12/11/2017 IGCSE Biology: Keywords

More Next Blog» Create Blog Sign In

IGCSE Biology
This is for IGCSE Double Award Biology (EDEXCEL), tailored to the 2009 specifica on. If you spot any mistakes, please let me
know, thank you! I hope you find this useful! This blog is no longer updated as I've finished IGCSEs in 2012. I may some mes
reply to ques ons if you comment or email me, but not guaranteed. I hope what I had me to post back during IGCSEs helps
anyway!! :)

Home Keywords IGCSE Chemistry IGCSE Physics IGCSE Geography Eat, Laugh, Live

IB Notes Info IB Notes For Sale IGCSE Notes For Sale

Search

Hi! If you are interested in buying scanned PDF copies of my handwritten HL Bio notes, please find the links below. Previews are available! Clicking
on the links simple redirect you to a description of the notes + a preview. :)

Alternatively check this link out:

http://ibnotesforsale.tumblr.com/

Please email me for more details if you wish. :)

michelle.lim205@gmail.com

Keywords Community Service

JSFA CAS (a football team I help manage for
CAS)
Keywords
Sekolah Bisa (A school CAS students built
http://askmichellebiology.blogspot.com/p/keywords.html 1/13
12/11/2017 IGCSE Biology: Keywords

Ac ve transport: The process in which energy is used to move the par cles of a and manage)
substance against a concentra on gradient, that is, from a region where they are of lower
concentra on to a region where they are of higher concentra on.
About Me
Adapta on: Any characteris c of an organism that improves its chances of surviving in its
environment.
Hi I'm Michelle. I've finished IGCSEs and
Aerobic respira on: Respira on with oxygen. It’s the oxida on of food substances in the the IB but I hope these blogs help people
presence of oxygen with the release of a large amount of energy. Carbon dioxide and water with their IGCSEs anyway!! :)
are released as waste products.
Note: That's why these blogs are no longer
updated, what's there is all I had me for
AIDS: An abbrevia on for Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome.
back then so I'm sorry that they're not fully
complete with the whole syllabus and all.
Alleles: Different forms of a gene which occupy the same rela ve posi ons on a pair of
Hope what's there helps anyway.. :)
homologous chromosomes.
I do actually have more notes than is
Anaerobic respira on: Respira on without oxygen. It’s the oxida on of food substances in posted, and these can be purchased by
the absence of oxygen. Anaerobic respira on releases less energy than aerobic respira on. buying my IGCSE Notes sets.

Anaesthe cs: Drugs that make the body unable to feel pain. Contact me at: michelle.lim205@gmail.com

Arteries: Blood vessels which carry blood away from the heart.

Ar ficial selec on: A method used by human beings to produce plants and animals with
desired quali es.
Total Pageviews
Asexual reproduc on: The process resul ng in the produc on of gene cally iden cal
offspring from one parent, without the fusion of gametes. 331,529
Assimila on: The process whereby some of the absorbed food materials are converted into
new protoplasm or used to provide energy.
Content: Sec ons
Axon: A nerve fibre that transmits impulses away from the cell body of a neurone. Humans (2)
http://askmichellebiology.blogspot.com/p/keywords.html 2/13
12/11/2017 IGCSE Biology: Keywords

Reproduc on (2)
Bioaccumula on: The process by which substances collect in all parts or part of a living
organism. Sec on 1: The nature and variety of living
organisms (1)
Breathing: The process that brings about an exchange of gases between an organism and Sec on 2: Structures and func ons in living
its environment. organisms (7)

Capillaries: Microscopic thin-walled (one cell thick) blood vessels which carry blood from a Sec on 3: Reproduc on and inheritance (5)
small artery (arteriole) to a small vein (venule).
Sec on 5: Use of biological resources (1)

Codominance: A condi on where both alleles express themselves in a hybrid, as they are
both either dominant or recessive to one another. (Roughly equal expression.) Blog Archive
Community: Popula ons of organisms living together and interac ng with one another ▼ 2014 (1)
under the same environmental condi ons. ▼ May (1)
IGCSE / IB Notes for Sale!
Conserva on: The protec on and preserva on of natural resources of the environment.

