Using the Correct Vocabulary (Cambridge (CIE) IGCSE Biology): Revision Note
Exam code: 0610 & 0970
Using precise scientific terms
Biology has its own scientific vocabulary, and many marks depend on using the right term
Everyday words are often not precise enough to score marks, e.g.:
Use pathogen, or name the type of pathogen, e.g. bacteria, instead of "germ"
Name the specific cell type, e.g. palisade mesophyll cells instead of "leaf cells"
Use air spaces, not "empty spaces" when describing leaf structure
Use nutrients or a named example, e.g. glucose, rather than "food"
Use anomalous result, not "mistake", when describing a result that does not fit a pattern
Using an imprecise term, even if its meaning is correct, is likely to result in marks being lost
Worked Example
A student heated a solution of amylase to 80 °C. After it had cooled, the amylase could no longer digest starch.
State what happened to the amylase when it was heated to 80 °C.
[1]
Zero-mark answer:
The heat killed the enzyme
Full-mark answer:
The amylase was denatured / the shape of the active site changed [1 mark]
Examiner Tips and Tricks
The zero-mark answer does not use the correct scientific term. The specification language for what happens to an enzyme at high temperature is denatured, and everyday words such as "killed" or "destroyed" are not accepted. This is also a scientific error, because enzymes are protein molecules rather than living organisms, so they cannot be killed.
The full-mark answer uses the precise term, denatured, though another biological term that would be credited would be a reference to the loss of shape of the active site.
Avoid vague statements
Using biological terms in your answer will prevent vagueness and show that you understand the underlying biology
Student answers often lose marks because they do not express what they intend to say using clear enough language
Examples include:
explaining the impact of thick mucus in cystic fibrosis as "difficulty in breathing" or "affecting the airway", rather than stating clearly that the blocked airway reduces oxygen delivery for aerobic respiration
stating that enzymes break down "food", but not specifying what food is broken down into, i.e. small, soluble molecules
Commonly confused terms in biology
Some biology terms sound alike or are easily mixed up, for example:
Chlorophyll is the green pigment that absorbs light
Chloroplasts are the structures in plant cells that contain chlorophyll
Excretion is the removal of the waste products of metabolism, such as urea and carbon dioxide
Egestion is the removal of undigested food from the body as faeces
Pollination is the transfer of pollen from anther to stigma
Fertilisation in plants is the fusion of the pollen nucleus with the ovule nucleus
Bacteria develop antibiotic resistance via genetic mutations
Antibiotic resistance arises in bacteria by random mutation; resistant bacteria survive and reproduce, so resistance spreads by natural selection
Examiner reports show that students often mix up these pairs of terms
Worked Example
Urine is made in the kidneys and stored in the bladder.
State the name of the tube that carries urine from a kidney to the bladder.
[1]
Zero-mark answer:
Urether
Full-mark answer:
Ureter [1 mark]
Examiner Tips and Tricks
The zero-mark answer is a mix of "ureter" and "urethra", so it is not clear which tube is meant, and it cannot be given the mark.
When two terms look alike, learn the spelling of both, and write your answer clearly so there is no doubt which term you mean.
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