Paper 1
Topics 1 to 4
- Biological molecules, and cells
- Exchange of substances with the environment
- Genetic information, variation and relationships between organisms
2 hours91 marks35% of A level
AQA A-Level Biology, memorised fast.
Long notes are boring. Brain-hack the whole 7402 specification with active recall and actually remember it.
- Spec 7402
- 8 topics
- 155 subtopics
AQA A-Level Biology 7402
Biological Molecules
Topic overviewMonomers, polymers, condensation and hydrolysisMonosaccharides, disaccharides and glycosidic bondsAlpha and beta glucose, amylose and amylopectinHow starch, glycogen and cellulose suit their functionsCellulose microfibrils and tests for sugars and starchTriglycerides, fatty acids and phospholipid structureProperties of lipids and the emulsion testThe general structure of amino acidsPeptide bonds, polypeptides and bonds in proteinsLevels of protein structure, the biuret test and chromatographyActivation energy, induced fit and enzyme specificityEnzyme and substrate concentration and inhibitionpH, temperature, initial rates and measurement uncertaintyDNA, RNA and the components of a nucleotideBase pairing in DNA and RNAPhosphodiester bonds and the DNA double helixDoubts about DNA, base ratios and RNA structureSemi-conservative replication, helicase and DNA polymeraseSteps of replication and the Meselson-Stahl experimentATP structure, hydrolysis and resynthesisWater as a metabolite, solvent and coolantHydrogen, iron, sodium and phosphate ions
Cells
Topic overviewCell-surface membrane, nucleus and mitochondriaChloroplasts, Golgi apparatus and lysosomesRibosomes, endoplasmic reticulum, cell walls and vacuolesCell specialisation, levels of organisation and organelle rolesProkaryotic cell structure and virus particlesOptical and transmission electron microscopesScanning electron microscopes, magnification and graticulesCell fractionation, homogenisation and ultracentrifugationOrder of sedimentation, artefacts and fractionation conditionsThe cell cycle, interphase and the stages of mitosisSpindle fibres, cytokinesis and uncontrolled cell divisionBinary fission, viral replication and root tip squashesMitotic index, mitosis stages and size calculationsThe fluid-mosaic model and cholesterolSimple diffusion, facilitated diffusion and membrane proteinsOsmosis, water potential and active transportCo-transport in the ileum and adaptations for rapid transportTransport rates, dilution series and membrane permeabilityAntigens, cell recognition and phagocytosisAntigen-presenting cells, T cells and clonal selectionAntibody structure, agglutination and antigen-antibody complexesMemory cells, vaccination and active and passive immunityHIV structure and replicationAIDS, monoclonal antibodies, ELISA and clinical trials
Organisms Exchange Substances with Their Environment
Topic overviewSurface area to volume ratio, metabolic rate and calculationsGas exchange in single-celled organisms, insects and fishLeaf gas exchange, insect water loss and xerophytesTrachea, bronchi, alveoli and lung dissectionInspiration, expiration and pulmonary ventilation rateLung disease, correlation, insect tracheae and Spearman's rankDigestion of carbohydrates and lipidsEndopeptidases, exopeptidases and dipeptidasesCo-transport of amino acids, micelles and chylomicronsHaemoglobin, red blood cells and the dissociation curveCooperative binding, the Bohr effect and different haemoglobinsDouble circulation and the major blood vesselsHeart chambers, the cardiac cycle and heart dissectionArteries, arterioles, veins and capillariesTissue fluid, cardiovascular risk factors and semilunar valvesXylem structure and the cohesion-tension theoryPhloem structure, companion cells and translocationMass flow from source to sink, tracers and ringingEvaluating mass flow, potometers and transpiration rate
Genetic Information, Variation and Relationships Between Organisms
Topic overviewProkaryotic and eukaryotic DNA, chromosomes and histonesDNA in mitochondria and chloroplasts, genes and lociFeatures of the genetic code, exons and intronsGenome, proteome, mRNA and tRNATranscription, RNA polymerase and splicingTranslation at the ribosome and the role of tRNAGene mutations, mutagens and chromosome non-disjunctionMeiosis, independent segregation and crossing overMeiosis compared with mitosis and random fertilisationGenetic diversity and the spread of advantageous allelesDirectional and stabilising selectionDefining adaptations and how antibiotic resistance spreadsSelection on birth weight, aseptic technique and antimicrobialsClassifying anatomical, physiological and behavioural adaptationsDefining a species, courtship and phylogenetic classificationThe taxonomic hierarchy, binomial names and molecular evidenceSpecies richness, the index of diversity and farmingComparing genetic diversity, standard deviation and the t-test
