Biology (Single Science) - Cambridge OCR Gateway

All living things are made of cells, which is why they’re called the building blocks of life.

Learn all about plant and animal organisation with Dr Alex Lathbridge.

Learn all about infection and response for your GCSE biology exam with Dr Alex Lathbridge.

Learn all about homeostasis for your GCSE Biology exam with Dr Alex Lathbridge.

Learn all about inheritance, variation and evolution for your GCSE Biology exam with Dr Alex Lathbridge.

Learn all about ecology for your GCSE Biology exam with Dr Alex Lathbridge.

Learn all about science exam techniques for your GCSE science exams with Dr Alex Lathbridge.

Organisms are made of cells. Most organisms are multicellular and have cells that are specialised to do a particular job. Microscopes produce magnified images of cells so we can study them in detail.

This interactive quiz is suitable for GCSE Biology students studying cells and their structures.

The genetic code of all life on Earth is made from DNA. Proteins like enzymes and hormones are made during protein synthesis. Enzymes are biological catalysts which speed up chemical reactions.

Respiration releases energy from glucose in the form of ATP. This occurs in all living cells. Aerobic respiration (with oxygen) releases more energy than anaerobic respiration (without oxygen). In this study guide you will learn about aerobic and anaerobic respiration, the aerobic respiration word equation and metabolism in plants and animals.

Plants make food using photosynthesis. This food is important for the plants themselves and for organisms that feed on plants. Getting optimum rates of photosynthesis produces maximum plant yields.

Understanding how to approach exam questions helps to boost exam performance. Question types will include multiple choice, structured, mathematical and practical questions.

For an organism to function, substances must move into and out of cells. Three processes contribute to this movement - diffusion, osmosis and active transport.

This interactive quiz is suitable for GCSE Biology (single science) students studying transport in and out of cells.

Mitosis is cell division which produces two identical diploid cells for growth and repair. Differentiation occurs when cells become specialised. Stem cells can develop into different cell types.

This interactive quiz is suitable for GCSE Biology (single science) students studying cells and the different cell types.

This interactive quiz is suitable for GCSE Biology students studying cell division and the process of mitosis.

Learn about the process of mitosis with this guide and interactive activity from BBC Bitesize written to the GCSE Cambridge OCR Gateway biology specification.

Larger animals have a lower surface area to volume ratio. This means they need transport systems like our circulatory system and exchange surfaces like our lungs or fish gills.

During transpiration plants move water from the roots to their leaves for photosynthesis in xylem vessels. Glucose made in photosynthesis is then moved to all cells in phloem vessels for respiration.

Understanding how to approach exam questions helps to boost exam performance. Question types will include multiple choice, structured, mathematical and practical questions.

The nervous system allows us to react to our surroundings very quickly and to coordinate our behavior. It comprises millions of neurones and electrical impulses pass along them very quickly.

This interactive quiz is suitable for GCSE Biology (single science) students studying the nervous system and how it enables humans to coordinate movement.

The endocrine system secretes hormones into the bloodstream from glands throughout the body. Hormones produce an effect on specific target organs in the body.

This interactive quiz is suitable for GCSE Biology (single science) students studying the human endocrine system and the role hormones play.

Hormones control important processes like germination, flower opening, dropping leaves, phototropism and geotropism. We use plant hormones in weedkillers, and to make seedless fruit and root cuttings.

This interactive quiz is suitable for GCSE Biology (single science) students studying hormones and how they promote growth in plants.

This interactive quiz is suitable for GCSE Biology (single science) students studying plant structures, their functions and how substances are transported in and out of a plant.

This interactive quiz is suitable for GCSE Biology (single science) students studying plant organisation, exploring processes such as transpiration and osmosis.

Homeostasis is the regulation of conditions in the body such as temperature, water content and carbon dioxide levels. Diabetes is a condition where the body cannot regulate its blood glucose levels.

Understanding how to approach exam questions helps to boost exam performance. Question types will include multiple choice, structured, mathematical and practical questions.

Materials on Earth cycle between living organisms and the environment. Microorganisms are vital for these cycles. They break down dead matter and release the materials back to the environment.

Organisms interact with and rely on one another to survive. They also rely on a stable environment. Changes to organism numbers and the environment can determine whether an organism will live or die.

Understanding how to approach exam questions helps to boost exam performance. Question types will include multiple choice, structured, mathematical and practical questions.

Our genes are inherited from our parents, and the different combinations of these genes make us unique. Genetic inheritance controls the characteristics of all living things.

This interactive quiz is suitable for GCSE Biology (single science) students studying genes and inheritance and how the latter controls the characteristics of living things.

This interactive quiz is suitable for GCSE Biology (single science) students studying inherited diseases and genetic testing.

Genetic variation, as well as changes in the environment, cause characteristics of organisms to change over time. This process of natural selection leads to the evolution of new species.

Understanding how to approach exam questions helps to boost exam performance. Question types will include multiple choice, structured, mathematical and practical questions.

Ecologists study the distribution of living organisms in habitats to find out how healthy it is. They use many different sampling methods to provide quantitative data which is then analysed.

Biodiversity is a measure of how many different species live in an ecosystem. Human activities like changing land use, deforestation and peat bog destruction reduce this.

This interactive quiz is suitable for GCSE Biology (single science) students studying biodiversity and the impact human activity has on it.

Factors such as the increase in population, new pathogens and overhunting can result in food scarcity. Improved farming techniques, sustainable fisheries and biotechnology can help increase supply.

This interactive quiz is suitable for GCSE Biology (single science) students studying food production and how various factors affect productivity.

Health is the state of physical and mental well-being. Factors can work together to both physical and mental health. A disease is a disorder that affects an organism’s body, organs, tissues or cells.

This interactive quiz is suitable for GCSE Biology (single science) students studying communicable diseases, including the viruses, bacteria and protists that can cause them.

Pathogens are everywhere. The body has evolved defences that act to prevent pathogens entering it. If a pathogen does enter the body then the immune system helps to fight it off.

This interactive quiz is suitable for GCSE Biology (single science) students studying communicable diseases and how the body and medicine work to prevent them.

This interactive quiz is suitable for GCSE Biology (single science) students studying treating and preventing diseases - through the provision of vaccinations and antibiotics.

Monoclonal antibodies are identical copies of one type of antibody. They are incredibly useful in medicine for diagnosis and treatment of diseases.

This interactive quiz is suitable for GCSE Biology (single science) students studying bacterial growth and how medicines have been developed to fight illness.

Pathogens are disease-causing viruses, bacteria, fungi or protists, which attack plants as well as animals. Plants have physical and chemical defences against pathogens.

This interactive quiz is suitable for GCSE Biology (single science) students studying the physical and chemical defences plants have to combat diseases.

The chance of developing a non-communicable disease can be increased or decreased depending upon a person’s lifestyle or the genes they inherit. Two common types are cancer & cardiovascular disease.

This interactive quiz is suitable for GCSE Biology (single science) students studying non-communicable diseases such as Type 2 diabetes and tumours.

Scientists find links between diseases and their causes. The information is used to reduce the number of people with the disease by giving lifestyle advice or developing new ways to fight the disease.

This interactive quiz is suitable for GCSE Biology (single science) students studying non-communicable diseases and the role data analysis plays in reporting statistics.

Understanding how to approach exam questions helps to boost exam performance. Question types will include multiple choice, structured, mathematical and practical questions.

Scientific investigations have several stages - planning, collecting data, analysing data and evaluation. It is important to understand how to carry out each stage of the investigation.

Get ready for the GCSE biology exams with these interactive resources from BBC Bitesize.