Key term
CCEA A-Level Life and Health Sciences 0008
Experimental Techniques
Human Body Systems
Topic overviewBlood vessels, the heart and cardiac outputHeart sounds, ECG traces, pulse and blood pressureBody fluids, haemoglobin and the Bohr effectThe respiratory system, gas exchange and lung diseaseMonitoring breathing and lung volumesCellular respiration and ATPHomeostasis, blood glucose and thyroxineSodium, blood pH and oxygen saturationA balanced diet and nutritional needs through lifeCholesterol, minerals, vitamins, alcohol and exercise
Physical Chemistry in Industrial Processes
Topic overviewMoles, reacting masses and percentage yieldTitration types, indicators and standard solutionsTitration calculations and molarityEnthalpy changes and calorimetryHess's law and average bond enthalpiesCollision theory, rates and the Maxwell–Boltzmann distributionCatalysts, chemisorption and catalytic convertersReversible reactions, the Haber process and the Contact processScale-up, costs and siting a chemical plant
Brain ScienceDouble Award
Topic overviewBrain structure and frontal lobe damageNeurones, synapses and the endocrine systemAlzheimer's disease, Huntington's disease and stem cell therapySchizophrenia and mental health awareness in Northern IrelandThe biology of aggression and methods of studying the brainStress, the stress response and stress managementMemory models, forgetting and eyewitness testimonyAbnormality, phobias, depression and OCDExperiments, observations, self-report and research designHypotheses, sampling, ethics and descriptive statistics
Material ScienceDouble Award
Topic overviewMaterial properties and selectionStress, strain and the Young modulusStress–strain graphs, creep and fatigueDensity, hardness and conductivity testingMetals, ceramics, glasses, polymers and compositesAtomic and microscopic structure of materialsAlloys, annealing and biomaterialsSmart materialsNanomaterials and semiconductors
Medicine, Drugs and Clinical TrialsDouble Award
Topic overviewCategories of medicine and routes to drug discoveryMedicines from natural sources, drug names and the ATC systemDrug development, preclinical testing and the therapeutic indexPhases of clinical trials and trial designLicensing, UK regulators, Yellow Card and trial ethicsFormulations, routes of administration and drug absorptionDistribution, metabolism, elimination and sites of drug actionQuantitative analysis of medicines and antibacterial bioassays
Scientific Method, Investigation, Analysis and Evaluation
Topic overviewThe scientific method, literature reviews and Harvard referencingDescriptive statistics and the normal distributionNull hypotheses, significance and choosing a statistical testInvestigation design, Design of Experiments and project plansGood Laboratory Practice, risk assessment and COSHHExperimental error, scientific writing and evaluation
Organic Chemistry
Topic overviewOrganic formulae, homologous series and functional groupsIUPAC naming and types of organic reactionStructural isomerism and E/Z isomerismAlkanes from crude oil, combustion and halogenationVehicle pollutants, catalytic converters and biofuelsAlkenes, pi bonds and electrophilic additionClassifying alcohols, making ethanol and its effects as a drugOxidation of alcohols, IR spectroscopy and mass spectrometryAddition polymers, plastic waste and nylonPreparing and purifying aspirin
Medical PhysicsA2 option
Topic overviewBody temperature and clinical thermometersBlood pressure readings and the sphygmomanometerHeart activity experiments and EEG tracesX-ray tubes, radiographs and CT scansFlexible endoscopes, optical fibres and lasersUltrasound A-scans, B-scans and acoustic impedanceMRI scanning and gamma camera imagingAlpha, beta and gamma radiation and half-lifeRadiopharmaceuticals, radiotherapy and radiation protection
Sound and LightA2 option
Topic overviewTransverse and longitudinal waves and wave graphsPhase difference and the electromagnetic spectrumOuter, middle and inner earSound intensity and the decibel scaleStanding waves, harmonics and resonance tubesHearing response, phons and equal loudness curvesStructure of the eye, rods and conesAccommodation, lens power and correcting long sightTotal internal reflection and fibre-optic communicationDipole antennas, wireless networks and radarAttenuation of radio waves and the Doppler effect
Genetics, Stem Cell Research and CloningA2 option
