1. Lifestyle, Health and Risk

The Circulatory System

The Need for a Circulatory System

The Importance of Water in Transport

Mammalian Heart: Structure & Function

Blood Vessels: Structure & Function

Cardiac Cycle

Investigating Heart Rate

Atherosclerosis

Blood Clotting

Diet & Health

Cardiovascular Disease

Interpreting Data on Risk Factors

Treatment of CVD

Energy Budgets & Diet

Monosaccharides

The Glycosidic Bond

Disaccharides

Polysaccharides

Lipids & Ester Bonds

Reducing Risk Factors of CVD

Practical: Vitamin C Content

2. Genes and Health

Gas Exchange, Cell Membranes & Transport

Properties of Gas Exchange Surfaces

Fick's Law of Diffusion

The Mammalian Lung

Cell Membranes

Practical: Investigating Membrane Structure & Permeability

Diffusion & Facilitated Diffusion

Active Transport

Osmosis

Nucleic Acids

Nucleotides & Phosphodiester Bonds

DNA: Structure

RNA: Structure

Proteins

Transcription

Translation

Nature of the Genetic Code

Amino Acids & Peptide Bonds

Levels of Protein Structure

Globular Proteins: Structure & Function

Fibrous Proteins: Structure & Function

The Role of Enzymes

Mode of Enzyme Action

Practical: Investigating the Effect Enzyme and Substrate Concentrations

Inheritance

DNA Replication

Mutations

Inheritance: Key Terms

Pedigree Diagrams

Monohybrid Crosses

Chi-squared Test

Genetic Screening

3. Voice of the Genome

Cell Structure & Organisation

Cell Theory

Eukaryotic Cells

Prokaryotic Cells

Organisation of Cells

Microscopy

Magnification Calculations

Recognising Organelles

Cell Division

The Cell Cycle

Mitosis

Practical: Identifying Mitosis in Plant Cells

Reproduction & Inheritance

Mammalian Gametes

Fertilisation in Mammals

Genes & Linkage

Meiosis: Source of Genetic Variation

Differentiation & Variation

Stem Cells

Stem Cells in Medicine

Cell Differentiation

Epigenetics

Phenotypes & Variation

4. Biodiversity and Natural Resources

Biodiversity

The Variety of Life

Measuring Biodiversity Within a Habitat

Comparing Biodiversity Between Habitats

Ecological Niches & Adaptations

Natural Selection

Hardy-Weinberg Equation

Reproductive Isolation

Classification

Conservation of Biodiversity

Resources from Plants

Plant Cell Structure

Plant Stems

Importance of Water & Inorganic Ions to Plants

Starch & Cellulose: Structure & Function

Plant Fibres

Practical: Identifying Tissue Types Within Stems

Practical: Determining the Tensile Strength of Plant Fibres

Development of Drug Testing

Antimicrobial Properties of Plants

Sustainability & Plant Materials

5. On the Wild Side

Ecosystems & Energy Transfer

Ecosystems: Key Terms

Biotic & Abiotic Factors

Niches: Distribution & Abundance

Practical: Determining Distribution & Abundance

Stages of Succession

Net Primary Productivity

Calculating the Efficiency of Biomass & Energy Transfers

Photosynthesis

Photosynthesis: An Overview

ATP as a Supply of Energy

Chloroplasts: Structure & Function

Light-dependent Reactions

Light-independent Reactions

Products of Photosynthesis

Practical: The Hill Reaction

Climate Change

Introduction to Climate Change

Evidence for the Causes of Climate Change

The Greenhouse Effect

Models of Future Climate Change

The Effects of Climate Change

Temperature & Enzyme Activity

Practical: Temperature & Development of Organisms

Climate Change & the Scientific Community

Carbon Cycle & Reduction of Atmospheric Carbon Dioxide

Reducing Climate Change

Evolution

Evolution by Natural Selection

Speciation

Evidence of Evolution & the Scientific Community

6. Immunity, Infection and Forensics

Forensics

Determining the Time of Death

Micro-organisms: Decomposition & Nutrient Recycling

DNA Profiling

Microorganisms & Immunity

Structure of Bacteria & Viruses

Entry Routes of Pathogens

Non-specific Immune Responses

Antigens & Antibodies

T Cell Response

B Cell Response

Post-transcriptional Modification

Types of Immunity

Evolutionary Race Between Pathogens & Host

Types of Antibiotics

Limiting Antibiotic Resistance

7. Run for your Life

Muscles & Movement

Movement of the Skeleton

Muscle Fibres

Muscle Contraction

Respiration

Respiration: An Overview

Stages of Respiration

Glycolysis

Link Reaction & Krebs Cycle

Oxidative Phosphorylation

Practical: Investigating the Rate of Respiration

Anaerobic Respiration

Homeostasis

Homeostasis: An Overview

Electrical Activity in the Heart

ECGs & Diagnosing CVD

Calculating Cardiac Output

Exercise

Variations in Breathing Rate & Heart Rate

Practical: Investigating the Effects of Exercise

Intensity of Exercise

Modern Medicine & Participation in Sports

8. Grey Matter

Response to the Environment

Co-ordination of Response

Neurones: Structure & Function

Nervous System: Response to a Stimulus

Transmission of Nerve Impulses

Synapses: Structure & Function

Detection of Light

The Effects of IAA

Phytochrome

The Brain, Behaviour & Disease

Brain: Structure & Function

Studying the Brain

Development of the Visual Cortex

The Role of Animal Models in Research

Habituation

Imbalances in Brain Chemicals Leading to Diseases

Action of Drugs on Synapses

Personalised Medicine

Producing Drugs Using GMOs

Nature vs Nurture in Brain Development

Exam boards

• OCR A Level Biology
• AQA A Level Biology
• Cambridge (CIE) A Level Biology

Study tools

• Edexcel A Level Biology (A) SNAB · Exam Questions
• Edexcel A Level Biology (A) SNAB · Past Papers

Related links

• A Level Biology · Revision Notes
• A Level Biology · Exam Questions
• A Level Biology · Past Papers
• Edexcel A Level Biology (A) SNAB · Exam specification