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Home Tutoring.org.uk - Biology

Home Tutoring.org.uk offers Biology at Key Stages 3, 4 and 5 (Years 7-13) as well as to those with an interest in the subject who would like to learn more. We use a range of resources to cater for individual needs and tutoring can be done on an individual or very small group basis and always at a pace that is suitable for the student.

Following is an overview of the topics we cover at each level, and these can be adapted to suit the individual needs of the learner which means that only topics that are required to be learnt are taught and not all themes need to be covered:

Key Stage 3 (Years 7-9 / Ages 11-14)   Key Stage 4 GCSE (Years 10-11 / Ages 14-16)
Key Stage 5 AS/A2 Level (Years 12-13 / Ages 16-18)

 

Secondary KS3 Biology - Years 7-9 / Ages 11-14:

The Units covered at KS3 have been divided in Year 7, Year 8 and Year 9, but they can be adapted to suit individual needs:

Year 7 Units:

  1. Life processes and cells- covers life processes, animal and plant cells, cells and their functions, cells, tissues and organ systems;
  2. Green plants - covers photosynthesis, getting carbon dioxide and water, minerals and respiration in plants;
  3. Variation and inheritance - covers what variation is, continuous and discontinuous variation, inherited and environmental causes of variation and selective breeding;
  4. Classification - covers classifying organisms, the five kingdoms, vertebrates, invertebrates and arthropods.

Year 8 Units:

  1. Adaptation and competition - covers adaptation, a changing environment, competition, extinction and Human impact on the environment;
  2. Feeding relationships - covers food chains, pyramids of numbers, food webs, changes to food webs and toxic materials in the food chain;
  3. Gas exchange and respiration - covers the respiratory system and ventilation, gas exchange, inhaled and exhaled air and respiration;
  4. Movement - covers why we need a skeleton, joints and antagonistic muscles.

Year 9 Units:

  1. Diet and digestion - covers a balanced diet, some effects of a poor diet, the digestive system, digestion and enzymes and absorption and egestion;
  2. Health and disease - covers smoking and health, drugs and health, microbes, spreading microbes, defense against microbes, antibiotics and immunisation;
  3. Reproduction - covers the male and female reproductive systems, the menstrual cycle, fertilisation and the development of the foetus and puberty;
  4. Revision and tests - revises everything learnt and provides past SATs papers to test you.

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Secondary KS4 Biology (GCSE) - Years 10-11 / Ages 14-16:

For those students who are working towards their GCSE in Biology we usually follow the AQA Syllabus as the majority of our pupils follow it. However, that is not to say that we have not worked towards other syllabus so please do contact us to enquire whether we could help you.

We cover the following three modules, each of which has a 45 minute examination for which we prepare students:

Biology 1 - The topics covered are:

  • How do human bodies respond to changes inside them and to their environment?
    Looks at the nervous system, receptors, sensory, motor and relay neurons, synapses and effectors, reflex actions, internal conditions that are controlled, hormones and IVF;
  • What can we do to keep our bodies healthy?
    Looks at the effect of food on health including slimming food, a healthy diet, metabolic rate, exercise and the effect on the body, obesity and linked diseases, problems associated with lack of food, cholesterol, saturated, unsaturated and polyunsaturated fats, salt and processed food;
  • How do we use/abuse medical and recreational drugs?
    Looks at the effect of statins on cardiovascular disease, different types of drugs, the effect of cannabis on health, the link between smoking tobacco and lung cancer, stopping smoking, drugs, testing drugs, Thalidomide, recreational drugs, the impact of legal drugs on health, drug dependency, Nicotine, smoking and pregnancy and alcohol;
  • What causes infectious diseases and how can our bodies defend themselves against them?
    Looks at the contribution of Semmelweiss in controlling infection in hospitals, advantages and disadvantages of vaccinations, changes in treatment to diseases based on the action of antibiotics and immunity, the consequences of mutations of bacteria and viruses in relation to epidemics and pandemics, pathogens, bacteria and viruses and toxins, medicines, antibiotics and bacteria resistance to them;
  • What determines where particular species live and how many of them there are?
    Looks at how organisms are adapted to the conditions in which they live, the factors for which organisms are competing in a given habitat, reasons for the distribution of animals or plants in a particular habitat, the supply of materials organisms need from their surroundings to survive, the way in which plants compete with each other for light, water and nutrients, how animals compete with each other for food, mates and territory, the features organisms have which enable them to survive in their usual living conditions and how they adapt to their living conditions, how plants have specific features to help them cope with their surroundings;
  • Why are individuals of the same species different from each other? What new methods do we have for producing plants and animals with the characteristics we prefer?
    Looks at cloning and genetic engineering techniques, genes and how they control the development of different characteristics, chromosomes, different types of reproduction and the production of new plants by taking cuttings;
  • Why have some species of plants and animals died out? How do new species of plants and animals develop?
    Looks at reasons why scientists cannot be certain about how life began on Earth, the evolutionary theory, Darwin's natural selection theory and differences between this and conflicting theories, fossils, simple life-forms, studying the similarities and differences between species to understand evolutionary and ecological relationships, causes of extinction and evolution and gene mutations;
  • How do humans affect the environment?
    Looks at analysing and evaluating scientific data concerning environmental issues, the effects of rapid growth in the human population and an increase in the standard of living, the effects humans have on the amount of land available to other animals and plants, waste production, how living organisms can be used as indicators of pollution, deforestation and the reduction in biodiversity, the effects of the increase in carbon dioxide and methane in the atmosphere and sustainable development.

Biology 2- The topics covered are:

  • What are animals and plants built from?
    Looks at the structure of different types of animal, human and plant cells and their functions, the chemical reactions inside cells and enzymes and how cells are specialised;
  • How do dissolved substances get into and out of cells?
    Looks at diffusion and osmosis;
  • How do plants obtain the food they need to live and grow?
    Looks at photosynthesis and how factors affect photosynthesis, how plant roots absorb mineral salts for healthy growth and the symptoms shown by plants growing in conditions where mineral ions are deficient;
  • What happens to energy and biomass at each stage in a food chain?
    Looks at pyramids of biomass, the positive and negative effects of managing food production and distribution, sun radiation and the biomass and energy at each stage in a food chain;
  • What happens to the waste material produced by plants and animals?
    Looks at how living things remove materials from the environment for growth and other processes and then return them to the environment, the decay process and the carbon cycle;
  • What are enzymes and what are some of their functions?
    Looks at the advantages and disadvantages of using enzymes in home and industry, catalysts, how different enzymes work in the body and aerobic respiration;
  • How do our bodies keep internal conditions constant?
    Looks at data from the experiments by Banting and Best which led to the discovery of insulin, diabetes and modern methods of treating it, waste products that need removing from the body, internal conditions which need controlling and the effects on the body if the internal conditions are wrong, how body temperature and blood glucose concentration is monitored;
  • Which human characteristics show a simple pattern of inheritance?
    Looks at the importance of the idea proposed by Medel relating to separately inherited factors, genetic diagrams, the economical, social and ethical issues concerning the use of stem cells and embryo screening, the outcome of crosses between a combination of dominant and recessive alleles of the same gene, chromosomes, DNA and genes, mitosis and meiosis, cells in reproductive organs, fertilisation, cell differentiation, asexual and sexual reproduction and inherited disorders.

