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I have been studying both specimen and past papers of the new spec and I can honestly inform you that nearly everything has come up in one way or another.
Things that have only briefly appeared include; Translocation, Xylem, Phloem, Mammalian gas exchange, Mechanism of breathing, Circulatory system, Digestion (absorption has come up as a 5/6 marker but not digestion), binary fission, viral replication, Mitosis/meiosis in detail and protein synthesis.
Like I said, practically everything has come up so just revise as much as you can! Also, I have noticed there has been a practical question on nearly every paper, so make sure you are up to scratch on your practical technique knowledge as well!
Good Luck
Things that have only briefly appeared include; Translocation, Xylem, Phloem, Mammalian gas exchange, Mechanism of breathing, Circulatory system, Digestion (absorption has come up as a 5/6 marker but not digestion), binary fission, viral replication, Mitosis/meiosis in detail and protein synthesis.
Like I said, practically everything has come up so just revise as much as you can! Also, I have noticed there has been a practical question on nearly every paper, so make sure you are up to scratch on your practical technique knowledge as well!
Good Luck
Original post by alevelstudent65
Human genome project?
bro thats A2 and bound to come up as DNA/genetics is most of A2
Original post by alevelstudent65
Human genome project?
Thought we don't need to know about specific projects even for A2
Original post by new1234
Thought we don't need to know about specific projects even for A2
you don't NEED it, however it comes under the 'you should know' section so it is good for to know for detail and especially for the synoptic essay
Original post by lucieannwhite
you don't NEED it, however it comes under the 'you should know' section so it is good for to know for detail and especially for the synoptic essay
where in the should know section? Can you tell me which specification point? Thanks
Original post by new1234
where in the should know section? Can you tell me which specification point? Thanks
there isn't a specific point that mentions it, however it could be useful for many
either way I would learn it in some detail as you can't get full marks on the synoptic essay in paper 3 without above the spec detail
i have taken these straight from the spec (they are all from different topics so the human genome project is a good piece of info to have just to secure yourself)
-appreciate that gene technology has caused a change in the methods of investigating genetic diversity; inferring DNA differences from measurable or observable characteristics has been replaced by direct investigation of DNA sequences. (3.4.7 investigating diversity)
-Students should be able to appreciate that advances in immunology and genome sequencing help to clarify evolutionary relationships between organisms (3.4.5 species and taxonomy)
-interpret data provided from investigations into gene expression (3.8.2.2 Regulation of transcription and translation)
there are more, just go through the spec if you want to find them http://filestore.aqa.org.uk/resources/biology/specifications/AQA-7401-7402-SP-2015.PDF
i would recommend using the spec to revise anyway as this is the most surefire way to make sure you know everything you need
Original post by lucieannwhite
there isn't a specific point that mentions it, however it could be useful for many
either way I would learn it in some detail as you can't get full marks on the synoptic essay in paper 3 without above the spec detail
i have taken these straight from the spec (they are all from different topics so the human genome project is a good piece of info to have just to secure yourself)
-appreciate that gene technology has caused a change in the methods of investigating genetic diversity; inferring DNA differences from measurable or observable characteristics has been replaced by direct investigation of DNA sequences. (3.4.7 investigating diversity)
-Students should be able to appreciate that advances in immunology and genome sequencing help to clarify evolutionary relationships between organisms (3.4.5 species and taxonomy)
-interpret data provided from investigations into gene expression (3.8.2.2 Regulation of transcription and translation)
there are more, just go through the spec if you want to find them http://filestore.aqa.org.uk/resources/biology/specifications/AQA-7401-7402-SP-2015.PDF
i would recommend using the spec to revise anyway as this is the most surefire way to make sure you know everything you need
either way I would learn it in some detail as you can't get full marks on the synoptic essay in paper 3 without above the spec detail
i have taken these straight from the spec (they are all from different topics so the human genome project is a good piece of info to have just to secure yourself)
-appreciate that gene technology has caused a change in the methods of investigating genetic diversity; inferring DNA differences from measurable or observable characteristics has been replaced by direct investigation of DNA sequences. (3.4.7 investigating diversity)
-Students should be able to appreciate that advances in immunology and genome sequencing help to clarify evolutionary relationships between organisms (3.4.5 species and taxonomy)
-interpret data provided from investigations into gene expression (3.8.2.2 Regulation of transcription and translation)
there are more, just go through the spec if you want to find them http://filestore.aqa.org.uk/resources/biology/specifications/AQA-7401-7402-SP-2015.PDF
i would recommend using the spec to revise anyway as this is the most surefire way to make sure you know everything you need
Thanks!
