AQA
A-Level Biology
Created by a student, for students! If you’ve bought
this, thank you!
Feel free to change and edit as you wish. Just don’t
claim it as your own, and it's all yours!
,Specification
3.1 Biological molecules
3.2 Cells
3.3 Organisms exchange substances with their environment
3.4 Genetic information, variation and relationships between organisms
3.5 Energy transfers in and between organisms
3.6 Organisms respond to changes in their internal and external environments
3.7 Genetics, populations, evolution and ecosystems
3.8 The control of gene expression
, Fick's Law: rate of diffusion is prop
to (surface area x difference in con
length of diffusion pathway
Resources & Info Specific heat capacity: energy req
raise the temperature of 1kg of a
substance by 1 degree Celsius
Quizlet with lots of exam questions | A-Level Biology Specification
References: The Science Hive | SaveMyExams |
Cardiac Image
PVR
Output size
Stroke Heart Tidal Breathing Actua
Magnification
volume rate volume rate size
, You NEED a positive and
Top Tips: “Evaluate…”
negative, even for 1-mar
questions – it doesn’t need t
an equal split, just make sure
have at least one of both
• Simply say what you see in terms of correlation. (Example: which drug is more/less effective
How do we know this?
• Make sure you refer to specific data points if you’re asked to use the diagram/table/figur
• Are standard deviations or error bars present? If they overlap, the results are not significant.
• Is there a statistical test? Are we able to assess significance of the data given? This is usua
marking point, but not always. Consider the data you’ve been given, but when in doubt, just wr
it down. You might get a mark! However, be careful because AQA treats standard deviations
statistical test, so if those are present, you won’t get a mark for this. If you can’t think of the ri
stats test, mention you need to work to a 95% confidence limit.
• Also, have we got all the data analysis possible? If we have species richness, what about inde
diversity?
,Top Tips: “Evaluate…”
Consider the wider picture. What data or information is missing, that would inform our decision
What variables have been controlled, and what hasn’t been? Why does this matter?
• Sample size (the bigger the sample size, the better!)
• Time period that the experiment is conducted over (generally, drug trials should be over ~10
years. If the period is months, this is unreliable.)
• Are we trying to extrapolate data from one organism to many? (e.g. rats to humans)
• Were the variables in experiments very tightly controlled? If yes, is it logical that these resul
apply to a natural habitat?
• Do we have quantitative data, or subjective? (e.g. measures of pain are often subjective)
• If a trial/test/investigation has been sponsored by a company, could there be ulterior goals?
if the data supports their claim, could something be missing? Companies may exclude data po
that disprove their claims on purpose.
, Maltose: glucose + glucose
Sucrose: glucose + fructose
Reactions Lactose: glucose + galactos
Lactulose: galactose + fructo
Condensation: joins two molecules and eliminates a
molecule of water
Hydrolysis: breaks a chemical bond using a water
molecule
Monosaccharides: monomers of carbohydrates
Disaccharides: formed by condensation of two
monosaccharides, joined by a glycosidic bond
Polysaccharides: condensation of many glucose units
, Carbohydrates
α – HOH : β – O
Starch: Amylose Starch: Cellulose Glycogen
Amylopectin
Glycosidic α - 1,4 α - 1,4 and 1,6 β - 1,4 α - 1,4 and 1,6
bonds
Shape/ Straight helix Branched Straight, forms H- Large, very
Structure 10-30% of starch 70-90% of starch bond microfibrils branched, helica
with high tensile
strength.
Each unit flipped.
Function Compact – doesn’t Easily accessible Cell walls Energy store –
affect Ψ of cells glucose molecules muscle + liver c
so easily hydrolysed LINK – homeost
Made Found in
Starch found in with animals
seeds (storage) β units
A-Level Biology
Created by a student, for students! If you’ve bought
this, thank you!
Feel free to change and edit as you wish. Just don’t
claim it as your own, and it's all yours!
,Specification
3.1 Biological molecules
3.2 Cells
3.3 Organisms exchange substances with their environment
3.4 Genetic information, variation and relationships between organisms
3.5 Energy transfers in and between organisms
3.6 Organisms respond to changes in their internal and external environments
3.7 Genetics, populations, evolution and ecosystems
3.8 The control of gene expression
, Fick's Law: rate of diffusion is prop
to (surface area x difference in con
length of diffusion pathway
Resources & Info Specific heat capacity: energy req
raise the temperature of 1kg of a
substance by 1 degree Celsius
Quizlet with lots of exam questions | A-Level Biology Specification
References: The Science Hive | SaveMyExams |
Cardiac Image
PVR
Output size
Stroke Heart Tidal Breathing Actua
Magnification
volume rate volume rate size
, You NEED a positive and
Top Tips: “Evaluate…”
negative, even for 1-mar
questions – it doesn’t need t
an equal split, just make sure
have at least one of both
• Simply say what you see in terms of correlation. (Example: which drug is more/less effective
How do we know this?
• Make sure you refer to specific data points if you’re asked to use the diagram/table/figur
• Are standard deviations or error bars present? If they overlap, the results are not significant.
• Is there a statistical test? Are we able to assess significance of the data given? This is usua
marking point, but not always. Consider the data you’ve been given, but when in doubt, just wr
it down. You might get a mark! However, be careful because AQA treats standard deviations
statistical test, so if those are present, you won’t get a mark for this. If you can’t think of the ri
stats test, mention you need to work to a 95% confidence limit.
• Also, have we got all the data analysis possible? If we have species richness, what about inde
diversity?
,Top Tips: “Evaluate…”
Consider the wider picture. What data or information is missing, that would inform our decision
What variables have been controlled, and what hasn’t been? Why does this matter?
• Sample size (the bigger the sample size, the better!)
• Time period that the experiment is conducted over (generally, drug trials should be over ~10
years. If the period is months, this is unreliable.)
• Are we trying to extrapolate data from one organism to many? (e.g. rats to humans)
• Were the variables in experiments very tightly controlled? If yes, is it logical that these resul
apply to a natural habitat?
• Do we have quantitative data, or subjective? (e.g. measures of pain are often subjective)
• If a trial/test/investigation has been sponsored by a company, could there be ulterior goals?
if the data supports their claim, could something be missing? Companies may exclude data po
that disprove their claims on purpose.
, Maltose: glucose + glucose
Sucrose: glucose + fructose
Reactions Lactose: glucose + galactos
Lactulose: galactose + fructo
Condensation: joins two molecules and eliminates a
molecule of water
Hydrolysis: breaks a chemical bond using a water
molecule
Monosaccharides: monomers of carbohydrates
Disaccharides: formed by condensation of two
monosaccharides, joined by a glycosidic bond
Polysaccharides: condensation of many glucose units
, Carbohydrates
α – HOH : β – O
Starch: Amylose Starch: Cellulose Glycogen
Amylopectin
Glycosidic α - 1,4 α - 1,4 and 1,6 β - 1,4 α - 1,4 and 1,6
bonds
Shape/ Straight helix Branched Straight, forms H- Large, very
Structure 10-30% of starch 70-90% of starch bond microfibrils branched, helica
with high tensile
strength.
Each unit flipped.
Function Compact – doesn’t Easily accessible Cell walls Energy store –
affect Ψ of cells glucose molecules muscle + liver c
so easily hydrolysed LINK – homeost
Made Found in
Starch found in with animals
seeds (storage) β units
