S1 Science
Biological Systems
Work Booklet*
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Using this booklet
When you see this symbol it means you have
some reading to do.
When you see this symbol it means you have
an activity or an experiment to do.
When you see this symbol it means you have a
writing task to do.
When you see this symbol it means you have an
internet or book research activity to do.
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1. What is Life?
Learning Intention
 Identify why something is classed as living or non-living
 Name the seven life process
All things can be classed as either living or non-living but is it
really that easy to explain why?
Activity 1
Try to think of some things that a living thing can do that a nonliving thing definitely can’t do. Discuss your ideas with the people
at your table and find out what they think.
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Activity 2
Use the explanations and the word box to try to figure out what
the missing words are.
The Seven Life Processes
There are seven life processes that all living things do.
These are:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
M____________ - moving parts of the body
R____________ - producing offspring
S____________ - detecting and responding
G____________ - getting bigger
R____________ - turning food into energy
E____________ - getting rid of waste
N____________ - getting food to stay alive
Growth
Excretion
Reproduction
Sensitivity
Nutrition
Movement
Respiration
Activity 3
Complete the table below. Collect some pictures from your
teacher. Identify all the non-living things and identify which life
processes they do not carry out. Write you answers in the table.
Non-living thing
Life Processes it does not carry out
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Activity 4
A good way to remember the seven life processes is to remember
MRS GREN
What would MRS GREN look like? What would she say?
Draw a picture (on a separate sheet) and/or write a story about
MRS GREN. Your story could include how MRS GREN knows that
she is a living thing OR how she can tell the difference between
living and non-living things.
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MRS GREN
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Teachers checkpoint
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2. The Cell
Learning Intention
 The most basic unit of life is the cell
 Cells vary in shape and size but most share the same basic
structures
Living organisms are made of individual units called cells.
Some organisms only have one cell – these are called unicellular
organisms.
Amoeba
Organisms made of lots of cells are called multicellular
organisms. In multicellular organisms cells come in many different
shapes and sizes. The shape and structure of a cell is usually
related to the job it does.
Cell Structure
Most cells have some basic structures in common.
The Cell Membrane
This is a flexible barrier that surrounds the cell and controls
what can enter or leave the cell.
The Cytoplasm
This is a fluid filled space inside the cell where chemical
reactions take place.
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The Nucleus
This important structure contains DNA. DNA is like a set of
instructions that controls what the cell does and contains all the
information needed for the cell to reproduce itself.
Activity 1
1. Collect a simple diagram of a cell and label the three basic
structures.
2. Use the information to make a table that shows the three
main structures and a brief description of their functions.
Table:
Specialised Cells
In multicellular animals different cells do different jobs. For
example there are different kinds of cells in your blood that do
different jobs – do you know what they are?
Human Blood Cells
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Activity 2
1. Using the internet and class resources find out the names
of the main kinds of blood cells and make a labelled drawing
of each of them. (use the websites listed to get you
started)
www.livingscience.co.uk/year7/cells/cells.htm
www.dr-sanderson.org/specialisedcells.htm
www.fifeeducation.org.uk/scienceweb/Resources/Biology/Hot_Potatoes_Fi
les/S1/Index.htm
Main Types of Blood Cells
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Complete the following questions:
2. Describe the job of each kind of blood cell.
_______________________________________________
_______________________________________________
3. What cell structures do they have in common?
_______________________________________________
4. What cell structure does a red blood cell lack?
_______________________________________________
5. Read special cells on p35 of spotlight science book 1. The
table shows four cells but the shapes and jobs they do are
mixed up. Draw each cell and match it to the correct shape
and job.
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Teachers checkpoint
Extension – choose from the following:
 Find out where red blood cells come from.
 Describe the differences between the two main types
of white blood cell.
 Explain how white blood cells can tell the difference
between your own body cells and bacteria or viruses
that might cause disease.

Choose one type of specialised cell (other than blood
cells) found in the human body. Make a drawing of it
and explain how its shape is related to its job.
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3. Looking at Cells
Learning Intention
 Learn how to focus an image on a microscope
 Make your own microscope slide
 Make a microscope drawing of onion cells (magnified at least
x100)
Cells are very small – far too small to be seen with the naked eye.
Microscopes allow us to see cells by magnifying them so that they
appear much larger.
Activity 1
Your teacher will give you a diagram of a microscope label the key
parts below.
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Activity 2 - Using a Microscope
Watch and Listen as your teacher gives you a quick
demonstration of how to use a microscope properly.
Now it is your turn! Collect a microscope from the trolley.
 Look at one of the prepared slides until you can see the
image clearly on the lowest magnification.
