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Biology
A-Level Biology is the study of living organisms from the molecular scale to the whole ecosystem, set against the Department for Education GCE AS and A level subject content and delivered here through the AQA 7402 specification. It runs from biological molecules, cells and the exchange of substances up to genetics, energy transfers, coordination and the control of gene expression, and it is assessed as much on the application of knowledge to unfamiliar contexts and the analysis of experimental data as on recall.
0/49 Texts8 Chapters~148 min total
AQA 7402 3.1.1DfE GCE Biology - biological moleculesAQA 7402 3.1.2DfE GCE Biology - carbohydratesAQA 7402 3.1.3DfE GCE Biology - lipids+91 moreFoundationStandardAdvanced
Table of contents · 8 ChaptersT·08
- Monomers, polymers and the two universal reactionsText L·01 · Recommended start3 min
- Carbohydrates: sugars and polysaccharidesText L·023 min
- Lipids: triglycerides and phospholipidsText L·033 min
- Proteins: from amino acids to four levels of structureText L·043 min
- Enzymes: mechanism and the factors affecting rateText L·054 min
- Nucleic acids, DNA replication and ATPText L·063 min
- Water and inorganic ionsText L·073 min
- Eukaryotic and prokaryotic cell structureText L·083 min
- Studying cells: microscopy, magnification and fractionationText L·093 min
- The cell cycle, mitosis and cancerText L·103 min
- Transport across cell membranesText L·113 min
- Cell recognition and the immune responseText L·123 min
- Vaccination, HIV and monoclonal antibodiesText L·133 min
- Surface area to volume ratio and exchange surfacesText L·143 min
- Gas exchange in animals and plantsText L·153 min
- Digestion and absorptionText L·163 min
- Haemoglobin and oxygen transportText L·173 min
- The heart and the cardiac cycleText L·183 min
- Mass transport in plants: transpiration and translocationText L·193 min
- DNA, genes and the genetic codeText L·203 min
- Transcription and translationText L·213 min
- Meiosis and genetic variationText L·223 min
- Genetic diversity, mutation and natural selectionText L·233 min
- Species, classification and phylogenyText L·243 min
- Biodiversity and quantitative investigationText L·253 min
- Photosynthesis: the light-dependent reactionsText L·263 min
- Photosynthesis: the Calvin cycle and limiting factorsText L·273 min
- Respiration: glycolysis and the link reactionText L·283 min
- Respiration: the Krebs cycle and oxidative phosphorylationText L·293 min
- Energy and biomass transfer through ecosystemsText L·303 min
- Nutrient cycles and the use of fertilisersText L·313 min
- Survival, responses and the reflex arcText L·323 min
- Receptors and the nervous impulseText L·333 min
- Synapses and the neuromuscular junctionText L·343 min
- Skeletal muscle and the sliding-filament mechanismText L·353 min
- Homeostasis and the control of blood glucoseText L·363 min
- The kidney and osmoregulationText L·373 min
- Monohybrid inheritance and codominanceText L·383 min
- Dihybrid crosses, sex linkage and epistasisText L·393 min
- The chi-squared test on genetic ratiosText L·403 min
- The Hardy-Weinberg principleText L·413 min
- Natural selection, evolution and speciationText L·423 min
- Populations in ecosystems and successionText L·433 min
- Gene mutations and their consequencesText L·443 min
- Stem cells and cell specialisationText L·453 min
- Regulating transcription and translationText L·463 min
- Gene expression, cancer and interpreting dataText L·473 min
- Recombinant DNA technology and the polymerase chain reactionText L·483 min
- Studying genomes: probes, electrophoresis and genetic fingerprintingText L·493 min
- Biological molecules
- Cells
- Organisms exchange substances with their environment
- Genetic information, variation and relationships between organisms
- Energy transfers in and between organisms
- Organisms respond to changes in their internal and external environments
- Genetics, populations, evolution and ecosystems
- The control of gene expression
- Paper 1 - AS/A-level topics 1-4 (AQA 7402/1)
- 2 hours, 91 marks, 35% of the A-Level. Assesses biological molecules, cells, exchange, and genetic information, variation and relationships between organisms, together with the relevant required-practical skills. Structure: 76 marks of short and long answer questions plus a 15-mark extended-response question. A calculator is allowed on every paper.
- Paper 2 - A-level topics 5-8 (AQA 7402/2)
- 2 hours, 91 marks, 35% of the A-Level. Assesses energy transfers, responding to the environment, genetics/populations/evolution/ecosystems, and the control of gene expression, with the relevant practical skills. Structure: 76 marks of short and long answer questions plus a 15-mark comprehension question.
- Paper 3 - synoptic and essay (AQA 7402/3)
- 2 hours, 78 marks, 30% of the A-Level. Draws on any content from across the course: 38 marks of structured questions including practical techniques, 15 marks on the critical analysis of given experimental data, and a 25-mark essay chosen from two titles that rewards synoptic links across topics.
- Assessment objectives, practical endorsement and grading
- Across the three papers the assessment objectives are weighted towards application and analysis rather than recall: AO1 (knowledge and understanding) is roughly a third of the marks, AO2 (application) the largest single share, and AO3 (analyse, interpret and evaluate) the remainder. At least 15% of marks assess practical knowledge and skills and at least 10% assess level-2 mathematical skills. The separately reported Practical Endorsement (pass / not classified) is based on twelve required practicals against the Common Practical Assessment Criteria (CPAC). The full A-Level is linear and graded A*-E (U below E).