← Biology syllabus

Northern IrelandBiology

Transport, Respiration and Coordination

6 dot points across 6 inquiry questions. Click any dot point for a focused answer with worked past exam questions where available.

What is blood made of, and how does the heart pump it around the body?

The components of the blood and their functions, the structure of the heart with its chambers and valves, the path of blood through the heart, and how the heartbeat pumps blood around the double circulation.
A focused CCEA GCSE Biology answer on blood and the heart, covering the components of blood and their functions, the chambers and valves of the heart, the path of blood through it, and how the heart pumps blood around the double circulation.
8 min answer →

How do hormones control the body, and how is blood glucose kept steady?

Hormones as chemical messengers carried in the blood, the control of blood glucose by insulin, the difference between type 1 and type 2 diabetes, the role of adrenaline, and the difference between nervous and hormonal control.
A focused CCEA GCSE Biology answer on hormones and homeostasis, covering hormones as chemical messengers, the control of blood glucose by insulin, type 1 and type 2 diabetes, adrenaline, and how nervous and hormonal control differ.
8 min answer →

What is osmosis, and how do plants take up and transport water?

Osmosis as the movement of water across a partially permeable membrane, turgid, flaccid and plasmolysed plant cells, the roles of xylem and phloem, water uptake by root hair cells, and transpiration and the factors affecting it.
A focused CCEA GCSE Biology answer on osmosis and plant transport, covering osmosis across a partially permeable membrane, turgid, flaccid and plasmolysed cells, xylem and phloem, root hair cells, and transpiration.
8 min answer →

How does the double circulatory system move blood around the body?

The double circulatory system, the structure and function of arteries, veins and capillaries, how each blood vessel is adapted to its job, and the effect of lifestyle on the circulatory system including coronary heart disease.
A focused CCEA GCSE Biology answer on the circulatory system, covering the double circulation, the structure and adaptations of arteries, veins and capillaries, and how lifestyle factors affect the circulatory system and cause coronary heart disease.
8 min answer →

How does the nervous system carry messages, and how does the eye detect light?

The central nervous system, sensory, relay and motor neurones, the reflex arc as a fast automatic response, the structure and function of the eye, and how the eye focuses light and adjusts to light intensity.
A focused CCEA GCSE Biology answer on the nervous system, covering the central nervous system, sensory, relay and motor neurones, the reflex arc, and the structure and function of the eye including focusing and the iris reflex.
8 min answer →

How does the respiratory system get oxygen into the blood, and how does breathing work?

The structure of the human respiratory system, the mechanism of breathing in and out, gas exchange in the alveoli and their adaptations, the difference between breathing and respiration, and the effects of smoking.
A focused CCEA GCSE Biology answer on the respiratory system, covering its structure, the mechanism of breathing in and out, gas exchange in the alveoli and their adaptations, breathing versus respiration, and the effects of smoking.
8 min answer →