Consumers: Organisms which obtain their energy by feeding on other organisms. ► 2012 (16)

Con nuous varia on: Traits with phenotypes ranging from one extreme to the other. It is
brought about by combined (or addi ve) effects of many genes. It is affected by Hi!
environmental condi ons, e.g. intelligence, height and skin colour in human beings.

Cross-pollina on: The transfer of pollen grains from one plant to the s gma of a flower in Note: This blog will no longer be updated, but I
another plant of the same species. will read emails.

Decomposers: Saprotrophs and detri vores. Organisms which obtain energy by breaking So, I've finished IGCSEs but I'm leaving my
down dead organisms, faeces and excretory products. blogs open in hopes that they help people.
It would be great if you can ck a box at the
Dendron: A nerve fibre that transmits impulses towards the cell body of a neurone. bo om of each post to show me what you
think, and please feel free to leave
Deser fica on: The destruc on of land leading to desert-like condi ons. comments! A Google+1 below would be

http://askmichellebiology.blogspot.com/p/keywords.html 3/13
12/11/2017 IGCSE Biology: Keywords

awesome too. Thank you so much, hope

Detoxifica on: The process of conver ng harmful substances into harmless ones in the they help. :)
body.
Btw, I did take information out of textbooks.
Differen a on: The process by which a cell becomes specialized for a specific func on. But I've reworded what I can.

Diffusion: The net movement of par cles (atoms, ions or molecules) from a region of
higher concentra on to a region of lower concentra on, that is, down a concentra on
gradient.

Diges on: The process by which large food molecules are broken down into small, soluble
and diffusible molecules that can be absorbed by the body cells. About Me

Diploid: Cells that contain the full number of chromosomes. Michelle Lim
Hi I'm Michelle, I've finished
Discon nuous varia on: Traits that show limited varia on in their phenotypes which are the IB (May 2014) and am a
easily dis nguishable. It is usually controlled by only one or a few genes. It is not affected Biological Natural Sciences undergraduate
by the environment. E.g. detached earlobes-it’s either yes or no. student at the University of Cambridge
(Class of 2017). You can contact me via
Dominant: A form of a gene that is expressed and masks the recessive gene. It gives the michelle.lim205@gmail.com :)
same phenotype in both homozygous and heterozygous condi ons as it expresses itself.
View my complete profile
Ecology: The study of the rela onships between living organisms and the natural
environment.
Is this blog useful?
Ecosystem: An ecological system formed by the interac on of living organisms (bio c) and
their non-living (abio c) environments. Yes ! 8 (100%)
Not rea l l y... 0 (0%)
Eges on: The removal of undigested ma er from the body. Eges on would be like pooing- Nope 0 (0%)

you’re eges ng faeces which are basically undigested food. [Different to excre on! See
Votes s o fa r: 8
excre on.] Pol l cl os ed

Endocrine glands: Ductless glands that secrete hormones into the bloodstream.

http://askmichellebiology.blogspot.com/p/keywords.html 4/13
12/11/2017 IGCSE Biology: Keywords

Enzymes: Biological catalysts made of protein. They alter the rate of (mostly catalyse)
chemical reac ons without themselves being chemically changed at the end of the
reac ons.

Eutrophica on: The profuse growth and mul plica on of algae and green plants as a
result of the enrichment of nutrients in the water. O en leads to deple on of oxygen
levels.

Excre on: The process by which metabolic waste products and toxic materials are
removed from the body of an organism. E.g. swea ng, sweat is a metabolic waste product.
[Different to eges on! See eges on.]

Fer lisa on: The process by which the male gamete fuses with the female gamete to form
a zygote.

Focusing/accommoda on: The adjustment of the lens of the eye so that clear images of
objects at different distances are formed on the re na.

Food chain: A series of organisms through which energy is transferred in the form of food.

Food web: Two or more food chains interlinked together.

Gamete: A reproduc ve cell containing the haploid number of chromosomes.

Gene: A hereditary factor found on a par cular locus in a chromosome. It controls a

par cular characteris c and codes for a specific protein.

