SearchResourcesRevision notes Flashcards Mind maps Exam questions Topic tests PracticalsGCSE Biology coursesAQA GCSE Biology (8461)AQA GCSE Combined Science: Trilogy (8464)Edexcel GCSE Biology (1BI0)Edexcel GCSE Combined Science (1SC0)IGCSE Biology coursesCambridge IGCSE Biology (0610)Cambridge IGCSE Combined Science (0653)Edexcel International GCSE Biology (4BI1)Edexcel International GCSE Science (Double Award) (4SD0)MoreAbout Contact Book a tutor

Edexcel International GCSE Biology specification checklist

All 176 spec points of 4BI1 that our notes cover, topic by topic. Rate each one red, amber or green as you revise, and follow the link to the note when you need it.

Edexcel International GCSE Biology (4BI1) specification checklist · clockitwithsci.com

Official specification (PDF)

The numbers are Edexcel's own spec references for 4BI1. Biology only: only in International GCSE Biology. Double Award students can skip it. Teachers: you are welcome to print this checklist and share it with your classes.

1The nature and variety of living organisms

Characteristics and variety of living organisms · 1.1–1.4
Spec	What to know (the note)	Not yet	Nearly	Confident
1.1	Characteristics of living organisms
1.2	Plants and animals; Fungi and protoctists
1.3	Bacteria
1.4	Viruses and pathogens

2Structure and functions in living organisms

Cells and levels of organisation · 2.1–2.6B
Spec	What to know (the note)	Not yet	Nearly	Confident
2.1	Levels of organisation
2.2	Animal and plant cell structure
2.3	Animal and plant cell structure
2.4	Animal and plant cell structure
2.5B	Cell differentiation and specialised cells Biology only
2.6B	Stem cells in medicine Biology only

Biological molecules and enzymes · 2.7–2.14B
Spec	What to know (the note)	Not yet	Nearly	Confident
2.7	Carbohydrates, proteins and lipids
2.8	Carbohydrates, proteins and lipids
2.9	Practical: food tests
2.10	Enzymes as biological catalysts
2.11	Temperature, pH and enzyme activity
2.12	Practical: temperature, pH and enzyme activity
2.13	Temperature, pH and enzyme activity
2.14B	Practical: temperature, pH and enzyme activity

Movement of substances into and out of cells · 2.15–2.17
Spec	What to know (the note)	Not yet	Nearly	Confident
2.15	Diffusion; Osmosis; Active transport
2.16	Factors affecting the rate of movement
2.17	Practical: diffusion and osmosis

Nutrition in flowering plants · 2.18–2.23
Spec	What to know (the note)	Not yet	Nearly	Confident
2.18	Photosynthesis and its equations
2.19	Photosynthesis and its equations
2.20	Factors affecting the rate of photosynthesis
2.21	Leaf structure and adaptations
2.22	Mineral ions: magnesium and nitrate
2.23	Practical: oxygen from a water plant; Practical: starch, light, carbon dioxide and chlorophyll
2.42B	Leaf structure and adaptations

Human nutrition · 2.24–2.33B
Spec	What to know (the note)	Not yet	Nearly	Confident
2.24	A balanced diet and energy needs
2.25	Nutrients: sources and functions
2.26	A balanced diet and energy needs
2.27	The alimentary canal and peristalsis
2.28	The alimentary canal and peristalsis
2.29	Digestive enzymes
2.30	Bile
2.31	Bile
2.32	Absorption in the small intestine
2.33B	Practical: energy content of food Biology only

Respiration · 2.34–2.39
Spec	What to know (the note)	Not yet	Nearly	Confident
2.34	Respiration and ATP
2.35	Respiration and ATP
2.36	Comparing aerobic and anaerobic respiration
2.37	Aerobic and anaerobic respiration equations
2.38	Aerobic and anaerobic respiration equations
2.39	Practical: carbon dioxide and heat from respiring seeds

Gas exchange in flowering plants · 2.40B, 2.41B, 2.43B–2.45B, 2.70
Spec	What to know (the note)	Not yet	Nearly	Confident
2.40B	Gas exchange, diffusion and stomata
2.41B	Gas exchange, diffusion and stomata
2.43B	Gas exchange, diffusion and stomata
2.44B	Net gas exchange by day and night Biology only
2.45B	Practical: light and net gas exchange Biology only
2.70	Gas exchange, diffusion and stomata

