Year 12 Biology

Subject Aims and Purpose/Intent 
• Develop essential knowledge and understanding of different areas of biology and how they relate to each other.
• Understand how society makes decisions about scientific issues and how the sciences contribute to the success of the economy and society.
• Develop and demonstrate a deep appreciation of the skills, knowledge and understanding of scientific methods
• Analyse and interpret data to provide evidence, recognising correlations and causal relationships.
• Develop competence and confidence in a variety of practical, mathematical and problem solving skills.
• Develop communication skills to present ideas, construct explanations, critique claims and justify opinions.
• Develop enquiry skills through collecting data, devising questions, planning variables and testing hypotheses.
• Evaluate information to estimate risks, discuss consequences, review theories and appraise sources.

Biological molecules:
Examples of monomers and polymers, and the mechanisms of condensation and hydrolysis reactions; formation of disaccharides and polysaccharides in carbohydrates; structure of triglycerides and phospholipids, their properties, and the emulsion test for lipids, properties of proteins including enzyme action; the structure of DNA and RNA and the similarities and differences between the two molecules, and the mechanism of DNA replication; the importance of ATP and how it is synthesised and used by cells; the key properties of water.

Cells:
Comparison of the structures of eukaryotic and prokaryotic cells, and ways in which both types are studied; cell division by mitosis including the behaviour of chromosomes during interphase, prophase, metaphase, anaphase and telophase, and binary fission in prokaryotic cells; transport of biological molecules across membrane by simple diffusion, facilitated diffusion, osmosis, active transport and co-transport, and adaptations of cells for rapid transport; action of the immune system to recognise pathogens including phagocytosis and the roles of T lymphocytes and B lymphocytes; the uses of vaccines.

Organisms exchange substances with their environment:
Adaptations for gas exchange in both plants and animals; digestion of different molecules in mammals and mechanisms for absorption of the products of digestion; the role of haemoglobin and oxygen dissociation curves, the circulatory system in mammals and the structure of blood vessels; mass transport in plants via the xylem and phloem;

Genetic information, variation and relationships between organisms:
The structure of DNA molecules and the nature of the genetic code; the processes of transcription and translation in the production of mRNA and subsequently proteins; types of genetic mutation and the ways in which they arise during meiosis; the process of natural selection due to random mutations, as well as directional and stabilising selection; the phylogenetic classification system used to arrange species based on their evolutionary origins; biodiversity and species richness; methods for investigating biodiversity.

Year 13 Biology

Subject Aims and Purpose/Intent 
• Develop essential knowledge and understanding of different areas of biology and how they relate to each other.
• Understand how society makes decisions about issues discussed in the course, and how the sciences contribute to the success of the economy and society.
• Develop and demonstrate a deep appreciation of the skills, knowledge and understanding of scientific methods.
• Analyse and interpret data to provide evidence, recognising correlations and causal relationships.
• Develop competence and confidence in a variety of practical, mathematical and problem solving skills.
• Develop communication skills to present ideas, construct explanations, critique claims and justify opinions.
• Develop enquiry skills through collecting data, devising questions, planning variables and testing hypotheses.
• Evaluate information to estimate risks, discuss consequences, review theories and appraise sources.

Energy transfers in and between organisms:
The light dependent and light independent reactions that occur during photosynthesis; the stages of glycolysis in aerobic and anaerobic respiration, and the subsequent series of reactions that take place during aerobic respiration; measures of biomass including gross primary production and net primary production; the role of microorganisms in the phosphorus and nitrogen cycles, and issues associated with the use of fertilisers.

Organisms respond to changes in their internal and external environments:
Processes of survival and response in plants and animals, including the structure and role of receptors and control of heart rate; the production of nerve impulses in motor neurones and transmission across synapses and neuromuscular junctions; the action of muscles as effectors and the role of actin, myosin, ATP and calcium ions in muscle contraction; the importance of homeostasis and the impact of negative feedback; control of blood glucose including the action of insulin, glucagon and adrenaline.

Genetics, populations, evolution and ecosystems:
Use of the Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium to predict allele frequencies in a population; the ways in which natural selection may lead to new species arising within a population, including allopatric and sympatric speciation; variation in population size in a habitat due to the role of biotic and abiotic factors, including interspecific and intraspecific competition and predation.

The control of gene expression:
Types of genetic mutation including amino acid substitutions and frameshifts; the roles of totipotent cells and pluripotent cells in mammalian development; epigenetic regulation of transcription and translation through DNA methylation and histone acetylation; the role of tumour suppressor genes and oncogenes in the development of cancers; large scale genome projects and their applications; methodology used in DNA recombinant technology including DNA fragmentation, PCR and in vivo methods of amplifying DNA; the techniques used in the diagnosis of heritable diseases, as well as genetic fingerprinting.