The fact that all organisms share a common ancestry allows them to be classified. Classification is
an attempt to impose a hierarchy on the complex and dynamic variety of life on Earth.
the arrangement of animals and plants in taxonomic groups according to their observed similarities (including at least kingdom and phylum in animals, division in plants, and class, order, family, genus, and species).
a principal taxonomic category that ranks above class and below kingdom, equivalent to the division in botany.
the branch of science concerned with classification, especially of organisms; systematics. the classification of something, especially organisms.
the process by which different kinds of living organism are believed to have developed from earlier forms during the history of the earth.
the process of change by which an organism or species becomes better suited to its environment.
Comparative physiology is a subdiscipline of physiology that studies and exploits the diversity of functional characteristics of various kinds of organisms. It is closely related to evolutionary physiology and environmental physiology.
Students gain an understanding of the variety of organisms that are
pathogenic and the way in which plants and animals have evolved defences to deal with disease.
resistant to a particular infection or toxin owing to the presence of specific antibodies or sensitized white blood cells.
A micro organism that causes harm.
The way a disease is spread.
an infective agent that typically consists of a nucleic acid molecule in a protein coat, is too small to be seen by light microscopy, and is able to multiply only within the living cells of a host.
a member of a large group of unicellular microorganisms which have cell walls but lack organelles and an organized nucleus, including some which can cause disease.
an intermittent and remittent fever caused by a protozoan parasite which invades the red blood cells and is transmitted by mosquitoes in many tropical and subtropical regions.
a phylum or grouping of phyla which comprises the single-celled microscopic animals, which include amoebas, flagellates, ciliates, sporozoans, and many other forms. They are now usually treated as a number of phyla belonging to the kingdom Protista.
Students will carry out a range of revision tasks in preparation for the mock exam. Once the exam has been sat and students have consolidated any areas of weakness they will move on to term 6 topics.
the variety of plant and animal life in the world or in a particular habitat, a high level of which is usually considered to be important and desirable.
The maintenance of a constant internal environment by feedback mechanisms.
Compounds made from carbon, hydrogen and oxygen. Either monosaccharides, disaccharides and polysaccharides.
A substance that speeds up a chemical reaction without participating in it. Catalysts, of which enzymes are a good example, thus are not consumed in the reaction.
A protein that acts as a catalyst, a material that speeds up chemical reactions in the bodies of plants and animals without itself taking part in, or being consumed by, these reactions
a hollow muscular organ that pumps the blood through the circulatory system by rhythmic contraction and dilation. In vertebrates there may be up to four chambers (as in humans), with two atria and two ventricles.
any of the muscular-walled tubes forming part of the circulation system by which blood (mainly that which has been oxygenated) is conveyed from the heart to all parts of the body.
any of the fine branching blood vessels that form a network between the arterioles and venules.
any of the many tiny air sacs of the lungs which allow for rapid gaseous exchange.
a member of a large group of unicellular microorganisms which have cell walls but lack organelles and an organized nucleus, including some which can cause disease.
the process of change by which an organism or species becomes better suited to its environment.
The need to conserve environmental resources in a sustainable fashion is considered, whilst appreciating the potential conflict arising from the
needs of an increasing human population. Learners also consider the impacts of human activities on the natural environment and biodiversity.
the variety of plant and animal life in the world or in a particular habitat, a high level of which is usually considered to be important and desirable.
The differences between species and within a species.
A piece of genetic material that codes for life.
the process by which different kinds of living organism are believed to have developed from earlier forms during the history of the earth.
the process of change by which an organism or species becomes better suited to its environment.
Comparative physiology is a subdiscipline of physiology that studies and exploits the diversity of functional characteristics of various kinds of organisms. It is closely related to evolutionary physiology and environmental physiology.
mechanisms can lead to the accumulation of different genetic information in populations, potentially leading to new species. Over a prolonged period of time, organisms have changed and some have become extinct. The theory of evolution explains these changes. Humans use artificial selection to produce similar changes in plants and animals.
A polymer which is made up of amino acids linked by peptide bonds. May also contain prosthetic groups as part of its quaternary structure.
The mechanism by which genetic information is passed on.
A piece of genetic material that codes for life.
the process by which different kinds of living organism are believed to have developed from earlier forms during the history of the earth.
deoxyribonucleic acid, a self-replicating material which is present in nearly all living organisms as the main constituent of chromosomes. It is the carrier of genetic information.
ribonucleic acid, a nucleic acid present in all living cells. Its principal role is to act as a messenger carrying instructions from DNA for controlling the synthesis of proteins, although in some viruses RNA rather than DNA carries the genetic informatio
a compound consisting of a nucleoside linked to a phosphate group. Nucleotides form the basic structural unit of nucleic acids such as DNA.
It is important that organisms, both plants and animals are able to respond to stimuli. This is achieved by communication within the body, which may be chemical and/or electrical. Both systems are covered in detail in this module. Communication is also fundamental to homeostasis with control of temperature, blood sugar and blood water potential being studied as examples.
The maintenance of a constant internal environment by feedback mechanisms.
(in living organisms and cells) the process of eliminating or expelling waste matter. a product excreted by a living organism or cell.
each of a pair of organs in the abdominal cavity of mammals, birds, and reptiles, that excrete urine.
a large lobed glandular organ in the abdomen of vertebrates, involved in many metabolic processes
a chronic disease of the liver marked by degeneration of cells, inflammation, and fibrous thickening of tissue. It is typically a result of alcoholism or hepatitis.
a colourless crystalline compound which is the main nitrogenous breakdown product of protein metabolism in mammals and is excreted in urine.
the removal of an amino group from an amino acid or other compound.