IGCSE Biology (O610) Workbook

1.1 CHARACTERISTICS OF LIVING THINGS

1. Complete the table to list the seven processes that all living organisms carry out. For each process, give an
example of each for the two different organisms:

Life Process Definition

Movement

Respiration

Sensitivity

Growth

Reproduction

Excretion

Nutrition

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IGCSE Biology (O610) Workbook
2. Give an example of how the organisms carry out these processes. Some of them have been done for you.

Life Process Tiger Apple tree

Movement ∑

Respiration

Uses hormones to sense

Sensitivity direction of gravity so
roots grow downwards.

Growth

Uses sexual reproduction

Reproduction to produce offspring
known as “cubs”.

Excretion

Nutrition

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IGCSE Biology (O610) Workbook
1.2 CONCEPT AND USE OF A CLASSIFICATION SYSTEM
1. Define the word “species”

2. List the five kingdoms of life

i) ____________________
ii) ____________________
iii) ____________________
iv) ____________________
v) ____________________

3. Look at the table below and complete the blanks. You should be able to figure out most of the answers
based on information that is already in the table

Coconut Palm Black-backed Common

Rank Human Gray Wolf
Tree jackal chimpanzee
Domain Eukarya Eukarya
Kingdom Animals
Phylum Chordata Cycadophyta
Class Mammalia Mammalia Cycadopsida Mammalia
Order Primates Carnivora Arecales Carnivora
Family Homonidae Canidae Arecaceae Canidae
Genus Homo Canis Cocos Pan
Species sapien lupus nucifera mesomelas troglodytes

4. Which two parts of the ranking system are used to give an organism’s binomial name?

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IGCSE Biology (O610) Workbook
5. Give the binomial names for each of the species mentioned in the ranking table above:

Human: _______________________
Coconut palm: _______________________
Common chimpanzee: _______________________
Grey wolf: _______________________
Black-backed jackal: _______________________
6(A). We classify organisms based which other organisms they are related to. For example, chimpanzees are
quite closely related to humans, and lizards are related to geckos. This is because they share the same
ancestors.

Look at the picture the rock hyrax (sometimes called a “dassie”). Put a circle around the organisms that you
think might be closely related to it, and put a box around the organisms that you think are least closely
related to it:

elephant
rabbit
lizard
rat
mouse
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IGCSE Biology (O610) Workbook
6(B). Of all the animals on that list, the dassie is most closely related to the:

______________ (Ask your teacher)

We can’t just group animals together based on how they look. Using the dassie as an example, explain why
using anatomy and morphology alone for classification can be a problem:

7. Explain why using DNA is a better way to classify organisms:

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IGCSE Biology (O610) Workbook
1.3 FEATURES OF ORGANISMS
1. Draw an animal cell and include the following labels:

nucleus, cell membrane, cytoplasm, rough endoplasmic reticulum, ribosomes

2. Some organelles are only present in certain types of cell, but some are present in all cells. Tick the correct
boxes below:
Present in all Present only
Feature
cells in some cells
Nucleus ☐ ☐
DNA as genetic material ☐ ☐
Cell membrane ☐ ☐
Cell wall ☐ ☐
Cytoplasm ☐ ☐
Ribosomes ☐ ☐
Chloroplasts ☐ ☐
Enzymes ☐ ☐

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IGCSE Biology (O610) Workbook
3. List the features that define each of the five kingdoms:

__________________________

Animals > __________________________

__________________________
__________________________
__________________________
__________________________
__________________________ < Plants
__________________________
__________________________

Fungi > __________________________

__________________________
__________________________
__________________________
__________________________
__________________________ < Prokaryotes
__________________________
__________________________

Protoctists > __________________________

__________________________
__________________________

4. Use ticks and crosses to show the features present in different groups of vertebrate animals:

Lay eggs Have lungs

Endo- Ecto- Have dry Have wet Have a Have Eggs laid in
Group with hard throughout
thermic thermic scales scales placenta feathers water
shells lifecycle
Mammals ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐
Fish ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐
Birds ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐
Amphibians ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐
Reptiles ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐

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IGCSE Biology (O610) Workbook
5. Complete the sentences below about arthropods:

Arthropods are a group of invertebrates, which means they have no

_______________. Arthropods all have _______________ legs
and a hard exo-_______________. There are four main groups of
them.

i) _______________ have bodies in segments, and each segmented

has jointed legs attached to it.
ii) _______________ have four pairs or jointed legs, and they breathe
through gills called _______________ _______________.
iii) _______________ have bodies divided into three sections:
_______________, _______________ and abdomen. They have
_______________ pairs of wings.
iv) _______________ breathe through gills and have more than four
pairs of jointed legs.

