What do the Grade 10 Biology cards cover?

28 cards across 6 chapters of the national textbook: Sub-Fields of Biology, Plants, Biochemical Molecules, Cell Division, Human Biology and Ecological Interactions. You can take any chapter one card at a time on the page itself.

Is there a national exam in Grade 10?

No. Ethiopia sets national exams in Grade 6, Grade 8 and Grade 12 only. These cards are for your school's own exams, and for the national exam that comes a few years later.

Where do these cards come from?

They are drafted from Grade 10 Biology, the Ministry of Education textbook for this grade. A second pass that cannot see the chapter then re-derives every formula, constant and table row, and anything it cannot confirm is held back instead of published.

Yes. Every card here is free to read and the printable sheet is free to download. Neither needs an account.

When was this last checked?

6 September 2026. Cards arrive chapter by chapter, and the line under each one says when that card was last read through.

Free short notes and revision cards

Grade 10 Biology

Grade 10 Biology on Temari has 28 revision cards, arranged by the chapters of the Ethiopian national curriculum. Every card says when the rule applies, what each symbol in it stands for, and the mistake students most often make with it. They are free to read and need no account.

28
Cards: 6
Chapters: 19
Reference tables: Grade 10 Biology
Textbook: Free
Price: 6 September 2026
Last checked

Everything28Reference table19Rule4Common mistake4Method1

Sub-Fields of Biology

Landmark Historical Discoveries in BiologyReference tableAntonie van Leeuwenhoek · Carl Linnaeus · Gregor Mendel · +4

Scientist	Major Discovery
Antonie van Leeuwenhoek	Improved lens microscopy, discovered bacteria and cell vacuole
Carl Linnaeus	Classification hierarchy and binomial naming system
Gregor Mendel	Laws of inheritance, dominant and recessive gene concepts
Louis Pasteur	Germ theory, pasteurization, rabies and anthrax vaccines
Robert Koch	Discovered causative agents of tuberculosis, cholera, and anthrax
Watson and Crick	Double helix model of DNA structure
Wilmut and Campbell	Cloned first mammal, Dolly the sheep, by nuclear transfer

When you use it

Use for matching major biological discoveries, inventions, and theories with their respective pioneers.

Watch out

Pasteur proved the germ theory and developed rabies vaccines, whereas Koch specifically identified the causative bacteria of tuberculosis, cholera, and anthrax.

Drafted from Grade 10 Biology, pages 1-16, then checked twice before it went up

Renowned Ethiopian Biologists and DiscoveriesReference tableProf. Yalemtsehay Mekonnen · Dr. Aklilu Lemma · Prof. Gebissa Ejeta

Scientist	Key Contribution
Prof. Yalemtsehay Mekonnen	Pesticide hazard assessment and medicinal properties of plants like Moringa stenopetala
Dr. Aklilu Lemma	Discovered Endod (Phytolacca dodecandra) berries as a cheap molluscicide against schistosomiasis snails
Prof. Gebissa Ejeta	Bred drought-tolerant and Striga-resistant hybrid sorghum, awarded 2009 World Food Prize

When you use it

Use when answering questions on Ethiopian scientists and their contributions to medicine, agriculture, and health.

Watch out

Dr. Aklilu Lemma discovered Endod as a molluscicide to kill host snails, not a direct drug injected into humans.

Drafted from Grade 10 Biology, pages 1-16, then checked twice before it went up

Sub-fields of Biology by Structure and ProcessReference tableMorphology · Anatomy · Histology · +5

Sub-branch	Focus of Study
Morphology	External form and structure of organisms
Anatomy	Internal bodily structure revealed by dissection
Histology	Microscopic structure of tissues
Cytology	Structure and function of cells
Physiology	Normal life processes and functions of organs
Embryology	Development from zygote to fully formed embryo
Taxonomy	Identification, naming, and classification of organisms
Paleontology	Fossils and organisms of the past

When you use it

Use when identifying or defining the core branches of biology based on the structures or life processes they investigate.

Watch out

Do not confuse cytology (study of single cells) with histology (study of tissues) or anatomy (gross organ structures revealed by dissection).

Drafted from Grade 10 Biology, pages 1-16, then checked twice before it went up

Plants

Auxin Action in Plant TropismsRule

When you use it

Use when explaining directional growth responses of plant shoots and roots to unilateral light or gravity.

