Exam Guidelines Grade 11 Life Sciences

Biodiversity and Term 1 3 weeks

Classification of
Microorganisms
Paper 2: 29 marks
Content: Elaboration:
 Biodiversity and
Classification of Basic structure and general characteristics of:
Microorganisms - Viruses
- Bacteria
- Protista
- Fungi

Basic description of symbiotic relationships:

- Nitrogen-fixing bacteria in plants
- E. coli in the human intestine

Effect and management of one disease of each

group:
- Viruses (rabies, HIV/AIDS, influenza)
- Bacteria (blight, cholera, tuberculosis,
anthrax)
- Protists (Malaria
- Fungi (rusts, thrush, ringworm, athlete’s
foot)

Immunity
Plant and animals’ immune responses of
against the infecting microorganism.
 Natural and acquired immunity
 Immune response in plants
 Defense mechanisms against infections
(barriers to prevent entry, phagocytic white
blood cells (B-lymphocytes and T-
lymphocytes)).
 Vaccination (brief discussion)

Biological importance of the groups

 The role that these groups play in
maintaining balance in the environment and
web of life

Use of medicine
- Antibiotic effect on bacteria
- Antibiotic resistance (link to evolution in
Grade 12).
 - The use of microorganisms to produce
medicines e.g. insulin and antibiotics

Traditional technology to produce:

- Beer
- Wine
- Cheese

Biodiversity in plants and Term 1 3 weeks

reproduction
Paper 2: 29 marks
Content: Elaboration:
 Biodiversity in plants
and reproduction The four plant divisions:
- Bryophytes
- Pteridophytes
- Gymnosperms
- Angiosperms

Grouping of the four plant divisions based on

the presence or absence of:
- Vascular tissue (xylem/phloem)
- True leaves, stem, roots
- Seeds or spores
- Fruit
- Dominant generation (gametophyte or
spermatophyte)

Be able to identify the four divisions from diagrams

or pictures.

Decreasing dependence on water for reproduction

from Bryophytes to Angiosperms.

Asexual and sexual reproduction:

- Name advantages and disadvantages of
each.

Flowers as reproductive structures:

- Basic drawing of dicotyledonous flower.
- Provide functions for the structures in the
dicot flower.

Adaptations for pollination through different

pollinators:
- Wind
- Insects
- Birds
- Be able to provide the differences and
 similarities between the different pollinators.
The significance of seeds:
- Seed banks
- Seeds as a food source and
- Endemic species in South Africa (SANBI)

The use of a phylogenetic tree to show

evolutionary relationships.

Biodiversity in Animals Term 1 2 weeks

Paper 2: 18 marks
Content: Elaboration:
 Biodiversity in Animals
with a focus on six of The relationship between the body plan and
the major phyla grouping of animals in phyla. The concept of a
phylum.

Focus on the following six of the major phyla

(out of the 30 in the animal kingdom):
- Porifera
- Cnidarian
- Platyhelminthes
- Annelida
- Arthropoda
- Chordata

Key features in respect of body plan based on

the presence or absence of:
- Symmetry and cephalisation;
- The number of tissue layers developed from
embryo;
- The number of openings in the gut;
- Coelom and blood systems

No specific detail required only the presence or

absence of the above mentioned in the different
phyla.

The relationship between body plans and

modes of living for each six phyla:
- similarities and differences
- are they sessile or free-living
- aquatic or terrestrial

The role of invertebrates in agriculture and

ecosystems:
- pollination
- decomposition
- soil aeration
 The use of a phylogenetic tree to show
evolutionary relationships.

Energy Transformations to Term 1 & 2 3 weeks

Sustain Life
Paper 1: 31 marks
Content: Elaboration:
 Photosynthesis Process of photosynthesis using words and
symbols:
- the intake of raw material
- trapping and storing of energy
- formation of food in chloroplasts and its
storage.
- the release of oxygen
- mention only of light and dark phases (no
biochemical details of light and dark phases
are required)

Importance of photosynthesis:
- Release of oxygen
- Uptake of carbon dioxide from atmosphere
- Food production (trapping energy)

Effect of varying amounts of the following on

the rate of photosynthesis:
- Amount of light
- Carbon dioxide
- Temperature
A brief discussion and graphs to use in description.

