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Edexcel GCSE Combined Science revision notes

Short notes for every spec point in Combined Science (triple-only content is left out). Pick a topic, then a note.

1

Key concepts in biology

5 subtopics · 18 notes

Cell structure and specialised cells
  1. Subtopic overview: questions, flashcards and PDFs
  2. Animal and plant cells
  3. Bacterial cells
  4. Specialised cells
Microscopy and measuring cells
  1. Subtopic overview: questions, flashcards and PDFs
  2. Changes in microscope technology
  3. Number, size and scale: estimations
  4. Units: milli, micro, nano and pico
  5. Core practical: using a microscope
Enzyme action and activity
  1. Subtopic overview: questions, flashcards and PDFs
  2. How enzymes work
  3. Denaturing enzymes
  4. Temperature, substrate concentration and pH
  5. Core practical: the effect of pH on enzyme activity
  6. Rate calculations for enzyme activity
Biological catalysts, food tests and energy in food
  1. Subtopic overview: questions, flashcards and PDFs
  2. The importance of enzymes
Transport in cells
  1. Subtopic overview: questions, flashcards and PDFs
  2. Diffusion
  3. Osmosis
  4. Active transport
  5. Core practical: osmosis in potatoes
  6. Percentage gain and loss of mass
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2

Cells and control

3 subtopics · 14 notes

Mitosis and cancer
  1. Subtopic overview: questions, flashcards and PDFs
  2. The cell cycle and mitosis
  3. What mitosis produces
  4. Why mitosis is important
  5. Cancer
Growth, differentiation and stem cells
  1. Subtopic overview: questions, flashcards and PDFs
  2. Growth in animals and plants
  3. Cell differentiation
  4. Percentile charts
  5. Stem cells and meristems
  6. Stem cells in medicine
Neurones and reflexes
  1. Subtopic overview: questions, flashcards and PDFs
  2. Receptors and the nervous pathway
  3. Neurone structure
  4. Synapses
  5. Reflex arcs
  6. Investigating reaction times
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3

Genetics

4 subtopics · 13 notes

Reproduction and meiosis
  1. Subtopic overview: questions, flashcards and PDFs
  2. Meiosis
DNA and the genome
  1. Subtopic overview: questions, flashcards and PDFs
  2. The structure of DNA
  3. The genome and genes
  4. Extracting DNA from fruit
Inheritance
  1. Subtopic overview: questions, flashcards and PDFs
  2. Alleles and inherited differences
  3. Key genetic terms
  4. Monohybrid inheritance
  5. Sex determination
  6. Calculating and analysing outcomes
Variation, mutations and the Human Genome Project
  1. Subtopic overview: questions, flashcards and PDFs
  2. Features controlled by multiple genes
  3. Causes of variation
  4. Mutations and genetic variation
  5. The Human Genome Project
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4

Natural selection and genetic modification

5 subtopics · 9 notes

Darwin, natural selection and antibiotic resistance
  1. Subtopic overview: questions, flashcards and PDFs
  2. Evolution by natural selection
  3. Resistant organisms and antibiotic resistance
Evidence for evolution and classification
  1. Subtopic overview: questions, flashcards and PDFs
  2. Fossil evidence for human evolution
  3. Stone tools
  4. Five kingdoms and three domains
Selective breeding and tissue culture
  1. Subtopic overview: questions, flashcards and PDFs
  2. Selective breeding
Genetic engineering
  1. Subtopic overview: questions, flashcards and PDFs
  2. What is genetic engineering?
  3. The main stages of genetic engineering Higher tier
Agriculture and evaluating biotechnology
  1. Subtopic overview: questions, flashcards and PDFs
  2. Evaluating genetic engineering and selective breeding
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5

