(Single Award and Double Award)...CCEA GCE Life and Health Sciences (Single and Double Award) from September 2016 Version 2: 11 December 2017 6 2 Specification at a Glance The table

GCE

For first teaching from September 2016For first award of AS level in Summer 2017For first award of A level in Summer 2018Subject Code: 0008

CCEA GCE Specification in

Life and Health Sciences(Single Award and Double Award)

Version 2: 11 December 2017

Version2:11December2017

Contents 1 Introduction 3 1.1 Aims 41.2 Keyfeatures 41.3 Priorattainment 41.4 Classificationcodesandsubjectcombinations

5

2 Specification at a Glance

6

3 Subject Content 8 3.1 UnitAS1:ExperimentalTechniques 93.2 UnitAS2:HumanBodySystems 103.3 UnitAS3:AspectsofPhysicalChemistryinIndustrialProcesses 153.4 UnitAS4:BrainScience 193.5 UnitAS5:MaterialScience 243.6 UnitAS6:Medicine,DrugsandClinicalTrials 283.7 UnitA21:ScientificMethod,Investigation,AnalysisandEvaluation 333.8 UnitA22:OrganicChemistry 363.9 UnitA23:MedicalPhysics 423.10 UnitA24:SoundandLight 473.11 UnitA25:Genetics,StemCellResearchandCloning 523.12 UnitA26:Microbiology 603.13 UnitA27:OralHealthandDentistry 653.14 UnitA28:HistologyandPathology 683.15 UnitA29:AnalyticalChemistryTechniques 723.16 UnitA210:EnablingTechnology 77 4 Scheme of Assessment 81 4.1 Assessmentopportunities 814.2 Assessmentobjectives 814.3 Assessmentobjectiveweightings 814.4 Qualityofwrittencommunication 824.5 SynopticassessmentatA2 834.6 Higherorderthinkingskills 834.7 Reportingandgrading

83

5 Grade Descriptions

85

6 Guidance on External Assessment 90


7 Guidance on Internal Assessment 91 7.1 Skillsassessedbyinternalassessment 917.2 Settingthetasks 917.3 Takingthetasks 927.4 UnitAS1:ExperimentalTechniques 937.5 UnitAS4:BrainScience 947.6 UnitAS6:Medicine,DrugsandClinicalTrials 967.7 UnitA21:ScientificMethod,Investigation,AnalysisandEvaluation 977.8 UnitA26:Microbiology 997.9 UnitA27:OralHealthandDentistry 1007.10 UnitA28:HistologyandPathology 1017.11 UnitA29:AnalyticalChemistryTechniques 1037.12 UnitA210:EnablingTechnology 1057.13 Markingthetasks 1067.14 Internalstandardisation 1067.15

Moderation 107

8 Links and Support 108 8.1 Support 1088.2 Curriculumobjectives 1088.3 Examinationentries 1098.4 Equalityandinclusion 1098.5 Contactdetails 110 Appendix 1 111 MathematicalSkillsforAllComponentsofGCELifeandHealthSciences 111 Summary of Changes since First Issue 113

SubjectCodeQANASLevelSingleAwardDoubleAward

0008

603/0500/9603/0498/4

QANALevelSingleAwardDoubleAward

603/0499/6603/0497/2

ACCEAPublication©2016

Thisspecificationisavailableonlineatwww.ccea.org.uk

CCEAGCELifeandHealthSciences(SingleandDoubleAward)fromSeptember2016


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1 Introduction ThisspecificationsetsoutthecontentandassessmentdetailsforourAdvancedSubsidiary(AS)andAdvancedGCEcoursesinLifeandHealthSciences(SingleandDoubleAward).FirstteachingisfromSeptember2016.WeassesstheASunitsatastandardappropriateforstudentswhohavecompletedthefirstpartofthefullcourse.A2unitshaveanelementofsynopticassessment(toassessstudents’understandingofthesubjectasawhole),aswellasmoreemphasisonassessmentobjectivesthatreflecthigherorderthinkingskills.ThefullSingleAwardAdvancedGCEisbasedonstudents’marksfromtheAS(40percent)andtheA2(60percent).Theguidedlearninghoursare:

• 180hoursfortheAdvancedSubsidiarylevelaward;and• 360hoursfortheAdvancedlevelaward.ThefullDoubleAwardAdvancedGCEisbasedonstudents’marksfromtheAS(40percent)andtheA2(60percent).Theguidedlearninghoursare:

• 360hoursfortheAdvancedSubsidiarylevelaward;and• 720hoursfortheAdvancedlevelaward.WewillmakethefirstASawardsforthespecificationin2017andthefirstAlevelawardsin2018.ThespecificationbuildsonthebroadobjectivesoftheNorthernIrelandCurriculum.Ifthereareanymajorchangestothisspecification,wewillnotifycentresinwriting.Theonlineversionofthespecificationwillalwaysbethemostuptodate;toviewanddownloadthispleasegotowww.ccea.org.uk



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1.1 Aims Thisspecificationaimstoencouragestudentsto:

• developtheirinterestinandenthusiasmforscience,includingdevelopinganinterestinfurtherstudyandcareersinresearchscience;

• appreciatehowsocietymakesdecisionsaboutscientificissuesandhowthesciencescontributetothesuccessoftheeconomyandsociety;

• developcompetenceinarangeofpractical,mathematicalandproblemsolvingskills;

• developanddemonstrateadeeperappreciationoftheskills,knowledgeandunderstandingofhowscienceworks;

• developessentialknowledgeandunderstandingofdifferentareasofthesubjectandhowtheyrelatetoeachother;and

• developadvancedstudyskillsthathelpthemprepareforhighereducation.1.2 Key features Thefollowingareimportantfeaturesofthisspecification.

• Itincludes16assessmentunits,somecompulsoryandsomeoptional.• TheSingleAwardqualificationatASlevelcomprisesthreeunits,andthefullAlevelqualificationhassixunits.

• TheDoubleAwardqualificationatASlevelcomprisessixunits,andthefullAlevelqualificationhas12units.

• Thespecificationallowsstudentstodeveloptheirsubjectknowledge,understandingandskills.

• Itprovidesafirmgroundingforstudentswishingtoprogresstohighereducationinlifeandhealthsciencesorrelatedsubjectssuchasengineeringorelectronics.

• AssessmentatA2includeselementsofsynopticassessmentthatencouragestudentstodeveloptheirunderstandingofthesubjectasawhole.

• AssessmentatA2islessstructuredandconsequentlystretchesandchallengesthestudents.

• Arangeofsupportisavailable,includingspecimenassessmentmaterials,exemplarschemesofworkandteacherguidance.

1.3 Prior attainment Studentsdonotneedtohavereachedaparticularlevelofattainmentbeforebeginningtostudythisspecification.Thespecificationbuildsonknowledge,understandingandskillsdevelopedinGCSESingleAwardScience,GCSEDoubleAwardScienceandGCSESciences.TheknowledgeandunderstandingdevelopedinGCSEMathematicsarealsorelevant.



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1.4 Classification codes and subject combinations Everyspecificationhasanationalclassificationcodethatindicatesitssubjectarea.Theclassificationcodeforthisqualificationis0008.Pleasenotethatifastudenttakestwoqualificationswiththesameclassificationcode,universitiesandcollegesthattheyapplytomaytaketheviewthattheyhaveachievedonlyoneofthetwoGCEs.ThesamemayoccurwithanytwoGCEqualificationsthathaveasignificantoverlapincontent,eveniftheclassificationcodesaredifferent.Becauseofthis,studentswhohaveanydoubtsabouttheirsubjectcombinationsshouldcheckwiththeuniversitiesandcollegesthattheywouldliketoattendbeforebeginningtheirstudies.



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2 Specification at a Glance ThetablebelowsummarisesthestructureoftheASandAlevelcourses.AllASunitsareavailablefromSummer2017andA2unitsfromSummer2018.

Content

Assessment

SingleAwardWeightings

DoubleAwardWeightings

UnitAS1:ExperimentalTechniques

InternalassessmentCoreunit

33.34%ofAS13.34%ofAlevel


UnitAS2:HumanBodySystems

ExternalwrittenexaminationCoreunit1hour30mins



UnitAS3:AspectsofPhysicalChemistryinIndustrialProcesses

ExternalwrittenexaminationCoreunit1hour30mins



UnitAS4:BrainScience

InternalassessmentCoreunit(DoubleAward)


UnitAS5:MaterialScience

ExternalwrittenexaminationCoreunit(DoubleAward)1hour30mins


UnitAS6:Medicine,DrugsandClinicalTrials

InternalassessmentCoreunit(DoubleAward)




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Content

Assessment

SingleAwardWeightings

DoubleAwardWeightings

UnitA21:ScientificMethod,Investigation,AnalysisandEvaluation

InternalassessmentCoreunit

20%ofAlevel

10%ofAlevel

UnitA22:OrganicChemistry

Externalwrittenexamination1hour45minsCoreunit

20%ofAlevel

10%ofAlevel

UnitA23:MedicalPhysics

Externalwrittenexamination1hour45minsOptionalunits

20%ofAlevel(SingleAwardstudentstakeanyoneoftheseunits.)

10%ofAlevelforeachunit(DoubleAwardstudentstakeanytwooftheseunits.)

UnitA24:SoundandLight

UnitA25:Genetics,StemCellResearchandCloning

UnitA26:Microbiology

InternalassessmentOptionalunits

10%ofAlevelforeachunit(DoubleAwardstudentstakeanytwooftheseunits.)

UnitA27:OralHealthandDentistry

UnitA28:HistologyandPathology

UnitA29:AnalyticalChemistryTechniques

UnitA210:EnablingTechnology



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3 Subject Content Wehavedividedthiscourseinto16units:sixunitsareavailableatASleveland10unitsatA2.Thissectionsetsoutthecontentandlearningoutcomesforeachunit.AtASlevel,allstudentsmustcomplete:

• UnitAS1:ExperimentalTechniques;• UnitAS2:HumanBodySystems;and• UnitAS3:AspectsofPhysicalChemistryinIndustrialProcesses.Inaddition,studentsworkingtowardsaDoubleAwardqualificationmustcomplete:

• UnitAS4:BrainScience;• UnitAS5:MaterialScience;and• UnitAS6:Medicine,DrugsandClinicalTrials.AtA2,allstudentsmustcomplete:

• UnitA21:ScientificMethod,Investigation,AnalysisandEvaluation;and• UnitA22:OrganicChemistry.TheSingleAwardqualificationalsoincludesanyoneofthesethreeoptionalunitsandtheDoubleAwardincludesanytwo:

• UnitA23:MedicalPhysics;• UnitA24:SoundandLight;and/or• UnitA25:Genetics,StemCellResearchandCloning.Inaddition,theDoubleAwardqualificationincludesanytwoofthesefiveoptionalunits:

• UnitA26:Microbiology;• UnitA27:OralHealthandDentistry;• UnitA28:HistologyandPathology;• UnitA29:AnalyticalChemistryTechniques;and/or• UnitA210:EnablingTechnology.



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3.1 Unit AS 1: Experimental Techniques Inthisunitstudentsdevelopskillsinperformingarangeofexperimentaltechniquesusefulinbiology,chemistryandphysics.Foreachofthefollowingscientificskillsstudentsmustcompleteaninvestigation.Theymustpresenteachinvestigationasareportthatincludesatitle,objective,introduction,materialsandapparatus,riskassessment,procedure,resultsandconclusion.Thisunitisinternallyassessed;studentscompleteaportfolioofevidence.

Content

LearningOutcomes

1.1Chemistryskills

Studentsshouldbeableto:

1.1.1 makeastandardsolutionanduseittocarryoutatitration;

1.1.2 makesuitableobservationswhencarryingout

qualitativechemistrytests,suchasaflametestorthetestforhalideions;

1.1.3 takesuitablemeasurementstoallowthecalculationof

arateofreaction;1.1.4 usestandardtechniquestoprepareanorganic

compoundandcalculateapercentageyield;

1.2Physicsskills

1.2.1 determinetheperiodictimeofanoscillatingbody;1.2.2 determinetheresistivityofametal;1.2.3 determinethefocallengthofaconverginglens;1.2.4 determinethecriticalangleforglass;

1.3Biologyskills

1.3.1 usequalitativereagentstoidentifybiologicalmolecules;

1.3.2 useacolorimetertoproduceacalibrationcurve;1.3.3 carryoutchromatographyofaminoacids;and1.3.4 carryoutanosmosisexperimenttoinvestigatethe

impactoftonicityonosmosis.



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3.2 Unit AS 2: Human Body Systems Thisunitgivesstudentstheopportunitytolearnabouthowhumanbodysystemsworkandhowtheysupportgoodhealth.Ahealthybodyisfundamentaltogoodqualityoflife.Tomaintaingoodhealth,abalanceddietthatmeetstheenergyandnutritionalneedsoftheindividualiskey,asisregularphysicalexercise.Healthcareprofessionalsperformassessmentsofhowwellhumanbodysystemsarefunctioning.Theseassessmentscan,forexample,provideinformationonwhetheranindividualmayhaveadiseaseormayneedtomakechangestotheirdiet.Inthisunitstudentsconsidersomehealthandfitnessmeasurementsusedtomonitortheactivityofthebody.Theyalsoinvestigatewhatisconsideredtobeahealthydietfordifferentgroups,forexamplechildren,theelderlyandpregnantwomen.Thisunitisassessedthroughanexternalexaminationconsistingofaseriesofcompulsorystructuredquestions,someofwhichmayallowopportunitiesforextendedwriting.

Content

LearningOutcomes

2.1Cardiovascularsystem


2.1.1 describethecomponentsandfunctionsofthecardiovascularsystem;

2.1.2 demonstrateanunderstandingofthehistological

structureandfunctionofarteries,veinsandcapillaries;

2.1.3 demonstrateanunderstandingofthestructureandfunctioningoftheheart;

2.1.4 demonstrateanunderstandingofheartsoundsand

therepresentationoftheexcitationwaveinanelectrocardiogram(ECG),includingidentifyinganormalECGtraceandECGtracesfortachycardia,arrhythmia,ventricularfibrillationandbradycardiaheartbeatsandhowtheserelatetophysiologicalstatus;and

2.1.5 describehowtomeasurepulserate(thetypicalrangeofpulserateis60–80beatsperminute)andbloodpressure(usingasphygmomanometer),andknownormalvaluesforbloodpressureforbothgendersforages18-40yearsandhowchangesinthesemayrelatetophysiologicalstatus.



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Content

LearningOutcomes

2.2Respiratorysystem


2.2.1 describethecompositionandfunctionsofbodyfluids;

2.2.2 demonstrateanunderstandingofthechemicalcompositionofhaemoglobininrelationtoitsroleinoxygentransport;

2.2.3 demonstrateanunderstandingoftheconceptof

partialpressureofoxygenanditseffectonoxygentransportbyhaemoglobin;

2.2.4 demonstrateanunderstandingoftheBohreffectonoxygentransportbyhaemoglobinandthephysiologicaladvantageofthisforatissue;

2.2.5 demonstrateanunderstandingofthestructureand

functioningofthecomponentsoftherespiratorysystem-howthesefunctionindividuallyandhowtherespiratorysystemfunctionsasawhole–includinghowtheyareaffectedinconditionssuchascysticfibrosisandemphysema;

2.2.6 demonstrateanunderstandingofthefactorsaffecting

therateofgasexchange;2.2.7 demonstrateanunderstandingofgasexchangein

humans;and2.2.8 demonstrateanunderstandingofandexplainmethods

formonitoringtherespiratorysystem–includinghowtomeasurebreathingrate,tidalvolumeandvitalcapacity(usingaspirometer)andpeakexpiratoryflowrate(usingapeakflowmeter)–knowingaveragevaluesfortheseindicatorsformalesandfemalesandhowchangesintheseaveragevaluesmayrelatetophysiologicalstatus.



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Content

LearningOutcomes

2.3Respiration


2.3.1 describetherolethatbreathingplaysincellularrespiration;

2.3.2 demonstrateanunderstandingthatrespirationinvolveschemicalreactionsthatuseoxygen;

2.3.3 describehowadenosinetriphosphate,ATP,is

producedbytheprocessofaerobicrespiration;2.3.4 recognisethenatureandfunctionofATP;2.3.5 demonstrateanunderstandingofglycolysis;2.3.6 demonstrateanunderstandingofaerobicrespiration;2.3.7 demonstrateanunderstandingoftheKrebscycle;

2.3.8 demonstrateanunderstandingoftheelectron

transportchain;

2.3.9 compareaerobicandanaerobicrespiration;

2.3.10 definewhatismeantbybasalmetabolicrate(BMR);

2.4Homeostaticmechanismsandhowthesearemonitored

2.4.1 describetheconceptofhomeostasisandthecomponentsofhomeostaticmechanism;

2.4.2 describetheroleofhormonesinbodyfunction;2.4.3 describetheregulationandmonitoringofblood

glucoselevels–includingtheactionsofinsulinandglucagon–andtheeffectsoffoodintake,physicalactivityanddiabetesoninsulin,glucagonandbloodglucoselevels;

2.4.4 explainthesource,roleandcontrolofthyroxine;and2.4.5 demonstrateanunderstandingofthehomeostatic

mechanismsinvolvedintheregulationofsodium.



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Content

LearningOutcomes

2.4Homeostaticmechanismsandhowthesearemonitored (cont.)


2.4.6 explaintheimportanceofsodiumionsandchlorideionsinthehealthyfunctioningofthebody;

2.4.7 explainhowbloodisbufferedtomaintainnormal

bloodpHrange(7.35-7.45)andhowbloodpHismonitored;

2.4.8 describethecausesandconsequencesofblood

becomingacidicoralkaline;2.4.9 demonstrateanunderstandingofandexplainthe

monitoringofoxygensaturation(SaO2%;normallevels90-95%)bypulseoximeter,howoxygensaturationisaffectedbybloodpHandtemperature,andtheconditionswhichmayleadtoreducedSaO2%levels,includingcysticfibrosis,emphysemaandpneumonia;

2.5Nutrition andphysical exercisein maintaining goodhealth

2.5.1 demonstrateanunderstandingoftheimportanceofabalanceddietandregularphysicalexerciseinhelpingtomaintaingoodhealth;

2.5.2 describethecompositionofabalanced,healthydiet

foranaverageperson,includingtheproportionsofdifferentfoodgroups;

2.5.3 describetheshort-termandlong-termbenefitsofa

balanced,healthydiet;2.5.4 demonstrateanunderstandingthatbodymassis

gainedorlostwhentheenergycontentoffoodtakeninismoreorlessthantheamountofenergyexpendedbythebody,howfoodintakeandphysicalactivityinfluencebodymass,andtheeffectsofbeingoverweightandofobesityonshort-,medium-andlong-termhealth;and

2.5.5 collect,analyseandcomparethecompositionofthe

dietsofthreeormoreindividualswithasimilargenderandageprofile,criticallyevaluatingtheirdietsandclassifyingtheseashealthyorunhealthy.