Topic overviewDNA structure and the evidence for the double helixRNA, genes and the triplet codeGenotype, phenotype and monohybrid inheritanceDihybrid crosses, epistasis and the chi-squared testDNA replication and the Meselson–Stahl experimentMeiosis and genetic variationInsulin, factor VIII and chymosin from genetically modified microbesRecombinant DNA technology and gene cloningGenetic engineering, food supply and ethicsGene therapy and cystic fibrosisGenetic disease, screening and counsellingGenetic fingerprinting and gel electrophoresisStem cells, therapeutic cloning and their ethics
MicrobiologyDouble Award
Topic overviewBacteria, fungi and protozoaViruses, viroids and prionsClassifying bacteria, fungi and virusesLight and electron microscopyLaboratory safety, biocontainment and quality assuranceAseptic technique, growth media and inoculationCounting and measuring microbial growthGrowth requirements and growth inhibitionAntibiotics, PCR, gene therapy and pharmaceutical microbiologyThe gut microbiome in health and disease
Oral Health and DentistryDouble Award
Histology and PathologyDouble Award
Topic overviewSpecimen processing, data protection and safety lawClinical biochemistry tests and electrophoresisBlood smears and identifying blood cellsBlood grouping, cross-matching and transfusionDiagnostic and surveillance work in hospital microbiologyPreparing and staining tissue sectionsRecognising tissues, atheroma and emphysema on slides
Analytical Chemistry TechniquesDouble Award
Topic overviewVolumetric analysis in industry and healthcareApplied titrations of vinegar, indigestion tablets and bleachRedox titration of iron tablets and evaluating titrationsPrinciples of colorimetryColorimetric analysis of copper ore, aspirin and ironThin-layer chromatography and its usesVisualising chromatograms and identifying painkillers and pigmentsCalorimetry and combustionMolar enthalpy and bond energy calculationsQualitative tests for cations and gases
Enabling TechnologyDouble Award
Topic overviewECG and EEG machines in patient monitoringUltrasound and IVF equipment in fertility treatmentProsthetic limbs, hearing aids and cochlear implantsWorkflow and equipment in a medical laboratoryOngoing monitoring of a long-term conditionHealth data collection, databases and data protection
Enabling Technology
- 6 subtopics
- 18 things to know
- A2 10
- A2 6 to A2 10, Double Award only, two of five
What Enabling Technology covers
Enabling Technology is examined in Unit A2 10, Enabling Technology — internally assessed, one of five Double Award optional units (two are taken). It covers ECG and EEG machines in patient monitoring, ultrasound and IVF equipment in fertility treatment, prosthetic limbs, hearing aids and cochlear implants, workflow and equipment in a medical laboratory, ongoing monitoring of a long-term condition and health data collection, databases and data protection.
Where it is assessed
A2 10
Enabling Technology — internally assessed, Double Award, two of five.
Check the CCEA specification ↗The 6 subtopics
Each one has its own page.
- ECG and EEG machines in patient monitoringHow ECG machines and 12-lead ECGs work, Holter monitors and wearables, a heart rate from R waves, EEG machines and their uses in epilepsy and sleep studies, and improvements in workflow.Open →
- Ultrasound and IVF equipment in fertility treatmentUltrasound in follicle monitoring and egg collection, IVF and ICSI, incubators and time-lapse imaging, the HFEA, what ultrasound-guided collection replaced, and improved outcomes.Open →
- Prosthetic limbs, hearing aids and cochlear implantsEarly and modern artificial limbs, carbon fibre, microprocessor knees and myoelectric arms, socket fit and 3D printing, how hearing aids work, digital aids and cochlear implants.Open →
- Workflow and equipment in a medical laboratoryThe path from test request to result, sample labelling, full blood counts, HbA1c and urea and electrolytes, colorimetric analysers and chromatography, laboratory staff, quality control and laboratory information management systems.Open →
- Ongoing monitoring of a long-term conditionType 1 diabetes and its effects, continuous glucose monitors, insulin pumps and closed-loop systems, pacemaker checks, peak flow diaries with a worked percentage, and remote monitoring.Open →
- Health data collection, databases and data protectionCollecting pulse, mass, BMI, blood pressure, temperature and peak flow with worked calculations, exercise tracking, fields, records, primary keys and queries, and the benefits, risks and law of health data.Open →
What you need to know
Answer each one before you reveal it.
