KS3 & KS4 science curriculum

This unit builds on pupils’ prior learning from Photosynthesis: requirements and products, where they learned how plants produce glucose using light, water, and carbon dioxide. It deepens their understanding by focusing on aerobic and anaerobic respiration, showing how organisms release energy from glucose for life processes. This prepares pupils for the next unit, Transport and exchange surfaces in plants, where they will explore how plants transport water, minerals, and gases, reinforcing the connection between energy and nutrient transport.

1. Aerobic cellular respiration in humans and other organisms
2. Anaerobic cellular respiration in humans and other organisms
3. The effect of different substrates on cellular respiration in yeast: practical
4. Explaining the effect of different substrates on the rate of cellular respiration

• Living organisms are made up of one or more cells.
• Animal, plant and other eukaryotic cells contain mitochondria that use food as a fuel for cellular respiration to provide energy for life processes.
• Differences between breathing and cellular respiration.
• In humans, the circulatory system transports substances from the gas exchange and digestive systems to cells for cellular respiration, and transports the waste products away.
• Word equations for aerobic and anaerobic cellular respiration in humans.
• Word equations for anaerobic cellular respiration in humans and in microorganisms.
• Humans use anaerobic cellular respiration (fermentation) in microorganisms to make useful products such as bread, yogurt and alcoholic drinks.