Watch out

The same auxin concentration that stimulates cell elongation in shoots inhibits cell elongation in roots.

Drafted from Grade 10 Biology, pages 17-49, then checked twice before it went up

Dicot and Monocot Seed StructureReference tableCotyledons · Cotyledon structure · Endosperm · +1

Feature	Dicot Seed	Monocot Seed
Cotyledons	Two cotyledons present	Only one cotyledon present
Cotyledon structure	Fleshy and stores food	Thin and lacks food materials
Endosperm	Absent	Large and well developed
Root development	Primary root bears lateral roots	Primary root replaced by fibrous roots

When you use it

Use when comparing the anatomical structures and food storage parts of flowering plant seeds.

Watch out

Monocot seeds store nutrients in the endosperm, whereas dicot seeds store nutrients directly in the two fleshy cotyledons.

Drafted from Grade 10 Biology, pages 17-49, then checked twice before it went up

Girdling and Phloem DisruptionCommon mistake

When you use it

Use when predicting the sequence of plant death resulting from removing a ring of bark.

Watch out

Girdling removes phloem while leaving xylem intact. The roots die first because downward food supply is halted, not because water transport stopped.

Drafted from Grade 10 Biology, pages 17-49, then checked twice before it went up

Stages and Sites of PhotosynthesisReference tableLight reaction · Dark reaction

Stage	Site in Chloroplast	Inputs	Outputs
Light reaction	Granum	Sunlight, $H_2O$	$O_2$ , ATP, $H^+$
Dark reaction	Stroma	$CO_2$ , ATP, $H^+$	Glucose

When you use it

Use when distinguishing the photochemical and enzymatic stages of photosynthesis and their specific locations.

Watch out

Oxygen is produced solely during the light reaction in the granum via photolysis of water, not from carbon dioxide in the dark reaction.

Drafted from Grade 10 Biology, pages 17-49, then checked twice before it went up

Vascular Transport TissuesReference tableCell state · Transported materials · Direction of flow · +1

Feature	Xylem	Phloem
Cell state	Elongated dead cells	Living cells
Transported materials	Water and dissolved minerals	Synthesized organic food
Direction of flow	Upward from root to leaves	Bidirectional between sources and sinks
Driving mechanism	Transpiration pull	Translocation

When you use it

Use when comparing conducting vessels, transported materials, and transport mechanisms in vascular plants.

Watch out

Xylem transport is strictly upward and driven passively by transpiration pull, whereas phloem transport moves food in both directions through living cells.

Drafted from Grade 10 Biology, pages 17-49, then checked twice before it went up

What limits the rate of photosynthesisRuleLight intensity · Carbon dioxide concentration · Temperature · +2

Factor	What happens as you raise it	What that tells you
Light intensity	The rate rises as the light rises, then levels off and stays flat.	The sloping part means light is the limit. The flat part means another factor has taken over.
Carbon dioxide concentration	The rate rises and then plateaus, the same shape the light curve makes.	Air holds only about 0.04% carbon dioxide, so in bright sunlight this is very often the limit.
Temperature	The rate climbs to an optimum and then falls steeply above it. For common crop plants the optimum is a band of roughly 25 °C to 35 °C.	The fall is the enzymes being denatured by heat. Near 0 °C the rate is close to zero.
Water	A plant short of water slows down, although only a little of the water it takes up is used in the reaction.	The plant closes its stomata to save water, and closed stomata cut off the carbon dioxide supply.
Chlorophyll	Less healthy green tissue means a lower rate.	Light is absorbed by chlorophyll, so leaf disease or a magnesium shortage lowers the rate the way shade does.

When you use it

Use it when a question asks why the rate of photosynthesis stopped rising, or what to change so a plant produces more. The rate is set by whichever condition is in shortest supply, so raising any of the others changes nothing until that one is raised.

Watch out

Two mistakes cost marks here. The temperature curve is not shaped like the light curve: it peaks and then drops steeply, because heat denatures the enzymes. And when the light curve goes flat, the answer is not that the plant now has enough light. Name what took over: carbon dioxide concentration or temperature is holding the rate down, and more light cannot move it.