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Content

LearningOutcomes

2.5Nutrition andphysical exercisein maintaining goodhealth(cont.)


2.5.6 comparethedifferentnutritionalandenergyneedsofbabies,infants,youngadults,pregnantwomen,adultsandolderpeople;

2.5.7 illustratehowadietmayneedtobemodifiedtosuit

theneedsofspecialistgroups,forexamplediabetics,theoverweightandobese,andolderpeople;

2.5.8 describethesource,regulationandfunctionof

cholesterol,sodium,calcium,iron,andvitaminsB,C,DandE;

2.5.9 summarisethemonitoringofnormalcholesterollevels

(4.0-6.5mmol/L)andthehealtheffectsofpersistentlyhighorlowcholesterol;

2.5.10 explainhowbloodlevelsofiron,sodiumandcalcium

aremeasuredandmonitored,theeffectsofdeficienciesonhealth,andhowthesedeficienciesmayberectified;

2.5.11 statenormallevelsofvitaminsB,C,DandE,how

thesearemonitored,theeffectsofdeficienciesonhealth,andhowthesedeficienciesmayberectified;

2.5.12 investigatecurrentUKalcoholintake

recommendationsandtheshort-termandlong-termhealtheffectsofalcoholconsumption,includingbothpositive(low-moderateconsumption)andnegativeeffects;and

2.5.13 evaluateshort-termandlong-termpositiveeffectsof

regularphysicalexerciseongeneralhealth,aswellascardiovascularandrespiratoryhealth.



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3.3 Unit AS 3: Aspects of Physical Chemistry in Industrial Processes

Inthisunitstudentsdevelopskillsinperformingcalculationsinchemistry.Studentscanalsoapplytheirknowledgeofenergetics,kineticsandequilibriumintheindustrialmanufactureofchemicals.Thisunitisassessedthroughanexternalexaminationconsistingofaseriesofcompulsorystructuredquestions,someofwhichmayallowopportunitiesforextendedwriting.

Content

LearningOutcomes

3.1Chemical calculations


3.1.1 usethechemicalformulaandrelativeatomicmassestocalculatetherelativeformulamassofasubstance,andtheamountofasubstance(moles)fromitsmassandviceversa;

3.1.2 constructandusebalancedsymbolequationsto

calculaterequiredquantitiesofreactants,theoreticalyieldsofproducts,percentageyieldfromexperimentaldataandtheoreticalyield;

3.2Volumetric analysis

3.2.1 describethetechniquesandproceduresusedtoprepareastandardsolutionoftherequiredconcentration;

3.2.2 demonstrateanunderstandingofthetechniquesand

proceduresusedwhencarryingoutacid-basetitrationsinvolving:• strongacid/strongbase;• strongacid/weakbase;and• weakacid/strongbase(forexampleanalysisofvinegar(ethanoicacid)orcarbatteryacid(sulfuricacid));

3.2.3 selectthecorrectindicatorforeachtypeoftitration

andrecallthecolourchangeofphenolphthaleinandmethylorangeattheendpoint;and

3.2.4 selectappropriatetitrationdata,ignoringanomalies,

tocalculatemeantitres.



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Content

LearningOutcomes

3.2Volumetricanalysis(cont.)


3.2.5 calculateconcentrationsandvolumesusingtitrationdata;

3.2.6 employthetermmolarity,M,andtheunitsofconcentration,forexamplemoldm-3;

3.3Energetics

3.3.1 demonstrateanunderstandingofthereasonswhychemicalreactionsusuallyinvolveheatchange;

3.3.2 contrastthetermsexothermicandendothermic;

3.3.3 definethetermstandardenthalpychange(∆Hq);

3.3.4 recallstandardconditionsas100kPaand298K;

3.3.5 demonstrateknowledgeofenthalpychangesin

combustionandneutralisationreactions;3.3.6 describecommonexperimentalmethodstodetermine

theenthalpychangeinacombustionandaneutralisationreaction;

3.3.7 recallandusetheequationQ=mc∆Ttocalculateenthalpychangesinareaction;

3.3.8 explaintheconceptoftheprincipleofconservationof

energy;3.3.9 defineHess’slaw;3.3.10 constructsimpleenthalpycyclesandusethesetocarry

outsimpleenthalpychangecalculations;3.3.11 explainthetermaveragebondenthalpy;3.3.12 useaveragebondenthalpiestocalculatetheenthalpy

changeofareaction;and3.3.13 accountforthedifferencesbetweentheoreticaland

experimentalbondenthalpyvalues.



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Content

LearningOutcomes

3.4Kinetics


3.4.1 definethetermsrateofreactionandactivationenergy;

3.4.2 constructareactionprofilediagram;3.4.3 explainthefactorsthataffecttherateofareaction,

includingconcentration,pressureofgases,temperatureanduseofacatalyst;

3.4.4 explaincommonpracticaltechniquestofollowthe

rateofareactionandanalysetheeffectsofthesefactors;

3.4.5 demonstrateanunderstandingofcollisiontheory;

3.4.6 recallandusetheMaxwell-Boltzmanndistribution

curvetoexplaintheeffectsofchangeintemperatureandactionofacatalystontherateofagivenreaction;

3.4.7 describetheprocessofchemisorptionincatalysis;3.4.8 definethetermcatalystanddescribetheroleofa

catalystinacatalyticconverter,includingtheconceptofcatalystpoisoning;

3.4.9 demonstrateanunderstandingoftheuseofasolid

(heterogeneous)catalystforindustrialreactions;and

3.4.10 evaluatetheeconomicbenefitsofusingcatalystsinindustrialreactions,includingthemanufactureofammonia,sulfuricacidandnitricacid.



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Content

LearningOutcomes

3.5Equilibrium


3.5.1 definethetermsreversiblereactionanddynamicequilibrium;

3.5.2 recalltheconditionsandequationsrequiredinthe

HaberprocessandtheContactprocess;3.5.3 evaluatedatato:

• explaintheneedtoreachacompromisebetweenyieldandrateofreactionformanyindustrialprocesses;and

• beabletopredicttheeffectsofchangesoftemperature,pressureandconcentrationonthepositionofequilibrium;

3.6Industrialprocesses

3.6.1 explainthetermsbatchandcontinuousprocess;3.6.2 demonstrateanunderstandingthatindustrymusttake

intoaccountcapital,directandindirectcostswhenmanufacturingchemicalsonalargescale;

3.6.3 compareandcontrastthedifferencesbetween

industrialscaleandlaboratoryscaleproductionofchemicals;

3.6.4 demonstrateanunderstandingoftheeconomics

linkedtoscalingupalaboratoryreaction;3.6.5 demonstrateanunderstandingofthelinkbetween

productioncostsanddeterminingthesellingpriceofachemical;and

3.6.6 considertheimpactofwastemanagement

requirementsassetoutinRequiredEnvironmentalInformation:Aguidetosupportinginformationrequiredforeffectiveconsultations(NorthernIrelandEnvironmentAgency,April2015),alongwithotherfactors,onthechoiceofasiteforanewchemicalmanufacturingplant.



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3.4 Unit AS 4: Brain Science Inthisunitstudentsexplorethescienceofthemindandthebrain.Theystudythefundamentalsofthestructureofthebrain,relevantphysiologicalandpsychologicalconditions,andresearchandtechnologiesusedinthefieldofneuroscience.Thisunitisinternallyassessed;studentscompleteaportfolioofevidence.Theypresentthisevidenceinvariousformsincludinginvestigations,reportsandfactsheetstodemonstratehowtheyhaveachievedallthelearningoutcomes.

Content

LearningOutcomes

4.1 Thehealthyandthedamaged brain


4.1.1 describethestructureofthebrain,includingthefunctionsofthefrontallobes,temporallobes,parietallobes,occipitallobes,corpuscallosum,ventricles,limbicsystem,basalgangliaandbrainstem;

4.1.2 demonstrateanunderstandingofthefunctionof

sensory,relayandmotorneurons,includingcalculatingthespeedatwhichanerveimpulsetravelsalongonehumanarm;

4.1.3 explaintheprocessofsynaptictransmission,including

neurotransmitters,excitationandinhibition;4.1.4 demonstrateanunderstandingofthefunctionofthe

endocrinesystem;4.1.5 explaintheroleofadrenalineandexperimentally

investigatetheeffectofadrenalineproductiononarangeofindividuals;

4.1.6 describethebehaviouralandcognitiveeffectsof

damagetofrontallobes;4.1.7 demonstrateanunderstandingoftheeffectof

Alzheimer’sdiseaseandHuntington’sdiseaseonthebrain;and

4.1.8 describestemcelltherapytotreatneurodegenerative

disease.



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Content

LearningOutcomes

4.1Thehealthyandthedamagedbrain(cont.)


4.1.9 describetheconditionofschizophrenia,includingthesymptoms,biologicalexplanations,genetics,thedopaminehypothesis,neuralcorrelates,psychologicalexplanations,anddrugandcognitivetherapies;

4.1.10 demonstrateanunderstandingofneuraland

hormonalmechanismsinaggression,includingtherolesofthelimbicsystem,serotoninandtestosterone,andgeneticfactorsincludingtheMAOAgene;

4.1.11 compareandcontrastinvasiveandnon-invasive

methodsofinvestigatingbrainfunction,includingbrainstimulation,lesionproduction,stereotaxicsurgeryandimagingtechniques;

4.1.12 researchandevaluatementalhealthawareness

statistics,strategiesandinitiativesinNorthernIreland;

4.2 Thephysiologicalandpsychologicaleffectsofstress

4.2.1 describethephysiologyofstress,generaladaptationsyndrome,thehypothalamic–pituitary-adrenalsystem,thesympathomedullarypathwayandtheroleofcortisol;

4.2.2 describeimplicationsofstressonillness,including

immunosuppressionandcardiovasculardisorders;4.2.3 demonstrateanunderstandingofthecausesofstress;4.2.4 compareandcontrastthepsychologicaland

physiologicalmeasurementofstress,includingself-reportscalesandskinconductanceresponse;and

4.2.5 evaluatestresstreatments,includingdrugtherapy,

stressinoculationtherapyandbiofeedback.



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Content

LearningOutcomes

4.3Cognitivescience


4.3.1 describethemulti-storemodelofmemory,sensoryregister,short-termmemoryandlong-termmemory;

4.3.2 demonstrateanunderstandingofthefeaturesofeach

store-coding,capacityandduration;4.3.3 describetypesoflong-termmemory-episodic,

semanticandprocedural;4.3.4 demonstrateanunderstandingoftheworkingmemory

model-centralexecutive,phonologicalloop,visuo-spatialsketchpadandepisodicbuffer;

4.3.5 compareexplanationsforforgetting-proactiveand

retroactiveinterference,andretrievalfailureduetoabsenceofcues;

4.3.6 describefactorsaffectingtheaccuracyofeyewitness

testimony-misleadinginformation,includingleadingquestionsandpost-eventdiscussion,andanxiety;

4.4Psychopathologyandtreatment

4.4.1 demonstrateanunderstandingofdefinitionsofabnormality,includingdeviationfromsocialnorms,failuretofunctionadequately,statisticalinfrequencyanddeviationfromidealmentalhealth;

4.4.2 explainthebehavioural,emotionalandcognitive

characteristicsofphobias,depressionandobsessive-compulsivedisorder(OCD);

4.4.3 describethebehaviouralapproachtoexplainingand

treatingphobias;4.4.4 describethecognitiveapproachtoexplainingand

treatingdepression-Beck’sNegativeTriad,Ellis’sABCmodelandcognitivebehaviouraltherapy(CBT),includingchallengingirrationalthoughts;and

4.4.5 describethebiologicalapproachtoexplainingand

treatingOCD-geneticandneuralexplanations,anddrugtherapy.



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Content

LearningOutcomes

4.5Researchmethods


4.5.1 compareandcontrastthefollowingtypesofexperiment:• laboratoryandfieldexperiments;and• naturalandquasi-experiments;

4.5.2 compareandcontrastthefollowingtypesof

observation:• naturalisticandcontrolledobservation;• covertandovertobservation;and• participantandnon-participantobservation;

4.5.3 describeself-reporttechniques,construct

questionnairesandconductinterviews(structuredandunstructured);

4.5.4 collectandprocessquantitativeandqualitativedata

anddemonstrateanunderstandingofthedistinctionbetweenquantitativeandqualitativedatacollectiontechniques;

4.5.5 analysetherelationshipbetweenco-variables

(correlation);4.5.6 stateaimsandhypothesesfortwospecific

investigations;4.5.7 demonstrate,throughinvestigation,anunderstanding

ofsampling:• thedifferencebetweenpopulationandsample;• samplingtechniques;• bias;and• generalisation;

4.5.8 compareandcontrastpeer-producedexperimental

designs,repeatedmeasures,independentgroupsandmatchedpairs;and

4.5.9 constructquestionnaires,includingopenandclosed

questions,anddesigninterviews.



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Content

LearningOutcomes

4.5 Researchmethods(cont.)


4.5.10 demonstrateanunderstandingofvariables–themanipulationandcontrolofvariables,includingindependentanddependentvariables,appliedtoarangeofspecificpracticalinvestigations;

4.5.11 demonstrateanunderstandingofethics,including:

• anawarenessofhowtheBritishPsychologicalSociety’scodeofethicsinfluencesdecision-making;and

• reviewinganddebatingcurrentethicalissuesinthedesignandconductofpsychologicalstudies;

4.5.12 describetheroleofpeerreviewinthescientific

processandcompleteareviewoftheexperimentalworkofotherstudents;

4.5.13 usedescriptivestatisticstoprocesscollecteddata:

• measuresofcentraltendency–mean,medianandmode;

• calculationofmean,medianandmode;• measuresofdispersion;• rangeandstandarddeviation;• calculationofrange;and• calculationofpercentages;

4.5.14 presentanddisplayquantitativedataobtainedfrom

investigativestudy–graphs,tables,scattergramsandbarcharts;and

4.5.15 demonstrateanunderstandingofnormalandskewed

distributions.



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3.5 Unit AS 5: Material Science Inthisunitstudentslearnaboutavarietyofphysicalpropertiesthatcanbemeasuredandusedtodescribeandselectdifferentmaterials.Theyrelatethesepropertiestomicroscopicstructureandinvestigateavarietyofdifferentmaterialgroups,rangingfrombiomaterialstonanostructuresandsemiconductors.Thisunitisassessedthroughanexternalexaminationconsistingofaseriesofcompulsorystructuredquestions,someofwhichmayallowopportunitiesforextendedwriting.

Content

LearningOutcomes

5.1Materialproperties


5.1.1 investigatepracticallyarangeofmaterialstodemonstrateanunderstandingofhowtheyareselecteddependingontheirproperties;

5.1.2 definechemicalresistance,electricalconductivity,thermalconductivity,coefficientoffriction,ductility,malleability,elasticity,tensilestrength,stress,strain,theYoungmodulus,yieldstrengthandplasticity;

5.1.3 conductexperimentstodetermine:

• stressandstrain;• theYoungmodulus;• hardness(Vickersmethod);and• electricalconductivity;

5.1.4 recallandusetheequation:

stress(σ)=force(F)

cross-sectionalarea(A)


strain(ε)=changeinlength(∆l)originallength(lo)


theYoungmodulus(E)=stress(σ)strain(𝜀)



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Content

LearningOutcomes

5.1Materialproperties(cont.)


5.1.7 interpretanddrawconclusionsaboutmaterialswhenpresentedwithstress-straingraphs;

5.1.8 carryoutanddescribeanexperimentthatwillyielda

stress-straingraphdemonstratingplasticity;

5.1.9 demonstrateanunderstandingoftheconceptsofcreepandfatiguestrength;


Density(ρ)=Mass(m)Volume(V)

5.1.11 convertdensitiesfromnon-commonunitsfor

comparisonpurposes,forexamplecomparinggcm-3tokgl-1;

5.2Categorisingmaterials

5.2.1 investigatearangeofgeneralmaterialsthatcanbegroupedintodistinctcategoriesandbeawareofmetals,ceramics,glasses,polymersandcomposites;

5.2.2 giveexamplesofmaterialsineachofthecategoriesinvestigatedandjustifytheiruseinarangeofsituations;

5.3Microscopicstructure

5.3.1 labeladiagramofaBohrmodelatom(knowledgeofsub-orbitalsisnotrequired);

5.3.2 describehowthepropertiesofmetalsrelatetomicroscopicstructure;

5.3.3 describehowthepropertiesofcrystalline,amorphousandpolymericmaterialsrelatetomicroscopicstructure;

5.3.4 demonstrateanunderstandingofthedifferenceinmicroscopicstructurebetweenthermosettingandthermoplastics;and

5.3.5 explaintypicalusesofthermosettingandthermoplastics.



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Content

LearningOutcomes

5.3Microscopicstructure(cont.)


5.3.6 describehowthepropertiesofcompositematerialsrelatetomicroscopicstructure;

5.3.7 investigatethecrystalstructureofarangeofmaterials

usingapolarisinglightmicroscope;

5.4Alloysandmetalworking

5.4.1 describewhatanalloyis;5.4.2 investigatepracticallyandcomparethephysical

propertiesofbronze,brassandstainlesssteel;

5.4.3 giveexamplesofalloys,theirconstituentmaterialsandcommonuses,includingsteel,stainlesssteel,invar,bronze,brassandnichrome;

5.4.4 describethepurposeandprocessofannealing;5.4.5 analysedatarelatingtotheconstituentmake-upof

alloysandresultingpropertiestoarriveatadecisionaboutthesuitabilityofaparticularalloyforagiventask;

5.5Biomaterials

5.5.1 describewhatismeantbybiomaterial;

5.5.2 demonstrateanunderstandingofthedifferencesbetweenbiotolerant,bioactiveandbioinertbiomaterials;

5.6Smartmaterials

5.6.1 defineasmartmaterialandinvestigatethepropertiesofarangeofsmartmaterials;

5.6.2 brieflyoutlinethedefiningfeaturesofshape-memoryalloys,piezoelectricmaterials,quantum-tunnellingcomposites,thermochromaticmaterials,photochromaticmaterialsandelectroluminescentmaterials;and

5.6.3 applyknowledgeofsmartmaterialfeaturestospecificsituations.