 Try to refocus the image at the next highest magnification
 Collect a different slide and try to bring it into focus.
Activity 3
Making a Microscope Slide
Watch and Listen as your teacher demonstrates how to make a
microscope slide using onion skin. Now make your own slide and
then look at it using your microscope.
You should see something like the picture shown above through
your eyepiece.
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Activity 4
Making a Microscope Drawing
Follow these steps to make the perfect microscope drawing!
1. Focus your image on the highest magnification possible
(either x100 or x400)
2. Concentrate on two or three cells only and draw what they
look like. Your drawing should take up about half a page.
3. Label the cell structures you can see.
4. Give your drawing a title (e.g. Onion Cells) and include the
magnification they were drawn at (e.g. x400)
Teachers checkpoint
Congratulations! You are now a ninja with a microscope!
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Activity 5
Answer these questions in sentences.
1. The lowest magnification of the light microscope is
_______________________________________
2. The highest magnification of your light microscope is
_______________________________________
3. The reason iodine is added to the onion cells is _____
________________________________________
Teachers checkpoint
Extension
4. Imagine you are looking at cells that have been magnified
x400. What is the actual size of a cell that appears to have
the following diameter?
a. 1mm
b. 10mm
c.25mm
______
_______
________
5. Now imagine you are looking 5 skin cells magnified x100.
(See below.) The total size of all 5 is 30mm. What is the
average width of one skin cell?
_________________________________________
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4. Animal or Plant?
Learning Intention
 Most plant cells contain the same basic structures as animal
cells as well as some extra structures than animal cells do
not contain.
Exercise 1
1. Collect a drawing of plant cell and label the six major
structures.
2. Complete the table below to show the job of the three
structures not found in animal cells. Use the information in
the green boxes on p34 and p35 of spotlight science book 1
to help you.
Structures only found in plant cells
Structure
Function
Vacuole
Chloroplast
Cell wall
Activity 2 - Looking at Plant Cells
Pondweed cells
x400
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Collect a microscope and make a microscope slide using a
pondweed leaf. Focus it on the highest magnification you can then
make a microscope drawing of it.
1. What structure can you see inside the pondweed cells that
are not present in onion skin cells?
______________________________________________
2. Why do the onion cells not have these structures? (Hint –
think about where onions grow)
_______________________________________________
3. Complete Q1 in the yellow box on p35 of spotlight science
book 1.
Cheek Cell
Onion Cell
Moss
(animal)
(plant)
Leaf Cell
(plant)
Does it have a nucleus?
Does it have a cell wall?
Does it have chloroplasts?
Does it have a vacuole?
Extension
Making a slide using your own cheek cells
1. Add one drop of methylene blue to the middle of a clean
slide. Be careful! Methylene blue will stain your clothes and
skin.
2. Use the flat side of a toothpick to gently scratch the inside
of your cheek. DO NOT GOUGE YOUR CHEEK - you don’t
need chunks of skin and definitely don’t want to draw blood.
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3. Gently touch the toothpick to the drop of dye on the slide.
Some of your cheek cells should drift off into the dye.
4. Put the toothpick in the bin.
5. Stand a thin glass cover slip on its edge near the drop of
dye.
6. Slowly lower the other side of the cover slip until it covers
the dye completely. Make sure there are no air bubbles.
Human cheek cells x400
5. Building an Organism
Learning Intention
 Multicellular organisms have specific groups of cells that
work together to do specific jobs
So far you have learned that cells make up all living things. In
multicellular organisms, like plants and animals, cells are organised
into groups that do specific jobs so that they work more
efficiently. Imagine a building site – it wouldn’t make sense for
every worker to do every job – it is much more efficient to have
many smaller groups of people working together with each group
doing a different job. Organisms are organised in a similar way.
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 A group of cells working together is called a tissue (e.g.
muscle tissue).
 A group of tissues working together is called an organ (e.g.
the heart).
 A group of organs that work together is called a system
(e.g. the digestive system).
 Finally, a group of systems that work together make an
organism (e.g. human)
Activity 1
Complete the table below to organise the information above.
Structure
Description
Example
Cell
A group of cells
working together to
do a specific job
e.g. heart
System
A group of systems
working together
Teachers checkpoint
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Activity 2 – Getting Organised
Collect the worksheet ‘Getting Organised’. Complete it by
correctly identifying the Organs of the body and then stick it
into your jotter.
Teachers checkpoint
Your teacher may show you a DVD clip about organs of the body.
(Option of DVD 8 or 23 for suitable organs)
Activity 3 – Organs and their jobs
Can you explain what job each organ does?
Try to find out the job of each of the organs mentioned in the
previous task belongs to. You might know some already!
You could try to organise this information into a table.
