GCSE Biology Revision 

1. Explain why it is important for plants that carbon dioxide uptake during the
day is greater than carbon dioxide released at night.[2]

2. Explain the difference between self-pollination and cross-pollination.[2]

3. Discuss the long-term effects of self-pollination on the evolution of these

plants.[4]

4. Describe how blood is moved by the heart from pulmonary vein to aorta.
Blood from pulmonary vein enters left atrium. The atria contract and atrioventricular
valve opens due to pressure from blood. Blood forced into left ventricle. The ventricle
contract and atrioventricular valves shut to prevent blood entering atrium. Semilunar
valves open. Blood forced into aorta.

5. Explain how bacteria become resistant to antibiotics.

Bacteria have mutated. Variation in ability of bacteria to survive antibiotic treatment.
Bacteria with no /little resistance die, bacteria with resistance survive and breed ;

6. Describe and explain the distribution of rod cells and cone cells across the
retina.
There are more rod cells than cone cells in the retina. There is an uneven distribution
of rod cells either side of fovea. No rod cells and no cone cells at blind spot because
that is where the optic nerve enters /leaves retina at blind spot. Also there are only
cone cells at the fovea / no rod cells at the fovea.

7. Describe and explain how a reduced concentration of water vapour in the air
would increase the movement of water through crop plants.[3]
Increased rate of transpiration. There is greater concentration of water vapour inside
the leaf than outside so more water vapour diffuses out of the leaf through stomata
and more water is drawn up through xylem/ transpiration pull.

8. Describe how water moves from the soil into the roots of crop plants.[3]
By osmosis. The soil has a higher water potential than the root cells. Water moves
from an area of higher water potential to lower water potential across a partially
permeable membrane.

9.. Describe the role of bile in digestion.

For emulsification, increased surface area of fat globules, faster, digestion break
down of fat by enzymes (lipase) to fatty acids and glycerol, neutralises (stomach)
acid

10. Explain how the products of fat digestion are transported from small
intestine to the rest of the body.
fatty acids / glycerol / fats, enter / AW
1 (micro)villi ;
2 capillaries / blood vessels / blood / circulatory system ;
3 lacteals / lymphatic capillary ;
4 (travel via) lymph / in lymph vessels / in lymph(atic) system ;
5 lymph empties into blood ;