ATAR Notes: Forum

VCE Stuff => VCE Science => VCE Mathematics/Science/Technology => VCE Subjects + Help => VCE Biology => Topic started by: psyxwar on November 11, 2012, 11:54:56 am

Title: Which parts of Biology Units 1 (and 2) are relevant to Units 3 and 4?
Post by: psyxwar on November 11, 2012, 11:54:56 am
Hey, I'm going to be doing Biology Units 3 and 4 in 2013 without having done Units 1 or 2. Obviously, I want to make up for these gaps in my knowledge so I'm interested as to which parts of Units 1 and 2 I should look into covering. I have already done the molecules of life part of Unit 1.

I use the Nature of Biology texts.

Thank you in advance!
Title: Re: Which parts of Biology Units 1 (and 2) are relevant to Units 3 and 4?
Post by: Shenz0r on November 14, 2012, 03:14:35 pm
You won't be missing out on much, but there's a few things you should look over from Unit 1 if you want a smoother transition:

*Cell structure and functioning (such as organelles, prokaroyotic/eukaryotic cells)
*Membrane transport (moving substances into/out of a cell basically)
*Biochemical processes (photosynthesis, cellular respiration)
*Cell replication (Mitosis & Meiosis)

From Unit 2 (just reading over this should be sufficient):
*Structural Adaptations
*Physiological Adaptations (covers homeostasis and nerve control)
Title: Re: Which parts of Biology Units 1 (and 2) are relevant to Units 3 and 4?
Post by: psyxwar on November 16, 2012, 05:24:27 pm
You won't be missing out on much, but there's a few things you should look over from Unit 1 if you want a smoother transition:

*Cell structure and functioning (such as organelles, prokaroyotic/eukaryotic cells)
*Membrane transport (moving substances into/out of a cell basically)
*Biochemical processes (photosynthesis, cellular respiration)
*Cell replication (Mitosis & Meiosis)

From Unit 2 (just reading over this should be sufficient):
*Structural Adaptations
*Physiological Adaptations (covers homeostasis and nerve control)
Thanks for your help.
Title: Re: Which parts of Biology Units 1 (and 2) are relevant to Units 3 and 4?
Post by: Biceps on November 16, 2012, 05:31:42 pm
pretty much everything besides ecology and all the body systems (beside nervous and endocrine)
Title: Re: Which parts of Biology Units 1 (and 2) are relevant to Units 3 and 4?
Post by: peterpan101 on November 16, 2012, 07:19:02 pm
pretty much everything besides ecology and all the body systems (beside nervous and endocrine)

dam i loved the body systems and i was so good at it ! :(
Title: Re: Which parts of Biology Units 1 (and 2) are relevant to Units 3 and 4?
Post by: slothpomba on November 17, 2012, 02:59:17 pm
The only really big ones you should know that they dont mention much is biomacromolecules (proteins, lipids, etc) and mitosis/meiosis.

Photosynthesis and cellular respiration are gone over again in pretty good detail. Same with things like homeostasis.
Title: Re: Which parts of Biology Units 1 (and 2) are relevant to Units 3 and 4?
Post by: Biceps on November 17, 2012, 03:11:04 pm
pretty much everything besides ecology and all the body systems (beside nervous and endocrine)

dam i loved the body systems and i was so good at it ! :(
yeah they are so awesome :D
Title: Re: Which parts of Biology Units 1 (and 2) are relevant to Units 3 and 4?
Post by: psyxwar on November 17, 2012, 10:07:10 pm
Thanks for the answers guys! Should I move straight onto 3/4 using the textbook/ resources and cover it from there, or should I look at the 1/2 version first?
Title: Re: Which parts of Biology Units 1 (and 2) are relevant to Units 3 and 4?
Post by: Shenz0r on November 17, 2012, 10:34:18 pm
Since you go to MHS, I recommend not reading over the 1/2 version first.

Go to the portal, download all of Dr. S's powerpoints for Units 3 & 4, and look over them.

On Facebook, search for Douchy's Biology Podcast and download all the episodes from this year. Then just listen to them.

That's enough preparation I think, and of course, do some Biozone sheets.
Title: Re: Which parts of Biology Units 1 (and 2) are relevant to Units 3 and 4?
Post by: psyxwar on November 19, 2012, 10:13:07 pm
Since you go to MHS, I recommend not reading over the 1/2 version first.

