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From ZuluNotes - Free Leaving Cert Notes

The new syllabus, first examined in 2004, is composed of science for the enquiring mind or pure science, which constitutes approximately 70% of the syllabus, and the technological, political, social and economic aspects of biology, which constitutes the remaining 30%. The syllabus consists of three units:

• Unit One: Biology - The Study of Life
• Unit Two: The Cell
• Unit Three: The Organism

Higher/Ordinary

Ordinary level and Higher level are differentiated on the basis of:

1. Range of topics: The Higher level incorporates the Ordinary level. At Higher level an extended range of topics is required.
2. Depth of treatment: The Ordinary level course provides an overview of biology and its application to everyday life. At Higher level a deeper and more quantitative treatment of biology is required.

Paper

Time : 3 hours

Section A Answer any five questions from this section. Each question carries 20 marks. This is the short question section.

Section B Answer any two questions from this section. Each question carries 30 marks. These questions are longer, and broken into two parts. Part (a), usually a definition or other short question, carries 6 marks and part (b), which usually entails a longer description, such as that of an experiment, carries 24 marks in each question in this section.

Section C Answer any four questions from this section. Each question carries 60 marks.

You should spend not more than 30 minutes on Section A and 30 minutes on Section B, leaving 120 minutes for Section C

Contents

The Study Of Life

1. The Scientific Method
   1. Introduction to Biology
   2. Process of the Scientific Method
   3. Principles of Experimentation
2. The Characteristics of Life
   1. A Search for a Definition of Life
   2. Definition of Life
   3. The Characteristics of Life
3. Nutrition
   1. Function of Food
   2. Chemical Elements
   3. Biomolecular Structures
   4. Biomolecular
   5. Sources and the Components of Food
   6. Energy Transfer Reactions
   7. Structural Role of Biomolecules
   8. Metabolic Role of Biomolecules
   9. Minerals
   10. Water
4. General Principles of Ecology
   1. Ecology
   2. Ecosystem
   3. Biosphere
   4. Habitat
   5. Environmental Factors
   6. Energy Flow
   7. Niche
   8. Nutrient Recycling
   9. Human Impact on an Ecosystem
   10. Pyramid of Numbers (Extended Study)(H)
   11. Ecological Relationships (H)
   12. Population Dynamics (H)
5. A Study of an Ecosystem
   1. Broad overview of a selected Ecosystem
   2. Observation and Scientific Study of a Selected Ecoystem
   3. Organism Distribution
   4. Choice of Habitat
   5. Organism Adaptations
   6. Organism Role in Energy Transfer
   7. Analysis

The Cell

1. Cell Structure
   1. Microscopy
   2. Cell Structure and Function
   3. Cell Ultrastructure
   4. Prokaryotic and Eukaryotic Cells
2. Cell Metabolism
   1. Cell Metabolism
   2. Sources of Energy
   3. Enzymes
   4. Photosynthesis
   5. Respiration
   6. Movement through Cell Membranes
   7. Enzymes (Extended Study) (H)
   8. [[Role of Adenosine Triphosphate (ATP) and Nicotinamide Adenine Dinucleotide (NAD) (H)
   9. Photosynthesis (Extended Study) (H)
   10. Respiration (Extended Study) (H)
3. Cell Continuity
   1. Cell Continuity and Chromosome
   2. Haploid, Diploid
   3. The Cell Cycle
   4. Mitosis
   5. Function of Mitosis
   6. Meiosis
   7. Functions of Meiosis
   8. Stages of Mitosis (Extended Study) (H)
4. Cell Diversity
   1. Tissues
   2. Organs
   3. Organ System
5. Genetics
   1. Variation of Species
   2. Heredity and Gene Expression
   3. Genetic Code
   4. DNA Structure, Replication and Profiling
   5. Protein Synthesis
   6. Genetic Inheritance
   7. Causes of Variation
   8. Evolution
   9. Genetic Engineering
   10. Origin of the Science of Genetics (H)
   11. Law of Segregation (H)
   12. Law of Independent Assortment (H)
   13. Dihybrid Cross (H)
   14. Nucleic Acid Structure and Function (Extended Study) (H)
   15. Protein Synthesis (Extended Study) (H)

The Organism

1. Diversity of Organisms
   1. Diversity of Organisms
   2. Micro-organisms
   3. Monera, e.g. Bacteria
   4. Fungi
   5. Laboratory
   6. Procedures when handling Micro-organisms
   7. Protista, e.g. Amoeba
   8. Plant, e.g. the Flowering Plant
   9. Animal, e.g. the Human
   10. Nature of Bacteria and Fungi (H)
   11. Growth Curves of Bacteria (H)
2. Organisation and the Vascular Structures
   1. Organisational Complexity of the Flowering Plant
   2. Organisational Complexity of the Human
   3. Blood Cells (Extended Study) (H)
   4. Heartbeat Control (H)
3. Transport and Nutrition
   1. Nutrition in the Flowering Plant
   2. Modified Plant Food Storage Organs
   3. Nutrition in the Human
   4. Human Digestive System
   5. Blood Transport of Nutrients
   6. Balanced Human Diet
   7. Cohesion – Tension Model of Xylem Transport
4. Breathing System and Excretion
   1. Homeostasis
   2. Necessity for Homeostasis
   3. The Structure of an Exchange System in Flowering Plants
   4. The Breathing System in the Human
   5. Plant Excretion
   6. The Excretory System in the Human]]
   7. Carbon Dioxide: A Controlling Factor in Gaseous Exchange]] (H)
   8. The Nephron as a Unit of Kidney Function]] (H)
5. Responses to Stimuli
   1. Structures for Response
   2. Responses in the Flowering Plant
   3. Responses in the Human
   4. Viruses
   5. Auxins (H)
   6. Plant Growth Regulators and Animal Hormones (Extended Study) (H)
   7. Human Immune System (Extended Study) (H)
   8. Growth and Development in Bones (H)
6. Reproduction and Growth
   1. Reproduction of the Flowering Plant
   2. Sexual Reproduction in the Human
   3. Sexual Reproduction in the Flowering Plant (Extended Study) (H)
   4. Human Embryo Development (Extended Study) (H)
   5. Sexual Reproduction in the Human(Extended Study) (H)