Analysis of past papers A2 Biology.
Central Concepts
Energy and respiration –
Jan ’07 – Kreb’s cycle – role of NADH
June ’06 – Respirometer, essay + Q10 resp + P/S
Jan ’06 – Glycolysis, anaerobic resp, fat respired.
June ’05 – mitochondria structure + oxidative phosphorylation.
Jan ’05 – ATP structure, production by substrate level + oxidative phosphorylation role in
Nerves of ATP + compare Oxidative Phosphorylation with photophosphorylation.
June ’04 – Glycolysis + Anaerobic respiration role of NAD
Jan ’04 – Respirometer – maggots practical detail.
June ’03 – Essay – Kreb’s cycle + data handling – ADP used in Oxygen medium
mitochondria = location of the main phases of respiration.
Jan ’03 – RQ values and Fat respiration+ respirometer.
June ’02 – ATP structure and currency Role in plants – Oxidative Phosphorylation
Jan ’02 – Respiration substrates, inhibitors and mitochondria structure.
Suggestions – Compare Oxidative and photophosphorylation. Anaerobic
respiration. Respirometers + RQ values
Adaptations of the mitochondria to it’s function + stages of respiration.
Photosynthesis –
Jan ’07 – P/S pigments + essay light dependent stage
June’06 – Co2 levels + q 10
Jan ’06 - Chloroplast structure – photophosphorylation.
June ’05 – pigments link to calvin cycle – essay calvin cycle
Jan ’05 – Sun shade leaves + adaptations of Palisade mesophyll cell
June ’04 – Adaptations of leaf + practical on leave discs floating
Jan ’04 – light dependent stage Z scheme pH gradient in thylakoid space. How
herbicides could work at the chloroplast.
June ’03 – Calvin cycle – enzyme Rubisco – graph – GP and RUBP.
Jan ’03 – Action spectrum, effect of wavelengths, Photosystems 1&2 cyclic and noncyclic Photophosphorylation.
June ’02 – Experiment on light intensity, limiting factors intensity and temperature.
Jan ’02 - Chloroplast structure and Calvin cycle.
Suggestions – practical work on P/S eg light intensity or wavelength.
Details of the Calvin cycle + roles of pigments + Rubisco.
Populations and interactions – No main question Jan ’04 but on Synoptic paper.
Jan ’07 – Coppicing + role of fungi decomposers
June ’06 – lemmings – carrying capacity
Jan ’06 – tiger populations + sub species
June ’05 – bacteria growth curves
Jan ’05 – Interspecific competition birds – deep and shallow feeders + N pollution in
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water
June ’04 – Succession in Sand Dunes + techniques to sample.
Jan ’04 – Nitrate pollution of rivers – possible role for GM crops N fixing.
June ’03 – Predator – prey – graph interpretation + explain how the predator population
changes.
Jan ’03 – Carrying capacity – algae population.
Suggestions – Predator-prey, sampling techniques + succession, Nitrogen
pollution.
Meiosis, Genetics and gene control
Jan ’07 – Meiosis – Dihybrid cross 1;1:1:1 + chi squared
June ’06 – Meiosis + sex linked inheritance
Jan ’06 – Meiosis – Daphnia – Meiosis essay
June ’05 – Dihybrid cross + lac operon
Jan ’05 – Sex linked cross + role of mutations in evolution.
June ’04 – Multiple alleles.
Jan ’04 – Lac Operon how it works. – No cross but in synoptic paper
June ’03 – Chi squared Monohybrid codominant cross.
Jan ’03 – Chromosome numbers in life cycles and Meiosis causes of variation.
Suggestions – Genetic cross, Phenylketonuria or sickle cell anaemia – point
mutations and consequences, environment and phenotype.
Classification, selection and evolution –
Jan ’07 – Fungi classify, sea horse speciation
June ’06 – essay – snail shells natural selection
Jan ’06 – Classify + tiger speciation sub species
June ’05 – Vit K alleles + natural selection
Jan ’05 – Polyploidy evolution of wheat + artificial selection
June ’04 – Classification Eukaryotic/Prokaryotic cells + DNA mutations in evolution
Jan ’04 – Species definition, island speciation caused by mountains 6 different mouse
populations on the 1 island.
June ’03 – Classification – KPOCFGSpecies etc; 3 Kingdoms – Plants – Phylogeny –
similarities of amino acid sequence – common evolution biochemical.
Jan ’03 – bird beaks and natural selection.
Suggestions – types of speciation, classification, example of natural selection +
artificial selection.
Control, coordination and homeostasis –
Jan ’07 – Nerve structure – action potential essay myelin + non myelinated + gibberelin
expt analysis
June ’06 – Kidney – selective reabsorption + volume of urine
Jan ’06 – reflex arc, kidney reabsorption , hormones
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June ’05 – myelin/non myelinated nerve essay impulse + control of blood glucose
Jan ’05 – Kidney filtration + reabsorption + role of kidney in maintaining water potential.