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Content

LearningOutcomes

5.7Nanomaterials


5.7.1 describethestructureofgraphite,grapheneandacarbonnanotube;

5.7.2 demonstrateanunderstandingofthephysicalpropertiesofcarbonnanotubes;

5.7.3 evaluatethepotentialusesforcarbonnanotubesinhealthcare(forexamplenitricoxidesensors,drugloadingcapacity,selectivecancercelldestruction,bio-stresssensors,glucosedetectionbiosensorsandscaffoldingfortissueregeneration);

5.7.4 evaluatethebenefitsandrisksofnanotechnologyto

society;

5.8 Semiconductors

5.8.1 demonstrateanunderstandingofhowtheelectronconfigurationofsiliconmakesitanexcellentsemiconductormaterial;

5.8.2 describebrieflyhown-typeandp-typedopingallowcurrentflowindopedsilicon;

5.8.3 applytheirknowledgeofdopingtobrieflyexplain

diodebehaviour;and

5.9Industrialconsiderations

5.9.1 evaluatetheexternalfactorsthatinfluencethechoiceofmaterialforaparticularsituation-price,environmentalconsiderations,qualityrequired,demandandregulations.



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3.6 Unit AS 6: Medicine, Drugs and Clinical Trials Inthisunitstudentsexploretheproblemsassociatedwithdevelopingnewmedicinesandhowthesemustbecontrolled.Theyconsidertheroleofmedicinesandtheirimportanceineverydaylife.Theyalsoinvestigatehowdifferentmedicinesaredevelopedandtrialledbythepharmaceuticalindustryandsynthesisedfromchemicalandnaturalsources.Theydiscovertheimportanceofmaintaininghighstandardsinthequalityofamedicine.Theyalsoevaluatethesafetyandeffectsofmedicineandtheneedformonitoring.Thisunitisinternallyassessed;studentscompleteaportfolioofevidence.Theportfoliomustincludetworeports,oneoneachofthefollowing:

• thequantitativeanalysisofamedicine;and• thebioassayofthemedicinesoutlinedin6.4.2below.

Content

LearningOutcomes

6.1 Categoriesofmedicine


6.1.1 definewhatadrug/medicineis;

6.1.2 categorisemedicinesaccordingtotheirpurpose,forexampleantibioticorantiviral;and

6.1.3 demonstrateknowledgeandunderstandingofmethodsofdevelopingnewdrugs,including:• accidentaldiscovery;• demandforaparticularmedicine;• derivingmoderndrugsfromtraditionallyusedones;• observingwildlifeandplants,forexampletropicalplants(becauseoftheirgreatdiversity);

• usingchemicalfingerprintingtechnologytomoreeffectivelyscreenchemicalsfortheirnaturalmedicinalproperties;

• genetics;• studyinghowpathogenicmicroorganismsinteractwithhumancells;and

• syntheticdrugsinthelaboratory.



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Content

LearningOutcomes

6.2Medicinesfromconcepttoconsumer


6.2.1 chooseonemoderndaymedicinethathasbeenderivedfromnaturalsources-forexampleYondelis,Taxol,Digitoxin,aspirin,penicillin,Paclitaxel,TiotropiumorHeparin;

6.2.2 outlinetheprocessesusedtodeveloptheirchosenmedicine;

6.2.3 includethefollowingintheirportfolio:

• adescriptionofhowmedicinesarenamedaccordingtotheAnatomicalTherapeuticChemical(ATC)ClassificationSystem;

• anexplanationofnomenclatureofmedicines(bothingeneralandspecifictotheirchosenmedicine);and

• thechemicalnameandstructureoftheirchosenmedicine(highlightingfunctionalgroups),anditsgenericandtradenames;and

6.2.4 includethefollowingintheirportfolio:

• wheretheirchosenmedicineoriginallycamefrom;• howtheywouldcategoriseitaccordingtoitsaction;• theextractionandrefinementprocessforthedrug;• stagesindrugdevelopmentfrompre-discoverytolaunch;

• thefactorsthatimpactthedesignofaclinicaltrial;• howtrialsareputtogethertoensurethattheonlyfactorwhichchangesisintervention,includingpreclinicalinvitroandinvivotrials,pharmacologyandtoxicologytesting,andED50andlethaldoseLD50;

• howclinicaltrialsensurethatclinicaldecisionsarebasedonthebestavailableevidence,includingtypesoftrialsandtrialprotocol;and

• howclinicaltrialresultsaregroupedtogetherfromdifferentcohortsinordertoincreasetheevidencebase.



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Content

LearningOutcomes

6.2Medicinesfromconcepttoconsumer(cont.)


6.2.5 investigate,interpretandevaluatetheperformancecriterialaidoutwhenanewmedicineisdevelopedandtrialled;

6.2.6 describethedevelopmentandtestingprocessthata

medicinegoesthroughbeforealicenceisissuedandtheproductislaunched;

6.2.7 describetherolesandresponsibilitiesof

manufacturers;6.2.8 describetherolesandresponsibilitiesoftheUK

regulatorybodies;6.2.9 discussandevaluatethevariouspossibleformulations

ofmedicinesandtheprosandconsofeach,including:• themonitoringofblacktriangledrugsusingtheyellowcardscheme;and

• thesideeffectsandcontraindicationsofmedicines;and

6.2.10 summarisetheethicalissues,patientconsentand

safetyguidelinesassociatedwiththedevelopmentoftheirchosenmedicine.



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Content

LearningOutcomes

6.2Medicinesfromconcepttoconsumer(cont.)


6.2.11 fortheirchosenmedicine,investigateanddiscuss:• pharmacodynamics–thestudyofhowchemicalsexerttheireffects;

• pharmacokinetics–howmuchofthedrugshouldbeusedtogetthedesiredeffectwithoutgettingunwantedeffects;

• thedose–relatingittothetherapeuticindex,andhowappropriatedosingisdetermined;

• administration–themechanismbywhichadrugentersthebody,describingthemethodsofadministrationofmedicines,highlightingtheadvantagesanddisadvantages;

• absorption–howadrugisassimilatedintothebody,forexamplebydisintegration,dissolutionordirectabsorptionatthesiteofaction;

• distributionandmetabolism–– howthemedicineistransported,distributedandmetabolisedbythebody;

– factorsthataffectdistribution,includingbindingtoplasmaproteins,extentofbloodsupply,bindingofdrugstoothertissuecomponents,andpH;and

– factorsthataffecthowmuchofamedicineismetabolised;and

• elimination–howthedrugisremovedfromthebodyandfactorsaffectinghowdrugsareexcretedfromthebody,includingindividualvariation;

6.3Actionsofmedicinesinthebodyrelatingtofunctionality

6.3.1 explain,fortheirchosenmedicine:• factorsthataffecttheactionofthemedicine,includingfunctionalgroups,molecularstructureandelimination(viaexcretionormetabolism)fromthebody;and

• thesiteofaction,forexampleorgans,cellmembranes,muscles,bloodorthenervoussystem;and

6.3.2 describethefactorsthataffecttheactionsoftheirchosenmedicinewithinthebody.



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Content

LearningOutcomes

6.4 Analysisofmedicinesthroughquantitativeanalysisandbioassays


6.4.1 reportonthequantitativeanalysisofachosenmedicineandbioassayfrom6.4.2;

6.4.2 researchsuitablemethodsforquantitativeanalysis, forexampleoneofthefollowing:

• determiningthepercentagepurityofaspirininover-the-counteraspirintabletsviabacktitration;or

• determiningtheamountofironpresentinanirontabletviatitrationwithpotassiumpermanganate;

andoneofthefollowing:• theeffectofampicillinonbacterialgrowth;or• theeffectofdifferentconcentrationsofanantibacterialagentonbacterialgrowth;

6.4.3 refertoappropriatebackgroundscientificprinciplesin

theirportfolio;

6.4.4 describeindetailthepracticalprocedurestobeused;6.4.5 selectappropriateequipmentanduseitsafely;6.4.6 demonstrateprecisiontocarryouttheiranalysis

effectively;6.4.7 demonstrateevidenceofworkingwithrelative

autonomy;6.4.8 carryoutcomprehensive,detailedandaccuraterisk

assessments;6.4.9 obtaincompleteandaccurateresults;and

6.4.10 evaluateandjustifythemethod(s)theyusedand

discusshowthesecouldbeimproved.



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3.7 Unit A2 1: Scientific Method, Investigation, Analysis and Evaluation

Inthisunitstudentshavetheopportunitytodemonstrateanunderstandingofwhatmakesaninvestigationscientific.Theycarryoutresearchandgettochoose,planandundertakeascientificinvestigation.Theywillcommunicatetheirresultsandconclusions,andevaluatetheirwork.Thisunitisinternallyassessed;studentscompleteaportfolioofevidencethatincludesanessay,plans,alabbook,andareportwithanalysisandevaluation.

Content

LearningOutcomes

7.1Thescientificmethod


7.1.1 demonstrateanunderstandingofwhatmakesaninvestigationscientific:• demonstrateanunderstandingofnegativeresults;• generateideasfortheareasinsciencethatinterestthemandforassociatedexperimentalwork;

• identifyfactorsthatmakeagoodscientificinvestigation;and

• statetheirchoiceofareaforexperimentalresearch;7.1.2 demonstrateanunderstandingoftherequirements

fortechnicalwritinginscientificcommunication;7.1.3 useinformationresources:

• identify,locateandextractrelevantinformationfromupto10sources;and

• usetheHarvardsystemtoreferencethesources;7.1.4 demonstrateknowledgeofstatisticalconcepts

includingmean,median,mode,variance,standarddeviation,normaldistribution,inferentialstatistics,nullhypothesis,alternativehypothesis,significance,probabilityandconfidencelevels:• chooseastatisticaltest;and• useacomputerspreadsheetfordescriptivestatistics;and

7.1.5 demonstrateanunderstandingofDesignof

Experiment(DoE),usingacomputerspreadsheettoproduceresults,ifapplicable.



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Content

LearningOutcomes

7.1 Thescientificmethod(cont.)


7.1.6 ensurethequalityoftheirinvestigation:• GoodLaboratoryPractice(GLP);• GoodManufacturingPractice(GMP);• GoodClinicalPractice(GCP);and• useofchecklists;

7.1.7 demonstrateanunderstandingofhealthandsafety

requirements:• riskassessment;• eliminationorminimisationofidentifiedrisks;and• physicalresources;

7.2Scientificinvestigation

7.2.1 chooseasuitablescientificinvestigation;7.2.2 writeareferencedliteraturereview,analysingthe

researchinformationanddiscussingitsrelevancetotheplannedexperiment;

7.2.3 useinvestigationdesignprinciples:

• formulateanaim(oraims);• identifyindependentanddependentvariables;• writeahypothesis;• evaluatedifferentapproachesconsideredfortheinvestigation,justifyingthehypothesischosen;

• stateproposedanalyticaltechniquestobeused;• assesspossibleerrorsinpracticalwork;• assesshealthandsafety-identifyhazards,performariskassessment,recordriskcontrolinthelaboratoryandperformaControlofSubstancesHazardoustoHealth(COSHH)assessment(wherenecessary);

• identifyanyethicalissues;• identifyresourcesandhowtheywillobtainthem;• identifyanytrainingneedsforusingnewequipmentortechniques;and

• identifymilestones;and7.2.4 produceadraftprojectplan.



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Content

LearningOutcomes

7.2Scientificinvestigation(cont.)


7.2.5 conductatrialoftheexperimentalwork:• definethemethod;• analyseresults;and• reviewandupdateallaspectsoftheprojectplan;

7.2.6 producearealisticprojectplanforascientific

investigation:• conductascientificinvestigation;• keeparecordofhealthandsafetyprotocol;• describetheuseofequipmentand/orlabtechniques;

• demonstrateGLP;and• ensureaccuracyandprecisionofresults;

7.3Scientificanalysis

7.3.1 performscientificanalysis,takingintoaccount:• organisationofdata;• statisticalanalysis;• unitsanddimensions;• assessmentofaccuracyandprecision;• reproducibilityandreliability;and• errorsandhowtoreducethem;

7.4Scientificevaluation

7.4.1 presentresultsandstatisticaldataanalysisinanappropriateformat;

7.4.2 stateaconclusion;and

7.4.3 produceascientificevaluation.



36

3.8 Unit A2 2: Organic Chemistry Inthisunitstudentsfocusonbasicreactionswithinorganicchemistry.Wehavedividedtheunitofworkintothreedistinctareas:nomenclature,structureandisomerismwithinorganiccompounds;usesofalkanes,alkenesandalcoholsinindustry;andcommonpolymers,theirusesandsafedisposal.Studentsconsidertheusesoforganiccompoundsincontributingtoanincreasingcarbonfootprint.Theyalsodevelopanunderstandingofthepreparationofasimpleorganiccompoundandevaluateitspurity.Thisunitisassessedthroughanexternalexaminationconsistingofaseriesofcompulsorystructuredquestions,someofwhichmayallowopportunitiesforextendedwriting.

Content

LearningOutcomes

8.1Nomenclature,structureandisomerisminorganiccompounds


8.1.1 demonstrateanunderstandingthatahydrocarboniscomposedofcarbonandhydrogenonly;

8.1.2 demonstrateanunderstandingofthetermsempirical

andmolecularformulaandtherelationshipbetweenthem;

8.1.3 representorganicmoleculesaccordingtostructural,

skeletal,molecularandgeneralformulae;8.1.4 calculateempiricalandmolecularformulaeusingdata,

givingcompositionbymass;8.1.5 demonstrateanunderstandingofthetermsstructural

formulae,homologousseriesandfunctionalgroups;8.1.6 applyInternationalUnionofPureandApplied

Chemistry(IUPAC)rulestonamingorganiccompoundswithuptosixcarbonatoms;

8.1.7 classifyreactionsformoleculesuptosixcarbonatoms

longasaddition,elimination,substitution,oxidation,reduction,hydrolysisorpolymerisation;and

8.1.8 describeandexplainstructuralisomerismforaliphatic

compoundscontaininguptosixcarbonatoms.



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Content

LearningOutcomes

8.1Nomenclature,structureandisomerisminorganiccompounds(cont.)


8.1.9 determinethepossiblestructureandskeletalformulaeofanorganicmoleculegivenitsmolecularformula;

8.1.10 demonstrateanunderstandingofhowstereoisomers(geometricalisomers)existforalkenesincisandtrans(E−Z)formsduetotheenergybarriertorotationinthesecompounds(wheretwoofthesubstituentgroupsarethesame);

8.2Hydrocarbons-alkanes

8.2.1 writethegeneralformulaeforalkanesasCnH2n+2;

8.2.2 demonstrateanunderstandingandexplainthatalkanesandcycloalkanesaresaturatedcompounds;

8.2.3 recallthestructuralandmolecularformulaefor

alkaneswithuptosixcarbonatoms;8.2.4 demonstrateanunderstandingthatalkanefuelsare

obtainedfromthefractionaldistillation,crackingandreformingofcrudeoil;

8.2.5 applyIUPACrulestonamingalkaneswithuptosix

carbonatoms;8.2.6 describethefollowingreactionsusingbalanced

symbolequations:• thecombustionofalkanesinbothlimitedandplentifulsuppliesofair;and

• thesubstitutionreactionbetweenmethaneandhalogens;

8.2.7 statethatpollutantsincludingcarbonmonoxide,

oxidesofnitrogenandsulfur,carbonparticulatesandunburnedhydrocarbonsareformedduringthecombustionofalkanefuels;and

8.2.8 discusstheenvironmentalproblemsassociatedwith

spillageandcombustionofhydrocarbons.



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Content

LearningOutcomes

8.2Hydrocarbons–alkanes(cont.)


8.2.9 demonstrateanunderstandingofhowusingacatalyticconvertersolvessomeproblemscausedbyvehicleemissionsbyallowingtheconversionofcarbonmonoxidetocarbondioxideandwater,andofNOxtonitrogen;

8.2.10 demonstrateanunderstandingoftheuseof

alternativefuels,includingalcoholandbiodieselderivedfromrenewablesourcessuchasplants,comparingthesewithnon-renewablefossilfuels;

8.3Hydrocarbons–alkenes

8.3.1 writethegeneralformulaeforalkenesasCnH2n;8.3.2 demonstrateanunderstandingandexplainthat

alkenesandcycloalkenesareunsaturatedcompoundsandthattheydecolourisebrominewater(qualitativetestrequired);

8.3.3 recallthestructuralandmolecularformulaeforalkeneswithuptosixcarbonatoms;

8.3.4 applyIUPACrulestonamealkeneswithuptosix

carbonatoms;and8.3.5 demonstrateanunderstandingofthebondingin

alkenesintermsofsigmaandpibonds.



39

Content

LearningOutcomes

8.3Hydrocarbons–alkenes(cont.)


8.3.6 demonstrateanunderstandingofandwriteappropriatebalancedsymbolequationsfor:• theadditionreactionsofalkeneswithhydrogeninthepresenceofanickelcatalyst,toformanalkane(knowledgeoftheapplicationofcatalytichydrogenationtothemanufactureofmargarineisexpected;however,detailedstructureoftheoilmoleculeisnotexpected);

• thereactionbetweenhydrogenbromide,etheneandhalogenstoproducemono-ordi-halogenoalkanesviewedasanelectrophilicadditionmechanism;

• thehydrationofalkenesusingsteaminthepresenceofacatalysttoproducealcohols;and

• theadditionpolymerisationofalkenes,includingetheneandpropene;

8.4Alcohols

8.4.1 explainthatalcoholscanbeclassifiedasprimary,secondaryortertiary;

8.4.2 writethegeneralformulaeofalcoholsasCnH2n+1OH;8.4.3 recallmolecularandstructuralformulaewithuptosix

carbons(referringtoprimary,secondaryandtertiarystructures);

8.4.4 applyIUPACrulestonamealcoholswithonehydroxyl

groupanduptosixcarbonatoms;8.4.5 describethepreparationofalcoholsfrom

halogenoalkanes;8.4.6 describetheindustrialpreparationofalcoholfrom:

• thereactionofsteamwithetheneinthepresenceofphosphoricacid;and

• thefermentationofsugarstomakeethanol;and8.4.7 discusstheuseofethanolinalcoholicbeveragesand

itsuseasarecreationaldrugwhichcanhavebeneficialandharmfuleffects.



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Content

LearningOutcomes

8.4Alcohols(cont.)


