Download topics - Perth Grammar

Unit 1 Biosphere key questions
Investigating an ecosystem
1. Identify the main components of an ecosystem.
2. Name and describe a technique which could be used to sample
organisms from the following environments (i) pond (ii) plants
in a field (iii) forest floor
3. For each technique state a source of error and how it could be
reduced.
4. What is used to identify organisms?
5. Name two abiotic factors
6. Describe how you would measure these factors.
7. Give an example of how an error could occur and how you could
prevent this error.
8. Name two biotic factors
Control and management
1. Name the three main sources of pollution and give an example
of a pollutant for each
2. What gas causes global warming and what produces this gas?
3. What gas causes acid rain?
4. When organic matter enters a water source like a river several
changes happen describe and explain them.
5. What is an indicator species?
6. Name an indicator of air pollution?
7. What happen to the number of species in a river when there is a
low level of oxygen?
8. What factors can farmers try to control and how do they do this?
Unit 2: Cells key questions
How it works
1. What the source of all energy in a food chain?
2. Write out a food chain using the terms secondary consumer,
primary consumer, producer and give an example for each.
3. What do arrows in a food chain represent?
4. What percentage of energy is passed on at each level of a food
chain?
5. This is not efficient, in what ways is energy lost?
6. Food chains can be represented as pyramids what two types of
pyramids have you looked at and what do they show?
7. Which type of pyramid is not always a typical pyramid shape?
8. Population growth depends on what two things?
9. List three factors which can limit the growth of a population
10. Competition affects organisms in what ways?
11. List things which an organism competes for (state the organism)
12. What is the process by which nitrogen in the soil becomes
atmospheric nitrogen?
13. What form of nitrogen can be taken up by plants?
14. What type of organisms release nitrogen from organic matter?
Investigating cells
1. Draw and label a plant and animal cell
2. List the structures that plant cells contain and animal cells do
not.
3. Why are stains used when looking at cells with a microscope?
4. Write the functions of the different cell parts in a table
Diffusion
1. Give the meaning of diffusion
2. Write a list of substances which diffuse in to and out of cells
3. Can starch diffuse give a reason for your answer
4. Why does diffusion have to happen?
5. Which cell structure controls the movement of substances into
and out of cells?
6. Describe what osmosis is using the terms concentration gradient
and selectively permeable membrane
7. Draw and describe what happens to an animal cell when it is
places in (i) pure water, (ii) dilute sugar solution and (iii) strong
sugar solution.
8. Do the same for a plant cell
Cell Division
1. Why do cells undergo cell division?
2. Which cell structure controls this process?
3. What is the term used to describe cell division?
4. Cell division results in two daughter cells being produced which
both have a complete set of what?
5. Draw and describe the main stages of cell division
6. What is a chromosome
7. Why must the chromosome complement be maintained in
daughter cells?
Enzymes
1. What is a catalyst?
2. What is the name given to biological catalysts and give an
example of one.
3. Where are enzymes found?
4. Why are enzymes needed in cells?
5. Write down the word equation of an enzyme involved in a
synthesis reaction
6. Do the same for an enzyme involved in the breakdown of a
substance
7. What are enzymes made of?
8. Explain what the term specific means when describing an
enzyme
9. Name the area of an enzyme which binds the substrate
10. What factors can effect enzyme action?
11. Describe the effect of temperature on enzymes including the
term denatured.
12. Explain what optimum means and name the optimum
temperature for enzymes in the human body.
Investigating aerobic respiration
1. List three reasons living cells need energy
2. Name the three food groups and indicate which group contains
the most energy per gram
3. What is respiration?
4. Write the word equation for respiration
5. What is metabolism and why is energy released from food
important to the metabolism of cells?
Unit 3: Animal Survival Key Questions
The need for food
1. State three reasons why animals need food
2. Write down the three food groups and what elements are present
in each group
3. Describe the simple structure of each food group
4. Describe digestion referring to the solubility of food substances
5. List the different teeth names and describe how and why these
teeth differ in herbivores, omnivores and herbivores
6. Draw and label a diagram of the main organs of the digestive
system
7. Add the functions of these organs to your diagram
8. Draw a table about digestive juices include the digestive juice,
where in the body it is, what enzymes are present, what
substances are broken down into what
9. Describe peristalsis
10. How do stomach contraction help break down food in the
stomach?
11. List the features of the small intestine which help it the absorb
broken down food
12. What is the role of the large intestine?
Reproduction
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
Draw and label a sperm and egg cell
Describe fertilisation including what is formed
Describe external fertilisation
Why is internal reproduction important to land animals?
