Biology Triple Spring Term
Course overview
Learners will finish Genetic inheritance & the nervous system and move onto new topics “Evolution” & “Plant organisation”
Genetic inheritance; This unit starts by looking at types of reproduction and how asexual leds to making clones and sexual produces unique offspring. We will study how meiosis produces gamete cells, containing half the number of chromosomes in a normal body cell. We will look at the structure of DNA, that scientists have studied the whole genome and the importance of this for medicine. Genetic mutations occur continuously but rarely they can affect the functioning of an animal or plant, sometimes for the better. We will also look at genetic inheritance and study some genetic disorders. In triple we also look into the history of genetics and how the work of different scientists have helped us gain the knowledge we have today.
Nervous system; The human body can only survive under specific conditions; constant body temperature and pH as well as a constant supply of food and water. The body has a series of control systems to monitor and adjust the composition of the blood and tissues to stay alive. In this unit we look at the importance of this and focus on how the nervous system helps to sense changes in our body and how we respond to those changes. We will look at both conscious responses and reflex responses, carrying out a practical to find out how fast our reflexes are. In Triple science we will look into the nervous system in more detail; studying the structure of the brain, looking at how our body changes to respond to different temperatures and the structure of the eye. We will look at how challenging it is to understand what the brain does and how scientists have overcome these challenges. We will also look at how we use lenses to correct vision.
Evolution; During this unit learners will be able to explore where we all came from and how things develop over time. There is a key focus on animals and evolution, they will also apply their knowledge of evolution to a developing issue in our hospitals with MRSA. They will get to see what survival of the fittest really means and touch on the key moments in history where our understanding of evolution came from. This unit looks at Darwin’s theory as well as reviewing and comparing others theories and why Darwin’s theory was accepted. Learners will get to explore speciation, evidence of evolution with a focus on fossils as well as classification.
Plant organisation; Students look at the structure of plant cells, tissues and organs and how they are adapted to their functions. This unit will also give them an opportunity to revise the different organelles in cells and compare plant and animal cells. Students specifically look into the xylem and phloem which transport substances around a plant. They will look into what can affect the rate of transpiration and how this links to how plants are adapted to live in different environments. They will recall the various methods of cell transport and how root hair cells are specialised to carry out all three.
Key Concept:
Genetics, nervous system including reflex responses, evolution & how plants are organised
Assessment Points:
End of unit assessment will consist of a 40 mark test
Midway assessment set by class teacher which could be an exam question
Guidance:
Learners will receive guidance in a variety of ways. These include marked assessments, reports, verbal feedback, written feedback in books, 1:1 interaction, Google Classroom and whole class feedback.
Key Vocabulary:
Genetic inheritance
Alleles
Antenatal
chromosome
cystic fibrosis
DNA
dominant
gamete
Gene
genotype
heterozygous
homozygous
nucleus
Preimplantation Genetic Diagnosis (PGD)
probability
recessive
recessive allele
Zygote
Nervous system
Brain
Central Nervous System
Cerebellum
Cerebral Cortex
Effector
Enzyme
Glucose
Hypothalamus
Medulla
MRI
Nervous System
Neurone
Neurotransmitter
Receptors
Reflex Action
Reflex Arc
Stimulus
Synapse
Homeostasis
Hormones
Vasoconstriction
Vasodilation
Hyperopia
Myopia
The Eye
Thermoregulatory Centre
Evolution
alleles
antibiotic
bacteria
evolution
gene
natural selection
organism
phenotype
predators
sediment
speciation
species
variation
Charles Darwin
pathogen
predators
Jean-Baptiste Lamarck
off spring
genetic variation
isolation
Fossil
amber
sediment
organism
geological activity
extinct
MRSA
binomial
genus
phylum
classification
Plant organisation
active transport
calibrate
chloroplast
companion cell
compound measure
cytoplasm
diffuse
epidermal cells
evaporation
eyepiece
field of view
graticule
hydrogen bonding
lignin
minerals
multicellular
nuclei
organism
osmosis
palisade mesophyll
phloem
photosynthesis
representative sample
spongy mesophyll
stomata
translocation
transpiration
transport system
tuber
turgid
vascular bundles
xylem vessels
mitochondria
eukaryotic cell