Exam Specification Links
Biology
AQA
Human Biology
Antibiotics
Antibiotics
3.1 Unit 1 BIOL1 Biology and disease
3.1.1 Disease may be caused by infectious pathogens or may reflect the
effects of lifestyle.
Pathogens
 Pathogens include bacteria, viruses and fungi.
 Disease can result from pathogenic microorganisms penetrating any of
an organism’s interfaces with the environment. These interfaces include
the digestive and gas-exchange systems.
 Pathogens cause disease by damaging the cells of the host and by
producing toxins.
3.1 Unit 1 HBIO1 The body and its diseases
3.1.4 Microorganisms use us for food, shelter and their reproduction
Bacterial diseases
 Bacteria may cause infectious diseases.
 The structure of a prokaryotic cell, and the functions of its organelles, restricted
to cell wall, plasma membrane, genetic material, plasmid, capsule, ribosome and
flagellum.
 Microorganisms can cause disease by damaging the cells of the host and by
producing toxins.
 The cause, symptoms and control of
• Salmonella food poisoning
• Tuberculosis.
 Antibiotics can be used to treat bacterial disease by interfering with bacterial
metabolism, limited to prevention of cell wall synthesis and protein production.
 When provided with appropriate information, candidates should be able to
evaluate the evidence for the links between use of antibiotics and the
development of MRSA and other antibiotic resistant bacteria. (Candidates are not
required to understand how resistance to antibiotics arises.)
Viruses
 Viruses cause disease.
 The structure of the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and its replication.
 The development of the symptoms of AIDS
 How HIV is spread, and how it may be controlled
 Why antibiotics are ineffective against viruses.
3.2 Unit 2 BIOL2 The variety of living organisms
3.2.1 Living organisms vary and this variation is influenced by genetic and
environmental factors.
Investigating variation
 Variation exists between members of a species.
Causes of variation
 Similarities and differences between individuals within a species may be
the result of genetic factors, differences in environmental factors, or a
combination of both.
3.2.10 Adaptation and selection are major components of evolution and
make a significant contribution to the diversity of living organisms.
Antibiotics
 Antibiotics may be used to treat bacterial disease. One way in which
antibiotics function is by preventing the formation of bacterial cell walls,
resulting in osmotic lysis.
 Genetic variation in bacteria DNA is the genetic material in bacteria as
well as in most other organisms.
 Mutations are changes in DNA and result in different characteristics.
 Mutations in bacteria may result in resistance to antibiotics.
 Resistance to antibiotics may be passed to subsequent generations by
3.5 Unit 5 HBIO5 The air we breathe, the water we drink, the food we eat
3.5.6 People and their microorganisms
The human ecosystem
 Ecosystems range in size from the very large to the very small.
 The human body supports populations of bacteria and fungi.

vertical gene transmission.
Resistance may also be passed from one species to another when DNA is
transferred during conjugation. This is horizontal gene transmission.
Antibiotic resistance in terms of the difficulty of treating tuberculosis
and MRSA.
How Science Works
Use knowledge and understanding to pose scientific questions, define
scientific
problems, present scientific arguments and scientific ideas
 Scientists use their knowledge and understanding when observing
objects and events, in defining a scientific problem and when
questioning their own explanations or those of other scientists.
 Scientific progress is made when scientists contribute to the
development of new ideas, materials and theories.
Analyse and interpret data to provide evidence, recognising correlations
and causal relationships
 Scientists look for patterns and trends in data as a first step in providing
explanations of phenomena. The degree of uncertainty in any data will

