GCSE BIOLOGY REVISION AQA

The principle of surface area to volume ratio is vital in GCSE Science.
Students should be able to explain how the rate of diffusion can be quicker.

A very maths heavy topic!

Cells are the 'building blocks' of any living organism. Examples include Red Blood Cells which carry oxygen around our bodies. Many cells create something known as tissue.  A group of tissues is referred to as an organ. Students should be able to name some of the most vital organs in our body. And finally, a group of organs form organ systems. The latter will be described in later videos.

This is a very content-heavy and keyword packed topic. Students need to be able to label parts of the heart, understand the different components of the blood, understand how the artery, vein, and capillaries are adapted to their function, and understand the cycle that blood takes within the heart.

Understand that pulmonary arteries and veins are exceptions.

*PLEASE NOTE A CORRECTION: CARDIAC ARREST AND HEART ATTACK ARE NOT THE SAME THINGS, ALTHOUGH THIS WAS STATED IN THE VIDEO*

Cardiovascular disease is a disease that affects the heart or blood vessels. This is a very serious disease as this can result in cardiac arrest and death. It is important that we have our hearts monitored constantly for disease. Students must understand the concept of Coronary Heart Disease, be able to evaluate the different treatments for it, and come to a judgment conclusion.

Additionally, students must understand the concept of an artificial heart. Understanding its pros and cons as well.

A short topic which does not require too much depth at GCSE, but can offer marks in the exam. The lecture will cover the parts of the respiratory system, aligning with what the specification says; student's textbooks may go into too much depth.

Students must also understand how exactly the alveoli are adapted for gaseous exchange and should be able to link the principles of increasing the rate of diffusion to their answers.

Enzymes are biological catalysts and students must learn the three digestive catalysts. The digestive system is a complicated topic which requires concentrated revision. However, our lecture will simplify everything using a diagram of the digestive system allowing Students to ace this topic.

A topic that most students forget to revise, but these questions usually offer 2 marks. This lecture will help you gain the two extra marks in your exams. That can be the difference between a 6 and a 7, or an 8 or a 9!

Students must understand that the leaf is an organ which sounds very strange at first, but this lecture explains it. To understand this concept, students must understand the parts and layers of a leaf. Students must also understand how these layers are adapted for their function.

This lecture also includes an exam revision tip for this topic.

Finally, the time is here! Transpiration and Translocation that students have heard about since the cell specialisation lecture. Students will understand the fundamental concepts of Transpiration and Translocation.

Now it is time for war. Your 'soldiers' will battle with an invading enemy. The invading enemy is a pathogen and it is the duty of your immune system to fight and beat back the invaders. Students will learn about how the body attempts to stop a pathogen entering the body. They will also understand and be able to explain how the following works:

• Phagocytosis

• Lymphocytes

• Antibodies

Vaccinations have become a very controversial topic as people believe it to cause autism while others believe the government is trying to kill us with vaccinations. This lecture will hopefully make you all understand that vaccinations are vital and arguments made by these pockets of individuals are ludicrous. Also, once again, you may have heard about the research for a vaccine for COVID-19 on the news. You will learn why this will benefit us.

Students will learn how vaccines better prepare our body against a fight against pathogens. They will learn the concept of Herd Immunity. Students will finally learn the pros and cons of vaccines... and no. It does not cause autism.

Students need to understand the different type of drugs that are used. The basics being painkillers and antibiotics. Plant Chemicals and microorganisms help make drugs.

The more important part of this lecture which can be applied to real-life is how bacteria are becoming antibiotic-resistant. In other words, it is getting harder and harder to treat them. Students will not only learn content to make them pass GCSE Biology but also learn content that will help them stop the chances of bacteria developing antibiotics.

Although this is a somewhat controversial topic for some people, students are not required to understand the positives and negatives of testing on animals. Instead, students must know the three main stages of the development of medicine.

• Preclinical Testing

• Preclinical Trials

• Clinical Trials

Cancer is when cell division goes berserk. Students must understand the differences between Benign and Malignant Tumours, which is the biggest takeaway from this lecture. However, there are several risk factors determined by lifestyle and by genetics that also has a say in the chances of developing cancer.

Monoclonal Antibodies are one hell of a technological advancement. With monoclonal antibodies, we can guide certain drugs, like anti-cancer drugs, with pinpoint precision like never before. In this lecture, students will learn what monoclonal antibodies are, how they are made, and more importantly, their uses.

