G7 Science Notes

Topic 1.1 : Plant Cells

Functions Of The Parts Of A Plant Cell :

Part Function

Cell Wall Helps keep cell's shape and gives it strength

Cell Membrane Controls what substances leave and enter the cell

Cytoplasm Holds everything together, this is where many cell activities happen

Chloroplast Converts sunlight into energy for the cell

Nucleus Controls the cell's activities

Mitochondria Supplies energy to the cell/ Powerhouse of the cell

Sap Vacuole Stores Nutrients

Cell Wall is strong, stiff, made up of cellulose.

Cell Membrane has very thin skin, like a soap bubble.

Cytoplasm looks like a clear jelly.

Chloroplast contains a green pigment called chlorophyll, this is where

photosynthesis happens

Sap Vacuole is large, fluid filled, containing solutions of sugar and other
substances dissolved in water. Also known as a cell sap.

Nucleus contains the plants DNA

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Diagram of plant cell :

What are cells?

Cells are the smallest living units of life that make up all living things. They
carry out all the functions needed for life. The one shown above is a
palisade cell which is a cell found in plant leaves. Parts of the cell are
called organelles.

Topic 1.2 : Plant Cells

Types of cells

There are two types of cells, animal cells and plant cells. Some organisms
are single cellular, meaning they only consist of one cell. This cell performs
the necessary functions to keep the organism alive. Bacteria are single
cellular organisms. Multicellular celled organisms are organisms that have
many cells and they work together.

Heterotrophic : an organism that cannot produce its own food is called a

heterotroph.

Animal Cells :

All animals are made up of cells, humans do have the same structure of
animal cells. Animal cells are specialized which means that they have
different structures depending on what job they do in the animal's body.

There are some similarities and some differences between a plant cell and
an animal cell. Flip to the table on the next page :
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Animals and Plants cells similarities and differences

They both have : Cell membrane, Nucleus, Mitochondria, Cytoplasm
Differences : Plant cells have chloroplast, cell walls and a sap
vacuole while animal cells don’t.

Topic 1.3 : Specialised Cells

Keywords/Definitions :

Adapted : Changed in a way that helps an organism survive better in its

environment

Axon : long extension of a nerve cell (Neurone)

Capillary : smallest blood vessel, supplies blood to all tissues in the body

Cilia : tiny hair-like structure that extends from the surface of some cells

Dendrite : short extension of a neuron

Haemoglobin : a protein in red blood cells that take up and transport

oxygen.

Mucus : a sticky substances that helps trap dust and bacteria in the
respiratory system

What is a Specialised Cell?

A specialised cell is a cell with a special/different structure to adapt to its
specific function.

Here are some kinds of Specialised Cells :

What is their specialization? Flip to the next page.

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Animal Cell - Red blood cell :

i) Its biconcave disc shape increases surface area over which absorption of
oxygen can occur.

ii) Cytoplasm contains red color pigment called haemoglobin which a

protein which carries oxygen

iii) Cytoplasm contains no nucleus, leaving more space for haemoglobin to

bind

Animal Cell - Nerve Cell :

i) Long Axon (long strand of cytoplasm). Electrical signals can travel along
this very quickly.

ii) Dendrites collect electrical signals from other nearby nerve cells.

Animal Cell - Ciliated Cell :

i) Cilia along one edge of the cell traps dust and bacteria air to stop them
from going into your lungs.

Plant Cell - Root hair cell :

i) Long and thin extension allows water to move easily from the soil into the
cell.

Plant Cell - Palisade cell :

i) Chloroplast containing chlorophyll, chlorophyll absorbs energy from the

sun which is used to help the plant make food (photosynthesis)

Let’s learn about some other specialised cells and how they are specialized :

i) Sperm Cell iii) Fat Cell

ii) Egg Cell iv) Muscle Cell

Only one of these cells are plant cells while the rest are animal cells.
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Animal Cell - Sperm Cell :

Function : Its job is to fertilise an egg cell by joining with it.

i) The acrosome contains enzymes so the sperm can penetrate the egg

ii) Middle piece is packed with mitochondria to release energy needed to

swim and fertilise the egg.

iii) The tail of the sperm cell enables the sperm to swim.

Animal Cell - Egg Cell :

Function : When joining with a sperm cell, it becomes an embryo.

i) Cytoplasm contains nutrients for the growth of the developing embryo

ii) Outer layer changes after fertilisation so that the sperm can no longer
penetrate.

Animal Cell - Fat Cells :

Function : Provide energy storage, insulation from extreme temperatures

and cushioning around soft organs.

i) Fat reservoirs are where the fat is stored, this part takes up most of the
fat cell.

