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Course Outline
Aim
The aim of this course is to revise the core topics for the NEW AS Biology specifications. As far as possible, the sessions will be tailored to the needs of the students. Tutors will make every effort to overcome individual difficulties, whilst still providing an overview of the whole specifications.
Key Topics Covered (in response to students’ needs)
- Biochemistry of carbohydrates, lipids and proteins, food tests
- Enzymes structure and function
- Cell types, structures and functions (plants vs animals, eukaryotes vs prokaryotes)
- Specialised tissues
- Cell membrane structure and transport through
- Heart structure and function
- Blood, blood vessels and mass flow
- CVD and risk factors (HDL/LDL, smoking, cholesterol), tissue fluid formation, atherosclerosis
- Gas exchange in humans, oxygen dissociation curves
- DNA structure, replication, mitosis, mitosis vs meiosis
- Protein synthesis, control of gene action
- Immunology, TB, flu vaccination
- Transpiration, plant transport, xerophytic adaptations
- Diversity and variation, taxonomy
- Artificial selection
- Antibiotic resistance
The emphasis of the course will be on the topics above. If time permits other topics that may be covered are:
- AQA – cystic fibrosis blood clotting, cholera, digestive system. mRNA splicing, diversity indices, haemoglobin specialisations, cell fractionation + ultra-centifugation, standard deviation
- OCR – tissue fluid formation, oxygen dissociation curves, water, microscopy, improving agricultural yields, conservation, Simpson’s Index, stem cells, HIV, evolution, food preservation, conservation.
Other Information
Students should bring copies of their specifications and main textbook with them to the course.
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