Health, disease and the development of medicines

5 subtopics · 15 notes

Health and disease
  1. Subtopic overview: questions, flashcards and PDFs
  2. What is health?
  3. Communicable and non-communicable diseases
  4. How one disease can lead to another
Pathogens and infections
  1. Subtopic overview: questions, flashcards and PDFs
  2. What is a pathogen?
  3. Common infections
  4. How pathogens spread and how to control them
  5. Sexually transmitted infections
Human defences and immunity
  1. Subtopic overview: questions, flashcards and PDFs
  2. Physical barriers and chemical defences
  3. The specific immune system
  4. Immunisation
Antibiotics, culturing microorganisms and new medicines
  1. Subtopic overview: questions, flashcards and PDFs
  2. Antibiotics
  3. Developing new medicines
Non-communicable diseases
  1. Subtopic overview: questions, flashcards and PDFs
  2. Causes of non-communicable diseases
  3. Lifestyle factors and non-communicable diseases
  4. Treating cardiovascular disease
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6

Plant structures and their functions

3 subtopics · 12 notes

Photosynthesis and limiting factors
  1. Subtopic overview: questions, flashcards and PDFs
  2. Photosynthetic organisms as producers
  3. The photosynthesis reaction
  4. Limiting factors
  5. Interactions between limiting factors Higher tier
  6. Core practical: light intensity and photosynthesis
  7. Light intensity, distance and the inverse square law Higher tier
Transport in plants
  1. Subtopic overview: questions, flashcards and PDFs
  2. Root hair cells
  3. Xylem and phloem
  4. Transpiration and stomata
  5. Translocation
Leaves, water uptake and extreme environments
  1. Subtopic overview: questions, flashcards and PDFs
  2. Factors affecting water uptake
  3. Rate calculations for transpiration
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7

Animal coordination, control and homeostasis

4 subtopics · 14 notes

Hormones and the endocrine system
  1. Subtopic overview: questions, flashcards and PDFs
  2. The endocrine system
  3. Adrenalin and fight or flight Higher tier
  4. Thyroxine and negative feedback Higher tier
The menstrual cycle and fertility control
  1. Subtopic overview: questions, flashcards and PDFs
  2. The menstrual cycle
  3. How four hormones control the cycle Higher tier
  4. Hormonal contraception
  5. Evaluating hormonal and barrier methods
  6. Assisted reproductive technology Higher tier
Homeostasis and temperature control
  1. Subtopic overview: questions, flashcards and PDFs
  2. Maintaining a constant internal environment
Blood glucose and diabetes
  1. Subtopic overview: questions, flashcards and PDFs
  2. Insulin and blood glucose
  3. Glucagon Higher tier
  4. Type 1 diabetes
  5. Type 2 diabetes
  6. Body mass, BMI and type 2 diabetes
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8

Exchange and transport in animals

4 subtopics · 10 notes

Transport and exchange surfaces
  1. Subtopic overview: questions, flashcards and PDFs
  2. The need to transport substances
  3. Exchange surfaces, transport systems and surface area : volume ratio
  4. Alveoli and gas exchange
Blood and blood vessels
  1. Subtopic overview: questions, flashcards and PDFs
  2. The structure and function of blood
  3. The structure and function of blood vessels
The heart and circulation
  1. Subtopic overview: questions, flashcards and PDFs
  2. The heart and circulatory system
  3. Heart rate, stroke volume and cardiac output
Respiration
  1. Subtopic overview: questions, flashcards and PDFs
  2. Cellular respiration
  3. Comparing aerobic and anaerobic respiration
  4. Core practical: the rate of respiration in living organisms
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9

Ecosystems and material cycles

4 subtopics · 14 notes

Communities and interdependence
  1. Subtopic overview: questions, flashcards and PDFs
  2. Levels of organisation
  3. Abiotic and biotic factors
  4. Interdependence
  5. Parasitism and mutualism
Fieldwork and sampling
  1. Subtopic overview: questions, flashcards and PDFs
  2. Core practical: quadrats and belt transects
  3. Estimating the number of organisms
Human impacts, biodiversity and food security
  1. Subtopic overview: questions, flashcards and PDFs
  2. Fish farming
  3. Non-indigenous species
  4. Eutrophication
  5. Benefits of maintaining biodiversity
Material cycles
  1. Subtopic overview: questions, flashcards and PDFs
  2. Cycling of materials
  3. The carbon cycle
  4. The water cycle and potable water
  5. The nitrogen cycle
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