These microorganisms
• carry out extracellular digestion of biological molecules
• absorb the products of digestion
• use these for their own metabolism.
The ecology of the skin
 Human skin supports a community of many microorganisms
• Staphylococci
• Micrococci
• Corynebacterium
• Fungi, such as yeast
 Spots and blemishes. A number of skin conditions are caused by bacteria. Acne
vulgaris is caused by Propioni bacterium acnes growing in and near sebaceous
glands in the skin. The use of antiseptics and antibiotics to control the
populations of these bacteria.
 Analyse and interpret experimental evidence from microbial growth
investigations.
The ecology of the gut
 The human gut supports populations of bacterial species which form a bacterial
community.
Human actions can change this community and adversely affect the functioning
of the gut.
Antibacterial resistance
 Humans have introduced large amounts of antibacterial agents into the
environment of bacteria.
 Evolution of resistance to antibacterial agents.
 MRSA.
 Evaluate evidence relating to the impact of the widespread use of antibacterial
agents.
How Science Works
Use knowledge and understanding to pose scientific questions, define scientific
problems, present scientific arguments and scientific ideas
 Scientists use their knowledge and understanding when observing objects and
events, in defining a scientific problem and when questioning their own
explanations or those of other scientists.
 Scientific progress is made when scientists contribute to the development of new
ideas, materials and theories.
Analyse and interpret data to provide evidence, recognising correlations and causal
relationships
 Scientists look for patterns and trends in data as a first step in providing
explanations of phenomena. The degree of uncertainty in any data will affect
whether alternative explanations can be given for the data.
OCR
Edexcel
affect whether alternative explanations can be given for the data.
Communicate information and ideas in appropriate ways using appropriate
terminology
 By sharing the findings of their research, scientists provide the scientific
community with opportunities to replicate and further test their work,
thus either confirming new explanations or refuting them.
Appreciate the role of the scientific community in validating new
knowledge and ensuring integrity
 The findings of scientists are subject to peer review before being
accepted for publication in a reputable scientific journal.
 The interests of the organisations that fund scientific research can
influence the direction of research. In some cases, the validity of those
claims may also be influenced.
Appreciate the ways in which society uses science to inform decisionmaking
 Scientific findings and technologies enable advances to be made that
have potential benefit for humans.
Antibiotics
Communicate information and ideas in appropriate ways using appropriate
terminology
 By sharing the findings of their research, scientists provide the scientific
community with opportunities to replicate and further test their work, thus
either confirming new explanations or refuting them.
Appreciate the role of the scientific community in validating new knowledge and
ensuring integrity
 The findings of scientists are subject to peer review before being accepted for
publication in a reputable scientific journal.
 The interests of the organisations that fund scientific research can influence the
direction of research. In some cases, the validity of those claims may also be
influenced.
Appreciate the ways in which society uses science to inform decision-making
Scientific findings and technologies enable advances to be made that have potential
benefit for humans.
4.2.2 Classification and evolution
(i) How evolution in some species has implications for human populations.
 To include the evolution of pesticide resistance in insects and drug
resistance in microorganisms.
2.3.1 Controlling the Spread of Infectious Disease
 Infectious diseases have a major impact on populations both in social and
economic terms.
 Drug treatments exploit the differences between eukaryotic cells and prokaryotic
and viral pathogens.
 Research continues to produce new drugs but pathogens can evolve resistance to
any new drug.
(f) outline the use of antibiotics in the treatment of infectious disease;
(g) explain how the use of antibiotics leads to the evolution of resistant strains, with
reference to TB and MRSA (HSW6a);
(h) outline the precautions that should be used to reduce the spread of resistant
bacteria in hospitals (HSW6a, 7c);
(i) state that plants can be used as a source of antimicrobial compounds and other
medicinal drugs (HSW6b, 7b);
How Science Works
Analyse and interpret data to provide evidence, recognising correlations and
causal relationships.
How Science Works
Analyse and interpret data to provide evidence, recognising correlations and causal
relationships.
Antibiotics
N.A.
3.4 Topic 6: Infection, immunity and forensics
 Distinguish between the structure of bacteria and viruses.
Antibiotics

