Specification points
Edexcel International GCSE (9–1) Biology 4BI1
203 points in 5 topics, with Edexcel's codes and titles.
Grade boundaries·Edexcel command words
Codes and titles are read by a script from Edexcel's published specification and have not been checked by a person. What each point covers is in the specification itself: Edexcel’s specification.
1 The nature and variety of living organisms
2 Structure and functions in living organisms
- 2a Level of organisation
- 2.1 Levels of organisation in organisms
- 2b Cell structure
- 2.2 Cell structures
- 2.3 Functions of cell structures
- 2.4 Plant and animal cells compared
- 2.5B Cell differentiation and specialised cells
- 2.6B Stem cells in medicine
- 2c Biological molecules
- 2.7 Elements in carbohydrates, proteins and lipids
- 2.8 Structure of carbohydrates, proteins and lipids
- 2.9 Practical: food tests
- 2.10 Enzymes as biological catalysts
- 2.11 Effect of temperature on enzymes
- 2.12 Practical: temperature and enzyme activity
- 2.13 Effect of pH on enzymes
- 2.14B Practical: pH and enzyme activity
- 2d Movement of substances into and out of cells
- 2.15 Diffusion, osmosis and active transport
- 2.16 Factors affecting movement into and out of cells
- 2.17 Practical: diffusion and osmosis
- 2e Nutrition
- 2.18 Photosynthesis and energy conversion
- 2.19 Equations for photosynthesis
- 2.20 Factors affecting the rate of photosynthesis
- 2.21 Leaf structure and photosynthesis
- 2.22 Mineral ions for plant growth
- 2.23 Practical: requirements of photosynthesis
- 2.24 A balanced diet
- 2.25 Sources and functions of dietary components
- 2.26 Energy requirements and activity, age and pregnancy
- 2.27 The human alimentary canal
- 2.28 Peristalsis
- 2.29 Digestive enzymes
- 2.30 Production and storage of bile
- 2.31 Role of bile
- 2.32 Absorption in the small intestine
- 2.33B Practical: energy content of food
- 2f Respiration
- 2.34 Respiration and ATP
- 2.35 ATP as the energy source for cells
- 2.36 Aerobic and anaerobic respiration compared
- 2.37 Equations for aerobic respiration
- 2.38 Word equations for anaerobic respiration
- 2.39 Practical: respiration in germinating seeds
- 2g Gas exchange
- 2.40B Diffusion in gas exchange
- 2.41B Gas exchange, respiration and photosynthesis
- 2.42B Leaf adaptations for gas exchange
- 2.43B Stomata and gas exchange
- 2.44B Net gas exchange in plants, day and night
- 2.45B Practical: light and net gas exchange in leaves
- 2.46 Structure of the thorax
- 2.47 Intercostal muscles, diaphragm and ventilation
- 2.48 Adaptations of alveoli for gas exchange
- 2.49 Effects of smoking
- 2.50 Practical: breathing and exercise
- 2h Transport
- 2.51 Diffusion in unicellular organisms
- 2.52 Need for transport systems in multicellular organisms
- 2.53 Phloem and translocation
- 2.54 Xylem and transport of water
- 2.55B Water uptake by root hair cells
- 2.56B Transpiration
- 2.57B Factors affecting the rate of transpiration
- 2.58B Practical: environmental factors and transpiration
- 2.59 Composition of blood
- 2.60 Role of plasma
- 2.61 Adaptations of red blood cells
- 2.62 Immune response of white blood cells
- 2.63B Vaccination and memory cells
- 2.64B Platelets and blood clotting
- 2.65 Structure and function of the heart
- 2.66 Heart rate, exercise and adrenaline
- 2.67 Risk factors for coronary heart disease
- 2.68 Arteries, veins and capillaries
- 2.69 General structure of the circulatory system
- 2i Excretion
- 2.70 Waste gases lost from leaves
- 2.71 Excretory organs and products in humans
- 2.72B Kidney: excretion and osmoregulation
- 2.73B Structure of the urinary system
- 2.74B Structure of a nephron
- 2.75B Ultrafiltration and glomerular filtrate
- 2.76B Water reabsorption in the collecting duct
- 2.77B Selective reabsorption of glucose
- 2.78B ADH and blood water content
- 2.79B Composition of urine
- 2j Co-ordination and response
- 2.80 Responding to environmental change
- 2.81 Homeostasis
