Biology

Pupils will learn about the use of antibiotics against pathogens, and the development of new drugs and novel treatments for disease.

Pupils learned about non-communicable diseases in humans, including cardiovascular diseases and cancer; and about communicable diseases in humans and plant caused by pathogens including bacteria, viruses, fungi and protists.

This unit explores the body's defences and immune response against pathogens, disease prevention, and vaccines. It covers plant defence responses, and disease detection, and evaluates scientific applications, considering personal, social, economic, and environmental implications.

Defences against pathogens, the human immune system and vaccination

Pupils will learn how substances essential for chemical reactions, and the products of the reactions, are transported into, around and out of plants, and about factors affecting the rate of water uptake by a plant.

Pupils learned about photosynthesis in producers, including a two-stage model of the process and the requirements and products of each stage.

This unit covers cellular respiration as an exothermic reaction in all cells, comparing aerobic and anaerobic processes. It explores cell structures and functions, enhanced by electron microscopy. Emphasis is on conducting experiments, analysing data, and interpreting results.

Aerobic and anaerobic cellular respiration

Pupils learned about biotic and abiotic components of an ecosystem, measuring population size, interdependence and competition in ecosystems, how changes in biotic and abiotic factors affect communities, the cycling of carbon and water, and the role of microorganisms in cycling materials through ecosystems.

This unit explores trophic levels, biomass pyramids, and the efficiency of biomass transfers in ecosystems. It examines human impacts on biodiversity, factors affecting food security, and biotechnological solutions. Emphasis is on evaluating environmental changes and ethical considerations.

Maintaining biodiversity and human impacts

Pupils will learn about ways in which the human body maintains a constant internal environment in response to internal and external change, including changes in temperature and water balance.

Pupils learned about aerobic and anaerobic cellular respiration, including the chemical reactants and products of the processes, and practical ways to measure the rate of cellular respiration in living cells.

This unit covers water and mineral uptake in plants, focusing on root hair cells, xylem, and phloem. It includes transpiration, translocation, and factors affecting water uptake. Emphasis is on rate calculations, graph interpretation, experiments, and data analysis.

Transport and exchange surfaces in plants

Pupils will learn about the roles of hormones in controlling plant growth and development, including growth responses to stimuli including light and gravity.

Pupils learned about unspecialised cells in animals and plants, how they become specialised, and potential benefits and issues with using stem cells in medicine.

This unit covers the roles of hormones in reproduction, including the menstrual cycle and the effects of FSH, LH, oestrogen, and progesterone. It explains contraception methods, and fertility treatments, and evaluates their social, economic, and environmental impacts.

Hormones and human reproduction

Pupils will learn about uses of gene technology in medicine, such as for genetic testing, and in agriculture, such as the production of genetically engineered crop plants with desirable characteristics.

Pupils learned about the roles of hormones in human reproduction, including control of the menstrual cycle, and other uses of hormones such as in in contraception.

This unit covers the role of plant hormones like auxins, gibberellins, and ethene in growth and development, including phototropism and gravitropism. It explores their commercial uses and focuses on experiments, data analysis, and presenting scientific explanations.

Plant growth and development

Pupils will learn about factors that affect the rate of photosynthesis in plants, including temperature, light intensity and carbon dioxide concentration.

Pupils learned how substances essential for chemical reactions, and the products of the reactions, are transported into, around and out of plants, and about factors affecting the rate of water uptake by a plant.

This unit covers the importance of maintaining a constant internal environment, focusing on body temperature control, osmotic balance, and kidney function. It explains the roles of the skin, kidneys, and ADH, and emphasises data extraction, experiment techniques, and accurate data interpretation.

Coordination and control: maintaining a constant internal environment

Pupils learned about ways in which the human body maintains a constant internal environment in response to internal and external change, including changes in temperature and water balance.

This unit explores factors affecting photosynthesis rates and focuses on planning and conducting experiments. It includes selecting techniques, accurate measurements, data analysis, and evaluating methods to improve reliability and suggest further investigations.

Photosynthesis: factors affecting the rate

Pupils learned about human and plant defences against pathogens, the role of white blood cells in the human immune system, and the use of vaccination to protect against communicable diseases.

This unit covers vaccines, medicines, and monoclonal antibodies for disease prevention and treatment. It explains aseptic techniques, medicine development, and antibody uses. The focus is on ethical considerations, risk evaluation, and societal impacts of scientific advances.

Medicines and new treatments for disease

Pupils will learn about eukaryotic and prokaryotic cells, and that subcellular evidence, including from analysis of genomes, has led to the classification and sometimes reclassification of organisms into taxonomic groups from species to domains.

Pupils learned that the fossil record provides evidence of evolution from common ancestors through transitional species to modern species, and that the theory of evolution by natural selection can be used to explain phenotypic changes in populations of species over generations.

This unit covers genetic variation, comparing asexual and sexual reproduction. It explores mutations' impact on phenotypes, evolution through natural selection, and how scientific theories develop, explaining how advantageous traits lead to adaptation.

Variation and natural selection at the genetic level

Pupils learned that random genetic mutation is a source of heritable variation, and that evolution occurs through the natural selection of genetic variants linked to advantageous phenotypes.

This unit explores the impact of biology developments on classification systems, highlighting how electron microscopy enhances understanding of sub-cellular structures. It covers eukaryotic and prokaryotic cells, quantitative skills, unit conversions, and the evolution of scientific methods.

Classification in modern biology

Pupils learned about the roles of hormones in controlling plant growth and development, including growth responses to stimuli including light and gravity.

This unit covers the human genome's importance and genetic engineering, outlining steps, benefits, and risks. It explores gene technology in agriculture and medicine, focusing on ethical considerations, and societal impacts, and evaluating scientific limitations and risks.

Biology

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These resources will be removed by end of Summer Term 2025.