Gene c engineering: A technique used to transfer genes from one organism to another.

Genotype: The combina on of genes in an individual.

Gland: A cell, ssue or an organ that secretes chemical substances.

http://askmichellebiology.blogspot.com/p/keywords.html 5/13
12/11/2017 IGCSE Biology: Keywords

Habitat: The place where an organism lives.

Haploid: Cells that contain half the number of chromosomes as the parent cells which
produced them.

Heterozygous: A condi on where you have different alleles for a par cular trait. E.g. if B
codes for brown eyes (dominant allele is always upper case) and the recessive allele is b
(always the lower case of the dominant alleles’ le er), then a person with a Bb genotype
for eye colour is heterozygous dominant, so will have brown eyes.

Homeostasis: The maintenance of a constant internal environment.

Homologous pairs: Chromosomes which have the same genes, shape and length.

Homozygous: Having iden cal alleles for a par cular trait. E.g. BB-homozygous dominant,
or bb-homozygous recessive.

Hormone: A chemical substance produced in minute quan es by an endocrine gland. It is

transported in the bloodstream to target organ(s) where it exerts its effects.

Irritability/sensi vity: The ability of an organism to respond to a s mulus.

Meiosis: A form of cell division such that the daughter cells contain half the number of
chromosomes as the parent cell. –will be haploid, e.g. to form sex cells/gametes
(Chromosomes are in the nucleus.)

Mitosis: Cell division such that the daughter cell produced contains the same number of
chromosomes as the parent cell. –will be diploid, e.g. to form soma c (body) cells

Muta on: The sudden or spontaneous change in gene structure or a chromosome, or even
the chromosome number, and may be inheritable.

http://askmichellebiology.blogspot.com/p/keywords.html 6/13
12/11/2017 IGCSE Biology: Keywords

Nerve: A collec on of nerve fibres.

Nerve fibre: A long cytoplasmic extension of the cell body of a neurone. It serves to
transmit impulses.

Neurone: A nerve cell.

Nutri on: The intake of food and the processes that convert food substances into living
ma er.

Osmoregula on: The control of water and solute levels in the blood to maintain a
constant water poten al in the body. Basically to maintain blood water levels.

Osmosis: The net movement of water molecules from a solu on of higher water poten al
to a solu on of lower water poten al, through a par ally permeable membrane, i.e. down
a water poten al gradient. Or, from a region of high concentra on to a region of low
concentra on, through a par ally permeable membrane, i.e. down a concentra on
gradient.

Oxygen debt: The amount of oxygen required to oxidize the lac c acid produced in
muscles during anaerobic respira on and convert it into harmless substances.

Par ally/selec vely permeable membrane: A membrane that allows selected substances
to pass through.

Peristalsis: The rhythmic wave-like contrac ons of the walls of the gut.

Phagocytosis: The process of engulfing and inges ng foreign par cles, such as bacteria,
by phagocytes such as the white blood cells.

Phenotype: The physically expressed trait in an individual, e.g. outward appearances such
as height and eye colour.

http://askmichellebiology.blogspot.com/p/keywords.html 7/13
12/11/2017 IGCSE Biology: Keywords

Photosynthesis: The process in which light energy absorbed by chlorophyll is transformed

into chemical energy.

Pollina on: The transfer of pollen grains from an anther to a s gma.

Pollu on: The addi on of substances to the environment that damage it, making it unfit
for life.

Popula on: A group of organisms of the same species living together in the same habitat.

Producers: Organisms which convert energy from the sun, or light energy, into chemical
energy and store it as food during photosynthesis. They are the start of the food chain.

Recessive: A form of a gene that expresses itself only in the homozygous condi on. E.g.
Bb, it won’t be expressed because the dominant ‘B’ allele masks it and is expressed
instead. But in ‘bb’, this is homozygous recessive, so it will be expressed.

Reducing sugars: Sugars that produce a red precipitate when boiled with Benedict’s
solu on. E.g. glucose, maltose, fructose, lactose.

Reflex ac on: An immediate response to a specific s mulus without conscious control.