8.4.8 usebalancedsymbolequationsforthereactionsofalcoholswith:• concentratedphosphoricacidtoformalkenesbyelimination(mechanismofreactionnotexpected);and

• potassiumdichromate(VI)indilutesulfuricacidtooxidiseprimaryalcoholstoaldehydesandcarboxylicacids,andsecondaryalcoholstoketones(usingBenedict’sorFehling’ssolutiontotestforthealdehyde);

8.5Polymers

8.5.1 demonstrateanunderstandingthatadditionpolymersaremadefrommoleculescontainingC=Cbonds;

8.5.2 demonstrateanunderstandingthatpolytheneis

chemicallyinertandthisleadstoaneedforwastemanagementstrategies,including:• incinerationtoreleaseenergy;• recycling;and• usingitasfeedstockforcracking;

8.5.3 evaluatehowchemistscanlimittheproblemslinked

topolymerdisposalby:• removingtoxicwastegasescausedbytheincinerationofplastics;and

• continuingtodevelopbiodegradablepolymers;and

8.6Spectroscopictechniques

8.6.1 demonstrateanunderstandingofhowacombinationofinfrared(IR)spectroscopyandmassspectrometrycanbeusedtoidentifyorganiccompounds;



41

Content

LearningOutcomes

8.7Makingandpurifyingorganiccompounds–thepreparationofaspirin


8.7.1 investigatethemainstepsintheproductionandrecrystallisationoflaboratorygradeaspirin;

8.7.2 determinethepurityoflaboratorysynthesisedaspirin

usingferricchloride;8.7.3 determinethetheoreticalandactualpercentageyield

fromalaboratorypreparedsampleofaspirin;8.7.4 determinethemeltingpointoflaboratorysynthesised

aspirincomparedtoindustriallypreparedaspirin;8.7.5 suggestandexplainanymodificationstheywould

maketotheirmethodand/ortheproducttoimproveitsqualityand/oryield;and

8.8Makingnylon

8.8.1 describetheprocessofcondensationpolymerisationtoproducenylon.



42

3.9 Unit A2 3: Medical Physics Thisunitenablesstudentstoappreciatethephysicalprinciplesusedinhealthcareapplicationsformedicalmonitoring,diagnosisandtreatment.Theunitincludesphysiologicalmeasurement,invasiveandnon-invasiveimagingtechniquesandthemedicaluseofradioactiveisotopes.Studentsdevelopanunderstandingoftheprinciplesandtechniques,theeffectivenessoftheapplications,andhealthandsafetyconsiderations.Thisunitisassessedthroughanexternalexaminationconsistingofcompulsorystructuredquestions,someofwhichallowopportunitiesforcalculationandextendedwriting.

Content

LearningOutcomes

9.1Physiologicalmeasurementstomonitorhealth


9.1.1 demonstrateanunderstandingofbodytemperaturemeasurementsandcomparecommonlyusedthermometersthatmeasurebodytemperature;

9.1.2 demonstrateanunderstandingoftherangeoftemperaturesoverwhichthebodycansurvive;

9.1.3 demonstrateanunderstandingofthemeasurementof

bloodpressure;

9.1.4 demonstrateanunderstandingofthesphygmomanometerandinvestigateitsusetocollectandevaluatedata;

9.1.5 scrutinisearangeofbloodpressurevaluesandanalysethemwithreferencetonormalvaluesofbloodpressure;

9.1.6 developanexperimenttomonitorheartactivityeffectivelyandcomparethiscriticallytotheusesoftheelectrocardiogram(ECG);

9.1.7 demonstrateanunderstandingofhowbrainactivitycanbemonitoredandexplorehowtheelectroencephalogram(EEG)canbeusedtomonitorbrainactivity;and

9.1.8 recognisetypicalEEGtracesandillustratetheiruseindiagnosingbrainconditions.



43

Content

LearningOutcomes

9.2 Diagnosticimagingtechniques


9.2.1 describethephysicalprinciplesandapplicationof,andtheequipmentusedin,thefollowingdiagnosticimagingtechniques:• conventionalX-rays;• computerisedtomography(CT)scans;• theflexibleendoscope,includingtheuseoflasersandopticalfibres;

• ultrasonicA-scansandB-scans;• magneticresonanceimaging(MRI)scans;and• conventionalgammarayimaging;

9.2.2 recallthatthepropertiesofX-raysareionising

radiationofhighenergyandhighfrequencyandthattheyarepartoftheelectromagneticspectrum;

9.2.3 demonstrateanunderstandingofthefunctionsofthe

maincomponentsinanX-raytube;9.2.4 recallthatX-raysareabsorbedmorebytissuesofhigh

densitythanbytissuesoflowdensity;9.2.5 demonstrateanunderstandingoftheoperationofan

opticalfibreinthecontextofendoscopy;9.2.6 demonstrateanunderstandingofthetermscoherent

andincoherentbundlesinendoscopes;9.2.7 recallthatapracticalendoscoperequiresseveral

channels,includingachannelfortargetillumination,imagecollection,irrigationandsurgicaltools;and

9.2.8 definespecificacousticimpedance,Z,astheproduct

ofthedensityofthetissueandthespeedofsoundinthattissue,andcalculateitsnumericalvalue.



44

Content

LearningOutcomes

9.2 Diagnosticimagingtechniques(cont.)


9.2.9 definetheintensityreflectioncoefficient,R,betweentissuesofdifferentspecificacousticimpedanceZ1andZ2as

andusetheequationtocalculateR;9.2.10 recallthat,whileultrasoundhasafrequencygreater

than20kHz,thefrequencyoftheultrasoundusedinmedicalimagingtypicallyliesbetween1MHzand18MHz;

9.2.11 recallthatdeepstructuressuchasliverandkidneyare

imagedatlowerfrequencies(1–6MHz),whichgivegreaterpenetrationthanhighfrequenciesbutcannotresolvefinestructures;

9.2.12 recallthatstructuresnearerthesurfacesuchasthe

breastandthyroidglandsareimagedathigherfrequencies(7–18MHz)becausetheydonothavetopenetratedeeplyintothebody,andthesecanresolvefinestructures;

9.2.13 demonstrateanunderstandingthattheintensity

reflectioncoefficient,R,isameasureofthefractionoftheincidentsoundenergywhichisreflected;and

9.2.14 demonstrateanunderstandingoftheneedforagel

betweentheultrasoundprobeandtheskintoallowultrasoundwavestobetransmittedintoandoutofthebodywithoutlargeenergyloss.



45

Content

LearningOutcomes

9.3 Medicalusesofradiation


9.3.1 investigatetheuseanddetectionofthetypesofradiationusedinmedicinefordiagnosisandtherapy;

9.3.2 demonstrateanunderstandingofpropertiesof

alpha(a),beta(b)andgamma(g)radiation;9.3.3 identifythedangersofeachtypeofradiation;9.3.4 investigateexperimentally,ordevelopamathematical

modelof,theprocessofradioactivedecay;9.3.5 recallthattheactivity,A,ofaradioactivematerialis

measuredinBecquerel(Bq)andthat1Bqrepresentsonedisintegrationinasecond;

9.3.6 definethephysicalhalf-lifeofaradioactivematerialas

thetimetakenfortheactivityofthatmaterialtodecreasetohalfofitsoriginalactivity;

9.3.7 recallthatthephysicalhalf-lifeofaradionuclide,T1/2,

isrelatedtothedecayconstant,l,bytheequationT1/2=0.693/l;

9.3.8 observeanddescribeanexperimenttodeterminethe

half-lifeofprotactinium;9.3.9 definebiologicalhalf-lifeofaradioisotopeasthetime

ittakesforhalfofthatradioisotopetoberemovedfromthebodybynaturalmetabolicprocesses;

9.3.10 categorisetheusesofradiationinmedicaldiagnosis

andtreatment;and9.3.11 criticallyevaluatetheprecautionstakenbymedical

physicistswhenusingradiation.



46

Content

LearningOutcomes

9.3 Medicalusesofradiation(cont.)


9.3.12 comparetheuseofdifferentradiopharmaceuticalsandevaluatetheirspecificpropertieswhichenabletheiruseindiagnosticnuclearmedicine,including:• technetium-99–agammaemittingradioactivetracerusedinmedicalimaging;

• rubidium-82–apharmaceuticalrapidlytakenupbytheheartmuscleandusedinpositronemissiontomography(PET)perfusionimaging;and

• thallium-201intheformofthalliumchlorideforcardiacimagingandthedetectionofcancers;

9.3.13 demonstrateanunderstandingofhowthemedicaluse

ofradiationcontributestothebackgroundcount;9.3.14 demonstrateanunderstandingofhowbackground

radiationistakenintoaccountinexperimentalinvestigation;and

9.3.15 recallandusetheequationsforradioactivedecay

A=Aoe-ltand lnA=lnAo-lt

andusetheseequationstocalculateA(activityattimet),Ao(originalactivity),l (decayconstant)andt(elapsedtime).



47

3.10 Unit A2 4: Sound and Light Inthisunitstudentslearnaboutsomeoftheunderlyingprinciplesofwavemechanicsandhowthesemechanicsinteractwithhumanactivity.Theyinvestigatehumanhearingandsight,thesubjectivenatureofhearing,andvisioncorrection.Learnersalsoexploreandappreciatehowlightisusedincommunicationandhowradiowavesareusefulineverythingfromtelevisiontowi-fiandobjectranging.Thisunitisassessedthroughanexternalexaminationconsistingofaseriesofcompulsorystructuredquestions,someofwhichmayallowopportunitiesforcalculationandextendedwriting.

Content

LearningOutcomes

10.1Waves


10.1.1 differentiatebetweentransverseandlongitudinalwaves,andmanipulatecomputerisedsimulationsofthesewaveforms,suchasinVirtualPhysicsLaboratory;

10.1.2 recogniseexamplesoftransverseandlongitudinal

waves;10.1.3 calculateamplitudeandwavelengthfrom

displacement-displacementgraphs;10.1.4 explaintimeperiodfromdisplacement-timegraphs

andhowitrelatestothefrequencyofthewave;10.1.5 calculatewavespeed,recallingandusingv=fl;10.1.6 calculatefrequencyfromtimeperiod;10.1.7 demonstrateanunderstandingoftheconceptof

phasedifference;10.1.8 calculatethephasedifferencebetweentwowavesof

identicalwavelengthandspeed;10.1.9 appreciatethatvisiblelightisaconstituentpartofthe

electromagneticspectrum;and10.1.10 comparethesimilarfeaturesofelectromagnetic

spectrumwaves.



48

Content

LearningOutcomes

10.2Theear


10.2.1 describethefunctionofthemainpartsoftheouterear,including:• pinna(auricle);• auditorycanal;and• tympanicmembrane(eardrum);

10.2.2 describethefunctionofthemainpartsofthemiddleear,including:• ossicles–malleus,incusandstapes;and• Eustachiantube;

10.2.3 describethefunctionofthemainpartsoftheinner

ear,including:• ovalwindow;• cochlea;• auditorynerve;and• semi-circularcanals;

10.3Soundmeasurement

10.3.1 explainsoundintensityandstateitsunitsasWm-2;

10.3.2 performanexperimenttoinvestigatetheirpersonal

thresholdintensityandstatethethresholdintensity,𝐼&,forhumanhearingas1x10-12Wm-2;


dblevel=10 log*&𝐼𝐼&

10.3.4 recallandusethearrangementof10.3.3as:

𝐼 = 𝐼&×10dblevel*&

10.3.5 demonstrateanunderstandingofthelogarithmic

natureofthedecibelscale,thateachincreaseof10correspondstoa10-foldincreaseinintensity;and

10.3.6 demonstrateanunderstandingofthereasonswhya

logarithmicscaleisuseful,ashumanhearingcoversawiderangeofintensities.



49

Content

LearningOutcomes

10.3Soundmeasurement(cont.)


10.3.7 recognisethatidenticalchangesindecibellevelcorrespondtoidenticalfractionalchangesinintensity;

10.4Standingwaves

10.4.1 demonstrateanunderstandingofhowastandingwavecanbecreatedwhentwoidenticalwavestravelinoppositedirectionsanddescribeanexperimenttodemonstratethephenomenon;

10.4.2 appreciatethatwhenastandingwaveiscreatedthere

isanincreaseinamplitudeandthisiscalledresonance;

10.4.3 distinguishbetweennodeandantinodepositionsina

standingwave;10.4.4 drawdifferentstandingwaveharmonicsona

stretchedstringorclosedpipe;10.4.5 calculatewavelengthfromastandingwavediagram;10.4.6 performandevaluateanexperimenttomeasurethe

speedofsoundusingaresonancetube;

10.5Hearingresponse

10.5.1 performanexperimenttomeasurethemostsensitivefrequencyforhumanhearing;

10.5.2 demonstrateanunderstandingofhowhearing

responseisfrequencydependentandthatmaximumsensitivityoccursbetween3and4kHzandcorrespondstoresonanceintheauditorycanal;

10.5.3 appreciatethat,dueto10.5.2,loudnessisasubjective

measure;10.5.4 interpretgraphsoffrequencyandintensityresponse

fortheear;and10.5.5 demonstrateanunderstandingofwhataphonisand

howitcanbeestablishedexperimentally.



50

Content

LearningOutcomes

10.5Hearingresponse(cont.)


10.5.6 interpretandexplainequalloudnesscurvesonfrequency-intensityresponsegraphs;

10.5.7 demonstrateanunderstandingofhearingaidsandthattheyconsistofamicrophone,amplifierandloudspeaker;

10.6Theeye

10.6.1 labeladiagramoftheeye,includingthelens,cornea,pupil,iris,ciliarymuscles,retina,macula,fovea,opticnerve,aqueoushumourandvitreoushumour;

10.6.2 describethefunctionsofeachoftheconstituentparts

oftheeyein10.6.1;10.6.3 demonstrateanunderstandingofthefunctionofrod

andconecells;10.6.4 appreciatewhytwoeyesallowstereoscopicvisionand

three-dimensionalsight;10.6.5 describeaccommodationtofocusonnearanddistant

objects;10.6.6 usethelensequationtocalculatetheopticalpowerof

alens;10.6.7 carryoutexperimentstofindtheopticalpowerof

alens;10.6.8 giventhelenspower,usethelensequationtofind

eithertheobjectorimagedistance;and10.6.9 practicallydeterminethenormalnearpointforhuman

visionandusethisincalculationstocorrectlongsight.



51

Content

LearningOutcomes

10.7Lightincommunication


10.7.1 performanexperimenttomeasurethecriticalangleofasemi-circularglassblockandinvestigatetheconditionsrequiredfortotalinternalreflection;

10.7.2 describehowtotalinternalreflectioncanbeusedin

opticalcommunication;10.7.3 describethestructureofafibre-opticcable;10.7.4 demonstrateanunderstandingofthedifference

betweensinglemodeandmulti-modefibres;10.7.5 contrasttheusesforsinglemodeandmulti-mode

fibres;

10.8Radiowaves

10.8.1 discoverhowradiosignalscanbecreatedusingadipoleantennaandtheninterceptedbyareceivingantennaanddecoded;

10.8.2 applythisprincipletodescribebroadlyhowwireless

andBluetoothtechnologieswork;10.8.3 describethemainactionofradiowavesinradar

systems;10.8.4 demonstrateanunderstandingofwhenattenuation

occursintravellingwavesandcanbecategorisedaspathlossandfreespaceloss;

10.8.5 investigatehowtheDopplerEffectcausesperceived

frequencychangesandhowthiscanbeusedtocalculatetherelativemotionofanobject;and

10.8.6 interpretfrequencygraphstomakepredictionsbased

ontheDopplerEffect.



52

3.11 Unit A2 5: Genetics, Stem Cell Research and Cloning Inthisunitstudentslearnaboutthemake-upofdeoxyribonucleicacid(DNA)andhowevidenceforitsstructurewasdetermined.TheyhavetheopportunitytodiscussDNAreplicationandhowitlinkstogeneticengineeringandgenetherapy.Theycanalsoevaluatethesocial,ethicalandeconomicimplicationsofgeneticengineeringandrelatethesetomoderndayusesofgeneticsintheformofgeneticfingerprintingandstemcelltechnology.Thisunitisassessedthroughanexternalexaminationconsistingofaseriesofcompulsorystructuredquestions,someofwhichmayallowopportunitiesforcalculationandextendedwriting.

Content

LearningOutcomes

11.1DNAandthegeneticcode


11.1.1 recallthatDNAisaninformation-carryingmoleculeandthatitssequenceofbasesdeterminesthestructureofproteins,includingenzymes;

11.1.2 describethedoublehelixstructureofDNA,whichenablesittoactasastableinformation-carryingmolecule,intermsof:• thecomponentsofDNAnucleotides-deoxyribose,phosphateandthebasesadenine,cytosine,guanineandthymine;

• twosugar-phosphatebackbonesheldtogetherbyhydrogenbondsbetweenbasepairs;and

• specificbasepairing;

11.1.3 provideevidenceforthestructureofDNAvia:• chemicalanalysis;• Chargaff’sworkonbaseequivalence;and• FranklinandWilkins'workonX-raycrystallography;

11.1.4 describeandexplainthestructureofribonucleicacid

(RNA),includingribosomal,transferandmessengerRNA;

11.1.5 describegenesandpolypeptides;and11.1.6 explainhowageneoccupiesafixedposition,calleda

locus,onaparticularstrandofDNA.



53

Content

LearningOutcomes

11.1DNAandthegeneticcode(cont.)


11.1.7 recallthatgenesaresectionsofDNAthatcontaincodedinformationasaspecificsequenceofbases;

11.1.8 recallthatgenescodeforpolypeptideswhich

determinethenatureanddevelopmentoforganisms;11.1.9 demonstrateanunderstandingofhowthebase

sequenceofagenecanchangeasaresultofamutation,producingoneormoreallelesofthesamegene;

11.1.10 recallthatasequenceofthreebases,calledatriplet,codesforaspecificaminoacid;

11.1.11 demonstrateanunderstandingthatthebasesequenceofagenedeterminestheaminoacidsequenceinapolypeptide;

11.1.12 explaingenotypeasthegeneticconstitutionofan

organism;11.1.13 explainphenotypeastheexpressionofthisgenetic

constitutionanditsinteractionwiththeenvironment;11.1.14 demonstrateanunderstandingofanddescribehow

allelesmaybedominant,recessiveorcodominant;11.1.15 show,foradiploidorganism,thatallelesataspecific

locusmaybeeitherhomozygousorheterozygous;11.1.16 usefullylabelledgeneticdiagramstointerpret,or

predict,theresultsof:• monohybridanddihybridcrossesinvolvingdominant,recessiveandcodominantalleles;and

• crossesinvolvingsexlinkage,autosomallinkage,multipleallelesandepistasis;and

11.1.17 makeuseofthechi-squaredtesttocomparethe

goodnessoffitofobservedphenotypicratioswithexpectedratios.



