Key term
WJEC AS-Level Biology 601-5290-0
Chemical Elements Are Joined Together to Form Biological Compounds
Topic overviewInorganic IonsBiological Importance of WaterCarbohydrates: Monosaccharides and DisaccharidesCarbohydrates: Polysaccharides and Alpha/Beta Glucose IsomerismLipids: Triglycerides and PhospholipidsLipids: Saturated and Unsaturated Fat in Human HealthAmino Acids and Proteins: Primary to Quaternary StructureAmino Acids and Proteins: Fibrous and Globular FormsCondensation and Hydrolysis: Peptide and GlycosidicFood Tests for Biological Molecules
Cell Structure and Organisation
Topic overviewEukaryotic Cell Ultrastructure: OrganellesEukaryotic Cell Ultrastructure: FunctionsProkaryotic Cells, Viruses and Cell Theory: Comparing Cell StructuresProkaryotic Cells, Viruses and Cell Theory: Electron MicrographsLevels of Organisation and Light Microscopy: Tissues and OrgansLevels of Organisation and Light Microscopy: Organ Systems and Microscope CalibrationLevels of Organisation and Light Microscopy: Magnification and Scientific Drawing
Cell Membranes and Transport
Topic overviewPlasma Membrane Structure and Permeability: Fluid-Mosaic ModelPlasma Membrane Structure and Permeability: Factors Affecting PermeabilityTransport Across Membranes: Diffusion, Osmosis and Water PotentialTransport Across Membranes: Facilitated Diffusion, Active Transport and PinocytosisTransport Across Membranes: Phagocytosis and Exocytosis
Biological Reactions Are Regulated by Enzymes
Topic overviewEnzymes as Biological Catalysts: Metabolism, Extracellular Action and Induced FitEnzymes as Biological Catalysts: Activation EnergyFactors Affecting Enzyme Activity: Temperature and SubstrateFactors Affecting Enzyme Activity: Enzyme Concentration, Denaturation and BuffersEnzyme InhibitionImmobilised Enzymes in Industry
Nucleic Acids and Their Functions
Topic overviewNucleotides, Chemical Energy and ATP: StructureNucleotides, Chemical Energy and ATP: Role as Energy CarrierDNA and RNA StructureSemi-conservative Replication, Meselson and Stahl experimentThe Genetic Code: Triplet CodeThe Genetic Code: Exons and IntronsProtein Synthesis: Transcription, Translation and tRNAProtein Synthesis: One Gene-One Polypeptide and Polypeptide Modification
Genetic Information Is Copied and Passed on to Daughter Cells
Topic overviewThe Cell Cycle and Mitosis: Interphase and StagesThe Cell Cycle and Mitosis: Cytokinesis, Significance in Renewal and RepairThe Cell Cycle and Mitosis: Root Tip Squash and Mitotic IndexMeiosis: Meiosis I and Meiosis II, crossing over and independent assortmentMeiosis: differences from mitosis
All Organisms Are Related Through Their Evolutionary History
Topic overviewClassification: Hierarchical Groups, Need and Tentative NatureClassification: Three Domains and Five KingdomsAssessing RelatednessSpecies Concept and Binomial SystemBiodiversity and Its Assessment: Habitat LevelBiodiversity and Its Assessment: Genetic Level and Molecular LevelNatural Selection as the Source of Biodiversity and Anatomical, Physiological and Behavioural Adaptations
Adaptations for Gas Exchange
Topic overviewSurface Area to Volume Ratio and Gas Exchange in Small Organisms: AmoebaSurface Area to Volume Ratio and Gas Exchange in Small Organisms: Flatworm and EarthwormSpecialised Respiratory Surfaces and Ventilation in Bony Fish: Counter-currentSpecialised Respiratory Surfaces and Ventilation in Bony Fish: Parallel FlowGas Exchange in Terrestrial Animals: Human Breathing SystemGas Exchange in Terrestrial Animals: VentilationGas Exchange in Terrestrial Animals: the Insect Tracheal SystemThe Angiosperm Leaf: StructureThe Angiosperm Leaf: Photosynthetic RoleThe Angiosperm Leaf: Stomatal Control of Gas Exchange
Adaptations for Transport
Topic overviewVascular Systems Across Animal Groups: Earthworm and InsectVascular Systems Across Animal Groups: Fish and MammalThe Mammalian Heart and Circulation: Blood Vessels and Cardiac CycleThe Mammalian Heart and Circulation: Sino-atrial Node, Purkyne Fibres and ElectrocardiogramsBlood and the Transport of Respiratory Gases: Erythrocytes, Plasma and Dissociation CurvesBlood and the Transport of Respiratory Gases: Bohr Effect and Chloride ShiftTransport of Nutrients, Hormones, Excretory Products and HeatTissue Fluid, Lymph and OedemaWater Uptake and Movement Through the Root: Dicotyledon Root Structure and ApoplastWater Uptake and Movement Through the Root: Symplast, Vacuolar Pathways and EndodermisXylem, the Transpiration Stream and Plant Water Adaptations: Cohesion-Tension TheoryXylem, the Transpiration Stream and Plant Water Adaptations: Hydrophytes and XerophytesPhloem Structure and Translocation from Source to Sink: Mass Flow ModelsPhloem Structure and Translocation from Source to Sink: Experimental Evidence
