What is Biology? Biology is the study of all living things, from microscopic organisms up to the largest life forms we know about. Through the study of Biology students use Science to explore the different forms of life and the relationships between organisms and their environment. They become aware of the use of living organisms and their products can affect human health and the environment. Why Study Biology? Biology is one of the most popular subjects on the Leaving Certificate program. Biology is seen by many as the easiest Science to understand as students can easily link the concepts of Biology to everyday life. The practical experiments also help to reinforce the main concepts and ideas in Biology. Studying biology is important as it allows you to develop an appreciation and understanding as to how living things work, because humans are living organisms. Knowing about Biology helps you to understand how your own body works, which allows you to make correct informed decisions regarding wide range of issues such as health and wellbeing. Many diseases can be prevented and Biology equips students with the knowledge on how to prevent these diseases and illnesses. Biology is also important because many living things are harmful, and learning about them can help us learn how to overcome disease and infection. Also, keep in mind that anything you study will make you smarter. Studying Biology in school also helps you to learn how to investigate, how to learn new facts, how to study and search for information, and how to think more critically. Students wanting to become Doctors, Dentists, Nurses, Psychologists, Welfare Officers, Pathologists, Ecologists, Geneticist Researcher, Wildlife Experts, Microbiologists, Forensic Scientists and Biotechnologists all need to study Biology. You might want to make a career in the field of Biology because biology-­‐related jobs are increasing and high-­‐paying even in Ireland despite the recession. Biology Course Overview Biology is broken up into 3 separate Units, which concentrate on different topics. Unit 1 -­‐ The Study of Life 
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The Scientific method The Characteristics of Life Nutrition General Principles of Ecology A Study of an Ecosystem Unit 2 -­‐ The Cell 
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Cell Structure Cell Metabolism Cell Continuity Cell Diversity Genetics Unit 3 -­‐ The Organism 
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Diversity of Organisms Organisation of the Vascular Structures Transport and Nutrition Breathing System and Excretion Responses to Stimuli Reproduction and Growth The course also includes 22 Mandatory Experiments that students complete in a lab. These experiments must be completed and written up. An Ecology portfolio has also to be completed. As of yet no marks are awarded for the laboratory notebook or the portfolio, but both have to be kept and made available for inspection by The Department of Education and Science. Statistics in Biology Biology is more popular with girls than boys and this may be due to the fact that Medicine Nursing and Physiotherapy are more popular with girls, this is reflected in the statistics below. In 2011/2012 a total of 31,343 students took Biology at Leaving Certificate. 18,955 girls took Biology at Leaving Certificate, while 12,388 boys did Biology in the 2011/2012 exam year. In Higher Level Biology  16.7 of students got an A  27.7% of students got a B  26.7 % of students got a C  20.5 % of students got a D  8.4% of students failed Biology Exam Layout The Biology exam consists of 1 paper were students have 3 hours to complete the paper. Total marks for the exam is 400 marks. The Biology exam consists of three sections. Section A – Consists of 6 short questions from across the syllabus where the students must answer 5 questions. This section carries a total of 20 marks per question and is worth 25% of the overall grade. Section B – Consists of 3 questions on mandatory practical activities where the student must answer 2. This section carries a total of 30 marks per question and is worth 15% of the overall grade. Section C – Consists of 6 long questions from across the syllabus where the students must answer 4 questions. This section carries a total of 60 marks per question and is worth 60% of the overall grade. It is recommended that you spend no more than 30 minutes on Section A and 30 minutes on Section B, leaving 120 minutes for Section C. Answering the Paper How long should your answers be? In Sections A and B the space provided gives an indication of how long it should be for a person with average sized writing. Make sure the answers that you are giving are specific and to the point. In Section C each correct relevant point of information is worth 3 marks. So if a question is worth 18 Marks it will normally require 6 relevant points of information. If you are able give a couple of extra points just in case you make a mistake Do you have to draw fancy diagrams? The answer is NO. Simple diagrams are all that are required. A diagram and its labels are usually worth 9 marks, 6 or 3 for the diagram and one each for three correct labels unless more are asked for. You will lose marks if important labels are not included in your diagrams. Does spelling and grammar matter? Spelling and grammar does not normally matter once it is clear that you are trying to write the correct word. There are however two cases where spelling matters. 1. Adenine (a base in DNA and RNA) and Adenosine (in adenosine triphosphate – ATP) 2. Ureter (the tube connecting the kidney and the bladder) and Urethra (the tube connecting the bladder to the outside of the body). What to do if you discover that you have missed a part of a question and have no space in the paper to answer it? This is not a problem, answer the question after the last question you answered. But make sure you number it clearly and it is a good idea to write “see later” in your original answer so the examiner knows that you have attempted the question somewhere else. Study Tips •
Start Early – A lot of students make the mistake of leaving Biology till late as students tend to think it’s an easy subject to learn and get a good grade in it automatically. But this isn’t the case if you want an A grade in Biology you need to start revising now. •
Study the 22 mandatory experiments and know them well, section B will guarantee you 3 experimental questions of which you must answer 2. Section B is worth 15% of your grade so it can’t be ignored. If you do well in this initial section it boosts your confidence early in the exam, before you reach the more difficult long questions in Section 3. •
