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Key concepts in biology

Edexcel GCSE BiologyTopic 1 of 917 lessons

Revision notes for Key concepts in biology in Edexcel Biology (1BI0). Every lesson in BrainCake comes with R.E.C.I.P.E. recall steps, a quick check and spaced reviews.

  1. Sub-cellular structures of eukaryotic and prokaryotic cellsAnimal cells are eukaryotic cells.
  2. Specialised cellsA specialised cell has features that suit it to its job.
  3. Microscope technologyA light microscope passes light through a thin specimen and uses lenses to magnify it.
  4. Number, size and scaleCells and the structures inside them are very small, so we compare their sizes using powers of ten.
  5. Units and standard form for cellsCell structures are measured in very small units.
  6. Core practical: using a light microscopeIn this practical you use a light microscope to observe a plant or animal cell, such as onion epidermis or cheek cells.
  7. Enzyme action, the active site and specificityEnzymes are biological catalysts.
  8. Denaturing of enzymesAn enzyme is a protein folded into a precise three-dimensional shape.
  9. Temperature, substrate concentration and pHAs temperature rises, enzyme and substrate particles gain more kinetic energy.
  10. Core practical: the effect of pH on enzyme activityIn this investigation the enzyme is amylase and the substrate is starch.
  11. Rate calculations for enzyme activityThe rate of a reaction tells us how quickly it happens.
  12. Enzymes in synthesis and breakdownEnzymes catalyse both the breaking down and the building up of large molecules.
  13. Core practical: food tests for starch, reducing sugars, proteins and fatsChemical reagents let you identify the nutrients in a food by a colour change.
  14. Measuring the energy in food using calorimetryThe energy stored in food can be measured by calorimetry.
  15. Transport into and out of cells: diffusion, osmosis and active transportCells must take in substances such as oxygen, glucose and water, and get rid of waste such as carbon dioxide.
  16. Core Practical: Investigate osmosis in potatoesThis practical looks at the exchange of water between potato tissue and sucrose solution.
  17. Calculate percentage gain and loss of mass in osmosisIn the potato practical, cylinders may start with slightly different masses.

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