biology a level essay questions

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How to answer A-level Biology essay questions

The Synoptic essay questions in paper 3 of the AQA A-level biology course carries 25 marks, so can make a big difference to your overall grade. The essay encourages you to think across different topics (some call this “synoptic” or “holistic” thinking). This is also valuable for other areas of the exams, particularly the application questions .

Here are a few tips for tackling your A-level biology essay: (As an example, Let’s use the title “The importance of movement in cells and tissues”)

Think broadly…

Essay titles are deliberately vague to give you the chance to show your knowledge in a variety of topics. To help you to choose what’s most relevant, look out for subjective words like “movement” and “cells”. Think of the possible alternatives. “Cells”, for example, hints that you could discuss plants, animals, single-celled organisms etc. in your essay. “Movement” could mean short distances (across a membrane) or much further (circulation or mass flow) or even the whole tissue moving (phototropism).

Visualize and catastrophize!

If you can’t think of enough topics for an “importance” essay, flip the question around – what would happen if movement in cells suddenly ground to a halt? Or if ATP suddenly vanished, or our cells were robbed of their ions? Sometimes catastrophizing in this way frees up thoughts, and helps you see what is really important. Another way is to picture every diagram in your notes or textbook that features the thing-that’s-important-in-the-question. If it’s in a diagram, it could go in your essay.

Pick your strongest topics

It’s possible to drop marks on the essay for scientific errors. With that in mind, even if you have lots of ideas for things to include, always pick the topics you can write confidently about. For bonus marks, try to order them in a way that “flows” like a story. Take care to use A-level (and not GCSE) language too.

Keep an eye on the question

While you’re writing, keep asking yourself “Where am I placing the emphasis?”. If the essay is about movement, perhaps you don’t need a whole page about nervous responses, only the bits where movement is involved – sodium ions flowing through channels, waves of depolarisation etc. Movement is the focus of the essay, after all, not neurons. Always ask yourself “Does this sentence fit with the title of the essay?”

Use outside knowledge

The top marks for the essay are reserved for displaying “evidence of reading beyond specification requirements”. Often you can drop recent scientific research or news into your writing – how vaccines tackle COVID might work in an essay about viruses, for example. I often encourage students to have a quick look at the news pages of New Scientist pages (eg https://www.newscientist.com/subject/health/ ) before paper 3 for inspiration – you don’t need to spend ages doing this, just long enough to have one or two ideas up your sleeve…

Good luck with your essay!

If you’d like to work through some example essay questions, please get in touch with me at Woolton Tutors (or Woolton Biology) and we can set up some online biology tutoring sessions.

Best wishes,

Dr John Ankers

Specialist online A-level biology tutor

www.wooltontutors.co.uk

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Author: Dr John Ankers

Dr John Ankers is a tutor, coach and writer. For writing and consultancy work, please contact me at [email protected] View all posts by Dr John Ankers

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Biology Essay Topics

100 best biology essay topics in 2023.

Sciences arise neither by themselves nor because someone invents them simply “out of interest.” Any science appears as a result of the need for humanity to solve certain problems that have arisen in the process of its development. Biology is not an exception, it also arose in connection with the solution of very important problems for people. The main tasks of modern biology are the study of the relationship between man and the environment, the diversity of living organisms and their interaction with each other, the study of the possibilities of prolonging human life, and the cure of various serious diseases. The list is endless.

That is why your biology essay is a great chance to figure out something curious about your environment or even yourself and gain a better understanding of the world. No wonder the choice of the topic may perplex you. That’s why we are here – after reading some hints on how to select the best biology essay topic and looking through various examples you will find the suitable one.

Tips on How to Select the Best Biology Essay Topic?

To begin with, biology is a complicated discipline and there surely are numerous aspects of it you are not aware of well. It is for this reason that you should pick a topic keeping your basic knowledge in mind. You can be interested in whatever you are but preparation for some topics may take an enormous amount of time and effort.

Next, while searching for a scope of specialization, remember that biology is ubiquitous. Just look around and you will find ready-made topics! You can write about the evolution of your pet species, the structure of your home plant, the process of fertilizing soil if you’re into gardening, or examine which processes were taking place in your body during last year’s flu. Use your imagination!

After all, if you still feel frustrated about what to write, your instructor can help you. It is a great idea to consult with your biology teacher because he is able to consider every aspect of your assignment – requirements, given time, your understanding of the subject, and most importantly, he knows how a successful topic should be composed. Such guidance will inspire you.