Greenhouse system:
- The role of carbon dioxide enrichment,
- Optimum light
- Optimum temperature to improve crop
production.

Role of ATP as an important energy carrier in

the cell.

Diagram of a chloroplast.

Practical:
- Experiment to determine if light is essential
for photosynthesis.

Animal Nutrition Term 2 3 weeks

Paper 1: 31 marks
Content: Elaboration:
 Mammals
Dentition in terms of nutritional requirements
and lifestyles of:
- Herbivores
- Carnivores
- Omnivores

Human nutrition:
- Macro-structure of alimentary canal
- Associated organs
- Functions of different parts
- Be able to label diagrams to identify
different parts
- Micro-structure of the villi

The following processes and significance of

each:
- Ingestion
- Digestion
- Absorption
- Assimilation

Mechanical and physical digestion:

- Types and functions of different kinds of
teeth
- Process of chewing (mastication)
- Peristalsis
- Function of hard palate
- Bolus formation

Chemical digestion:
Functions of the following enzymes, where
they are produced, substrate, pH and the end-
products of digestion:
- Carbohydrases
- Proteases
- lipase

Absorption:
- small intestine as a region of most
absorption of digested food;
- adaptations to increase surface area.
- Structure and importance of villi.
- Importance of hepatic portal system in the
transport of absorbed food to the liver and
then through hepatic vein to the rest of the
body.

Assimilation:
 - incorporation of glucose and amino acids
into cells,
The role of the liver in assimilation:
- glucose metabolism,
- deamination of excess amino acids,
- breakdown of alcohol, drugs and hormones

Homeostatic control:
- Hormonal control of blood sugar levels
(insulin and glucagon) as well as glycogen
storage.
- Brief explanation of diabetes (symptoms
and causes of diabetes 1 and 2).
- increase in the number of people affected
by diabetes in recent years

Transformations to Sustain Term 2 1 weeks

Life
Paper 1: 22 marks
Content: Elaboration:
 Cellular respiration
The process of respiration and uses of energy
for living cells
Aerobic respiration:
- in cytoplasm and mitochondria;
- chemical equation
Use words and symbols to illustrate:
- Glycolysis
- Krebs Cycle
- Oxidative phosphorylation
- Know what compounds are released during
these different phases such as H2O and
CO2
- Brief outline of the phases above
- Know where they occur (cytosol,
mitochondria etc).

Anaerobic respiration:
- production of lactic acid in muscles during
exercise;
- using words and symbols.

The role of anaerobic respiration in the

industry
- beer brewing and bread making
- no detail required of processes just that
they are made using anaerobic respiration.

A comparison between aerobic respiration and

 anaerobic respiration in terms of:
- raw materials required,
- products
- relative amounts energy released.

Diagram of a mitochondria.

Practical:
- To show that carbon dioxide is produced by
living organisms during respiration
Gaseous Exchange Term 3 3 weeks
Paper 1: 31 marks
Content: Elaboration:
 Gaseous Exchange
Distinguish between:
- Cellular respiration
- Breathing
- Gas exchange

Human Gas Exchange

The structure (macro and tissue level),
location, adaptation and functioning of the
ventilation system and label diagrams:
- Trachea
- Epiglottis
- Bronchi
- Bronchioles
- Lungs
- Ribs
- Intercostal muscles
- Diaphragm
- Alveoli

Describe the following:

- Gaseous exchange in alveoli;
- The transport of gases around the body;
- Gaseous exchange in tissues; and
composition of inspired air vs expired air –
analyse data

Homeostatic control of breathing:

