Science (Double Award) — Biology

Science 4SD0 — specification explorer

All 134 specification statements from the official Pearson Edexcel specification, as printed — filter by paper, unit or tier exactly as Pearson Edexcel assesses them.

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1. The nature and variety of living organisms

1. Characteristics of living organisms

B1.1
understand how living organisms share the following characteristics:
- they require nutrition
- they respire
- they excrete their waste
- they respond to their surroundings
- they move
- they control their internal conditions
- they reproduce
- they grow and develop.
Paper 1Paper 2Also in Double Award

2. Variety of living organisms

B1.2describe the common features shown by eukaryotic organisms: plants, animals, fungi and protoctists Plants: these are multicellular organisms; their cells contain chloroplasts and are able to carry out photosynthesis; their cells have cellulose cell walls; they store carbohydrates as starch or sucrose. Examples include flowering plants, such as a cereal (for example maize) and a herbaceous legume (for example peas or beans). Animals: these are multicellular organisms; their cells do not contain chloroplasts and are not able to carry out photosynthesis; they have no cell walls; they usually have nervous co-ordination and are able to move from one place to another; they often store carbohydrate as glycogen. Examples include mammals (for example humans) and insects (for example housefly and mosquito). Fungi: these are organisms that are not able to carry out photosynthesis; their body is usually organised into a mycelium made from thread-like structures called hyphae, which contain many nuclei; some examples are single-celled; their cells have walls made of chitin; they feed by extracellular secretion of digestive enzymes onto food material and absorption of the organic products; this is known as saprotrophic nutrition; they may store carbohydrate as glycogen. Examples include Mucor , which has the typical fungal hyphal structure, and yeast, which is single-celled. Protoctists: these are microscopic single-celled organisms. Some, like Amoeba , that live in pond water, have features like an animal cell, while others, like Chlorella , have chloroplasts and are more like plants. A pathogenic example is Plasmodium , responsible for causing malaria.Paper 1Paper 2Also in Double Award
B1.3describe the common features shown by prokaryotic organisms such as bacteria Bacteria: these are microscopic single-celled organisms; they have a cell wall, cell membrane, cytoplasm and plasmids; they lack a nucleus but contain a circular chromosome of DNA; some bacteria can carry out photosynthesis but most feed off other living or dead organisms. Examples include Lactobacillus bulgaricus , a rod-shaped bacterium used in the production of yoghurt from milk, and Pneumococcus , a spherical bacterium that acts as the pathogen causing pneumonia.Paper 1Paper 2Also in Double Award
B1.4understand the term ‘pathogen’ and know that pathogens may include fungi, bacteria, protoctists and viruses Viruses: these are not living organisms. They are small particles, smaller than bacteria; they are parasitic and can reproduce only inside living cells; they infect every type of living organism. They have a wide variety of shapes and sizes; they have no cellular structure but have a protein coat and contain one type of nucleic acid, either DNA or RNA. Examples include the tobacco mosaic virus that causes discolouring of the leaves of tobacco plants by preventing the formation of chloroplasts, the influenza virus that causes flu and the HIV virus that causes AIDS.Paper 1Paper 2Also in Double Award

2. Structure and functions in living organisms

1. Level of organisation

B2.1describe the levels of organisation in organisms: organelles, cells, tissues, organs and systemsPaper 1Paper 2Also in Double Award

2. Cell structure

B2.2describe cell structures, including the nucleus, cytoplasm, cell membrane, cell wall, mitochondria, chloroplasts, ribosomes and vacuolePaper 1Paper 2Also in Double Award
B2.3describe the functions of the nucleus, cytoplasm, cell membrane, cell wall, mitochondria, chloroplasts, ribosomes and vacuolePaper 1Paper 2Also in Double Award
B2.4know the similarities and differences in the structure of plant and animal cellsPaper 1Paper 2Also in Double Award