Your recallNot started
Numbers
What risks come with large health datasets, and which laws protect health data in the UK?
Key term
How is an ultrasound scanner used in fertility treatment?
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What is a prosthesis?
Process
What is the work procedure from a test request to the return of a result?
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Why do some long-term conditions need ongoing medical monitoring?
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How does an ECG machine detect the heart's activity?
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How does an ultrasound scanner produce an image?
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What were early artificial limbs made from, and what were their drawbacks?
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Why must a sample be labelled with at least two patient identifiers?
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How does type 1 diabetes affect the body?
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Which measurements are collected to monitor the health effects of an exercise programme?
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What is a 12-lead ECG?
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Why is ultrasound preferred to X-rays for monitoring fertility and pregnancy?
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Why is carbon fibre used in modern prosthetic limbs?
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What is a full blood count?
Process
How does a continuous glucose monitor work?
Numbers
A person is 1.75 m tall and has a mass of 70 kg. Calculate their BMI.
Take Enabling Technology further
The same content, four other ways.
Commonly confused
Pairs that lose marks when they are blurred together.
ECG vs EEG
ECG: a recording of the heart's electrical activity from skin electrodes. EEG: a recording of the brain's electrical activity from scalp electrodes.
Hearing aid vs Cochlear implant
Hearing aid: a device that amplifies sound for an inner ear that still works. Cochlear implant: a device that stimulates the auditory nerve directly, bypassing damaged hair cells.
IVF vs ICSI
IVF: mixing eggs and sperm in a dish so fertilisation happens outside the body. ICSI: injecting one sperm directly into each egg under a microscope.
Questions from this topic
Each one with the model answer underneath.
- 1
How does an ECG machine detect the heart's activity?
Model answer
Electrodes stuck to the skin pick up the tiny voltages produced as electrical impulses spread through the heart muscle. The machine amplifies these signals and records them as a trace.
- 2
What is a 12-lead ECG?
Model answer
A 12-lead ECG uses ten electrodes on the limbs and chest to view the heart's electrical activity from twelve angles. Damage to a particular region of the heart can then be located.
- 3
Why is conducting gel or a sticky electrode pad used in an ECG?
Model answer
The gel lowers the electrical resistance between the skin and the electrode. The weak signal is then recorded clearly with little interference.
- 4
What is a Holter monitor?
Model answer
A Holter monitor is a small portable ECG recorder worn for 24 hours or longer. The device catches irregular heartbeats that may not occur during a short hospital test.
- 5
An ECG shows R waves 0.8 s apart. What is the heart rate?
Model answer
The heart rate is 75 beats per minute. The working is 60 ÷ 0.8 = 75.
- 6
How has ECG equipment improved patient monitoring?
Model answer
Modern ECG machines give digital traces that can be stored, compared and sent to a specialist instantly. Bedside monitors also sound an alarm when a dangerous rhythm appears.
What is inside Levo
Six ways to work the same material.
Enabling Technology revision questions
- What does Enabling Technology cover in CCEA A-Level Life and Health Sciences?
- 6 subtopics: ecg and eeg machines in patient monitoring, ultrasound and ivf equipment in fertility treatment, prosthetic limbs, hearing aids and cochlear implants, workflow and equipment in a medical laboratory, ongoing monitoring of a long-term condition and health data collection, databases and data protection. Each one has its own page with questions and model answers.
- How is Enabling Technology organised?
- By the CCEA 0008 specification, subtopic by subtopic, so it matches the order you are taught it in.
Every question in Enabling Technology, 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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