Biology 3- The topics covered are:

  • How do dissolved materials get into and out of animals and plants?
    Looks at how gas and solute exchange surfaces in humans and other organisms are adapted to maximise effectiveness, diffusion and transpiration, active transport and organ systems specialised for exchanging materials, the lungs and breathing;
  • How are dissolved materials transported around the body?
    Looks at the heart and circulatory systems including blood plasma and red blood cells;
  • How does exercise affect the exchanges taking place within the body?
    Looks at the effects of exercise, including vigorous exercise, has on the human body, how the energy released during aerobic respiration is used and anaerobic respiration;
  • How do exchanges in the kidney help us to maintain the internal environment in mammals and how has biology helped us to treat kidney disease?
    Looks at the advantages and disadvantages of treating kidney failure by dialysis or kidney transplant and how a healthy kidney produces urine;
  • How are microorganisms used to make food and drink?
    Looks at how scientists were involved in the theory of biogenesis and how microorganisms such as yeast and bacteria are used to make food and drink;
  • What other useful substances can we make using microorganisms?
    Looks at economic and environmental data relating to production of fuels by fermentation, the advantages and disadvantages of given designs of biogas generators, how microorganisms can be grown in fermenters to produce useful products, how Penicillin and mycoprotein are made and how fuels can be produced from natural products by fermentation;
  • How can we be sure we are using microorganisms safely?
    Looks at preparing useful products by using uncontaminated cultures of microorganisms and how this can be achieved effectively.

We only cover the specific areas that are required for the level to which each individual student is working towards (either Foundation or Higher).

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Secondary KS5 Biology (AS & A2) - Years 12-13 / Ages 16-18:

For those students who are working towards their A2 or AS in Biology we usually follow the AQA Syllabus as the majority of our pupils follow it. However, that is not to say that we have not worked towards other syllabus so please do contact us to enquire whether we could help you.

We cover the following modules but will only focus on the specific units being studied depending on the level each student is working towards (AS or A2), and we help prepare individuals for all assessments. (Please remember that AS students will only need to cover Units 1-3, whereas those doing A2 will need to cover 6 Units, and we support each student with their final unit option choice):

Module 1 - Core Principles. The following topic areas are covered:

  • Biological molecules - covers carbohydrates, proteins, lipids, structural formulae, biochemical tests, chromatography and water;
  • Cells - covers cell structure, prokaryotic and eukaryotic cells, electron microscopy and differential centrifugation and cell differentiation;
  • Cell transport - covers plasma membranes, diffusion, osmosis and active transport;
  • Organisms exchange materials with their environment - covers surface area: volume ratio, gaseous exchange and ventilation;
  • Enzymes - covers the action of enzymes and enzyme properties;
  • Digestion - covers extracellular digestion and digestion in humans.

Module 2 - Genes and Genetic Engineering. The following topic areas are covered:

  • The genetic code - covers the gene, structure of DNA, replication of DNA, the genetic code, the role of nucleic acids in protein and enzyme synthesis and mutation;
  • The cell cycle - covers mitosis and applications of cloning;
  • Sexual reproduction - covers gametes and fertilisation, meiosis and the importance of meiosis;
  • Applications of gene technology - covers the principles of genetic engineering, the polymerase chain reaction, genetically engineered microorganisms, genetic markers, large scale culturing, gene therapy and cystic fibrosis, genetically modified animals and evaluation of genetic engineering.

Module 3(a) - Physiology and Transport. The following topic areas are covered:

  • Transport systems - covers mass transport, the mammalian heart, blood vessels, exchange of materials and tissue fluid;
  • The control of breathing and heartbeat - covers the control of ventilation and heartbeat;
  • Energy and exercise - covers energy sources and muscle fatigue;
  • The transport of substances in plants - covers root structure, uptake and the transpiration stream, xerophytes, translocation, and experimental evidence.

Module 3(b) - Coursework.
Because the nature of this Module is based on four practical skills we are unable to fully support this option, but we can provide advice and help where required as the practical investigations must be based on the content of Modules 1-3 above.