Energy Transfers in and Between Organisms
Topic overviewPhotoionisation and ATP from the light-dependent reactionChemiosmosis, photolysis and products for the Calvin cycleCarbon fixation, triose phosphate and limiting factorsGlasshouse conditions, pigment chromatography and DCPIPGlycolysis and its productsAnaerobic respiration and the oxidation of pyruvateAcetylcoenzyme A and the Krebs cycleOxidative phosphorylation, other substrates and respirometersBiomass and gross and net primary productionNet production of consumers and productivityFarming practices, transfer efficiency and the production equationsSaprobionts and the phosphorus cycleMycorrhizae, ammonification and nitrificationNitrogen fixation, denitrification and fertilisersLeaching, eutrophication and nutrient cycles reviewed
Organisms Respond to Changes in Their Internal and External Environments
Topic overviewIAA, gravitropism and phototropismTaxes, kineses, reflex arcs and choice chambersThe Pacinian corpuscle and generator potentialsRods, cones, colour vision and visual acuityThe SAN, AVN, bundle of His and Purkyne tissueChemoreceptors, baroreceptors and cardiac outputMotor neurone structure and the resting potentialDepolarisation, action potentials and saltatory conductionThe refractory period and speed of conductionSynapse structure and the neuromuscular junctionTransmission at a cholinergic synapseAcetylcholinesterase, summation and inhibitory synapsesNeuromuscular junctions compared, agonists and antagonistsDrug effects and potassium channels in hyperpolarisationAntagonistic muscle pairs and muscle fibre structureSarcomere bands, actin, myosin and tropomyosinThe sliding filament cycle, ATP and phosphocreatineSlow twitch and fast twitch muscle fibresControl systems and why temperature, pH and glucose matterNegative and positive feedbackGlycogenesis, glycogenolysis and gluconeogenesisHow insulin, glucagon and adrenaline actThe second messenger model, diabetes and the sugar debateGlucose calibration curves and hormones affecting blood glucoseOsmoregulation, osmoreceptors and ADHNephron structure and ultrafiltrationThe proximal convoluted tubule and the loop of HenleThe distal tubule, collecting duct and urine concentration
Genetics, Populations, Evolution and Ecosystems
Topic overviewGenotype, phenotype and types of alleleMonohybrid and dihybrid crosses, sex linkage and autosomal linkageEpistasis, genetic diagrams and the chi-squared testGene pools, allele frequency and Hardy–WeinbergSources of variation and selection pressuresTypes of selection and allopatric and sympatric speciationGenetic drift, founder effects and the route to speciationCommunities, ecosystems, niches and carrying capacityCompetition, predation, quadrats and mark-release-recaptureMark-release-recapture assumptions and successionSuccession, conservation and evaluating the evidence
The Control of Gene Expression
Topic overviewTypes of gene mutation and mutagenic agentsSilent, frameshift, missense and nonsense mutationsTotipotent, pluripotent and induced pluripotent stem cellsTranscription factors, oestrogen, epigenetics and twin studiesDNA methylation, histone acetylation and cancerRNA interference and epigenetic drug targetsBenign and malignant tumours, suppressor genes and oncogenesAbnormal methylation, oestrogen and evidence on causes of cancerGenome projects, the proteome and sequencing methodsTransgenic organisms and making DNA fragmentsThe polymerase chain reactionPromoters, restriction endonucleases, sticky ends and ligaseTransformation, marker genes and uses of recombinant DNAThe humanitarian debate, cDNA and in vivo cloningDNA probes, hybridisation and screening for allelesGenetic counselling, personalised medicine and screening ethicsVNTRs, PCR and gel electrophoresisUsing and interpreting genetic fingerprints
What AQA A-Level Biology covers
AQA A-Level Biology is sat as three written papers, with nothing optional. Topics 1 to 4 cover biological molecules, cells, exchange with the environment, and genetic information and variation; topics 5 to 8 cover energy transfers, how organisms respond to change, genetics and ecosystems, and the control of gene expression. Paper 1 examines the first four, paper 2 the second four, and paper 3 draws on all eight and adds an essay from a choice of two.