Yeah I do use the spec that's why I was confused since I've never seen the project mentioned anywhere.
Also you can get 23/25 without non spec knowledge.
Original post by new1234
Thanks!
Yeah I do use the spec that's why I was confused since I've never seen the project mentioned anywhere.
Also you can get 23/25 without non spec knowledge.
Yeah I do use the spec that's why I was confused since I've never seen the project mentioned anywhere.
Also you can get 23/25 without non spec knowledge.
yeah it is confusing because it's not directly mentioned but I have seen it come up in past papers
that is true, but the rest of your essay would have to be perfect so i just find it easier to learn a small chunk of extra knowledge just in case
do what works for you
Original post by lucieannwhite
yeah it is confusing because it's not directly mentioned but I have seen it come up in past papers
that is true, but the rest of your essay would have to be perfect so i just find it easier to learn a small chunk of extra knowledge just in case
do what works for you
that is true, but the rest of your essay would have to be perfect so i just find it easier to learn a small chunk of extra knowledge just in case
do what works for you
But it would have to be at the same standard as well as non specification knowledge to get the 25 marks surely?
Yeah I feel like I know some non-specification material if i get into that mark band but it's hard to make sure that it's not at GCSE standard since GCSE's have changed and we don't know what they learn. For example is the Human Genome Project not learnt at GCSE level?
Original post by new1234
But it would have to be at the same standard as well as non specification knowledge to get the 25 marks surely?
Yeah I feel like I know some non-specification material if i get into that mark band but it's hard to make sure that it's not at GCSE standard since GCSE's have changed and we don't know what they learn. For example is the Human Genome Project not learnt at GCSE level?
Yeah I feel like I know some non-specification material if i get into that mark band but it's hard to make sure that it's not at GCSE standard since GCSE's have changed and we don't know what they learn. For example is the Human Genome Project not learnt at GCSE level?
I never learnt the human genome project until A level and i would say it is too advanced for GCSE. and yeah it does have to be A level standard but you don't have to write much, as it can just be a small link
A good thing to do would be to have a look at the old spec, or things you learn in other subjects that could count as above the spec. For example, the carbon cycle and ocean acidification. these used to be on the spec so are recognized by the people marking the papers (and i happen to know them in detail as I take geography, so i didn't have to learn anything new)
A good topic is also the CFTR gene and cystic fibrosis (as you have to know about cystic fibrosis anyway, this is just a bit of extra detail to help on the essay)
Original post by lucieannwhite
I never learnt the human genome project until A level and i would say it is too advanced for GCSE. and yeah it does have to be A level standard but you don't have to write much, as it can just be a small link
A good thing to do would be to have a look at the old spec, or things you learn in other subjects that could count as above the spec. For example, the carbon cycle and ocean acidification. these used to be on the spec so are recognized by the people marking the papers (and i happen to know them in detail as I take geography, so i didn't have to learn anything new)
A good topic is also the CFTR gene and cystic fibrosis (as you have to know about cystic fibrosis anyway, this is just a bit of extra detail to help on the essay)
A good thing to do would be to have a look at the old spec, or things you learn in other subjects that could count as above the spec. For example, the carbon cycle and ocean acidification. these used to be on the spec so are recognized by the people marking the papers (and i happen to know them in detail as I take geography, so i didn't have to learn anything new)
A good topic is also the CFTR gene and cystic fibrosis (as you have to know about cystic fibrosis anyway, this is just a bit of extra detail to help on the essay)
Yeah we didnt learn it as GCSE (although I touched on it) but the new GCSE's might include it since they learn about things in so much more detail e.g. mitosis and phases. Yeah that's a good way to do it. Unfortunately none of my subjects really link.
We have to learn about cystic fibrosis????
(edited 5 years ago)
Original post by new1234
Yeah we didnt learn it as GCSE (although I touched on it) but the new GCSE's might include it since they learn about things in so much more detail e.g. mitosis and phases. Yeah that's a good way to do it. Unfortunately none of my subjects really link.
We have to learn about cystic fibrosis????
We have to learn about cystic fibrosis????
that's true but I can't see them going into detail on the human genome project although if you're really worried you could check the GCSE spec
And again it's not specifically in the spec, but it comes under the 'students should be able to' bit of gas exchange and iv'e seen questions on it a lot in past papers
Original post by lucieannwhite
that's true but I can't see them going into detail on the human genome project although if you're really worried you could check the GCSE spec
And again it's not specifically in the spec, but it comes under the 'students should be able to' bit of gas exchange and iv'e seen questions on it a lot in past papers
And again it's not specifically in the spec, but it comes under the 'students should be able to' bit of gas exchange and iv'e seen questions on it a lot in past papers
I see. I've never seen a question on it apart from as a genetics question? Which past papers are you talking about? Old spec or new?
