Exam skills
What the paper asks you to do
- Compare cells using visible structural evidence
- Rearrange the magnification equation with correct units
- Link specialised features to a cell's function
Foundations
Cells
Use cell structure to explain function, compare cell types and work confidently with microscopy and magnification.5090 syllabus routeConcept · skill · exam language
What to know
Build the topic around four anchors.
- 01Animal, plant, bacterial and specialised cells
- 02Functions of cell structures
- 03Levels of organisation
- 04Magnification, image size and actual size
Common mistakes
Where marks disappear
- Calling a cell wall a membrane
- Ignoring unit conversion in magnification
- Listing structures without explaining their purpose
Structured practice
Answer these without looking back.
For each prompt, write the biological chain clearly enough that every mark-worthy link is visible.
- 01Explain why a palisade cell contains many chloroplasts.
- 02Calculate actual size from an image and magnification.
- 03Compare a bacterial cell with a typical animal cell.
Continue learning
Read the connected explanation.
Connect organelle structure with function, then follow how substances cross a selectively permeable membrane.
This independent teaching resource follows the Cambridge O Level Biology 5090 syllabus direction and is not endorsed by Cambridge International Education.