Module 4 - Energy, Control and Continuity. The following topic areas are covered:

  • Energy supply - covers the relationship between photosynthesis and respiration and ATP;
  • Photosynthesis - covers light-dependent reaction, light-independent reaction and chloroplast structure;
  • Respiration - covers the glycolysis and Krebs cycles and mitochondria;
  • Survival and coordination - covers stimulus and response;
  • Homeostasis - covers homeostasis, negative feedback, regulation of body temperature, regulation of body glucose, removal of metabolic waste, and regulation of blood water potential;
  • Nervous coordination - covers the mammalian eye, rods and cones, the nerve impulse, synapses and synaptic transmission and drugs and synapses;
  • Analysis and integration - covers the brain and cerebral hemispheres and the autonomic nervous system;
  • Muscles are effectors which enable movement to be carried out - covers antagonistic muscle action, muscle structure and muscle contraction;
  • Inheritance - covers the genotype, meiosis and fertilisation, sex determination and monohybrid and dihybrid inheritance;
  • Variation - covers types of variation and causes of variation;
  • Selection and evolution - covers natural selection and speciation;
  • Classification - covers principles of taxonomy and the five kingdoms.

Module 5(a)- Environment. The following topic areas are covered:

  • Energy flow through ecosystems - covers energy transfer and ecological pyramids;
  • Materials are recycled in ecosystems - covers nutrient cycles;
  • Studying ecosystems - covers ecological techniques;
  • Dynamics of ecosystems - covers ecosystems, stability of populations and succession and climax communities;
  • Human activities can impose far-reaching effects on the environment - covers the ecological impact of farming, pesticide toxicity and the balance of food production and conservation.

Module 5(b) - Coursework.
Because the nature of this Module is based on four practical skills we are unable to fully support this option, but we can provide advice and help where required as the practical investigations must be based on the content of Modules 1-6.

A2 students choose between Modules 6, 7 and 8 and we support each student in their choice of module.

Module 6 - Applied Ecology. The following topic areas are covered:

  • Diversity - covers sampling techniques, the diversity index, abiotic and biotic factors and the stability of ecosystems;
  • Effects of pollution on diversity - covers pollution of aquatic ecosystems;
  • Organisms show structural, physiological and behavioural adaptations for survival in a given niche - covers structural adaptation, physiological adaptation and behavioural adaptation;
  • Agricultural ecosystems - covers agricultural ecosystems, quantitative basis of crop production, crop rotation and fertilisers, abiotic factors and productivity, chemical control of weeds and insects and biological control;
  • Harvesting from a natural ecosystem - covers fisheries, regulation and fish farming;
  • Conservation - covers conservation principles.

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Module 7 - Microbes and Disease. The following topic areas are covered:

  • Bacteria - covers structure and function and nutrition and binary fission;
  • Culturing bacteria - covers aseptic techniques, monitoring the growth of bacteria, and population growth patterns;
  • Commercial biotechnology - covers screening procedures, continuous batch cultures, useful products from microorganisms, isolated enzymes and immobilised enzymes;
  • Bacterial disease - covers pathogenicity and transmission;
  • Viral disease - covers characteristics of viruses, transmission and how viruses cause disease;
  • Protection against disease - covers natural defense mechanisms, the immune response, cell-mediated immunity, antibody-mediated immunity, immunological memory, vaccination, passive immunity, antibiotics and antibiotic resistance.

OR

Module 8 - Behaviour and Populations. The following topic areas are covered:

  • Patterns of behaviour - covers innate behaviour, taxes and kineses, reflex actions, modified reflexes and learned behaviour;
  • Reproductive behaviour - covers courtship, territorial behaviour, the menstrual cycle, contraception and infertility;
  • Pregnancy - covers conception, hormones and pregnancy, the placenta and physiological changes in the mother;
  • Human growth and development - covers patterns of human growth, hormonal control and aging;
  • Human populations and health - covers population size and structure, social conditions, infectious disease, effects of lifestyle on health and screening programmes.

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If you are interested in taking Biology or would like to find out more please contact us.

 

 

Biology