Describe the major routes pathogens may take when entering the body
and explain the role of barriers in protecting the body from infection,
including the roles of skin, stomach acid, gut and skin flora.
 Explain how bacterial and viral infectious diseases have a sequence of
symptoms that may result in death, including the diseases caused by
Mycobacterium tuberculosis (TB) and Human Immunodeficiency Virus
(HIV).
 Describe the non-specific responses of the body to infection, including
inflammation, lysozyme action, interferon and phagocytosis.
 Explain the roles of antigens and antibodies in the body’s immune
response including the involvement of plasma cells, macrophages and
antigen-presenting cells.
 Distinguish between the roles of B cells (including B memory and B
effector cells) and T cells (T helper, T killer and T memory cells) in the
body’s immune response.
 Explain how individuals may develop immunity (natural, artificial, active,
passive).
 Discuss how the theory of an ‘evolutionary race’ between pathogens and
their hosts is supported by the evasion mechanisms as shown by Human
Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) and Mycobacterium tuberculosis (TB).
 Distinguish between bacteriostatic and bactericidal antibiotics.
 Describe how to investigate the effect of different antibiotics on
bacteria.

Describe how an understanding of the contributory causes of hospital
acquired infections have led to codes of practice relating to antibiotic
prescription and hospital practice relating to infection prevention and
control.
How Science Works
 Analyse and interpret data to provide evidence, recognising correlations
and causal relationships
a) Analyse data including use of:
-descriptive statistics (mean, mode and median, error bars,
standard deviation identification of outliers and range)
-graphic representation to identify patterns and relationships (e.g.
correlation and cause)

Communicate information and ideas in appropriate ways using
appropriate terminology
-Present scientific information using text, graphics and other media as
appropriate using scientific terminology with reference to data and credible
sources
 Consider applications and implications of science and appreciate their
associated benefits and risks.
a) Evaluate activities in terms of their associated benefits and risks to
humans, other organisms and the environment.
 Appreciate the ways in which society uses science to inform decisionmaking
Discuss how science influences decisions on an individual, local, national or
international level.
Antibiotics
1.5 The Wider Curriculum
Incidence of disease; disease control.
Antibiotic overuse.
WJEC
How science Works
 Use knowledge and understanding to pose scientific questions, define
scientific problems, present scientific arguments and scientific ideas
 Analyse and interpret data to provide evidence, recognising correlations
and causal relationships
 consider ethical issues in the treatment of humans, other organisms and
the environment
 Appreciate the ways in which society uses science to inform decisionmaking
Antibiotics
2.6 Pathogens, spread of human disease and control of infection.
 The human body acts as host to other living organisms some benign, or possibly
beneficial, and some harmful. These may be microoganisms or multicellular
parasites. Pathogens are organisms which cause disease in a favourable host
tissue.
 Meaning of the following terms: infectious disease, carrier, animal reservoir,
endemic, epidemic, vaccine, antibiotic, resistance, vector, toxin, antigenic(sero)
types.
 Antibiotics may be bacteriostatic or bactericidal and act on bacteria by interfering
with specific metabolic pathways, as exemplified by penicillin acting on cell wall
formation in Gram positive bacteria. Viruses are not susceptible to antibiotics.
 Problems of antibiotic resistance, due to over use.
How science Works
 Use knowledge and understanding to pose scientific questions, define scientific
problems, present scientific arguments and scientific ideas
 Analyse and interpret data to provide evidence, recognising correlations and
causal relationships
 consider ethical issues in the treatment of humans, other organisms and the
environment
 Appreciate the ways in which society uses science to inform decision-making
Other relevant Curriculum links:
The e-Bug 15-18 resources also cover a range of other A-levels and applied courses:
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AQA Science in Society - 3.1.2 Infectious diseases now
AQA Health and Social Care- 3.10.4 Strategies to Prevent Disease: Immunisation
BTEC, for example:
Edexcel BTEC Level 4 HNC Diploma in Applied Biology
-The Immune Response System
-Infectious Diseases
-Medical Microbiology
Edexcel BTEC Level 3 90-credit Diploma in Health and Social Care
-Defence against Disease
-Public Health
-Infection Prevention and Control
-Introduction to Microbiology for Health and Social Care
The resources may also be applicable to other examining body specifications, health educators and in a pastoral care setting i.e. Travel Vaccine Information
Skills gained:
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Research
Communication – e.g. within the debate cards and peer education lessons
Analytical – Exam style questions on student worksheets
Written communication
Team Work