54

Content

LearningOutcomes

11.2ProcessofDNAreplication


11.2.1 describeamechanismfortheexactcopyingorreplicationofDNA;

11.2.2 explainbrieflythethreetheoriesofreplicationof

DNAthatexisted:• fragmentation;• conservative;and• semi-conservative;

11.2.3 explainindetailthesemi-conservativehypothesis

derivedbyMeselsonandStahlin1958,including:• theunwindingofthedoublehelix;• thebreakageofhydrogenbondsbetweencomplementarybasesinthepolynucleotidestrands;

• theroleofDNAhelicaseinunwindingDNAandbreakingitshydrogenbonds;

• theattractionofnewDNAnucleotidestoexposedbasesontemplatestrandsandbasepairing;

• theroleofDNApolymeraseinthecondensationreactionthatjoinsadjacentnucleotides;and

• comparisonwiththedispersiveandconservativemodel;and

11.3Meiosis

11.3.1 demonstrateanunderstandingoftheimportanceofmeiosisinproducingcellsthataregeneticallydifferent,including:• theformationofhaploidcells;• independentsegregationofhomologouschromosomes;

• thatgametesaregeneticallydifferentasaresultofdifferentcombinationsofmaternalandpaternalchromosomes;and

• geneticrecombinationbycrossingover.



55

Content

LearningOutcomes

11.4Theapplicationofgeneticengineering Insulin


11.4.1 demonstrateanunderstandingofthefactthathumaninsulinisaproteinmadeinthepancreas;

11.4.2 demonstrateanunderstandingofhowinsulinis

involvedintheregulationofbloodsugarlevelsbutindiabetesmellitusthereisadeficiency;

11.4.3 recallthatinsulinisextractedfromnaturalsources

suchascattle,dogsandpigsbutthatthisinsulinisnotidenticaltohumaninsulinandextractionofthehormoneisverydifficult;

11.4.4 describehowinsulincanbeobtainedfrombacteriaor

yeastandrecallthatHumulinisalicenseddrugmadefromgeneticallymodifiedE.Colibacteria;

11.4.5 discusstheadvantagesofusinginsulinfrom

geneticallymodifiedorganisms,including:• feweradversereactions;• largerquantitiesbeingmade;• lowproductioncosts;and• fewerethicalorreligiousissues,suchasobjectionstousinganimals;

FactorVIII 11.4.6 discusshowhaemophiliacssufferfromadefectivegenethatfailstoproducefactorVIIIorIX,whichisanimportantagentinbloodclotting;and

11.4.7 recallthatfactorVIIIwasobtainedfromnatural

sourcessuchasbloodserumbutthisposedothermajorriskssuchasviruses,whichpreviouslyresultedinmanyhaemophiliacscontractingHIV/AIDS.



56

Content

LearningOutcomes

11.5Social,ethicalandeconomicimplicationsofgeneticengineering


11.5.1 evaluateandcomparegeneticengineeringandtraditionalbreedinginanimals;

11.5.2 explaintheimpactofgeneticengineering,with

referenceto:• exponentialworldpopulationgrowth;• theamountofavailableland;• itspotentialtoincreaseyields;and• itspotentialtomaketherapeuticchemicalsinotheranimals,forexamplehumanserumalbumintotreatburns;

11.5.3 discussethicalissuesrelatingtogeneticallymodified

ortransgenicorganisms;

11.6Genetherapy

11.6.1 explainwhatgenetherapyis;11.6.2 discussinitialattemptsatgenetherapy,including

attemptstotreatcysticfibrosisinhumans;11.6.3 explainthecauseandsymptomsofcysticfibrosisand

theassociatedgenetherapytreatment;11.6.4 describethemakingofacheese,suchasCheddar,

usingrennet(rennin/rennilase);11.6.5 discussalternativesourcesofproteaseenzymefor

coagulatingmilk,including:• fungisuchasRhizomucormiehei;and• geneticallymodifiedmicrobessuchasE.Coliorfoodyeasts;and

11.6.6 discusstheadvantagesanddisadvantagesof

chymosinasanalternativetorennet.



57

Content

LearningOutcomes

11.7Treatmentofgeneticconditionsviagenetherapy


11.7.1 discusstreatingageneticdiseasebyalteringanindividual’snaturalgenotypeby:• germcelltherapyofsperm,eggorearlyembryo;and

• somaticcelltherapy;11.7.2 recallthatgenetherapycanworkinthreeways:

• byrepairingthedefectivegene;• byreplacingthefaultygenewithanormalone;and• byaddinganormalgene,leavingthedefectiveoneinposition;

11.7.3 explaintheuseofgenetherapytosupplement

defectivegenes;11.7.4 predicttheprobabilityofoffspringwithaparticular

genotypeusingaPunnettSquareDiagram;11.7.5 demonstrateanunderstandingthatmanyhuman

diseasesresultfrommutatedgenesorfromgenesthatareusefulinonecontextbutnotinanother,forexamplesicklecellanaemiaandaneuploidy;

11.7.6 recallthatDNAsequencingandthepolymerasechain

reaction(PCR)areusedtoproduceDNAprobesthatcanscreenpatientsforclinicallyimportantgenes;and

11.7.7 recallthatthisinformationisusedingenetic

counselling,forexample:• infamilyplanningforparentswhoarebothcarriersofdefectivegenes;and

• inthecaseofoncogenes,indecidingthebestcourseoftreatmentforcancers.



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Content

LearningOutcomes

11.8Genecloning


11.8.1 discussgenecloningtechnologiesthatallowforthestudyandalterationofgenefunctioninorderto:• understandorganismfunctionbetter;and• designnewindustrialandmedicalprocesses;

11.8.2 evaluatetheethical,moralandsocialissues

associatedwiththeuseofrecombinanttechnologyinagriculture,inindustryandinmedicine;

11.8.3 discussthehumanitarianaspectsofrecombinantDNA

technologyandtheoppositionfromenvironmentalistsandanti-globalisationactivists;

11.9Geneticfingerprinting

11.9.1 demonstrateanunderstandingthatanorganism'sgenomecontainsmanyrepetitive,non-codingbasesequencesandthattheprobabilityoftwoindividualshavingthesamerepetitivesequencesisverylow;

11.9.2 evaluatethetechniqueofgeneticfingerprinting

(usingbarsonDNAfingerprints)inanalysingDNAfragmentsthathavebeenclonedbyPCR;

11.9.3 evaluatetheuseofgeneticfingerprintingindetermininggeneticrelationshipsandthegeneticvariabilitywithinapopulation;

11.9.4 explainthebiologicalprinciplesthatunderpingenetic

fingerprintingtechniques;11.9.5 interpretdatashowingtheresultsofgel

electrophoresistoseparateDNAfragments;and11.9.6 explainwhyscientistsmightusegeneticfingerprints

inthefieldsofforensicscience,medicaldiagnosis,andanimalandplantbreeding.



59

Content

LearningOutcomes

11.10Stemcelltechnology


11.10.1 discusswhatstemcellsareandwhytheyareimportant;

11.10.2 explaintheuniquepropertiesofstemcells;11.10.3 explainhowstemcellsdifferfromallothercells;

11.10.4 describewhatembryonicstemcellsareandhow

embryonicstemcellsarestimulatedtodifferentiate;11.10.5 describewhatadultstemcellsare,wheretheyare

foundandwhattheynormallydo;11.10.6 explainthesimilaritiesanddifferencesbetween

embryonicandadultstemcells;and11.10.7 evaluateanddiscusstheethicalissuesraisedthrough

theuseofstemcelltechnology.



60

3.12 Unit A2 6: Microbiology Inthisunitstudentscoverthetheoryandpracticaltechniquesthatprovideafundamentalunderstandingofmicrobiology.Inthecontextoflifescienceandmedicalapplicationsinhealth,studentslearnpracticaltechniquesinthestudyofmicroorganismsandmicroscopy;healthandsafetyprotocolsforworkingwithbiologicalagents;thecontrolconditionsforqualityassuredinvestigation;aseptictechniques;growthmedia;inoculation;incubation;inhibition;andmeasurementofmicrobialgrowthfactors.Studentsalsoexploremodernapplicationofmicroorganismsinacademicresearch,commercialindustryandinterdisciplinarySTEMinnovations.Thisunitisinternallyassessed;studentscompleteaportfolioofevidence.Theypresentthisevidenceasreportsandalabbook,demonstratinghowtheyhaveachievedallthelearningoutcomes.

Content

LearningOutcomes

12.1Recordkeepingandformalwrittencommunicationformicrobiologicalstudy


12.1.1 producereportsofthepracticalworkdefinedforassessmentintheirportfolio:• writeuptheirinvestigationsinaccordancewiththestandardlaboratorypracticalreportguidelinesformicrobiology;

• applytheHarvardreferencingprotocol;• describeandapplyhealth,safetyandenvironmentalmethodologytomodernstandards,inlinewithcurrentlegislation;and

• describeandapplyqualityassurancemethodologytomodernstandards;

12.1.2 maintainalabbookasarecordofwork,taking

health,safetyandqualityintoaccount;and

12.2Microorganisms

12.2.1 identifyanddescribethecharacteristicfeatures,functionsandmeansofreproductionorreplicationofmicroorganismsandinfectiousagents:• bacteria;• fungi,includingyeasts;• protozoa;• viruses;• viroids;and• prions.



61

Content

LearningOutcomes

12.2Microorganisms(cont.)


12.2.2 classifybacteria,includingreferencetoBergey’sManual:• usingGramstaining;• accordingtophenotypicclassification,forexamplecocci,bacilliandspirilla;and

• accordingtooxygenrequirements(obligateandfacultativeaerobesoranaerobes);

12.2.3 classifyfungias:

• chytridiomycota;• zygomycota;• ascomycota;and• basidiomycota;

12.2.4 classifyvirusesaccordingtotheir:

• size;• nucleicacid;• capsidstructure;• host;and• disease;

12.3Microscopy

12.3.1 describethebasicprinciplesoflightmicroscopy:• oilimmersion;and• phasecontrast,includingtheuseoflensestoconvertthedifferencesbetweentransmittedandrefractedlightintovariationsinintensity;

12.3.2 defineimage,focus,magnificationandresolution;12.3.3 explainthebasicprinciplesofelectronmicroscopy:

• scanning;and• transmission;and

12.3.4 comparetheuseofthelightmicroscopewiththatof

theelectronmicroscope:• describethesuitabilityandpreparationofsamplesforuseineachcase;and

• giveadvantagesanddisadvantagesofeachtechnique.



62

Content

LearningOutcomes

12.4Microscopytechniques


12.4.1 carryoutmicroscopyforspecimenexaminationinthelaboratory,including:• preparingspecimensandslides;and• settingupandusingacompoundlightmicroscope;

12.5Safetycontrols,preventionofcontaminationandaseptictechniques

12.5.1 describesafetycontrolsandpreventionofcontamination:• biocontainment(positive:protectthesampleandnegative:protecttheoperatororenvironment);

• laminarflow;• cleanaircabinets;and• safedisposalmethods;

12.6Growthmedia,inoculationandincubation

12.6.1 culturemicroorganismsusingaseptictechniques,including:• disinfectionandsterilisationtechniquesinpreparingsterilegrowthmedia;

• inoculationofliquidmedia;• inoculationofsolidmedia,forexamplepourplates,streakplates,lawnplates,mycelialdiscs,fungalsporeinoculationandviralplaquecounts(lysisonsolidmediaorlysisinliquidmediausingacolorimeter);and

• haemocytometercounts;and

12.7Measurementtechniques

12.7.1 demonstratemeasurementtechniques,including:• serialdilutions;• viablecounts;• totalcounts;• microbiologicalassays;• drymassdetermination;• growthofmycelialdiscs;• viralplaquecounts(liquidorsolidmedia);and• usingcolorimetrytodetermineturbidityinliquidmedia.



63

Content

LearningOutcomes

12.8Requirements,inhibitorsandmeasurementofmicrobialgrowthfactors


12.8.1 describegrowthrequirementsofbacteriaandfungi:• nutrients;• aerobicandanaerobicconditions;• temperature;• light;• pH;and• growthsurfaces;

12.8.2 describemethodsofgrowthinhibitionwithreference

totheirapplication:• osmoticpotential;• irradiation;• antibiotics;• antifungals;• antivirals;• disinfection;and• sterilisation;and

12.8.3 comparethetheoryandpracticalapplicationof

growthmonitoringtechniques,includinginterpretationofresultingdata:• countingbacterialcolonies;• mycelialdiscs(measuredasincreaseindiameterordrymass);

• colorimetryforfungal,bacterialandviralgrowthshowingturbidity;and

• haemocytometer(inyeastcellcounts).



64

Content

LearningOutcomes

12.9Applicationsofmicroorganisms


12.9.1 investigateandreportoncontemporaryacademicresearch,commercialindustryandinterdisciplinarySTEMinnovationsintheapplicationsofmicroorganisms:• functionsofmicroorganismsinhumanbodysystems;

• theproductionofantibiotics,resistancetoantibioticsandfuturechallenges;

• humangenetherapy;• polymerasechainreaction(PCR)assays;• infectiousdiseases;and• pharmaceuticalmicrobiology;and

12.10Microbiologyandhumanhealth

12.10.1 explaintheroleofgutmicrobiotainhealthanddisease:• ahealthygutmicrobiome;• methodsforstudyingthegutmicrobiome,forexamplehigh-throughputsequencing(HTS)technologiesandnongenomictechniques;

• gastrointestinal(GI)disease;• currentresearchrelatingtheguttootherhealthproblems,forexamplepoordietandnutrition,obesity,inflammatoryboweldisease(IBD)andcancer;and

• faecalmicrobiotatransplant.



65

3.13 Unit A2 7: Oral Health and Dentistry Goodoralhealthiscentraltogeneralwell-being.Thisunitgivesstudentstheopportunitytolearnaboutthestructureandfunctionofthemouthanditscomponentparts.Goodoralhealthisunderpinnedbyeffectivedentalhygieneandsupportedbytheworkofdentalhealthcareprofessionalsinpreventing,treatingandrectifyingdentalproblems,suchastoothloss.Inthisunitstudentslearnhowdentalcariesandperiodontaldiseasecandevelopandhowthesearetreated.Theyalsoconsidertheimpactoftoothlossasaresultofthesediseases.Theylearnabouttherolesofkeydentalhealthcareprofessionalsandabouttheapplicationandfunctionofmaterialsusedindentistry.Thisunitisinternallyassessed;studentscompleteaportfolioofevidence.Theypresentthisevidenceasreports(generalandpractical,asappropriate).Theymustkeepaportfoliorecordsheetdemonstratinghowtheyhaveachievedallthelearningoutcomes.

Content

LearningOutcomes

13.1Structureandfunctionofthemouth


13.1.1 identifyanddescribethestructureandfunctionofthemouthanditsmaincomponents,includingthevestibule,oralcavityproper,teeth,lips,alveolarprocess,isthmusofthefauces,hardpalate,softpalate,mylohyoidmuscles,tongueandtastebuds;

13.1.2 describethefivebasictastesofsaltiness,sourness,bitterness,sweetnessandumami;

13.1.3 explainwhatthedetectionofbasictastesmayindicate,includingthat:• saltinessandsournessareinvolvedinthecontrolofsaltandacidbalance;

• bitternessmayindicateplant-basedpoisons;• sweetnessindicatesenergy-richfoods;• umamimayindicateprotein-richfood;and• sourtastesmayindicaterottenordecomposingfood;and

13.1.4 comparethestructureandfunctionofthethreepairs

ofmainsalivaryglands(parotid,submaxillaryandsublingual).



66

Content

LearningOutcomes

13.1Structureandfunctionofthemouth(cont.)


13.1.5 explaintheimportanceofthesalivaryglandsforthedigestiveprocess,themaintenanceofdentalhealthandlubricationofthemouth;

13.1.6 describethechemicalcompositionofteeth;

13.2Ingestion

13.2.1 explaintheimportanceofthemouthasthefirstpartofthegastrointestinaltract;

13.2.2 explainingestionaspartofthehumandigestive

systemwheretheactionsofteeth(mastication),salivaandmucusproduceasoftfoodboluswhichisswallowedandpassesviatheuppergastrointestinaltracttothestomach;

13.2.3 explainphysicaldigestionintermsofteethand

mastication;13.2.4 identifyandstatethefunctionoftheteeth:

• incisors;• canines;• premolars;and• molars;and

13.2.5 investigatepracticallytheroleofsalivaryglandsand

otheroralglands,includingtheirroleinchemicalandmicrobioticdigestion:• theproductionofenzymes,forexampleamylase,beginsthebreakdownofstarchincarbohydratesintomaltoseanddextrose,andlipasebeginstheprocessoffatdigestion;

• salivacontainshaptocorrin,whichbindstovitaminB12moleculestoprotectthesefromdamagebystomachacid;and

• inorganicnitrateobtainedfromthediet(forexamplegreenleafyvegetables)andtransportedtothesalivaryglandsisreducedbyoralbacteriatoproducenitrite.



67

Content

LearningOutcomes

13.3Preventionandtreatmentoforaldisease


13.3.1 describehowdentalcariesdevelopandhowtheycanbetreatedandprevented;

13.3.2 investigatepracticallytheantimicrobialpropertiesofa

rangeofdifferenttoothpastesandmouthwashes;13.3.3 explainhowperiodontaldiseasedevelopsandhowit

canbetreatedandprevented;13.3.4 predicttheimpactofdentaldiseaseandtoothlosson

generalhealth;13.3.5 investigatepracticallyhowaciderosionofteethcanbe

acceleratedbydiseases,forexamplebulimiaorgastro-oesophagealrefluxdisease;

13.3.6 compareandcontrasttheuseofthedentalantibioticsClindamycin,CephalexinandAmoxicillin;

13.4Dentalmaterialscience

13.4.1 investigatethemainmaterialsusedindentistryandevaluatehowthepropertiesofdentalmaterialsrelatetotheirapplicationandfunction;

13.4.2 comparethroughpracticalinvestigationthemainfixed

andremovableprosthodonticsusedindentistry,thedentalmaterialsusedintheirconstructionandtheprocessesusedtoretainprosthodonticsintheoralcavity;

13.5Rolesofdentalhealthcareprofessionals

13.5.1 demonstrateanunderstandingoftherolesofdentalhealthcareprofessionals,includingthedentist,dentalhygienist,dentaltechnician,dentaltherapistanddentalnurse;and

13.5.2 produceacasestudyofthequalifications,

competencesandskillsrequiredbyadentist,dentalhygienist,dentaltechnician,dentaltherapistanddentalnurse.



