GCSE Biology Revision Notes

11 free revision notes covering every main GCSE Biology topic. No account needed.

Biology has more to learn by heart than the other two sciences, which is why it rewards spaced revision so strongly. Reading a topic once in April and again in May is far more effective than reading it three times in one evening.

Most marks are lost to imprecision rather than ignorance. Examiners want specific terms — "active transport" not "moves through", "denatured" not "broken". Where a question gives four marks it is asking for four distinct points, and a well-written paragraph that makes two of them will score two.

Required practicals appear regularly, and questions usually probe the method: why a control was used, which variable was kept constant, what would improve the accuracy. Revise them as procedures rather than as results.

The notes below cover cells, organisation, infection, bioenergetics, homeostasis, inheritance and ecology. Each explains the process, works through an example and sets out the terms the mark scheme expects you to use.

Bioenergetics

Photosynthesis Respiration

Cell Biology

Animal and Plant Cells Transport: Diffusion, Osmosis and Active Transport

Ecology

Ecosystems and Food Chains

Homeostasis

The Nervous System and Reflexes

Infection and Response

Pathogens, Immunity and Vaccination

Inheritance

DNA, Genetics and Inheritance Variation and Evolution

Organisation

Enzymes The Heart and Circulatory System

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