Biology

Biology (GROUP 4)

Biology for IB involves the study of the unifying themes: Structure and Function, Universality versus Diversity, Equilibrium within Systems, and Evolution. Both Higher Level and Standard Level courses in Biology follow this thematic approach. The course aims to develop an understanding of biological facts, concepts and principles and at the same time provides a broad appreciation of the significance of the subject and a deep interest in it.

Both the Standard and Higher Level courses consist of core material covering fundamental aspects of Biology such as: Biochemistry, Genetics, Human Physiology, Evolution and Ecology.

The remainder of the course is selected from a range of options which extend to core material whilst also offering new areas of study such as Animal Behaviour. Practical skills are also a very important aspect of both the Standard and Higher Level courses and the teaching of these is integrated into the teaching of the theory material.

The course is assessed in three written papers at the end of Year 13. Practical work is assessed through an individual investigation, planned, conducted and analysed by the student on an area of their own interest. The course emphasises not only knowledge but also understanding and application of facts and has a strong bias towards research skills both from published material and experimental work. There are no whole animal dissections. As well as developing intellectual and practical skills specifically related to the subject, studying Biology develops reasoning, analytical and logical thought and accurate observation skills.

This is a really exciting time to study Biology because so much new work is being done which affects all our lives. Genetic engineering, the human genome project, cloning, drug resistance, environmental pollution and biotechnology are but a few examples and it is important that individuals understand the new developments in order to make informed decisions.