Starch test: showing that a leaf needs lightMethod1. Destarch · 2. Cover · 3. Give light · +4

Step	What you do	Why it matters
1. Destarch	Keep the potted plant in complete darkness for 24 to 48 hours, then test one leaf with iodine to confirm no starch is left.	Starch stored before the experiment turns the whole leaf blue-black and the result proves nothing.
2. Cover	Clip black paper or aluminium foil over part of one leaf, on both surfaces, and leave the rest of that leaf uncovered.	Cover the upper face only and light still reaches the leaf from below, so the covered part makes starch anyway.
3. Give light	Stand the plant in bright sunlight for about 4 to 6 hours.	This is the only time photosynthesis is allowed to run, so any starch you find was made now.
4. Boil in water	Take the leaf off and boil it in water for about a minute.	It kills the cells, stops the reactions and makes the membranes permeable.
5. Boil in ethanol	Stand the ethanol in a hot water bath and boil the leaf in it until the leaf goes pale.	The ethanol dissolves the chlorophyll out. It is flammable, so it is never heated over a flame.
6. Add iodine	Dip the pale leaf in hot water to soften it, spread it on a white tile and cover it with iodine solution.	Hot water opens the brittle leaf flat, and iodine is the test for starch.
7. Read the result	The uncovered part turns blue-black. The covered part stays the yellow-brown colour of the iodine itself.	Starch formed only where light reached the leaf, so light is necessary for photosynthesis.

When you use it

Use it for the practical that shows light is needed for photosynthesis, and for questions asking why each step is done. The covered part of the same leaf is the control: it shares the plant, the water, the carbon dioxide and the temperature, so light is the only thing that differs.

Watch out

Students skip the destarching and go straight to the sunlight. Both parts then turn blue-black, because the starch was in the leaf before the experiment started, and the student writes down that light is not needed. The other common slip is dropping a green leaf straight into iodine: with the chlorophyll still in it, no colour change can be seen at all.

Biochemical Molecules

Biochemical Food TestsReference tableReducing sugars · Starch · Proteins · +1

Target Nutrient	Test or Reagent	Positive Result
Reducing sugars	Benedict's reagent + heat	Brick-red precipitate
Starch	Iodine solution	Blue-black colour
Proteins	Biuret reagent	Mauve or purple colour
Aromatic amino acids	Xanthoproteic test (concentrated $\text{HNO}_3$ + $\text{NaOH}$ )	Yellow to orange colour

When you use it

Use to identify laboratory procedures and expected colour changes for biological macromolecules.

Watch out

Benedict's test requires heating in a water bath to show the brick-red colour change, while Iodine and Biuret tests occur at room temperature.

Drafted from Grade 10 Biology, pages 50-80, then checked twice before it went up

Common DisaccharidesReference tableMaltose · Lactose · Sucrose

Disaccharide	Monomer Composition	Key Source or Role
Maltose	$\text{Glucose} + \text{Glucose}$	Malt sugar, starch digestion product
Lactose	$\text{Glucose} + \text{Galactose}$	Milk sugar
Sucrose	$\text{Glucose} + \text{Fructose}$	Transport sugar in plants, table sugar

When you use it

Use to recall the specific hexose combinations that form common disaccharides.

Watch out

All three disaccharides contain glucose. The second monomer differs: glucose in maltose, galactose in lactose, fructose in sucrose.

Drafted from Grade 10 Biology, pages 50-80, then checked twice before it went up

Comparison of DNA and RNAReference tablePentose sugar · Nitrogenous bases · Number of strands · +1

Feature	DNA	RNA
Pentose sugar	Deoxyribose	Ribose
Nitrogenous bases	A, T, C, G	A, U, C, G
Number of strands	Double-stranded	Single-stranded
Stability	Highly stable	Less stable

When you use it

Use when distinguishing the structural and functional differences between the two nucleic acids.

Watch out

Thymine is exclusive to DNA, while Uracil is exclusive to RNA. Deoxyribose has one fewer oxygen atom than ribose.

Drafted from Grade 10 Biology, pages 50-80, then checked twice before it went up

Major Organic BiomoleculesReference tableProteins · Lipids · Carbohydrates · +1

Biomolecule	Constituent Elements	Monomer Unit
Proteins	C, H, O, N	Amino acids
Lipids	C, H, O	Glycerol, fatty acids
Carbohydrates	C, H, O	Monosaccharides
Nucleic acids	C, H, O, N, P	Nucleotides

When you use it

Use to identify constituent chemical elements and basic building blocks of organic macromolecules.