Pregnancy testing is the most commonly asked question about monoclonal antibodies so keep your eye out! In 7 minutes, students will learn everything they need to know about Monoclonal Antibodies!

Plants also have to defend themselves. In this lecture, we will look at how mineral ion deficiency causes plant disease. We will recap TMV but also look into parasites called Aphids which feed on the sugars travelling in the Phloem Vessel. Finally, we will discuss the Physical, Chemical, and Mechanical defences of a plant.

The plant needs to make its own food in order to sustain itself. The plant can do this through a biological process called photosynthesis. Students by the end of this lecture should be able to:

• State what photosynthesis is and does

• State both the worded and the BALANCED symbol equation

• Understand the uses of glucose in a plant

• Explain three factors that affect the rate of photosynthesis

• Explain how greenhouses can increase rate of photosynthesis

Often confused with breathing, because let's face it, respiration sounds like something to do with breathing. But respiration is all about how our bodies can make energy in the form of ATP for us to survive. It is vital to our survival. Students by the end of this lecture should be able to:

• Explain what respiration is

• Understand the differences between aerobic respiration and anaerobic respiration (plant and animal anaerobic respiration)

• State the formula when asked (symbol formula as well for aerobic)

• Understand the concept of oxygen debt

• Understand how we use anaerobic respiration in plants and yeast to our advantage

To begin the first lesson of Year 11 content, students must understand the fundamentals of Homeostasis. Students should be able to define Homeostasis, understand Control Systems, understand how the Central Nervous System works, describe how neurones work (including synapses) and finally, the reflex arc.

Controlling Blood Glucose Levels is perhaps the most straight forward part of Homeostasis and the GCSE offers a handful of marks for this topic. Therefore, it is vital that students are able to understand this topic off by heart. This lecture will teach students to explain how hormones are involved in controlling Blood Glucose Levels and the effects of diabetes on Blood Glucose Levels.

Although hormones in reproduction is a hard topic to remember, once you remember it, you’re set. Students will learn a method to remember this topic, will be encouraged to adopt new revision methods, and also:

• Explain the functions of Testerone and Oestrogen

• Explain how the Menstrual Cycle takes place

• Understand all the hormones involved in the Menstrual Cycle

The brain named itself! Students must be able to describe the function of the cerebellum, medulla, and cerebral cortex and locate them on a diagram. Additionally, students must go onto describing different methods to study the brain and also associate the risks of these methods with studying the brain.

The eye is an organ of sight. In this two-part lecture, students will be exposed to the structure of the eye, understanding the function of the main components. Students will also learn some tricky stuff that includes the eye adjusting itself for distant or near objects or how pupil size is changed.

In the second part, we look at the medical side of eye treatments. Students will describe how Myopia and Hyperopia are caused and treated. And Students will be able to identify different methods to fix eye defects.

DISCLAIMER: This video was not uploaded to YouTube as Controlling Blood Glucose Levels was chosen to be on free preview.

Controlling body temperature is a homeostasis that we all undergo to keep our bodies at a good temperature. In this lecture, students will learn to describe how the body responds to low core body temperature, high core body temperature, and understand the vital difference between Vasoconscrition and Vasodilation.

The kidneys are a vital organ which is responsible for basically cleaning your blood and creating urine. By the end of this lecture, students will be confident to understand selective reabsorption in the Kidneys, understand why our body filters out Urea, ions, and water from the blood, describe the action of Anti-Diuretic Hormone (ADH), and evaluate the treatments for Kidney disease.

Now we have kinda not touched plants for a long time, so we need to get back to them. After this topic, students will be able to familiarise themselves with the topic and be able to:

• Explain how Auxin/IAA causes positive phototropism in the shoot tip

• Explain how Auxin/IAA causes positive gravitropism in the root tip

• Explain how Auxin/IAA causes negative gravitropism in the shoot tip

• Describe whether or not the plant shoot will bend towards a light in different

  experimental designs

• List the uses of plant hormones in an industrial level

The final lecture for homeostasis, we need to cover two extra human hormones. I say human hormones but these are also found in other animals. But for simplicity's sake, we will go with human hormones. This topic is quick and won't take long. By the end of these 3 minutes, students will be confident in:

• Stating where Adrenaline is released from

• Describing the effects of Adrenaline

• Stating where Thyroxine and TSH is released from

• Describing the effects of Thyroxine and TSH

• Describing how negative feedback works