68

3.14 Unit A2 8: Histology and Pathology Pathologyservicesaregenerallylocatedinhospitalsandprovidediagnosticservicestomedicalstaffworkingwithinbothgeneralpractices(GP)andhospitals.Theyinvolveanumberofdepartments,includingclinicalbiochemistry,microbiology,haematologyandhistopathology.Inthisunitstudentsexplorehoweachofthesedepartmentsoperatesandhowanalysingpatientsamplescanprovidedoctorswithinformationtheyneedtodiagnosediseases.Studentslearnabouttypesofsamplesthatareanalysedorinvestigated,howthesesamplesaretrackedandhowresultsarereported.Theunitalsoconsiderstheimportanceofhealthandsafetypractices.Thisunitisinternallyassessed;studentscompleteaportfolioofevidence.Theypresentthisevidenceasreports(generalandpractical,asappropriate).Theymustkeepaportfoliorecordsheetdemonstratinghowtheyhaveachievedallthelearningoutcomes.

Content

LearningOutcomes

14.1Specimenprocessingandlegislation


14.1.1 undertakepracticalactivitiestounderstandthestagesinvolvedinprocessingspecimensineachpathologydepartment,including:• thesendingandreceiptofspecimens;• recording,sortingandstorage;• testing;and• noting,interpretationanddisseminationofresults,takingtheuseofcomputersandtheDataProtectionAct1998intoaccount;

14.1.2 demonstrateanunderstandingoftheroleof

legislationinmaintaininghealthandsafetyineachpathologydepartment;

14.2Biochemistrydepartment

14.2.1 demonstrateanunderstandingoftheroleofthebiochemistrydepartmentandthetypesofspecimenstested;and

14.2.2 investigateanddemonstrateanunderstandingof

commontypesoftestsperformed,forexample:• testingforglucoseinbloodandurine;• testingforsodiumandpotassiuminblood;and• estimatingbloodcholesterol.



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Content

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14.2Biochemistrydepartment(cont.)


14.2.3 demonstrateanunderstandingthattheresultsofanalyticalchemicalteststakeninthebiochemistrydepartment:• aidthediagnosisofdiseaseinpatients;and• mayprovideinformationtosupportdoctorsinpatienttreatment;

14.2.4 demonstrate,throughpracticalinvestigation,an

understandingoftheprinciplesinvolvedineitherthinlayerchromatographyorelectrophoresis,usingtheseprinciplestoconducteitherachromatographicoranelectrophoreticanalysis;

14.2.5 demonstrateanunderstandingoftheimportanceof

healthandsafetyprinciplesinrelationto:• thetestingofglucoseinbloodandurine;• thetestingofsodiumandpotassiuminblood;• theestimationofbloodcholesterol;and• thinlayerchromatographyorelectrophoresis;

14.2.6 demonstrateanunderstandingoftheknowledgeand

skillsusedbythoseworkinginthebiochemistrydepartmentandlinkthisdirectlytotheirchromatographicorelectrophoresisanalysis;

14.3Haematologydepartment

14.3.1 knowtheroleofthehaematologydepartmentandtypesofspecimenstested;and

14.3.2 demonstrateanunderstandingthatteststakeninthe

haematologydepartmentrelatetobloodanalysis,forexample:• thediagnosisofblood-relateddiseasessuchasleukaemia;and

• cross-matchingofbloodforsurgicalpatients.



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Content

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14.3Haematologydepartment(cont.)


14.3.3 demonstrate,throughpracticalinvestigation,anunderstandingofthenatureofworkundertakeninthedepartment,including:• thepreparationofbloodsmears;and• theidentificationofvarioustypesofcellssuchasredbloodcells,neutrophils,eosinophilsandplatelets;


healthandsafetyprinciplesinrelationtohandlingbloodandbloodproducts;

14.4Microbiologydepartment

14.4.1 knowtheroleofthemicrobiologydepartmentandthetypesofspecimenstested;

14.4.2 demonstrateanunderstandingthatthemicrobiology

department:• monitorsinfectiousdiseases(bacterial,viral,fungalandparasitic)inhospitalsandthecommunity;

• providesadiagnosticservicetoprimaryhealthcareworkers;and

• monitorscommunitymicrobialdiseases,undertakingantibioticassaysandcross-infectionsurveysandmonitoringantibioticresistance;

14.4.3 demonstrateanunderstandingofthenatureofwork

undertakeninthedepartment,including:• theGram’sstainingtechniquetodistinguishbetweenGram-positiveandGram-negativebacteria;and

• investigatingtheeffectivenessofantisepticsandantibioticsonmicrobesusingthedilutionplatetechniqueandtheenzyme-linkedimmunosorbentassay(ELISA)technique;and


healthandsafetyprinciplesinrelationtothetestscarriedout.



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Content

LearningOutcomes

14.4Microbiologydepartment(cont.)


14.4.5 demonstrateanunderstandingoftheknowledgeandskillsusedbythoseworkinginthemicrobiologydepartmentandlinkthisdirectlytotheirownmicrobiologicalanalysis;

14.5Histopathologydepartment

14.5.1 demonstrateanunderstandingoftheroleofthehistopathologydepartmentandthetypeofspecimenstested;

14.5.2 demonstrateanunderstandingthat:

• assaysundertakenintissuebiopsies,orfromtissueremovedduringsurgery,helptodiagnosediseases;and

• analysingtissuefromdeceasedpersonsmayhelptoidentifycausesofdeath;

14.5.3 knowthenatureoftheworkundertakeninthe

department,includingtheidentificationofvarioustypesofcellssuchasblood,heart,muscle,artery,vein,kidneyandliver;

14.5.4 demonstrateanunderstandingofhowtoprepare

tissuesamplesformicroscopeslidesandhowtorecogniseatheromaandemphysemafrompreparedmicroscopeslides;and


healthandsafetyprinciplesinrelationtothetestscarriedout.



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3.15 Unit A2 9: Analytical Chemistry Techniques Inthisunitstudentsdevelopskillsinperformingarangeofanalyticalchemicaltechniquesusedinmanychemicalindustries,includingvolumetricanalysis,chromatographyandcolorimetry.Thisunitisinternallyassessed;studentscompleteaportfolioofevidence.Theypresentthisevidenceasreports(generalandpractical,asappropriate).Theymustkeepaportfoliorecordsheetdemonstratinghowtheyhaveachievedallthelearningoutcomes.

Content

LearningOutcomes

15.1Volumetricanalysis


15.1.1 describevolumetricanalysisusingkeyscientificterminologyasanaccuratemethodtodeterminetheamountofasubstancepresentinasample;

15.1.2 describeatleastthreesituationsinwhichachemist

wouldcarryoutatitration;15.1.3 prepareastandardsolutionusingastandard

procedure;15.1.4 describeandcarryoutonetitrationsetinanapplied

context,forexamplefinding:• theconcentrationofethanoicacidindifferentvinegars;

• theamountofironindifferentirontablets;• theeffectivenessofdifferentindigestiontablets;or• theconcentrationofdifferentbleaches;

15.1.5 carryoutariskassessment;15.1.6 constructabalancedsymbolequationforthereaction

involvedintheselectedtitration;15.1.7 usethebalancedsymbolequationandresultsfrom

thetitrationtocarryoutrelevantcalculations;15.1.8 analyseandinterprettheresultsfromtheselected

titrationandreportontheaccuracyandreliabilityoftheirprocedure;and

15.1.9 suggestalternativesorimprovementstothemethod

theyused.



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Content

LearningOutcomes

15.2Colorimetry


15.2.1 describecolorimetryusingkeyscientificterminologyasanaccuratemethodtodeterminetheconcentrationofasubstancepresentinasample;


wouldusecolorimetry;15.2.3 describetheprocedureandprepareaseriesof

solutionsaccuratelytoproduceacalibrationcurve;15.2.4 describeandcarryoutonecolorimetricanalysissetin

anappliedcontext,forexamplefinding:• theconcentrationofcopperincopperore;• theconcentrationofaspirinindifferentaspirintablets;or

• theconcentrationofironinaluminiumfoil;15.2.5 carryoutariskassessment;15.2.6 constructabalancedsymbolequationforthereaction

involvedintheselectedcolorimetricanalysis;15.2.7 constructacalibrationcurveanduseittodetermine

theconcentrationoftheselectedsubstance;15.2.8 analyseandinterprettheresultsfromthecolorimeter

andreportontheaccuracyandreliabilityoftheirprocedure;and

15.2.9 suggestalternativesorimprovementstothemethod

theyused.



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Content

LearningOutcomes

15.3Chromatography


15.3.1 describechromatographyusingkeyscientificterminologyasanaccuratemethodtodeterminetheidentityofasubstancepresentinasample;


wouldusechromatography;15.3.3 describetheprocedureandpreparea

chromatographyplateaccurately;15.3.4 describeandcarryoutonechromatography

experimentsetinanappliedcontext,forexampleidentifying:• thecomponentsofdifferentpainkillers;• aminoacidsinamixture;or• thepigmentsindifferentleaves;

15.3.5 carryoutariskassessment;15.3.6 describethevisualisationofchromatograms,for

exampleninhydrinandUVvisualisation;15.3.7 usetheexperimentalresultstocalculateRfvalues;and15.3.8 suggestalternativesorimprovementstothemethod

theyused.



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Content

LearningOutcomes

15.4Calorimetry


15.4.1 describecalorimetryusingkeyscientificterminologyasanaccuratemethodtodeterminetheenthalpychangeduringareaction(usuallycombustion);


wouldusecalorimetry;15.4.3 describetheimportanceofcombustionreactionsin

aneverydaycontext;15.4.4 describethedifferenttypesofcalorimeterandthe

procedureofusingasimplecalorimeter;15.4.5 describeandcarryoutonecalorimetryexperiment

setinanappliedcontext,forexamplecomparing:• theenergyreleasedwhenburningdifferentalcohols;or

• theenergyreleasedwhenburningdifferentfoods;15.4.6 carryoutariskassessment;15.4.7 usetheexperimentalresultstocalculatethemolar

enthalpychangeofthereactionsinvolved;15.4.8 carryoutbondenergycalculationstocompare

theoreticalresultswiththeiractualresults;15.4.9 accountforanydiscrepanciesbetweenactualand

theoreticalresults;and15.4.10 suggestalternativesorimprovementstothemethod

theyused.



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Content

LearningOutcomes

15.5Qualitativeanalysis


15.5.1 describequalitativeanalysisusingkeyscientificterminologyasamethodtodeterminetheidentityofanunknowncompound;


wouldusequalitativeanalysis;15.5.3 describetheprocedurefor,andcarryout,standard

identificationtestsincluding:• flameteststoidentifymetalions;• precipitationreactionswithsodiumhydroxide;• precipitationreactionswithammoniasolution;• testsforcommongases–hydrogen,oxygen,carbondioxideandammonia;and

• testsforanions–sulfate,carbonate,nitrateandhalides;

15.5.4 carryoutariskassessmentforeachidentification

test;15.5.5 constructwordandbalancedsymbolequationsto

describethesetests;15.5.6 planandcarryoutaseriesofteststoidentifyan

unknowncompoundsetinanappliedcontext,forexample:• identifyingawaterpollutant;and• identifyinganunknownpowderfoundatacrimescene;

15.5.7 describethelimitationsofthesetests;and15.5.8 suggestalternativesorimprovementstothemethod

theyused,includingreferencetomoderninstrumentation.



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3.16 Unit A2 10: Enabling Technology Inthisunitstudentsresearchanddiscussmodernmedicalequipmentandhowitimprovesonpriorequipmentandmethodologies.Theyexploretheworkthatisdoneinamedicallaboratory.Studentsconductacasestudyofapatient(eitherrealorhypothetical)whorequiresongoingmedicalmonitoring.Theyendtheunitbycreatingadatabaseforongoinghealthmonitoringandconsidertheimplicationsofholdingsuchdata.Thisunitisinternallyassessed;studentscompleteaportfolioofevidence.Theypresentthisevidenceinvariousformsincludingcasestudies,databases,investigations,reportsandfactsheetstodemonstratehowtheyhaveachievedallthelearningoutcomes.

Content

LearningOutcomes

16.1Equipmentusedinmodernmedicine


16.1.1 identifyequipmentusedin:• patientmonitoring(forexampleelectrocardiogram(ECG)andelectroencephalogram(EEG)machines);

• fertility(forexampleultrasoundscanner,invitrofertilisation(IVF)eggcollectionandfertilisationequipment);

• medicallaboratory(forexamplecolorimeterandchromatograph);and

• prosthetics(forexampleartificiallimbsandhearingaids);

16.1.2 describehowthesepiecesofequipmenthave

improvedthemonitoring,decision-making,workflowand/orpatientoutcomes;

16.1.3 explainthepurposeoftheequipment;16.1.4 chooseonepieceofequipmentanddescribeany

previousmethodologiesorequipmentthatithasreplaced;and

16.1.5 provideacleardescriptionofhowtheequipment

works.



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Content

LearningOutcomes

16.2Workflowinamedicallaboratory


16.2.1 describethreetestsperformedinamedicallaboratory,including:• thenatureofeachtest;and• theworkprocedurethatoccursfromrequesttoreturnofinformation;

16.2.2 identifythestaffinvolvedinthethreetestschosenin

16.2.1;16.2.3 describeanyspecialistequipmentinvolvedinthetests

chosenin16.2.1;and

16.3Medicalmonitoringcasestudy

16.3.1 carryoutacasestudyofapatient(realorhypothetical)whohasamedicalconditionthatrequiresongoinguseofmedicalmonitoringequipment,including:• astatementofthename,gender,age,occupationandanyotherinformationthatmaybeofmedicalnoteabouttheindividual(eitherrealorhypothetical);

• adescriptionofthemedicalconditiontheyaresufferingfrom,itseffectsontheindividual(biologicallyandonqualityoflife)andlong-termprognosis;

• acleardiscussionaboutthenatureofthemedicalequipmentusedandhowitworks(bothmechanicallyandwhenoperatedbytheuser);and

• howtheinformationgatheredisreviewedandpotentiallyused.



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Content

LearningOutcomes

16.4Datacollectionandfiltering


16.4.1 collectmedicalinformationfromagroupofindividuals(atleastfive),includingtheir:• name;• age;• gender;• pre-existingmedicalconditions;• restingpulserate(pre-andpost-intervention);• mass(pre-andpost-intervention);• height;• bodymassindex(BMI);• bloodpressure;• bodytemperature;and• peakexpiratoryflow;

16.4.2 developasimple,moderateexerciseregimetobefollowedbyeachindividualwhichisappropriateforthem;

16.4.3collectandrecordquantitativeinformationobtained

abouttheexerciseviatechnology(forexamplestepstakenusingapedometer,distancerunusingaGlobalPositioningSystem(GPS)watchorsmartphone,andcaloriesburned)andanyothersuitablemeasurabledata;

16.4.4buildadatabaseofthecollectedmedicalinformation;16.4.5updatethedatabaseregularlyoveraperiodofsix

weekstoassessthehealtheffectsofmoderatelyincreasedexercise;

16.4.6buildintothedatabasesufficientfieldstoallowfor

storageofolddata(soitispossibletosearchforbodytemperatureonWeek1aswellasWeek2,andsoon);and

16.4.7querythedatabasetofilterandextractinformation

aboutparticularpatientsorgroupsofpatientsofthesametype(forexampleofthesameageorsamepre-existingmedicalconditions).



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Content

LearningOutcomes

16.4Datacollectionandfiltering(cont.)


16.4.8compareinformationfromthesamepatientandacrossmultiplepatients;and

16.4.9discussthebenefitsanddangersofholdinglarge

amountsofhealthdataonthepopulationasawhole.



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4 Scheme of Assessment 4.1 Assessment opportunities Eachunitisavailableforassessmentinsummereachyear.ItispossibletoresitindividualASandA2assessmentunitsonceandcountthebetterresultforeachunittowardsanASorAlevelqualification.Candidates’resultsforindividualassessmentunitscancounttowardsaqualificationuntilwewithdrawthespecification.4.2 Assessment objectives Therearethreeassessmentobjectivesforthisspecification.Candidatesmust:

• demonstrateknowledgeandunderstandingofscientificideas,processes,techniques,andprocedures(AO1);

• applyknowledgeandunderstandingofscientificideas,processes,techniquesandprocedures:- inarangeoftheoreticalandpracticalcontexts;and- whenhandlingqualitativeandquantitativedata,tosolvescientificproblems(AO2);and

• analyse,interpretandevaluatearangeofscientificinformation,ideasandevidenceto:- makejudgementsandreachconclusions(includinginrelationtoissues);and- refinepracticaldesignandprocedures(AO3).

4.3 Assessment objective weightingsThetablesbelowsetouttheassessmentobjectiveweightingsfortheoverallASandAlevelqualifications.Single Award

PercentageAssessmentObjectiveWeightings

AO1 AO2 AO3 AS Alevel

UnitAS1 2.0 2.5 8.9 13.4 13.4

UnitAS2 6.0 4.4 2.9 13.3 13.3

UnitAS3 5.9 4.4 3.0 13.3 13.3

UnitA21 3.0 3.7 13.3 20

UnitA22 9.2 6.4 4.4 20

Optionalunit:A23,A24orA25

9.0 6.6 4.4 20

Totals 35.1 28.0 36.9 40 100

Atoleranceof+/-3%isapplicabletotheweightingsabove.



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Double Award

PercentageAssessmentObjectiveWeightings

AO1 AO2 AO3 AS Alevel

UnitAS1 1.0 1.2 4.5 6.7 6.7

UnitAS2 3.0 2.2 1.5 6.7 6.7

UnitAS3 2.9 2.2 1.5 6.6 6.6

UnitAS4 1.0 1.2 4.4 6.6 6.6

UnitAS5 3.1 1.9 1.7 6.7 6.7

UnitAS6 1.0 1.2 4.5 6.7 6.7

UnitA21 1.5 1.9 6.6 10.0

UnitA22 4.6 3.2 2.2 10.0

TwounitschosenfromA23,A24andA25

Firstunit 4.5 3.3 2.2 10.0

Secondunit 4.5 3.3 2.2 10.0

TwounitschosenfromA26,A27,A28,A29andA210

Firstunit 1.5 1.8 6.7 10.0

Secondunit 1.5 1.8 6.7 10.0

Totals 30.1 25.2 44.7 100

Atoleranceof+/-3%isapplicabletotheweightingsabove.

