Key words for Y9

an action by an organism or part of an organism

Movement causing a change of position or place

the chemical reactions in cells that break down

Respiration nutrient molecules and release energy for
metabolism

the ability to detect or sense stimuli in the internal

Sensitivity or external environment and to make appropriate
responses

a permanent increase in size and dry mass by an

Growth increase in cell number or cell size or both

the processes that make more of the same kind of

Reproduction organism

removal from organisms of the waste products of

Excretion metabolism (chemical reactions in cells including
respiration), toxic materials, and substances in
excess of requirement

taking in of materials for energy, growth and

Nutrition development; plants require light, carbon dioxide,
water and ions; animals need organic compounds
and ions and usually need water

a group of organisms that can reproduce to

Species produce fertile offspring

naming species as an internationally agreed

The binomial system system in which the scientific name of an
organism is made up of two parts showing the
genus and species
 a group of cells with similar structures, working
Tissue together to perform a shared function

a structure made up of a group of tissues, working

Organ together to perform specific functions

a group of organs with related functions, working

Organ system together to perform body functions

the net movement of particles from a region of

Diffusion their higher concentration to a region of their
lower concentration down a concentration
gradient, as a result of their random movement

the net movement of water molecules from a

Osmosis region of higher water potential (dilute solution)
to a region of lower water potential (concentrated
solution), through a partially permeable
membrane

the movement of particles through a cell

Active transport membrane from a region of lower concentration
to a region of higher concentration using energy
from respiration

a substance that increases the rate of a chemical

Catalyst reaction and is not changed by the reaction

proteins that function as biological catalysts

Enzymes

the taking of substances, e.g. food and drink, into

Ingestion the body through the mouth

the breakdown of food into smaller pieces without

Mechanical digestion chemical change to the food molecules

the breakdown of large, insoluble molecules into

Chemical digestion small, soluble molecules
 the movement of small food molecules and ions
Absorption through the wall of the intestine into the blood

the movement of digested food molecules into

Assimilation the cells of the body where they are used,
becoming part of the cells

the passing out of food that has not been digested

Egestion or absorbed, as faeces, through the anus

the loss of watery faeces

Diarrhoea

a disease caused by a bacterium

Cholera
 Key words for Y10
the process by which plants manufacture
Photosynthesis carbohydrates from raw materials using energy
from light

something present in the environment in such

Limiting factor short supply that it restricts life processes

Loss of water vapour from plant leaves by

Transpiration evaporation of water at the surfaces of the
mesophyll cells followed by diffusion of water
vapour through the stomata.

The movement of sucrose and amino acids in the

Translocation phloem, from regions of production (source) to
regions of storage OR regions where they are used
in respiration or growth (sink)

A disease-causing organism
Pathogen
A disease in which the pathogen may be passed
Transmissible disease from one host to another.

A defense against a pathogen by antibody

Active immunity production in the body

A short-term defense against a pathogen by

Passive immunity antibodies acquired from another individual e.g.
in breast feeding.

The chemical reactions in cells that use oxygen to

Aerobic respiration break down nutrient molecules to release energy

The chemical reactions in cells that break down

Anaerobic respiration nutrient molecules to release energy without
using oxygen

The liver assimilates amino acids by converting

Assimilation them to proteins, including plasma proteins, e.g.
fibrinogen

The removal of the nitrogen-containing part of

Deamination amino acids to form urea.
 A junction between two neurones
Synapse
Groups of receptor cells responding to specific
Sense organs stimuli: light, sound, touch, temperature and
chemicals

A chemical substance, produced by a gland and

Hormone carried by the blood, which alters the activity of
one or more specific target organs

The maintenance of a constant internal

Homeostasis environment within set limits

A response in which parts of a plant grow towards

Gravitropism or away from gravity

A response in which parts of a plant grow towards

Phototropism or away from the direction from which light is
coming

Any substance taken into the body that modifies

Drug or affects chemical reactions in the body
 Key words for Y11
A process resulting in the production of
Asexual reproduction genetically identical offspring from one parent

A process involving the fusion of the nuclei of two

Sexual reproduction gametes (sex cells) to form a zygote and the
production of offspring that are genetically
different from each other

The fusion of gamete nuclei

Fertilisation
The transfer of pollen grains from the anther to
Pollination the stigma

The transfer of pollen grains from the anther of a

Self-pollination flower to the stigma of the same flower or
different flower on the same plant

Transfer of pollen grains from the anther of a

Cross-pollination flower to the stigma of a flower on a different
plant of the same species

An infection that is transmitted via body fluids

Sexually transmitted through sexual contact
infection
The transmission of genetic information from
Inheritance generation to generation

as a thread-like structure of DNA, carrying genetic

Chromosome information in the form of genes

A length of DNA that codes for a protein

Gene
A version of a gene
Allele
A nucleus containing a single set of unpaired
Haploid nucleus chromosomes, e.g. in gametes

A nucleus containing two sets of chromosomes,

Diploid nucleus e.g. in body cells
 Nuclear division giving rise to genetically identical
Mitosis cells

Reduction division in which the chromosome

Meiosis number is halved from diploid to haploid resulting
in genetically different cells

The genetic make-up of an organism in terms of

Genotype the alleles present of a particular gen

The observable features of an organism

Phenotype
Having two identical alleles of a particular gene
Homozygous
Having two different alleles
Heterozygous
An allele that is expressed if it is present
Dominant
An allele that is only expressed when there is no
Recessive dominant allele of the gene present

A characteristic in which the gene responsible is

Sex-linked characteristic located on a sex chromosome and that this makes
it more common in one sex than in the other e.g.
colour blindness

Differences between individuals of the same

Variation species

Results in a range of phenotypes between two

Continuous variation extremes, e.g. height in humans

Results in a limited number of phenotypes with no

Discontinuous variation intermediates, e.g. tongue rolling (mostly caused
by genes alone)

A genetic change
Mutation
A change in the base sequence of DNA
Gene mutation
An inherited feature that helps an organism to
Adaptive feature survive and reproduce in its environment
(increase its reproductive fitness)
The probability of an organism surviving and
Reproductive fitness reproducing in the environment in which it is
found
 The process, resulting from natural selection, by
Process of adaptation which populations become more suited to their
environment over many generations

– variation within populations

Natural selection – production of many offspring
– competition for resources
– struggle for survival
– reproduction by individuals that are better
adapted to the environment than others
– passing on of their alleles to the next
generation

– selection by humans of individuals with

Selective breeding desirable features
– crossing these individuals to produce the next
generation
– selection of offspring showing the desirable
feature

Showing the transfer of energy from one organism

Food chain to the next, beginning with a produce

The position of an organism in a food chain, food

Trophic level web, pyramid of numbers or pyramid of biomass

A network of interconnected food chains

Food web
An organism that makes its own organic nutrients,
Producer usually using energy from sunlight, through
photosynthesis

An organism that gets its energy by feeding on

Consumer other organisms

An animal that gets its energy by eating plants

Herbivore
An animal that gets its energy by eating other
Carnivore animals

An organism that gets its energy from dead or

Decomposer waste organic material
 A group of organisms of one species, living in the
Population same area, at the same time

as all of the populations of different species in an

Community ecosystem

A unit containing the community of organisms and

Ecosystem their environment, interacting together, e.g. a
decomposing log, or a lake

Changing the genetic material of an organism by

Genetic engineering removing, changing or inserting individual genes

Development providing for the needs of an

Sustainable development increasing human population without harming the
environment