Where are sperm produced?
Where are eggs produced and where does fertilisation take
place?
7. How do fish embryos obtain food and how are they protected
from disease?
8. What is the relationship between number of eggs/young
produced and protection given during fertilisation and
development?
9. Describe the structure and function of a human placenta
10. Describe the next stages after fertilisation in humans.
Water and Waste
1. State the different ways mammals gain and lose water
2. What organ in mammals regulates water balance?
3. Draw a flow diagram showing how the hormone ADH regulates
water balance.
4. State the functions of the renal arteries, veins, ureter and bladder
5. What are the two main jobs which the kidney carries out?
6. What is the waste product removed in urine?
7. Draw and label a simple diagram of a nephron
8. Add labels onto your diagram showing where filtration, salt,
glucose and water reabsorbation occurs
9. Where is urea produced in the body?
10. Why can kidney failure be fatal?
11. Describe the benefits and limitations of an kidney machine and
kidney transplant
Responding to the environment
1. What environmental factor can effect animal behaviour?
2. Describe the response of an animal to a change in one
environmental factor
3. Why does this animal respond in this why- in what way does this
help it to survive?
4. Give examples of rhythmical behaviour in animals and identify
the trigger.
5. Why does is it important this animal responds in this way?
Unit 4: Plants Key Questions
Introducing Plants
1. Give two advantages of there being a wide variety of plants
2. If you reduce the variety of plant species what effect may this
have on animals including us?
3. Describe 3 specialised uses of plants
4. Describe the stages of timber production
5. Name two potential uses of plants
Growing plants
1. Draw and label a seed with its parts and the function of the
different parts.
2. What are the factors required for seed germination.
3. Describe and explain the different percentage germination
results obtained when germination occurs at a range of
temperatures.
4. Draw and label a diagram of an insect pollinated flower. Add the
functions of each part on to your diagram.
5. Describe the main structural differences between wind and
insect pollinated flowers and give reasons for the differences.
6. Explain what pollination is.
7. Describe what happens when pollen lands on a stigma.
8. What happens at fertilisation. Which part of the flower becomes
the fruit?
9. Name three methods of seed dispersal
10. Draw two flow diagrams of the stages of taking cuttings and
grafting
11. Why do humans use artificial propagation?
12. What is meant by the term clone?
13. Plants can reproduce asexually name the structures they produce
to do this.
14. Draw a table showing the advantages and disadvantages of
asexual and sexual reproduction.
Making food
1. Why do plants need transport systems?
2. Draw and label a diagram of the phloem and xylem. State which
each transports
3. Name another function of the transport system.
4. How do plants obtain carbon dioxide
5. In what way do plants lose water
6. Draw and label a diagram of the leaf structure
7. What is the process called where plants make their own food
8. write down the word equation for this process
9. Draw a spider diagram showing the three fates of the glucose
produced
10. How do plants obtain the energy required to make glucose (what
type of energy do they use, how do they capture this energy)
11. Explain what the term limiting factor means and give examples
of limiting factors in photosynthesis.
Unit 5: Body In Action Key Questions
Movement
1. Name three functions of the skeleton
2. List four organs the skeleton protects
3. Name two main types of joins and the range of movement each
performs.
4. Draw a labelled diagram of a ball and socket joint
5. Add on to your diagram the functions of the different parts of the
joint.
6. What is the function of cartilage and ligaments at a joint?
7. Describe the structure of a bone including what produces bone.
8. What structures attach muscles to bone? What property do they
have and why is this property important.
9. Describe the bending of your arm, talking about muscle
contraction, relaxation and the need for opposing pairs at the
joint.
The need for energy
1. To maintain the same weight, energy input must equal what?
2. What units are used to measure energy?
3. What two gases are involved in breathing where do each come
from and go to?
4. Draw and label a diagram of lungs.
5. Add functions of the following structures on to your diagram:
cilia, cartilage, mucus.
6. Describe inhalation and exhalation
7. Draw a table describing the features of the lungs which make gas
exchange more efficient.
8. Draw and label a simple diagram of the heart.
9. Draw arrows on your heart showing the movement of blood
around the heart. (use a red arrow of oxygenated blood, blue
arrow for deoxygenated blood)
10. What are the functions of heart valves?
11. Which side of the heart is thicker and why?
12. The heart is a muscle so it needs oxygen and nutrients what
vessel supplies these nutrients to the heart?
13. Using an arrow diagram show the movement of blood between
vessels ___ ___ __
14. What does your pulse show?
15. Draw a table of the different components of blood including
their function.
16. What is the function of haemoglobin?
17. Draw a diagram of capillary network and surrounding cells
adding arrows to show the movement of gases.