Gas exchange in humans · 2.46–2.50
Spec	What to know (the note)	Not yet	Nearly	Confident
2.46	The structure of the thorax
2.47	Ventilation: breathing in and out
2.48	Alveoli and gas exchange
2.49	Smoking, the lungs and the circulatory system
2.50	Practical: breathing, carbon dioxide and exercise

The need for transport and transport in plants · 2.51–2.58B
Spec	What to know (the note)	Not yet	Nearly	Confident
2.51	Why multicellular organisms need transport systems
2.52	Why multicellular organisms need transport systems
2.53	Xylem and phloem
2.54	Xylem and phloem
2.55B	Water uptake by root hair cells Biology only
2.56B	Transpiration Biology only
2.57B	Factors affecting transpiration and the potometer Biology only
2.58B	Factors affecting transpiration and the potometer Biology only

Blood and the immune system · 2.59–2.64B
Spec	What to know (the note)	Not yet	Nearly	Confident
2.59	Blood: composition, plasma and red blood cells
2.60	Blood: composition, plasma and red blood cells
2.61	Blood: composition, plasma and red blood cells
2.62	White blood cells and the immune response
2.63B	Vaccination and memory cells Biology only
2.64B	Platelets and blood clotting Biology only

The heart and circulation · 2.65–2.69
Spec	What to know (the note)	Not yet	Nearly	Confident
2.65	Structure and function of the heart
2.66	Heart rate, exercise and adrenaline
2.67	Coronary heart disease and its risk factors
2.68	Arteries, veins and capillaries
2.69	The circulation system

Excretion · 2.71–2.79B
Spec	What to know (the note)	Not yet	Nearly	Confident
2.71	Excretion: lungs, kidneys and skin
2.72B	The kidney and the urinary system Biology only
2.73B	The kidney and the urinary system Biology only
2.74B	The nephron and ultrafiltration Biology only
2.75B	The nephron and ultrafiltration Biology only
2.76B	Selective reabsorption and urine Biology only
2.77B	Selective reabsorption and urine Biology only
2.78B	ADH and the water content of the blood Biology only
2.79B	Selective reabsorption and urine Biology only

Coordination, homeostasis and plant responses · 2.80–2.85
Spec	What to know (the note)	Not yet	Nearly	Confident
2.80	Responding to change: stimulus, receptor, effector
2.81	Homeostasis
2.82	Responding to change: stimulus, receptor, effector
2.83	Plant tropisms and auxin
2.84	Plant tropisms and auxin
2.85	Plant tropisms and auxin

The nervous system and the eye · 2.87–2.92
Spec	What to know (the note)	Not yet	Nearly	Confident
2.87	The central nervous system and nerve impulses
2.88	The central nervous system and nerve impulses
2.89	Synapses and neurotransmitters
2.90	The reflex arc
2.91	Structure and function of the eye
2.92	Focusing and the pupil reflex

Hormones and temperature control · 2.86, 2.93–2.95B
Spec	What to know (the note)	Not yet	Nearly	Confident
2.86	Nervous and hormonal communication compared
2.93	The skin and temperature control
2.94	Adrenaline, insulin and the sex hormones
2.95B	ADH, FSH and LH Biology only

3Reproduction and inheritance

Sexual and asexual reproduction, and reproduction in plants · 3.1–3.7
Spec	What to know (the note)	Not yet	Nearly	Confident
3.1	Sexual and asexual reproduction
3.2	Sexual and asexual reproduction
3.3	Insect- and wind-pollinated flowers
3.4	Fertilisation, seeds and fruits
3.5	Practical: conditions for germination
3.6	Germination and food reserves
3.7	Asexual reproduction in plants

Human reproduction · 3.8–3.13
Spec	What to know (the note)	Not yet	Nearly	Confident
3.8	Male and female reproductive systems
3.9	Oestrogen, progesterone and the menstrual cycle
3.10B	FSH and LH in the menstrual cycle Biology only
3.11	The placenta and amniotic fluid
3.12	The placenta and amniotic fluid
3.13	Puberty and secondary sexual characteristics