Here are some websites to get you started.
www.biotopics.co.uk/life/orgsys.html
www.biology.about.com/od/organsystems
www.biology4kids.com/files/systems_main.html
www.sciencelinks.com/interactive/systems.html
www.merck.com.mmhe/sec01/ch001/ch001d.html
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Table:
Teachers checkpoint
Extension – Organs and their systems
Try to find out which body system each of the organs you have
been studying belongs to. Present this information in the form of
a poster or drawing.
6. Systems of the Body
Learning Intention
 The human body consists of 7 main systems that work
together
 Research interesting information on a human organ system
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There are several systems in the human body including:
 Digestive
 Circulatory
 Respiratory
 Reproductive
 Nervous
 Immune
 Excretory
 Skeletal
In a group of no more than four people you must select one of the
following five human systems to investigate:
1. Digestive system
2. Circulatory
3. Respiratory
4. Reproductive
5. Immune System
You need to research your system then present your findings
back to the rest of the class. You will have 2 lessons to research
and produce your work. A good piece of research will tell us;
 What the system does and how it does it
 What organs make up the system
 What types of tissue or specialised cells are part of it
 What diseases might affect it/how they could be
treated
It is up to you how you choose to give the information to the rest
of the class. You may use a leaflet, power point, video clip, role
play, talk, poster or anything else appropriate.
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You fellow classmates will then give you feedback on your
presentation using the success criteria outlined below:
Part of Presentation
Explained what the system does
(Did not do it) 1 - 6 (did it really well)
Gave examples of different cells in the
system
Gave examples of different tissues in the
system
Gave examples of different organs in the
system
Mentioned which other systems yours
works with
Gave information about how to monitor the
health of the system
Mentioned diseases that can affect the
system
Correct spelling and punctuation
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Clear diagram/graphics/pictures
Presentation was interesting
7. Measuring Health – The Heart
Learning Intention
 Physical health can be measured by taking various
physiological measurements.
 Measuring pulse rate is an indicator of the health of your
heart.
Pulse rate
By now you will know that your heart is muscle whose job is to
pump blood around your body in order to keep all of your cells
supplied with food and oxygen. The number of times your heart
beats in one minute is called your pulse rate.
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Activity 1 - Finding your pulse
Take the index and middle fingers of your right hand. Put them on
your left thumb. Slide them down until they are resting on the
end of your wrist about 1-2cm below the base of your thumb. Can
you feel a pulse? What are feeling is blood squeezing through an
artery!
Activity 2 - Measuring your pulse rate
The average heart beats about 70 times in one minute. You can
tell how many times your heart beats by counting your pulse rate.
Collect a stop clock from the trolley and get a partner to time
you as you count your pulse for one minute.
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Activity 3 – Calculate your average pulse rate
Follow the steps below to complete the table.
1
2
3
No. of
beats in
1 min
Average
 Ma
ke sure that you are sitting down and relaxed.
 Instead of counting for a whole minute you can count your
pulse for 15 seconds.
 Now multiply that number by 4 to calculate your pulse rate
for 1 minute!
 Repeat this three times then calculate the average.
Q – What is the average pulse rate for the people in your class?
________________________________________________
Teachers checkpoint
Activity 4 - Measuring recovery time
A good test of fitness is to measure recovery time. We all know
that exercise makes your heart beat faster than normal.
Recovery time is the length of time it takes for your heart rate
to return to resting pulse rate after exercise. The quicker the
recovery time, the healthier your heart is!
Follow the instructions below then complete the table at the end.
Instructions:
 Collect a stop clock and a partner.
 Run on the spot as fast as you can for 3 minutes without
stopping.
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 Sit down and measure your pulse for 15 seconds immediately
after you stop.
 Wait 15 seconds then measure your pulse again for another
15 seconds.
 Repeat this until your pulse rate returns to normal.
Now complete the table.
At
rest
0
30
60
Time after exercise (seconds)
90
120
150
180
210
240
270
Pulse rate
(beats per
minute)
Teachers checkpoint
Activity 5 - Make a graph of recovery time
Use your results from the table to draw a line graph of your
recovery time.
*Remember that a good line graph needs all of these things:
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300
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Use a ruler to draw your axes.
Use an even scale for each axis
Label each axis, including units.
Plot your points accurately and join them up.
Give the graph a title.
Teachers checkpoint
Activity 6 - Conclusion
1. How long was your recovery time? _________
2. What does it mean if it takes a long time for someone’s heart
rate to return to normal after exercising?
________________________________________________
3. How do you think you could make your recovery time shorter?
________________________________________________
4. In addition to your heart rate increasing, what else
increased when you exercised? Why does this happen?