Study Questions set by teachers (as well as previous exam questions) to ensure that the material you are learning can be applied to the types of questions that come up in exams. Practice exams using past exam and sample papers to see the standard of the questions that you are expected and required to answer. It will also help to highlight the important areas of Biology that you should place a bit more emphasis on. Use Past Exam Papers Exam papers must be central to your study in Biology. Diagrams are used in the Biology exam so it’s worth knowing how diagrams are displayed in the exam as cell organelles, cell division and organs may be represented differently to what’s in your textbooks. Try not to rote learn information, Minister Quinn expressed concerns recently regarding the issue of students memorising answers to Leaving Cert exam questions. “I can accept that some subjects do overly rely on memory work, one subject I did that for which springs to mind is Biology”. Rote learning will not achieve an A1 grade in most subjects, especially in Biology as there is now a stronger focus of students analysing and interpreting information, so make sure you can apply what you have learned to situations. •
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Use Technology to help you. The internet is the most powerful tool that will help you in understanding concepts. Look up specific concepts on YouTube as it is easier to see animations of it happening rather than reading it out of a book, especially in Genetics. Studyclix.ie is an excellent website for studying. Here every subject is broken down into its core sections. Every exam question that has ever appeared in that specific section from 2005 to 2012 will appear in front of you when you click on the section. This is a great way to revise specific questions and areas quickly and saves time searching through exam papers. Also the marking scheme is there on each question which shows you what the correct answer is and how to answer the question. Also helpful YouTube videos will be there to help you understand concepts in that area. It saves time so try it and use it. •
Read and make use of your notes, this is simple enough but if this method of study doesn’t make things stick, don’t do it for the sake of it maybe copy key points on small revision cards, this breaks down revision into more digestible chunks. Make use of diagrams and draw out your own as this will help you remember concepts better. •
Concentrate on topics instead of time, replace thoughts such as "I'll do two hours of Biology today" with plans like "I'll revise DNA and RNA today." Time will pass regardless of how effective the study is, and you can’t place a specific time or deadline on an area. •
Read questions carefully, this might seem obvious but in Biology sometimes 1 question might ask you to find out 2-­‐3 different answers so before you move onto the next question read the question that you have just done to ensure you have answered all parts. Also remember you will be under stress in the exam which can cause you to make mistakes when reading questions. •
Use revision books, if needs be. Text books tend to be padded and contain information which you do not have to know, revision books will help to remove sections that you are not required to know. •
Don’t skip any sections, give yourself a choice in the exam so try to revise every section. Most students will try to avoid DNA and Genetics in the exam as these tend to be the most difficult sections in Biology. But sometimes the questions asked in the exam are very straight forward and Genetic Crosses doesn’t come every year so try to revise it and look at the exam papers. Know the important sections in Biology, in the Biology exams more questions have been asked in the following sections more so than any other concepts so pay close attention to these sections, learning these sections by themselves will NOT guarantee you a good grade • Ecology • Enzymes • Photosynthesis and Respiration • DNA and Genetics (Genetic Engineering, Crosses, Variation and Evolution, Heredity) • Microbiology (Bacteria, Fungi, Protista and Viruses) • Plant Biology •
Past Exam Questions 2012 Q11 Part B Here is a question where you had to apply what you have learned in your study of Biology to answer this type of question. (b) Organisms that are introduced into new environments outside their natural ranges are referred to as exotic species. In some cases these introductions have been deliberate and in other cases accidental e.g. when a species kept in captivity in a new country escapes and gives rise to a wild population. Worldwide the great majority of deliberate attempted introductions have been unsuccessful. (i)
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Suggest a reason for attempting to establish an exotic species in a new country? To eradicate certain pests and control their numbers To act as a food source To increase pollination Habitat destruction may lead to introductions of exotic species into other habitats (ii) Suggest two reasons why the great majority of attempted introductions have been unsuccessful? • May not be able to adapt to the new habitat • It may have to compete with other organisms for food • It might be preyed upon by other predators • It may be more susceptible to illness and diseases in the new habitat • If the numbers of the new species is low then reproduction and establishment of the species will also be low. (iii) Use your knowledge of the life cycle of flowering plants to suggest how an exotic plant may escape from captivity. • Seed Dispersal, some seeds can be carried long distances by wind • Fruit Dispersal, many fruits contain seeds. Animals eat the fruit and the seeds pass through the digestive system unharmed. The seeds are then deposited in the faeces of the animal. (iv) Use the knowledge that you have gained in your studies of ecology to suggest how the introduction of an exotic species may: 1. Impact negatively on an existing community. 2. Impact positively on an existing community. 1) It may increase competition between organism’s which will result in a loss of life as well as the possible loss of a particular species from a habitat. It may also introduce diseases or pests into an existing Habitat. 2) It may control the numbers of pests and disease carrying organisms, It can increase pollination and the food source in an area. (v) It has been stated that an exotic species has a good chance of becoming established in a new environment if there is a vacant niche. 1. Explain the term niche in this context. • An organism’s niche is the functional role an organism has in its community. It includes how it feeds, what it feeds on and who feeds on it. 2. Do you agree with the above statement? Explain your answer. • Yes, it has a good chance of becoming established if there is a vacant niche because if a niche is vacant the organism does not have to compete with any other organisms for food, water and shelter. If it does not compete with any other organism it has a better chance of survival. For more information please log onto the Ashfield College website for more information on useful videos and answering exam questions.