Adaptations for Nutrition
Topic overviewModes of Nutrition: Autotrophic, Heterotrophic and HolozoicModes of Nutrition: Parasitic, and Digestion in Amoeba and Hydra to Tube GutsThe Human Gut: Adaptations to an Omnivorous DietThe Human Gut: EnzymesThe Human Gut: ConditionsHerbivore, Carnivore and Parasite Adaptations: Guts and DentitionHerbivore, Carnivore and Parasite Adaptations: Ruminants, Taenia and Pediculus
Working Scientifically: Practical Skills
Topic overviewThe A2 Unit 5 Practical Examination Tasks: Experimental TaskThe A2 Unit 5 Practical Examination Tasks: Practical Analysis TaskIndependent Thinking and Use of Scientific Methods and Practices: Solving Problems in Practical ContextsIndependent Thinking and Use of Scientific Methods and Practices: Identifying and Following InstructionsIndependent Thinking and Use of Scientific Methods and Practices: Making and Keeping RecordsIndependent Thinking and Use of Scientific Methods and Practices: Presenting DataNumeracy in Practical Contexts, Research and Referencing: Plotting, Interpreting Graphs and ProcessingNumeracy in Practical Contexts, Research and Referencing: Analysing Data, Margins of Error and AccuracyNumeracy in Practical Contexts, Research and Referencing: Precision and OnlineNumeracy in Practical Contexts, Research and Referencing: Offline Research Skills
Use of Apparatus and Techniques
Topic overviewMeasurement and Laboratory Technique: Quantitative ApparatusMeasurement and Laboratory Technique: InstrumentationMeasurement and Laboratory Technique: Glassware Including Serial DilutionsMicroscopy, Scientific Drawing and Separation and Identification Techniques: Light MicroscopeMicroscopy, Scientific Drawing and Separation and Identification Techniques: Annotated Drawings and Food TestsMicroscopy, Scientific Drawing and Separation and Identification Techniques: ChromatographyWorking with Organisms and Aseptic TechniqueViable Counts, Dissection and Fieldwork SamplingMark-Release-Recapture, Quadrats and ICT for Data Collection
Mathematical Requirements (Appendix C)
Topic overviewArithmetic and Numerical Computation: Appropriate Units, Decimal and Standard FormArithmetic and Numerical Computation: Ratios, Percentages and Estimating ResultsArithmetic and Numerical Computation: Power, Exponential and Logarithmic FunctionsHandling Data: Significant Figures, Arithmetic Means and MeanHandling Data: Median, Frequency Tables and HistogramsHandling Data: Scatter DiagramsProbability, Sampling, Statistical Tests and Uncertainty: Simple Probability and SelectingProbability, Sampling, Statistical Tests and Uncertainty: Using the Chi-squared TestProbability, Sampling, Statistical Tests and Uncertainty: Correlation CoefficientProbability, Sampling, Statistical Tests and Uncertainty: Standard DeviationAlgebra and Magnification: Mathematical Symbols and Changing the Subject of an EquationAlgebra and Magnification: Substituting Values, Solving Equations and Using LogarithmsGraphs: Translating Between Graphical, Plotting Two Variables and Linear RelationshipsGraphs: Intercepts, Rate of Change and Slope of a Tangent to a CurveGeometry: Circumferences, Surface Areas and Volumes of Regular Shapes
How Science Works (Appendix D)
Topic overviewDeveloping and Communicating Scientific Explanations: Using Theories, Models and IdeasDeveloping and Communicating Scientific Explanations: Posing Scientific QuestionsScientific Methodology, Evidence and Evaluation: Appropriate Methodology Including ICTScientific Methodology, Evidence and Evaluation: Analysing and Conflicting DataScience, Society and Ethics: How Scientific Knowledge Develops Over TimeScience, Society and Ethics: Risks, Ethical Treatment of Humans and Other OrganismsScience, Society and Ethics: Environment and How Society Uses Science
All Organisms Are Related Through Their Evolutionary History
- 7 subtopics
- 21 things to know
- AS Unit 2
What All Organisms Are Related Through Their Evolutionary History covers
All Organisms Are Related Through Their Evolutionary History is examined on AS Unit 2 of WJEC Biology, Biodiversity and Physiology of Body Systems. 93 recall questions across 7 subtopics.