- 2.82 Stimulus, receptor and effector
- 2.83 Plant responses to stimuli
- 2.84 Geotropism and phototropism
- 2.85 Auxin and phototropism
- 2.86 Nervous and hormonal communication compared
- 2.87 The central nervous system
- 2.88 Nerve impulses and rapid responses
- 2.89 Neurotransmitters and synapses
- 2.90 The reflex arc
- 2.91 Structure and function of the eye
- 2.92 Focusing and response to light intensity
- 2.93 Skin and temperature regulation
- 2.94 Adrenaline, insulin, testosterone, progesterone and oestrogen
- 2.95B ADH, FSH and LH
3 Reproduction and inheritance
- 3a Reproduction
- 3.1 Sexual and asexual reproduction compared
- 3.2 Fertilisation and development of the embryo
- 3.3 Insect- and wind-pollinated flowers
- 3.4 Pollen tube growth, seeds and fruit
- 3.5 Practical: conditions for germination
- 3.6 Food reserves in germinating seeds
- 3.7 Asexual reproduction in plants
- 3.8 Male and female reproductive systems
- 3.9 Oestrogen and progesterone in the menstrual cycle
- 3.10B FSH and LH in the menstrual cycle
- 3.11 Role of the placenta
- 3.12 Protection of the embryo by amniotic fluid
- 3.13 Hormones and secondary sexual characteristics
- 3b Inheritance
- 3.14 Genomes and genes
- 3.15 Chromosomes and genes in the nucleus
- 3.16B Structure of DNA
- 3.17B Structure of RNA
- 3.18B Protein synthesis: transcription and translation
- 3.19 Alleles and inherited differences
- 3.20 Genetic terms: dominant, recessive, genotype, phenotype
- 3.21B Codominance
- 3.22 Polygenic inheritance
- 3.23 Monohybrid inheritance and genetic diagrams
- 3.24 Family pedigrees
- 3.25 Probabilities in monohybrid crosses
- 3.26 Sex chromosomes
- 3.27 Sex determination at fertilisation
- 3.28 Mitosis
- 3.29 Uses of mitosis
- 3.30 Meiosis and haploid gametes
- 3.31 Random fertilisation and variation
- 3.32 Diploid and haploid chromosome numbers in humans
- 3.33 Genetic and environmental variation
- 3.34 Mutation
- 3.35B Effect of DNA changes on phenotype
- 3.36B Effects of mutations on phenotype
- 3.37B Causes of increased mutation rates
- 3.38 Darwin’s theory of evolution by natural selection
- 3.39 Antibiotic resistance in bacteria
4 Ecology and the environment
- 4a The organism in the environment
- 4.1 Population, community, habitat and ecosystem
- 4.2 Practical: population size using quadrats
- 4.3B Biodiversity
- 4.4B Practical: distribution and biodiversity using quadrats
- 4.5 Abiotic and biotic factors and populations
- 4b Feeding relationships
- 4.6 Trophic levels
- 4.7 Food chains, food webs and ecological pyramids
- 4.8 Transfer of substances and energy in food chains
- 4.9 Energy transfer between trophic levels
- 4c Cycles within ecosystems
- 4.10 The carbon cycle
- 4.11B The nitrogen cycle
- 4d Human influences on the environment
- 4.12 Air pollution by sulfur dioxide and carbon monoxide
- 4.13 Greenhouse gases
- 4.14 Human activities and greenhouse gases
- 4.15 Enhanced greenhouse effect and global warming
- 4.16 Water pollution by sewage
- 4.17 Eutrophication
- 4.18B Effects of deforestation
5 Use of biological resources
- 5a Food production
- 5.1 Glasshouses and polythene tunnels
- 5.2 Carbon dioxide, temperature and crop yield
- 5.3 Fertilisers and crop yield
- 5.4 Pest control: pesticides and biological control
- 5.5 Yeast in food production
- 5.6 Practical: anaerobic respiration in yeast
- 5.7 Bacteria in yoghurt production
- 5.8 Industrial fermenters
- 5.9B Fish farming
- 5b Selective breeding
- 5.10 Selective breeding of plants
- 5.11 Selective breeding of animals
- 5c Genetic modification (genetic engineering)
- 5.12 Restriction enzymes and ligase
- 5.13 Vectors and recombinant DNA
- 5.14 Insulin from genetically modified bacteria
- 5.15 Genetically modified plants and food production
- 5.16 Transgenic organisms
- 5d Cloning
- 5.17B Micropropagation
- 5.18B Commercial use of micropropagation
- 5.19B Cloning mammals
- 5.20B Cloned transgenic animals and human proteins