Edexcel A-Level Biology Unit 3 Revision Note

Contents:

• CORE PRACTICAL 1: Use a semi-quantitative method with Benedict’s reagent to estimate the concentrations of reducing sugars and with iodine solution to estimate the concentrations of starch, using colour standards.
• CORE PRACTICAL 2: Investigate the vitamin C content of food and drink.
• CORE PRACTICAL 3: Investigate membrane properties including the effect of alcohol and temperature on membrane permeability.
• RECOMMENDED ADDITIONAL PRACTICAL: Investigate tissue water potentials using plant tissue and graded concentrations of a solute.
• RECOMMENDED ADDITIONAL PRACTICAL: Use a semi-quantitative method to estimate protein concentration using biuret reagent and colour standards.
• CORE PRACTICAL 4: Investigate the effect of temperature, pH, enzyme concentration and substrate concentration on the initial rate of enzyme-catalysed reactions.
• CORE PRACTICAL 5: use a light microscope to make observations and labelled drawings of suitable animal cells
• RECOMMENDED ADDITIONAL PRACTICAL: Investigate factors affecting the growth of pollen tubes
• CORE PRACTICAL 6: Prepare and stain a root tip squash to observe the stages of mitosis. .
• CORE PRACTICAL 7: Use a light microscope to make observations, draw and label plan diagrams of transverse sections of plant tissues
• RECOMMENDED ADDITIONAL PRACTICAL: Investigate plant mineral deficiencies.
• CORE PRACTICAL 8: Determine the tensile strength of plant fibres.
• CORE PRACTICAL 9: Investigate the antimicrobial properties of plants, including aseptic techniques for the safe handling of bacteria.