IB Biology A2.1: Origins of cells (First Exams 2025)

This lesson can be purchased as part of the IB Complete course bundle (first exams 2025) at a heavily discounted price, formed of 40 fully resourced lessons, end of topic exams and student checklists. It can be found here

This PowerPoint contains everything you need to teach the A2.1 Origins of cells in the new IB Biology specification for HL only.

This Powerpoint consists of 40 slides and contains the followings:

All the information (both SL and HL) the IB have included in the new spec.
Exam tips
Clear diagrams
Videos
Student questions with answers
Clearly identified HL and SL content
Student checklist

Updated November 2024

The following content is included:

• A2.1.1: Conditions on early Earth and the formation of prebiotic Carbon.

•A2.1.2: Cells as the smallest units of self sustaining life

•A2.1.3: Challenge explaining the spontaneous origin of cells.

•A2.1.4: Evidence for the origin of carbon compounds

•A2.1.5: Spontaneous formation of vesicles by the coalescences of fatty acids to form spherical bilayers

•A2.1.6: RNA as a presumed first genetic material

•A2.1.7: Evidence for a last common ancestor

•A2.1.8: Approaches used to estimate the dates of first living cells under the last universal common ancestor.

•A2.1.9: Evidence for the evolution of the last common ancestor in the vicinity of hydrothermal vents.