11–12Biology 11–12 Syllabus (2025)

Interpret models of the structure and composition of eukaryotic DNA, messenger ribonucleic acid (mRNA) and transfer ribonucleic acid (tRNA)

Conduct a practical investigation to model the process of polypeptide synthesis, demonstrating the role of the template strand, coding strand, uracil, ribonucleic acid (RNA) polymerase, free-floating RNA nucleotides, mRNA, ribosomal ribonucleic acid (rRNA), start codon, stop codon, tRNA, peptide bonds and amino acids

Explain the roles of mRNA and tRNA in transcription and translation

Explain the role of introns and exons in alternative splicing of mRNA sequences

Solve problems using nitrogenous base pairing rules and codon tables to model the expression of a given exonic DNA coding strand, determining the sequence of the template strand, the mRNA and the amino acid sequence

Use an example to explain the relationship between a protein’s primary, secondary, tertiary and quaternary structure and function

Explain the function of proteins in living things

Explain the role of protein synthesis in the relationship between DNA sequence and phenotype

Assess how environmental factors influence phenotype

Conduct a scientific investigation to demonstrate the effect of environment on gene expression

Discuss the role of regulatory RNA in gene expression and its potential biotechnological application

Assess how epigenetic changes influence phenotype

Evaluate the importance of polypeptide synthesis in living things

Distinguish between alleles, genes and genotypes

Analyse the processes and the implications of meiosis, crossing over, independent assortment, random segregation and fertilisation in creating genetic variation in offspring

Use examples to distinguish between autosomal dominant/recessive, codominant and incomplete dominant inheritance

Compare autosomal, sex-linked and multiple allele inheritance

Use Punnett squares to solve inheritance problems, including autosomal dominant/recessive, codominance, incomplete dominance, multiple alleles and sex-linked

Explain the difference in genotype and phenotype ratios observed in Punnett squares for sex-linked and autosomal inheritance

Construct and interpret pedigree charts involving autosomal and sex-linked inheritance

Explain how electromagnetic radiation, chemicals and naturally occurring mutagens may result in mutations

Explain how mutations in coding DNA affects the function of a protein

Use diagrams to distinguish between base substitutions, insertions and deletions as point mutations

Compare silent, missense, nonsense and frameshift mutations

Use diagrams to distinguish between duplications, deletions, inversions and translocations as chromosomal mutations

Compare point mutations and chromosomal mutations

Interpret images of karyotypes, showing how chromosomes arranged as homologous pairs explain non-disjunction

Analyse the implications of somatic and germline variants in the context of tumour formation, genetic disease and genetic diversity

Conduct a secondary-source investigation on single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in populations and their association with a genetic disease

Assess potential limitations and constraints of SNP testing and databases in diagnostic medicine