DNA, genes and protein synthesis · 3.14–3.18B
Spec	What to know (the note)	Not yet	Nearly	Confident
3.14	The genome, genes and chromosomes
3.15	The genome, genes and chromosomes
3.16B	The structure of DNA Biology only
3.17B	RNA and protein synthesis Biology only
3.18B	RNA and protein synthesis Biology only

Inheritance · 3.19–3.27
Spec	What to know (the note)	Not yet	Nearly	Confident
3.19	Alleles and genetic terms
3.20	Alleles and genetic terms
3.21B	Codominance Biology only
3.22	Polygenic inheritance
3.23	Monohybrid inheritance and genetic diagrams
3.24	Family pedigrees and probabilities
3.25	Family pedigrees and probabilities
3.26	Sex determination
3.27	Sex determination

Cell division, variation and evolution · 3.28–3.39
Spec	What to know (the note)	Not yet	Nearly	Confident
3.28	Mitosis
3.29	Growth, repair, cloning and asexual reproduction
3.30	Meiosis, fertilisation and chromosome number
3.31	Meiosis, fertilisation and chromosome number
3.32	Meiosis, fertilisation and chromosome number
3.33	Genetic and environmental variation
3.34	Mutations and the phenotype
3.35B	Mutations and the phenotype
3.36B	Mutations and the phenotype
3.37B	Causes of mutation Biology only
3.38	Darwin's theory of evolution by natural selection
3.39	Antibiotic resistance

4Ecology and the environment

The organism in the environment · 4.1–4.5
Spec	What to know (the note)	Not yet	Nearly	Confident
4.1	Population, community, habitat and ecosystem
4.2	Practical: population size with quadrats; Estimating population size
4.3B	Biodiversity Biology only
4.4B	Practical: distribution and biodiversity Biology only
4.5	Abiotic and biotic factors

Feeding relationships · 4.6–4.9
Spec	What to know (the note)	Not yet	Nearly	Confident
4.6	Trophic levels
4.7	Food chains and food webs; Pyramids of number, biomass and energy
4.8	Energy transfer and the 10% rule
4.9	Energy transfer and the 10% rule

Human influences on the environment · 4.12–4.18B
Spec	What to know (the note)	Not yet	Nearly	Confident
4.12	Air pollution: sulfur dioxide and carbon monoxide
4.13	Greenhouse gases and human activities
4.14	Greenhouse gases and human activities
4.15	The enhanced greenhouse effect and global warming
4.16	Water pollution by sewage
4.17	Eutrophication
4.18B	Deforestation Biology only

5Use of biological resources

Food production: crop plants · 5.1–5.4
Spec	What to know (the note)	Not yet	Nearly	Confident
5.1	Glasshouses and polythene tunnels
5.2	Glasshouses and polythene tunnels
5.3	Fertilisers, pesticides and biological control
5.4	Fertilisers, pesticides and biological control

Food production: micro-organisms and fish farming · 5.5–5.9B
Spec	What to know (the note)	Not yet	Nearly	Confident
5.5	Yeast and bread making
5.6	Practical: anaerobic respiration in yeast
5.7	Bacteria and yoghurt
5.8	Industrial fermenters
5.9B	Fish farming Biology only

Selective breeding and genetic modification · 5.10–5.16
Spec	What to know (the note)	Not yet	Nearly	Confident
5.10	Selective breeding of plants and animals
5.11	Selective breeding of plants and animals
5.12	Restriction enzymes, ligase and vectors
5.13	Restriction enzymes, ligase and vectors
5.14	Human insulin from genetically modified bacteria
5.15	Genetically modified plants
5.16	Restriction enzymes, ligase and vectors

Cloning · 5.17B–5.20B
Spec	What to know (the note)	Not yet	Nearly	Confident
5.17B	Micropropagation (tissue culture) Biology only
5.18B	Micropropagation (tissue culture) Biology only
5.19B	Cloning mammals: Dolly the sheep Biology only
5.20B	Cloned transgenic animals and human proteins Biology only

Ticks are not saved, so print the checklist to keep track. Look up any word you are unsure of in the glossary, and when a topic is green, try it on past papers.