_________________________________________________
Teachers checkpoint
Extension
1. On the same piece of graph paper draw two lines using the
recovery times of two other people from your class. This will let
you compare their recovery times with your own recovery time.
2. Using your graph, state which person is the fittest and explain
why.
OR
Use Microsoft Excel to produce a line graph of recovery times
using your results plus the results of at least two other people in
your class then complete question 2 above.
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8. Measuring Health – The Lungs
Learning Intention
 Vital capacity and Peak Flow are measurements that indicate
the health of the lungs
Activity 1 – Lung Structure
1.
2.
3.
Complete this diagram using the words below to label the boxes.
lung
trachea
bronchi
You have seen that pulse rate is an indication of how healthy your
heart is.
Think about……
 What measurements could you make of a person’s lungs?
 How could you figure how healthy a person’s lungs are?
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Activity 2 - Vital Capacity
Vital capacity is a measurement of how much air a person can
breathe out after a deep breath.
This is measured in litres. It can be measured using a spirometer
or a bell jar filled with water.
Spirometer
Bell jar
You will now carry out an experiment to find out your own vital
capacity! Once you have finished, compare your own vital capacity
with other people in your class. Think about what sort of things
might affect someone’s vital capacity.
Activity 3 - Peak Flow
Peak flow is measurement of how much force a person can
breathe out with.
Peak flow is measured using a peak flow meter. You may have seen
one of these before.
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Peak flow meter
People who have asthma or other respiratory problems tend to
have lower peak flow reading than people who do not.
What is your peak flow?
_________________________________________________
Extension
**Collect the diagram of the “human engine” then stick it in your
jotter.
Collect spotlight science book 2 and go to p63. Answer questions
g-m (for the human engine only) in sentences.
______________________________________
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9. DNA and Reproduction
Learning Intention
 DNA is a code or set of instructions that controls our
physical characteristics.
 The reproductive system allows DNA to be passed from
parents to their offspring.
 Sharing the same DNA means that offspring have similar
physical characteristics to their parents.
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Chromosomes
A chromosome is a single, very long strand of DNA, tightly coiled
up. The picture below shows what chromosomes look like
magnified thousands of times. Each chromosome is made up of
lots of small segments of DNA. Each segment is called a gene. It
is these genes that control how we look.
Activity 1 – About DNA
Collect a copy of the DNA diagram.
1. DNA is found in the n____________ of a cell.
2. The structures that DNA is found on, is called ___________.
3. Copy and complete using the words below:
DNA is what our g _ _ _ _ are made of. It is like a c _ _ _ that
stores g _ _ _ _ _ _ information.
genetic
genes
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code
Looking at human chromosomes
This is the number of chromosomes each of you have – it is
called the Human Karyotype. Most of your cells contains 46
chromosomes, arranged in 23 pairs. In Humans the largest,
chromosome 1, contains about 8000 genes while the
smallest, chromosome 21,
contains less than 300.
You can see chromosomes
under an ordinary
microscope, but you would
not be able to distinguish
individual genes.
Scientists can treat
chromosomes with
chemical dyes to reveal
characteristic 'banding
patterns'. These patterns
help them to identify
each chromosome.
Activity – 2
Collect a copy of the human karyotype and glue it into your jotter.
Complete the questions below in sentences.
5. Humans have ____ chromosomes.
6. The chromosomes are arranged in ________.
7. One type of cell that would not contain any chromosomes is
called _______________________________________.
8. You tell the difference between different pairs of
chromosomes because ___________________________
____________________________________________
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Genes and Inheritance
So who do we get our DNA from?
Activity 3 – Whose Features
Complete worksheet ‘Whose Features’.
Activity 4 – Nature or Nurture
Complete worksheet ‘Features’.
You have to decide whether each characteristic something a
person is born with or something that they can develop by
themselves.
Teachers checkpoint
Activity 5 - How is DNA passed on to us?
Read p60-61 of spotlight science book
You have already learned that we inherit things from our parents.
What special cells carry the instructions for designing a new
human baby?
Copy and complete
The instructions for designing a new baby come from 2 places:
(i). The e_ _ cell of the m _ _ _ _ _.
(ii) The s _ _ _ _ cell of the f _ _ _ _ _.
(iii) Make a labelled drawing of each cell to show which part of
each cell contains these instructions.
Teachers checkpoint
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Extension
1. Complete Q1 in the yellow box on p61 of spotlight science
book.
_________________________________________________
_________________________________________________
_________________________________________________
2. Halving and Doubling
Read the information on halving and doubling at the bottom of
page 176 of S2 Spotlight Science.
Copy the diagram on page 176 into your jotter.
Answer questions e-h in your jotter in full sentences
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