Watch out

Lipids are formed from glycerol and fatty acids, but they do not form continuous single-monomer chains like true polymers.

Drafted from Grade 10 Biology, pages 50-80, then checked twice before it went up

Reducing Property of SucroseCommon mistake

When you use it

Use when predicting Benedict's test outcomes for different carbohydrate samples.

Watch out

Sucrose is a non-reducing disaccharide and gives a negative (blue) Benedict's test result directly, unlike glucose, maltose, and lactose.

Drafted from Grade 10 Biology, pages 50-80, then checked twice before it went up

Cell Division

Chromosome Separation in Meiosis I vs Meiosis IICommon mistake

When you use it

Use when identifying what separates during Anaphase I versus Anaphase II of meiosis.

Watch out

In Anaphase I, homologous chromosome pairs separate while sister chromatids stay joined at the centromere. Centromeres divide and sister chromatids separate only in Anaphase II.

Drafted from Grade 10 Biology, pages 81-93, then checked twice before it went up

Comparison of Mitosis and MeiosisReference tableSite of division · Number of divisions · Daughter cells formed · +2

Feature	Mitosis	Meiosis
Site of division	Somatic (body) cells	Reproductive organs (testes, ovaries)
Number of divisions	1 nuclear division	2 nuclear divisions
Daughter cells formed	2 genetically identical cells	4 genetically diverse gametes
Chromosome number	$2n \to 2n$ (Diploid)	$2n \to n$ (Haploid)
Primary function	Growth, tissue repair, replacement	Gametogenesis (gamete production)

When you use it

Use when contrasting the two types of nuclear cell division and their biological roles.

Watch out

Mitosis preserves the chromosome number ( $2n$ ), whereas meiosis halves it ( $2n \to n$ ) through two successive divisions.

Drafted from Grade 10 Biology, pages 81-93, then checked twice before it went up

Stages of InterphaseReference tableG1 Phase (First Gap) · S Phase (Synthesis) · G2 Phase (Second Gap)

Interphase Stage	Key Cellular Events
G1 Phase (First Gap)	Metabolic activity, cell growth, accumulation of DNA building blocks and energy
S Phase (Synthesis)	DNA replication and chromosome duplication
G2 Phase (Second Gap)	Energy replenishment, protein synthesis, organelle duplication, division prep

When you use it

Use when identifying the sequence of preparatory events occurring before mitotic cell division.

Watch out

DNA synthesis occurs strictly during the S phase, never in G1 or G2.

Drafted from Grade 10 Biology, pages 81-93, then checked twice before it went up

Human Biology

ABO Blood Group SystemReference tableGroup A · Group B · Group AB · +1

Blood Group	Antigen on RBC	Antibodies in Plasma	Can Receive Blood From
Group A	A	Anti-B	A, O
Group B	B	Anti-A	B, O
Group AB	A and B	None	A, B, AB, O
Group O	None	Anti-A and Anti-B	O

When you use it

Use to determine antigen and antibody combinations or blood transfusion compatibility.

Watch out

Group O red blood cells have no ABO antigens, making O a universal donor, while AB plasma has no ABO antibodies, making AB a universal recipient.

Drafted from Grade 10 Biology, pages 94-152, then checked twice before it went up

Digestive Enzymes and ActionsReference tableSalivary amylase (ptyalin) · Pepsin · Pancreatic amylase · +4

Enzyme	Source Gland / Organ	Digestive Reaction	Optimum pH
Salivary amylase (ptyalin)	Salivary glands	Starch + H2O -> Maltose	pH 7
Pepsin	Gastric glands (stomach)	Protein + H2O -> Polypeptides	pH 1 to 3
Pancreatic amylase	Pancreas	Starch + H2O -> Maltose	pH 7 to 8
Trypsin	Pancreas	Protein + H2O -> Peptides	pH 7 to 8
Pancreatic lipase	Pancreas	Fat + H2O -> Glycerol + Fatty acids	pH 7 to 8
Erepsin	Pancreas and small intestine	Peptides + H2O -> Amino acids	pH 7 to 8
Maltase	Small intestine	Maltose + H2O -> Glucose	pH 7 to 8

When you use it

Use to identify where specific nutrients are chemically broken down and the required pH environment.