AQA AS and A-level Biology, specification code 7402. Read the AQA specification ↗
How it is assessed
Paper 2
Topics 5 to 8
- Energy transfers in and between organisms
- How organisms respond to internal and external change
- Genetics, populations and ecosystems, and the control of gene expression
2 hours91 marks35% of A level
Paper 3
Any content from topics 1 to 8
- Structured questions, including practical techniques
- Critical analysis of given experimental data
- One essay from a choice of two titles
2 hours78 marks30% of A level
The full specification
8 topics, 155 subtopics. Open any topic to see what is inside it.
01Biological Molecules22 subtopicsOpen topic
- Monomers, polymers, condensation and hydrolysis
- Monosaccharides, disaccharides and glycosidic bonds
- Alpha and beta glucose, amylose and amylopectin
- How starch, glycogen and cellulose suit their functions
- Cellulose microfibrils and tests for sugars and starch
- Triglycerides, fatty acids and phospholipid structure
- Properties of lipids and the emulsion test
- The general structure of amino acids
- Peptide bonds, polypeptides and bonds in proteins
- Levels of protein structure, the biuret test and chromatography
- Activation energy, induced fit and enzyme specificity
- Enzyme and substrate concentration and inhibition
- pH, temperature, initial rates and measurement uncertainty
- DNA, RNA and the components of a nucleotide
- Base pairing in DNA and RNA
- Phosphodiester bonds and the DNA double helix
- Doubts about DNA, base ratios and RNA structure
- Semi-conservative replication, helicase and DNA polymerase
- Steps of replication and the Meselson-Stahl experiment
- ATP structure, hydrolysis and resynthesis
- Water as a metabolite, solvent and coolant
- Hydrogen, iron, sodium and phosphate ions
02Cells24 subtopicsOpen topic
- Cell-surface membrane, nucleus and mitochondria
- Chloroplasts, Golgi apparatus and lysosomes
- Ribosomes, endoplasmic reticulum, cell walls and vacuoles
- Cell specialisation, levels of organisation and organelle roles
- Prokaryotic cell structure and virus particles
- Optical and transmission electron microscopes
- Scanning electron microscopes, magnification and graticules
- Cell fractionation, homogenisation and ultracentrifugation
- Order of sedimentation, artefacts and fractionation conditions
- The cell cycle, interphase and the stages of mitosis
- Spindle fibres, cytokinesis and uncontrolled cell division
- Binary fission, viral replication and root tip squashes
- Mitotic index, mitosis stages and size calculations
- The fluid-mosaic model and cholesterol
- Simple diffusion, facilitated diffusion and membrane proteins
- Osmosis, water potential and active transport
- Co-transport in the ileum and adaptations for rapid transport
- Transport rates, dilution series and membrane permeability
- Antigens, cell recognition and phagocytosis
- Antigen-presenting cells, T cells and clonal selection
- Antibody structure, agglutination and antigen-antibody complexes
- Memory cells, vaccination and active and passive immunity
- HIV structure and replication
- AIDS, monoclonal antibodies, ELISA and clinical trials
03Organisms Exchange Substances with Their Environment19 subtopicsOpen topic
- Surface area to volume ratio, metabolic rate and calculations
- Gas exchange in single-celled organisms, insects and fish
- Leaf gas exchange, insect water loss and xerophytes
- Trachea, bronchi, alveoli and lung dissection
- Inspiration, expiration and pulmonary ventilation rate
- Lung disease, correlation, insect tracheae and Spearman's rank
- Digestion of carbohydrates and lipids
- Endopeptidases, exopeptidases and dipeptidases
- Co-transport of amino acids, micelles and chylomicrons
- Haemoglobin, red blood cells and the dissociation curve
- Cooperative binding, the Bohr effect and different haemoglobins
- Double circulation and the major blood vessels
- Heart chambers, the cardiac cycle and heart dissection
- Arteries, arterioles, veins and capillaries
- Tissue fluid, cardiovascular risk factors and semilunar valves
- Xylem structure and the cohesion-tension theory
- Phloem structure, companion cells and translocation
- Mass flow from source to sink, tracers and ringing
- Evaluating mass flow, potometers and transpiration rate
04Genetic Information, Variation and Relationships Between Organisms18 subtopicsOpen topic
