CCEA GCSE Biology: Transport, respiration and coordination overview
An overview of the transport, respiration and coordination module of CCEA GCSE Biology, mapping the respiratory system, the nervous system and the eye, hormones and homeostasis, osmosis and plant transport, the circulatory system and blood and the heart, and how they are examined.
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This module gathers the body-systems and transport content of CCEA GCSE Biology, drawing on Unit 1 sections 1.5 to 1.6 and Unit 2 sections 2.1 to 2.2. It is about how substances move into and around organisms and how the body is coordinated. This page maps the topics and links to a focused answer page for each.
What this module covers
- The respiratory system
- The structure of the airways, the mechanism of breathing in and out, gas exchange in the alveoli, breathing versus respiration, and the effects of smoking. Start with The respiratory system.
- The nervous system and the eye
- The central nervous system, the three neurones, the reflex arc, and the structure and function of the eye. See The nervous system and the eye.
- Hormones and homeostasis
- Hormones as chemical messengers, the control of blood glucose by insulin, type 1 and type 2 diabetes, adrenaline, and nervous versus hormonal control. See Hormones and homeostasis.
- Osmosis and plant transport
- Osmosis, turgid, flaccid and plasmolysed cells, xylem and phloem, root hair cells and transpiration. See Osmosis and plant transport.
- The circulatory system
- The double circulation, the structure and adaptations of arteries, veins and capillaries, and lifestyle and coronary heart disease. See The circulatory system.
- Blood and the heart
- The components of blood, the chambers and valves of the heart, the path of blood, and how the heart pumps. See Blood and the heart.
How it is examined
The respiratory and nervous content sits on Unit 1 (35%) and the transport and circulatory content sits on Unit 2 (40%). Expect structured questions on system structures and adaptations, the breathing mechanism, the reflex arc, the path of blood, and osmosis calculations, plus a longer answer such as the effects of smoking or coronary heart disease.
How to study it
Learn each system as an ordered sequence and link every structure to its function. Memorise the breathing mechanism, the reflex arc order, the path of blood through the heart, and the route of water from root to leaf. Practise the osmosis percentage-change calculation, then work through CCEA past papers and finish with the module quiz.
Sources & how we know this
- CCEA GCSE Biology specification — CCEA (2017)