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I made this 56-page Heart and Circulatory System revision booklet for my own A-Level Biology students, including those working across a wide range of abilities. It’s structured, accessible, and thoroughly aligned with the Edexcel Biology A specification – though it can easily be adapted for AQA or OCR.

I created this booklet because I found that students often struggle with transport of oxygen and carbon dioxide and also the cardiac cycle. This resource bridges that gap — building confidence, consolidating knowledge, and encouraging deeper thinking.

Perfect for in-class teaching, targeted intervention, homework, or exam prep, the booklet has everything I needed in one place — and it’s fully editable for you to adapt as needed.

What’s Included (56 pages):

The Need for Transport Systems
Why multicellular organisms require transport systems
Surface area to volume ratio and metabolic demand
The Circulatory System
Double circulatory system in mammals: pulmonary and systemic circuits
Advantages of a double circulation (e.g., high pressure, oxygen separation)

Structure and Function of the Heart
Gross anatomy: atria, ventricles, septum, valves, aorta, pulmonary artery/vein, vena cava
The cardiac cycle: diastole, atrial systole, ventricular systole
Valve function and pressure changes
Heartbeat control: myogenic muscle, SAN, AVN, Purkinje tissue

** Blood Vessels**
Structure and roles of arteries, arterioles, veins, capillaries
How structure relates to function (e.g. elastic recoil, smooth muscle, lumen size)
Composition of Blood
Red blood cells, white blood cells, platelets, plasma
Transport of oxygen, carbon dioxide, hormones, and nutrients

Haemoglobin and Oxygen Transport
Structure of haemoglobin
Oxyhaemoglobin dissociation curve
Bohr effect and adaptation in different organisms
Cardiovascular Disease (CVD)
Atherosclerosis, thrombosis, stroke, myocardial infarction

There are practice questions to check understanding and exam-style questions to apply their knowledge-
Answers included.
Glossary sheet.

The resource can be edited.