Animal Cell - Muscle Cell :

Function : Contraction for movement

i) Muscle Cells have a lot of mitochondria to release energy for contraction

ii) Protein filaments can slide over each other which allows for muscle
contractions.

Topic 1.4 : Cells, Tissues & Organs

Keywords/Definitions :
Ciliated Epithelium : Tissue that line the tubes leading down to our lungs

Upper Epidermis : The layer of cells on the top surface of a leaf

Palisade Layer : The layer of tall photosynthetic cells below the upper epidermis

Spongy Layer : The layer of photosynthetic cells below the palisade layer
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Keyword Definition

Cells Are the building blocks of life. It is the smallest unit of life that is
classified as a living thing.

Tissues A group of similar specialised cells that work together to do the

same job

Organs A collection of different tissue connected together to perform a

specific function

Organ A set of organs that work together in harmony to perform a function

System

Organism An individual independent form of life

Topic 2.1 : Solids, Liquids and Gases

Keywords/Definitions :

Hypothesis : an assumption, an idea that is proposed for the sake of

argument so that it can be tested to see if it might be true

Theory : an idea to explain evidence

Rigid : unable to bend or be forced out of shape, not flexible

Particles : Very small pieces of matter that everything is made up of

What is matter?
Matter is everything which has mass and occupies space.

Examples of non-matter : Heat, Light, Sound

The 3 states of matter are : Solid, Liquid and Gas

Each of them have different properties and different arrangements, Which are :
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Particle Theory

Scientists use these ideas to explain the different behaviours of solids,

liquids and gases. This theory is based on the concept that matter is made
up of fine and tiny particles called atoms and they move in constant
motion.

Particle theory of a solid :

Strong forces of attraction between particles, particles are packed very

closely together in a fixed and regular pattern.

Atoms Vibrate in position but can’t change position or move.

Solids have a fixed volume and shape and have high density.

Solid particles only have a small amount of energy.

Particle theory of a liquid :

Weaker attractive forces in liquids than in solids, particles are close

together in an irregular, unfixed pattern.

Particles can move and slide past each other which is why liquids adopt
the shape of the container they’re in and also why they are able to flow.

Liquids have a fixed volume but not a fixed shape and have a moderate to
high density

Liquid particles have more energy than those in a solid but less than in
gas.
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Particle theory of a gas :

Very weak intermolecular forces, particles move randomly, quickly and in

all directions.

They collide with each other and with the sides of the container. There is
no defined pattern and no fixed volume.

Gases have a low density and have the highest amount of energy.

Topic 2.2 : Solids, Liquids and Gases

Meniscus : The meniscus is the curved surface of a liquid in a container,
caused by the liquid's adhesion to the container walls and its cohesion
within itself.

A substance state of matter can be changed by its environment.

When thermal energy (heat) is added, these process occur :

Melting : Solid to Liquid

Evaporation : Liquid to Gas

Sublimation : Solid to Gas

When thermal energy (heat) is removed, these process occur :

Freezing : Liquid to Solid

Deposition : Gas to Solid

Condensation : Gas to Liquid

Measuring Water

When measuring water, alway read the

measurement from eye level from the center of the
meniscus. In most liquids, the meniscus is concave.
Mercury produces a convex meniscus.
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Measuring Temperature

A thermometer is a device that measures temperature. The three most

common units of measurement of temperature are Celsius, Fahrenheit and
Kelvin. When heat rises, the liquid inside the thermometer expands from
the bulb, climbing up the tube. When the temperature falls, the liquid
contracts and goes back down.

Topic 2.3 : Explaining Changes of State

What happens during -

Melting Solids :

●​ Particles gain energy and expend

●​ Particles vibrate faster
●​ Particles overcome attractive forces between them
●​ Particles break away from their fixed position and become liquids

Boiling Liquids :

●​ Particles gain kinetic energy

●​ Particles move faster
●​ Particles overcome forces holding them together
●​ Particles spread far apart
●​ Particles move rapidly in all directions
●​ Liquids evaporate and eventually boil

Freezing Liquids :

●​ Particles lose kinetic energy

●​ Particles move more slowly until they no longer have enough energy
to move about freely
●​ Particles settle into a fixed position (solid)

Cooling Gases - Condensation :

●​ Particles lose energy

●​ Particles move more slowly
●​ Becomes a liquid
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Sublimation :

Particles at the surface of the solid have enough energy to break away
from the solid and escape as a gas

This only happens to a few solids such as iodine or solid carbon dioxide.

