Unit 1: How do living things stay alive?
In this unit students explain what is needed by an organism to stay alive. They are introduced to some of the challenges for organisms in sustaining life. Students examine the cell as the structural and functional unit of life and the requirements for sustaining cellular processes in terms of inputs and outputs. Types of adaptations that enhance the organism’s survival in particular environments are analysed, and the role that homeostatic mechanisms play in maintaining the internal environment is studied. Students consider how the planet’s biodiversity is classified and investigate the factors that affect population growth.
Unit 2: How is continuity of life maintained?
In this unit students focus on asexual and sexual cell reproduction and the transmission of biological information from generation to generation. The role of stem cells in the differentiation, growth, repair and replacement of cells in humans is examined, and their potential use in medical therapies is considered. Students explain the inheritance of characteristics, analyse patterns of inheritance, interpret pedigree charts and predict outcomes of genetic crosses. They consider the role of genetic knowledge in decision-making about the inheritance of various genetic condition. In this context the uses of genetic screening and its social and ethical issues are examined.