Nat 5 Biology D Student help please!

Hi all,

I got a D in my prelim for Biology and i'm aiming for a B in the exam on Tuesday.

I don't really have that great of an understanding of lots of the course - could anyone send me a condensed page or so of all the basics of the course? I will love you to bits for it.

Biology was my worst mark for my prelims, I really struggle to understand what's going on with lots of topics.

The ones I struggle with most are:
- Respiration
- Parts of the heart
- Xylem and Phloem
- Mitosis

That's all i've got off the top of my head. I'd really appreciate any advice. I'll probably study a ton tomorrow.

Logan

Parts of the heart - just remember left pumps OXYGENATED blood to body tissues
right pumps DEOXYGENATED to the lungs
blood is pumped AWAY by ARTERIES
blood is returned in VEINS
that's the basics you need but obviously there's more, I'd use bbc bitesize for that though.

PHLOEM - dead, transports sugar one way, I remember it by thinking of throat flem, gross ik
XYLEM - alive, transports water and minerals one way

mitosis - all you can do is memorise it sorry
same w respiration
best of luck

Would give you some rep for being so helpful, but have done so too recently!

Just one point that your dead/alive-ness of your xylem and phloem should be the other way round

tried to edit it, realised as soon as I posted!!
Always mix them up because I associate phloem with unhealthiness and decay (don't know why, but as log as it helps me remember I guess?)
at least it ensures I know it for tomorrow!

The specification document on the SQA website provides an overview of the course, so you might find it helpful to use for your last minute revision: https://www.sqa.org.uk/files_ccc/BiologyCourseSpecN5.pdf

As for those topics, BBC bitesize contains summaries of them: https://www.bbc.com/education/subjects/zync87h

If you have more specific questions once you've looked at those, then I could try and help answer those, but for a few pointers, I would say:
- Never give an answer of 'respiration'- you must always specify it to be either 'aerobic respiration' or 'fermentation' to gain the mark.
- There is a really good summary table again on BBC bitesize: https://www.bbc.com/education/guides/zs3jrwx/revision/4
- For parts of the hear you really just need to memorise the labelled diagram- remember in the diagram, right becomes left and left becomes right. The atria are at the top, and the ventricles are at the bottom (I remember this as A is before V in the alphabet). Valves prevent the backflow of blood. You also just need to memorise the path the blood takes in the body- choose one point to start at when you are memorising, but be aware there is no real start or end, so the exam question could ask you to start at any point.
- Xylem: Dead, hollow, transport water and minerals. Upwards movement. Lignin provide structural support, allowing xylem to withstand pressure changes. Know about the route and importance of the transport of water.
- Phloem: Living, transport sugar to meristems. Know about companion cells and sieve cells and be able to identify on a diagram.
- Mitosis- this really just needs to be memorised, but some key words that you should know the definitions of should help you: haploid, diploid, chromosome complement, daughter cells, replication, chromatids, centromere, spindle fibres, cell equator, cell poles, nuclear membrane. Make sure you are aware that the daughter cells are genetically identical to each other and the original parent cell- it maintains the chromosome complement, ensuring the daughter cells have all the genetic information required to carry out cell functions.

Hopefully this helps a bit. Make sure you get some rest tonight and just do your best in the exam tomorrow

Hi Labrador thanks a ton. I have put in a good few hours tonight on the site nat5biopl and make loads of notes, hopefully this helps.

I tend to do way better in proper written section than in the multiple choice bit. Is this normal?

No problem

Glad to hear you have managed to get a fair bit done today ...Get a good nights rest and then you have a couple of hours in the morning to use as productively as you can.

I don't think it's abnormal, no. A lot of people trip up with the multiple choice questions, as some of the wrong answers can seem very correct. The paper will be designed so that bits of the written section don't give you the entire answer to multiple choice questions, but sometimes parts of the written section can give you hints/remind you of things that can help you in multiple choice. Remember to read the multiple choice questions in particular very carefully, as subtle differences can change the entire meaning! And use elimination of answers as well as knowing what's right to choose your final answer.

Hope this helps

Hey, left like an hour early today, how early did you leave?