Specification points
WJEC A-level Biology A400QS
307 points in 4 topics, with WJEC's codes and titles.
Grade boundaries·WJEC command words
Codes and titles are read by a script from WJEC's published specification and have not been checked by a person. What each point covers is in the specification itself: WJEC’s specification.
CC Core Concepts
- CC.1 Chemical elements are joined together to form biological compounds
- CC.1(a) Inorganic ions in living organisms
- CC.1(b) Properties and importance of water
- CC.1(c) Carbohydrates: structure, properties and functions
- CC.1(d) Isomerism in glucose and polysaccharide formation
- CC.1(e) Storage and structural polysaccharides
- CC.1(f) Lipids: triglycerides and phospholipids
- CC.1(g) The implications of saturated and unsaturated fat on human health
- CC.1(h) The structure and role of amino acids and proteins
- CC.1(i) The primary, secondary, tertiary and quaternary structure of proteins
- CC.1(j) Protein structure and function
- CC.2 Cell structure and organisation
- CC.2(a) Structure and function of cell organelles
- CC.2(b) The structure of prokaryotic cells and viruses
- CC.2(c) Cell theory: eukaryotes, prokaryotes and viruses
- CC.2(d) Levels of organisation: cells, tissues, organs and systems
- CC.3 Cell membranes and transport
- CC.3(a) The principal components of the plasma membrane and the fluid-mosaic model
- CC.3(b) The factors affecting permeability of the plasma membrane
- CC.3(c) Transport mechanisms across membranes
- CC.4 Biological reactions are regulated by enzymes
- CC.4(a) Metabolism as a series of enzyme controlled reactions
- CC.4(b) The protein nature of enzymes
- CC.4(c) Enzymes acting intracellularly or extracellularly
- CC.4(d) Active sites, interpreted in terms of three dimensional structure
- CC.4(e) The theory of induced fit as illustrated by lysozyme
- CC.4(f) Catalysis and activation energy
- CC.4(g) Factors affecting enzyme activity
- CC.4(h) The principles of competitive and non-competitive inhibition
- CC.4(i) Immobilised enzymes
- CC.5 Nucleic acids and their functions
- CC.5(a) The structure of nucleotides (pentose sugar, phosphate, organic base)
- CC.5(b) The structure of ATP
- CC.5(c) The importance of chemical energy in biological processes
- CC.5(d) ATP as an energy carrier
- CC.5(e) Structure of nucleic acids
- CC.5(f) The similarities and differences in the structure of RNA and DNA
- CC.5(g) Functions of DNA: replication and protein synthesis
- CC.5(h) Semi-conservative replication of DNA
- CC.5(i) The term genetic code
- CC.5(j) The triplet code for amino acids
- CC.5(k) Exons and introns
- CC.5(l) The transcription of DNA to produce messenger RNA
- CC.5(m) Translation and transfer RNA
- CC.5(n) The 'one gene-one polypeptide' hypothesis
- CC.5(o) The further modification and combination of some polypeptides
C1 Component 1: Energy for Life
- C1.1 Importance of ATP
- C1.1(a) ATP synthesis and chemiosmosis
- C1.1(b) Proton gradients in mitochondria and chloroplasts
- C1.1(c) Maintaining the proton gradient
- C1.1(d) The electron transport chain
- C1.2 Photosynthesis uses light energy to synthesise organic molecules
- C1.2(a) The distribution of chloroplasts in relation to light trapping
- C1.2(b) Chloroplasts as energy transducers
- C1.2(c) Light harvesting and photosynthetic pigments
- C1.2(d) The basic features of Photosystems I and II
- C1.2(e) Cyclic and non-cyclic photophosphorylation
- C1.2(f) Photolysis as a source of electrons for Photosystem II
- C1.2(g) Reduction of NADP
- C1.2(h) Reduced NADP and ATP in the light-independent stage
- C1.2(i) Reduction of glycerate-3-phosphate; regenerating RuBP
- C1.2(j) Products made from triose phosphate
- C1.2(k) The concept of limiting factors in relation to photosynthesis
- C1.2(l) Inorganic nutrients in plant metabolism
- C1.3 Respiration releases chemical energy in biological processes
- C1.3(a) The need for respiration
- C1.3(b) Glycolysis
- C1.3(c) The Krebs cycle
