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IGCSE Biology > Checklist Deck > Flashcards

Checklist Deck Flashcards

1
Q

What is the definition of movement in living organisms?

A

An action by an organism or part of an organism causing a change of position or place.

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2
Q

Define respiration in the context of living organisms.

A

Chemical reactions in cells that breakdown nutrient molecules and release energy for metabolism.

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3
Q

What does sensitivity refer to in living organisms?

A

The ability to detect and respond to changes in the internal or external environment.

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4
Q

What is growth defined as in living organisms?

A

A permanent increase in size and dry mass.

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5
Q

What is reproduction in the context of living organisms?

A

Processes that make more of the same kind of organism.

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6
Q

What is excretion in living organisms?

A

The removal of the waste products of metabolism and substances in excess of requirements.

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7
Q

Define nutrition in the context of living organisms.

A

The taking in of materials for energy, growth, and development.

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8
Q

What is a species?

A

A group of organisms that can reproduce to produce fertile offspring.

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9
Q

What is the binomial system of naming species?

A

An internationally agreed system where the scientific name of an organism is made up of two parts: genus and species.

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10
Q

What are dichotomous keys used for?

A

To classify organisms based on identifiable features.

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11
Q

What do classification systems aim to reflect?

A

Evolutionary relationships among organisms.

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12
Q

What is the significance of DNA sequences in classification?

A

Groups of organisms that share a more recent ancestor have more similar base sequences in DNA.

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13
Q

What are the main kingdoms of living organisms?

A
  • Animal
  • Plant
  • Fungus
  • Prokaryote
  • Protoctist
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14
Q

List the main groups of vertebrates.

A
  • Mammals
  • Birds
  • Reptiles
  • Amphibians
  • Fish
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15
Q

What structures are typically found in a plant cell?

A
  • Cell wall
  • Cell membrane
  • Nucleus
  • Cytoplasm
  • Chloroplasts
  • Ribosomes
  • Mitochondria
  • Vacuoles
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16
Q

What is the structure of a bacterial cell?

A
  • Cell wall
  • Cell membrane
  • Cytoplasm
  • Ribosomes
  • Circular DNA
  • Plasmids
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17
Q

What is the formula for magnification?

A

Magnification = image size / actual size.

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18
Q

Describe diffusion.

A

The net movement of particles from a region of higher concentration to a region of lower concentration.

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19
Q

What is osmosis?

A

The diffusion of water through partially permeable membranes.

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20
Q

What is active transport?

A

The movement of particles through a cell membrane from a region of lower concentration to a region of higher concentration, using energy from respiration.

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21
Q

What are the chemical elements that make up carbohydrates?

A

Carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen.

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22
Q

What is the structure of a DNA molecule?

A

Two strands coiled together to form a double helix, with bases that pair up in a specific manner.

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23
Q

What is photosynthesis?

A

The process by which plants synthesize carbohydrates from raw materials using energy from light.

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24
Q

State the word equation for photosynthesis.

A

Carbon dioxide + water → glucose + oxygen.

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25
Q

What is a balanced diet?

A

A diet that contains the right proportions of carbohydrates, fats, proteins, vitamins, minerals, fiber, and water.

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26
Q

What are the functions of the digestive system?

A
  • Ingestion
  • Digestion
  • Absorption
  • Assimilation
  • Egestion
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27
Q

What is physical digestion?

A

The breakdown of food into smaller pieces without chemical change to the food molecules.

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28
Q

What are the types of human teeth?

A
  • Incisors
  • Canines
  • Premolars
  • Molars
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29
Q

What is digestion?

A

The breakdown of food into smaller pieces without chemical change to the food molecules

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30
Q

What is the role of physical digestion?

A

Increases the surface area of food for the action of enzymes in chemical digestion

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31
Q

Identify the types of human teeth.

A
  • Incisors
  • Canines
  • Premolars
  • Molars
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32
Q

Describe the structure of human teeth.

A
  • Enamel
  • Dentine
  • Pulp
  • Nerves
  • Blood vessels
  • Cement
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33
Q

What is the function of incisors?

A

Cutting food

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34
Q

What is the function of canines?

A

Tearing food

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35
Q

What is the function of premolars?

A

Crushing and grinding food

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36
Q

What is the function of molars?

A

Crushing and grinding food

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37
Q

What is the role of the stomach in digestion?

A

Physical digestion of food

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38
Q

What is bile’s role in digestion?

A

Emulsifies fats and oils to increase the surface area for chemical digestion

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39
Q

Define chemical digestion.

