Biology Concepts

Cell Cycle

Follow the stages of the cell cycle from interphase through mitosis, and understand how cells grow, replicate DNA, and divide.

Cell Division

Understand how cells divide by mitosis to produce identical copies for growth and repair, and the stages of the cell cycle.

Cell Structure

Learn about the structure of animal and plant cells, including the function of key organelles like the nucleus, mitochondria, and chloroplasts.

Differentiation

Learn how unspecialised cells become specialised for particular functions, and why most animal cells lose this ability early in development.

DNA and the Genome

Understand the structure of DNA as a double helix polymer, the concept of the genome, and why the Human Genome Project matters.

Microscopy

Learn how light and electron microscopes work, how to calculate magnification, and the difference between resolution and magnification.

Stem Cells

Discover what stem cells are, the difference between embryonic and adult stem cells, and how they could be used to treat diseases.

Transport in Cells

Explore how substances move in and out of cells through diffusion, osmosis, and active transport, and why each process matters.

Blood

Learn about the four components of blood — red blood cells, white blood cells, platelets, and plasma — and how each carries out its function.

Blood Vessels

Compare the structure and function of arteries, veins, and capillaries, and understand how each is adapted for its role.

Coronary Heart Disease

Find out what causes coronary heart disease, how fatty deposits restrict blood flow to the heart, and the treatments available including stents and statins.

Digestive System

Trace the journey of food through the digestive system, from the mouth to the large intestine, and learn what each organ does.

Enzymes

Enzymes are biological catalysts that speed up chemical reactions in living organisms. Understand the lock and key model, factors affecting enzyme activity, and denaturation.

Plant Organ System

Understand how plants are organised into organs like roots, stems, and leaves, and how these work together as an organ system.

Plant Tissues

Learn about the key plant tissues — epidermal, palisade mesophyll, spongy mesophyll, xylem, and phloem — and their roles in the leaf.

The Heart

Understand the structure of the heart as a double pump, how blood flows through its four chambers, and the role of valves.

The Lungs

Explore the structure of the lungs and how the alveoli are adapted for efficient gas exchange between the air and the blood.

Antibiotics and Painkillers

Learn the difference between antibiotics (which kill bacteria) and painkillers (which treat symptoms), and why antibiotics cannot treat viral infections.

Bacterial Diseases

Study the bacterial diseases salmonella and gonorrhoea, including how they spread, their symptoms, and how they can be treated or prevented.

Communicable Diseases

Understand what communicable diseases are, how pathogens spread between organisms, and the four types of pathogen you need to know.

Fungal and Protist Diseases

Explore rose black spot (a fungal disease) and malaria (caused by a protist), including how they spread and the damage they cause.

Human Defence Systems

Learn how the body defends itself against pathogens using physical barriers, chemical defences, and the immune system's white blood cells.

Monoclonal Antibodies

Discover how monoclonal antibodies are produced from hybridoma cells and used in pregnancy tests, cancer treatment, and disease diagnosis.

Vaccination

Understand how vaccines work by introducing dead or inactive pathogens to stimulate the immune system and provide future protection.

Viral Diseases

Learn about key viral diseases including measles, HIV, and tobacco mosaic virus — their symptoms, transmission, and treatment.

Anaerobic Respiration

Learn how cells respire without oxygen, producing lactic acid in animals or ethanol and carbon dioxide in yeast and plants.

Fermentation

Explore fermentation as anaerobic respiration in yeast and bacteria, and how it is used in brewing, baking, and biogas production.

Metabolism

Discover what metabolism means — the sum of all chemical reactions in an organism — and how energy from respiration drives these reactions.

Photosynthesis

Photosynthesis is the process by which green plants convert light energy into chemical energy stored in glucose. Learn the equation, limiting factors, and the required practical.

Rate of Photosynthesis

Investigate the factors that affect the rate of photosynthesis — light intensity, CO2 concentration, and temperature — and how to measure them.

Respiration

Respiration is the exothermic process that transfers energy from glucose in every living cell. Learn the difference between aerobic and anaerobic respiration.

Response to Exercise

Understand how the body responds to exercise by increasing heart rate and breathing rate to deliver more oxygen and glucose to muscles.

Uses of Glucose

Learn the different ways plants use the glucose produced during photosynthesis, from respiration and storage to making cellulose and amino acids.

Blood Glucose Regulation

Understand how insulin and glucagon work together to regulate blood glucose levels, and what happens when this system fails in diabetes.

Contraception

Explore the different methods of contraception — hormonal, barrier, and surgical — and how each prevents fertilisation or pregnancy.

Control of Body Temperature

Learn how the thermoregulatory centre in the brain monitors and controls body temperature through sweating, shivering, and vasodilation.

Homeostasis

Understand homeostasis as the regulation of internal conditions to maintain optimal functioning, including temperature, blood glucose, and water levels.

Hormones and the Endocrine System

Discover how the endocrine system uses hormones carried in the blood to control slower, longer-lasting body responses.

Hormones in Human Reproduction

Learn how hormones like oestrogen, progesterone, FSH, and LH control the menstrual cycle and play key roles in human reproduction.

Reflex Actions

Explore how reflex arcs produce rapid, automatic responses to protect the body, bypassing the conscious brain for speed.

The Brain

Learn about the main regions of the brain — the cerebral cortex, cerebellum, and medulla — and how scientists study brain function.

The Eye

Understand the structure of the eye and how it focuses light on the retina, including accommodation and common vision defects.

The Nervous System

Learn how the nervous system detects stimuli and coordinates rapid responses using receptors, sensory neurones, relay neurones, and effectors.

DNA and Protein Synthesis

Understand how the sequence of bases in DNA codes for amino acids, and how proteins are assembled through transcription and translation.

Evolution

Understand Darwin's theory of evolution by natural selection, how species change over time, and the evidence supporting evolution.

Genetic Engineering

Discover how genetic engineering allows scientists to cut and transfer genes between organisms to introduce desirable characteristics.

Genetic Inheritance

Master Punnett squares and understand how dominant and recessive alleles are passed from parents to offspring to determine characteristics.

Inherited Disorders

Study inherited disorders like polydactyly (dominant) and cystic fibrosis (recessive), and understand how they are passed through families.

Meiosis

Learn how meiosis produces four genetically different gametes with half the chromosome number, enabling sexual reproduction and genetic diversity.

Selective Breeding

Learn how humans selectively breed organisms with desirable characteristics over many generations to produce improved crops and livestock.

Sexual and Asexual Reproduction

Compare sexual and asexual reproduction, understanding how sexual reproduction produces genetic variation while asexual reproduction creates clones.

Variation

Explore the causes of variation between organisms, including genetic variation from mutations and environmental factors that influence phenotype.

Abiotic and Biotic Factors

Distinguish between abiotic factors like light and temperature, and biotic factors like predation and competition, that affect communities.

Adaptations

Explore how organisms develop structural, behavioural, and functional adaptations that help them survive in their environment.

Biodiversity

Understand why biodiversity matters for ecosystem stability, what threatens it, and how conservation programmes work to maintain it.

Ecosystems

Understand what ecosystems are, how organisms interact within communities, and the roles of producers, consumers, and decomposers.

Food Chains and Food Webs

Learn how energy flows through ecosystems via food chains and food webs, from producers through primary and secondary consumers to apex predators.