Paper 1

Topics

Choose a topic to revise

Sample objectives

What this unit covers

• Cells and control: Build an explanation of the way the difficulties of accessing brain tissue inside the skull may be overcome by using CT scanning and PET scanning to investigate brain function.
• Cells and control: Give a clear account of the division of a cell by mitosis as the production of two daughter cells, each with identical sets of chromosomes in the nucleus to the parent cell, and that this results in the formation of two genetically identical diploid body cells.
• Cells and control: Give a clear account of cancer as the result of changes in cells that lead to uncontrolled cell division.
• Cells and control: Give a clear account of growth in organisms, covering: a cell division and differentiation in animals b cell division, elongation and differentiation in plants.
• Cells and control: Build an explanation of the importance of cell differentiation in the development of specialised cells.
• Cells and control: Show secure understanding of the use of percentiles charts to monitor growth.
• Cells and control: Give a clear account of the function of embryonic stem cells, stem cells in animals and meristems in plants.
• Cells and control: Discuss the potential benefits and risks associated with the use of stem cells in medicine.
• Cells and control: Give a clear account of the structures and functions of the brain covering the cerebellum, cerebral hemispheres and medulla oblongata.
• Cells and control: Give a clear account of mitosis as part of the cell cycle, covering the stages interphase, prophase, metaphase, anaphase and telophase and cytokinesis.
• Cells and control: Give a clear account of the importance of mitosis in growth, repair and asexual reproduction.
• Cells and control: Build an explanation of the structure and function of sensory receptors, sensory neurones, relay neurones in the CNS, motor neurones and synapses in the transmission of electrical impulses, covering the axon, dendron, myelin sheath and the role of neurotransmitters.
• Cells and control: Build an explanation of the structure and function of a reflex arc covering sensory, relay and motor neurones.
• Cells and control: Build an explanation of the structure and function of the eye as a sensory receptor covering the role of: a the cornea and lens b the iris c rod and cone cells in the retina.
• Cells and control: Give a clear account of defects of the eye covering cataracts, long- sightedness, short-sightedness and colour blindness.
• Cells and control: Build an explanation of the way cataracts, long-sightedness and short-sightedness may be corrected.
• Genetics: Work out and analyse outcomes (using probabilities, ratios and percentages) from monohybrid crosses and pedigree analysis for dominant and recessive traits.
• Genetics: Give a clear account of the inheritance of the ABO blood groups with reference to codominance and multiple alleles.
• Genetics: Explain monohybrid inheritance using genetic diagrams, Punnett squares and family pedigrees.
• Genetics: Give a clear account of the way the sex of offspring is determined at fertilisation, using genetic diagrams.
• Genetics: Build an explanation of the way sex-linked genetic disorders are inherited.
• Genetics: Explain some of the benefits and limitations of asexual reproduction, covering the lack of need to find a mate, a rapid reproductive cycle, but no variation in the population.
• Genetics: Explain some of the benefits and limitations of sexual reproduction, covering variation in the population, but the requirement to find a mate.
• Genetics: Build an explanation of the role of meiotic cell division, covering the production of four daughter cells, each with half the quantity of chromosomes, and that this results in the formation of genetically distinct haploid gametes The stages of meiosis are not required.
• Genetics: Give a clear account of DNA as a polymer made up of: a two strands coiled to form a double helix b strands linked by a series of complementary base pairs joined together by weak hydrogen bonds c nucleotides that consist of a sugar and phosphate group with one of the four distinct bases attached to the sugar.
• Genetics: Give a clear account of the genome as the entire DNA of an organism and a gene as a section of a DNA molecule that codes for a specific protein.
• Genetics: Build an explanation of the way DNA may be extracted from fruit.
• Genetics: Build an explanation of the way the order of bases in a section of DNA decides the order of amino acids in the protein and that these fold to produce specifically shaped proteins for example enzymes.
• Genetics: Give a clear account of the stages of protein synthesis, covering transcription and translation: a RNA polymerase binds to non-coding DNA located in front of a gene b RNA polymerase produces a complementary mRNA strand from the coding DNA of the gene c the attachment of the mRNA to the ribosome d the coding by triplets of bases (codons) in the mRNA for specific amino acids e the transfer of amino acids to the ribosome by tRNA f the linking of amino acids to form polypeptides.
• Genetics: Give a clear account of the way genetic variants in the non-coding DNA of a gene can affect phenotype by influencing the binding of RNA polymerase and altering the quantity of protein produced.
