P.E.N.I.

IGCSE Biology (0610)

A summary of the 2019 Syllabus.
Contents
1 Characteristics and classification of
living organisms………………………...1
2 Organization of the organism……..10
3 Movement in and out of cells……….
4 Biological molecules………………….
5 Enzymes…………………………….....
6 Plant nutrition……………………......
7 Human nutrition…………………......
8 Transport in plants………………......
9 Transport in animals………………...
10 Diseases and immunity………........
11 Gas exchange in humans……….....
12 Respiration………………………......
13 Excretion in humans………………..
14 Coordination and response………...
15 Drugs…………………………............
16 Reproduction…………………...........
17 Inheritance…………………………...
18 Variation and selection……………..
19 Organisms and their
environment……………………………..
20 Biotechnology and genetic
engineering……………………………….
21 Human influences on
ecosystems………………………............
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Chapter 1
Characteristics
and classification
of living
organisms

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1.1 Characteristics of
living organisms
M
– movement as an action by an organism or
part of an organism causing a change of
position or place

R
– respiration as the chemical reactions in
cells that break down nutrient molecules
and release energy for metabolism

S
– sensitivity as the ability to detect or
sense stimuli in the internal or external
environment and to make appropriate
responses

G
– growth as a permanent increase in size
and dry mass by an increase in cell
number or cell size or both

R
– reproduction as the processes that make
more of the same kind of organism

E
– excretion as removal from organisms
of the waste products of metabolism
(chemical reactions in cells including
respiration), toxic materials, and
substances in excess of requirements

N
– nutrition as taking in of materials for
energy, growth and development; plants
require light, carbon dioxide, water and
ions; animals need organic compounds
and ions and usually need water

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1.2 Concept and use of
a classification system
Organisms can be classified into groups by the features that
they share.

Species: a group of organisms that can reproduce to produce

fertile offspring.

The binomial system of naming species is an internationally

agreed system in which the scientific name of an organism is
made up of two parts showing the genus and species.

Genus Gorilla gorilla Species

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Classification systems aim to reflect (describe) evolutionary
relationships.

An example of evolutionary relationships, don’t need to memorize this.

Classification is traditionally based on studies of morphology

and anatomy.

The sequences of bases in DNA and of amino acids in proteins

are used as a more accurate means of classification compared to
comparing visible features.

Organisms which share a more recent ancestor (are more closely

related) have base sequences in DNA that are more similar than
those that share only a distant ancestor.

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1.3 Features of
organisms
The features in the cells of all living
organisms:
1.Cytoplasm:
• A clear jelly
• Nearly all water, ~70% in many cells
• Has many substances dissolved in it, especially proteins
• Many metabolic reactions take place in it
2.Cell membrane:
• Very thin layer of protein
• Controls what goes in and out of cells
• Partially permeable
3.DNA:
• Genetic material
4.Ribosomes:
• Does protein synthesis.
• Found in Rough Endoplasmic Reticulum (Rough ER)
• Found in all types of cells.
5.Enzymes:
• Involved in respiration.

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The features of the 5 kingdoms:
Animals:
• Multicellular
• Cells have nucleus, but
no cell walls or
chloroplasts.
• Feed on organic
substances made by
other living organisms
Protoctista:
• Often unicellular
• Have no nucleus
• Have cell walls, not
made of cellulose
• Have no mitochondria
Fungi:
• Usually multicellular
• Have nuclei
• Has cell walls not
made of cellulose
• Does not have
chlorophyll
• Feed by saprophyitic
or parasytic nutrition.
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Plants:
• Multicellular
• Cells have nucleus, has cell
walls made of cellulose and
often contain chloroplasts.
• Feed by photosynthesis
• May have roots, stems and
leaves.
Protoctista:
• Multicellular or
unicellular
• Cells have nucleus
• Cells may or may not
have a cell wall and
chloroplasts.
• Some feed by
photosynthesis and
some feed on organic
substances made by
other organisms.
Classifying Animals
Fish: Amphibians:
• Has scaly skin • Has moist, scale-less skin
• Have gills • Eggs laid in water and
• Have fins larva lives in water
Reptiles: • Adult often lives on land
• Has scaly skin • Larva has gills, adults
• Lay eggs with rubbery have lungs.
shells Birds:
Mammals: • Has feathers
• Has hair • Forelimbs have become
• Has placenta wings
• Young feed on milk • Lays eggs with hard
from mammary gland shells
• Endothermic • Endothermic
• Has a diaphragm • Has a beak
• Has 4-chambered heart • Has 4-chambered heart
• Has different types of
teeth Phylum Vertebrae
Phylum Arthropods
Insects:
• 3 pairs of jointed legs Crustaceans:
• Two pairs of wings (one • More than four pairs of
or both may be jointed legs
vestigial) • Not millipedes or
• Breathe through centipedes
tracheae • Breathe through gills
• Body divided into head, Arachnids:
thorax and abdomen • Has four pairs of
Myriapods: jointed legs
• Body consists of many • Breathe through gills
segments called book lungs
• Each segment has
jointed legs 7
Classifying Plants
Ferns:
• Has roots, stems and
leaves
• Has leaves called fronds
• Does not produce
flowers
• Reproduces by spores
Monocotyledon:
• Monocotyledons have
one cotyledon in the
embryo
• Leaf veins are parallel
• Petals in multiples of
three
• Fibrous roots
• Bundles of vascular
tissue scattered
throughout the stem
with no particular
arrangement, and has
no cortex.
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Flowering plants:
• Has roots, stems and
leaves
• Reproduce sexually using
seeds and flowers
• Seeds are produced inside
the ovary in the flower
Dicotyledon:
• The dicot embryo has two
cotyledons
• Leaf veins are reticulated
(branched)
• Petals in multiples of four
or five
• Taproot system
• Bundles of vascular tissue
arranged in a ring. The
vascular system is divided
into a cortex and stele.
1.4 Dichotomous keys
Later, in the IGCSE, you may be asked to construct and use simple
dichotomous keys based on easily identifiable features.