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IGCSE Biology (O610) Workbook
6. Four major groups of plants are:

• Flowering plants
• Ferns
• Mosses
• Conifers

Complete the table to summarise the features of flowering plants and ferns

Flowering Ferns
plants
Have leaves and chloroplasts ☐ ☐

Have roots ☐ ☐

Have stems ☐ ☐

Have leaves ☐ ☐
Produce flowers ☐ ☐

Reproduce using spores ☐ ☐

Make offspring by sexual reproduction ☐ ☐

Make offspring by asexual reproduction ☐ ☐

7. Compare and contrast monocotyledonous and dicotyledonous plants

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IGCSE Biology (O610) Workbook
1.4 DICHOTOMOUS KEYS
1. Use the key to identify the four birds. Write the name of each type underneath the pictures.

1. Has a speckled breast “Babbler”

Has un-speckled breast GO TO 2
2. Has a short beak “Weaver”
Has a long beak GO TO 3
3. Has a straight beak “Kingfisher”
Has a curved beak “Hornbill”

2. Construct a branching key diagram for the following stationary items:

pencil, pen, eraser, pencil sharpener, paper, correction fluid, post-it note

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IGCSE Biology (O610) Workbook
3. Construct a number key for the following organisms.

earthworm, snake, centipede, crab, lobster, spider

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IGCSE Biology (O610) Workbook
2.1 CELL STRUCTURE AND ORGANISATION
1. Complete the table describing the function of each of the following cell parts
Organelle Function Animal/plant/both?
Ribosomes

Nucleus

Mitochondria

2. All cells contain ribosomes and genetic material, and most cells contain mitochondria and a nucleus. State
the type of cell which does NOT contain mitochondria or a nucleus

3. Liver cells have a high rate of metabolism. What can you deduce about the number of mitochondria in liver
cells?

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IGCSE Biology (O610) Workbook
2.2 LEVELS OF ORGANISATION
1. List the levels or orgnisation of living material and write their definition. Give an example of each

Level of
Definition Example
organisation
Smallest

Largest

2. For each cell type described, write its name, draw the picture, and explain how it is adapted to its function.

Name and picture Adaptation(s)

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IGCSE Biology (O610) Workbook
2. (Cont.)

Name and picture Adaptation(s)

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IGCSE Biology (O610) Workbook
2.3 SIZE OF SPECIMENS
1. State the calculation for each of the following:

Magnification =

Actual size of obiect =

Size of Image =

2. Draw the formula triangle for magnification calculations

3. Draw a picture of an onion cell as seen through a light microscope

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IGCSE Biology (O610) Workbook
4. Assume that an onion cell is 300 micrometres in length, calculate the magnification of your cell drawing
in question 3. Show all of your working.

5. Complete the table to convert the units

Metres (m) Millimetres (mm) Micrometres (µm) Nanometres (nm)

10

3500

(Note: Nanometres are common used in biology so they’re useful to know, but you don’t need to use them for IGCSE
biology).

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IGCSE Biology (O610) Workbook
3.1 DIFFUSION
1. Fill in the blanks to summarise diffusion

In order for substances to get into our out of a cell they passed pass

across the ___________ ___________ . One way this can

happen is by diffusion. This is a ___________ process, meaning it

does not require energy.

In order for things to diffuse, they must move from an area of a

___________ concentration to an area of ___________

concentration, which means they move down the concentration

___________ .

2. Write the definition for “diffusion”

3. List four things that affect the rate of diffusion

1. ______________________
2. ______________________
3. ______________________
4. ______________________

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IGCSE Biology (O610) Workbook
4. Complete the boxes below to show how concentration gradient affects rate of diffusion. Write a brief
explanation next to it.
Outside of cell Inside cell Explanation

______________________
______________________
______________________
______________________
______________________

______________________
______________________
______________________
______________________
______________________

5. Draw a diagram of an alveolus and a single blood vessel. Label the diagram to show the diffusion of gases.

6. BONUS QUESTION: Use your diagram to help you – how many plasma membrane does an oxygen
molecule pass through to get from air into a blood cell?

