GCSE

GCSE Biology

General Certificate of Secondary Education Biology — covering the core topics for students aged 14–16.

Topics

Cells and Living Organisms

Cells and cell structure

Movement of Substances

Diffusion, osmosis & active transport

A Balanced Diet

The seven nutrient classes

Digestion

The digestive system and processes

Breathing and the Respiratory System

The structure of the lung

Energy Flows in Ecosystems

Food chains & pyramids

Cycles in Nature

Carbon, water & nitrogen cycles

Reproduction in Animals

Sexual reproduction & the menstrual cycle

Plant Reproduction

Structure and function of flowers; pollination

Practical Ecology

Using quadrats, capture & release and terms

Respiration

How cells get their energy - aerobic & anaerobic

Photosynthesis

How plants make their food - leaf structure

Gas Exchange

How plants and animals are adapted for exchange

Plant Transport

Movement of water, minerals & sugars; xylem & phloem

Biological Molecules

Carbohydrates, protein & fats; food tests

Enzymes

What are they and how do they work?

Inheritance

Genetics - what are genes and how do they work?

Cell Division and Growth

Mitosis and asexual reproduction

Mutation Variation and Meiosis

Why does variation happen?

Cloning and Micropropagation

Growing identical plants and animals

Genetic Engineering

Moving genes from one species to another

Selective Breeding

How to make useful crops and animals

Evolution and Natural Selection

The survival of the fittest

Human Impact on the Environment

Pollution and global warming

Blood

Transport of nutrients & oxygen; immunity and clotting

The Circulatory System

Blood vessels and the heart

Responding to the Environment

Sensitivity & the nervous system

The Endocrine System

Hormones

Homeostasis

Keeping the body in chemical balance

Excretion

The lungs & kidney as organs of excretion

Plant Responses

Auxins, phototropism and geotropism

Classification

The five kingdoms & binomial naming system

Water Pollution

Eutrophication & bioaccumulation

Intensive Farming

Increasing yields; greenhouses and fish farming

Industrial Uses of Microorganisms

Brewing, yoghurt & bio-energy

Experimental Biology

How to design and evaluate experiments