A

The breakdown of large insoluble molecules into small soluble molecules

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40
Q

What is the role of amylase?

A

Breaks down starch to simple reducing sugars

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41
Q

What do proteases do?

A

Break down protein into amino acids

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42
Q

What is the function of lipase?

A

Breaks down fats and oils to fatty acids and glycerol

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43
Q

Where is amylase secreted?

A

In saliva and the pancreas

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44
Q

Where is protease secreted?

A

In the stomach and pancreas

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45
Q

Where is lipase secreted?

A

In the pancreas

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46
Q

What does hydrochloric acid do in gastric juice?

A
  • Kills harmful microorganisms in food
  • Provides an acidic pH for optimum enzyme activity
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47
Q

Describe the digestion of starch.

A
  • Amylase breaks down starch to maltose
  • Maltase breaks down maltose to glucose on the membranes of the epithelium lining the small intestine
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48
Q

Describe the digestion of protein by proteases.

A
  • Pepsin breaks down protein in the acidic conditions of the stomach
  • Trypsin breaks down protein in the alkaline conditions of the small intestine
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49
Q

What is the significance of villi and microvilli in the small intestine?

A

Increase the internal surface area for absorption of nutrients

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50
Q

What are the functions of capillaries and lacteals in villi?

A
  • Capillaries - absorb nutrients into the bloodstream
  • Lacteals - absorb fatty acids and glycerol into the lymphatic system
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51
Q

What are the functions of xylem and phloem?

A
  • Xylem - transport of water and mineral ions, and support
  • Phloem - transport of sucrose and amino acids
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52
Q

Describe the structure of xylem vessels.

A
  • Thick walls with lignin
  • No cell contents
  • Cells joined end to end with no cross walls to form a long continuous tube
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53
Q

What is the pathway of water uptake in a plant?

A
  • Root hair cells
  • Root cortex cells
  • Xylem
  • Mesophyll cells
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54
Q

What is transpiration?

A

The loss of water vapor from leaves

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55
Q

What factors affect the rate of transpiration?

A
  • Temperature
  • Wind speed
  • Humidity
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56
Q

What is translocation in plants?

A

The movement of sucrose and amino acids in phloem from sources to sinks

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57
Q

What is the function of the circulatory system?

A

A system of blood vessels with a pump and valves to ensure one-way flow of blood

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58
Q

What is the difference between single and double circulation?

A
  • Single circulation - blood passes through the heart once in a complete circuit
  • Double circulation - blood passes through the heart twice
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59
Q

What structures are identified in the mammalian heart?

A
  • Muscular wall
  • Septum
  • Left and right ventricles
  • Left and right atria
  • One-way valves
  • Coronary arteries
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60
Q

What are the components of blood?

A
  • Red blood cells
  • White blood cells
  • Platelets
  • Plasma
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61
Q

What is the function of red blood cells?

A

Transporting oxygen, including the role of hemoglobin

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62
Q

What is the role of phagocytes?

A

Engulfing pathogens by phagocytosis

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63
Q

What is active immunity?

A

Defense against a pathogen by antibody production in the body

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64
Q

What is the process of vaccination?

A
  • Weakened pathogens or their antigens are put into the body
  • Antigens stimulate an immune response by lymphocytes which produce antibodies
  • Memory cells are produced that give long-term immunity
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65
Q

What is passive immunity?

A

Short-term defense against a pathogen by antibodies acquired from another individual

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66
Q

What is the significance of breast-feeding for infants?

A

Development of passive immunity

67
Q

What are the features of gas exchange surfaces in humans?

A
  • Large surface area
  • Thin surface
  • Good blood supply
  • Good ventilation with air
68
Q

What is aerobic respiration?

A

Chemical reactions in cells that use oxygen to breakdown nutrient molecules to release energy

69
Q

State the word equation for aerobic respiration.

A

Glucose + Oxygen -> Carbon Dioxide + Water

70
Q

What is anaerobic respiration?

A

Chemical reactions in cells that breakdown nutrient molecules to release energy without using oxygen

71
Q

What is the word equation for anaerobic respiration in yeast?

A

Glucose -> Alcohol + Carbon Dioxide

72
Q

What are the excretion organs in humans?

A
  • Lungs (for carbon dioxide)
  • Kidneys (for urea, excess water, and ions)
73
Q

What is excretion in humans?

A

The process of removing waste products from the body.

74
Q

Which organ excretes carbon dioxide?

75
Q

What do the kidneys excrete?

A

Urea, excess water, and ions

76
Q

Identify the structures of the urinary system.

