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Biology

A Level Biology will extend and deepen your understanding of the living world and give a fascinating insight into how living organisms grow, develop and function. Particularly relevant are the subject areas of conservation, gene technology, genetics and biochemistry, all of which have numerous applications in current research and technology. In the first year of A Level, students will learn about the fundamental ideas that underpin the rest of the course, such as enzymes, cells and biochemistry.

Alongside this you will be extending your practical and mathematical skills and learning how to use specialist equipment. You will also learn new practical procedures to investigate key ideas such as rate of diffusion, enzyme inhibitors and cell division. Also studied are topics such as transport in animals, covering ideas about blood and oxygen transport, transport in plants, immunity and conservation.

In the second year, you will build on your foundations from the first year as you study the biochemistry of respiration and photosynthesis. You will also learn about gene regulation, manipulating genomes, muscles, excretion and the nervous and hormonal system.

“The great variety of topics, from antibiotic resistance and ecosystems, to developments in stem cell research, make Biology one of the most useful subjects to take at A Level.”

Next Steps

Biology is a facilitating subject, with skills valued by many university courses and future employers. It leads directly into a wealth of future careers and courses such as medicine, veterinary medicine, environmental science, marine biology, conservation, forensic science, genetics, biochemistry, nursing, biomedical science, physiotherapy, zoology and botany. As well as these more scientific pathways it also allows entry to many other courses such as law and accounting.