Life Sciences Grade 10 Revision Summary

Overview

This support pack provides revision summaries for the "Life processes in plants and animals" strand of the Life Sciences Grade 10 CAPS curriculum. It is intended to help learners prepare for examinations and can be used individually at home or as part of a catch-up class or online lesson.

Unit 1: Support and Transport Systems in Plants

Transport Systems

• Xylem and Phloem: The main vascular systems in plants.
  • Xylem: Transports water and mineral salts from roots to leaves, supports the stem.
  • Phloem: Transports manufactured food from leaves to roots.
• Dicotyledonous Plant Anatomy:
  • Roots: Divided into epidermis, cortex, and stele/vascular cylinder.
  • Stems: Divided into epidermis, cortex, vascular bundles, and pith.
• Secondary Growth: Increases diameter or girth of roots and stems, causes annual rings in trees.
• Transpiration: Loss of water vapor mainly through stomata.
  • Affected by temperature, light intensity, wind, and humidity.
  • Wilting occurs when water uptake is less than water loss.
  • Guttation: Water loss as droplets due to root pressure.

Water and Mineral Uptake

• Root Structures:
  • Root hairs have a large surface area and thin, permeable cell walls.
  • Water moves down a concentration gradient from soil to root hairs, into xylem.
  • Mineral salts dissolved in water are absorbed by root hairs.

Unit 2: Support Systems in Animals

Types of Skeletons

• Hydrostatic, Endoskeletons, Exoskeletons.
• Human Skeleton: An endoskeleton with axial and appendicular components.
  • Allows movement, provides protection and support, stores minerals.

Joints and Movement

• Types of Joints: Immovable, slightly movable, and freely movable (synovial).
• Muscles:
  • Striated Muscles: Voluntary muscles attached to the skeleton, work through actin and myosin.
• Diseases Affecting Bones: Rickets, osteoporosis, arthritis.

Unit 3: Transport Systems in Mammals (Humans)

Circulatory System

• Closed Circulatory System: Heart with four chambers, valves, and associated blood vessels.
• Coronary Arteries: Supply the heart muscle with blood.
• Blood Flow:
  • Arteries carry oxygenated blood, veins carry deoxygenated blood (except pulmonary veins).
  • Heart rate controlled by sinoatrial and atrioventricular nodes, affected by exercise.

Lymphatic System

• Transports lymph, returned to blood via a vein in the neck.

Diseases of the Heart and Circulatory System

• Atherosclerosis: Causes hypertension, heart attacks, strokes.
• Treatments: Stents, valve replacements, bypass surgery, pacemakers, heart transplants.

Blood Vessels

• Main Blood Vessels: Jugular, subclavian, hepatic, renal, iliac, carotid.

Conclusion

This support pack provides comprehensive revision notes on the support and transport systems in plants and animals, as well as transport systems in mammals, which are essential for understanding the Grade 10 CAPS Life Sciences curriculum.