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GCSE Biology — Topic Tracker

AQA · Paper 1 & Paper 2 · Foundation & Higher

 
 
 
How to use: Shade each box honestly. Red Can't do it yet  ·  Amber Getting there  ·  Green Confident under exam pressure
Paper 1
Cell Biology Red Amber Green
Animal and plant cell structures and functions
Prokaryotic vs eukaryotic cells
Microscopy — magnification and resolution
Diffusion — factors affecting rate
Osmosis — definition and examples
Active transport — differences from diffusion
Mitosis and the cell cycle
Stem cells — types and uses (embryonic & adult)
Differentiation and specialised cells
★ Required practical: using a microscope to observe cells
★ Required practical: osmosis in plant tissue
Organisation Red Amber Green
Cells → tissues → organs → organ systems
Digestive system — organs and enzymes
Enzyme action — lock and key, temperature, pH
Blood — components and functions
Heart structure and the circulatory system
Blood vessels — arteries, veins, capillaries
Coronary heart disease and treatments
Health — communicable vs non-communicable disease
Cancer — benign vs malignant tumours
Plant tissues — leaf structure and transpiration
★ Required practical: food tests (Benedict's, Biuret, iodine)
★ Required practical: effect of pH on enzyme activity
Infection and Response Red Amber Green
Pathogens — bacteria, viruses, fungi, protists
Examples of communicable diseases
Human defence systems — non-specific (skin, mucus, stomach acid)
The immune response — white blood cells, antibodies
Vaccination and herd immunity
Antibiotics — how they work and resistance
Drug development — clinical trials, double-blind
Monoclonal antibodies — production and uses
Plant disease — detection and defence
Bioenergetics Red Amber Green
Photosynthesis equation (word and symbol)
Limiting factors — light, CO₂, temperature
Adaptations of the leaf for photosynthesis
Aerobic respiration equation
Anaerobic respiration — fermentation, muscle fatigue
Exercise — effects on breathing rate and heart rate
Oxygen debt — repayment after exercise
★ Required practical: investigating the rate of photosynthesis
Paper 2
Homeostasis and Response Red Amber Green
Homeostasis — definition and importance
The nervous system — CNS, neurones, synapses
Reflex arc — sensory, relay, motor neurones
The brain — regions and functions
The eye — structure and function, accommodation
Thermoregulation — vasodilation, sweating, shivering
Hormones — endocrine glands and target organs
Blood glucose control — insulin, glucagon, diabetes
Type 1 vs Type 2 diabetes — causes and treatments
Hormonal control of reproduction (FSH, LH, oestrogen, progesterone)
Contraception — hormonal and non-hormonal
Fertility treatments — IVF, fertility drugs
Osmoregulation — kidneys, urea, ADH
Plant hormones — auxin, gravitropism, phototropism
★ Required practical: measuring reaction time
Inheritance, Variation and Evolution Red Amber Green
Sexual vs asexual reproduction — advantages
Meiosis — stages and importance of variation
DNA structure and chromosome pairs
Genes, alleles — dominant and recessive
Punnett squares and probability of inheritance
Inherited disorders — cystic fibrosis, polydactyly
Sex determination — X and Y chromosomes
Mutations — causes and effects
Variation — genetic, environmental, combination
Natural selection and evolution
Evidence for evolution — fossils, antibiotic resistance
Selective breeding — process and examples
Genetic engineering — process, GM crops, insulin
Classification — kingdoms, phylogenetic trees
Ecology Red Amber Green
Ecosystems — habitats, populations, communities
Food chains and food webs
Abiotic factors — temperature, light, pH, moisture
Biotic factors — predation, competition, disease
Adaptations — structural, behavioural, functional
Predator-prey relationships and population cycles
Trophic levels and energy transfer
Pyramids of biomass
Carbon cycle
Water cycle
Nitrogen cycle — decomposers, nitrifying bacteria
Human impact — deforestation, global warming, land use
Biodiversity — importance and preservation
Pollution indicators — lichen, invertebrates
★ Required practical: sampling using quadrats and transects