Studying biology

Hey guys. If you need some help with biology feel free to drop me a PM. I'm a third year genetics student in UCD so I should know a thing or two and I am always willing to help out budding scientists!

You CAN leave out photosynthesis and respiration and get away with it, but it would mean you'd have to know everything else pretty well - genetics etc.
Also you have a whole 3 weeks until the biology exam. Key points can easily be learned, you have ages. The most useful things for the exam are the balanced equation (the same equation for both, but the arrow in a different direction!) and the 'elodea' experiment. There are numerous videos on youtube which explain the topics simply and clearly which I find really useful, for example: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hj_WKgnL6MI
Sure you can leave it out but I don't understand why you would leave something out that is pretty much guaranteed to be on the paper.

Really the big emphasis should be put on unit one and 2 as you can do up to 80% of the paper if you have these known inside out. Also know your experiments inside out, the're the handiest 60 marks on the paper.
The most important study resource at this time has to be your exam papers!

I think ecology is dead easy, a tad boring though. I don't like some questions in genetics all that profiling/transciption stuff goes over my head. Having said that i'm going to answer the question anyway.

With regard to photosynthesis and respiration, there is a question on them every year. You would be seriously reckless to just eliminate a banker topic like that and count on being able to replace it with a random (especially if you are planning to skimp on Unit 3 - I wouldn't, more on this below).

People seem to have trouble with psynth and resp every year. The only thing I can suggest to remedy this is to keep going over the topic. Good old fashioned study by steps! Break it down, look at each component of things like Krebs separately. Then amalgamate your pieces of knowledge. You should then be able to cobble something together. The rest of genetics is not incredibly information heavy - know how to do genetic crosses, and the mechanisms of DNA and RNA. These are small bits of the course, but they will go a surprisingly long way in the exam.

Unit 1. Ecology. Prevent nasty shocks on the day from counting on topics "tipped to come up". Just do it.

Unit 3. I would strongly advise against "picking your favourite topic" in this element of the syllabus. Learn reproduction. I cannot remember a year in which this didn't come up. As regards the rest of it, a good working knowledge of plant biology is going to be to your advantage. In 2008, it was notable for its absence, but this is widely viewed as a freak year - in general, you can count on it being there in some shape or form. With the remainder of human biology, certain topics stand out - I would for instance rank something like the circulatory system ahead of the ear and eye, and I would definitely have a look over digestion and excretion. Lymph and the nervous system have also arisen occasionally. If neither has come up in the last year or 2 (nervous was on 2008), keep an eye out for them.

Essentially, if you want an A, you can cut corners in Biology. It can be done. But if you cut too many corners, you might regret it.

Ok a B3...that's 75% right? If there are any topics you enjoy, learn them inside out. Know your experiments. If you're just looking for a B3 then leaving out either Photosynthesis or respiration should be ok, you can usually predict what will come up. For stuff you don't enjoy, try to understand key points and general concepts, no need to learn a whole load of detail.

Hope that helps!

Thankfully biology can all be crammed into your short term memory.
There's so little of it that I remember past 2 weeks.
Which his handy given how close the exam is :P

I keep looking at it everyday, skim over the revision book in it's entirety daily to reinforce all the information. This week I'm going to do an entire paper (I've left 2004 untouched for the purpose!) and then see how I get on/where I go wrong etc. Or else it'll just make me tired...

Seloth wrote: »

I failed my pre by 6% but I'm aiming for atleast 65%.

My plan is to do mostly unit 1 and 2 and Sex Rep((Human+Plant)),circalatory system,Breathing,Plant transport,Monerea,Homeostais,Exretion and Lymph(Might ad in more though)).

Photo I'm grand,but resp I have no bloody clue about,I'm completly blank on the subject.Not to great with Gentic crosses but can manage them.

I much prefer photo too! it's way easier, good thing that resp came up last year!

It might doing viruses properly as swine flu was big in the news when the papers were set.

Folks, for those among you tying yourselves up in knots over respiration break it down into short, simple points:

Aerobic Respiration (HL):
2 stage process

· Stage 1 – anaerobic, doesn’t use oxygen
- Glycolysis
- Takes place in the cytosol
- Glucose spilt into 2 molecules of pyruvate (pyruvic acid)
- Each pyruvate has 3 carbons so the glucose has not been fully broken down – most of the energy from original molecule still in the pyruvates
- Small amount of ATP and NADH released

· Stage 2 – aerobic, uses oxygen
- Takes place in mitochondria
- Pyruvate loses a carbon in the form of carbon dioxide
- Forms an acetyl group
- Acetyl group joins with co-enzyme A forming acetyl coA
- Acetyl coA enters Kreb’s cycle
- Broken down into carbon dioxide and hydrogen ions in a series of reactions & NADH formed
- Electrons from NADH enter an electron transport chain
- Moving through the electron transport chain the electrons lose energy
- Energy used to make ATP
- Electrons join with hydrogen ions and oxygen at the end of the chain forming water
- NB if oxygen not present electrons cannot escape so process cannot continue

Anaerobic Respiration (HL):
Stage 1 but not stage 2
· Lactic acid fermentation
- Occurs in animal muscle when not enough oxygen present – causes cramps
- LA fermentation by bacteria is the basis of yoghurt & cheese production

· Alcohol fermentation
- Occurs in the cells of plants, fungi and some bacteria
- Alcohol fermentation is basis of brewing and baking