Where it is assessed
AS Unit 2
Biodiversity and Physiology of Body Systems.
Check the WJEC specification ↗The 7 subtopics
Each one has its own page. WJEC AS Biology students sit this topic in the first year.
- Classification: Hierarchical Groups, Need and Tentative NatureRecall questions on Hierarchical Groups, Its Need and Tentative Nature.Open →
- Classification: Three Domains and Five KingdomsRecall questions on Three Domains and Five Kingdoms.Open →
- Assessing RelatednessRecall questions on Assessing Relatedness.Open →
- Species Concept and Binomial SystemRecall questions on Species Concept and Binomial System.Open →
- Biodiversity and Its Assessment: Habitat LevelRecall questions on Habitat Level.Open →
- Biodiversity and Its Assessment: Genetic Level and Molecular LevelRecall questions on Genetic Level and Molecular Level.Open →
- Natural Selection as the Source of Biodiversity and Anatomical, Physiological and Behavioural AdaptationsRecall questions on Natural Selection as the Source of Biodiversity, Anatomical, Physiological and Behavioural Adaptations.Open →
What you need to know
Answer each one before you reveal it.
Your recallNot started
Key term
Define adaptation, name its three types, and say what an anatomical adaptation is.
Key term
As you move down the hierarchy, what happens to the number of organisms in a group and to the features they share?
Process
What is the key difference between the five kingdom and three domain schemes in the way prokaryotes are treated?
Key term
Which four of the five kingdoms fall within the domain Eukarya?
Process
Why does morphological convergence cause a problem for classification?
Key term
Give two natural factors that cause biodiversity to differ between two areas.
Process
Give one way in which the biodiversity of a single habitat changes over the course of a year.
Process
Which regions of DNA are compared in DNA fingerprinting, and why are they informative?
Key term
Why is there competition between the members of a population?
Key term
What was the traditional basis for judging how closely two organisms are related?
Key term
How can enzyme studies be used to compare two species?
Key term
How can the number of differences between two protein sequences be used to estimate when two species diverged?
Numbers
Of the 240 loci examined in a population, 36 are polymorphic. Calculate the proportion of polymorphic loci.
Key term
What is meant by a hierarchical classification?
Key term
Name the three domains.
Key term
Give an example of morphological convergence.
Key term
A horse and a donkey can breed together, yet they are placed in different species. Explain why.
Key term
Define biodiversity.
Key term
Name the two techniques used to assess biodiversity at the molecular level.
Key term
What is the ultimate source of the variation on which natural selection acts?
Take All Organisms Are Related Through Their Evolutionary History further
The same content, four other ways.
Commonly confused
Pairs that lose marks when they are blurred together.
Species richness vs Species evenness
Species richness: number of different species present. Species evenness: distribution of individuals among the species present.
Questions from this topic
Each one with the model answer underneath.
- 1
What is classification?
Model answer
It is the placing of organisms into groups on the basis of their evolutionary relationships and shared features.
- 2
What is meant by a hierarchical classification?
Model answer
Organisms are placed in a series of groups of increasing size, with each group contained entirely within the next larger one.
- 3
What is meant by saying that the groups are discrete?
Model answer
There is no overlap between them, so an organism belongs to only one group at each level.
- 4
Name the taxonomic groups in order from the largest down to the species.
Model answer
Domain, kingdom, phylum, class, order, family, genus and species.
- 5
As you move down the hierarchy, what happens to the number of organisms in a group and to the features they share?
Model answer
The number of organisms in each group falls while the number of features they have in common rises.
- 6
What is a phylogenetic classification based on?
Model answer
It is based on evolutionary relationships, so that all the members of a group are descended from a common ancestor.
What is inside Levo
Six ways to work the same material.
All Organisms Are Related Through Their Evolutionary History revision questions
- Is All Organisms Are Related Through Their Evolutionary History examined at AS in WJEC Biology?
- Yes. It sits in AS Unit 2, which you take in the first year, so it is on the AS paper as well as counting towards the full A level.
- What does All Organisms Are Related Through Their Evolutionary History cover in WJEC AS-Level Biology?
- 7 subtopics: classification: hierarchical groups, need and tentative nature, classification: three domains and five kingdoms, assessing relatedness, species concept and binomial system, biodiversity and its assessment: habitat level, biodiversity and its assessment: genetic level and molecular level and natural selection as the source of biodiversity and anatomical, physiological and behavioural adaptations. Each one has its own page with questions and model answers.
- How is All Organisms Are Related Through Their Evolutionary History organised?
- By the WJEC 601-5290-0 specification, subtopic by subtopic, so it matches the order you are taught it in.
Every question in All Organisms Are Related Through Their Evolutionary History, 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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