GCSE Biology Paper One Overview

These flashcards cover key vocabulary and concepts from GCSE Biology Paper One, ideal for exam preparation.

Cell

The basic structural and functional unit of all living organisms.

Eukaryotic cells

Cells that have a nucleus containing their DNA, examples include plant and animal cells.

Prokaryotic cells

Cells that do not have a nucleus, such as bacterial cells.

Electron microscope

A microscope that uses electrons to provide a more detailed image of cells and their structures.

Magnification

The process of enlarging the appearance of an object, calculated as image size divided by object size.

Organelle

Specialized subunit within a cell that has a specific function.

Cytoplasm

The liquid substance that fills the cell and in which various cellular processes occur.

Mitochondria

The organelle responsible for energy production through respiration.

Ribosomes

The site of protein synthesis where amino acids are assembled into proteins.

Chloroplasts

Organelles in plant cells that contain chlorophyll and are the site of photosynthesis.

Enzyme

Biological catalysts that speed up chemical reactions in the body.

Amylase

An enzyme that breaks down starch into sugars.

Active site

The region on an enzyme where substrates bind and reactions occur.

Denatured enzyme

An enzyme that has lost its functional shape and no longer works due to extreme conditions.

Optimum temperature

The temperature at which an enzyme's activity is at its highest.

Diffusion

The movement of molecules from an area of high concentration to an area of low concentration.

Osmosis

The movement of water across a semi-permeable membrane from a region of low solute concentration to high solute concentration.

Homeostasis

The process of maintaining a stable internal environment in an organism.

Active transport

The movement of substances against their concentration gradient, requiring energy.

Mitosis

A type of cell division resulting in two genetically identical daughter cells.

Stem cells

Undifferentiated cells capable of giving rise to different types of specialized cells.

Nervous system

The system that coordinates the voluntary and involuntary actions of the body.

Reflex arc

A neural pathway that mediates a reflex action.

Accommodation

The process by which the eye adjusts the lens shape to focus on near or far objects.

Myopia

Short-sightedness, a condition where distant objects appear blurry.

Hyperopia

Long-sightedness, a condition where close objects appear blurry.

Gene

A section of DNA that codes for a specific protein or trait.

Genome

The complete set of genes or genetic material present in a cell or organism.

Allele

Different forms of a gene that determine specific traits.

Homozygous

An organism with two identical alleles for a particular gene.

Heterozygous

An organism with two different alleles for a particular gene.

Meiosis

The type of cell division that produces gametes, resulting in four non-identical cells.

Vaccine

A substance that stimulates an immune response without causing disease.

Antibody

A protein produced by the immune system that recognizes and binds to specific antigens.

Pathogen

An organism that causes disease, can be viral, bacterial, fungal, or parasitic.

Antigen

A substance that induces an immune response, typically a foreign protein.

Antibiotic

A substance used to kill or inhibit the growth of bacteria.