Plant growth factors role of 2 egs. Role of ATP in neurons.
June ’04 – IAA + Gibberelin data analysis.
Jan ’04 – kidney – nephron structure glomerulus – role of ultrafiltration essay. + action
potential – role of sodium + potassium in the impulse formation essay
June ’03 – Kidney – lengths of loop of Henle – Water potential of urine adaptations of
proximal tubule cell to reabsorption.
Jan ’03 – Pancreas e.m.  +  cells from the islets of Langerhans + control of blood
Glucose levels – genetic engineering of Insulin. Plant growth factors – ABA.
Suggestions – ADH and osmoregulation. Hormones – Glucose homeostasis.
Nerve structure - synapse. Plant growth factors – Auxin or the others.
Mammalian Physiology and Behaviour.
Mammalian Nutrition –
Jan ’07 – Teeth Carnivores, starch digestion + colon structure
June’06 – Endo/exopeptidase + pancreas structure CCK, secretin + autodigestion
pancreas
Jan ’06 – Gastrin ruminant amino acids essay
June ’05 – Stomach self digestion - mitochondria + golgi role
Jan ’05 – Skull and adaptations of herbivore – kangaroo + digestion role of hormones +
coelic disease – comprehension.
June ’04 – Hormones and control of digestion + Adaptations of herbivore - rabbits
Jan ’04 – compare dental formula adaptations of canines and upper incisors in herbivore
and premolars and molars in carnivore ileum Histology Essay – absorption in the
epithelial cell – co transporter etc.
June ’03 – Table of hormones/secretions to do with digestion+ protein digestion and
amino acid – co transporter uptake in the ileum.
Jan ’03 – T.S. Stomach, protein digestion and mechanisms to stop self digestion. Nerve
/ hormone control of gastric juices.
June ’02 – Teeth and jaw – herbivore and carnivore. Adaptations of Herbivore digestive
system.
Suggestions – Stomach + ileum T.S. – cell structure adaptations for absorption.
Pancreas histology and role in digestion. Adaptations of a herbivore + skull. Role
of hormones and nerves in controlling digestion and secretions.
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Liver –
Jan ’07 – Liver cancer + cirrhosis Blood clotting
June ’06 – LDL/HDLs + cholesterol + CHD
Jan ’06 – lobule structure + bile + alcohol metabolism + alcohol – cirrhosis in liver
June ’05 – Bear metabolism – bile/urea/cholesterol
Jan ’05 – CHO metabolism – Glycogenlysis + Gluconeogenesis.
June ’04 – CHO metabolism + Insulin + Glucagon + HDLs/LDLs + CHD link.
Jan ’04 – blocked bile ducts effects of liver damage to CHO and protein metabolism.
June ’03 – structure of liver lobule + proteins made by the liver – synoptic – Protein
structure. Glucogeneis and Glycolysis - adrenaline and Insulin – linked to Operant
Conditioning.
Jan ’03 – Fatty Acid metabolism / Lipoproteins and fat respiration.
June ’02 – Urea formation and metabolism – essay – metabolism of alcohol in the liver.
Suggestions – Liver structure em – lobules, Protein metabolism – Haemoglobin
metabolism/ bile production. Alcohol effects on nervous system + social
consequences. CHO or Fat metabolism – Gluconeogensis etc;
Support and Locomotion –
Jan ’07 – pentadactyl limb/ ligaments + cartilage/ antagonistic muscles
June’06 – bone and cartilage structure role of osteoblasts + hormonal control
oestoporosis
Jan ’06 – muscle contraction essay – synapse + muscle contraction essay
June ’05 – thoracic + lumbar structure essay – osteoarthritis + osteoporesis + muscle
reflex arc synoptic RNA + oxygen consumption.
Jan ’05 – Kangaroo pentadactyl limb
June ’04 – Neuromuscular junction – initiation of a muscle contraction
Jan ‘04 – muscle sarcomere structure, role of calcium ions and how they can be
inhibited in muscle contraction, cartilage and bone structure osteoporosis.
June ’03 – EM muscle – Muscle contraction essay + structure of Lumbar and thoracic
vertebrae – function.
Jan ’03 – Pentadactyl limb adaptations of, Elbow and arm how the joint is operated
bones as levers. Acetyl choline at the synapse.
June ’02 – Haversian system osteoporosis + Neuromuscular junction – muscle
contraction – drug action.
Suggestions - EM – Muscle contraction in detail, Cartilage + structure of synovial
joints , Osteoarthritis and Osteoporosis. Bones general structure and especially in
the Backbone compare thoracic and lumbar.