Go to the portal, download all of Dr. S's powerpoints for Units 3 & 4, and look over them.

On Facebook, search for Douchy's Biology Podcast and download all the episodes from this year. Then just listen to them.

That's enough preparation I think, and of course, do some Biozone sheets.
Yup thanks. I already started using his powerpoints, but I'll look into the podcasts. Should I aim to perfect definitions as I go along, or would I be better off say going through an Area of Study and learning all of it to the extent where I'm comfortable I understand everything before going back to perfect my definitions?

Edit: Douchy seems to have taken down 2012's podcasts. Does anybody happen to have them downloaded/ is willing to upload them?
Title: Re: Which parts of Biology Units 1 (and 2) are relevant to Units 3 and 4?
Post by: Shenz0r on November 19, 2012, 11:27:20 pm
Since you go to MHS, I recommend not reading over the 1/2 version first.

Go to the portal, download all of Dr. S's powerpoints for Units 3 & 4, and look over them.

On Facebook, search for Douchy's Biology Podcast and download all the episodes from this year. Then just listen to them.

That's enough preparation I think, and of course, do some Biozone sheets.
Yup thanks. I already started using his powerpoints, but I'll look into the podcasts. Should I aim to perfect definitions as I go along, or would I be better off say going through an Area of Study and learning all of it to the extent where I'm comfortable I understand everything before going back to perfect my definitions?

Edit: Douchy seems to have taken down 2012's podcasts. Does anybody happen to have them downloaded/ is willing to upload them?

It doesn't really matter. What I preferred to do was just listen to Douchy, then do the relevant Biozone and NEAP questions. Douchy should drill the definitions into your head.

(I'll upload all my downloaded podcasts tomorrow, and send you the link)
Title: Re: Which parts of Biology Units 1 (and 2) are relevant to Units 3 and 4?
Post by: psyxwar on November 20, 2012, 11:31:46 pm
Since you go to MHS, I recommend not reading over the 1/2 version first.

Go to the portal, download all of Dr. S's powerpoints for Units 3 & 4, and look over them.

On Facebook, search for Douchy's Biology Podcast and download all the episodes from this year. Then just listen to them.

That's enough preparation I think, and of course, do some Biozone sheets.
Yup thanks. I already started using his powerpoints, but I'll look into the podcasts. Should I aim to perfect definitions as I go along, or would I be better off say going through an Area of Study and learning all of it to the extent where I'm comfortable I understand everything before going back to perfect my definitions?

Edit: Douchy seems to have taken down 2012's podcasts. Does anybody happen to have them downloaded/ is willing to upload them?

It doesn't really matter. What I preferred to do was just listen to Douchy, then do the relevant Biozone and NEAP questions. Douchy should drill the definitions into your head.

(I'll upload all my downloaded podcasts tomorrow, and send you the link)
Alright thanks a tonne!
Title: Re: Which parts of Biology Units 1 (and 2) are relevant to Units 3 and 4?
Post by: Edward21 on December 02, 2012, 01:25:30 am
I will be completely and utterly honest with you, the 1/2 course is junk. Unit 2 has 1% relevance, and as for Unit 1, yeah like 40% is relevant. BUT it does not go into nowhere near the amount of detail the VCAA expects from you in 3/4. In Unit 3 we learn: Biochemistry, Cell Resp. (in detail, quite complicated) Photosynthesis, Endocrine (hormone) system, Nervous system and Immunity. Biochemistry was not covered, cellular respiration and photosynthesis were talked about, but really what was learnt in unit 1 was just what went in and what came out in the processes... VCAA expects you to know each of the complicated stages inside and out if you want A+ marks! Endocrine and nervous were hardly covered (if at all) and Immunity wasn't touched. What a stupid course outline, honestly, for 1/2 to have so little relevance, I got A+ on my Unit 3 2012 midyear so speaking from experience... the amount of detail required in 3/4 is like 10X the amount in 1/2 #wasteoftime. If you summarise well, do as many exam-style questions (checkpoints and as many past papers) you'll be fine, I know people in my class that got A/A+ grades without 1/2. As you can tell I feel very passionate about how useless Units 1/2 are ?