Definitions and Concepts for OCR (A) Biology GCSE
Topic 1: Cell Level Systems
Definitions in bold are for higher tier only
Definitions marked by ‘*’ are for separate sciences only
Active site - The part of the enzyme which is specific to the substrate and has a
complementary shape to it.
Aerobic respiration - A form of respiration that uses a plentiful supply of oxygen to release
energy from glucose. It is shown by the following equation:
Glucose + Oxygen → Carbon Dioxide + Water
Amino acids - Small molecules that make up a protein.
Amylase - An enzyme that breaks down carbohydrates into simple sugars. It is produced in
the pancreas and salivary glands.
Anaerobic respiration - A form of respiration that releases energy from glucose when there
is an oxygen debt. Anaerobic respiration in animals is shown by the following equation:
Glucose → Lactic Acid
Carbohydrate - A large molecule that is synthesised from simple sugars.
Cell membrane - A selectively permeable barrier which controls the movement of
substances into and out of the cell. It also has receptor molecules on the surface for
cell-to-cell signalling.
Cellular respiration - A continuously occurring chemical process which is universal and
occurs in all living cells. It is exothermic and releases energy (in the form of ATP) from the
breakdown of organic compounds such as glucose.
Cell wall - An outer layer made of cellulose fibres. It provides the plant cell with strength and
support.
Chloroplasts - The organelles that are the site of photosynthesis. They contain chlorophyll
(a green pigment) which absorbs light energy and important enzymes which are needed for
photosynthesis.
Chromosome - A long, coiled molecule of DNA that carries genetic information in the form
of genes.
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Cover slip - A small piece of glass placed on top of the specimen to protect it from the lens.
Denaturation - The permanent change in the shape of an enzyme’s active site that stops
the enzyme functioning normally.
*DNA (Deoxyribonucleic acid) - A polymer made up of four nucleotides, each consisting of
a phosphate group and a common sugar which has one of four different bases attached:
Adenine (A), Thymine (T), Cytosine (C) and Guanine (G).
Enzymes - Biological catalysts that increase the rate of chemical reactions.
Enzyme specificity - Enzymes will only act on specific substrates that have a
complementary shape to the active site of the enzyme.
Eukaryotic cell - A type of cell found in plants and animals that has a nucleus and other
membrane-bound organelles.
Exothermic reaction - A reaction that releases energy, usually in the form of light or heat.
Eyepiece lens - The lens that further magnifies the image produced by the objective lens.
Fatty acid - A carboxylic acid that has a long carbon chain. Fatty acids react with glycerol to
make lipids.
Genetic material - The material that stores the genetic information.
Light microscope - A microscope that used light to produce an image of a specimen.
Limiting factor - A factor that when in short or inadequate supply limits the rate of a
reaction.
Lipase - An enzyme that breaks down lipids into fatty acids and glycerol.
Lipid - A large molecule that is synthesised from three fatty acids and a glycerol molecule.
Lock and key hypothesis - A theory that describes how substrates must be the correct
shape to fit the active site of an enzyme.
Magnification - How many times larger the image appears relative to the original object.
Magnification = image size / actual size
Mitochondria - The organelle which is the site of aerobic respiration. It contains enzymes
required for cellular respiration.
Monomer - A small molecule which can be bonded to other identical monomers to form a
large polymer. Monomers usually contain a carbon-carbon double bond, C=C.
Nucleotide - The monomers of DNA that consist of a common sugar, a phosphate group
and a base attached to the sugar. The chemical base can be one of A, C, T or G.
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Nucleus - An organelle found in most eukaryotic cells that contains the cell’s genetic
material and controls the activities of the cell.
Objective lens - The lens found closest to the specimen that magnifies the image.
Palisade mesophyll - A specialised plant tissue that carries out photosynthesis.
Permanent vacuole - An organelle found in plant cells which stores cell sap and helps
maintain the cell’s turgidity. A small, temporary vacuole can be found in animal cells that is
used for the storage and transportation of substances.
Photosynthesis - An endothermic reaction that takes place in the chloroplasts, converting
carbon dioxide and water into glucose and oxygen using light energy. It is a two-stage
process.
6CO2 +
6H2O → C6H12O6 +
6O2
Sunlight energy
Photosynthetic organisms - Organisms that are the main producers of food and therefore
biomass for life on earth. ✢
Plasmid - A circular loop of double-stranded DNA that is found in the cytoplasm of
prokaryotic cells. It is free to move unlike chromosomal DNA.
Polymer - Many small molecules (monomers) chemically joined together to make 1 large
molecule.
Prokaryotic cell - A unicellular organism that lacks a nucleus and other membrane-bound
organelles e.g. bacteria.
Protein - A large molecule synthesised from amino acid monomers.
*Protein synthesis - The formation of proteins from amino acids which takes place in
the ribosomes.
Resolution - The ability to see two cells as two separate entities (measured in dpi).
Ribosomes - Organelles which are the site of protein synthesis.
Scanning electron microscope (SEM) - A microscope that uses reflected electrons to
produce an image of a specimen. It creates a 3D image with a lower resolution.
Slide - A thin piece of glass on which the specimen is placed.
*Transcription - The unzipping of the DNA molecule around the gene, copying it to
mRNA in the nucleus. ✢
*Translation - Translating the mRNA sequence to an amino acid sequence during
protein synthesis.
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Transmission electron microscope (TEM) - A microscope that uses transmitted electrons
to produce an image of a specimen. It creates a 2D image with a higher resolution so details
of organelles can be seen.
Xylem - A specialised plant tissue that transports water and dissolved minerals from the
roots to the leaves of the plant.
✢ Definition taken from: OCR Gateway Science Biology A Specification (J247) V3.1 (July
2020)
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