Watch out

Bile contains no enzymes, it only mechanically emulsifies fat globules into droplets to increase surface area for lipase.

Drafted from Grade 10 Biology, pages 94-152, then checked twice before it went up

Formed Elements of BloodReference tableErythrocytes (RBC) · Leukocytes (WBC) · Platelets (thrombocytes)

Cell Type	Normal Count	Life Span	Primary Function
Erythrocytes (RBC)	5 to 6 million per mm3	120 days	Transport oxygen and help transport CO2
Leukocytes (WBC)	5000 to 10000 per mm3	18 to 36 hours (some up to 1 year)	Defense and immunity
Platelets (thrombocytes)	250000 to 400000 per mm3	9 to 10 days	Blood clotting

When you use it

Use to compare the cellular components of blood by count, lifespan, and biological roles.

Watch out

Mature erythrocytes lose their nuclei to accommodate more hemoglobin, and platelets are non-nucleated cell fragments rather than complete cells.

Drafted from Grade 10 Biology, pages 94-152, then checked twice before it went up

Heart Valves and Direction of FlowReference tableTricuspid valve (Right AV) · Bicuspid valve (Left AV, Mitral) · Pulmonary semilunar valve · +1

Valve	Anatomical Location	Prevents Backflow Into
Tricuspid valve (Right AV)	Between right atrium and right ventricle	Right atrium
Bicuspid valve (Left AV, Mitral)	Between left atrium and left ventricle	Left atrium
Pulmonary semilunar valve	Between right ventricle and pulmonary artery	Right ventricle
Aortic semilunar valve	Between left ventricle and aorta	Left ventricle

When you use it

Use to identify valve locations and how they maintain one-way blood flow through the heart.

Watch out

Tricuspid valve is on the right side of the heart, while bicuspid (mitral) valve is on the left side.

Drafted from Grade 10 Biology, pages 94-152, then checked twice before it went up

Human Dental FormulasReference tableAdult permanent teeth · Child milk (deciduous) teeth

Dentition Type	Dental Formula	Total Teeth
Adult permanent teeth	$(2123 / 2123) \times 2$	$32$
Child milk (deciduous) teeth	$(2102 / 2102) \times 2$	$20$

When you use it

Use to calculate the number and types of teeth in adult and child dentitions.

Watch out

Dental formula represents only one side of the upper and lower jaws, so the entire ratio must be multiplied by 2.

Drafted from Grade 10 Biology, pages 94-152, then checked twice before it went up

Parts of the nephron and what each one doesReference tableGlomerulus · Bowman's capsule · Afferent arteriole · +6

Part	What it does	Blood or filtrate
Glomerulus	A knot of capillaries where blood is filtered under pressure. Water, glucose, amino acids, salts and urea are pushed out. Blood cells and plasma proteins are too large to leave.	Blood
Bowman's capsule	The cup around the glomerulus. It catches the filtrate and passes it into the tubule, so it is the first stop on the filtrate route.	Filtrate
Afferent arteriole	Carries blood into the glomerulus. It is wider than the efferent arteriole, and that difference holds the pressure high enough to filter.	Blood
Efferent arteriole	Carries blood away from the glomerulus, then breaks up into the peritubular capillary network around the tubule.	Blood
Proximal convoluted tubule	Where most reabsorption happens. Glucose and amino acids are taken back completely under normal conditions, along with ions and much of the water. Drugs, toxins and ammonia are secreted into the filtrate here.	Filtrate
Loop of Henle	A hairpin dipping into the medulla. Water leaves the descending limb. Sodium and chloride ions leave the ascending limb, which holds water back, so the filtrate grows more dilute and the medulla around it turns salty.	Filtrate
Distal convoluted tubule	The fine tuning. Potassium and hydrogen ions are secreted into the filtrate while sodium, chloride and hydrogen carbonate ions are reabsorbed, holding blood pH and salt balance steady.	Filtrate
Collecting duct	Several nephrons drain into one. The last of the water is reabsorbed here under the control of antidiuretic hormone, which sets how concentrated the urine is.	Filtrate
Peritubular capillaries	The network wrapped around the tubule. Reabsorbed glucose, ions and water rejoin the blood here.	Blood

When you use it

Use it when labelling a nephron diagram, tracing what happens to the filtrate, or answering which part reabsorbs glucose and where the urine is concentrated. The filtrate route has five stops: Bowman's capsule, proximal convoluted tubule, loop of Henle, distal convoluted tubule, collecting duct.

