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Leaving Certificate Biology (NCCA specification), Higher and Ordinary Level, with the SEC examination.
Overview
Leaving Certificate Biology (NCCA specification), Higher and Ordinary Level, with the SEC examination.
Complete topic map
Every topic recorded for this subject in the curriculum is reproduced below in its full hierarchy. The descriptions reflect the mapped scope without implying additional exam rules.
Introduces how biologists work through experiment, observation and theory, and the defining features common to all living organisms.
Covers the chemical building blocks of life — carbohydrates, lipids, proteins, vitamins, minerals and water — and their roles in living things.
Examines how organisms interact with each other and their environment, including nutrient cycles, energy flow, populations, pollution and a practical investigation of a local habitat.
Explores the ultrastructure of plant and animal cells, organelles, the cell as a unit of life, and how cells differentiate into tissues and organs.
Looks at the structure, action and control of enzymes as biological catalysts and the role of ATP in cellular energy transfer.
Studies how cells capture and release energy, comparing the light and dark stages of photosynthesis with aerobic and anaerobic respiration.
Explains diffusion, osmosis and active transport as the means by which substances pass into and out of cells.
Covers the cell cycle, mitosis and meiosis, and their importance in growth, repair and the production of gametes.
Investigates the structure and replication of DNA, protein synthesis, the laws of inheritance and the working of monohybrid genetic crosses.
Examines sources of genetic variation, the theory of evolution by natural selection, and applications and ethics of modern genetic engineering.
Surveys the classification of living things and detailed study of bacteria (Monera), a protist, a fungus and the structure of viruses.
Examines plant tissues, organs and the transport of water, minerals and food through the vascular system of flowering plants.
Covers a balanced human diet and the structure and functioning of the alimentary canal in processing and absorbing food.
Studies the heart, blood vessels and composition of blood, together with the body's defences against disease, including immunity and the lymphatic system.
Looks at gas exchange and the breathing system, removal of metabolic waste by the kidney and skin, and the maintenance of a stable internal environment.
Examines how the body detects and responds to stimuli through the nervous system, sense organs and chemical control by hormones.
Covers the human skeleton, joints, muscles and the principles of support and locomotion, including plant responses to stimuli.
Studies sexual reproduction in the flowering plant and the structure, functioning and development of the human reproductive systems.
Where this subject applies
These pathways and regions are explicitly connected to the subject in the curriculum.
Higher Level
Higher Level — the more demanding level, with broader and deeper content and the H1–H8 grade scale.
Ordinary Level
Ordinary Level — the foundational level covering the core of the syllabus, graded O1–O8.
Official sources
The public sources below are referenced directly by this subject or by one of its topics.
This editorial selection points to the relevant official bodies. Always confirm current requirements, dates and exceptional arrangements with your school and the responsible authority.
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Public references
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