GCSE Biology: Homeostasis & Response — Topic Revision Workbook

Inside GCSE Biology: Homeostasis & Response — Topic Revision Workbook

explain homeostasis, negative feedback and the reflex arc, master the endocrine system, blood glucose control and diabetes, revise the menstrual cycle hormones and fertility treatment, then tackle thermoregulation, the kidney and ADH and plant hormones, before an exam-style 6-marker at home. About 30 minutes.

Learning objectives

• homeostasis and control — the principle of keeping internal conditions constant and how negative feedback reverses a change;
• the nervous system — the CNS, the reflex arc in order (stimulus, receptor, sensory, relay and motor neurones, effector) and the role of synapses;
• the endocrine system — hormones versus nerves, the pancreas, insulin, glucagon and glycogen in blood glucose control, and Type 1 versus Type 2 diabetes;
• hormones in reproduction — FSH, oestrogen, LH and progesterone in the menstrual cycle, ovulation, contraception and fertility treatment;
• temperature, water and plants — thermoregulation and vasodilation, the kidney and ADH in osmoregulation, and auxin and tropisms in plants.

Activities in this book

1. Task 1 — Homeostasis & the Reflex Arc

   homeostasis keeps internal conditions steady using automatic control systems and negative feedback: if a level rises too high, the body acts to bring it back down. Learn the reflex arc in order — stimulus → receptor → sensory neurone → relay neurone → motor neurone → effector — and remember a synapse is the gap where a chemical carries the signal between neurones.

2. Task 2 — The Endocrine System & Blood Glucose

   the endocrine system releases hormones from glands directly into the blood. Compared with nerves, hormonal responses are slower but last longer. The pancreas controls blood glucose: insulin lowers it (storing glucose as glycogen), while glucagon raises it. In Type 1 diabetes the pancreas stops making enough insulin; Type 2 is linked to obesity.

3. Task 3 — Hormones in Human Reproduction

   four hormones control the menstrual cycle. FSH matures an egg and stimulates the ovaries to make oestrogen, which builds up the uterus lining. A surge of LH triggers ovulation (the release of an egg) around day 14, and progesterone then maintains the lining. Fertility drugs give FSH and LH to stimulate eggs; contraceptives use hormones to prevent eggs maturing.

4. Task 4 — Temperature, Water & Plant Hormones

   thermoregulation keeps body temperature near 37 °C: when too hot you sweat and blood vessels widen (vasodilation); when too cold you shiver. The kidneys filter the blood and, controlled by the hormone ADH, adjust how much water is reabsorbed. In plants, the hormone auxin controls growth responses (tropisms) towards light and gravity.

5. Task 5 — Exam Task at Home

   longer exam questions reward a clear, ordered explanation. Name the parts in the right sequence, use the correct scientific words, and link each step to the next. Practising a 6-marker out loud before you write is one of the best ways to make it stick.

Suggestions for teaching

• Sequence the reflex arc. Have learners recite stimulus → receptor → sensory → relay → motor → effector until it is automatic, then place a synapse between the neurones.
• Contrast nerves and hormones. Nervous responses are fast and short-lived; hormonal responses are slower and longer lasting — a table helps.
• Model glucose control both ways. Walk through glucose rising (insulin → glycogen) and falling (glucagon → glucose released), then link to Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes.
• Order the four cycle hormones. FSH (mature egg) → oestrogen (build lining) → LH (ovulation) → progesterone (maintain lining).
• Practise the 6-marker. Model a full, ordered answer aloud before writing, marking one point per correctly linked idea.