ATAR Notes: Forum

VCE Stuff => VCE Science => VCE Mathematics/Science/Technology => VCE Subjects + Help => VCE Biology => Topic started by: Stick on November 30, 2012, 07:06:07 pm

Title: Studying Biology
Post by: Stick on November 30, 2012, 07:06:07 pm
So I've just completed my headstart week, which has included five lessons of Biology. I already know that I'm very glad I made the decision to swap from Physics to Biology, but I have a few questions in regards to the content and structure of the course:

1. I'm getting the impression from my teacher that I cannot solely rely on one source for this subject (I've been encouraged to use Nature of Biology, Biozone and Biol Notes simultaneously, to give you an example). Is this really necessary?

2. Is it just me, or does the Nature of Biology textbook have a lot of irrelevant information? Also, I've found that the three sources mentioned above seem to cover different things within each sub-topic. How much detail do I really need to delve into?

Thanks. :)
Title: Re: Studying Biology
Post by: HighLatency on November 30, 2012, 07:11:43 pm
Would try to do the entirety of biozone, it's gold.
Biol notes is really just there if you are struggling with the basic concepts, it does not go in depth.
And yes Nature of Biology has a lot of redunancy.

TBH if I ever got stuck on or didn't know the definition of something I just googled it instead of trying to find it in the textbook hehe.
Title: Re: Studying Biology
Post by: Biceps on November 30, 2012, 07:12:58 pm
So I've just completed my headstart week, which has included five lessons of Biology. I already know that I'm very glad I made the decision to swap from Physics to Biology, but I have a few questions in regards to the content and structure of the course:

1. I'm getting the impression from my teacher that I cannot solely rely on one source for this subject (I've been encouraged to use Nature of Biology, Biozone and Biol Notes simultaneously, to give you an example). Is this really necessary?

2. Is it just me, or does the Nature of Biology textbook have a lot of irrelevant information? Also, I've found that the three sources mentioned above seem to cover different things within each sub-topic. How much detail do I really need to delve into?

Thanks. :)
1. Nature of biology has pretty much everything you need to know. I'd still recommend listening to douchy's biology podcast and use biol notes. Biol notes i HIGHLY RECOMMEND it has simple notes that pretty much allow you to understand anything in the course.
2. Nature of biology does have a lot of stories and extra information but they put it there to make it more "interesting." Personally i just skipped over them and got the info i needed. use biol notes along with study design to know what information to focus on.
BTW for immunity i highly recommend Khanacademy.
Title: Re: Studying Biology
Post by: pi on November 30, 2012, 07:21:54 pm
Campbell's Biology 9th.
Title: Re: Studying Biology
Post by: peterpan101 on November 30, 2012, 07:22:25 pm
Would try to do the entirety of biozone, it's gold.
Biol notes is really just there if you are struggling with the basic concepts, it does not go in depth.
And yes Nature of Biology has a lot of redunancy.

TBH if I ever got stuck on or didn't know the definition of something I just googled it instead of trying to find it in the textbook hehe.

is everthing in biozone relevant ?
Title: Re: Studying Biology
Post by: pi on November 30, 2012, 07:24:43 pm
Biozone is great imo. Some of the pages may seem irrelevant (make sure you check the contents page to see which pages are for VCE), but that's usually because they are case studies of sorts :) Good questions.
Title: Re: Studying Biology
Post by: peterpan101 on November 30, 2012, 07:31:58 pm
is heinemann a good text book because that is the one we have to buy for school, is it worth having a look at another text book?
Title: Re: Studying Biology
Post by: pi on November 30, 2012, 08:57:22 pm
Nature of biology is the best.
Title: Re: Studying Biology
Post by: Stick on November 30, 2012, 09:40:33 pm
I find it a bit difficult at this stage to gauge how much detail I need to go into. For example, would I need to know the exact differences in the structures of a-glucose and b-glucose, or is it enough to just know that multiple isomers exist?
Title: Re: Studying Biology
Post by: pi on November 30, 2012, 10:22:11 pm
I find it a bit difficult at this stage to gauge how much detail I need to go into. For example, would I need to know the exact differences in the structures of a-glucose and b-glucose, or is it enough to just know that multiple isomers exist?

You won't be expected to know the structures off by heart or anything.
Title: Re: Studying Biology
Post by: Russ on November 30, 2012, 11:35:26 pm
You won't even be expected to know that isomers exist
Title: Re: Studying Biology
Post by: Stick on November 30, 2012, 11:56:27 pm
OK, I've been reading too much into the biochemistry of it all (ie I needlessly learnt that two a-glucose monomers forms maltose, but two b-glucose monomers forms cellobiose). Whoops! :P
Title: Re: Studying Biology
Post by: pi on December 01, 2012, 12:22:00 am
Maltose - ok. But cellobiose? LOL WHY?

