Topic 2: Biological molecules (CIE International A-level Biology)

The biological molecules topic is incredibly important, not just because it is found near to the start of the course, but also because of its detailed content which must be well understood to promote success with the other 18 CIE International A-level Biology topics. Many hours of intricate planning have gone into the design of all of the 11 lessons that are included in this bundle to ensure that the content is covered in detail, understanding is constantly checked and misconceptions addressed and that engagement is high. This is achieved through the wide variety of tasks in the PowerPoints and accompanying worksheets which include exam-style questions with clear answers, discussion points, differentiated tasks and quick quiz competitions.

The following specification points are covered by the lessons within this bundle:

• Tests for reducing and non-reducing sugars
• The iodine test for starch
• The emulsion test for lipids
• The biuret test for proteins
• The ring forms of alpha and beta glucose
• The meaning of the terms monomer, polymer, macromolecule, monosaccharide, disaccharide and polysaccharide
• The formation of a glycosidic bond by a condensation reaction
• The breakage of glycosidic bonds by hydrolysis reactions
• The relationship between the molecular structure and functions of a triglyceride
• The relationship between the structure and functions of a phospholipid
• The structure of an amino acid and the formation and breakage of a peptide bond
• The meaning of the different protein structures and the types of bonding that hold these molecules in shape
• The molecular structure of haemoglobin and collagen as examples of globular and fibrous proteins
• The relationship between the properties and roles of water in living organisms

The lesson on the biuret test for proteins and the emulsion test for lipids also contains a section which can be used for the revision of topics 2.2 and 2.3

Due to the detail of each of these lessons, it is estimated that it will take in excess of 4 weeks of allocated teaching time to cover the content.

If you would like to see the quality of the lessons, download the alpha and beta glucose, phospholipids and haemoglobin and collagen lessons as these have been shared for free