MATSEC IM Biology study plan
MATSEC IM Biology · Give each week a clear focus.
8 weeks · About 6 hours per week
Cell biology and biochemistry
Recall the structure and function of the main cell organelles and relate each organelle to the reactions it supports.
Explain the fluid mosaic model of the membrane and predict how changes in lipid composition or temperature affect permeability.
Outline the roles of enzymes in cells, including the effect of temperature, pH and inhibitor type on reaction rate.
Draw and label a generalized animal and plant cell from memory and annotate three differences between them.
Your checkpoint
A one-page hand-drawn cell diagram with organelle functions annotated, plus a 10-item self-quiz on membrane transport answered without notes (target 8/10).
Cell biology and biochemistry
Describe the stages of aerobic respiration and state where each stage occurs and what it yields.
Compare aerobic respiration with anaerobic pathways in animals and in yeast.
Explain the light-dependent and light-independent reactions of photosynthesis and link them to leaf structure.
Solve numerical problems on respiratory quotient and on limiting factors in photosynthesis.
Your checkpoint
A comparison table for respiration and photosynthesis (location, inputs, outputs, ATP yield) plus five worked calculation problems with full solutions.
Genetics, heredity and evolution
Explain the stages of mitosis and meiosis and state the significance of each.
Apply Mendelian ratios to solve monohybrid and dihybrid crosses, including test crosses.
Interpret pedigrees to deduce modes of inheritance and identify carriers.
Describe the structure of DNA and outline transcription and translation.
Your checkpoint
A portfolio of ten solved genetics problems (crosses plus one pedigree) with reasoning shown, scored against a mark scheme you write yourself.
Genetics, heredity and evolution
Distinguish gene, chromosome and genome mutations and give a named example of each.
Explain the mechanism of natural selection and distinguish it from artificial selection.
Interpret evidence for evolution from fossils, comparative anatomy and molecular data.
Explain how allele frequencies change in small populations through genetic drift.
Your checkpoint
A 300-word written answer on natural selection marked against exam-style criteria, plus a completed half-length timed paper on Domain 2.
Plant and animal physiology
Trace the pathway of blood through the heart and relate the cardiac cycle to the structure of vessels.
Describe gas exchange in the alveolus and explain how smoking and emphysema reduce efficiency.
Explain how the nephron produces urine and how ADH and aldosterone regulate water and salt balance.
Compare the nervous and endocrine systems in terms of speed, duration and mode of transmission.
Your checkpoint
A labelled diagram of the nephron and heart drawn from memory, each annotated with at least eight functional notes, checked against a textbook.
Plant and animal physiology
Explain water uptake by roots and the transpiration stream, including the effect of environmental factors.
Describe translocation in the phloem and the evidence supporting the pressure-flow hypothesis.
Explain how stomata open and close and relate this to water loss and gas exchange.
Compare plant and animal responses to a named environmental stimulus.
Your checkpoint
A written practical-style answer on transpiration: describe an experiment, predict the effect of three variables and explain each prediction (about 250 words).
Ecology, environment and human biology
Construct and interpret food chains, webs and pyramids of number, biomass and energy.
Explain the carbon and nitrogen cycles and identify the role of named microorganisms in each.
Describe how human activities such as eutrophication, deforestation and intensive farming affect ecosystems.
Explain the transmission, prevention and treatment of two named human diseases.
Your checkpoint
A complete carbon cycle diagram with every arrow labelled by process and organism group, plus a 200-word answer on eutrophication.
Cell biology and biochemistry & Ecology, environment and human biology
Revise all four domains using a spaced schedule, prioritising the weakest topics identified in earlier weeks.
Practise full past-paper style questions under timed conditions and mark them strictly.
Explain the links between domains, such as enzyme action in digestion and energy flow in ecosystems.
Identify and close remaining gaps by re-teaching each weak topic from memory.
Your checkpoint
Two full timed mock papers completed and marked, with a written error log listing each mistake, its domain and the corrective action taken.
Milestones
Week 4: Score at least 65% on a timed half-paper covering Domains 1 and 2, with no more than three errors traceable to calculation or diagram labelling.
Week 6: Draw and fully annotate the heart, nephron and leaf cross-section from memory in under 30 minutes, scoring at least 8/10 on a self-marked checklist.
Week 8: Score at least 75% on two full timed mock papers and show that every error from week 4 has been corrected in the error log.