Original post by new1234
I see. I've never seen a question on it apart from as a genetics question? Which past papers are you talking about? Old spec or new?
old spec. I've only ever seen one new spec paper so idk
(edited 5 years ago)
hey guys!!
Iv'e written this essay for biology but need an idea of where I'm at in terms of marks. does anyone know how to mark an essay?
the title is: Carbon dioxide may affect organisms directly or indirectly. Describe and explain these effects.
I wrote: Carbon dioxide is a molecule becoming evermore present in today's atmosphere - now making up 0.04%. It is made up of one carbon atom and 2 oxygen atoms. Although it is vital for many biological processes, it can have some negative impacts, as described in my essay below. Firstly, the process of carbon sequestration involves capturing CO2 from the atmosphere and putting it in long term storage. Biologic sequestration involves the use of plants to capture this CO2 via photosynthesis and store it as carbon in the stems and roots (as well as in the soil). CO2 is useful for plant organisms and affects them directly- it is used to bind with Ribulose bisphosphate (RuBP) the light independent reaction of photosynthesis to form a six carbon intermediate in the Calvin cycle. This molecule is unstable however, and therefore breaks down into 2x stable 3-carbon molecules of Glycerate-2-phosphate. This is then converted to Triose phosphate via a reduction reaction; ATP is hydrolysed to ADP+Pi and an electron is donated to NAD to form reduced NAD. One carbon molecule is released and Ribulose bisphosphate is regenerated as a 5-carbon molecule. To form one molecule of Glucose, the cycle has to repeat six times as only one molecule of carbon is released every time.
CO2 can also have indirect negative effects on aquatic ecosystems. Carbon dioxide released from biologic sequestration into the atmosphere often diffuses into the oceans through direct chemical exchange. This CO2 then dissolves in the salt water and forms carbonic acid. This makes the slightly alkaline water become a little more acidic (the pH is lowered). Therefore there is a higher concentration of hydrogen ions (H+). The impacts on ecosystems is huge; firstly, carbonic acid reacts with carbonate ions in the water to form bicarbonate. This is detrimental because carbonate ions are used by many plank-tonic species to create their calcium carbonate shells. With less carbonate available, the animals need to expend more energy to create these shells (via the hydrolysis of ATP) - as a result, the shells are often thinner and more brittle.
CO2 also has direct implications on more complex organisms like humans. For example, during intense levels of exercise, anaerobic respiration can be used as a last resort to provide an essential "boost" of energy from ATP (although it only produces 2 molecules of ATP via glycolysis, whereas aerobic respiration produces approximately 38). it is used as oxygen levels in the blood are not sufficient for aerobic respiration to take place in respiring tissues. This causes the increase of CO2 in the blood which is then detected by chemo-receptors in the medulla oblongata and in carotid arteries. This in turn increases the frequency of nerve impulses sent to the sino-atrial node (SAN) which then passes these impulses to the atrioventricular node (AVN) which directs the impulse down the muscle walls of the heart and up the septum (to stop the pooling of blood) from the purkinje fibers. This causes the sympathetic nervous system to increase the heart rate and therefore respiratory rate. This increases levels of oxygen in the blood, which therefore increases pH again and lowers the concentration of CO2.
If this process was to not occur, the low pH of the blood would indirectly affect enzyme activity. If the CO2 concentration is too high, then it may cause the active site of enzymes in the blood to become denatured- as the primary structure changes which alters the tertiary structure due to increased vibrations putting strain on the structural bonds like disulphide bridges. This would cause the active site to no longer be complementary to its substrate and therefore no enzyme-substrate complexes would form; hence the enzymes would be non-functional.
this took me an hour to hand write (i typed it up to put it on here)
also if you have any topic ideas please let me know as i could only think of these ones
Iv'e written this essay for biology but need an idea of where I'm at in terms of marks. does anyone know how to mark an essay?
the title is: Carbon dioxide may affect organisms directly or indirectly. Describe and explain these effects.
