← Life & Health Sciences syllabus

Northern IrelandLife & Health Sciences

Human Body Systems (AS 2)

6 dot points across 6 inquiry questions. Click any dot point for a focused answer with worked past exam questions where available.

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.
A CCEA Life and Health Sciences answer on homeostasis: negative feedback, the control of blood glucose by insulin and glucagon, the control of body temperature, and how the body is monitored using pulse, 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.
A CCEA Life and Health Sciences answer on nutrition and exercise: the components of a balanced diet and the roles of nutrients, the consequences of dietary imbalance, the use of BMI to assess body mass, and the effects of regular exercise 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.
A CCEA Life and Health Sciences answer on respiration: the release of energy from glucose, the role of ATP, an outline of aerobic respiration in the cytoplasm and mitochondria, anaerobic respiration and lactate in humans, and how energy needs are measured.
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.
A CCEA Life and Health Sciences answer on the cardiovascular system: heart structure and the cardiac cycle, control of the heartbeat by the SAN and AVN, arteries, veins and capillaries, the composition of blood, and the 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.
A CCEA Life and Health Sciences answer on the musculoskeletal system: the functions of the skeleton, the structure of a synovial joint, antagonistic muscle pairs, the structure and contraction of skeletal muscle, and common joint disorders.
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.
A CCEA Life and Health Sciences answer on the human respiratory system: the structure of the gas-exchange system, the mechanism of ventilation, alveolar gas exchange, lung volumes and capacities measured by spirometry, and the effects of smoking on the lungs.
12 min answer →