Biology

Course summary

The Biology syllabus comprises four themes - Form and function, Unity and diversity, Continuity and change, and Interaction and interdependence which are used as a lens to approach the scale of life in biology ranging from the molecules and cells of organisms to ecosystems and the biosphere. The content is further arranged into topics, examples include ‘integration of body systems’, ‘enzymes and metabolism’ and ‘membranes and membrane transport’. Each topic has guiding questions as signposts for inquiry such as ‘What physical and chemical properties of water make it essential for life?’ and ‘What intermediate stages could there have been between non-living matter and the first living cells?’. Each topic also has linking questions to aid in networking knowledge across the different themes and levels of organisation such as ‘How do multicellular organisms solve the problem of access to materials for all their cells?’ and ‘What processes happen in cycles at each level of biological organization?’