• Genetics: Give a clear account of the way genetic variants in the coding DNA of a gene can affect phenotype by altering the sequence of amino acids and therefore the activity of the protein produced.
• Genetics: Give a clear account of the work of Gregor Me n del in discovering the basis of genetics and recognise the difficulties of understanding inheritance before the mechanism was discovered.
• Genetics: Give reasons why there are differences in the inherited characteristics as a result of alleles.
• Genetics: Build an explanation of the terms: chromosome, gene, allele, dominant, recessive, homozygous, heterozygous, genotype, phenotype, gamete and zygote.
• Genetics: State clearly that most phenotypic features are the result of multiple genes rather than single gene inheritance.
• Genetics: Give a clear account of the causes of variation that influence phenotype, covering: a genetic variation – distinct characteristics as a result of mutation and sexual reproduction b environmental variation – distinct characteristics resulting from an organism’s environment (acquired characteristics).
• Genetics: Discuss the outcomes of the Human Genome Project and its potential applications within medicine.
• Genetics: State clearly that there is usually extensive genetic variation within a population of a species and that these arise through mutations.
• Genetics: State clearly that most genetic mutations have no effect on the phenotype, some mutations have a small effect on the phenotype and, rarely, a single mutation will significantly affect the phenotype.
• Natural selection and genetic modification: Give a clear account of the work of Charles Darwin and Alfred Wallace in the development of the theory of evolution by natural selection and explain the impact of these ideas on modern biology.
• Natural selection and genetic modification: Explain Charles Darwin's theory of evolution by natural selection.
• Natural selection and genetic modification: Build an explanation of the way the emergence of resistant organisms supports Charles Darwin's theory of evolution covering antibiotic resistance in bacteria.
• Natural selection and genetic modification: Give a clear account of the evidence for human evolution, based on fossils, covering: a Ardi from 4.4 million years ago b Lucy from 3.2 million years ago c Richard Leakey's discovery of fossils from 1.6 million years ago.
• Natural selection and genetic modification: Give a clear account of the evidence for human evolution based on stone tools, covering: a the development of stone tools over time b how these may be dated from their environment.
• Natural selection and genetic modification: Give a clear account of the way the anatomy of the pentadactyl limb provides scientists with evidence for evolution.
• Natural selection and genetic modification: Give a clear account of the way genetic analysis has led to the suggestion of the three domains rather than the five kingdoms classification method.
• Natural selection and genetic modification: Explain selective breeding and its impact on food plants and domesticated animals.
• Natural selection and genetic modification: Give a clear account of the process of tissue culture and its advantages in medical research and plant breeding programmes.
• Natural selection and genetic modification: Give a clear account of genetic engineering as a process which involves modifying the genome of an organism to introduce desirable characteristics.
• Natural selection and genetic modification: Give a clear account of the main stages of genetic engineering covering the use of: a restriction enzymes b ligase c sticky ends d vectors.
• Natural selection and genetic modification: Build an explanation of the benefits and limitations of genetic engineering to produce GM organisms covering the modification of crop plants, covering the introduction of genes for insect resistance from Bacillus thuringiensis into crop plants.
• Natural selection and genetic modification: Build an explanation of the benefits and limitations of agricultural solutions to the demands of a growing human population, covering use of fertilisers and biological control.
• Natural selection and genetic modification: Make a supported judgement about the benefits and risks of genetic engineering and selective breeding in modern agriculture and medicine, covering practical and ethical implications.
• Health, disease and the development of medicines: Give a clear account of the difference between communicable and non-communicable diseases.
• Health, disease and the development of medicines: Give reasons why the presence of one disease can lead to a higher susceptibility to other diseases.
• Health, disease and the development of medicines: Give a clear account of a pathogen as a disease-causing organism, covering viruses, bacteria, fungi and protists.
• Health, disease and the development of medicines: Give a clear account of some common infections, covering: a cholera (bacteria) causes diarrhoea b tuberculosis (bacteria) causes lung damage c Chalara ash dieback (fungi) causes leaf loss and bark lesions d malaria (protists) causes damage to blood and liver e HIV (virus) destroys white blood cells, leading to the onset of AIDS fB stomach ulcers resulting from Helicobacter (bacteria) gB Ebola (virus) causes haemorrhagic fever.
