Edexcel International GCSE Biology, topic 5
Use of biological resources
Humans use living organisms to produce food. This topic looks at how crop yields are increased in glasshouses and with fertilisers and pest control, and how yeast and bacteria are grown to make foods such as bread and yoghurt. It then moves on to selective breeding, genetic modification and cloning.
Revision notes
Worksheet
FlashcardsSubtopics
Work through them in order. Each one has notes, exam questions and flashcards, and a PDF of each.
- 1Food production: crop plants Spec 5.1–5.4How glasshouses, fertilisers, pesticides and biological control are used to increase the yield of crop plants.NotesQuestions 6Flashcards 8
- 2Food production: micro-organisms and fish farming Spec 5.5–5.9BHow yeast and Lactobacillus are used to make bread and yoghurt, how fermenters work, and how fish are farmed.NotesQuestions 8Flashcards 16
- 3Selective breeding and genetic modification Spec 5.10–5.16How selective breeding improves plants and animals, and how genetic engineering uses enzymes and vectors to make insulin and GM crops.NotesQuestions 7Flashcards 16
- 4Cloning Biology onlySpec 5.17B–5.20BMicropropagation of plants, cloning mammals such as Dolly the sheep, and how cloned transgenic animals make human proteins.NotesQuestions 5Flashcards 10
Whole topic
When you have done the subtopics: test yourself on everything, or print the lot.