QLD · QCAASyllabus
Biology syllabus, dot point by dot point
Every dot point in the QLD Biologysyllabus, with a focused answer for each one. Click any dot point for a worked explainer, past exam questions, and links to related dot points. Written by Claude Opus 4.8, Anthropic's latest AI.
Unit 1: Cells and multicellular organisms
Module overview →- Topic 1: Cells as the basis of lifeDescribe the structure and function of cellular components, including the plasma membrane (fluid mosaic model), cytosol, nucleus, mitochondria, chloroplasts, endoplasmic reticulum, Golgi apparatus, lysosomes, vesicles, vacuoles, cell wall and cytoskeleton11 min answer →
- Topic 1: Cells as the basis of lifeDescribe the cell theory and distinguish between prokaryotic and eukaryotic cells, recalling that prokaryotes include bacteria and archaea7 min answer →
- Topic 1: Cells as the basis of lifeExplain the role of enzymes as biological catalysts and the effect of temperature, pH, substrate concentration, enzyme concentration and inhibitors on enzyme activity8 min answer →
- Topic 2: Multicellular organismsDescribe gas exchange and internal transport in plants (stomata, xylem, phloem, transpiration and the cohesion-tension theory) and animals (alveoli, gills, open and closed circulatory systems, the human circulatory system)10 min answer →
- Topic 2: Multicellular organismsDescribe the hierarchical organisation of multicellular organisms (specialised cells, tissues, organs and organ systems) and compare totipotent, pluripotent and multipotent stem cells8 min answer →
- Topic 1: Cells as the basis of lifeDescribe passive and active transport processes that move materials across cell membranes, including diffusion, osmosis (hypertonic, hypotonic, isotonic solutions), facilitated diffusion, protein pumps, endocytosis (phagocytosis and pinocytosis) and exocytosis9 min answer →
- Topic 1: Cells as the basis of lifeSummarise the inputs, outputs and locations of photosynthesis and of aerobic and anaerobic cellular respiration8 min answer →
- Topic 1: Cells as the basis of lifeExplain how the surface area to volume ratio limits cell size and influences the structure of cells and exchange surfaces7 min answer →
Unit 2: Maintaining the internal environment
Module overview →- Topic 1: HomeostasisDescribe endocrine control of the internal environment, including the role of hormones, target cells, the hypothalamus and pituitary gland, and the regulation of blood glucose by insulin and glucagon9 min answer →
- Topic 1: HomeostasisExplain the concept of homeostasis and the role of negative feedback in maintaining a stable internal environment, including stimulus, receptor, control centre, effector and response8 min answer →
- Topic 2: Infectious disease and the immune responseDescribe the first, second and third lines of defence in vertebrates, including innate immune responses (barriers, inflammation, phagocytes) and adaptive immune responses (humoral immunity through B cells and antibodies, cell-mediated immunity through T cells)10 min answer →
- Topic 1: HomeostasisDescribe nervous control, including the structure of a neuron, the generation of action potentials, synaptic transmission and the reflex arc9 min answer →
- Topic 1: HomeostasisDescribe osmoregulation and excretion in mammals, including the structure and function of the nephron and the role of ADH in regulating water balance9 min answer →
- Topic 2: Infectious disease and the immune responseDescribe the main groups of pathogens (bacteria, viruses, fungi, protists, prions) and their modes of transmission, distinguishing between communicable and non-communicable disease8 min answer →
- Topic 1: HomeostasisExplain thermoregulation in endotherms and ectotherms, including behavioural and physiological responses to heat and cold8 min answer →
- Topic 2: Infectious disease and the immune responseExplain how vaccines work, the role of herd immunity, and the development and implications of antibiotic resistance for human health9 min answer →
Unit 3: Biodiversity and the interconnectedness of life
Module overview →- Topic 1: Describing biodiversity and ecosystem dynamicsIdentify and describe abiotic and biotic factors that influence the distribution and abundance of organisms in an ecosystem, including tolerance ranges and ecological niche9 min answer →
- Topic 1: Describing biodiversity and ecosystem dynamicsDescribe the cycling of matter through biogeochemical cycles, including the carbon, nitrogen and water cycles, and evaluate the impact of human activities on these cycles10 min answer →
- Topic 1: Describing biodiversity and ecosystem dynamicsIdentify and classify organisms using the Linnaean hierarchical system (domain, kingdom, phylum, class, order, family, genus, species) and construct and use dichotomous keys to identify organisms8 min answer →
- Topic 1: Describing biodiversity and ecosystem dynamicsDescribe biodiversity as the variety of all life forms on Earth, including the different plants, animals, micro-organisms, the genes they contain and the ecosystems they form, recognising biodiversity at the genetic, species and ecosystem levels7 min answer →
- Topic 1: Describing biodiversity and ecosystem dynamicsDescribe ecosystem dynamics, including the role of keystone species and the processes of primary and secondary succession, and explain how species composition changes over time8 min answer →
- Topic 1: Describing biodiversity and ecosystem dynamicsDescribe energy flow through ecosystems including food chains, food webs and trophic levels, and explain biomass, productivity (GPP and NPP) and the 10 per cent rule of trophic efficiency9 min answer →
- Topic 1: Describing biodiversity and ecosystem dynamicsDetermine the biodiversity of an ecosystem using measures of species richness, species evenness and Simpson's diversity index, and explain the limitations of these measures9 min answer →
- Topic 1: Describing biodiversity and ecosystem dynamicsDescribe and explain population growth patterns including exponential and logistic models, carrying capacity, density-dependent and density-independent limiting factors, survivorship curves and r and k selection10 min answer →
Unit 4: Heredity and continuity of life
Module overview →- Topic 3: Continuity of life on EarthDescribe key biotechnology techniques including PCR, gel electrophoresis, recombinant DNA technology, transgenic organisms (GMOs) and CRISPR-Cas9, and evaluate their applications12 min answer →
- Topic 1: DNA, genes and the continuity of lifeDescribe the structure of DNA, the process of semi-conservative replication and the role of key enzymes including helicase, DNA polymerase, primase and ligase10 min answer →
- Topic 1: DNA, genes and the continuity of lifeExplain gene expression through transcription and translation, including the role of mRNA, tRNA, rRNA, the codon table and ribosomes, and compare prokaryotic and eukaryotic gene expression11 min answer →
- Topic 2: InheritanceApply Mendel's laws of segregation and independent assortment to predict the outcomes of monohybrid and dihybrid crosses using Punnett squares, and explain the purpose of a test cross9 min answer →
- Topic 1: DNA, genes and the continuity of lifeDescribe types of mutation (point, frameshift, chromosomal) and the sources of genetic variation including meiosis, fertilisation and mutation, and explain the consequences of mutations for phenotype and population polymorphism10 min answer →
- Topic 3: Continuity of life on EarthExplain natural selection as a mechanism of evolution including variation, selection pressure, differential survival and reproduction, fitness, and compare Darwinian and neo-Darwinian theories11 min answer →
- Topic 2: InheritanceDescribe and apply non-Mendelian patterns of inheritance including codominance, incomplete dominance, multiple alleles, sex linkage and polygenic inheritance10 min answer →
- Topic 2: InheritanceInterpret pedigrees to deduce patterns of inheritance (autosomal dominant, autosomal recessive, X-linked dominant, X-linked recessive) and calculate the probability of specified offspring genotypes and phenotypes9 min answer →