AQA biology essays - past paper questions

The importance of movement in biological molecules and cells

Synaptic transmission

Nerve Impulse

Glucose control/ Homeostasis

Transcription, Translation

Regulation of transcription and translation

Translocation, Movement of blood

Photosynthesis

Respiration

Cell division- Mitosis, Meiosis

Immunity

How DNA is used by living organisms and it's importance

In Vivo

In Vitro

Genetic screening

Genetic fingerprinting

Transcription

Translation

DNA replication

Properties of DNA

Inheritance

Natural selection

Speciation

Cell divison - Mitosis and Meiosis

How Variation is achieved and presented in biological systems.

Meiosis - Independent segregation, crossing over, the random fusion of gametes.

Mutations- Substituion, deletion, transformation,

Speciation

Natural selection

Disruptive, stabalising, dirrectional selection.

Regulation of transcription and translation

Epistasis

Haemoglobin

How diffusion is used in living organisms.

Synaptic transmission

Action potential

Photosythesis, Respiration

Mass Transport - Phloem, tissue fluid, haemoglobin

Animal exchange- Humans, Fish, Insects

Gene expression - Transcriptional factors - Oestrogen, sIRNA.

The importance of polymers

Proteins- Haemoglobin, Antibodies

Enzymes - Recombinant DNA technology - (Reverse transcriptase, DNA ligase , DNA polymerase, Restriction endonucleases)

Lipids - Phospholipids- Cell surface membrane

Tryglicerides

Carbohydrates

Write an essay about cycles in biology

Synaptic transmission - (cycling of neurotransmitter)

Action Potential

Muscle Contraction

Homeostasis- Glucose and water Regulation

Nutrient Cycles- Nitrogen, Phosphorus

Mitosis, Meiosis

DNA replication

Cardiac Cycle

Mechanism of Breathing

Light Independent reaction

Krebs Cycle

How energy is transferred within and between organisms

Photosynthesis/ Respiration- Energy form the electron transport chain

Muscle contraction

Stimuli and response/ Nerve impulses

Energy transfer through ecosystems

Mass transport

The importance of movement of biological molecules within living organisms.

DNA replication

Transcription, Translation

Transcriptional factors

Synaptic transmission

Muscle Contraction

Action Potentials

Homeostasis

Mitosis

Meiosis

Digestion

Mass transport - Human and Plant (Translocation)

Immunity

How do molecules move within and between an ecosystem

Cycles

Photosynthesis

Respiration

Digestion

Eutrophication

ATP

Food chains

DNA

The movement of carbon-containing substances within and between organisms. (AKA an essay from hell)

Respiration

Photosynthesis

Digestion

Saprophytes

Food Chains and feeding relationships

Carbon Cycle ( No longer on the specification)

The importance of shapes fitting together in cells and organisms

Immunity - Antigen-antibody complex, Receptors

DNA

Transcription, Translation

Muscle contraction

Synaptic transmission

Proteins- Generic Induced fit model theory Haemoglobin

Enzymes- DNA technology, Respiration

Homeostasis

How bacteria affects the lives of living organisms

Nutrient cycles- Importance for plant growth

DNA technology- Bacterial enzymes and the use of bacteria as a host cell.

Immunity - Pathogens- illness, passive immunity

Eutrophication

Carbon dioxide may affect organisms directly or indirectly. Describe and explain these effects.

Photosynthesis - Limiting factor

Heart rate- Chemoreceptors

Haemoglobin (affinity for O2)

Role of co2 in global warming- the effect of temperature on enzymes.

The use of ions in living organisms

Synaptic transmission

Muscle contraction

Nervous Impulse

Receptors

Nitrogen cycle

Control of heart rate - Chemoreceptors

Haemoglobin - Bohr effect

Respiration and Photosynthesis

The importance of responces to changes in the internal and external environment of an organism

Homeostasis- Glucose control

Control of heart rate - Baro and chemoreceptors

Haemoglobin- Changes affinity for oxygen - Bohr effect

Nervous impulses

Immune responses

Receptors - E.g Pacinian corpuscle

Speciation

Natural selection

The membranes of different types of cells are involved in many different functions.

