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SQA National 5 Biology

National 5 · SQABiology27 notes in 4 folders, 99 KB

Notes for SQA National 5 Biology, in folders for the course's three content areas in the specification's order (Cell biology, Multicellular organisms, Life on Earth), with the required techniques set out as method and reasoning inside the topics they belong to. A last folder covers apparatus, planning investigations and handling data. Follows the course specification, version 5.0 (June 2026), for exams from 2027.

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What is inside

  • Cell biology
    • Cell structure4 KB
    • Transport across cell membranes5 KB
    • DNA and the production of proteins4 KB
    • Enzymes5 KB
    • Genetic engineering3 KB
    • Respiration4 KB
  • Multicellular organisms
    • Mitosis, stem cells and specialisation4 KB
    • The nervous system and reflex arc3 KB
    • Hormones and blood glucose control3 KB
    • Reproduction: gametes and fertilisation2 KB
    • Variation2 KB
    • Monohybrid crosses and family trees4 KB
    • Leaf structure and transport in plants4 KB
    • Transpiration3 KB
    • Blood and the immune system2 KB
    • The heart and blood vessels4 KB
    • Absorption of materials3 KB
  • Life on Earth
    • Ecosystems, niches and competition4 KB
    • Biotic and abiotic factors, biodiversity and indicator species3 KB
    • Measuring abiotic factors, sampling and keys5 KB
    • Photosynthesis and limiting factors5 KB
    • Energy in ecosystems and pyramids3 KB
    • Fertilisers and eutrophication3 KB
    • Pesticides, bioaccumulation and alternatives3 KB
    • Mutation, natural selection and speciation4 KB
  • Investigation skills
    • Apparatus and measuring3 KB
    • Planning investigations and handling data5 KB

The first note

Cell biology / Cell structure

## Cell ultrastructure The parts inside a cell are called **organelles** when they do a particular job, and their detailed structure (seen with an electron microscope) is the cell's **ultrastructure**. Four kinds of cell are met in the course: animal, plant, fungal (yeast is the usual example) and bacterial. | Structure | What it does | Animal | Plant | Fungal (yeast) | Bacterial | |---|---|---|---|---|---| | Cell membrane | Controls what enters and leaves the cell | yes | yes | yes | yes | | Cytoplasm | Jelly-like fluid where many of the cell's chemical reactions happen | yes | yes | yes | yes | | Nucleus | Contains the chromosomes and controls the cell's activities | yes | yes | yes | no | | Mitochondrion | Releases energy from glucose during aerobic respiration | yes | yes | yes | no | | Ribosome | Makes proteins | yes | yes | yes | yes | | Cell wall | Supports the cell and stops it bursting | no | cellulose | different material | different material | | Chloroplast | Absorbs light and carries out photosynthesis | no | yes (green parts) | no | no | | Vacuole | Holds cell sap and helps keep the cell firm | small or none | large, permanent | yes | no | | Plasmid | Small ring of DNA carrying extra genes | no | no | sometimes | yes | A fungal cell looks like a plant cell in having a wall, a vacuole and a nucleus, but it has no chloroplasts, so a fungus cannot photosynthesise and has to take in food that is already made. A bacterial cell is much simpler. It has a cell wall, a…

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