- Prokaryotic and eukaryotic DNA, chromosomes and histones
- DNA in mitochondria and chloroplasts, genes and loci
- Features of the genetic code, exons and introns
- Genome, proteome, mRNA and tRNA
- Transcription, RNA polymerase and splicing
- Translation at the ribosome and the role of tRNA
- Gene mutations, mutagens and chromosome non-disjunction
- Meiosis, independent segregation and crossing over
- Meiosis compared with mitosis and random fertilisation
- Genetic diversity and the spread of advantageous alleles
- Directional and stabilising selection
- Defining adaptations and how antibiotic resistance spreads
- Selection on birth weight, aseptic technique and antimicrobials
- Classifying anatomical, physiological and behavioural adaptations
- Defining a species, courtship and phylogenetic classification
- The taxonomic hierarchy, binomial names and molecular evidence
- Species richness, the index of diversity and farming
- Comparing genetic diversity, standard deviation and the t-test
05Energy Transfers in and Between Organisms15 subtopicsOpen topic
- Photoionisation and ATP from the light-dependent reaction
- Chemiosmosis, photolysis and products for the Calvin cycle
- Carbon fixation, triose phosphate and limiting factors
- Glasshouse conditions, pigment chromatography and DCPIP
- Glycolysis and its products
- Anaerobic respiration and the oxidation of pyruvate
- Acetylcoenzyme A and the Krebs cycle
- Oxidative phosphorylation, other substrates and respirometers
- Biomass and gross and net primary production
- Net production of consumers and productivity
- Farming practices, transfer efficiency and the production equations
- Saprobionts and the phosphorus cycle
- Mycorrhizae, ammonification and nitrification
- Nitrogen fixation, denitrification and fertilisers
- Leaching, eutrophication and nutrient cycles reviewed
06Organisms Respond to Changes in Their Internal and External Environments28 subtopicsOpen topic
- IAA, gravitropism and phototropism
- Taxes, kineses, reflex arcs and choice chambers
- The Pacinian corpuscle and generator potentials
- Rods, cones, colour vision and visual acuity
- The SAN, AVN, bundle of His and Purkyne tissue
- Chemoreceptors, baroreceptors and cardiac output
- Motor neurone structure and the resting potential
- Depolarisation, action potentials and saltatory conduction
- The refractory period and speed of conduction
- Synapse structure and the neuromuscular junction
- Transmission at a cholinergic synapse
- Acetylcholinesterase, summation and inhibitory synapses
- Neuromuscular junctions compared, agonists and antagonists
- Drug effects and potassium channels in hyperpolarisation
- Antagonistic muscle pairs and muscle fibre structure
- Sarcomere bands, actin, myosin and tropomyosin
- The sliding filament cycle, ATP and phosphocreatine
- Slow twitch and fast twitch muscle fibres
- Control systems and why temperature, pH and glucose matter
- Negative and positive feedback
- Glycogenesis, glycogenolysis and gluconeogenesis
- How insulin, glucagon and adrenaline act
- The second messenger model, diabetes and the sugar debate
- Glucose calibration curves and hormones affecting blood glucose
- Osmoregulation, osmoreceptors and ADH
- Nephron structure and ultrafiltration
- The proximal convoluted tubule and the loop of Henle
- The distal tubule, collecting duct and urine concentration
07Genetics, Populations, Evolution and Ecosystems11 subtopicsOpen topic
- Genotype, phenotype and types of allele
- Monohybrid and dihybrid crosses, sex linkage and autosomal linkage
- Epistasis, genetic diagrams and the chi-squared test
- Gene pools, allele frequency and Hardy–Weinberg
- Sources of variation and selection pressures
- Types of selection and allopatric and sympatric speciation
- Genetic drift, founder effects and the route to speciation
- Communities, ecosystems, niches and carrying capacity
- Competition, predation, quadrats and mark-release-recapture
- Mark-release-recapture assumptions and succession
- Succession, conservation and evaluating the evidence
08The Control of Gene Expression18 subtopicsOpen topic
- Types of gene mutation and mutagenic agents
- Silent, frameshift, missense and nonsense mutations
- Totipotent, pluripotent and induced pluripotent stem cells
- Transcription factors, oestrogen, epigenetics and twin studies
- DNA methylation, histone acetylation and cancer
