Well-appointed classroom, with screen casting facilities.
Appropriately resourced library.¿
I.T Resources equipped with Office or equivalent.
Access to University study skills support.

Examination 2 hours to assess outcomes 1 to 3 (60%) (final assessment)

A laboratory report – students are allowed to submit two lab reports of their choice and the best mark is the formal summative mark to assess outcomes 4 and 5 (40%)

Additional Assessment Information:
Students will be required to complete 2 pieces of summative assessment, namely a laboratory report and end of module examination. These will be used to assess both comprehension of the subject and the attainment of subject specific and transferable study skills.

Formative exam questions and review of these will be provided.

1. SHOW A KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING OF THE BASIC CONCEPTS OF BIOLOGY.
Knowledge & Understanding
Learning

2. DEMONSTRATE KNOWLEDGE OF THE MECHANISMS WITHIN LIVING ORGANISMS.
Knowledge & Understanding
Learning

3. DEMONSTRATE KNOWLEDGE OF THE IMPORTANCE OF DNA TO LIVING ORGANISMS AND GENETICS TO NATURAL SELECTION.
Analysis
Enquiry
Problem Solving

4. DEMONSTRATE PRACTICAL SKILLS APPROPRIATE TO THE THEORY COVERED BY THIS MODULE EVIDENCED BY THE COLLECTION OF DATA.
Application
Enquiry

5. ANALYSE AND INTERPRET EXPERIMENTAL RESULTS AND COMMUNICATE FINDINGS IN AN INTELLIGABLE WRITTEN FORMAT.
Analysis
Communication
Enquiry
Reflection

The physical and chemical processes in biology will be studied, with the module also providing an introduction to biology and its application to biomedicine. The study will involve investigation of diffusion, osmosis and active transport. The significance of the biological membrane will be appreciated. The study of biological molecules will include the importance of carbohydrates, lipids and proteins. Eukaryotic and prokaryotic cells will be compared, with the students introduced to concepts of microbiology. The importance of energy in living systems will be reviewed. The factors affecting enzyme activity will be introduced and practical investigative procedures will be carried out.
The need to integrate living systems and the importance of homeostasis in living organisms will also be studied as well as cell and nuclear division (mitosis and meiosis). Other topics to be covered will be:
An introduction to DNA structure, DNA replication and protein synthesis.
The basics of recombinant DNA technology and a consideration of its implications to society.
Mendelian genetics (to include mono and dihybrid crosses, sex linkage and use of genetic terminology).
An introduction to natural selection in the light of modern biology.

Subject Specific
The module will be delivered by tutor led theory sessions, problem solving classes and practical work, throughout which the emphasis will be on student involvement.
The information will be delivered using lectures, videos and demonstrations. Worksheets will be used to engage students in an active role in the learning process. Problem solving activities will be used to consolidate learning. The active learning is continued in the practical sessions where investigative procedures will be discussed, planned and carried out by the students.
Formative learning will be aided by assignments, tutorial exercises and the ability to receive formative feedback of coursework drafts prior to submission.
The lecture and laboratory classes will be spread over semester 1 and 2 so that there will be class contact and scheduled activities per week. Each week the classes will contain an appropriate combination of theory and practical exercises for the individual topic being delivered.
The time for independent study will be taken up by preparation and completion of assignment work, library research, preparation for class discussion, laboratory report writing and exam preparation.

S.A. Wassermann et al., 2020 Biology: A Global Approach, Global Edition, 12th edition, Pearson
A-Level Biology:OCR A YEar 1&2 Complete Revision & Practice with online Edition, 2018, CGP
S. Hocking, 2015, OCR AS/A level Biology A Student Book, Pearson Education Limited
A. Fullick, J. Locke and P. Bircher, 2015, A level Biology for OCR A, Oxford University Press
J. Weyers, A. Jones and R. Reed, 2017, Practical Skills in Biology (6th edition), Pearson
J. Weyers, A. Jones and R. Reed, 2016, Practical Skills in Biology (5th edition), Pearson

In order to provide further support specialist texts and journal articles can be accessed via the WWW as well as College and University library support services. In addition, suitable texts/resources will be cited as and when required to support a learning activity.