I wrote: Carbon dioxide is a molecule becoming evermore present in today's atmosphere - now making up 0.04%. It is made up of one carbon atom and 2 oxygen atoms. Although it is vital for many biological processes, it can have some negative impacts, as described in my essay below. Firstly, the process of carbon sequestration involves capturing CO2 from the atmosphere and putting it in long term storage. Biologic sequestration involves the use of plants to capture this CO2 via photosynthesis and store it as carbon in the stems and roots (as well as in the soil). CO2 is useful for plant organisms and affects them directly- it is used to bind with Ribulose bisphosphate (RuBP) the light independent reaction of photosynthesis to form a six carbon intermediate in the Calvin cycle. This molecule is unstable however, and therefore breaks down into 2x stable 3-carbon molecules of Glycerate-2-phosphate. This is then converted to Triose phosphate via a reduction reaction; ATP is hydrolysed to ADP+Pi and an electron is donated to NAD to form reduced NAD. One carbon molecule is released and Ribulose bisphosphate is regenerated as a 5-carbon molecule. To form one molecule of Glucose, the cycle has to repeat six times as only one molecule of carbon is released every time.
CO2 can also have indirect negative effects on aquatic ecosystems. Carbon dioxide released from biologic sequestration into the atmosphere often diffuses into the oceans through direct chemical exchange. This CO2 then dissolves in the salt water and forms carbonic acid. This makes the slightly alkaline water become a little more acidic (the pH is lowered). Therefore there is a higher concentration of hydrogen ions (H+). The impacts on ecosystems is huge; firstly, carbonic acid reacts with carbonate ions in the water to form bicarbonate. This is detrimental because carbonate ions are used by many plank-tonic species to create their calcium carbonate shells. With less carbonate available, the animals need to expend more energy to create these shells (via the hydrolysis of ATP) - as a result, the shells are often thinner and more brittle.
CO2 also has direct implications on more complex organisms like humans. For example, during intense levels of exercise, anaerobic respiration can be used as a last resort to provide an essential "boost" of energy from ATP (although it only produces 2 molecules of ATP via glycolysis, whereas aerobic respiration produces approximately 38). it is used as oxygen levels in the blood are not sufficient for aerobic respiration to take place in respiring tissues. This causes the increase of CO2 in the blood which is then detected by chemo-receptors in the medulla oblongata and in carotid arteries. This in turn increases the frequency of nerve impulses sent to the sino-atrial node (SAN) which then passes these impulses to the atrioventricular node (AVN) which directs the impulse down the muscle walls of the heart and up the septum (to stop the pooling of blood) from the purkinje fibers. This causes the sympathetic nervous system to increase the heart rate and therefore respiratory rate. This increases levels of oxygen in the blood, which therefore increases pH again and lowers the concentration of CO2.
If this process was to not occur, the low pH of the blood would indirectly affect enzyme activity. If the CO2 concentration is too high, then it may cause the active site of enzymes in the blood to become denatured- as the primary structure changes which alters the tertiary structure due to increased vibrations putting strain on the structural bonds like disulphide bridges. This would cause the active site to no longer be complementary to its substrate and therefore no enzyme-substrate complexes would form; hence the enzymes would be non-functional.
this took me an hour to hand write (i typed it up to put it on here)
also if you have any topic ideas please let me know as i could only think of these ones
Tests on the man whose blood was used to construct Figure 8 gave the following data.
• Concentration of haemoglobin in blood = 150 g dm–3 .
• Volume of oxygen carried by fully saturated haemoglobin = 1.35 cm3 g–1 .
• Resting heart rate = 60 beats minute–1 .
• Volume of blood pumped out of left ventricle each beat = 60 cm3 .
Use these data and information from Figure 8 to calculate the volume of oxygen released to the man’s tissues per minute whilst he was at rest. Show your working. [3 marks]
Can someone help me with this question . The data from figure 8 shows a 60% satuation when he is at rest.
What I don't understand in the mark scheme is why cardiact output = 0.6 * 0.6. I get you convert cm to dm so that makes 0.6. But why is it 0.6 for the heart rate?
• Concentration of haemoglobin in blood = 150 g dm–3 .
• Volume of oxygen carried by fully saturated haemoglobin = 1.35 cm3 g–1 .
• Resting heart rate = 60 beats minute–1 .
• Volume of blood pumped out of left ventricle each beat = 60 cm3 .
Use these data and information from Figure 8 to calculate the volume of oxygen released to the man’s tissues per minute whilst he was at rest. Show your working. [3 marks]
Can someone help me with this question . The data from figure 8 shows a 60% satuation when he is at rest.
What I don't understand in the mark scheme is why cardiact output = 0.6 * 0.6. I get you convert cm to dm so that makes 0.6. But why is it 0.6 for the heart rate?
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