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IGCSE Biology (O610) Workbook
3.2 OSMOSIS
1. Complete the sentences to describe osmosis

Osmosis is a special type of diffusion. It involves any

___________ but we will focus on water. The water goes from a

place where there is a higher percentage of water to a place where there

is a lower percentage. We say it goes from an area of high

___________ ___________ to and area of low ___________

___________. While diffusion can happen anywhere (like a smell

moving across a room), osmosis can only happen if a ___________

___________ membrane is there. It happens because large

substances in a cell like proteins are too ___________ to fit through

the membrane, but water molecules are small enough.

In the roots of plants, water moves into the ___________

___________ cells. These have a lower ___________

___________ than the soil because the plant is constantly taking

water up through its stem out of the roots.

2. Write the definition for “osmosis”

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IGCSE Biology (O610) Workbook
3. Complete the table to summarise the state of cells in tissues that are immersed in different concentrations
of salt.
Salt Much higher than cell
concentration of (enough for plant cell Equivalent to cell Much lower than cell
solution plasmolysis)

Water potential Cell water potential

of cell higher than solution

Direction of
No movement
movement

Word to
Hypotonic
describe solution

Texture of plant
cell after 15 Turgid
minutes

Plant cell
diagram
(palisade cell)

Animal cell
diagram

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IGCSE Biology (O610) Workbook
4. Animal cells can burst in hypotonic solutions. Explain why this is not true for animal cells.

5. Explain what is meant by plasmolysis

6. Complete the sentences below:

Plant cells are supported by “___________ pressure”, which is

pressure that results from water pushing against an inelastic (not

stretchy) cell ___________.

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IGCSE Biology (O610) Workbook
3.3 ACTIVE TRANSPORT
1. Diffusion is “passive”. State what this means.

2. Active transport, as its name implies, is “active”. State what this means.

3. Write the definition for active transport.

4. What process supplies the energy for active transport? (And the energy for everything else living things
do!)

5. Complete the sentences to describe some important examples of active transport.

The concentration of glucose molecules in the ___________ of the

small intestine is ___________ than the concentration inside the

intestinal villi. This means that glucose would ___________ from the

villi into the lumen, but this can’t happen because the body needs to take

in the glucose, not lose it. Instead, special ___________ proteins in

the cell membrane use ___________ to move the glucose into the villi

against its ___________ gradient.

Similarly, the amount of glucose inside of the blood in the kidneys is

___________ than it is in the tubule, but it must move out of the

tubule. Glucose moves into the blood by ___________

___________.

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IGCSE Biology (O610) Workbook
What biological molecules are made of
1. Tick the boxes to show which elements are present in the following biological molecules.

Molecule Carbon Hydrogen Oxygen Nitrogen

Carbohydrates ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐
Fats ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐
Proteins ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐

2. Give an example of the following:

Example of a carbohydrate: _________________________

Example of a protein: _________________________
3. Draw and label the structure of a simple carbohydrate made of a chain of glucose molecules

4. Draw and label the structure of a protein

5. Draw and label the structure of a lipid

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IGCSE Biology (O610) Workbook
6. State the relationship between glucose, cellulose, starch and glycogen.

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IGCSE Biology (O610) Workbook
Food tests
1. Complete the table summarizing the tests we do for biological molecules
Biological Molecule Solution Positive result
DCPIP
Safe Procedure:

Protein
Safe Procedure:

Reducing sugar
Safe Procedure:

Iodine
Safe Procedure:

Ethanol emulsion
Safe Procedure:

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IGCSE Biology (O610) Workbook
Proteins
1. State the small subunits that make up proteins

2. State 3 examples of types of proteins

i. _________________________
ii. _________________________
iii. _________________________

3. Chains of amino acids fold up to give proteins specific shapes. State why these shapes are important for:

Enzymes:

Antibodies:

DNA
1. Draw a molecule of DNA showing its twisted shape. Label the cross links.

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IGCSE Biology (O610) Workbook
2. State the name of the twisted structure of the DNA molecule

3. List the four bases present in DNA.

3. Draw another DNA strand – show it uncoiled. Draw it with 9 bases in exactly this order:
A-G-G-C-C-T-G-G-C

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IGCSE Biology (O610) Workbook
WATER
1. What percentage of most organisms is water

______ %

2. With reference to metabolic reactions, explain why cells would die if they dry out.

3. Complete the sentences below

Many molecules need to be ____________ in

water. For example, glucose is dissolved in blood

____________ so it can be transported around the body.

In addition, ____________ (molecules that speed

up reactions without being used up themselves) are needed in

digestion, so they are found dissolved in water in the

____________ canal so that chemical reactions can take

place.