(I can honestly not remember ever hearing cellobiose except this one time I did a random biochem-based wkipidia session...)
Title: Re: Studying Biology
Post by: Stick on December 01, 2012, 10:00:02 am
So it would not be enough to say that just two glucose molecules form together as maltose?

Also, I covered glycosidic bonds. I'm assuming that I went too far again? :P
Title: Re: Studying Biology
Post by: Russ on December 01, 2012, 10:02:04 am
What textbook are you reading? Do biology, not chemistry.
Title: Re: Studying Biology
Post by: Stick on December 01, 2012, 10:07:07 am
I blame Biozone for the latter. :P As for the former question? :)
Title: Re: Studying Biology
Post by: pi on December 01, 2012, 10:11:20 am
What textbook are you reading? Do biology, not chemistry.

This.

Stick, have you looked at the study design? I'd recommend reading that.

So it would not be enough to say that just two glucose molecules form together as maltose?

Also, I covered glycosidic bonds. I'm assuming that I went too far again? :P

Knowing what a glycosidic bond is probably sufficient for bio. In general though, details of maltose (usually saying maltose = 2 glucose is enough imo) and glycosidic bonds is probably too far for bio, but then again that's knowledge you should have for VCE Chem 3/4 anyway, so it's not a complete waste of time I guess.

I blame Biozone for the latter. :P As for the former question? :)

Biozone has a lot of supplementary material, it's your job to look at the study design and cut the crap :P
Title: Re: Studying Biology
Post by: Stick on December 01, 2012, 10:12:07 am
Alright, I think I need to go and fix up my summary book... :P Thanks! :)
Title: Re: Studying Biology
Post by: Yacoubb on January 01, 2013, 04:37:38 pm
Would try to do the entirety of biozone, it's gold.
Biol notes is really just there if you are struggling with the basic concepts, it does not go in depth.
And yes Nature of Biology has a lot of redunancy.

TBH if I ever got stuck on or didn't know the definition of something I just googled it instead of trying to find it in the textbook hehe.

I think Biozone enables you to cover things you may have overlooked + also gives you the ability to answer questions that are sort of similar to the examination questions. Some topics may appear ambiguous because I think the book is meant to be for all students studying Biol. :)
Title: Re: Studying Biology
Post by: stick2 on January 29, 2013, 05:59:39 pm
I find more often than not when answering the biozone questions I have to look the answers up on the internet :-\
Title: Re: Studying Biology
Post by: Stick on January 29, 2013, 06:07:50 pm
lol stick2 (I know it's you, [mod edit: removed personal details]. :P)
Title: Re: Studying Biology
Post by: Yacoubb on January 29, 2013, 07:06:28 pm
So it would not be enough to say that just two glucose molecules form together as maltose?

Also, I covered glycosidic bonds. I'm assuming that I went too far again? :P

A tad delayed but its useful to remember these disaccharides formed by the condensation reaction of 2 monosaccharides:

Glucose + Glucose = Maltose
Glucose + Galactose = Lactose
Glucose + Fructose = Sucrose

It's handy for potential multiple choice questions on exams/SACs. Its also good to note that any anabolic reactions [the synthesis of complex compounds from simple substances]are endergonic (i.e. requires an input of energy), whilst any catabolic reactions [the breakdown of complex compounds into simple substances]are exergonic (i.e. releases energy)
Title: Re: Studying Biology
Post by: BelVP on February 06, 2013, 01:21:12 pm
1. I'm getting the impression from my teacher that I cannot solely rely on one source for this subject (I've been encouraged to use Nature of Biology, Biozone and Biol Notes simultaneously, to give you an example). Is this really necessary?

OH YUS!!! I found that the Nature of Biology textbook was not the most reliable resource as it often skimmed through necessary information and went into too much detail with stuff that wasn't directly related to the curriculum (far too many useless examples, etc.) Personally I found it a whole lot better to rely on Biozones when preparing for SACs/exams as they encouraged you to think about the information and provided far more in-depth and relevant descriptions. Biozone saved me countless times in year 11/12.


2. Is it just me, or does the Nature of Biology textbook have a lot of irrelevant information? Also, I've found that the three sources mentioned above seem to cover different things within each sub-topic. How much detail do I really need to delve into?

Yes you are very correct. You don't need to delve into too much detail, just the basics, however Nature of Biology tends to skim through a lot of important stuff far too much and provide an excessive amount of superfluous examples which you most likely won't need (though I would still recommend you read them anyway for a bit of fun facts and just in case they sneakily put a question related to them in a test or something). The diagrams are especially rushed and I would definitely recommend supplementing Nature of Biology with Biozone and the internet.

~Bel V.P.