Topic 2.4 : The Water Cycle

The water cycle is the process by which water is moved around the
environment from rivers to clouds and back again. The earth has been
recycling water for more than four billion years and our bodies are made
up of at least 60% water. The main part of the water cycle is the sun.

Transpiration is when water evaporates from plants and goes up into the
atmosphere.

The water cycle goes as such :

Transpiration+Evaporation --> Condensation --> Precipitation--> Collection

Kinds of precipitation include :

Rain, Snow, Sleet, Hail

Groundwater and Surface run-off

Some of the water from precipitation will soak into the soil and rocks as
groundwater. Water that reaches the surface of the land may flow directly
into the rivers, lakes and oceans. This water is called surface runoff.
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Diagram of the Water Cycle

Topic 2.5 : Atoms, Elements & the Periodic Table

Keywords/Definitions
Atom : tiny particles of matter

Element : a substance that is only one type of atom

Group : vertical columns in the periodic table

Metals : elements that are generally hard and shiny that allow electricity and heat
to travel through them

Period : horizontal rows in the periodic table

Symbol : used as a shorthand way of referring to an element

Periodic Table : arrangement of elements in order of the mass of their atoms

Scientists have discovered 94 different types of atoms that occur naturally

in the universe. An element is made up of just one type of atom.
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Arrangement of the Elements

Scientists have developed a very useful way of arranging elements. This is called
the periodic table. The periodic table has 118 known elements. The periodic table
is organised so that elements with similar properties are close together. The left
side of the periodic table has the metals while the right side has the non-metals.

Topic 2.6 : Compounds and Formulae

Compound : a substance in which atoms of two or more elements are bonded
together

Bonding : the way in which atoms join together

Formula : Uses chemical symbols to show how many atoms of different elements
are present (plural formulae)

Many substances are made up of more than one type of atom. If the different
types of atom are joined tightly together, then the substance is a compound. The
chemical term for two atoms joining tightly together is bonding.

A compound is very different from the elements from which it is made from. When
two different elements are bonded, they completely lose the properties of the
individual elements, the compound has totally new properties.

Naming Compounds

Each compound has a chemical name. The chemical name usually tells you the
elements that the compound is made from. There are important rules to
remember when naming compounds :

1)​ If the compound contains a metal then the name of the metal comes first in
the name of the compound.

E.g : Sodium Chloride

2)​ If the compound contains a non metal, the name of the non metal usually
ends with “Ide”

E.g : Sodium Chloride

3)​ Some compounds contain two different

elements plus a third element - oxygen.
These compounds often have names
ending with “ate”

E.g : Calcium carbonate

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4)​ Sometimes the name of the compound tells you how many of each kind of
atom are bonded together.

E.g : Di/Two & Mono/One

Carbon Dioxide means one carbon atom and 2 oxygen atoms.

Particle Diagrams

Particle diagrams show atoms of which elements

make up the particle. It is easy to decide if a
substance is a compound by looking at the particle
diagram. Here is an example of a particle diagram :

To write a formula, write the element symbol and a small number to show the
amount of atoms of the element. If there is only one atom of the element, don’t
put any number.

Topic 2.7 : Compounds and Mixtures

What is the difference between a compound and a mixture?

A compound is made of 2 or more elements chemically bonded together.

A mixture is made of 2 or more elements physically combined together.

This means that you can pull mixtures apart. For example, if you take sulfur and
iron filings and put them together, you can separate them using a magnet.

Basic Differences between elements, compounds and mixtures :

Element

●​ Any substance that contains only one kind of atom

●​ Cannot be broken down

Compound

●​ Consists of atoms of two or more different elements

●​ Can be broken down

Mixture

●​ Consists of two or more different elements/compounds

●​ Can be divided into: homogeneous mixture and heterogeneous mixture
●​ Can be separated
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What is a heterogeneous mixture and a homogeneous

mixture?

A heterogeneous mixture is when the two substances are

not dissolved together.

A homogeneous mixture is when the two substances are

dissolved together.

Elements Needed to Memorize :

Non- Metals

B - Boron C - Carbon F = Fluorine

P - Phosphorus N - Nitrogen Ar - Argon

S - Sulfur Cl - Chlorine H - Hydrogen

He - Helium Ne - Neon O - Oxygen

Si - Silicon

Metals

Li - Lithium Na - Sodium K - Potassium

Ca - Calcium Mg - Magnesium Be = Beryllium

Al- Aluminium Fe - Iron Au = Gold

Topic 3.1 : Gravity, Weight & Mass

Gravity is the force which pulls everything on earth towards the center of
the earth. Weight is the force of gravity on an object, measured in Newtons.
Mass is the amount of matter in an object, measured kg.