Synaptic transmission

Nerves

Receptors

Photosynthesis

Respiration

Glucose Absorption

Glucose - Insulin, glucagon

Translocation

Kidney

Using DNA in science and technology

How nucleotides, molecules derived from nucleotides and nucleic acids are important in keeping organisms alive.

The importance of nitrogen-containing substances.

Nitrogen cycle

Proteins- Antibodies, Hemoglobin

Action potentials/ synapses- protein channels

DNA- Technology

Protein synthesis

Natural selection

ATP- Muscles, Active transport

The different ways organisms use ATP or ATP and it's roles in living organisms

The structure of ATP it's charactoristics and usefulness

Muscle contraction

Photosythesis

Respiration

Transloation ( loading of phloem)

Nerves ( Resting Potential)

Synapses re-sythesis of acetylcholine

Selective reabsorbtion by the nephron

Glucose absorbtion

Transport mechanisms in living organisms

Gas exchange

Translocation

Translation

Muscle - sliding filament mechanism, movement of ca+ and impulse.

Tissue Fluid

Active Transport- Glucose absorption, selective reabsorption in the kidneys, nerves

Cell division- movement of chromosomes.

Binary fission movement of plasmids ect.

The importance of enzymes and there role in living organisms

Structure/Induced fit/competitive/ non competitive

Digestion- Carbohydrate, Lipid.

DNA replication

Transcription

DNA technology- Restriction endonucleases/RNA Polymerase/DNA Ligase/Reverse Transcriptase.

Homeostasis- Second messenger model( Glucagon)/ (Insulin) enzyme involved in Glycogenesis

The role of feedback mechanism in biological processes

Homeostasis- Glucose control. (-ve)

Osmoregulation (-ve)

Heart Rate- Barro and chemoreceptors. (-ve)

Immunity (+'ve)

Nerves (+'ve)

Predator prey relationships/ interspecific competition/ intraspecific competition. (-ve)

Selection- Directional (+'ve)

Stabilising (-Ve)

The ways in which water and water regulation are important to organisms

The properties of water- Pick two

e.g. latent heat vaporization, colourless at high transmission

Hydrolysis - Muscle , Digestion

Tissue fluid

Translocation

Respiration -

Photosynthesis - photolysis of water/hydrolysis of ATP

The importance of proteins in living organisms

Antibodies

Haemoglobin

DNA replication

Protein Sythesis

Digestion

Nerves

Synapses

Hormones- Glusose and water regualtion

The importance of molecular shape in living organisms

Transcriptional factors - Oestrogen, siRNA

Immunity, Humoral, cell-mediated, phagocytosis

DNA replication, transcription, translation

Genetic technology- Probes ( screening and fingerprinting), producing recombinant DNA - enzyme-substrate complexes, sticky ends

Proteins - Haemoglobin, Carrier proteins.

Nerve impulses / synaptic transmission

Muscle contraction

The causes of variation and it's biological importance

Causes- Mutations ( describe two)

Meoisis - independent segregation , crossing over

Epigenetics

Epistasis, autosomal linkage

Importance

Natural selection

Speciation

Energy transfers which take place inside living organisms

Photosynthesis

Respiration

Translocation

Muscle contraction

Nerves

How microscopes have contributed to our understanding of living organisms

Structure of a microscope - calibration

SEM v TEM

Chloroplasts structure, Photosynthesis - track fluorescence

Muscles structure, sliding filament mechanism

Cell division- Mitosis , Meiosis

The transfer of substances containing carbon substances between organisms and between organisms and there environment. :'( :'( :'( :'( :'(

Photosynthesis- Light independent stage ( Calvin cycle)

Gas exchange

Food chains and feeding relationships

Respiration - Link and Krebs cycle

Digestion

Saprophytes

The role and importance of movement inside cells

DNA replication

Transcription

Translation

Lipid absorbtion

Transcriptional factors - siRNA and oestrogen.

Mitosis

Meiosis

Neurones

Muscles

DNA and the transfer of information

Mitosis

Meiosis

Transcription

Translation

DNA technology

Natural selection

Speciation

Inheritance

How variation is presented and achieved in biological systems.

Achieved :

Mutations

Epigenetics

Meiosis

Inheritance

Regualtion of transcription and translation

Presented:

Haemoglobin/ proteins/ carbohydrates