Mammals produce nitrogen-based waste in the form of

____________, which must exit that body as it would be

toxic. It is dissolved in water and exits the body as

____________.

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 Active Transport
Find the video at: Enter Lesson Code:
sciencesauceonline.com 01202

Use the video, “Active Transport”, to help you answer the questions.

1. Distinguish between the words “passive” and “active” in relation to the movement of
materials across a cell membrane.

………………………………..…………………………………………………………………………………
………………………………..…………………………………………………………………………………

2. What is the energy “currency” in living organisms?

………………………………..…………………………………………………………………………………

3. With reference to high and low concentrations, in which direction do materials move
when active transport is taking place?

………………………………..…………………………………………………………………………………

4. Which component of a cell membrane is necessary for active transport to take

place?

………………………………..…………………………………………………………………………………

5. Outline three examples of active transport taking place in living organisms.

………………………………..…………………………………………………………………………………
………………………………..…………………………………………………………………………………
………………………………..…………………………………………………………………………………
………………………………..…………………………………………………………………………………
………………………………..…………………………………………………………………………………
………………………………..…………………………………………………………………………………

1
 Characteristics of Living Things
Find the video at: Enter Lesson Code:
sciencesauceonline.com 01100

Use the video, “Characteristics of Living Things”, to help you answer the questions.

1. What name is often used as a mnemonic to help remember the characteristics of

living things?

………………………………..…………………………………………………………………………………

2. The following are all characteristics of some living organisms. Circle/highlight the ones
that are characteristics of all living organisms.

See Need nutrition Excrete Walk Eat Grow

Vomit Scratch Breathe Swim Reproduce

Smell Feel Respire Talk Move Sense

3. Define each of the seven characteristics of living organisms

Characteristic Definition

.………………………………………….…………………………………….……………
.…………………………………….………………………………………….……………

.…………………………………….………………………………………….……………
.…………………………………….………………………………………….……………

.…………………………………….………………………………………….……………
.…………………………………….………………………………………….……………

.…………………………………….…………………………………….…………………
.…………………………………….…………………………………….…………………

.…………………………………….…………………………………….…………………
.…………………………………….…………………………………….…………………

.…………………………………….…………………………………….…………………
.…………………………………….…………………………………….…………………

.…………………………………….………………………………………….……………
.…………………………………….…………………………………….…………………
 Diffusion
Find the video at: Enter Lesson Code:
sciencesauceonline.com 01210

Use the video, “Diffusion and Osmosis” (up to 4:28), to help you answer the questions.

1. Define “diffusion”.

………………………………..…………………………………………………………………………………
………………………………..…………………………………………………………………………………
………………………………..…………………………………………………………………………………

2. Explain what is meant by the term, “steep concentration gradient”.

………………………………..…………………………………………………………………………………
………………………………..…………………………………………………………………………………
………………………………..…………………………………………………………………………………

3. Look at the statements below. For each one write “T” or “F” to indicate whether the
statement is true or false.

Statement T/F
Particles remain still unless there is a concentration gradient present.

Particles move at random.

Increasing the temperature increases the speed of particle
movement and therefore the rate of diffusion.
A steeper concentration gradient results in a slower rate of diffusion.

A shorter diffusion pathway results in a faster rate of diffusion.

 Osmosis
Find the video at: Enter Lesson Code:
sciencesauceonline.com 01211

Use the video, “Diffusion and Osmosis” (from 4:28), to help you answer the questions.

1. Define “osmosis”.

………………………………..…………………………………………………………………………………
………………………………..…………………………………………………………………………………
………………………………..…………………………………………………………………………………

2.
a. State what happens to an animal cell placed in pure water.

………………………………..…………………………………………………………………………………

b. Explain your answer to part a).

………………………………..…………………………………………………………………………………

c. Explain why this will not happen to a plant cell placed in pure water.
………………………………..…………………………………………………………………………………
………………………………..…………………………………………………………………………………

3. When a plant cell is placed in a highly concentrated solution (a solution with a low
water potential), the cell membrane may pull away from the cell wall. What name is
given to this process?

………………………………..…………………………………………………………………………………