A
  • Kidneys
  • Ureters
  • Bladder
  • Urethra
77
Q

What is the role of the glomerulus in a nephron?

A

Filtration from the blood of water, glucose, urea, and ions

78
Q

What is the function of a nephron?

A

Reabsorption of glucose, some ions, and most water back into the blood

79
Q

What is formed in the nephron?

A

Urine containing urea, excess water, and excess ions

80
Q

How does the liver assist in amino acid assimilation?

A

By converting amino acids to proteins

81
Q

Where is urea formed?

A

In the liver from excess amino acids

82
Q

Define deamination.

A

The removal of the nitrogen-containing part of amino acids to form urea

83
Q

Why is excretion important?

A

To reduce the toxicity of urea

84
Q

What constitutes the central nervous system (CNS)?

A
  • Brain
  • Spinal cord
85
Q

What is the peripheral nervous system (PNS)?

A

Nerves outside of the brain and spinal cord

86
Q

What is a reflex action?

A

An automatic and rapid response to stimuli

87
Q

What is a synapse?

A

A junction between two neurones

88
Q

What happens at a synapse?

A
  • An impulse stimulates the release of neurotransmitter molecules
  • Neurotransmitters diffuse across the synaptic gap
  • They bind with receptor proteins on the next neurone
  • An impulse is then stimulated in the next neurone
89
Q

True or False: Synapses ensure that impulses travel in both directions.

90
Q

What are sense organs?

A

Groups of receptor cells responding to specific stimuli

91
Q

Identify the main parts of the eye.

A
  • Cornea
  • Iris
  • Pupil
  • Lens
  • Retina
  • Optic nerve
  • Blind spot
92
Q

What is the function of the iris?

A

Controls how much light enters the pupil

93
Q

What is accommodation in the eye?

A

The adjustment of the lens to focus on near and distant objects

94
Q

What is gravitropism?

A

A response where parts of a plant grow towards or away from gravity

95
Q

What is phototropism?

A

A response where parts of a plant grow towards or away from the direction of light

96
Q

What is a hormone?

A

A chemical substance produced by a gland and carried by the blood, altering the activity of target organs

97
Q

What hormone is secreted by the adrenal glands?

A

Adrenaline

98
Q

What is the role of insulin?

A

Decreases blood glucose concentration

99
Q

Define homeostasis.

A

The maintenance of a constant internal environment

100
Q

What is the role of glucagon?

A

Secreted by the pancreas to increase blood glucose concentration

101
Q

What is asexual reproduction?

A

A process resulting in genetically identical offspring from one parent

102
Q

What is sexual reproduction?

A

Involves the fusion of the nuclei of two gametes to form a zygote

103
Q

What structures are involved in the male reproductive system?

A
  • Testes
  • Scrotum
  • Sperm ducts
  • Prostate gland
  • Urethra
  • Penis
104
Q

What are the adaptive features of sperm?

A
  • Flagellum
  • Mitochondria
  • Enzymes in the acrosome
105
Q

What is the function of the placenta?

A

Exchange of dissolved nutrients, gases, and excretory products between mother and fetus

106
Q

What is a sexually transmitted infection (STI)?

A

An infection transmitted through sexual contact

107
Q

What are chromosomes made of?

108
Q

Define a gene.

A

A length of DNA that codes for a protein

109
Q

What is meiosis?

A

A reduction division resulting in genetically different cells

110
Q

What is the result of mitosis?

A

Genetically identical cells

111
Q

What is a haploid nucleus?

A

A nucleus containing a single set of chromosomes

112
Q

What is a diploid nucleus?

A

A nucleus containing two sets of chromosomes

113
Q

What occurs before mitosis?

A

Exact replication of chromosomes

114
Q

What happens to copies of chromosomes during mitosis?

A

They separate, maintaining the chromosome number in each daughter cell

115
Q

Define stem cells.

A

Unspecialised cells that divide by mitosis to produce daughter cells that can become specialised for specific functions

116
Q

What is meiosis involved in?

A

The production of gametes

117
Q

Describe meiosis.

A

A reduction division in which the chromosome number is halved from diploid to haploid, resulting in genetically different cells

118
Q

Define inheritance.

A

The transmission of genetic information from generation to generation

119
Q

What is genotype?

A

The genetic make-up of an organism in terms of the alleles present

120
Q

What is phenotype?

A

The observable features of an organism

121
Q

Define homozygous.

A

Having two identical alleles of a particular gene

122
Q

What happens when two identical homozygous individuals breed together?

A

They will be pure-breeding

123
Q

Define heterozygous.