4.4 Quality of written communication InASandAlevelLifeandHealthSciences,candidatesmustdemonstratetheirqualityofwrittencommunication.Theyneedto:

• ensurethattextislegibleandthatspelling,punctuationandgrammarareaccuratesothatmeaningisclear;

• selectanduseaformandstyleofwritingthatsuittheirpurposeandcomplexsubjectmatter;and

• organiseinformationclearlyandcoherently,usingspecialistvocabularywhereappropriate.

Qualityofwrittencommunicationisassessedinresponsestoquestionsandtasksthatrequireextendedwriting.



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4.5 Synoptic assessment at A2 TheA2assessmentunitsincludesomesynopticassessment,whichencouragescandidatestodeveloptheirunderstandingofthesubjectasawhole.InourGCELifeandHealthSciences,synopticassessmentinvolves:

• buildingonmaterialfromtheASunits;• bringingtogetherandmakingconnectionsbetweenareasofknowledgeandskillsthattheyhaveexploredthroughoutthecourse;

• applyingknowledgeandunderstandingofmorethanoneareatoaparticularsituationorcontext;and

• continuingtousefundamentalconceptsandmathematicalskillsdevelopedatASlevel.

4.6 Higher order thinking skills TheA2assessmentunitsprovideopportunitiestodemonstratehigherorderthinkingskillsbyincorporating:

• questionsthatarelessstructured;• awiderrangeofquestiontypestoaddressdifferentskills,includingplanning,manipulativeskills,dataanalysis,andinterpretingandevaluatingresultsinthepracticalassessments;

• moredemandingevaluativeopportunitiesinvolvingnovelandcurrentdevelopmentsinlifeandhealthsciencesthatrequirecandidatestoapplytheirknowledgetounfamiliarsituations;

• questionsthatrequirecandidatestomakemoreconnectionsbetweenallofthesectionsofthespecification,includingAS;and

• extendedwriting.4.7 Reporting and grading Weofferfourdifferentawardswithunitscommontoeach.CandidatesenteringforthethreeunitAS(SingleAward)musttakeunitsAS1,AS2andAS3,andthosetakingthesixunitAS(DoubleAward)musttakeallsixavailableASunits.CandidatestakingthesixunitGCE(SingleAward)musttakeunitsAS1,AS2andAS3,thecompulsoryA2units(A21andA22)andoneotherA2unit(A23,A24orA25).Candidatestakingthe12unitGCE(DoubleAward)musttakeallsixavailableASunits,thecompulsoryA2units(A21andA22),twootherA2unitswithexternalexamination(A23,A24and/orA25)andtwootherA2unitswithinternalassessment(A26,A27,A28,A29and/orA210).Wereporttheresultsofindividualassessmentunitsonauniformmarkscalethatreflectstheassessmentweightingofeachunit.



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WeawardASSingleAwardqualificationsonafivegradescalefromAtoE,withAbeingthehighest.WeawardAlevelSingleAwardqualificationsonasixgradescalefromA*toE,withA*beingthehighest.WeawardASDoubleAwardqualificationsonaninegradescalefromAAtoEE,withAAbeingthehighest.WeawardAlevelDoubleAwardqualificationsonanelevengradescalefromA*A*toEE,withA*A*beingthehighest.WeawardASandAlevelgradesbyaggregatingtheuniformmarksobtainedonindividualassessmentunits.TobeawardedanA*,candidatesneedtoachieveagradeAontheirfullAlevelqualificationandatleast90percentofthemaximumuniformmarksavailablefortheA2units.IfcandidatesfailtoattainagradeEorEE,wereporttheirresultsasunclassified(UorUU).ThegradesweawardmatchthegradedescriptionsinSection5ofthisspecification.



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5 Grade Descriptions Gradedescriptionsareprovidedtogiveageneralindicationofthestandardsofachievementlikelytohavebeenshownbycandidatesawardedparticulargrades.Thedescriptionsmustbeinterpretedinrelationtothecontentinthespecification;theyarenotdesignedtodefinethatcontent.Thegradeawardeddependsinpracticeupontheextenttowhichthecandidatehasmettheassessmentobjectivesoverall.Shortcomingsinsomeaspectsofcandidates’performanceintheassessmentmaybebalancedbybetterperformancesinothers.AS Grade Descriptions

Grade Description

AS

GradeA

ForAO1,candidatescharacteristically:

• demonstrateknowledgeandunderstandingofmostprinciples,conceptsandfactsfromtheASunits;

• selectrelevantinformationfromtheASunits;and• organiseandpresentinformationclearlyinappropriateformsusingscientificterminology.


• applybiological,chemicalandphysicalprinciplesandconceptsinfamiliarandnewcontexts;

• applyskills,knowledgeandunderstandingofprocesses,techniquesandequipment;

• demonstratesafeandskilfulpracticaltechniques;• makeobservationswithappropriateprecisionandrecordthesemethodically;

• describesignificanttrendsandpatternsshownbydatapresentedintabularorgraphicalform;

• explainandinterpretphenomenawithfewerrorsandpresentargumentsandevaluationsclearly;

• commentcriticallyonstatements,conclusionsordata;• carryoutmoststructuredcalculationsspecifiedforASaccurately;

• usearangeofchemicalequations;and• translatedatapresentedasprose,diagrams,drawings,tablesorgraphssuccessfullyfromoneformtoanother.



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Grade Description

AS

GradeA(cont.)


• analyseandofferavalidevaluationofscientificinformation,issuesandviewpoints;

• deviseandrefineexperimentalandinvestigativeactivities,selectingappropriatetechniques;

• demonstratesafeandskilfulpracticaltechniques;• makeobservationsandmeasurementswithappropriateprecisionandrecordthesemethodically;

• interpret,explain,evaluateandcommunicatetheresultsoftheirownandothers’experimentalandinvestigativeactivities,inappropriatecontexts;and

• reachvalidconclusionsandcommunicatefindingsclearlyandinastructuredmannerappropriatetothetask.

AS

GradeE


• demonstrateknowledgeandunderstandingofsomeprinciples,conceptsandfactsfromtheASunits;

• selectsomerelevantinformationfromtheASunits;and• presentinformationusingbasicterminologyfromtheASunits.


• applygivenbiological,chemicalandphysicalprinciplesandconceptsinfamiliarandnewcontexts;

• applysomeskills,knowledgeandunderstandingofprocesses,techniquesandequipment;

• demonstratesafepracticaltechniques;• makeandrecordobservationsandmeasurements;• describesometrendsandpatternsshownbydatapresentedintabularorgraphicalform;

• providebasicexplanationsandinterpretationsofsomephenomena,presentingverylimitedevaluations;

• commentcriticallyonstatements,conclusionsordata;• carryoutsomestepswithincalculations;• usesimplechemicalequations;and• translatedatapresentedfromoneformtoanother,insomecontexts.



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Grade Description

AS

GradeE(cont.)


• offersomelimitedevaluationofscientificinformation,issuesandviewpoints;

• deviseandplansomeaspectsofexperimentalandinvestigativeactivities;

• demonstratesafepracticaltechniques;• makeandrecordobservationsandmeasurements;• interpret,explainandcommunicatesomeaspectsoftheresultsoftheirownandothers’experimentalandinvestigativeactivities,inappropriatecontexts;and

• drawsomelimitedconclusionsandcommunicatefindings.



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A2 Grade Descriptions

Grade Description

A2

GradeA


• demonstratedetailedknowledgeandunderstandingofmostprinciples,conceptsandfactsfromthespecification;

• selectrelevantinformationfromthespecification;• organiseandpresentinformationclearlyinappropriateformsusingscientificterminology;and

• writeequationsforchemicalreactionsinthespecification.


• applybiological,chemicalandphysicalprinciplesandconceptsinfamiliarandnewcontexts;

• applyskills,knowledgeandunderstandingofprocesses,techniquesandequipment;

• demonstratesafeandskilfulpracticaltechniques;• makeobservationswithappropriateprecisionandrecordthesemethodically;

• describesignificanttrendsandpatternsshownbydatapresentedintabularorgraphicalform;

• explainandinterpretphenomenawithfewerrorsandpresentargumentsandevaluationsclearly;

• criticallyevaluatestatements,conclusionsordata;• carryoutcomplexcalculationsspecifiedforAlevelaccurately;• usechemicalequationsinarangeofcontexts;• translatedatapresentedasprose,diagrams,drawings,tablesorgraphsfromoneformtoanothersuccessfully;

• selectawiderangeoffacts,principlesandconcepts;and• linktogetherappropriatefacts,principlesandconceptsfromdifferentareasofthespecification.


• deviseandplanexperimentalandinvestigativeactivities,selectingappropriatetechniques;

• demonstratesafeandskilfulpracticaltechniques;• makeobservationsandmeasurementswithappropriateprecisionandrecordthesemethodically;and

• interpret,explain,evaluateandcommunicatetheresultsoftheirownandothers’experimentalandinvestigativeactivities,inappropriatecontexts.



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Grade Description

A2

GradeE


• demonstrateknowledgeandunderstandingofsomeprinciples,conceptsandfactsfromthespecification;

• selectsomerelevantinformationfromthespecification;and• presentinformationusingbasicterminologyfromthespecification.


• applygivenbiological,chemicalandphysicalprinciplesandconceptsinfamiliarandnewcontexts;

• applysomeskills,knowledgeandunderstandingofprocesses,techniquesandequipment;

• demonstratesafepracticaltechniques;• makeandrecordobservationsandmeasurements;• describeandprovidealimitedexplanationoftrendsandpatternsshownbycomplexdatapresentedintabularorgraphicalform;

• identify,whendirected,inconsistenciesinconclusionsordata;• criticallyevaluatestatements,conclusionsordata;• carryoutsomestepswithincalculations;• usesomechemicalequations;• successfullytranslatedatafromoneformtoanotherinsomecontexts;

• selectsomefacts,principlesandconcepts;and• puttogethersomefacts,principlesandconceptsfromdifferentareasofthespecification.


• deviseandplansomeexperimentalandinvestigativeactivities;• demonstratesafepracticaltechniques;• makeandrecordobservationsandmeasurements;and• interpret,explainandcommunicatesomeaspectsoftheresultsoftheirownandothers’experimentalandinvestigativeactivities,inappropriatecontexts.



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6 Guidance on External Assessment Therearesevenexternalassessmentunitsinthisspecification,threeatASlevelandfouratA2:

• UnitAS2:HumanBodySystems;• UnitAS3:AspectsofPhysicalChemistryinIndustrialProcesses;• UnitAS5:MaterialScience;• UnitA22:OrganicChemistry;• UnitA23:MedicalPhysics;• UnitA24:SoundandLight;and• UnitA25:Genetics,StemCellResearchandCloning.SingleAwardcandidatestaketwoexternalassessmentunitsatASlevel(UnitAS2andUnitAS3)andtwoatA2(includingUnitA22).DoubleAwardcandidatestakeallthreeexternalassessmentunitsatASlevelandthreeatA2(includingUnitA22).Theexternalassessmentsare1hour30minutesatASlevel,with75marksavailable.Theyare1hour45minutesatA2,with100marksavailable.Theycoverallassessmentobjectives.Wemarktheassessments.



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7 Guidance on Internal Assessment Therearenineinternalassessmentunitsinthisspecification,threeatASlevelandsixatA2:

• UnitAS1:ExperimentalTechniques;• UnitAS4:BrainScience;• UnitAS6:Medicine,DrugsandClinicalTrials;• UnitA21:ScientificMethod,Investigation,AnalysisandEvaluation;• UnitA26:Microbiology;• UnitA27:OralHealthandDentistry;• UnitA28:HistologyandPathology;• UnitA29:AnalyticalChemistryTechniques;and• UnitA210:EnablingTechnology. SingleAwardcandidatestakeoneinternalassessmentunitatASlevel(UnitAS1)andoneatA2(UnitA21).DoubleAwardcandidatestakeallthreeinternalassessmentunitsatASandthreeatA2(includingUnitA21).7.1 Skills assessed by internal assessment Teachersmustassessthefollowingskillsthroughinternalassessment:

• workingindependentlytoselectandinterpretappropriateinformation;• applyingknowledge,understandingandskillstoarangeofcontexts;• carryingoutriskassessments;• researching,usingprimaryandsecondarysources,andanalysingandpresentingfindingsfromtheresearchundertaken;

• analysing,evaluatinganddrawingconclusions,makingreasonedarguments;and• writingsuccinctly,clearlyandcoherentlyusingspecialisttermswithappropriatereferencing.

Theremayalsobeexternalassessmentofelementsofalltheseskills.7.2 Setting the tasks Weprovidecentreswithdetailsoftherequirementsoftheinternalassessmenttasksandguidanceonhowtocompleteandsubmitthem.(Seetheassessmenttaskrequirementsincludedinthisspecificationandwitheachunit,andsupportmaterials.)



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7.3 Taking the tasks Internalassessmentislikelytoinvolvebothworkintheclassroomandindependentstudy.Itisessentialtomanagetheassessmentconditionsinawaythatensurestheassessmentremainsreliableandfair.Pleasenotetherequirementsbelow.

Area AssessmentConditions

Supervision Teachersshouldsupervisecandidates’workto:

• monitortheirprogress;• preventplagiarismandcheckthattheworkwhichcandidatessubmitistheirown;

• complywithhealthandsafetyrequirements;• provideadviceandguidanceifthereareanyproblems;and• ensurethattheworkalignswiththespecificationrequirementsandcanbemarkedusingtheassessmentcriteria.

Authenticity Teachersmustbeawareofanythirdpartycopyrightorintellectualpropertyissuesincandidates’work.EachportfoliowillrequireanofficialStatementofAuthenticity.Boththecandidateandtheteachermustsigntheformtoconfirmthattheevidencesubmittedisthecandidate’sownunaidedwork.Wecannotacceptunauthenticatedsubmissionsandwillreturnthesetothecentreunmarked.

WordLimit Thesectionsthatfollowincludewordlimitswheretheseapply.

Collaboration Candidatesmustworkindependentlywhencompletingtheirinternalassessments.Teachersshouldannotateworkandinformthemoderatorofspecificreasonswhyinsometasks,suchasexperiments,collaborationapproacheswerenecessary.

Resources Candidatesmustappropriatelyreferenceallthematerialstheyuseintheirwork,includinganyonlineresources,usingtheHarvardreferencingsystemwhereappropriate.

Thefollowingsectionsincludeinformationspecifictoeachinternallyassessedunit.



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7.4 Unit AS 1: Experimental Techniques

UnitAS1:ExperimentalTechniques

Overview Candidatescreateaportfolioofevidencethatincludes12investigationsdemonstratinghowtheyhaveachievedthe12learningoutcomesforthisunit(listedinSection3.1).Eachinvestigationshouldbesetbytheteachertoallowcandidatesaccesstothefullrangeofmarksavailable.Candidatesshouldpresenteachinvestigationasareport,usingtheheadingsprovidedinthecandidateguidancedocumentandproforma.Eachreportshouldbe1000words.Thequalityofwrittencommunicationisassessed.Candidatesmustcompletetheinvestigationsusingtheguidancethatweprovide.ThisisavailableonourLifeandHealthSciencesmicrositeatwww.ccea.org.uk

SubmissionRequirements

Candidatessubmitonescientificreportforeachinvestigationthattheyhavecompleted.Thereportsshouldbecollatedtobepresentedandsubmittedasaportfolioofevidence.

MarksandAssessment

Thereare240marksavailableforthisunit.Eachinvestigationisworth20marks:

• Introduction–2marks• Materialsandapparatus–2marks• Riskassessment–3marks• Procedure–8marks• Results–2marks• Conclusion–3marksTeachersmustusethemarkgridforthisunittomarkcandidates’work.Furthermarkingguidancewillbeavailableinoursupportmaterials.



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7.5 Unit AS 4: Brain Science


Overview Candidatescreateaportfolioofevidencedemonstratingtheirknowledgeandunderstandingofbrainscienceandexploringresearchmethodsandtechnologiesemployedinunderstandingthefunctionofthebrain.Candidatesmustcompleteaseriesoftasksusingtheguidancethatweprovide.ThisisavailableonourLifeandHealthSciencesmicrositeatwww.ccea.org.uk


Candidatessubmitaportfoliotodemonstratehowtheyhaveachievedallthelearningoutcomes,including,asaminimum:

• afactsheetonthestructureandfunctionsofpartsofthebrain,includingtheeffectsofdamagetospecificstructuresofthebrain;

• areportofalaboratoryexperimentinvestigatingmaterialstoprotectthebrainfromcontactforceinjury;

• afactsheettoraiseawarenessaboutthecausesandeffectsofstressonteenagers;

• aninvestigationintothecausesandeffectsofstressonteenagersatdifferentkeystages,usingaquestionnaire;

• afactsheettoexplainhowtheoryandresearchintomemorycanhelpunderstandconditionssuchasdyslexiaordementia;

• anexperimentalinvestigationonanaspectofmemory;• anevaluationofscientificandstatisticalmethodsusedinthestudyofthemindandbrain;and

• ananalysisofaspecificpieceofstatisticalresearchdatawithrelevancetomentalhealthinNorthernIreland.

Candidatesmustalsocompleteandsubmittheportfoliorecordproforma,whichwillincludealogoftheirworkagainstthelearningoutcomesandtheevidencetheyarepresentingforassessment.Thereisnotaspecifiedwordlimitforthisunit;however,thefollowingcanbeusedasguidance:

• Factsheet 500–750words• Report 1000–1500words• Investigation 1000–1500words• Evaluation 500–1000words• Analysis 500–1000words



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SubmissionRequirements(cont.)

Thequalityofwrittencommunicationisassessed.Formoredetailsonthespecificcontentthattheportfolioshouldcover,seethelearningoutcomesinSection3.4.

MarksandAssessment

Thereare80marksavailableforthisunit:

• AO1–12marks• AO2–14marks• AO3–54marks

-Practical–26marks-Theoretical–28marks

Teachersmustusethemarkgridforthisunittomarkcandidates’work.Furthermarkingguidancewillbeavailableinoursupportmaterials.



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7.6 Unit AS 6: Medicine, Drugs and Clinical Trials

UnitAS6:Medicine,DrugsandClinicalTrials

Overview Candidatescreateaportfolioofevidencebasedontheunitcontent,includinganexplorationoftheproblemsassociatedwithdevelopingnewmedicinesandtheirimportanceineverydaylife.Theportfoliomustincludetworeportsof1500–2500wordseach.Thequalityofwrittencommunicationisassessed.Candidatesmustcompletethetworeportsusingtheguidancethatweprovide.ThisisavailableinourcandidateguidancedocumentsandotherrelevantdocumentationonourLifeandHealthSciencesmicrositeatwww.ccea.org.uk


Theevidencethatcandidatessubmitmustinclude:

• areportonthequantitativeanalysisofamedicine;and• areportonthebioassayofthemedicinesoutlinedin6.4.2(seeSection3.6).