Who Curates Our List of Biology Essay Topics?

Our biology essay topics are curated by professionals who have extensive experience in writing different types of works. They are thoroughly selected and sorted to ease your topic decision. Above that, they are all checked for the availability of the materials on every question. Feel free to pick any topic you like!

20 Key Biology Essay Questions in 2023

• What are the key properties of life?
• What is a cell theory ?
• What are the domains and kingdoms of life?
• How is hereditary information transmitted to future generations?
• What is natural selection?
• Why is water necessary for life?
• How is a cell structured?
• What is metabolism?
• How does photosynthesis work?
• Mitosis and meiosis: how do cells divide?
• What is DNA?
• What is genetic drift?
• Why do biologists use phylogenetic trees?
• What is bacteria?
• What are archaea?
• How do fungi function?
• How do substances cycle in nature?
• What is the main breakthrough in biology in the XXI century?
• What is the structure of connective tissue?
• The experiments of Lazzaro Spallanzani and Louis Pasteur

20 Controversial Biology Essay Topics

• How did life on Earth emerge?
• Can plants feel pain?
• Do animals have consciousness?
• Biological breakthroughs are impossible without animal testing
• What regulates gene expression?
• Who are the modern relatives of dinosaurs?
• What is the last universal common ancestor (LUKA)?
• Where did eukaryotes originate from?
• Are viruses alive ?
• Development and manufacture of transgenic products
• Basic theories of human origins
• The process of cloning
• Why hasn’t the secret of brain functioning been discovered yet?
• What is the paradox of the plankton?
• Opposing concepts in cell theory
• A fetus can’t feel pain
• The status of nanobacterium
• How does vaccination work?
• Why is it legal to harvest embryonic stem cells?
• Genetic testing and ethical issues

20 Good Biology Essay Topics

• The earliest roots of biology
• The development of biology with the improvement of the microscope
• Sugar in the process of cell respiration
• Cell communication
• What are the main laws of inheritance?
• Biological features of animal migration
• Characterization of DNA biosynthesis
• Biogeocenosis as an important biological process
• Features of the practical application of algae
• Genetic engineering and its main issues
• Types of races: specifics of their origin
• Enzymes: functions and determination of their activity
• The evolutionary process of a flower
• Invertebrate symmetry
• Parasites: general characteristics, significance for humans
• Biogeochemical cycles and their disruption by humans
• Competition as the most important form of the struggle for existence
• Biological production of aquatic ecosystems and ways to increase it
• Features of the embryonic development of rodents
• The global carbon cycle and human-induced change

20 Human Biology Essay Topics

• The mouse as a model for human biology
• The secular trend in human physical growth
• Proteins: chemical composition, properties, and significance for the human body
• Anthropogenesis: essence and features
• The role of medicinal plants in human life
• Hereditary human diseases: prerequisites for the occurrence
• How do people age?
• Characteristics of human biorhythms
• The specificity of the development of immunity
• Vitamins: types and their role in the human body
• Circles of human blood circulation, the interdependence of the respiratory and cardiovascular systems
• The interaction of neurons in the nerve centers
• The main functions of the body system, their relationship
• The influence of smoking, alcohol, and drug abuse by parents on the embryonic development of a child
• Mechanisms for maintaining intracranial pressure
• Anatomical, physiological, and biochemical adaptation in the process of restructuring the body in connection with the disease
• Evolutionary gains and losses of a man
• Age characteristics of biological adaptation in humans
• Hormones, their function, and influence on human behavior
• Organ systems of the body and their brief characteristics

20 Best Biology Essay Ideas

• The development of a multicellular organism
• Characteristic features of the regeneration process
• Biological eras and their characteristics
• Guided natural selection and its implications for the evolution of species
• Mammals: features, structure, comparative anatomical analysis on the example of two representatives
• Genetic engineering techniques
• Catastrophe theory and the progress of living nature
• Biological aspects of pathogenesis in animals and plants
• Apomixis and its meaning
• Self-regulation in biology
• The principle of optimality in biology and the theory of transformation
• Reproduction and development of living systems
• Basics of organization and sustainability of the biosphere
• Panspermia theory
• Macro and microelements: their role in the structure of living matter
• What tasks are being solved at the molecular level?
• Forms of movement at the subcellular, cellular, and organism levels
• Symbiosis as a supraorganism system
• Reproduction forms: asexual, vegetative, and sexual

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