Assessment overview
There are six teaching chapters of biology content plus one chapter of ideas about science and one practical skills chapter:
- B1: You and your genes
- B2: Keeping healthy
- B3: Living together - food and ecosystems
- B4: Using food and controlling growth
- B5: The human body - staying alive
- B6: Life on Earth - past, present, and future
- B7: Ideas about Science
- B8: Practical skills.
Foundation tier (grades 5 to 1)
| Paper |
Marks |
Duration |
Weighting |
insert text |
Breadth in biology (01)
|
90 |
1 hour 45 mins |
50% |
Assesses content from all eight chapters |
Depth in biology (02)
|
90 |
1 hour 45 mins |
50% |
Assesses content from all eight chapters |
Higher tier (grades 9 to 4)
| Paper |
Marks |
Duration |
Weighting |
insert text |
Breadth in biology (03)
|
90 |
1 hour 45 mins |
50% |
Assesses content all eight chapters |
Depth in biology (04)
|
90 |
1 hour 45 mins |
50% |
Assesses content all eight chapters |
Students must complete either the foundation tier (components 01 and 02) or the higher tier (components 03 and 04) to be awarded the OCR GCSE (9-1) in Biology B (Twenty First Century Science).
Content overview
Students develop their understanding of how the ideas of biology can describe the complex and diverse phenomena of the natural world in terms of a small number of key ideas which are of universal application.
The chapters are further subdivided:
- B1: You and your genes
- What is a genome and what does it do?
- How is genetic information inherited?
- How can and should gene technology be used?
- B2: Keeping healthy
- What are the causes of disease?
- How do organisms protect themselves from pathogens?
- How can we prevent the spread of infections?
- How can we identify the cause of an infection?
- How can lifestyle, genes and the environment affect my health?
- How can we treat disease?
- B3: Living together - food and ecosystems
- What happens during photosynthesis?
- How do producers get the substances they need?
- How are organisms in an ecosystem interdependent?
- How are populations affected by conditions in a ecosystem?
- B4: Using food and controlling growth
- What happens during cellular respiration?
- How do we know about mitochondria and other cell structures?
- How do organisms grow and develop?
- How is plant growth controlled?
- Should we use stem cells to treat damage and disease?
- B5: The human body - staying alive
- How do substances get into, out of and around our bodies?
- How does the nervous system help us to respond to changes?
- How do hormones control responses in the human body?
- Why do we need to maintain a constant internal environment?
- What role do hormones play in human reproduction?
- What can happen when organs and control systems stop working?
- B6: Life on Earth - past, present, future
- How was the theory of evolution developed?
- How do sexual and asexual reproduction affect evolution?
- How does our understanding of biology help us classify the diversity of organisms on Earth
- How is biodiversity threatened and how can we protect it?
- B7: Ideas about science
- What needs to be considered when investigating a phenomenon scientifically?
- What conclusions can we make from data?
- How are scientific explanations developed?
- How do science and technology impact society?
- B8: Practical skills
- A practical-based topic which provides students with the skills required for the 15% practical content in the examinations
- Students complete at least eight practical activities and have the opportunity to use all the apparatus and techniques listed in the specification
- This will include awareness of safety procedures and the use of appropriate scientific diagrams to record apparatus and procedures
- Practical skills are embedded within all the teaching chapters.