- C1.3(d) Reduced NAD and FAD in electron transport
- C1.3(e) Energy budget of aerobic and anaerobic respiration
- C1.3(f) Lipids and amino acids in respiration
- C1.4 Microbiology
- C1.4(a) Classifying bacteria; the Gram stain
- C1.4(b) Culturing microorganisms
- C1.4(c) The conditions necessary for bacterial growth and the principles of aseptic technique
- C1.4(d) Monitoring microbial population growth
- C1.5 Population size and ecosystems
- C1.5(a) Population growth
- C1.5(b) Factors affecting population growth; carrying capacity
- C1.5(c) The regulation of populations by density dependent and density independent factors
- C1.5(d) Sampling abundance and distribution of organisms
- C1.5(e) Ecosystems
- C1.5(f) The sun as the energy source of ecosystems
- C1.5(g) The concepts of habitat and community
- C1.5(h) Biomass transfer and trophic levels
- C1.5(i) Succession
- C1.5(j) The terms primary and secondary succession, pioneers, sere and climax community
- C1.5(k) The importance of organic breakdown in recycling nutrients
- C1.5(l) The carbon cycle
- C1.5(m) Human activity and the carbon cycle
- C1.5(n) Bacteria in the nitrogen cycle
- C1.5(o) Human activity and the nitrogen cycle
- C1.5(p) Eutrophication and algal blooms
- C1.6 Human impact on the environment
- C1.6(a) Endangered species and causes of extinction
- C1.6(b) Conserving gene pools
- C1.6(c) Agricultural exploitation and conservation conflicts
- C1.6(d) Human pressures on the environment and sustainability
- C1.6(e) Science-informed political decision making
- C1.6(f) The concept of planetary boundaries
C2 Component 2: Continuity of Life
- C2.1 All organisms are related through their evolutionary history
- C2.1(a) Classification by evolutionary relationships
- C2.1(b) The need for classification and its tentative nature
- C2.1(c) Three-domain and five-kingdom classification
- C2.1(d) The characteristic features of Kingdoms: Prokaryotae, Protoctista, Plantae, Fungi, Animalia
- C2.1(e) Assessing relatedness of organisms
- C2.1(f) The concept of species
- C2.1(g) The use of the binomial system in naming organisms
- C2.1(h) Biodiversity
- C2.1(i) Biodiversity varying spatially and over time and affected by many factors
- C2.1(j) Assessing biodiversity in a habitat
- C2.1(k) Genetic biodiversity within a species
- C2.1(l) Assessing biodiversity at a molecular level
- C2.1(m) Biodiversity and natural selection
- C2.1(n) Adaptations of organisms to their environment
- C2.2 Genetic information is copied and passed on to daughter cells
- C2.2(a) Interphase and the main stages of mitosis
- C2.2(b) Significance of mitosis and cytokinesis
- C2.2(c) Mitosis in damage, repair and cancer
- C2.2(d) Stages of meiosis
- C2.2(e) Differences between mitosis and meiosis
- C2.3 Sexual reproduction in humans
- C2.3(a) Human reproductive systems
- C2.3(b) Gametogenesis, fertilisation and implantation
- C2.3(c) Hormonal control of female reproduction
- C2.3(d) The role of the placenta including hormonal control
- C2.4 Sexual reproduction in plants
- C2.4(a) Structure of wind- and insect-pollinated flowers
- C2.4(b) Development of pollen and ovules
- C2.4(c) Cross and self-pollination
- C2.4(d) The process of double fertilisation
- C2.4(e) Formation of seeds and fruit
- C2.4(f) The process of germination of Vicia faba (broad bean)
- C2.4(g) The effect of gibberellin
- C2.5 Inheritance
- C2.5(a) Alleles
- C2.5(b) The principles of monohybrid Mendelian inheritance including simple crosses involving codominance
- C2.5(c) The principles of dihybrid Mendelian inheritance including simple crosses involving linkage
- C2.5(d) The use of a chi squared test
- C2.5(e) Sex linkage as illustrated by haemophilia and Duchenne muscular dystrophy
- C2.5(f) Gene and chromosome mutations
- C2.5(g) The effect of mutagens, carcinogens and oncogenes
- C2.5(h) Epigenetics
- C2.6 Variation and evolution
- C2.6(a) Genetic and environmental factors producing variation between individuals
- C2.6(b) Continuous and discontinuous variation