• Health, disease and the development of medicines: Build an explanation of the way pathogens are spread and how this spread may be reduced or prevented, covering: a cholera (bacteria) – water b tuberculosis (bacteria) – airborne c Chalara ash dieback (fungi) – airborne d malaria (protists) – animal vectors eB stomach ulcers resulting from Helicobacter (bacteria) – oral transmission fB Ebola (virus) – body fluids.
• Health, disease and the development of medicines: Give a clear account of the lifecycle of a virus, covering lysogenic and lytic pathways.
• Health, disease and the development of medicines: Build an explanation of the way sexually transmitted infections (STIs) are spread and how this spread may be reduced or prevented, covering: a Chlamydia (bacteria) b HIV (virus).
• Health, disease and the development of medicines: Give a clear account of the way some plants defend themselves against attack from pests and pathogens by physical barriers, covering the leaf cuticle and cell wall.
• Health, disease and the development of medicines: Give a clear account of the way plants defend themselves against attack from pests and pathogens by producing chemicals, some of which may be used to treat human diseases or relieve symptoms.
• Health, disease and the development of medicines: Give a clear account of distinct ways plant diseases may be detected and identified, in the lab and in the field covering the elimination of possible environmental causes, distribution analysis of affected plants, observation of visible symptoms and diagnostic testing to identify pathogens.
• Health, disease and the development of medicines: Give a clear account of the way the physical barriers and chemical defences of the human body provide protection from pathogens, covering: a physical barriers, covering mucus, cilia and skin b chemical defence, covering lysozymes and hydrochloric acid.
• Health, disease and the development of medicines: Build an explanation of the role of the specific immune system of the human body in defence against disease, covering: a exposure to pathogen b the antigens trigger an immune response which causes the production of antibodies c the antigens also trigger production of memory lymphocytes d the role of memory lymphocytes in the secondary response to the antigen.
• Health, disease and the development of medicines: Build an explanation of the body’s response to immunisation using an inactive form of a pathogen.
• Health, disease and the development of medicines: Discuss the benefits and limitations of immunisation, covering the concept of herd immunity.
• Health, disease and the development of medicines: Explain that antibiotics can only be used to treat bacterial infections because they inhibit cell processes in the bacterium but not the host organism.
• Health, disease and the development of medicines: Build an explanation of the aseptic techniques used in culturing microorganisms in the laboratory, covering the use of an autoclave to prepare sterile growth medium and petri dishes, the use of sterile inoculating loops to transfer microorganisms and the need to keep petri dishes and culture vials covered.
• Health, disease and the development of medicines: Plan and carry out the core practical investigating the effects of antiseptics, antibiotics or plant extracts on microbial cultures.
• Health, disease and the development of medicines: Work out cross-sectional areas of bacterial cultures and clear agar jelly using π r 2.
• Health, disease and the development of medicines: Give a clear account of that the process of developing new medicines, covering antibiotics, has many stages, covering discovery, development, preclinical and clinical testing.
• Health, disease and the development of medicines: Give a clear account of the production of monoclonal antibodies, covering: a use of lymphocytes which produce desired antibodies but do not divide b production of hybridoma cells c hybridoma cells produce antibodies as they divide.
• Health, disease and the development of medicines: Build an explanation of the use of monoclonal antibodies, covering: a in pregnancy testing b in diagnosis covering locating the position of blood clots and cancer cells and in treatment of diseases covering cancer c the advantages of using monoclonal antibodies to target specific cells compared to drug and radiotherapy treatments.
• Health, disease and the development of medicines: Give a clear account of that many non-communicable human diseases are resulting from the interaction of a quantity of factors, covering cardiovascular diseases, many forms of cancer, some lung and liver diseases and diseases influenced by nutrition.
• Health, disease and the development of medicines: Build an explanation of the effect of lifestyle factors on non-communicable diseases at local, national and global levels, covering: a exercise and diet on obesity and malnutrition, covering BMI and waist: hip calculations, by applying the BMI equation: mass (kg) BMI = () 2 height (m) b alcohol on liver diseases c smoking on cardiovascular diseases.
• Health, disease and the development of medicines: Make a supported judgement about some distinct treatments for cardiovascular disease, covering: a life-long medication b surgical procedures c lifestyle changes.