Leaving Certificate Biology
For the Leaving Certificate, St Mary’s offers Biology at either Ordinary Level or Higher Level. Note that there are new curricula being implemented for Leaving Certificate science subjects in the coming years.
Biology is a natural science concerned with the study of life, living organisms and how they interact with the environment. This subject is broadly broken into three main units; the Study of Life, the Cell and the Organism. Included in this are eighteen mandatory experiments to be completed by students over the two-year course, as well as a field study to be carried out in Sixth Year. Below is a list of the main topics in each unit.
The Study of Life
- The scientific method
- The characteristics of life
- Ecology & the environment
- Study of an ecosystem
The Cell
- Cell structure & diversity
- Diffusion & osmosis
- Cell continuity
- Enzymes & energy carriers
- Photosynthesis
- Respiration
- DNA & RNA
- Genetics & inheritance
- Variation & evolution
The Organism
- Microbiology
- Structure of flowering plants
- Transport, nutrition & food storage in flowering plants
- The human circulation system
- Human nutrition
- Excretion
- Plant response to stimuli
- The human nervous system
- The senses
- The human endocrine system
- The musculoskeletal system
- The human defence system
- Plant reproduction
- Human reproduction
Assessment
Leaving Certificate Biology is assessed through a three-hour exam at the end of Sixth Year. The exam is broken into three sections:
Section A 7 short questions (100 marks)
Section B 3 experiment questions (60 marks)
Section C 7 long questions (240 marks)
Answer five short questions (Section A), two experiment questions (Section B) and four long questions (Section C).
Not all the questions carry equal marks. The number of marks for each question is stated at the top of the question.
You should spend about 30 minutes on Section A, 30 minutes on Section B, and 120 minutes on Section B.
An example of a Leaving Certificate biology exam can be found here. You can also find all past exam papers as well as additional sample papers here.
Careers
Science subjects are very useful for career prospects as students who take these subject develop key skills that can be applied to any job, such as critical thinking, problem solving and analytical skills.
Many careers directly involve a knowledge of science – for example Biotechnology, Medicine, Veterinary Medicine, Dentistry, Food Science, Engineering, Environmental Science, Forensic Science, Agricultural Science, Pharmacy, and Medicinal Chemistry. Many third level courses require science subjects to be taken for Leaving Certificate.
LC Biology Syllabus: https://www.curriculumonline.ie/getmedia/0cc3a7ac-fd8c-4612-8e4d-81cd82482abc/SCSEC07_Biology_Syllabus_Eng.pdf
Subject specific websites:
Biology Bugbears: www.youtube.com/channel/UCGuBY43N719wlQ0e17nbKRQ
The Conical Flask: www.theconicalflask.ie
The Physics Teacher: www.thephysicsteacher.ie