- C2.6(c) The effect of inter- and intra-specific competition on breeding success and survival
- C2.6(d) Selective agencies and survival
- C2.6(e) The concept of gene pool and genetic drift
- C2.6(f) The effect of selection changing the frequency of alleles in a population
- C2.6(g) The use of the Hardy-Weinberg principle and equation
- C2.6(h) The conditions under which the Hardy-Weinberg principle applies
- C2.6(i) The concepts of isolation and speciation
- C2.6(j) Isolation mechanisms and speciation
- C2.6(k) Darwin's theory of evolution
- C2.7 Application of reproduction and genetics
- C2.7(a) The Human Genome Project and its extension to the 100K Genome Project
- C2.7(b) Ethics of genetic screening of embryos
- C2.7(c) Sequencing the genomes of other organisms
- C2.7(d) PCR, electrophoresis and genetic fingerprinting
- C2.7(e) Recombinant DNA and cloning bacteria
- C2.7(f) Genetically modified crops
- C2.7(g) Gene therapy
- C2.7(h) Genomics and future healthcare
- C2.7(i) Stem cells for replacing damaged tissue
C3 Component 3: Requirements for Life
- C3.1 Adaptations for gas exchange
- C3.1(a) Gas exchange adaptations and body size
- C3.1(b) Gas exchange in small animals across their general body surface
- C3.1(c) The comparison of gas exchange mechanisms in Amoeba, flatworm and earthworm
- C3.1(d) Specialised respiratory surfaces
- C3.1(e) Ventilation mechanisms in active animals
- C3.1(f) Ventilation in bony fish; counter-current flow
- C3.1(g) Human breathing system
- C3.1(h) Ventilation and gas exchange in humans
- C3.1(i) Insect tracheal system
- C3.1(j) The structure of the angiosperm leaf
- C3.1(k) The role of leaf structures in allowing the plant to photosynthesise effectively
- C3.1(l) The leaf as a gas exchange organ; stomata
- C3.2 Adaptations for transport
- C3.2(a) The similarities and differences in the vascular systems of animal groups
- C3.2(b) Mammalian circulatory system
- C3.2(c) The cardiac cycle
- C3.2(d) Blood and haemoglobin dissociation curves
- C3.2(e) Dissociation curves of low-oxygen animals
- C3.2(f) The Bohr effect and chloride shift
- C3.2(g) The transport of nutrients, hormones, excretory products and heat in the blood
- C3.2(h) Tissue fluid
- C3.2(i) Structure of the dicotyledon root
- C3.2(j) The absorption of water by the root
- C3.2(k) The movement of water through the root: apoplast, symplast and vacuolar pathways
- C3.2(l) The structure and the role of the endodermis
- C3.2(m) Structure of xylem
- C3.2(n) Water movement and transpiration
- C3.2(o) The effect of environmental factors affecting transpiration
- C3.2(p) Adaptations of hydrophytes and xerophytes
- C3.2(q) Structure of phloem
- C3.2(r) Translocation in phloem
- C3.3 Adaptations for nutrition
- C3.3(a) Autotrophic and heterotrophic nutrition
- C3.3(b) The terms saprotrophic/saprobiotic, holozoic, parasitic in relation to heterotrophic organisms
- C3.3(c) Saprotrophic nutrition
- C3.3(d) Holozoic nutrition
- C3.3(e) Nutrition in unicellular organisms
- C3.3(f) Adaptations of multicellular organisms for nutrition
- C3.3(g) The human gut
- C3.3(h) Digestion of different food substances
- C3.3(i) Herbivore and carnivore guts and dentition
- C3.3(j) Parasitic nutrition
- C3.4 Homeostasis and the kidney
- C3.4(a) Homeostasis
- C3.4(b) Negative and positive feedback
- C3.4(c) The mammalian kidney and nephron
- C3.4(d) The functions of the mammalian kidney including nitrogenous excretion and water regulation
- C3.4(e) The adaptations of the cells of the proximal tubule for reabsorption
- C3.4(f) ADH and the posterior pituitary
- C3.4(g) The role of antidiuretic hormone
- C3.4(h) The effects of kidney failure and its potential treatments
- C3.4(i) Excretory products and the loop of Henle
- C3.5 The nervous system
- C3.5(a) Components of a nervous response
- C3.5(b) Structure of the spinal cord
- C3.5(c) Spinal nerves and roots
- C3.5(d) The simple reflex arc as the basis for rapid, protective, involuntary actions
