MATSEC SEC Biology study plan

Define and distinguish the core characteristics of living organisms (nutrition, respiration, excretion, growth, movement, reproduction, sensitivity, control) and give one Maltese or Mediterranean example of each

Label and state the function of the main organelles of a typical plant and animal cell from memory, then compare the two cell types in a written table

Explain the difference between light and electron microscope images and calculate total magnification for three given eyepiece/objective combinations

Draw and annotate a biological drawing of an onion epidermal cell and a cheek cell, applying the standard drawing conventions (pencil, no shading, label lines, title, scale)

Describe diffusion, osmosis and active transport and predict the direction of net movement in three unfamiliar scenarios

Design and describe a controlled experiment to show osmosis in potato tissue, stating the independent, dependent and controlled variables and one safety precaution

Explain the role of the cell membrane in selective permeability using the terms partially permeable and concentration gradient

Interpret a simple results table of mass change in potato strips and identify the isotonic point

Write the word and balanced chemical equations for photosynthesis and aerobic respiration and state where in the cell each occurs

Describe how temperature, light intensity and carbon dioxide concentration limit the rate of photosynthesis and sketch a rate-versus-light-intensity graph

Explain the role of chlorophyll, stomata and guard cells in gas exchange in a leaf

Compare aerobic and anaerobic respiration in humans and in yeast, naming the products and the industrial uses of yeast fermentation

Identify the organs of the human digestive system on a diagram and state the function of each

Explain the role of enzymes as biological catalysts and describe the action of amylase, protease and lipase, including the products of each reaction

Describe how bile and hydrochloric acid assist digestion and state where each is produced

Explain how the structure of the small intestine (villi, thin walls, rich blood supply) relates to absorption

Label the heart, name the four chambers and major vessels, and trace the path of blood through the double circulation

Compare the structure of arteries, veins and capillaries and relate each structure to its function

Describe the composition of blood and the function of red blood cells, white blood cells, platelets and plasma

Explain how the heart rate and breathing rate respond to exercise and interpret a simple data table of pulse rates

Describe the structure of a motor neurone and explain the pathway of a reflex action from stimulus to response

Distinguish between the central and peripheral nervous systems and between voluntary and involuntary responses

Explain how hormones such as insulin and adrenaline act, and compare hormonal with nervous control

Describe how the body regulates temperature and blood glucose using negative feedback

Explain the structure of DNA, genes and chromosomes and describe the relationship between genotype and phenotype

Complete and interpret genetic crosses using Punnett squares for monohybrid inheritance, including sex determination and a named inherited disorder

Distinguish between mitosis and meiosis and state the significance of each

Describe the main stages of natural selection and apply them to one named example of adaptation

Construct a food chain and food web from a list of named organisms and identify producers, consumers and decomposers

Explain the carbon cycle and the nitrogen cycle in terms of named processes and organisms

Evaluate one human impact on an ecosystem, such as eutrophication or habitat loss, and suggest a conservation measure

Answer a full past-paper-style section under timed conditions and mark it against the mark scheme