Specification points
SQA Higher Human Biology C840 76
100 points in 4 topics, with SQA's codes and titles.
Grade boundaries·SQA command words
Codes and titles are read by a script from SQA's published specification and have not been checked by a person. What each point covers is in the specification itself: SQA’s specification.
1 Human cells
- 1.1 Division and differentiation in human cells
- 1.1.a Division of somatic and germline cells
- 1.1.b Cellular differentiation
- 1.1.c Therapeutic and research uses of stem cells
- 1.1.d Cancer cells and tumours
- 1.2 Structure and replication of DNA
- 1.2.a Structure of DNA
- 1.2.b DNA replication by DNA polymerase and primers
- 1.2.c The polymerase chain reaction (PCR)
- 1.3 Gene expression
- 1.3.a Gene expression: transcription and translation
- 1.3.b Transcription by RNA polymerase and RNA splicing
- 1.3.c tRNA and translation at the ribosome
- 1.3.d Alternative RNA splicing
- 1.3.e Polypeptides and protein folding
- 1.4 Mutations
- 1.4.a Mutations and their effect on proteins
- 1.4.b Single gene mutations
- 1.4.c Chromosome structure mutations
- 1.5 Human genomics
- 1.5.a The genome and genomic sequencing
- 1.5.b Personal genomics, disease risk and personalised medicine
- 1.6 Metabolic pathways
- 1.6.a Metabolic pathways
- 1.6.b Control of metabolic pathways
- 1.7 Cellular respiration
- 1.7.a Metabolic pathways of cellular respiration
- 1.7.b ATP synthesis and the electron transport chain
- 1.7.c ATP and energy transfer
- 1.8 Energy systems in muscle cells
- 1.8.a Lactate metabolism
- 1.8.b Types of skeletal muscle fibres
2 Physiology and health
- 2.1 Gamete production and fertilisation
- 2.1.a Gamete production in the testes
- 2.1.b Gamete production in the ovaries
- 2.1.c Fertilisation
- 2.2 Hormonal control of reproduction
- 2.2.a Hormones and puberty
- 2.2.b Hormonal control of sperm production
- 2.2.c Hormonal control of the menstrual cycle
- 2.3 The biology of controlling fertility
- 2.3.a Cyclical and continuous fertility
- 2.3.b Treatments for infertility
- 2.3.c Physical and chemical contraception
- 2.4 Antenatal and postnatal screening
- 2.4.a Antenatal screening
- 2.4.b Inheritance patterns in genetic screening and counselling
- 2.4.c Postnatal screening
- 2.5 The structure and function of arteries, capillaries and veins
- 2.5.a Circulation and blood pressure
- 2.5.b Structure and function of arteries, capillaries and veins
- 2.5.c Tissue fluid exchange and lymphatic vessels
- 2.6 The structure and function of the heart
- 2.6.a Cardiac output
- 2.6.b The cardiac cycle
- 2.6.c The cardiac conducting system
- 2.6.d Blood pressure changes, measurement and hypertension
- 2.7 Pathology of cardiovascular disease (CVD)
- 2.7.a Atherosclerosis
- 2.7.b Thrombosis and embolus formation
- 2.7.c Peripheral vascular disorders
- 2.7.d Control of cholesterol levels
- 2.8 Blood glucose levels and obesity
- 2.8.a Raised blood glucose and vascular damage
- 2.8.b Hormonal control of blood glucose
- 2.8.c Type 1 and type 2 diabetes
- 2.8.d Obesity
3 Neurobiology and immunology
- 3.1 Divisions of the nervous system and neural pathways
- 3.1.a Central, peripheral and autonomic nervous systems
- 3.1.b Converging, diverging and reverberating neural pathways
- 3.2 The cerebral cortex
- 3.2.a The cerebral cortex and localisation of function
- 3.2.b Contralateral processing and the corpus callosum
- 3.3 Memory
- 3.3.a Encoding, storage and retrieval in memory
- 3.3.b Sensory memory
- 3.3.c Short-term memory (STM)
- 3.3.d Long-term memory (LTM)
- 3.4 The cells of the nervous system and neurotransmitters at synapses
- 3.4.a Structure of neurons, myelin and glial cells
- 3.4.b Neurotransmitters at synapses
- 3.4.c Neurotransmitters, mood and behaviour
- 3.4.d Neurotransmitter-related disorders and treatment
- 3.4.e How recreational drugs act
- 3.5 Non-specific body defences
- 3.5.a Physical and chemical defences
- 3.5.b The inflammatory response
- 3.5.c Phagocytes
- 3.6 Specific cellular defences against pathogens
- 3.6.a Lymphocytes
- 3.6.b Memory cells, secondary immune responses, HIV and AIDS
- 3.7 Immunisation
- 3.7.a Vaccination
- 3.7.b Herd immunity
- 3.7.c Antigenic variation
- 3.8 Clinical trials of vaccines and drugs