The nervous system + Brain–
Jan’07 – alzheimer’s PET scan + Hypothalamus + Pituitary – ADH production
June ’06 – SNS + PNS comparison essay – heart rate control.
Jan ’06 – label parts of brain + function – synapse + Alzheimer’s
June ’05 – cerebral cortex structure + CSF + hydrocephalus.
Jan ’05 – Cerebellum + medulla + alzheimer’s treatment – understanding of synapses.
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June ’04 – Brain label + Alzheimer’s data interpretation drugs to treat Alzheimer’s + role
of parasympathetic + sympathetic NS – eye. Reflex arc – details of the neurone +
synapse to initiate an action potential.
Jan ’04 – structure of nervous system + role of cerebrospinal fluid.
June ’03 – Sympathetic – heart rate + digestive system + CNS – link to spinal cord reflex
arcs.
Jan ’03 – Light intensity – pupil diameter, nerve control of gastric juices. Alzheimer’s
June ’02 – Medulla + reflex actions. ANS – Para sympathetic and sympathetic – Heart
rate control.
Suggestions – Cerebrum, Hypothalamus + Pituitary Gland structure and function –
Parasympathetic and sympathetic N.S. roles. C.S.F. role of.
Eye and ear –
Jan ’07 – Hearing + genetic condition
June ’07 – Balance essay + bats radar
Jan ’06 – Seals – rods + cones + tapetum + ciliary muscles + cataracts
June ’05 – Hearing + defects of ossicles
Jan ’05 –Cataracts + different types of eye defects – comprehension.
June ’04 – eye – accommodation + cat’s vision + ageing on the lens.
Jan ’04 – Eye – rod structure role of mitochondria – visual sensitivity
June ’03 – Ear essay hearing mechanism + role of Eustachian tube.
Jan ’03 – retina – Rods and Cones – Bipolar cells – Pupil diameter.
June ’02 – Eye structure – Vision Rods and cones comparison.
Jan ’02 – Cones – Pupil diameter – ANS.
Suggestions – Eyes anything – accommodation + visual acuity
Behaviour –
Jan ’07 – learning behaviour – experiment
June ’06 – associative behaviour – learning experiment rats
Jan ’06 – lambs learning + reflex arcs
June ’05 – reflex arc
Jan ’05 – Definitions of all types of behaviour + operant conditioning in cat. essay
June ’04 – reflex – chimps holding on to mother.
Jan ’04 – Maze learning in rats – operant conditioning.
June ’03 – Operant conditioning comprehension of graphs – insulin + adrenaline.
Jan ’03 - Pavlov’s dog experiment – essay.
June ’02 – Reflex action – simple behaviour + Pavlov’s conditioning
Jan ’02 – Learnt behaviour , Kohler’s work + Operant conditioning.
Suggestions – comparison learnt and more complex behaviour and simple reflexs
– interpreting some experiment.
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Unifying Concepts –
1–
June 04 – Cardiac muscle structure, role of neurotransmitters, action potentials role of
hormones – negative feedback blood volume. Applying knowledge to a new situation
– cardiac muscle contraction.
Jan 04– Comparison of tracheal system + spiracles + gas exchange in muscle using
comprehension – describe trends from table of data.
June 03- Carbohydrate hydrolysis – Inulin – link to Kidney function – blood pressure. –
Data and graph interpretation.
2–
June 04 – Co dominant inheritance of haemoglobin – Oxygen dissociation curves of
different types of Hb + control of variables. Applying knowledge + read off graphs
Jan 04 – Data graph interpretation – populations predator prey+ disease for Moose and
wolves populations explain the trends.
June 03 - Carry out a transect – role of legume and succession – Diagram
interpretation of unusual road side ecosystem/succession.
3–
June 04 – Nitrogen in plants, soil analysis after fire + table to show data handling role of
controls and changes in plants adapted to survival nicotine production. Data analysis
Jan 04 – Dry mass seeds – analysis of germination rates + contents of the seed food
types + essay on functions of enzymes inside plant and animal cells.
June 03 - Chaperone proteins – structure and folding – in proteins – Comprehension.
4–
June 04 – pH and blood – essay homeostasis of body fluids why important. Theory.
Jan 04 – Atherosclerosis – analysis of diet + links to cholesterol levels in blood + theory
on coronary arteries + cholesterol in diet.
June 04- Root uptake toxicity and salt marsh habitat. Adaptations to living in salt
environments – short comprehension / graph interpretation.
5. –
June 04 – Yeast Carbon dioxide production experimental design. Glucose and lactose –
operon theory. Experimental design and compare results from table.
Jan 04 – Family history genetic disease – achondroplasia not sex linked ? linked to diet.
June 03 -Bronchi dilation – asthma + essay – blood vessels during exercise.
6. – Pea plants tendrils etc; - Genetic problem – Dihybrid. Commercial growth of peas.
A.M. Sasiadek
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