Biology GCSE
Mimicry
What Mimicry means in Biology GCSE, as defined for AQA.
Definitions of Mimicry
Exam boards and our study guides word this term in slightly different ways. Learn the version your board uses.
Check what you remember
Read the wording for your board, then hide it and explain Mimicry in your own words. Rough notes are fine. This is a self-check, with no mark or grade.
Reference: AQA
Making a plant resemble something else, such as another organism or an inedible object, so the herbivore avoids it.
When a harmless species resembles a warningly coloured species and gains protection.
Topics that use Mimicry
- Plant defence responses (AQA GCSE)
- Speciation (biology only) (AQA GCSE)
Related terms
- Adaptation
- Antibacterial chemicals
- Cellulose cell walls
- Dead cell layers and shedding bark
- Development of scientific theories
- Evidence for evolution
- Field evidence and biogeography
- Formation of new species
Using Mimicry in the exam
Check the command word and mark scheme for your exact question. After comparing your explanation with the reference, use the term in an answer on the linked topic. This practice does not predict an exam mark.
Practise Biology questions
Create a free account to answer exam-style questions on this topic and get feedback on your answers.
Start free
All Biology GCSE termsA week of Premium from your first lesson · Then the free plan continues · No card, no charge