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AQA GCSE Biology flashcards

7 decks · 511 cards · built into Willys · free samples below

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Written against: AQA GCSE Biology (8461) specification, version 1.0; Higher Tier and separate-science-only cards marked on the front. Updated 2026-10-10.

What's in it

Every deck follows the course outline, with tags you can study or suspend topic by topic. Open a deck to study its free sample right here.

Learn · 6 decks · 445 cards

Concepts, mechanisms and the questions a course or exam asks about them.

Cells and Organisation Topics 4.1 and 4.2 of AQA GCSE Biology: cell structure, microscopy and culturing, cell division and stem cells, transport in cells, enzymes and digestion, heart and blood, non-communicable disease and plant tissues. Higher Tier and Biology-only cards are marked. 10 free · 80 cards in the app Infection and Bioenergetics Topics 4.3 and 4.4 of AQA GCSE Biology: pathogens and named diseases, human defences, vaccination, drugs and trials, monoclonal antibodies, plant disease, photosynthesis and limiting factors, respiration and metabolism. Higher Tier and Biology-only cards are marked. 10 free · 77 cards in the app Homeostasis and Response Topic 4.5 of AQA GCSE Biology: control systems, the nervous system and reflexes, brain and eye, thermoregulation, hormones, blood glucose, kidneys, the menstrual cycle, contraception and plant hormones. Higher Tier and Biology-only cards are marked. 10 free · 79 cards in the app Inheritance and Evolution Topic 4.6 of AQA GCSE Biology: meiosis and reproduction, DNA and protein synthesis, genetic crosses and inherited disorders, variation, natural selection, selective breeding, genetic engineering, cloning, fossils, resistance and classification. Higher Tier and Biology-only cards are marked. 10 free · 74 cards in the app Ecology Topic 4.7 of AQA GCSE Biology: communities, abiotic and biotic factors, adaptations, food chains, carbon and water cycles, decay, biodiversity, pollution, land use, global warming, trophic levels and food security. Higher Tier and Biology-only cards are marked. 10 free · 65 cards in the app Required Practicals All ten AQA GCSE Biology required practicals: variables, the method steps that matter, safety, sources of error and improvements, expected results and the calculations each needs. Biology-only practicals and Higher Tier cards are marked. 10 free · 70 cards in the app

Practice · 1 deck · 66 questions

Multiple-choice practice questions, one best answer each, with the reasoning.

Practice Questions Multiple-choice practice questions, one best answer each, across all seven AQA GCSE Biology topics and the required practicals. Higher Tier and Biology-only questions are marked on the stem. 6 free · 66 questions in the app

Study guide

Topics covered

The decks follow the order of the course outline. Numbers are cards per topic.

  • Cell Biology 54
    • Cell Division 11
    • Cell Structure 26
    • Transport in Cells 17
  • Organisation 43
    • Animal Tissues and Organs 32
    • Plant Tissues and Organs 10
    • Principles of Organisation 1
  • Infection and Response 54
    • Communicable Diseases 37
    • Monoclonal Antibodies 8
    • Plant Disease 9
  • Bioenergetics 38
    • Photosynthesis 17
    • Respiration 21
  • Homeostasis and Response 88
    • Homeostasis 5
    • Hormonal Coordination 42
    • Plant Hormones 10
    • The Nervous System 31
  • Inheritance Variation and Evolution 85
    • Classification 8
    • Reproduction 41
    • Understanding Genetics and Evolution 15
    • Variation and Evolution 21
  • Ecology 73
    • Adaptations and Interdependence 19
    • Biodiversity and Human Impact 17
    • Food Production 9
    • Organisation of an Ecosystem 17
    • Trophic Levels 11
  • Required Practicals 76
    • Microscopy 8
    • Microbiology 6
    • Osmosis 7
    • Food Tests 8
    • Enzymes 8
    • Photosynthesis 7
    • Reaction Time 6
    • Plant Responses 6
    • Field Investigations 7
    • Decay 7

A study plan

  • 19 new cards a day covers everything in a month, leaving the last weeks for review.
  • 10 new cards a day covers everything in two months, leaving the last weeks for review.
  • 7 new cards a day covers everything in three months, leaving the last weeks for review.

Willys schedules reviews for you (FSRS spaced repetition), so the daily number above is only for new cards; reviews of what you have learned come back on their own. Study a topic's cards right after you meet it in class, suspend topics you have not reached yet, and use the app's quiz mode in the final two weeks.

How to get these decks

  1. Install Willys on your iPhone, iPad or Mac — App Store. 14-day free trial, then $14.99 a year.
  2. In Willys, tap Exam Library at the top of your Decks (or Browse Exam Library… under the + button), find the exam on its shelf or by search, tick it and tap Add.
  3. Study. The exam comes in as its own collapsible folder, every card scheduled by FSRS spaced repetition. Nothing you already have is changed.

Every deck is built into Willys

All 7 AQA GCSE Biology decks (511 cards), with FSRS spaced repetition, quizzes and mock tests, on iPhone, iPad and Mac. 14-day free trial, then $14.99 a year.

Get the app

In Willys, tap Exam Library at the top of your Decks (or Browse Exam Library… under the + button), find the exam on its shelf or by search, tick it and tap Add.

About these cards

Review status: Second-reader reviewed, with corrections applied.

Checked against:

  • Topic outline follows the AQA GCSE Biology (8461) specification, version 1.0 (outline only; no specification text reproduced).
  • OpenStax Biology 2e, consulted as a reference; no text copied.
  • OpenStax Biology 2e and OpenStax Microbiology, consulted as references; no text copied.
  • Also checked against the NICE glossary and the Royal Horticultural Society's aphid guide (reference only; no text copied).
  • OpenStax Biology 2e, OpenStax Anatomy and Physiology 2e and OpenStax College Physics 2e, consulted as references; no text copied.
  • Also checked against NHS website pages (nhs.uk) (reference only; no text copied).
  • Also checked against Hickling et al. (2006), Global Change Biology 12: 450-455, and Collins et al. (2014), PLoS ONE (CC BY) (reference only; no text copied).
  • Also checked against AQA's GCSE Biology (8461) Required practical handbook, version 5.3 (July 2025), and USDA FoodData Central food composition data (CC0 1.0) (reference only; no text copied).
  • Original questions written in the style of AQA GCSE Biology multiple-choice items; all data are hypothetical and every calculation was checked. No AQA, textbook or question-bank items were copied.
  • Checked against the NHS website's Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes pages, nhs.uk (reference only; no text copied).

These are independent study notes written for Willys. They are not official exam material, may contain mistakes, and are no substitute for your course, your teacher or the exam owner's own publications. Found an error? Tell us — corrections ship as a new version of the deck.

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