3. Biological molecules

B2.7identify the chemical elements present in carbohydrates, proteins and lipids (fats and oils)Paper 1Paper 2Also in Double Award
B2.8describe the structure of carbohydrates, proteins and lipids as large molecules made up from smaller basic units: starch and glycogen from simple sugars, protein from amino acids, and lipid from fatty acids and glycerolPaper 1Paper 2Also in Double Award
B2.9practical: investigate food samples for the presence of glucose, starch, protein and fatPaper 1Paper 2Also in Double Award
B2.10understand the role of enzymes as biological catalysts in metabolic reactionsPaper 1Paper 2Also in Double Award
B2.11understand how temperature changes can affect enzyme function, including changes to the shape of active sitePaper 1Paper 2Also in Double Award
B2.12practical: investigate how enzyme activity can be affected by changes in temperaturePaper 1Paper 2Also in Double Award
B2.13understand how enzyme function can be affected by changes in pH altering the active sitePaper 1Paper 2Also in Double Award

4. Movement of substances into and out of cells

B2.15understand the processes of diffusion, osmosis and active transport by which substances move into and out of cellsPaper 1Paper 2Also in Double Award
B2.16understand how factors affect the rate of movement of substances into and out of cells, including the effects of surface area to volume ratio, distance, temperature and concentration gradientPaper 1Paper 2Also in Double Award
B2.17practical: investigate diffusion and osmosis using living and non-living systemsPaper 1Paper 2Also in Double Award

5. Nutrition

B2.18understand the process of photosynthesis and its importance in the conversion of light energy to chemical energyPaper 1Paper 2Also in Double Award
B2.19know the word equation and the balanced chemical symbol equation for photosynthesisPaper 1Paper 2Also in Double Award
B2.20understand how varying carbon dioxide concentration, light intensity and temperature affect the rate of photosynthesisPaper 1Paper 2Also in Double Award
B2.21describe the structure of the leaf and explain how it is adapted for photosynthesisPaper 1Paper 2Also in Double Award
B2.22understand that plants require mineral ions for growth, and that magnesium ions are needed for chlorophyll and nitrate ions are needed for amino acidsPaper 1Paper 2Also in Double Award
B2.23practical: investigate photosynthesis, showing the evolution of oxygen from a water plant, the production of starch and the requirements of light, carbon dioxide and chlorophyllPaper 1Paper 2Also in Double Award
B2.24understand that a balanced diet should include appropriate proportions of carbohydrate, protein, lipid, vitamins, minerals, water and dietary fibrePaper 1Paper 2Also in Double Award
B2.25identify the sources and describe the functions of carbohydrate, protein, lipid (fats and oils), vitamins A, C and D, the mineral ions calcium and iron, water and dietary fibre as components of the dietPaper 1Paper 2Also in Double Award
B2.26understand how energy requirements vary with activity levels, age and pregnancyPaper 1Paper 2Also in Double Award
B2.27describe the structure and function of the human alimentary canal, including the mouth, oesophagus, stomach, small intestine (duodenum and ileum), large intestine (colon and rectum) and pancreasPaper 1Paper 2Also in Double Award
B2.28understand how food is moved through the gut by peristalsisPaper 1Paper 2Also in Double Award
B2.29understand the role of digestive enzymes, including the digestion of starch to glucose by amylase and maltase, the digestion of proteins to amino acids by proteases and the digestion of lipids to fatty acids and glycerol by lipasesPaper 1Paper 2Also in Double Award
B2.30understand that bile is produced by the liver and stored in the gall bladderPaper 1Paper 2Also in Double Award
B2.31understand the role of bile in neutralising stomach acid and emulsifying lipidsPaper 1Paper 2Also in Double Award
B2.32understand how the small intestine is adapted for absorption, including the structure of a villusPaper 1Paper 2Also in Double Award

6. Respiration

B2.34understand how the process of respiration produces ATP in living organismsPaper 1Paper 2Also in Double Award
B2.35know that ATP provides energy for cellsPaper 1Paper 2Also in Double Award
B2.36describe the differences between aerobic and anaerobic respirationPaper 1Paper 2Also in Double Award
B2.37know the word equation and the balanced chemical symbol equation for aerobic respiration in living organismsPaper 1Paper 2Also in Double Award
B2.38know the word equation for anaerobic respiration in plants and in animalsPaper 1Paper 2Also in Double Award
B2.39practical: investigate the evolution of carbon dioxide and heat from respiring seeds or other suitable living organismsPaper 1Paper 2Also in Double Award

