AQA GCSE Biology — Cells and Organisation flashcards
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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.
Learn deck · part of AQA GCSE Biology · 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.
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A cell has a cell membrane, cytoplasm and a cell wall, and its DNA is a single loop lying free in the cytoplasm. Is it eukaryotic or prokaryotic?Prokaryotic — it is a bacterial cell.Cell Biology › Cell Structure
Why: its DNA is not held inside a nucleus; plant and animal (eukaryotic) cells keep their DNA inside a nucleus. -
What are plasmids, and in which type of cell are they found?Small rings of DNA found in bacterial (prokaryotic) cells, separate from the main DNA loop.Cell Biology › Cell Structure
Example: genetic engineers use plasmids as vectors to carry a gene into a bacterium. -
A typical animal cell is about 20 µm across and a typical bacterium about 2 µm. By how many orders of magnitude do they differ?One order of magnitude — the animal cell is about ten times wider.Cell Biology › Cell Structure
Why: 20 µm ÷ 2 µm = 10, which is ; each order of magnitude is a factor of ten. -
Which sub-cellular structure is the site of aerobic respiration?Mitochondria.Cell Biology › Cell Structure
Why: cells that need a lot of energy, such as muscle cells and sperm cells, contain large numbers of them. -
Which sub-cellular structure is the site of protein synthesis, and is it found in both eukaryotic and prokaryotic cells?Ribosomes — and yes, they are found in both.Cell Biology › Cell Structure
Why: almost every cell must make proteins, including enzymes, so ribosomes occur in plant, animal and bacterial cells alike. -
What is the difference between a tissue and an organ?A tissue is a set of cells of similar structure sharing a function; an organ is several tissues that work together on particular functions.Organisation › Principles of Organisation
Example: muscle tissue is one of the tissues that make up the stomach. -
What is an enzyme?A biological catalyst: a large protein molecule that speeds up a reaction without being used up.Organisation › Animal Tissues and Organs
Why: enzymes let the reactions of metabolism happen fast enough at body temperature. -
Why does each enzyme catalyse only one specific reaction?Its active site has a unique shape that only one substrate fits — the lock and key model.Organisation › Animal Tissues and Organs
Watch out: the substrate is complementary to the active site, not the same shape. -
What happens to an enzyme's activity above its optimum temperature, and why?The rate falls because the enzyme is denatured: its active site changes shape, so the substrate no longer fits.Organisation › Animal Tissues and Organs
Watch out: an enzyme is not killed; it is a protein, not a living thing. -
A protease from the stomach works best at pH 2. Why does it work very slowly at pH 8?At pH 8 the active site changes shape (the enzyme is denatured), so the substrate no longer fits.Organisation › Animal Tissues and Organs
Why: each enzyme has an optimum pH at which its active site has exactly the right shape.
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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.
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