Biology at a Glance
3rd edition

Judy Dodds, BSc, PGCE
Brampton College, London, UK

Biology at a Glance 3rd edition has been revised to present in a clear visual way the biology material needed for the new GCSE (the GCSE Science and Additional Science), for first examination in 2008. It is also useful for those studying the separate Biology GCSE and as an introductory guide for AS Biology. The third edition contains many new topics including: commercial uses of enzymes; DNA structure; Applications of genetics; Collecting methods in ecology; Human effects on the environment; Fish farming. Each subject is presented diagrammatically on a single page making it easy to learn the key facts and commit them to memory.

The book is illustrated throughout and contains photos and flow charts to enhance understanding. There are questions on every topic, internet research activities and a glossary of words to remember.

Contents

Biology in the News

1. CELLS: Cells, Variety of Cells, Levels of organisation, How substances enter a cell, Osmosis, Osmosis in action, Osmosis and plant cells, The importance of volume and surface area, Surface area to volume area.
2. BIOLOGICAL MOLECULES: Biological molecules – protein, Carbohydrates, Lipids, Food tests, Enzymes, Commercial uses of enzymes, Words to remember.
3. VARIATION AND INHERITANCE: Variation, Causes of genetic variation, DNA, Cells and chromosomes, Dominant and recessive features, Genetic crosses 1, Genetic crosses 2, Cystic Fibrosis and Huntingdon’s, Sickle Cell anaemia, Sex chromosomes, Sex-linked characteristics, Codominance.
4. APPLICATIONS OF GENETICS: Genetic engineering, Genetic fingerprinting, Selective breeding.
5. CELL DIVISION AND EVOLUTION: Cell division Mitosis and Meiosis, Cell division and the human lifecycle, Mitosis and Meiosis, Growth, Asexual reproduction in plants (natural), Asexual reproduction in plants (artificial), Cloning by tissue culture, Plant hormones – auxins, Evolution, Evidence for evolution, Species, Fossils, Classification of living things, Words to remember.
6. ECOLOGY: Food chains and food webs, Woodland habitat, Animal adaptations, Estimating population size, Populations, Pyramids of numbers, Pyramids of biomass, Pyramids of energy, Energy losses and food production, Water cycle, Carbon cycle, Nitrogen cycle.
7. HUMAN EFFECTS ON THE ENVIRONMENT: Importance of tropical rain forests, The greenhouse effect, pollution in a river, Air pollution, Pesticides, Fish farming, Farmed salmon, Eutrophication.
8. MICROBES: Useful and harmful microbes, Decomposers, Treatment of Sewage, Food preservation, How diseases spread, Defences of the body to pathogens, Antibodies and immunity.
9. NUTRITION AND CIRCULATION: Human teeth, Tooth decay, The human digestive system 1, The human digestive system 2, Duodenum, Absorption, Structure of blood, Blood cells, Movement of blood around the body, Heart 1, Heart 2, Blood vessels, Capillaries.
10. GAS EXCHANGE AND RESPIRATION: The human thorax, Gas exchanges in the Alveoli, Breathing 1, Breathing 2, Respiration – aerobic and anaerobic, Words to remember.
11. HOMEOSTASIS: The endocrine system, Adrenal glands, Control of blood sugar levels, Homeostasis and the liver, The skin, Temperature regulation, Homeostasis eg. control of body temperature, Excretion in humans, The kidneys and a section through a kidney, A nephron, Control of water in the blood, Hormonal control of water level.
12. REPRODUCTION: Human reproduction systems, The menstrual cycle 1, Hormonal control of the menstrual cycle, The placenta.
13. COORDINATION: The nervous system, The eye, Vision – how we see, The spinal cord, Skeleton and movement, Drugs.
14. PLANTS: Leaves and photosynthesis, Transport in plants, Uses of sugar made in photosynthesis, Limiting factors in photosynthesis, Minerals and plants, Water movement through a plant, Transpiration, Opening and closing of stomata, Leaves.

Words to Remember

Index