Formoredetailsonthespecificcontentthattheportfolioshouldcover,seethelearningoutcomesinSection3.6.

MarksandAssessment

Thereare120marksavailableforthisunit.Eachreportismarkedoutof60:





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7.7 Unit A2 1: Scientific Method, Investigation, Analysis and Evaluation


Overview Candidatescreateaportfolioofevidencedemonstratinghowtheyhavedevelopedskillsincarryingoutascientificinvestigationusingscientificmethodologiesinplanning,conductingexperiments,dataanalysisandevaluationoftheirwork.Theymustcompleteascientificinvestigationtoincludeanessay,plansandalabbook,andreportusingtheguidancethatweprovide.ThisisavailableinourcandidateguidancedocumentsandotherrelevantdocumentationonourLifeandHealthSciencesmicrositeatwww.ccea.org.ukTheessayshouldbe1500wordsandthereport1500-2500.Thequalityofwrittencommunicationisassessedintheessayandinthereport.


Candidatessubmitascientificinvestigationthatincludesthreetasks:

• Task1:Essayinvolveswritingaword-processedHarvard-referencedliteraturereviewontheirchosenscientificinvestigation(withamaximumof10referencesfromavarietyofsources).

• Task2:PlansandLabBookincludes:- producingadraftprojectplan(onaspreadsheet)usinginvestigationdesignprinciples,withawrittensummaryofitsproduction;

- recordingatrialoftheexperimentalworkintheirlabbook;

- refiningthemethod,approachtohealthandsafety,qualityprotocol,dataanalysistechniquesand/oranyotherrelevantaspectofthestudy;

- producinganupdatedprojectplanforthescientificinvestigation,incorporatingchangesarisingfromthetrialstudy;and

- recordingtheexperimentalworkintheirlabbook.



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SubmissionRequirements(Cont.)

• Task3:Report:Investigation,AnalysisandEvaluationmustinclude:- title;- aim/hypothesis;- materialsandapparatus;- riskassessment;- method;- results;- conclusionandevaluation;- references;and- appendix.

Formoredetailsonthespecificcontentthattheportfolioshouldcover,seethelearningoutcomes(Section3.7).

MarksandAssessment


• Essay–15marks• Plansandlabbook–20marks• Report–45marksTeachersmustusethemarkgridforthisunittomarkcandidates’work.Furthermarkingguidancewillbeavailableinoursupportmaterials.



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7.8 Unit A2 6: Microbiology

UnitA26:Microbiology

Overview Candidatescreateaportfolioofevidenceincludingreports,andalabbookasarecordofalltheworktheyhavecarriedout.Theymustdemonstratethattheyhavetakenhealthandsafetyintoaccountthroughout.Candidatesmustcompletethereportsandlabbookusingtheguidancethatweprovide.ThisisavailableonourLifeandHealthSciencesmicrositeatwww.ccea.org.ukTheportfolioofevidence(excludingthelabbook)shouldbe4500-5000words.


Candidatessubmitaportfoliotodemonstratehowtheyhaveachievedallofthelearningoutcomesinthisunit.Theportfolioshouldincludereportsoneachoftheirinvestigations.Theyshould:

• writeuptheinvestigationsinaccordancewiththestandardlaboratorypracticalreportguidelines;

• applytheHarvardreferencingsystem;• describeandapplyhealth,safetyandenvironmentalmethodologytomodernstandards,inlinewithcurrentlegislation;

• describeandapplyqualityassurancemethodologytomodernstandards;and

• maintainalabbooktoincludearecordoftheworktheyarepresentingforassessment.


MarksandAssessment







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7.9 Unit A2 7: Oral Health and Dentistry

UnitA27:OralHealthandDentistry

Overview Candidatescreateaportfolioofevidenceincludingacompletedportfoliorecordproforma.Theymustdemonstratethattheyhavetakenhealthandsafetyintoaccountthroughout.Candidatesmustcompletereportsandtheportfoliorecordproformausingtheguidancethatweprovide.ThisisavailableonourLifeandHealthSciencesmicrositeatwww.ccea.org.ukTheportfolioofevidenceshouldbe4500-5000words.



• writeuptheinvestigationsinaccordancewiththestandardlaboratorypracticalreportguidelinesorgeneralreportguidelinesasappropriatetotheinvestigation;

• applytheHarvardreferencingsystem;• describeandapplyhealth,safetyandenvironmentalmethodologytomodernstandards,inlinewithcurrentlegislation;and

• describeandapplyqualityassurancemethodologytomodernstandards.


MarksandAssessment







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7.10 Unit A2 8: Histology and Pathology


Overview Candidatescreateaportfolioofevidenceincludingacompletedportfoliorecordproforma.Theymustdemonstratethattheyhavetakenhealthandsafetyintoaccountthroughout.Candidatesmustcompletereportsandtheportfoliorecordproformausingtheguidancethatweprovide.ThisisavailableonourLifeandHealthSciencesmicrositeatwww.ccea.org.ukTheportfolioofevidenceshouldbe4500-5000words.


Candidatesmustexploretheworkofbiochemistry,haematology,microbiologyandhistopathologydepartmentsasdetailedintheunitcontent.Candidatesalsocarryout:

• amicrobiologicalanalysis;and• eitherachromatographicoranelectrophoresisanalysis.Candidatessubmitaportfoliotodemonstratehowtheyhaveachievedallofthelearningoutcomesinthisunit.Theportfolioshouldincludereportsoneachoftheirinvestigations.Theyshould:







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MarksandAssessment







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7.11 Unit A2 9: Analytical Chemistry Techniques


Overview Candidatescreateaportfolioofevidenceshowinghowtheyhavedevelopedskillsinperformingarangeofanalyticalchemistrytechniques,includingvolumetricanalysis,chromatographyandcolorimetry.Theymustincludeacompletedportfoliorecordproformaanddemonstratethattheyhavetakenhealthandsafetyintoaccountthroughout.Candidatesmustcompletereportsandtheportfoliorecordproformausingtheguidancethatweprovide.ThisisavailableonourLifeandHealthSciencesmicrositeatwww.ccea.org.uk Theportfolioofevidenceshouldbe4500-5000words.









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MarksandAssessment







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7.12 Unit A2 10: Enabling Technology

UnitA210:EnablingTechnology

Overview Candidatescreateaportfolioofevidencedemonstratingresearchtheyhaveconducted.Theydiscussmodernmedicalequipmentandhowitimprovesonpriorequipmentandmethodologies,andtheyconsidertheworkthatisdoneinamedicallaboratory.Candidatespresenttheirevidenceusingaformatappropriatetothelearningoutcome.GuidanceisavailableonourLifeandHealthSciencesmicrositeatwww.ccea.org.ukTheportfolioofevidenceshouldbe4500-5000words.


Candidatessubmitaportfoliotodemonstratehowtheyhaveachievedallofthelearningoutcomesinthisunit,including:

• acasestudyofapatient(eitherrealorhypothetical)whorequiresongoingmedicalmonitoring;and

• adatabaseforongoinghealthmonitoring,consideringtheimplicationsofholdingsuchdata.

Candidatesmustalsocompleteandsubmittheportfoliorecordproforma,whichwillincludealogoftheirworkagainstthelearningoutcomesandtheevidencetheyarepresentingforassessment.Formoredetailsonthespecificcontentthattheportfolioshouldcover,seethelearningoutcomes(Section3.16).

MarksandAssessment







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7.13 Marking the tasks Teachersshouldusetheirprofessionaljudgementtoapplytheassessmentcriteriainthemarkbandsappropriatelyandfairlytocandidates’work.Theyshouldtakea‘bestfit’approachtoawardtheappropriatemarkwithinarange,balancingstrengthsandweaknessesineachresponse.Thedescriptionsassumethecontinueddemonstrationofthequalitiesdescribedinthelowermarkbands.Whenmakingassessments,teachersshouldfollowtheproceduresetoutbelow.

• Makeabroadjudgementbyidentifyingthemarkbandthatbestdescribesthecandidate’sachievement.

• Thisinitialjudgementshouldthenbefurtherrefined.Ifthecriteriahaveonlyjustbeenfulfilled,thentheworkislikelytobeworththemarksatthebottomofthemarkband.

• Iftheworkdemonstratesfulfilmentofmostofthecriteriainareasonablycompetentmanner,thentheworkislikelytobeworthmarksinthemiddleofthemarkband.

• Wherethecriteriaareverycompetentlyfulfilledandsomeevidenceofachievementofthehighermarkbandmaybeapparent,thentheworkmaybejudgedtobeworthmarksatthetopofthemarkband.

• Teachersmustannotateinternallyassessedworkindetailtoensurefairnessforcandidatesandtoassistwiththemoderationprocess.Annotationshouldtaketheformof:- summativecommentsonthework,usuallyattheendofeachsection,andon

theCandidateRecordSheet;and- keypiecesofevidenceidentifiedthroughouttheworkbyannotationeitherin

themarginorinthetext.Forup-to-dateadviceonplagiarism,oranykindofcandidatemalpractice,seeSuspectedMalpracticeinExaminationsandAssessments:PoliciesandProceduresontheJointCouncilforQualificationswebsiteatwww.jcq.org.uk7.14 Internal standardisation Centreswithmorethanoneteachinggroupmustcarryoutinternalstandardisationoftheirinternalassessmenttasksbeforesubmittingtheirmarkstous.Thisistoensure,asfaraspossible,thateachteacherhasappliedtheassessmentcriteriaconsistently.Itmaybenecessarytoadjustanindividualteacher’smarking:

• tobringitintolinewiththatofotherteachersinthecentre;and• tomatchthestandardsestablishedattheagreementtrial.Ifmarksdochange,centresmustamendthetotal/finalmarksontheirCandidateRecordSheets.



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7.15 Moderation TeachersmustcompleteCandidateRecordSheetsforallinternallyassessedunitstodemonstratetomoderatorshowalllearningoutcomeshavebeenevidenced.CentresmustsubmittheirmarksandsamplestousbyearlyMayinanyyear.Wemayadjustcentres’markingtobringtheassessmentofcandidates’workintolinewithouragreedstandards.Weissuefullinstructionseachyearon:

• ourmoderationprocedures;• whichsampleswerequire;and• thedeadlinesforsubmittingmarksandsamplestous.Teachersandcentrestaffmaycontactusatanystageforadviceorsupportrelatingtointernalassessment.



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8 Links and Support 8.1 Support Thefollowingresourcesareavailabletosupportthisspecification:

• ourLifeandHealthSciencesmicrositeatwww.ccea.org.uk• specimenassessmentmaterials;and• guidancenotesforteachers.Wealsointendtoprovide:

• pastpapersandmarkschemes;• ChiefExaminer’sreports;• PrincipalModerator’sreports;• schemesofwork;• centresupportvisits;• supportdaysforteachers;• portfolioclinics;• aresourcelist;and• exemplificationofstandards.8.2 Curriculum objectives ThisspecificationsupportscentrestobuildonthebroaderNorthernIrelandCurriculumobjectivestodeveloptheyoungperson:

• asanindividual;• asacontributortosociety;and• asacontributortotheeconomyandenvironment.

ItcancontributetomeetingtherequirementsoftheNorthernIrelandEntitlementFrameworkatpost-16andtheprovisionofabroadandbalancedcurriculum.

CurriculumProgressionfromKeyStage4ThisspecificationbuildsonlearningfromKeyStage4andgivesstudentsopportunitiestodeveloptheirsubjectknowledgeandunderstandingfurther.StudentswillalsohaveopportunitiestocontinuetodeveloptheCross-CurricularSkillsandtheThinkingSkillsandPersonalCapabilitiesshownonthenextpage.Theextentofthisdevelopmentdependsontheteachingandlearningmethodologytheteacheruses.



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Cross-CurricularSkills• Communication:- TalkingandListening- Reading- Writing

• UsingMathematics• UsingICTThinkingSkillsandPersonalCapabilities• ProblemSolving• WorkingwithOthers• Self-ManagementForfurtherguidanceontheskillsandcapabilitiesinthissubject,pleaserefertothesupportingschemesofwork.8.3 Examination entries EntrycodesforthissubjectanddetailsonhowtomakeentriesareavailableonourQualificationsAdministrationHandbookmicrosite,whichyoucanaccessatwww.ccea.org.ukAlternatively,youcantelephoneourExaminationEntries,ResultsandCertificationteamusingthecontactdetailsprovided.8.4 Equality and inclusion Wehaveconsideredtherequirementsofequalitylegislationindevelopingthisspecificationanddesignedittobeasfreeaspossiblefromethnic,gender,religious,politicalandotherformsofbias.GCEqualificationsoftenrequiretheassessmentofabroadrangeofcompetences.Thisisbecausetheyaregeneralqualificationsthatpreparestudentsforawiderangeofoccupationsandhigherlevelcourses.Duringthedevelopmentprocess,anexternalequalitypanelreviewedthespecificationtoidentifyanypotentialbarrierstoequalityandinclusion.Whereappropriate,wehaveconsideredmeasurestosupportaccessandmitigatebarriers.Wecanmakereasonableadjustmentsforstudentswithdisabilitiestoreducebarrierstoaccessingassessments.Forthisreason,veryfewstudentswillhaveacompletebarriertoanypartoftheassessment.Studentswithaphysicalimpairmentmayinstructapracticalassistanttosetupequipment,buttheymayhavedifficultymakingobservationsandmanipulatingtheequipmenttocarryoutspecificexperiments.Studentswithavisualimpairmentmayfindelementsoftheassessmentdifficult.Theycanusetechnologytotakereadingsandmakeobservations.



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Itisimportanttonotethatwhereaccessarrangementsarepermitted,theymustnotbeusedinanywaythatunderminestheintegrityoftheassessment.YoucanfindinformationonreasonableadjustmentsintheJointCouncilforQualificationsdocumentAccessArrangementsandReasonableAdjustments:GeneralandVocationalQualifications,availableatwww.jcq.org.uk8.5 Contact details Ifyouhaveanyqueriesaboutthisspecification,pleasecontacttherelevantCCEAstaffmemberordepartment:

• SpecificationSupportOfficer:NolaFitzsimons(telephone:(028)90261200,extension2235,email:[email protected])

• SubjectOfficer:PaulWright

(telephone:(028)90261200,extension2207,email:[email protected])• ExaminationEntries,ResultsandCertification

(telephone:(028)90261262,email:[email protected])

• ExaminerRecruitment(telephone:(028)90261243,email:[email protected])

• Distribution(telephone:(028)90261242,email:[email protected])

• SupportEventsAdministration(telephone:(028)90261401,email:[email protected])

• InformationSection(includingFreedomofInformationrequests)(telephone:(028)90261200,email:[email protected])

• Moderation(telephone:(028)90261200,extension2236,email:[email protected])

• BusinessAssurance(ComplaintsandAppeals)(telephone:(028)90261244,email:[email protected]@ccea.org.uk).



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Appendix 1 Mathematical Skills for All Components of GCE Life and Health Sciences Arithmetic and numerical computation • Recogniseandmakeuseofappropriateunitsincalculations.• Recogniseanduseexpressionsindecimalandordinaryform.• Useratios,fractionsandpercentages.• Estimateresults.• Usecalculatorstofindandusepower,exponentialandlogarithmicfunctions.• Usecalculatorstohandlesinx,cosxandtanx,whenxisexpressedindegreesorradians.

Handling data • Showanawarenessoftheorderofmagnitudeofphysicalquantitiesandmakeorderofmagnitudecalculations.

• Useanappropriatenumberofsignificantfigures.• Findarithmeticmeans.• Identifyuncertaintiesinmeasurementsandusesimpletechniquestodetermineuncertaintywhendataiscombined.

• Constructandinterpretfrequencytablesanddiagrams,barchartsandhistograms.• Understandsimpleprobability.• Understandtheprinciplesofsamplingasappliedtoscientificdata.• Understandthetermsmean,medianandmode.• Useascatterdiagramtoidentifyacorrelationbetweentwovariables.• Selectanduseastatisticaltest.• Understandmeasuresofdispersion,includingstandarddeviationandrange.

Algebra • Understandandusethesymbols=,<,<<,>>,>,∝,~,⇌.• Changethesubjectofanequation.• Substitutenumericalvaluesintoalgebraicequationsusingappropriateunitsforphysicalquantities.

• Solvealgebraicequations.• Uselogarithmsinrelationtoquantitiesthatrangeoverseveralordersofmagnitude.



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Graphs • Translateinformationbetweengraphical,numericalandalgebraicforms.• Plottwovariablesfromexperimentalorotherdata.• Understandthaty=mx+crepresentsalinearrelationship.• Determinetheslopeand/orinterceptofalineargraph.• Calculaterateofchangefromagraphshowingalinearrelationship.• Drawandusetheslopeofatangenttoacurveasameasureofrateofchange.• Understandthepossiblephysicalsignificanceoftheareabetweenacurveandthex-axis,andbeabletocalculateitormeasureitbycountingsquares,asappropriate.

• Uselogarithmicplotstotestexponentialandpowerlawvariations.• Sketchsimplefunctions,including

y=kx,y=kx2,y=kx2,y= sin x,y= cos xandy =e-x

Geometry and trigonometry • Useanglesandshapesinregulartwo-dimensional(2D)andthree-dimensional(3D)structures.

• Visualiseandrepresent2Dand3Dforms,including2Drepresentationsof3Dobjects.

• Understandthesymmetryof2Dand3Dshapes.• Calculateareasoftriangles,circumferencesandareasofcircles,andsurfaceareasandvolumesofrectangularblocks,cylindersandspheres.

• UsePythagoras’theoremandtheanglesumofatriangle.• Usesin,cosandtaninphysicalproblems.• Understandtherelationshipbetweendegreesandradians,andtranslatefromonetotheother.



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Summary of Changes since First Issue (Mostrecentchangesareindicatedinredonthelatestversion)RevisionHistoryNumber

DateofChange PageNumber ChangeMade

Version1 N/A N/A FirstissueVersion2 11December2017 38

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Theword‘non’removedfrom‘non-renewables’inpoint8.2.10ChangestocontactdetailsfortheSubjectOfficerandSubjectSupportOfficer

© CCEA 2017

Documents

(Single Award and Double Award)...CCEA GCE Life and Health Sciences (Single and Double Award) from September 2016 Version 2: 11 December 2017 6 2 Specification at a Glance The table