Biology

Course summary

Biology A Level will give you the skills to make connections and associations with all living things around you. The course builds up from the chemicals of life, through cells, tissues and organs into whole organisms and concepts such as evolution and gene technology. Being such a broad topic, you are bound to find a specific area of interest, plus it opens the door to a fantastic range of interesting careers. Biology at A Level greatly extends the work covered at GCSE and introduces new topics and ideas. There is a high volume of factual content within the course, however, the ability to apply your knowledge to unfamiliar contexts is also a crucial requirement. Sound numerical skills are essential, as well as strong written communication skills. Biology is never far from the headlines and a desire to delve deeper into the biology behind headlines, enriching your subject knowledge beyond the limits of the specification, will be a great advantage. Biology is a practical subject and during the course you will carry out practicals including: • using microscopes to see cell division • dissection of animal or plant systems • aseptic technique to study microbial growth • fieldwork. These will provide the skills and confidence needed to investigate the way organisms behave and work. It will also ensure that if you study biology at university, you will have the skills needed to carry out successful experiments in your degree. You must demonstrate competency in practical work in order to achieve a pass in the practical endorsement awarded at the end of the course.