- How carbon dioxide and oxygen levels are
maintained
- Receptors for picking up changes in the
concentration of oxygen and carbon dioxide
levels
Excretion in humans Term 3 3 week
Paper 1: 31 marks
Content: Elaboration:
  Excretion in humans
Excretion in various organs:
- The lungs;
- The kidneys and bladder;
- The liver;
- The alimentary canal (gut) and
- The skin.
- The substances excreted by each and the
origins of these substances

Urinary system:
- Urinary system structure using diagrams
- Position of the kidneys,
- Ureters
- Bladder
- Urethra

Kidney:
- Macroscopic and structure of the kidney
using diagrams.
- Structure and functioning
- Removal of urea and excess water and
salts
- Re-absorption of glucose and salts

Nephron:
- Microscopic and structure of the kidney
using diagrams.
- Structure and functioning
- Ultra-filtration
- Re-absorption with some detail on the
sodium pump
- Tubular excretion
- pH control
- formation of urine

Homeostatic control of water and salts:

- role of ADH, location of secretion and target
area
- role of aldosterone, location of secretion
and target organ

Population Ecology Term 3 3 weeks

Paper 2: 37 marks
Content: Elaboration:
 Population ecology
Understand how population size is affected by:
- Immigration
 - Emigration
- Mortality
- Natality (births)

Aspects of population fluctuation and

regulation:
- Limiting factors (density dependent and
independent factors)
- Carrying capacity

Logistic and geometric growth curves with

phases.

Interactions in the environment:

Predation:
- two South Africa examples of predator- prey
relationship: graphs
Competition (interspecific):
- for light, space, water, shelter and food
Competition (intraspecific):
- for food, access to mates, water, space,
and shelter. Survival is determined by
access to the above, ecological niches;
Specialisation (competitive exclusion and
resource partitioning):
- discuss one example of coexistence in
animals and one example in plants.
Parasitism:
- two examples from South Africa; one
species benefit.
Mutualism:
- two examples from South Africa; both
species benefit;
Commensalism:
- two examples from South Africa.

Human population
Reasons for exponential growth:
- Age and gender distribution for different
countries
- Forecast of SA’s population growth over
next 20 years.
- Possible consequences for the environment
because of this.

Human impact on the Term 4 3 weeks

environment
Paper 2: 37 marks
Content: Elaboration:
 Human Impact on the
environment Detail, causes and consequences of the
following (related to conditions and
circumstances of South Arica).
The atmosphere and climate change:
- Carbon dioxide emission
- Concept of Carbon footprint and the need to
reduce it
- Deforestation
- Greenhouse effect and Global Warming
(desertification, droughts and floods).
- Methane emissions
- Ozone depletion

Water availability affected by:

- Construction of dams
- Destruction of wetlands
- Poor farming practices
- Droughts and floods
- Exotic plantation and depletion of water
table
- Boreholes and effects of aquifers
- Wastage
- Cost of water

Water quality affected by:

- Water for domestic use
- Industry
- Agriculture and mining
- Pollution
- Diseases
- Eutrophication and algal bloom
- Effect of mining on water quality through
thermal pollution
- Need for water purification and recycling
- Alien plants

Impact of the following on Food security

- Human exponential growth
- Droughts and floods (climate change)
- Poor farming practices (monoculture, pest
control, loss of topsoil, need for fertilisers)
- Alien plants and reduction of agricultural
land
- Loss of wild varieties (impact on gene pool)
- Genetically engineered foods
- Wastage
Loss of biodiversity (sixth mass extinction)
Habitat destruction
- Farming methods such as monoculture,
overgrazing, golf estates, mining,
urbanization, deforestation, loss of wetlands
and grasslands.
Poaching
- Rhino horn, ivory and bush meat
Alien plant invasions
- Control using mechanical, chemical and
biological methods (discuss with detail).
Indigenous knowledge system and sustainable
use of environment
- Devils claw, rooibos, fynbos, African potato
and Hoodia.

Solid waste and disposal

- Managing dumpsites for rehabilitation and
prevention of soil and water pollution
- The need for recycling
- Using methane from dump sites for
domestic use: heating and lighting
- Safe disposal of nuclear waste