← Biology syllabus

Northern IrelandBiology

Microorganisms and Health

4 dot points across 4 inquiry questions. Click any dot point for a focused answer with worked past exam questions where available.

How do pathogens cause disease, and how does the body defend itself?

Pathogens as disease-causing microorganisms and how they spread, the body's first-line defences such as the skin, and the role of white blood cells in defending the body by phagocytosis and antibody production.
A focused CCEA GCSE Biology answer on defence against disease, covering pathogens and how they spread, the body's first-line defences such as the skin, and the role of white blood cells in phagocytosis and antibody production.
8 min answer →

How do antibiotics and other medicines work, and why is drug misuse harmful?

How antibiotics treat bacterial infections but not viral ones, the problem of antibiotic resistance and how to reduce it, the difference between medical and recreational drugs, and the effects of alcohol and tobacco on health.
A focused CCEA GCSE Biology answer on medicines and drugs, covering how antibiotics treat bacteria but not viruses, antibiotic resistance and how to reduce it, medical versus recreational drugs, and the effects of alcohol and tobacco.
8 min answer →

What are microorganisms, and how do we use them in food and biotechnology?

The main types of microorganism (bacteria, viruses and fungi), the conditions microorganisms need to grow, their useful roles in food production such as yoghurt and bread, and the use of microorganisms in biotechnology including aseptic technique.
A focused CCEA GCSE Biology answer on microorganisms, covering bacteria, viruses and fungi, the conditions they need to grow, their useful roles in food production, biotechnology, and aseptic technique.
8 min answer →

How does immunity work, and how do vaccines protect us from disease?

How the immune system produces memory cells for long-term immunity, how a vaccine uses a dead or weakened pathogen to make the body immune, and how vaccination protects individuals and populations (herd immunity).
A focused CCEA GCSE Biology answer on immunity and vaccination, covering memory cells and long-term immunity, how a vaccine uses a dead or weakened pathogen to make the body immune, and how vaccination protects individuals and populations.
8 min answer →