Mass Vs Weight
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Converting between mass and weight

Converting kg to N : kgx10=N

Converting N to kg : kg = N/10

Gravity on Different Planets

Topic 3.2 : Formation of the Solar System

The solar system, including the sun, planets, moons, asteroids and
comets, formed about 4.6 billion years ago from a giant cloud of gas and
dust in space called a nebula. All planets orbit around the sun in the same
direction. The Sun and all planets (except for Venus and Uranus) spin on
their axis in the same direction. Most of the moons of the planets orbit
their planets in the same direction as the planets rotate around the sun.
All the planets orbit the sun in the same plane. Just like all the objects on a
desk, a flat surface.

How do stars and planets form out of dust and gas?

All the particles of dust and gas have their own weak gravity. The particles
of dust and gas pull on each other with very weak forces due to their own
gravity. As they stick together, their total mass increases, as does the
strength of their gravity. That means they attract more dust and gas with a
stronger force. Gradually, it gets to a certain size for a star; otherwise, it
will become a planet.
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Topic 3.3 : Movement in Space

Air Resistance : A force that acts against motion caused by objects having
to displace the air in front of them in order to move.

Vacuum : a region with no particles, such as the space between planets in

the Solar system.

The sun is the object with the largest mass in the solar system. The mass of
the sun is 330,000 times greater than the mass of the earth.

The strength of the gravity of the sun is 270N/kg. The sun holds all the
planets in their orbit. The sun’s gravity gets weaker as the distance from
the sun increases.

The orbits of the planets including Earth are

almost circular. To keep any object moving in a
circular orbit, there needs to be a force causing it
to turn. The figure shows how the force of gravity
acts on a planet to keep it in orbit.

Speed in Space

All objects that move on Earth have forces acting

on them to slow them down. Air resistance is one
of those forces. It is caused by a moving object having to push against the
particles in the air.

A spacecraft called the Juno probe reached a speed of 266,000km/h as it

passed Jupiter which made it become the fastest spacecraft that people
had ever made. This would not be possible on earth due to air resistance
but since space is a vacuum, it was possible.

Topic 3.4 : Tides

The change in depth of water is called a tide. The difference in depth of
the water between high and low tide is tidal range. Tides cause land to
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change in height through the day, this is called earth tide. Tides can vary
in height and frequency depending on the alignment of the moon and sun.

Effects of Tides

Harbours: Tides help ships move easily during high tide but make it harder
during low tide.

Coasts: High tides cause erosion, and low tides leave sand and mud.

Food Chains: Tides bring nutrients to sea animals.

Volcanoes: Tides can affect volcanoes near the coast.

Earthquakes: Tides have a small effect on earthquakes but don’t cause

them.

Topic 3.5 : Energy

Energy : quantity that must be changed in order to do something.

Energy is measured in joules.

Types of Energy - Transfer/Stored

Energy Description Store/Transfer

Kinetic Energy stored due to Store

movement of an object

Chemical Energy stored in food, Store

batteries, chemical
store fuels.

Thermal Heat energy stored in Store or Transfer

hot objects and
transferred to colder
objects.

Elastic Potential Energy stored when Store

things are stretched or
squeezed to change
their shape
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Gravitational Potential Energy stored when an Store

object is lifted away
from a source of
gravity

Sound Energy transferred Transfer

from vibrating objects

Light Visible energy from Transfer

luminous objects that
you can see

Electrical The flow of current in a Transfer

circuit transfers
electrical energy

Topic 3.6 : Changes in Energy

Before energy can be changed or transferred, it is stored. When energy is
stored, the energy is not doing anything.

Topic 4.1 : Characteristics of Living Organisms

There are 7 characteristics of life. These are the characteristics that every
living thing has. They are : Movement, Respiration, Sensitivity, Growth,
Reproduction, Excretion and Nutrition. A way to remember them is by using
the acronym : MRSGREN

What do these characteristics mean?

]
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Topic 4.2 : Viruses

Virus : a particle made of either RNA or DNA surrounded by a protein coat.
Viruses hijack the machinery of a host cell to replicate

RNA : a nucleic acid found in all living cells, most contain both RNA and
DNA but some viruses contain only RNA.

Viruses are not living things, they are not made of cells and they are very
very small, even smaller than cells. Viruses are coated in proteins and pegs
to help them stick to and penetrate the cell to corrupt. RNA is made of little
threads that contain a set of coded instructions for making more viruses.
Antibiotics don’t kill viruses. A virus penetrates/hijacks a host cell and
takes over/corrupts the genetic material to make the host cell produce
more viruses.