Year 11 students, check the dates!
Cells are the basic unit of all forms of life. In this section we explore how structural differences between types of cells enables them to perform specific functions within the organism. These differences in cells are controlled by genes in the nucleus. For an organism to grow, cells must divide by mitosis producing two new identical cells. If cells are isolated at an early stage of growth before they have become too specialised, they can retain their ability to grow into a range of different types of cells. This phenomenon has led to the development of stem cell technology. This is a new branch of medicine that allows doctors to repair damaged organs by growing new tissue from stem cells.
Objectives - After this topic you should know:
How microscopy techniques have developed over time
The differences in magnification and resolution between a light and an electron microscope
how to calculate the magnification, real size and image size of a specimen.
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Objectives - After this topic you should know:
The main parts of animal cells
The similarities and differences between plant and animal cells.
Required Practical 1
Use a light microscope to observe, draw and label a selection of plant and animal cells. A magnification scale must be included.
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Objectives - After this topic you should know:
Compare and contrast eukaryotic and prokaryotic cell structure.
Explain how bacteria compare to animal and plant cells.
Use order of magnitude calculations in describing size and scale.
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Objectives - After this topic you should know:
How cells differentiate to form specialised cells
Animal cells may be specialised to carry out a particular function
How the cell structure of different types of animal cells relates to their function.
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Objectives - After this topic you should know:
How plant cells may be specialised to carry out a particular function
How the structure of different type of plant cells relates to their function.
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Objectives - After this topic you should know:
Be able to describe the process of diffusion.
How diffusion takes place and why it is important in living organisms.
What affects the rate of diffusion?
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Objectives - After this topic you should know:
How osmosis differs from diffusion
Why osmosis is so important in animal cells.
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Objectives - After this topic you should know:
Why osmosis is so important in plant cells
How to investigate the effect of osmosis on plant tissues.
Required Practical 3
Investigating the effect of sugar/salt solution on plant tissues.
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Objectives - After this topic you should know:
Describe how active transport works
Explain the importance of active transport in cells.
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Objectives - After this topic you should know:
How the surface area to volume ratio varies depending on the size of an organism
Why large multicellular organisms need special systems for exchanging materials with the environment.
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Objectives - After this topic you should be able to:
Describe the role of the chromosomes in cells.
Explain the importance of the cell cycle.
Describe how cells divide by mitosis.
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Objectives - After this topic you should be able to:
Describe how cell differentiation varies in animal and plants
Describe the production and use of plant clones.
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Objectives - After this topic you should be able to:
Explain how stem cells are different from other body cells
Describe the functions of stem cells in embryos, in adult animals and in plants
Explain how treatment with stem cells may be used to treat people with different medical conditions.
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Objectives - After this topic you should be able to:
Outline the process of therapeutic cloning
Give some of the potential benefits, risks and social and ethical issues of the use of stem cells in medical research and treatment.
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