7. Gas exchange

B2.46describe the structure of the thorax, including the ribs, intercostal muscles, diaphragm, trachea, bronchi, bronchioles, alveoli and pleural membranesPaper 1Paper 2Also in Double Award
B2.47understand the role of the intercostal muscles and the diaphragm in ventilationPaper 1Paper 2Also in Double Award
B2.48explain how alveoli are adapted for gas exchange by diffusion between air in the lungs and blood in capillariesPaper 1Paper 2Also in Double Award
B2.49understand the biological consequences of smoking in relation to the lungs and the circulatory system, including coronary heart diseasePaper 1Paper 2Also in Double Award
B2.50practical: investigate breathing in humans, including the release of carbon dioxide and the effect of exercisePaper 1Paper 2Also in Double Award

8. Transport

B2.51understand why simple, unicellular organisms can rely on diffusion for movement of substances in and out of the cellPaper 1Paper 2Also in Double Award
B2.52understand the need for a transport system in multicellular organismsPaper 1Paper 2Also in Double Award
B2.53describe the role of phloem in transporting sucrose and amino acids between the leaves and other parts of the plantPaper 1Paper 2Also in Double Award
B2.54describe the role of xylem in transporting water and mineral ions from the roots to other parts of the plantPaper 1Paper 2Also in Double Award
B2.59describe the composition of the blood: red blood cells, white blood cells, platelets and plasmaPaper 1Paper 2Also in Double Award
B2.60understand the role of plasma in the transport of carbon dioxide, digested food, urea, hormones and heat energyPaper 1Paper 2Also in Double Award
B2.61understand how adaptations of red blood cells make them suitable for the transport of oxygen, including shape, the absence of a nucleus and the presence of haemoglobinPaper 1Paper 2Also in Double Award
B2.62understand how the immune system responds to disease using white blood cells, illustrated by phagocytes ingesting pathogens and lymphocytes releasing antibodies specific to the pathogenPaper 1Paper 2Also in Double Award
B2.65describe the structure of the heart and how it functionsPaper 1Paper 2Also in Double Award
B2.66explain how the heart rate changes during exercise and under the influence of adrenalinePaper 1Paper 2Also in Double Award
B2.67understand how specific factors may increase the risk of developing coronary heart diseasePaper 1Paper 2Also in Double Award
B2.68understand how the structure of arteries, veins and capillaries relates to their functionPaper 1Paper 2Also in Double Award
B2.69understand the general structure of the circulation system, including the blood vessels to and from the heart and the lungs, the liver and the kidneysPaper 1Paper 2Also in Double Award

9. Excretion

B2.70understand the origin of carbon dioxide and oxygen as waste products of metabolism and their loss from the stomata of a leafPaper 1Paper 2Also in Double Award
B2.71know the excretory products of the lungs, kidneys and skin (organs of excretion)Paper 1Paper 2Also in Double Award

10. Co-ordination and response

B2.80understand how organisms are able to respond to changes in their environmentPaper 1Paper 2Also in Double Award
B2.81understand that homeostasis is the maintenance of a constant internal environment, and that body water content and body temperature are both examples of homeostasisPaper 1Paper 2Also in Double Award
B2.82understand that a co-ordinated response requires a stimulus, a receptor and an effectorPaper 1Paper 2Also in Double Award
B2.83understand that plants respond to stimuliPaper 1Paper 2Also in Double Award
B2.84describe the geotropic and phototropic responses of roots and stemsPaper 1Paper 2Also in Double Award
B2.85understand the role of auxin in the phototropic response of stemsPaper 1Paper 2Also in Double Award
B2.86describe how nervous and hormonal communication control responses and understand the differences between the two systemsPaper 1Paper 2Also in Double Award
B2.87understand that the central nervous system consists of the brain and spinal cord, and is linked to sense organs by nervesPaper 1Paper 2Also in Double Award
B2.88understand that stimulation of receptors in the sense organs sends electrical impulses along nerves into and out of the central nervous system, resulting in rapid responsesPaper 1Paper 2Also in Double Award
B2.89understand the role of neurotransmitters at synapsesPaper 1Paper 2Also in Double Award
B2.90describe the structure and functioning of a simple reflex arc, illustrated by the withdrawal of a finger from a hot objectPaper 1Paper 2Also in Double Award
B2.91describe the structure and function of the eye as a receptorPaper 1Paper 2Also in Double Award
B2.92understand the function of the eye in focusing on near and distant objects, and in responding to changes in light intensityPaper 1Paper 2Also in Double Award
B2.93describe the role of the skin in temperature regulation, with reference to sweating, vasoconstriction and vasodilationPaper 1Paper 2Also in Double Award
B2.94understand the sources, roles and effects of the following hormones: adrenaline, insulin, testosterone, progesterone and oestrogenPaper 1Paper 2Also in Double Award

