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Northern Ireland · CCEASyllabus
Life & Health Sciences syllabus, dot point by dot point
Every dot point in the Northern Ireland Life & Health Sciencessyllabus, 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.
Experimental Techniques (AS 1)
Module overview →Genetics, Gene Technology and Stem Cells (A2 5)
Module overview →- How is genetic information stored in DNA and used to make proteins?The structure of DNA and RNA, the gene as a sequence of bases coding for a protein, the genetic code, and the stages of protein synthesis (transcription and translation).13 min answer →
- How are genes manipulated to make useful products, and what are the applications and ethical issues?The principles of genetic engineering (recombinant DNA technology), the use of restriction enzymes, ligase, vectors and the polymerase chain reaction, the applications in medicine, agriculture and gene therapy, and the ethical and safety issues.13 min answer →
- How are characteristics inherited, and how do we predict the outcomes of genetic crosses?The key genetic terms (gene, allele, genotype, phenotype, dominant, recessive, homozygous, heterozygous), monohybrid inheritance and genetic crosses, codominance and sex linkage, and the use of genetic diagrams to predict offspring ratios.13 min answer →
- What is a mutation, how does it cause genetic disease, and how are genetic disorders detected?Gene mutations (substitution, insertion and deletion) and their effects on the protein, chromosome mutations, mutagens, examples of genetic disorders such as cystic fibrosis and sickle-cell anaemia, and genetic screening and counselling.13 min answer →
- What are stem cells, how are they used in medicine, and what is cloning?The nature of stem cells and the differences between embryonic and adult stem cells, cell differentiation and potency, the medical uses of stem cells, the principles of reproductive and therapeutic cloning, and the associated ethical issues.12 min answer →
Human Body Systems (AS 2)
Module overview →- How does the body keep its internal environment steady, and how are these systems monitored in health care?Homeostasis and negative feedback, the control of blood glucose by insulin and glucagon, the control of body temperature, and how body systems are monitored using measurements such as pulse rate, blood pressure, body temperature and ECG.13 min answer →
- What makes a balanced diet, and how do nutrition and exercise affect health?The components of a balanced diet and the roles of nutrients, the consequences of dietary imbalance, the assessment of body mass using BMI, and the effects of regular physical exercise on the body systems and on health.12 min answer →
- How do cells release energy from glucose, and what is the difference between aerobic and anaerobic respiration?Respiration as the release of energy from glucose, the role of ATP, an outline of aerobic respiration in the cytoplasm and mitochondria, anaerobic respiration and lactate production in humans, and the measurement of respiration and energy needs.12 min answer →
- How does the heart pump blood around the body, and what goes wrong in cardiovascular disease?Structure of the heart and the cardiac cycle, control of the heartbeat, the structure and roles of arteries, veins and capillaries, the composition of blood, and the causes, risk factors and treatment of coronary heart disease.13 min answer →
- How do the skeleton, joints and muscles work together to produce movement?The functions of the skeleton, the structure of a synovial joint, the role of antagonistic muscle pairs in movement, the structure of skeletal muscle and how it contracts, and common disorders of the musculoskeletal system.12 min answer →
- How is the human gas-exchange system adapted to load oxygen and remove carbon dioxide, and how is breathing measured?Structure of the human gas-exchange system, the mechanism of ventilation, gas exchange at the alveoli, lung volumes and capacities measured by spirometry, and the effects of smoking and disease on the lungs.12 min answer →
Investigative Project (A2 1)
Module overview →Organic Chemistry (A2 2)
Module overview →- How are organic molecules classified, named and represented, and what is a homologous series?The classification of organic compounds by functional group, homologous series and general formulae, IUPAC nomenclature, the different ways of representing organic molecules, and the meaning of structural isomerism.12 min answer →
- How do chemists identify organic compounds using modern instruments?The principles and uses of instrumental methods for identifying organic compounds, including mass spectrometry, infrared spectroscopy and chromatography, and how data from these methods are interpreted to determine structure.12 min answer →
- How can molecules with the same formula have different structures and properties?Structural isomerism (chain, position and functional group isomers), stereoisomerism including cis-trans (E-Z) isomerism in alkenes, the conditions needed for each, and why isomers can have different properties.12 min answer →
- How are polymers made from small molecules, and what are the two main types of polymerisation?Addition polymerisation of alkenes and condensation polymerisation, the structures of the polymers formed, the differences between the two types, and the uses and environmental impact of polymers including biodegradability and disposal.12 min answer →
- What are the characteristic reactions of the main families of organic compounds?The characteristic reactions of alkanes (combustion and substitution), alkenes (addition), alcohols (oxidation, combustion and dehydration) and carboxylic acids, and the reaction types of combustion, substitution, addition and oxidation.13 min answer →
Aspects of Physical Chemistry in Industrial Processes (AS 3)
Module overview →- What makes a substance acidic or basic, and how is acidity measured and controlled?The Bronsted-Lowry definitions of acids and bases, strong and weak acids, the pH scale and its relationship to hydrogen ion concentration, neutralisation reactions, and the use of titration to find an unknown concentration.13 min answer →
- What is a dynamic equilibrium, and how do changing conditions shift it?Reversible reactions and dynamic equilibrium, Le Chatelier's principle and the effects of changing concentration, pressure and temperature, the effect of a catalyst on equilibrium, and the equilibrium constant Kc.12 min answer →
- How do industries choose conditions that balance yield, rate and cost in large-scale reactions?The Haber process and the Contact process as industrial applications of rate and equilibrium, the choice of compromise conditions of temperature, pressure and catalyst, and the economic and environmental factors in industrial chemistry.12 min answer →
- What controls how fast a reaction goes and whether it releases or absorbs energy?Collision theory and the factors affecting the rate of reaction, the action of catalysts, exothermic and endothermic reactions, enthalpy changes and energy profile diagrams, and the calculation of enthalpy changes.13 min answer →
- What are oxidation and reduction, and how is electrolysis used in industry?Oxidation and reduction in terms of electron transfer and oxidation numbers, redox reactions, the principles of electrolysis, and the industrial use of electrolysis to extract and purify metals.12 min answer →