- RNA interference and epigenetic drug targets
- Benign and malignant tumours, suppressor genes and oncogenes
- Abnormal methylation, oestrogen and evidence on causes of cancer
- Genome projects, the proteome and sequencing methods
- Transgenic organisms and making DNA fragments
- The polymerase chain reaction
- Promoters, restriction endonucleases, sticky ends and ligase
- Transformation, marker genes and uses of recombinant DNA
- The humanitarian debate, cDNA and in vivo cloning
- DNA probes, hybridisation and screening for alleles
- Genetic counselling, personalised medicine and screening ethics
- VNTRs, PCR and gel electrophoresis
- Using and interpreting genetic fingerprints
How you work through it
Pick the mode that fits the time you have.
Try three questions
No account needed. Answer from memory first.
Your recallNot started
Key term
What are the four levels of protein structure?
Process
What is a triglyceride made from, and what bond joins the parts?
Key term
What are monomers and polymers, and how are they joined?
Spaced Repetition Schedule
How reviews are timed
Levo will automatically distribute all of your progress into a spaced repetition calendar. Once you’ve answered, it’s scheduled for you on the next day in the spaced repetition schedule. Over time, the gaps between your recall get bigger, from a day to three years, reinforcing memorisation over a long period of time.
Interval sequence
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What is inside Levo
Six ways to work the same material
Biology revision questions
Common questions about revising AQA A-Level Biology. Tap any to open it.
How do you memorise AQA A-Level Biology?
By testing yourself, not rereading. Active recall, pulling each answer from memory then checking it, builds far stronger memory than highlighting notes. Levo runs the method for you across all 8 Biology topics and brings each one back on a spaced schedule so it stays memorised.
What is the fastest way to revise Biology for AQA?
Skip the long notes and go straight to retrieval. Levo turns the 7402 specification into short questions you drill with rapid recall, cram whole papers in one sitting, and a readiness score tells you exactly what is left to learn.
What topics are on AQA A-Level Biology (7402)?
There are 8 topics, split across 155 subtopics, from Biological Molecules, Cells, Organisms Exchange Substances with Their Environment and more. Every topic is listed above, and each one opens to the subtopics inside it.
What do you get inside Levo for Biology?
Six ways to work the same material. The 3-step method for learning a set, Cram for sorting a whole paper into what you know and what you do not, Blank Blitz for making key facts automatic, Build It for assembling full-mark answers, Test It for catching misconceptions, and Brain Breaks between sessions. A readiness score tracks how much of the subject you have memorised.
Is active recall better than rereading your notes for Biology?
Consistently, yes. Rereading feels productive but fades quickly. Retrieving an answer from memory, the way Levo tests you, is what actually forms durable memory, and it shows you honestly what you do and do not know.
Does Levo cover the whole AQA Biology specification?
Every topic on the 7402 specification is covered, written from the published subject content. The full list is above, and each topic opens to its subtopics so you can see exactly what is there before you subscribe.
How can you encourage your teenager to revise?
Make it short, structured and low-pressure. Levo gives a clear daily plan, quick sessions rather than marathon ones, streaks that reward showing up, and an honest readiness score, so revision feels like progress instead of a chore. Parents can add an account and follow along.
Can you revise Biology the night before an exam?
Yes. Cram mode is built for exactly that: fly through a whole paper, sort every topic into red, amber and green, then drill just the reds and ambers you do not know yet. It is the honest version of a last-minute session.
Every question in Biology, on a schedule.
Attempt a question from memory, write the correct version, then attempt it again. Levo records the jump between your first attempt and your last, and brings each question back on the day you are due to forget it.
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