- C3.5(e) Nerve nets in Cnidaria
- C3.5(f) The structure of a motor neurone including drawing and labelling of diagram
- C3.5(g) The nature and transmission of the nerve impulse
- C3.5(h) Oscilloscope traces of action potentials
- C3.5(i) Factors affecting speed of conduction of a nervous impulse in other organisms
- C3.5(j) The structure and role of a synapse
- C3.5(k) The process of synaptic transmission
- C3.5(l) Chemicals and drugs affecting impulse transmission
- C3.A Option A: Immunology and Disease
- C3.A.1 Disease
- C3.A.1(a) Key terms in infectious disease
- C3.A.1(b) The human body acting as a host to other living organisms
- C3.A.1(c) Selected infectious diseases
- C3.A.1(d) The relationship between the pathogenicity of viruses and their mode of reproduction
- C3.A.2 Antibiotics
- C3.A.2(a) Antibiotics and bacterial infections
- C3.A.2(b) Modes of action of penicillin and tetracycline
- C3.A.2(c) Antibiotic resistance
- C3.A.3 Immune response
- C3.A.3(a) Natural barriers to infection
- C3.A.3(b) Development of specific immune responses
- C3.A.3(c) Humoral immune responses, involving the production and secretion of antigen-specific antibodies
- C3.A.3(d) Cell-mediated immunity
- C3.A.3(e) Roles of T and B lymphocytes
- C3.A.3(f) Active and passive immunity
- C3.A.3(g) Immunisation
- C3.A.3(h) Passive immunity by antibody injection
- C3.A.3(i) The different levels of effectiveness of immunisation programmes against different diseases
- C3.A.3(j) Ethics of vaccination programmes
- C3.B Option B: Human Musculoskeletal Anatomy
- C3.B.1 Skeletal tissues
- C3.B.1(a) Structure of cartilage
- C3.B.1(b) Composition of compact bone
- C3.B.1(c) The functions of the organic and inorganic components of compact bone
- C3.B.1(d) Osteoblasts and osteoclasts
- C3.B.1(e) The structure and function of the Haversian systems
- C3.B.1(f) Rickets and osteomalacia
- C3.B.1(g) Osteoporosis and brittle bone disease
- C3.B.1(h) The structure and ultra-structure of skeletal muscle
- C3.B.1(i) Sliding filament theory
- C3.B.1(j) The differences between ‘fast twitch’ and ‘slow twitch’ muscles
- C3.B.1(k) Muscle in anaerobic conditions
- C3.B.1(l) Energy sources for muscle contraction
- C3.B.2 Structure and function of human skeleton
- C3.B.2(a) Appendicular and axial skeleton
- C3.B.2(b) Types and causes of fractures
- C3.B.2(c) The vertebral column and vertebrae
- C3.B.2(d) Medical conditions affecting posture
- C3.B.2(e) Functions of the skeleton
- C3.B.3 Joints
- C3.B.3(a) Types of joint
- C3.B.3(b) The cause and treatment of osteoarthritis
- C3.B.3(c) The cause and treatment of rheumatoid arthritis
- C3.B.3(d) Joints as levers
- C3.B.3(e) Synovial joints
- C3.B.3(f) Antagonistic muscles and tendons
- C3.C Option C: Neurobiology and Behaviour
- C3.C.1 The Brain
- C3.C.1(a) Structure of the human brain
- C3.C.1(b) The main functions of the cerebrum, hypothalamus, cerebellum and medulla oblongata
- C3.C.1(c) The role of the sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous systems
- C3.C.1(d) The hypothalamus as the link between nervous and endocrine regulation
- C3.C.1(e) The role of the sensory areas and motor areas of the cortex
- C3.C.1(f) Cerebrum size and body innervation
- C3.C.1(g) Brain areas for language and speech
- C3.C.2 Neuroscience
- C3.C.2(a) Non-invasive brain imaging techniques
- C3.C.2(b) Brain development and critical periods
- C3.C.2(c) Neuroplasticity
- C3.C.2(d) Gene expression and brain development
- C3.C.2(e) Childhood gene expression and mental illness
- C3.C.3 Behaviour
- C3.C.3(a) Innate behaviour: reflexes, kineses and taxes
- C3.C.3(b) Learned behaviours
- C3.C.3(c) Complex primate societies
- C3.C.3(d) The advantages and disadvantages of living in social groups
- C3.C.3(e) Social structure of insects
- C3.C.3(f) Dominance hierarchies in vertebrates
- C3.C.3(g) The advantage of territorial and courtship behaviours in increasing reproductive success
- C3.C.3(h) Sexual selection and courtship