18. What features of the capillary network make it efficient at gas
exchange?
3. Explain continuous and discontinuous variation and give
examples of each.
Coordination
1. Draw a labelled diagram of an eye.
2. Add the functions of each part to the diagram
3. Describe why you need two eyes to judge distance accurately.
4. Draw a labelled diagram of the ear and add the functions of each
part.
5. Describe the shape and arrangement of the semi circular canals
and explain how this helps them perform their function.
6. What three things does the central nervous system consist of?
7. What is the function of nerves?
8. Draw and explain a reflex arc.
9. Draw and label a diagram of the brain. Add the functions of the
main areas/parts.
What is inheritance?
1. Give examples (animal and plant) of characteristics which are
determined by genetic information.
2. What does the term phenotype mean. What are two possible
3. phenotypes for the eye colour characteristic.
4. What would the genotype of a true breeding organism be, you
can use the straight winged fly as an example.
5. What are the genotypes and phenotypic ratios of the F2
generation when patent flies (true breeding) have the phenotype
straight winged and curved wing?
6. If an organism has a dominant gene (e.g. black hair) and a
recessive gene (e.g blond hair) what gene will determine the
phenotype of the organism?
7. How many matching sets of chromosomes does each body cell
have? How many chromosomes is this?
8. What is the other name for a sex cell? What are sex cells called
in (i) males (ii) females
9. How many sets of chromosomes does a sex cell contain? How
many chromosomes is this?
10. What is fertilisation? How many sets of chromosomes are in the
resultant zygote?
11. What are the structures on chromosomes which contain
information about phenotype? What is the name given to
different forms of one of these structures?
12. Why are observed and predicted figures often different?
13. What chromosomes determine the sex of a child. Which of these
chromosomes are present in (i)male (ii) female
Changing levels of performance
1. What can lead to muscle fatigue?
2. Explain muscle fatigue in terms of anaerobic respiration include
what is lacking and what product builds up.
3. Why does pulse and breathing rate increase during exercise?
4. What is the differences would you see between an athlete and
non athlete while training and explain why.
5. What is recovery time and what can it indicate?
6. What does training effect and in what ways?
Unit 6: Inheritance Key Questions
Variation
1. Give a definition of a species.
2. Give an example of variation which can occur in a named
species.
Genetics and society
1. Give two examples of improved characteristics resulting from
selective breeding.
2. Describe a human condition resulting from a genetic mutation
3. Give an example of a chromosome mutation in a plant or animal
which is advantageous to man.
4. What method can doctors use to determine in a foetus has a
chromosome mutation?
5. List some mutagenic agents
Unit 7: Biotechnology Key Questions
Living factories
1. Yeast is used in what two industries?
2. Write down the word equation for fermentation of glucose by
yeast.
3. Draw a labelled diagram of a yeast cell
4. Why do brewers want barley to germinate- what is this process
called?
5. What growing conditions are required for yeast to grow and how
do brewers provide them.
6. What is batch processing?
7. The manufacture of cheese and yoghurt depends on what
microorganism?
8. Write down the word equation for the fermentation of milk.
Problems and profit and waste
1. Give three examples of the damage done to the environment
when untreated sewage is disposed of in the environment
2. List the diseases which can be caused by sewage
3. Make a list of safety precautions required when working with
microorganisms
4. Why are things autoclaved to ensure they are sterile (what
special conditions are in an autoclave and what do these kill.)
5. How do bacteria help in the cycling of nutrients?
6. Draw the carbon and nitrogen cycle.
7. What role do microorganisms have in a sewage works?
8. Complete breakdown of sewage only occurs in what condition?
Why?
9. How is oxygen added to sewage?
10. Waste can be upgraded. Give two example of waste which can
be upgraded and state the useful products produced.
11. What are the two advantages of upgrading waste?
12. What two fuels can be derived from microorganism
fermentation?
13. What are the advantages to producing fuel this way?
14. What method of reproduction do microorganism undergo?
15. Which type of food can be produced by microorganisms?
Reprogramming microbes
1. What structures in a bacterial cell control its activity?
2. Explain what genetic engineering means
3. How could you make bacteria produce new substances?
4. What are the advantages of genetic engineering?
5. List some products produced by genetic engineering
6. What substances are contained in biological washing powders.
Why are they there?
7. What is the advantage of these substances?
8. What is an antibiotic and what type of microorganism do act on?
9. Give two reasons why we have several antibiotics
10. What is immobilisation?
11. List three advantages of immobilisation
12. What is continuous flow processing and what are the advantages
over batch processing?