AQA Biology essay

How wouldn't you! The use of ATP in the Na+/K+ pump is very very important to allow for action potentials to be conducted, allowing for us to respond to stimuli and facilitate synaptic transmission for muscle contraction, secretion from glands, histamines etc etc

The importance of the specific shapes of molecules in organisms.
Proteins: tertiary structure etc
Specificity of enzymes
DNA: for polymerase, restriction endonuclease… RNA different shape
Antigens, antibodies
Effect of mutations - IF YOU DO THIS, MAKE SURE IT SPECIFIC TO HOW "SHAPES" ARE CHANGED.
-- SPECALISED CELLS IS AN IMPORTANT ONE HERE.

The importance of nitrogen-containing substances in biological systems.
DNA – RNA – genetic material – genetic fingerprinting – VNTRs
Amino acids – proteins – enzymes – transport
Nitrogen cycle
Xylem - MAKE SURE THIS SPECIFIC TO NITRATE ION MOVEMENT.

The importance of diffusion in organisms.
Plain diffusion (across membrane or through channel proteins)
Facilitated diffusion (channel or carrier proteins) thanks to ATP
Osmosis – hyper and hypotonicity
Blood water control
Gas exchange: mammals, fish, insects, single-celled organisms
Water in mass transport and mass flow hypothesis of plants
Absorption into epithelial cells from intestine - GLUCOSE/AMINO ACIDS MOVE INTO EPITHELIAL CELLS BY CO TRANSPORT WHICH IS NOT REALLY DIFFUSION SO MAY BE "LIMITED RELEVANCE". I'D BE SAFE AND AVOID THIS / TALK ABOUT DIFFUSION INTO BLOOD FROM CELLS INSTEAD

The control of processes in cells and the importance of these controls.
Photosynthesis – light energy to make glucose BUT HOW IT THIS CONTROLLED?
Glucose used in cellular respiration to make ATP AGAIN HOW IS THIS CONTROLLED?
ATP used in transport
Gas exchange
DNA replication
Protein synthesis
Meiosis, mitosis HOW IS THIS CONTROLLED? --> ENZYMES INVOLVED, SPINDLE FIBRES

The importance of ions in biology.
Na+ in digestion (with glucose and amino acid symporters)
Na+ and Ca2+ in synaptic transmission and NMJs
Phosphorous cycle??
Phosphate in DNA
Electrophoresis - IM UNSURE ABOUT THIS BEING A SEPERATE TOPIC AS IT'S JUST PHOSPHATE IN DNA AGAIN CAUSING MOVEMENT TO ELECTRODES.

The importance of responses to changes in the internal and external environment of an organism.
Reflexes, taxes, kineses, tropisms
Homeostasis – feedback – control of heart rate – glucose control – water control – thermoregulation (complex mix of body temperature, physiological responses and behaviour)
Adaptations from natural selection which have made organisms able to withstand dry weather and heat (plant guard cells, xerophytes, insect spiracles, amphibians hiding in the mud – water-holding frog)

The importance to humans of the control of growth, reproduction and development of organisms, including themselves.

Breeding
Agriculture and effect on biodiversity
Plagioclimax communities
Stabilising selection in birth weights
Mitosis and meiosis, and mutations and cancers

Hi, if I DM you my email, would you be able to send me your essay please?

Hi, i've made some annotations below.

sure

Thanks for the essay, it's really good! ☺️

I had a good few paragraphs of off the spec information.

If you want, I can email you a copy of my essay from my actual paper (as my Paper 3 was requested back from my college as i got close to full marks on it). If you DM your email I can send this over this evening and you can have a read? (good luck deciphering my handwriting through lol)

I had a good few paragraphs of off the spec information.

If you want, I can email you a copy of my essay from my actual paper (as my Paper 3 was requested back from my college as i got close to full marks on it). If you DM your email I can send this over this evening and you can have a read? (good luck deciphering my handwriting through lol)

Wow, thank you so much, that is really helpful! I'm doing this A-level from home so haven't really had anyone to discuss these things with.
Definitely a good point re what I was saying about the ethics, I was just trying to think of more stuff I could write and forgot to link it back to the question. I guess that applies to the whole thing, really; I was aiming more for quantity rather than quality and in-depth knowledge. I'll have a go at another essay now

By the way, are you at uni this year? What are you studying if so?