GCSE Biology Cheat Sheets

14 free one-page cheat sheets across six areas of GCSE Biology: cell biology, ecology, organisation, infection and response, bioenergetics, and homeostasis and response. View any sheet online, or download and print it.

Cell biology

  • Microscopy & Magnification

    Light and electron microscopes, magnification calculations, and unit conversions for GCSE Biology.

  • Animal & Plant Cells

    Eukaryotic cell structures, organelle functions, and the key differences between animal and plant cells.

  • Mitosis & the Cell Cycle

    How one cell becomes two identical copies: chromosomes, the cell cycle, the four stages of mitosis, and why mitosis matters for growth, repair and reproduction.

  • Diffusion, Osmosis & Active Transport

    Diffusion, osmosis and active transport - definitions, energy requirements, examples, and a comparison table of direction and what moves.

Ecology

  • Human Impact on Ecosystems

    Deforestation, global warming, pollution, and conservation strategies in GCSE Biology ecosystems.

Organisation

  • Enzymes

    The lock-and-key model, denaturation, and how temperature, pH and substrate concentration affect rate of reaction.

  • Leaf Structure & Plant Tissues

    Cross-section of a leaf with labelled layers, vascular tissue (xylem and phloem), meristem tissue, stomata, guard cells and their key functions.

Infection and response

  • The Immune System & Body Defences

    Non-specific and specific defences, white blood cells, vaccination, and how the body fights pathogens.

  • Vaccination & Herd Immunity

    How vaccines work, the primary vs secondary immune response, memory lymphocytes, herd immunity, and examples of common vaccines.

Bioenergetics

  • Photosynthesis

    The photosynthesis equation, where it happens in the leaf, uses of glucose, and the four limiting factors with their rate graphs.

Homeostasis and response

  • The Reflex Arc

    Stimulus to response pathway through receptors, sensory and motor neurones, relay neurones, synapses and effectors.

  • Hormones & the Endocrine System

    What the endocrine system is, the major glands and their hormones and effects, and how the nervous and endocrine systems compare.

  • Blood Glucose & Diabetes

    How the pancreas regulates blood glucose via glucagon and insulin, negative feedback, and the causes and treatments of Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes.

  • Homeostasis

    What homeostasis is, the negative feedback loop, receptors and effectors, and what gets controlled: body temperature, blood glucose, and water balance.

Frequently asked questions