General Information 

The Higher Level course is equivalent to many first year university Biology courses. Many universities around the world give advanced standing to students who have successfully completed the IB Higher Level Biology course.

The courses are examined externally each year. The practical component of the courses are internally marked and externally moderated.

Subject Specific Core (SCC)

The core consists of the following topics :

• Topic 1 : Cells
  1. Cell theory
  2. Prokaryotic cell structure
  3. Eukaryotic cell structure
  4. Membranes
  5. Cell division - Mitosis
• Topic 2 : The Chemistry of Life
  1. Elements of life
  2. Carbohydrates, lipids and proteins
  3. Enzymes
  4. DNA structure
  5. DNA replication
  6. Transcription and translation
  7. Genetic engineering, DNA fingerprinting, gene therapy
• Topic 3 : Genetics
  1. Chromosomes, genes and alleles
  2. Gene mutation
  3. Meiosis
  4. Theoretical genetics
  5. Applied genetics
• Topic 4 : Ecology
  1. Communities and ecosystems
  2. Photosynthesis, respiration and energy relationships
  3. Populations, natural selection and evolution
  4. Human impact
  5. Ecological techniques
• Topic 5 : Human health and physiology
  1. Digestion and nutrition
  2. The transport system
  3. Defence against infectious disease
  4. Gas exchange
  5. Homeostasis
  6. Reproduction
• Topic 6 : Ideas for investigations

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Aditional Higher Level Material (AHL)

The additional Higher Level material consists of the following topics (90 hours) :

• Topic 7 : Cells
  1. Membranes
  2. Cell division - Mitosis
  3. Differentiation and functional specialization of cells
• Topic 8 : Nucleic acids and proteins
  1. DNA structure
  2. DNA replication
  3. Transcription
  4. Translation
  5. Proteins
  6. Enzymes
• Topic 9 : Cell respiration and photosynthesis
  1. Cell respiration
  2. Photosynthesis
• Topic 10 : Genetics
  1. Meiosis
  2. Dihybrid crosses
  3. Autosomal gene linkage and gene mapping
  4. Statistical analysis
  5. Polygenic inheritance
  6. Applications of genetics to agriculture and horticulture
• Topic 11 : Human reproduction
  1. Production of gametes
  2. Fertilisation and pregnancy
• Topic 12 : Defence against infectious disease
  1. Agents that cause infectious disease
  2. Types of defence
• Topic 13 : Classification and diversity
  1. Classification
  2. Diversity
• Topic 14 : Nerves, muscles and movement
  1. Nerves
  2. Muscles and movement
• Topic 15 : Excretion
  1. Excretion
  2. The human kidney
• Topic 16 : Plant science
  1. Dicotyledonous plant structure
  2. Transport in angiosperms
  3. Germination
  4. Plants and people
• Topic 17 : Ideas for investigations

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Options

At the Standard Level, THREE options must be chosen (20 hours per option). At the Higher Level, TWO options must be chosen (30 hours per option).

• Option A : Diet and Human Nutrition (SL)
  1. Diet
  2. Biochemistry of nutrition
  3. Diet and health
• Option B : Physiology of exercise (SL)
  1. The skeleton, joints and muscles
  2. Coordination of muscle activity
  3. Muscles and energy
  4. Fitness and training
  5. Injuries
• Option C : Cells and Energy (SL)
  1. Membranes
  2. Proteins
  3. Enzymes
  4. Photosynthesis
  5. Cell respiration
• Option D : Evolution (SL/HL)
  1. Origin of life on Earth
  2. The origin of species
  3. Evidence for evolution
  4. Human evolution
  5. Neo-Darwinism
• Option E : Neurobiology and behaviour (SL/HL)
  1. Introduction and examples of behavior
  2. Perception of Stimuli
  3. Innate behavior
  4. Learned behavior
  5. Social behavior
• Option F : Applied plant and animal science (SL/HL)
  1. Plant and animal science and the world food problem
  2. Applied plant science
  3. Applied animal science
  4. Science applied to horticulture
  5. Modern methods and techniques of plant and animal science
  6. Wider biological and ethical issues
• Option G : Ecology and conservation (SL/HL)
  1. The ecology of species
  2. The ecology of communities
  3. The ecology of ecosystems
  4. Biodiversity and conservation
  5. Microbial ecology
  6. Reducing harmful impacts of humans on ecosystems
• Option H : Further human physiology (HL)
  1. Homeostasis
  2. Digestion
  3. Absorption of digested foods
  4. The functions of the liver
  5. Transport
  6. Gas exchange

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IB Useful links 

• IB useful links can be found at the Bio on the Web page of the IC Biology Department web site. Note that the listed links are also applicable to other Biology programs offered at IC.
• Free downloadable software is accessible through the Logiciels SVT page of the IC Biology Department web site.
• Although the SVT sites of "Seconde", "Première" and "Terminale" list addresses specific to the French Baccalaureate Life and Earth Sciences program, a number of them will be very useful for IB.
• Discover the definitons of Action Verbs (define, state, list, explain, outline, describe, etc.), Hillsborough High.
• Other useful links are listed in the following two sites :
  • I.B. Biology Main Page - St-Paul's Gramamar School Penrith, New South Wales, Australia.
  • Pete's IB Biology Resource Poudre High School.

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