Combined ScienceQ&A by dot point

Animal and plant cell structures and their functions, examples of specialised cells and their adaptations, the levels of organisation from cell to organism, and using a light microscope including magnification calculations.

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.

The terms population, community, habitat and ecosystem, producers, consumers and decomposers, food chains and food webs, the flow of energy through trophic levels and why it is lost, pyramids of numbers and biomass, and the carbon and nitrogen cycles.

Enzymes as biological catalysts, the lock and key model and the active site, how temperature and pH affect enzyme activity including denaturing, the organs of the digestive system, the enzymes amylase, protease and lipase, the role of bile, and absorption in the villi.

The components of a balanced diet and their sources and functions, the consequences of an unbalanced diet, and the chemical food tests for starch, reducing sugar, protein and fat.

The word and symbol equations for photosynthesis, the role of chlorophyll and chloroplasts, the limiting factors of light, carbon dioxide and temperature, the structure of a leaf and how its tissues and stomata are adapted for photosynthesis and gas exchange.

Using quadrats and transects to sample organisms, the meaning of biodiversity, the causes and effects of pollution including the use of indicator species, the consequences of habitat destruction and deforestation, and conservation measures.

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 aerobic and anaerobic respiration.

The relationship between the nucleus, chromosomes, genes and DNA, the structure of DNA as a double helix with complementary base pairs, the human chromosome number, and how a gene codes for a protein.

How antibiotics treat bacterial but not viral infections, the problem of antibiotic resistance and how to reduce it, how new medicines are tested, and the effects of legal and illegal drugs including alcohol and tobacco.

The main types of microorganism and their useful roles, pathogens and how they spread, the body's first-line defences, the role of white blood cells in phagocytosis and antibody production, and how vaccination gives immunity.

Mitosis as cell division producing two genetically identical cells for growth and repair, meiosis as division producing four genetically different gametes with half the chromosome number, and why meiosis creates variation.

The terms gene, allele, dominant, recessive, homozygous, heterozygous, genotype and phenotype, using Punnett squares for a monohybrid cross, how the X and Y chromosomes determine sex, and how a genetic disorder such as cystic fibrosis is inherited.

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.

The components of the blood and their functions, the structure of the heart with its chambers and valves, the double circulatory system, the structure and adaptations of arteries, veins and capillaries, and the effect of lifestyle on heart health.

Continuous and discontinuous variation and their genetic and environmental causes, the role of mutation, the theory of evolution by natural selection, antibiotic resistance as an example, and the evidence from fossils.

Acids, bases and alkalis in terms of hydrogen and hydroxide ions, the pH scale and indicators, neutralisation, the reactions of acids with metals, oxides, hydroxides and carbonates, and preparing soluble salts.

The structure of the atom in terms of protons, neutrons and electrons, their relative charges and masses, atomic number and mass number, isotopes, and calculating relative atomic mass from isotopic abundances.

Ionic bonding as the transfer of electrons, covalent bonding as the sharing of electrons, metallic bonding as ions in a sea of delocalised electrons, drawing dot-and-cross diagrams, and how each type of structure explains properties.

Elements, compounds and mixtures, the difference between physical and chemical change, and the separation techniques of filtration, crystallisation, simple and fractional distillation, and chromatography.

The properties and reactivity trends of the Group 1 alkali metals, the Group 7 halogens including displacement reactions, and the Group 0 noble gases, and how these trends link to electron arrangement.

Writing chemical formulae, constructing word and balanced symbol equations with state symbols, relative formula mass, the mole, the relationship between moles, mass and relative formula mass, and using balanced equations to calculate reacting masses.

Flame tests and sodium hydroxide tests for metal ions, tests for halide, sulfate and carbonate ions, and the tests for hydrogen, oxygen, carbon dioxide and chlorine gases.

Electron arrangement in shells for the first 20 elements, the link between outer electrons, group number and reactivity, and the modern organisation of the Periodic Table by atomic number into periods and groups with metals and non-metals.

Alcohols as a homologous series with the OH functional group, the production of ethanol by fermentation and by hydration of ethene, addition polymerisation of alkenes, drawing the repeating unit, and the problems of plastic disposal.

Concentration in g per dm cubed and mol per dm cubed, using titration results to find an unknown concentration, and calculating percentage yield.

Crude oil as a mixture of hydrocarbons separated by fractional distillation, how the properties of fractions change with chain length, alkanes and alkenes as saturated and unsaturated hydrocarbons, the bromine water test, and cracking.

Electrolysis of molten ionic compounds and of aqueous solutions including brine, predicting the products formed at the cathode and anode, and writing electrode half-equations.

Exothermic and endothermic reactions, energy level diagrams, and measuring temperature changes using calorimetry to compare the energy released by fuels.

The factors that affect the rate of reaction (concentration, temperature, surface area and catalysts), how rate is measured, collision theory and activation energy, and how each factor changes the frequency or energy of collisions.

The reactivity series of metals, the reactions of metals with water and acid, displacement reactions, oxidation and reduction in terms of oxygen and electrons, and how reactivity determines the method of extracting a metal from its ore.

Reversible reactions and dynamic equilibrium, how changing conditions shifts the position of equilibrium, and the conditions used in the Haber process to make ammonia for fertilisers.

Density and the equation density = mass / volume, the particle model of solids, liquids and gases, the changes of state, and how the particle model explains gas pressure.

Interpreting distance-time and velocity-time graphs, finding speed from the gradient of a distance-time graph, finding acceleration from the gradient of a velocity-time graph, and finding distance from the area under a velocity-time graph.

Energy stores and transfers, the conservation of energy, kinetic energy and gravitational potential energy, and the equations for calculating them.

Balanced and unbalanced forces, Newton's first, second (F = m a) and third laws, momentum (p = m v) and the conservation of momentum in collisions.

The structure of the atom and isotopes, alpha, beta and gamma radiation and their properties, half-life and decay calculations, the uses and dangers of radiation, and nuclear fission and fusion.

Distance, displacement, speed, velocity and acceleration, the difference between scalar and vector quantities, and how to use and rearrange the speed and acceleration equations.

The difference between mass and weight, weight as W = m g, the meaning of gravitational field strength, and how an object reaches terminal velocity as air resistance balances weight.

Work done as energy transferred (W = F s), power as the rate of doing work or transferring energy (P = E / t), and efficiency as the fraction of energy transferred usefully.

Electric charge and current, the equation Q = I t, potential difference, resistance, and Ohm's law V = I R.

Magnetic fields and field lines, the magnetic field around a current-carrying wire and a solenoid, the motor effect, and electromagnetic induction in generators and transformers.

Direct and alternating current, the three-pin plug and the live, neutral and earth wires, the roles of fuses, circuit breakers and earthing, and the electrical power equation P = I V.

The law of reflection, refraction as light changes speed and direction at a boundary, total internal reflection, and how converging and diverging lenses refract light.

The rules for current, potential difference and resistance in series and parallel circuits, and how they differ between the two arrangements.

The order of the electromagnetic spectrum from radio waves to gamma rays, the shared properties of EM waves, and the uses and dangers of each region.

The Solar System and orbits, the life cycle of a star, and red shift as evidence for an expanding universe and the Big Bang theory.

Transverse and longitudinal waves, the wave terms amplitude, wavelength, frequency and period, and the wave equation v = f lambda.

The prescribed practicals across Biology, Chemistry and Physics, the working-scientifically skills assessed (planning, variables, measuring, recording, analysing and evaluating), and how the Practical Skills unit is examined.