Action in leaves
You should be able to:
7.01 recall that plant and animal cells are similar because they contain nuclei,
cytoplasm and membranes
7.02 recall that plant cells also have cellulose cell walls, chloroplasts
containing chlorophyll and vacuoles
7.03 recall the reactants for (carbon dioxide, water) and products of (glucose,
oxygen) photosynthesis
7.04 outline the uses of glucose produced by photosynthesis (respiration, food
storage, cellulose and growth)
7.05 understand that phloem is a living tissue that transports sugars, made
during photosynthesis, from the
leaves to the fruits and other storage organs
7.06 explain the interdependence of plants and animals in relation to oxygen and
carbon dioxide
7.07 explain the effect of limiting factors on the rate of photosynthesis, to
include light intensity, temperature,
carbon dioxide concentration
Action in roots
You should be able to:
7.08 understand why plants need mineral salts (including nitrates to make
proteins for growth and magnesium
to make chlorophyll)
7.09 describe how mineral salts are taken up in the roots by active transport
using energy from respiration
7.10 recall that osmosis is the diffusion of water molecules from a region of
higher water concentration to a
region of lower water concentration through a selectively permeable membrane
7.11 describe how water is absorbed
by the root hairs from the soil by the process of osmosis
Control of plant
activity
You should be able to:
7.12 recall that xylem contains dead hollow cells that transport water from the
roots to all other parts of the
plant
7.13 describe how water is lost by diffusion through the stomata of the leaves
during transpiration
7.14 understand the functions of water in plant cells including photosynthesis
and maintenance of turgidity
7.15 describe how the rate of water loss through the stomata varies with
temperature, light, air movement,
humidity
7.17 interpret data on how plant hormones affect the growth of roots and shoots
7.16 describe the commercial use of plant hormones for tissue culture, cuttings,
fruit development and killing weeds
Energy and ecosystems
You should be able to:
7.18 describe food chains quantitatively using pyramids of biomass
7.19 describe how energy is transferred in ecosystems through food chains from
producers to each level of consumer
7.20 explain how energy is lost from food chains by respiration and excretion
7.21 understand that there is a greater loss of energy when the transfer
involves a mammal in which energy
from respiration is used to generate heat
Action of
microorganisms in ecosystems
You should be able to:
7.22 describe how the process of
decay is affected by:
– moisture
– temperature
– oxygen
– the presence of microorganisms
7.23 describe the carbon cycle including the role of microorganisms,
photosynthesis, respiration and
combustion
7.24 describe the reasons for deforestation (including the use of trees as fuel,
urban development and farming)
7.25 understand that sustainable forestry requires replacement planting
7.26 explain how deforestation has affected the carbon dioxide concentration in
the atmosphere (including
combustion, reduced photosynthesis and decomposition)
7.27 explain how better
conservation can lead to greater biodiversity
7.28 describe the nitrogen cycle and explain the roles of
– nitrogen-fixing bacteria
– decomposers
– nitrifying bacteria
– denitrifying bacteria
– nitrate fertilisers
Maximising food
production
You should be able to:
7.29 explain the benefits to farmers of using pesticides, including
insecticides, herbicides and fungicides
7.30 recall the dangers of the
over-use of pesticides
7.31 explain the use of biological
control in food production (including the introduction of predators
and sterile males)
7.32 explain how greenhouse management maximises food production by optimising
conditions for photosynthesis and by
controlling pests
7.33 interpret evidence about the costs and benefits of intensive farming to
include the supply of heat, the use
of pesticides, inorganic fertilisers and transport
Natural ecosystems
You should be able to:
7.34 recall that biodiversity is
the number of different types of living things in an ecosystem
7.35 evaluate qualitative comparisons of biodiversity between two habitats
7.36 explain the distribution and relative abundance of common plants growing in
an area