These are A* grade A level Biology notes covering Topic 1 - Genes and Health - including biomolecules, the heart and circulatory system, and CVD.

These are revision notes for Edexcel Biology - covering DNA, DNA replication and structure, and proteins and enzymes.

These are Edexcel A level biology notes covering Topic 2 - Organelles and Microscopy, Gene Expression, and Mitosis and the Cell Cycle.

A* level notes on topic 7 (muscles and respiration) covering the heart and ventilation, including: a description of how the heart beats - from depolarisation to repolarisation, including details of the sino-atrial node, the atrioventricular node, the bundle of His, the Purkyne fibres, description of cardiac output and how it would increase how we measure electrical activity in the heart a description of the P, QRS, and T waves and the relevant graphs. ventilation and spirometery - how we measure ventilation, why the gas volume in the spirometer tank falls, how we interpret the reading how we calculate tidal volume, breathing rate, ventilation rate, rate of oxygen consumption, inspiratory reserve volume, expiratory reserve volume, residual volume, vital capacity, total lung capacity homeostasis and thermoregulation - vasoconstriction and vasodilation core practical on investigating ventilation

A* level notes on topic 5 (on the wild side) - ecology, including: definitions of ecosystem, community, population, habitat, and niche. bacterial population growth phases evolution and natural selection mechanisms through which evolution can occur aside from natural selection explaining why some animals (e.g. bacteria) evolve quicker than others evidence for evolution, how evidence is presented, including: proteonomics, DNA Hybridisation, DNA Fingerprinting, DNA Profiling, observations Succession and its definition - primary succession, secondary succession, pioneer species sampling (including random sampling, quadrats, transect sampling) and how to draw kite diagrams.

A* level notes on Topic 6 (immunity and infection) covering the role and use of antibiotics, including: how they kill or prevent the growth of pathogens how they inhibit bacterial metabolism comparing and contrasting bacteriostatic and bactericidal antibiotics antibiotic resistance why antibiotics cannot treat viral infections hospital acquired infections (HAI’s) - when, how they are caught and how hospitals deal with them, including codes of practice. core practical explaining the impact of antibiotics on bacterial growth, including the relevant aseptic techniques.

A* Level notes covering the first section of the large topic 4 (Biodiversity and Natural Resources) including natural selection, speciation, variation and its sources, Carl Woese and his impact and methods, competition, and how we can maintain biodiversity via zoos, seedbanks, reintroduction. This includes a discussion of benefits and drawbacks of in situ versus ex situ protection. Also includes explanations on how to measure biodiversity and how to use the Hardy-Weinberg Equation.

A* Level notes covering the Greenhouse Effect and Global warming. Including: definition and causes of the greenhouse effect definition and causes of global warming the difference between the greenhouse effect and global warming the evidence for climate change (temperature, carbon dioxide, methane, pollen in peat bogs, dendrochronology, ice cores) how we can extrapolate data on climate change the limits of the evidence over climate change the impact of climate change on enzymes the carbon cycle (how fossil fuels are formed, the role of microorganisms, carbon sinks, the impact of slash and burn farming) the role and impact of bio fuels and reforestation to offset climate change the core practical about the impact of increasing temperature on the rate of enzyme-catalysed reaction.

A* Level notes covering the second section of Topic 4 (Biodiversity and Natural Resources). This includes the section on Drug Testing (including defining drugs, drugs we derive from plants, how we ensure validity in drug trials, the stages of clinical trials, the origin of clinical trials from digitalis soup, the impact of using animals in our trials, the use of aseptic techniques, and the core practical about the microbiobal properties of plants) Also includes the section of Plant Structures and Roles - including transportation, translocation, the phloem and xylem, the structure of starch and cellulose (and how they differ) the varying organelles in plants and their structure and function (e.g. vacuoles, chloroplasts, amyloplast, the cell wall), why we use plant fibers. Also includes the core practicals identifying plant fibers, testing the tensile strength of plant fibers, and looking at the minerals plants need to grow.

A* level notes on topic 6 (Immunity and Infection) covering Forensics: how we identify people (fingerprints, dental records, DNA profiling using short tandem repeats) the uses of DNA profiling, and the process (how DNA is obtained and amplified, and definitions of each process and key words) the process of PCR, through each cycle (1,2,3) gel electrophoresis and the process how we determine time of death (via temperature, via rigor mortis, via decomposition and the stages of succession of decomposing, and the roles of microorganisms in decomposition, forensic entymology)

A* Level notes on photosynthesis, including: Covers: Definition of phosphorylation, photophosphorylation, photolysis, hydrolysis, and redox reactions. What photosynthesis is (endothermic reaction, releasing hydrogen from water) The light dependent reaction, the process, where it takes place (cyclic and non-cyclic photophosphorylation) The light independent reaction (the calvin cycle), the process, where it takes place, the carboxylation, reduction, and regeneration. Structure and function of the Chloroplast Chlorophyll A and B Energy transfers - including definitions of NPP, GPP, and the equation NPP=GPP-R, respiratory loss, food chains Core practical notes for the photosynthesis topic.

A* level notes on topic 6 (immunity and infection) covering infection, including: the structure and function of bacteria and virus similarities and differences between bacteria and virus how viruses reproduce, how bacteria reproduce, how bacteria share genetic material the definition of infection, and physical barriers from infection the non specific immune response - inflammation, production of interferons, phagocytosis, lysozymes, fever, histamines, the specific immune response - lymphocytes, t-killer cells, b lymphpcytes, t cell activation, b cell activation, antibodies (role and structure) immunity (including the secondary and primary immune response) vaccination and its benefits (including natural/artificial, passive/active) HIV - structure, function, how it causes AIDS, and evades our immune systems. Tuberculosis - structure, function, the primary infection, how it evades immunity systems split genes and post transcriptional changes explaining why more than one amino acid sequence, so more than one protein, can be produced from a single gene with reference to antibodies.

A* level notes covering topic 7 (muscles and respiration) including the respiration process: what is ATP and its structure what ATP is used for role of enzymes in respiration each stage of respiration (glycolysis, link reaction, krebs cycle, oxidative phosphorylation) key definitions of chemiosmosis, oxidative phosphorylation, the electron transport chain, ATP synthase, and substrate level phosphorylation anaerobic respiration and the role of oxygen (so what happens without it) core practical demonstrating respiration

A* level notes covering topic 7 (muscles and respiration) covering the muscle cell and movement, including: the structure of muscle cells and functions. structure and function of fast twitch muscle and slow twitch muscle how muscles work together in antagonistic pairs myosin and actin in the muscle sliding filament theory and mucle contraction the role of calcium ions and ATP in the muscle contraction joints in the legs including ligaments, tendons, synovial joints, and the impact of too little or too much excersise on joints, and the benefits of key hole surgery and of prosthetics.