3. Reproduction and inheritance

1. Reproduction

B3.1understand the differences between sexual and asexual reproductionPaper 1Paper 2Also in Double Award
B3.2understand that fertilisation involves the fusion of a male and female gamete to produce a zygote that undergoes cell division and develops into an embryoPaper 1Paper 2Also in Double Award
B3.3describe the structures of an insect-pollinated and a wind-pollinated flower, and explain how each is adapted for pollinationPaper 1Paper 2Also in Double Award
B3.4understand that the growth of the pollen tube followed by fertilisation leads to seed and fruit formationPaper 1Paper 2Also in Double Award
B3.5practical: investigate the conditions needed for seed germinationPaper 1Paper 2Also in Double Award
B3.6understand how germinating seeds utilise food reserves until the seedling can carry out photosynthesisPaper 1Paper 2Also in Double Award
B3.7understand that plants can reproduce asexually by natural methods (illustrated by runners) and by artificial methods (illustrated by cuttings)Paper 1Paper 2Also in Double Award
B3.8understand how the structure of the male and female reproductive systems are adapted for their functionsPaper 1Paper 2Also in Double Award
B3.9understand the roles of oestrogen and progesterone in the menstrual cyclePaper 1Paper 2Also in Double Award
B3.11describe the role of the placenta in the nutrition of the developing embryoPaper 1Paper 2Also in Double Award
B3.12understand how the developing embryo is protected by amniotic fluidPaper 1Paper 2Also in Double Award
B3.13understand the roles of oestrogen and testosterone in the development of secondary sexual characteristicsPaper 1Paper 2Also in Double Award

2. Inheritance

B3.14understand that the genome is the entire DNA of an organism and that a gene is a section of a molecule of DNA that codes for a specific proteinPaper 1Paper 2Also in Double Award
B3.15understand that the nucleus of a cell contains chromosomes on which genes are locatedPaper 1Paper 2Also in Double Award
B3.19understand how genes exist in alternative forms called alleles, which give rise to differences in inherited characteristicsPaper 1Paper 2Also in Double Award
B3.20understand the meaning of the terms: dominant, recessive, homozygous, heterozygous, phenotype, and genotypePaper 1Paper 2Also in Double Award
B3.22understand that most phenotypic features are the result of polygenic inheritance rather than single genesPaper 1Paper 2Also in Double Award
B3.23describe patterns of monohybrid inheritance using a genetic diagramPaper 1Paper 2Also in Double Award
B3.24understand how to interpret family pedigreesPaper 1Paper 2Also in Double Award
B3.25predict probabilities of outcomes from monohybrid crossesPaper 1Paper 2Also in Double Award
B3.26understand how the sex of a person is controlled by one pair of chromosomes, XX in a female and XY in a malePaper 1Paper 2Also in Double Award
B3.27describe the determination of the sex of offspring at fertilisation, using a genetic diagramPaper 1Paper 2Also in Double Award
B3.28understand how division of a diploid cell by mitosis produces two cells that contain identical sets of chromosomesPaper 1Paper 2Also in Double Award
B3.29understand that mitosis occurs during growth, repair, cloning and asexual reproductionPaper 1Paper 2Also in Double Award
B3.30understand how division of a cell by meiosis produces four cells, each with half the number of chromosomes, and that this results in the formation of genetically different haploid gametesPaper 1Paper 2Also in Double Award
B3.31understand how random fertilisation produces genetic variation of offspringPaper 1Paper 2Also in Double Award
B3.32know that in human cells the diploid number of chromosomes is 46 and the haploid number is 23Paper 1Paper 2Also in Double Award
B3.33understand that variation within a species can be genetic, environmental, or a combination of bothPaper 1Paper 2Also in Double Award
B3.34understand that mutation is a rare, random change in genetic material that can be inheritedPaper 1Paper 2Also in Double Award
B3.38explain Darwin’s theory of evolution by natural selectionPaper 1Paper 2Also in Double Award
B3.39understand how resistance to antibiotics can increase in bacterial populations, and appreciate how such an increase can lead to infections being difficult to controlPaper 1Paper 2Also in Double Award