A

Having two different alleles of a particular gene

124
Q

Will a heterozygous individual be pure-breeding?

125
Q

What is a dominant allele?

A

An allele that is expressed if it is present in the genotype

126
Q

What is a recessive allele?

A

An allele that is only expressed when there is no dominant allele of the gene present in the genotype

127
Q

What can be interpreted from pedigree diagrams?

A

The inheritance of a given characteristic

128
Q

What is a monohybrid cross?

A

A genetic diagram used to predict the results of monohybrid crosses and calculate phenotypic ratios

129
Q

What is codominance?

A

A situation in which both alleles in heterozygous organisms contribute to the phenotype

130
Q

What are the phenotypes of ABO blood groups?

A

A, B, AB, and O blood groups

131
Q

Describe a sex-linked characteristic.

A

A feature in which the gene responsible is located on a sex chromosome, making the characteristic more common in one sex than the other

132
Q

What is an example of sex linkage?

A

Red-green color blindness

133
Q

Define variation.

A

Differences between individuals of the same species

134
Q

What results in continuous variation?

A

A range of phenotypes between two extremes

135
Q

What results in discontinuous variation?

A

A limited number of phenotypes with no intermediates

136
Q

What usually causes discontinuous variation?

A

Genes only

137
Q

What causes continuous variation?

A

Both genes and the environment

138
Q

What is mutation?

A

The way in which new alleles are formed

139
Q

What increases the rate of mutation?

A

Ionising radiation and some chemicals

140
Q

What is gene mutation?

A

A random change in the base sequence of DNA

141
Q

What are sources of genetic variation in populations?

A
  • Mutation
  • Meiosis
  • Random mating
  • Random fertilisation
142
Q

What is an adaptive feature?

A

An inherited feature that helps an organism to survive and reproduce in its environment

143
Q

What is natural selection?

A

The process where individuals that are better adapted to the environment have a greater chance of reproduction

144
Q

What is selective breeding?

A

Selection by humans of individuals with desirable features to produce the next generation

145
Q

What is adaptation?

A

The process by which populations become more suited to their environment over many generations

146
Q

What is a food chain?

A

A sequence showing the transfer of energy from one organism to the next, beginning with a producer

147
Q

What is a food web?

A

A network of interconnected food chains

148
Q

Define a producer.

A

An organism that makes its own organic nutrients, usually using energy from sunlight through photosynthesis

149
Q

Define a consumer.

A

An organism that gets its energy by feeding on other organisms

150
Q

What are the classifications of consumers in a food chain?

A
  • Primary
  • Secondary
  • Tertiary
  • Quaternary
151
Q

What is a herbivore?

A

An animal that gets its energy by eating plants

152
Q

What is a carnivore?

A

An animal that gets its energy by eating other animals

153
Q

What is a decomposer?

A

An organism that gets its energy from dead or waste organic material

154
Q

What is a trophic level?

A

The position of an organism in a food chain, food web, or ecological pyramid

155
Q

What is the carbon cycle?

A

The process involving photosynthesis, respiration, feeding, decomposition, formation of fossil fuels, and combustion

156
Q

What is the nitrogen cycle?

A
  • Decomposition of plant and animal proteins into ammonium ions
  • Nitrification
  • Nitrogen fixation by lightning and bacteria
  • Absorption of nitrate ions by plants
  • Production of amino acids and proteins
  • Feeding and digestion of proteins
  • Deamination
  • Denitrification
157
Q

What is biodiversity?

A

The number of different species that live in an area

158
Q

What are some reasons for habitat destruction?

A
  • Increased area for housing
  • Crop plant production
  • Livestock production
  • Extraction of natural resources
  • Freshwater and marine pollution
159
Q

What are the effects of untreated sewage and excess fertiliser on aquatic ecosystems?

A

Negative impacts including eutrophication

160
Q

What is eutrophication?

A

The process involving increased availability of nitrate and other ions leading to increased growth of producers and subsequent reduction in dissolved oxygen

161
Q

What is a sustainable resource?

A

One which is produced as rapidly as it is removed from the environment so that it does not run out

162
Q

What are some advantages of conservation programs?

A
  • Maintaining or increasing biodiversity
  • Reducing extinction
  • Protecting vulnerable ecosystems
  • Maintaining ecosystem functions
163
Q

What is genetic modification?

A

Changing the genetic material of an organism by removing, changing, or inserting individual genes

164
Q

What role do bacteria play in biotechnology?

A

Useful due to their rapid reproduction rate and ability to make complex molecules

IGCSE Biology (1 decks)

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