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Cell Structure                                              

Learning outcomes

1. Compare the structure of animal and plant cells as seen through a light microscope

2. Measure cells using an eyepiece graticule and stage micrometer scale

3. Use the units of length needed in cell studies (millimetre, micrometer and nanometer)

4. Calculate the magnifications of drawings, photomicrographs and electron micrographs

5. Calculate actual sizes of specimens from drawings, photomicrographs and electron micrographs 

6. Explain and distinguish between resolution and magnification, with reference to light microscopy and electron microscopy   

PowerPoint on learning outcomes 6-10

7. recognize the following eukaryotic cell structures and outline their functions:

  • cell surface membrane

  • nucleus, nuclear envelope and nucleolus

  • rough endoplasmic reticulum

  • smooth endoplasmic reticulum

  • Golgi body (Golgi apparatus or Golgi complex)

  • mitochondria (including small circular DNA)

  • ribosomes (80S in the cytoplasm and 70S in chloroplasts and mitochondria)

  • lysosomes

  • centrioles and microtubules

  • chloroplasts (including small circular DNA)

  • cell wall

  • plasmodesmata

  • large permanent vacuole and tonoplast of plant cells 

8. outline the role of ATP in cells

9. Compare and contrast the structure of a bacterial cell with that of animal and plant cells

10. Outline the main features of viruses

Biological Molecules

Learning outcomes

1. Describe how to carry out chemical tests for reducing sugars, non-reducing sugars, starch and lipids, including a semi-quantitative test for reducing sugars

Testing for the presence of sugars (reducing, non-reducing and starch)Power point

Reducing non reducing sugars video

2. Describe the ring structure s of α-glucose β-glucose

3. Understand what is meant by the terms monomer, polymer, macromolecule, monosaccharide, disaccharide, and polysaccharide

4. Understand the formation of a glycosidic bond in the formation of disaccharides and polysaccharides

5. Describe how glycosidic bonds in disaccharides and polysaccharides may be broken

6. Know the structure of the polysaccharides starch glycogen and cellulose and how the structures are related to their function

Carbohydrates (PowerPoint)

Testing for Carbohydrates (PowerPoint) 

7. Know the structure and formation of a triglyceride and how the structure of triglycerides is related to their functions

8. Know how the structure of a phospholipid and understand how the structure of phospholipids is related to their functions in living organisms

Lipids (PowerPoint)

9. Know the structure of an amino acid and how peptide bonds are formed and broken

10. Explain the different types of structures in proteins and the types of bonds that hold protein molecules in shape

11. Describe the structure of haemoglobin as an example of a globular protein and the structure of collagen as an example of a fibrous protein and relate their structures to their function

Proteins (PowerPoint)

12. Explain how the structure and properties of water molecules are related to the roles of water in living things

Video: Properties of Water | Hydrogen Bonding in Water | Biology | Biochemistry

Water (PowerPoint)

Cell membranes and transport

Learning outcomes:

1.Describe the fluid mosaic model of membrane structure and the role of the main components including an outline of the roles of phospholipids, cholesterol, glycolipids, proteins and glycoproteins 

 

2. Outline the roles of cell surface membranes including references to carrier proteins, channel proteins, cell surface receptors and cell surface antigens 

 

3. Outline the process of cell signaling involving the release of chemicals that combine with cell surface receptors on target cells, leading to specific responses  
 

Chapter 4 Cell surface membrane PowerPoint

 

Learning outcomes:

Cell membrane Transport PowerPoint

4. Describe and explain membrane transport process, including:

  • diffusion

  • facilitated diffusion

  • osmosis

  • active transport

  • endocytosis 

  • exocytosis 

Cell Membrane Transport - Transport Across A Membrane - How Do Things Move Across A Cell Membrane Video

5. Investigate diffusion using plant tissue and non-living material such as Visking tubing and agar 

 

6. Calculate surface areas and volumes of simple shapes (including cubes) to illustrate the principle that surface area to volume ratios decrease with increasing size 

 

7.Investigate the effect of different surface area to volume ratios on diffusion using agar blocks of different sizes

8. Investigate the effects of immersing plant tissues in solutions of different water potentials, using the results to estimate the water potential of the tissues

 

9. Explain the movement of water between cells and solutions with different water potentials and explain the different effects on plant and animal cells 

Immunity       Immunity PowerPoint

An understanding of the immune system shows how cells and molecules function together to protect the body against infectious diseases and how the body is protected from further infection by the same pathogen.

 

Phagocytosis is a more immediate non-specific part of the immune system, while the actions of lymphocytes provide effective defence against specific pathogens.
 

Candidates will be expected to use the knowledge gained in this section to solve problems in familiar and unfamiliar contexts.

11.1 The immune system
 

The immune system has non-specific and specific responses to pathogens.
Autoimmune diseases are the result of failures in the system to distinguish between self
and non-self.

Learning outcomes
Candidates should be able to:

a) state that phagocytes (macrophages and neutrophils) have their origin in bone marrow and describe their mode of action
 

b) describe the modes of action of B-lymphocytes and T-lymphocytes
 

c) describe and explain the significance of the increase in white blood cell count in humans with infectious diseases and leukaemias
 

d) explain the meaning of the term immune response, making reference to the terms antigen, self and non-self
 

e) explain the role of memory cells in long-term immunity
 

f) explain, with reference to myasthenia gravis, that the immune system sometimes fails to distinguish between self and non-self

11.2 Antibodies and vaccination

 

Active and passive immunisations are effective ways to treat and prevent
infectious diseases. Smallpox has been eradicated; other diseases may soon follow, but vaccine development has proved more difficult for diseases such as malaria.

 

a) relate the molecular structure of antibodies to their functions

b) outline the hybridoma method for the production of monoclonal antibodies

 

c) outline the use of monoclonal antibodies in the diagnosis of disease and in the treatment of disease
 

d) distinguish between active and passive, natural and artificial immunity and explain how vaccination can control disease
 

e) discuss the reasons why vaccination programmes have eradicated smallpox, but not measles, tuberculosis (TB), malaria or cholera

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