Biology

Course summary

Biology is the study of life, from the single cell to the evolution and distribution of all living organisms – including you. This course gives you a broad knowledge of biological processes, advancements, and ethics. You develop practical skills with unfamiliar equipment and processes such as stage micrometers and colorimeters and with this, enhance your analysis and evaluation skills. These competencies will place you in a strong position for both scientific and non-scientific career paths. Most topics in year 12 reinforce content from GCSE and progress your knowledge further with new ground. You’ll study the internal details and structures of cell organelles, the immune and circulatory systems in detail, and how we classify and monitor the vast array of wildlife in different habitats. Early on, you complete practical work on enzymes as part of the Practical Endorsement and these practical activities support your learning and build your skills throughout the year, finishing with a field trip in term 6. Following this, several topics will explore the workings of the mammalian body such as the muscular, excretory, and nervous systems. You will learn to appreciate the complexity of biochemical reactions such as respiration and photosynthesis, along with how your DNA controls the expression of your genes. You will also study the many actions that are being taken to monitor, conserve, and preserve organisms against environmental change and will be able to perform statistical analysis to evaluate data.