How to use keys:

1. Pick an organism to identify
2. Decide which description in Step 1 matches your organism
3. If there is no matching description in Step 1 move on to Step 2
4. Repeat these steps until all organisms have been grouped

Step One

Step Two

Step Three

Step Four

Step Five

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Chapter 2
Organization of
the organism

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2.1 Cell structure and
organization
Difference between Animal and Plant Cells
Animal Cells: Plant Cells:
• Have no cell wall • Have cellulose cell wall
• Have nucleus • Have nucleus
• Have cytoplasm • Have cytoplasm
• Have no chloroplasts • Have chloroplasts
• Have only small vacuoles • Have large vacuoles containing
• Have a cell membrane on cell sap
the outermost layer • Have a cell membrane on the
layer under cell wall

Function of cells visible with light microscope

Cell membrane: Controls what
goes in and out of cells
Cell wall: Helps to protect and
support the cell
Cytoplasm: Where many
metabolic reactions take place in
it
Vacuoles: Helps plant cell keep
its shape. While in animal cells
they are smaller and are called
vesicles and they might contain
food and water
Nucleus: Where genetic material
is stored

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The cytoplasm of all cells contains ribosomes on rough endoplasmic
reticulum and vesicles.

Almost all cells, except prokaryotes, have mitochondria and rough

endoplasmic reticulum.

Later, in the IGCSE, you may be asked to identify

mitochondria and rough endoplasmic reticulum in diagrams
and images of cells.

Mitochondria Rough endoplasmic reticulum

Aerobic respiration occurs in mitochondria.

Cells with high rates of metabolism require large numbers

of mitochondria to provide sufficient energy.

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2.2 Levels of
organization
–Ciliated cells: For movement of mucus in the trachea and
bronchi
–Root hair cells: For absorption
– Xylem vessels: For conduction and support
– Palisade mesophyll cells: For photosynthesis
– Nerve cells: For conduction of impulses
– Red blood cells: For the transport of oxygen
– Sperm and egg cells: For reproduction

Tissue is a group of cells with similar structures, working

together to perform a shared function.

Organ is a structure made up of a group of tissues, working

together to perform specific functions.

Organ system is a group of organs with related functions,

working together to perform body functions.

Later, in the IGCSE, you may be asked to state examples of

tissues, organs and organ systems.

Later, in the IGCSE, you may be asked to identify the

different levels of organization in drawings, diagrams and
images of familiar or unfamiliar material

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2.3 Size of specimens
Later, in the IGCSE, you will be asked to calculate
magnification and size of biological specimens using
millimeters and micrometers as units.

mm=Millimeters
μm=Micrometers
1 Meter=1000000 Micrometers (106 )
1 Millimeter=1000 Micrometers (103 )

Formula of Real Size in μm

size of the image in μm
Real Size in μm= magnification

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Chapter 3
Movement in and
out of cells

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3.1 Diffusion
Diffusion is the net movement of particles from a region of their
higher concentration to a region of their lower concentration
down a concentration gradient, as a result of their random
movement.

The energy for diffusion comes from the kinetic energy of

random movement of molecules and ions

Living organisms need diffusion to obtain their requirements

and also to dispose of many waste products using diffusion.
Diffusion is also important for gas exchange for respiration in
animals and plants.

Substances move into and out of cells by diffusion through the

cell membrane.

Factors that influence diffusion

Surface area: Larger surface area, higher diffusion rates.
Temperature: Higher temperature, higher diffusion rates.
Concentration gradients: Higher concentration gradients,
higher diffusion rates.
Distance: Less distance, higher diffusion rate

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3.2 Osmosis
Water diffuses through partially permeable membranes by
osmosis.

Osmosis is the net movement of water molecules from a

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

Water moves in and out of cells by osmosis through the cell

membrane.

Plant Tissue in:

A hypotonic solution: Plant cell becomes turgid as water
flows into it, it doesn’t burst however its turgor pressure
increases as there are more fluids inside of it.
An isotonic solution: Plant cell becomes flaccid as net water
flow is equal.
A hypertonic solution: Plant cell experiences plasmolysis
and becomes plasmolysed as most of its water left the cell.

Plants are supported by the pressure of water inside the cells

pressing outwards on the cell wall.

Osmosis and uptake of water is important in plants for

transpiration and photosynthesis as well.
Osmosis and uptake of water is important in animals to
separate and expel toxic waste from the bloodstream.

Plants are supported by turgor pressure as water pressure

acting against an inelastic cell wall to maintain its structure.

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3.3 Active transport
Active transport is the movement of particles through a cell
membrane from a region of lower concentration to a region of
higher concentration using energy from respiration.

Active transport is useful in ion uptake by root hairs and

uptake of glucose by epithelial cells of villi and kidney
tubules.

Protein molecules move particles across a membrane during

active transport by using ATP to change its shape.

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