What is covered in OCR GCSE PE applied anatomy and physiology?

Applied anatomy and physiology is part of Component 01 (Physical factors affecting performance). It covers the skeletal system (functions, joints and movement), the muscular system (muscle groups, antagonistic pairs and contraction), movement analysis through lever systems and planes and axes, the cardiovascular system (the heart, blood vessels and cardiac output), the respiratory system (breathing and gaseous exchange) and the short-term and long-term effects of exercise. Component 01 also includes physical training, which has its own overview.

Which exam paper assesses applied anatomy and physiology?

It is assessed on Component 01, Physical factors affecting performance (J587/01), a 1 hour written paper worth 60 marks and 30 percent of the GCSE. The paper mixes multiple-choice and objective-response questions, short-answer questions, calculations (such as cardiac output and mechanical advantage) and extended-response questions. A calculator is allowed.

What calculations appear in this topic?

Expect cardiac output (heart rate multiplied by stroke volume) and mechanical advantage (effort arm divided by load arm). Both are quick calculations but you must show the formula, give the correct units and interpret the answer. Movement analysis questions also ask you to identify lever classes and to match planes with axes for skills such as somersaults and cartwheels.

How should I revise applied anatomy and physiology?

Work statement by statement against the specification. Learn the locations and roles of the major bones and muscles, the structure of a synovial joint, the antagonistic pairs and contraction types, the three lever classes and the three plane-axis pairings. Practise the cardiac output and mechanical advantage calculations until they are automatic, and rehearse applying every fact to a named sport, which is how OCR awards application marks.

EnglandPhysical Education

OCR GCSE PE: Applied anatomy and physiology (Component 01) overview

An overview of the applied anatomy and physiology content in OCR GCSE PE (J587) Component 01, mapping the skeletal and muscular systems, lever systems, planes and axes, the cardiovascular and respiratory systems and the effects of exercise, and how they are examined on the first written paper.

Generated by Claude Opus 4.88 min readJ587 Component 01Updated 2026-06-02

Reviewed by: AI editorial process; not yet individually human-reviewed

Jump to a section

The applied anatomy and physiology content
How this topic is examined
How to study applied anatomy and physiology
For the official specification

Applied anatomy and physiology is the largest theory area in OCR GCSE PE (specification J587). It sits in Component 01: Physical factors affecting performance, examined on the first written paper (J587/01). This page maps the topic and links to a focused answer page for each part.

The applied anatomy and physiology content

The skeletal system: The functions of the skeleton, the major bones, the structure of a synovial joint, joint types and the movements they allow. See The skeletal system.
The muscular system: The major muscle groups, antagonistic muscle pairs (agonist and antagonist), isotonic and isometric contraction, and the role of tendons. See The muscular system.
Lever systems: The three classes of lever, the fulcrum, effort and load, mechanical advantage and body examples. See Lever systems.
Planes and axes of movement: The three planes (sagittal, frontal, transverse) and three axes (transverse, sagittal, longitudinal), and analysing somersaults, cartwheels and twists. See Planes and axes of movement.
The cardiovascular system: The heart, the double circulatory system, blood vessels, cardiac output and vascular shunting. See The cardiovascular system.
The respiratory system: The pathway of air, the mechanics of breathing, gaseous exchange and lung volumes. See The respiratory system.
The effects of exercise: The short-term effects of a single session and the long-term training adaptations. See The effects of exercise.

How this topic is examined

Applied anatomy and physiology is assessed on Component 01 (J587/01), a 1 hour written paper worth 60 marks and 30 percent of the GCSE, shared with the physical training topic. Questions range from multiple-choice and short-answer through calculations (cardiac output, mechanical advantage) to extended responses worth up to six marks. A calculator is allowed.

How to study applied anatomy and physiology

Learn the locations precisely. Know where each major bone and muscle is and what it does.
Master the movement analysis. Antagonistic pairs, contraction types, lever classes and plane-axis pairings recur every year.
Drill the calculations. Cardiac output and mechanical advantage are quick marks if you show the formula and units.
Link structure to function. Explain why the alveoli, the heart chambers or a lever are shaped the way they are.
Apply to a named sport. Application marks need a clear sporting context, not just the textbook fact.

For the official specification

OCR publishes the full specification (J587), past papers and mark schemes at ocr.org.uk. Always revise from the current specification and OCR's own past papers, because question style is board-specific.

Sources & how we know this

OCR GCSE (9-1) Physical Education J587 specification — OCR (2016)