Organisation: GCSE Biology
Cells to organ systems, digestion, enzymes, the heart and blood, breathing, and plant transport
The short version
Learn organisation levels, enzymes, food tests, the heart and blood, the lungs, and how plants move water and sugars.
Key idea
Put a named example on each rung
Grade 2–3: The heart is an organ made of different tissues working together.
Grade 5–6: I can give the full sequence with one example.
Grade 9: I distinguish tissue (similar cells, one job) from organ (several tissues). Cancer = uncontrolled cell division; benign stays in place, malignant can spread (metastasis).
Go a bit deeper
Uncontrolled mitosis can form a tumour. Benign tumours stay in one place. Malignant tumours invade and can start secondary tumours. Lifestyle (smoking, UV, alcohol) and some viruses increase risk. Not every mutation causes cancer.
Worked example
Worked example
Grade 2–3: The heart is an organ made of different tissues working together. Grade 5–6: I can give the full sequence with one example. Grade 9: I distinguish tissue (similar cells, one job) from organ (several tissues). Cancer = uncontrolled cell division; benign stays in place, malignant can spread (metastasis).
Lessons in this topic
- Cells, tissues and organs
- The digestive system
- Enzymes
- The heart and blood
- Breathing system
- Plant tissues and translocation
In the app each lesson is video (when we have a real YouTube id) then intro, learn and summary steps.
What the examiner wants
Link structure to function (alveoli, villi, xylem). Describe food tests and enzyme practicals, and compare CHD treatments with advantages and disadvantages.
Try these questions
Cover the answers and have a go first. Worked solutions are underneath.
Which sequence is correct?
A malignant tumour is dangerous mainly because...
Bile is produced in the...
Which food test uses Biuret reagent?
Common mistakes
- The heart is not a tissue and not a cell. “Heart tissue” is muscle/nerve etc. inside the organ.
- Benedict’s needs heat. Iodine does not go brick-red. Mixing the two colours is a 0.
- Denatured is not the same as “sleeping” or reversible cooling. Cooling a denatured enzyme does not bring the active site back on Combined answers.
- Pulmonary artery is the odd one: artery away from the heart but deoxygenated. Pulmonary vein is oxygenated. “Arteries always carry oxygenated blood” is false.
Answers and working
Frequently asked questions
Is GCSE Organisation on Combined Science and Triple?
Organisation is on Combined Science and on Triple Biology. Progress is shared in the ReviseEasy app.
Which exam board is this Organisation page for?
The ideas are board-agnostic for AQA, Edexcel, OCR, WJEC and CCEA. Paper lengths and question numbers differ — check your specification.
Is Organisation Foundation or Higher?
The core ideas appear on both tiers. Higher papers add extra application and some HT-only detail, marked in lessons with a Higher badge.
Learn, try, get feedback, fix the mistake
Open the stepped lesson, then the quiz with hints. Required-practical and calculation questions use the same method you will need in the paper.
Learn Organisation on ReviseEasy →Related revision
More GCSE revision
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