4. Ecology and the environment

1. The organism in the environment

B4.1understand the terms: population, community, habitat and ecosystemPaper 1Paper 2Also in Double Award
B4.2practical: investigate the population size of an organism in two different areas using quadratsPaper 1Paper 2Also in Double Award
B4.5understand how abiotic and biotic factors affect the population size and distribution of organismsPaper 1Paper 2Also in Double Award

2. Feeding relationships

B4.6understand the names given to different trophic levels, including producers, primary, secondary and tertiary consumers, and decomposersPaper 1Paper 2Also in Double Award
B4.7understand the concepts of food chains, food webs, pyramids of number, pyramids of biomass and pyramids of energy transferPaper 1Paper 2Also in Double Award
B4.8understand the transfer of substances and energy along a food chainPaper 1Paper 2Also in Double Award
B4.9understand why only about 10 per cent of energy is transferred from one trophic level to the nextPaper 1Paper 2Also in Double Award

3. Cycles within ecosystems

B4.10describe the stages in the carbon cycle, including respiration, photosynthesis, decomposition and combustionPaper 1Paper 2Also in Double Award

4. Human influences on the environment

B4.12understand the biological consequences of pollution of air by sulfur dioxide and carbon monoxidePaper 1Paper 2Also in Double Award
B4.13understand that water vapour, carbon dioxide, nitrous oxide, methane and Chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) are greenhouse gasesPaper 1Paper 2Also in Double Award
B4.14understand how human activities contribute to greenhouse gasesPaper 1Paper 2Also in Double Award
B4.15understand how an increase in greenhouse gases results in an enhanced greenhouse effect and that this may lead to global warming and its consequencesPaper 1Paper 2Also in Double Award
B4.16understand the biological consequences of pollution of water by sewagePaper 1Paper 2Also in Double Award
B4.17understand the biological consequences of eutrophication caused by leached minerals from fertiliserPaper 1Paper 2Also in Double Award

5. Use of biological resources

1. Food production

B5.1describe how glasshouses and polythene tunnels can be used to increase the yield of certain cropsPaper 1Paper 2Also in Double Award
B5.2understand the effects on crop yield of increased carbon dioxide and increased temperature in glasshousesPaper 1Paper 2Also in Double Award
B5.3understand how the use of fertiliser can increase crop yieldPaper 1Paper 2Also in Double Award
B5.4understand the reasons for pest control and the advantages and disadvantages of using pesticides and biological control with crop plantsPaper 1Paper 2Also in Double Award
B5.5understand the role of yeast in the production of food, including breadPaper 1Paper 2Also in Double Award
B5.6practical: investigate the role of anaerobic respiration by yeast in different conditionsPaper 1Paper 2Also in Double Award
B5.7understand the role of bacteria (Lactobacillus) in the production of yoghurtPaper 1Paper 2Also in Double Award
B5.8understand the use of an industrial fermenter and explain the need to provide suitable conditions in the fermenter, including aseptic precautions, nutrients, optimum temperature and pH, oxygenation and agitation, for the growth of micro- organismsPaper 1Paper 2Also in Double Award

2. Selective breeding

B5.10understand how selective breeding can develop plants with desired characteristicsPaper 1Paper 2Also in Double Award
B5.11understand how selective breeding can develop animals with desired characteristicsPaper 1Paper 2Also in Double Award

3. Genetic modification (genetic engineering)

B5.12understand how restriction enzymes are used to cut DNA at specific sites and ligase enzymes are used to join pieces of DNA togetherPaper 1Paper 2Also in Double Award
B5.13understand how plasmids and viruses can act as vectors, which take up pieces of DNA, and then insert this recombinant DNA into other cellsPaper 1Paper 2Also in Double Award
B5.14understand how large amounts of human insulin can be manufactured from genetically modified bacteria that are grown in a fermenterPaper 1Paper 2Also in Double Award
B5.15understand how genetically modified plants can be used to improve food productionPaper 1Paper 2Also in Double Award
B5.16understand that the term ‘transgenic’ means the transfer of genetic material from one species to a different speciesPaper 1Paper 2Also in Double Award