Reflex arc: The shortest pathway by which impulses travel from the receptor to the effector
in a reflex ac on.

Respira on: The oxida on of food substances with the release of energy in living cells.

Self-pollina on: The transfer of pollen grains from the anther the s gma of the same
flower or of a different flower on the same plant.

Sexual reproduc on: The process involving the fusion of two gametes to form a zygote,
resul ng in the produc on of gene cally dissimilar offspring-as in there will be varia on.

http://askmichellebiology.blogspot.com/p/keywords.html 8/13
12/11/2017 IGCSE Biology: Keywords

Species: A group of similar organisms. Organisms within a species can breed. They
produce healthy offspring that are able to grow, develop and reproduce normally.

Synapse: A junc on between two neurones.

Tissue: A group of similar cells which work together to perform a specific func on.

Tissue respira on: The process in living cells by which food substances are oxidized with
energy released for the vital ac vi es of the cells. Basically: C6H12O6 + 6O2 à 6CO2 +
6H2O + energy (ATP)

Transloca on: The transport of manufactured food substances such as sugar and amino
acids in plants (in phloem.)

Transpira on: The loss of water vapour from aerial parts of a plant, especially through the
stomata of the leaves.

Transpira onal pull: The suc on force caused by transpira on that is the main factor
causing water movement up the xylem.

Turgor pressure: The pressure exerted outwards on the cell wall due to the water in the
cell-hence the cell becomes turgid.

Varia on: The differences that can be observed within a species.

Veins: Blood vessels which carry blood towards the heart.

Voluntary ac on: An ac on that is under the control of the will, requires thinking so it’s
obviously slower than involuntary/reflex ac ons.

http://askmichellebiology.blogspot.com/p/keywords.html 9/13
12/11/2017 IGCSE Biology: Keywords

13 comments:
Anonymous 2 April 2013 at 20:56
Reply

Anonymous 24 December 2013 at 00:29

wow this was really helpful, thank you!
Reply

Anonymous 27 March 2014 at 09:35

THANKSSS! its going to help me so much
Reply

Anonymous 3 April 2014 at 16:08

Are these key terms that have been asked in past exams? Thanks for the list :)
Reply

Replies

Michelle 3 April 2014 at 19:12

You're welcome! :) Well some of these definitely come up quite
frequently such as enzyme, osmosis, homeostasis...but a lot of these are
just to help you understand key terminology and it is not necessary to
know all of these for the exam of course. :)
http://askmichellebiology.blogspot.com/p/keywords.html 10/13
12/11/2017 IGCSE Biology: Keywords

Reply

s.p kase Elijah 16 June 2014 at 20:25

wow it's amazing!!!!
Reply

Anonymous 3 January 2015 at 22:44

Thank you ...you really done me good
Reply

Rasheeda Aroos 10 May 2015 at 21:30

THANK YOU SOOO MUCH!!!!
Reply

Anonymous 3 January 2016 at 13:23

Thanx a lot of help... gonna sit for my exasm in feb....wish me luck
Reply

Edward Aris 9 June 2016 at 21:08

Thanx very helpful
:)
Reply

http://askmichellebiology.blogspot.com/p/keywords.html 11/13
12/11/2017 IGCSE Biology: Keywords

Anonymous 18 November 2016 at 00:56

Thank you so helpful
Reply

Alex 31 March 2017 at 16:16

Ayee thanks, helps a bunch
Reply

Jade 14 November 2017 at 01:17

Thank you so much! Great help ;) x
Reply

Enter your comment...

Comment as: Google Account

Publish Preview

Please ck a box showing your reac on, and any feedback is appreciated. :)

Note: This blog will no longer be updated as I finished IGCSEs in 2012. Sorry! :( If you are
interested in buying IB notes though, please contact me. :)

http://askmichellebiology.blogspot.com/p/keywords.html 12/13
12/11/2017 IGCSE Biology: Keywords

Home

Subscribe to: Posts (Atom)

Ethereal theme. Theme images by konradlew. Powered by Blogger.

http://askmichellebiology.blogspot.com/p/keywords.html 13/13