Watch out

Students learn the labels in the order they are printed around the diagram, then write the afferent and efferent arterioles into the urine route. Those two carry blood and never filtrate. Keep the two paths apart: blood runs afferent arteriole, glomerulus, efferent arteriole, peritubular capillaries. The filtrate starts in Bowman's capsule rather than in the glomerulus, because the glomerulus is a knot of capillaries and the capsule around it is the first place the filtrate sits.

Ecological Interactions

Energy Flow versus Matter CyclingRule

When you use it

Use this to contrast the movement of energy with the movement of chemical elements through an ecosystem.

Watch out

Energy flows in a unidirectional path from the sun through the food chain and cannot be recycled. Nutrients like carbon, nitrogen, and phosphorus are recycled repeatedly between living and non-living components.

Drafted from Grade 10 Biology, page 153 onwards, then checked twice before it went up

Nitrogen Cycle Microbial StepsReference tableNitrogen Fixation (Symbiotic) · Nitrogen Fixation (Free-living) · Nitrification (Step 1) · +3

Process	Chemical Change	Key Microorganisms
Nitrogen Fixation (Symbiotic)	$N_2 \rightarrow NH_3 / NH_4^+$	Rhizobium
Nitrogen Fixation (Free-living)	$N_2 \rightarrow NH_4^+$	Azotobacter, Klebsiella
Nitrification (Step 1)	$NH_3 \rightarrow NO_2^-$	Nitrosomonas
Nitrification (Step 2)	$NO_2^- \rightarrow NO_3^-$	Nitrobacter
Ammonification	Organic N $\rightarrow NH_4^+$	Decomposing bacteria, Fungi
Denitrification	$NO_3^- \rightarrow N_2$	Pseudomonas, Thiobacillus

When you use it

Use this to identify which specific bacteria carry out each chemical transformation in the nitrogen cycle.

Watch out

Denitrification is an anaerobic process that converts nitrates back to nitrogen gas, while nitrification requires oxygen to oxidize ammonia into nitrate.

Drafted from Grade 10 Biology, page 153 onwards, then checked twice before it went up

Ten Percent Energy RuleRule

When you use it

Use this to calculate energy transfer across trophic levels and explain why food chains rarely exceed 4 or 5 levels.

Watch out

Only about 10 percent of energy entering a trophic level becomes biomass in the next level. The other 90 percent is lost as metabolic heat, work, or undigested waste.

Drafted from Grade 10 Biology, page 153 onwards, then checked twice before it went up

Trophic Level versus Feeding LevelCommon mistake

When you use it

Use this when numbering the exact feeding position of an organism in a food chain.

Watch out

Producers are at trophic level 1 but have no feeding level. Herbivores (primary consumers) are at trophic level 2, which corresponds to feeding level 1.

Drafted from Grade 10 Biology, page 153 onwards, then checked twice before it went up

The same subject in other years

An exam paper keeps asking for what the year below taught. Those cards are here too.

Your other Grade 10 subjects

Everything else in this year that has cards so far.

Questions students ask

What do the Grade 10 Biology cards cover?: 28 cards across 6 chapters of the national textbook: Sub-Fields of Biology, Plants, Biochemical Molecules, Cell Division, Human Biology and Ecological Interactions. You can take any chapter one card at a time on the page itself.
Is there a national exam in Grade 10?: No. Ethiopia sets national exams in Grade 6, Grade 8 and Grade 12 only. These cards are for your school's own exams, and for the national exam that comes a few years later.
Where do these cards come from?: They are drafted from Grade 10 Biology, the Ministry of Education textbook for this grade. A second pass that cannot see the chapter then re-derives every formula, constant and table row, and anything it cannot confirm is held back instead of published.
Is this free?: Yes. Every card here is free to read and the printable sheet is free to download. Neither needs an account.
When was this last checked?: 6 September 2026. Cards arrive chapter by chapter, and the line under each one says when that card was last read through.

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