Singapore · SEABSyllabus
Biology syllabus, dot point by dot point
Every dot point in the Singapore Biologysyllabus, with a focused answer for each one. Click any dot point for a worked explainer, past exam questions, and links to related dot points. Written by Claude Opus 4.8, Anthropic's latest AI.
Cell Biology
Module overview →- How do cells detect signals from outside and convert them into an internal response?Explain the principles of cell signalling, including the roles of receptors, signal transduction and second messengers8 min answer →
- How does the ultrastructure of prokaryotic and eukaryotic cells relate to their functions, and how do we distinguish the two?Describe the ultrastructure of prokaryotic and eukaryotic cells and relate the structure of organelles to their functions9 min answer →
- How do the four levels of protein structure arise, and how does the resulting three-dimensional shape determine a protein's function?Describe the four levels of protein structure and explain how structure determines function, including the effect of denaturation9 min answer →
- How is the cell cycle organised and controlled, and how does mitosis produce two genetically identical cells?Describe the cell cycle and the stages of mitosis, and explain the significance of mitosis and the consequences of uncontrolled division9 min answer →
- What is the molecular structure of the cell surface membrane, and how does the fluid mosaic model account for its properties?Describe the fluid mosaic model of membrane structure and relate the roles of phospholipids, proteins, cholesterol and carbohydrates to membrane function8 min answer →
- How do the structures of carbohydrates, lipids, proteins and nucleic acids determine their biological functions?Describe the structure of carbohydrates, lipids, proteins and nucleic acids and relate structure to function9 min answer →
- How do substances cross the cell surface membrane, and what distinguishes passive from active transport?Explain the mechanisms of diffusion, facilitated diffusion, osmosis, active transport, endocytosis and exocytosis across membranes9 min answer →
Infectious Disease and Immunity
Module overview →- How do antibiotics treat bacterial infections, and why is antibiotic resistance a growing problem?Explain how antibiotics treat bacterial infections and how antibiotic resistance arises and spreads8 min answer →
- How does antibody structure suit its function, and why is the secondary immune response faster and stronger than the primary?Describe the structure and function of antibodies and explain the primary and secondary immune responses9 min answer →
- What are pathogens, and how do the structures and life cycles of bacteria and viruses cause infectious disease?Describe the structure of bacteria and viruses as pathogens and explain how they cause infectious disease8 min answer →
- How does the adaptive immune system mount a specific response to a particular pathogen using lymphocytes?Describe the adaptive immune response, including the roles of T and B lymphocytes in the cell-mediated and humoral responses9 min answer →
- How does the body defend itself against pathogens before the adaptive immune response is mounted?Describe the innate (non-specific) defences, including barriers, phagocytosis and the inflammatory response8 min answer →
- How does vaccination produce immunity without illness, and how does herd immunity protect a population?Explain how vaccination produces active immunity and how herd immunity protects a population, and distinguish active and passive immunity8 min answer →
Energy and Equilibrium
Module overview →- Why is ATP described as the universal energy currency of the cell, and how does its structure suit this role?Describe the structure of ATP and explain its role as the immediate energy source for cellular processes8 min answer →
- How do competitive and non-competitive inhibitors reduce enzyme activity, and how is inhibition used to control metabolism?Distinguish competitive and non-competitive enzyme inhibition and explain end-product inhibition in metabolic control8 min answer →
- How do enzymes catalyse biochemical reactions, and what does the induced fit model add to the lock and key idea?Explain how enzymes act as biological catalysts by lowering activation energy, and describe the lock and key and induced fit models8 min answer →
- How do temperature, pH, substrate concentration and enzyme concentration affect the rate of an enzyme-catalysed reaction?Explain the effects of temperature, pH, substrate concentration and enzyme concentration on the rate of enzyme activity9 min answer →
- How is glucose broken down in glycolysis and the link reaction, and what are the products of each stage?Describe glycolysis and the link reaction, including the products and the role of substrate-level phosphorylation9 min answer →
- How do the light-dependent reactions of photosynthesis capture light energy and convert it into ATP and reduced NADP?Describe the light-dependent reactions of photosynthesis, including photophosphorylation and the photolysis of water9 min answer →
- How does the Calvin cycle use ATP and reduced NADP to fix carbon dioxide into carbohydrate?Describe the Calvin cycle (light-independent reactions), including carbon fixation, reduction and the regeneration of the carbon dioxide acceptor9 min answer →
- How do the Krebs cycle and the electron transport chain complete the oxidation of glucose and generate most of the cell's ATP?Describe the Krebs cycle and oxidative phosphorylation, including chemiosmosis and the role of oxygen as the final electron acceptor10 min answer →
Inheritance and Evolution
Module overview →- How are two genes inherited together, and what is the basis of the 9:3:3:1 dihybrid ratio?Explain dihybrid inheritance and the law of independent assortment, including the use of the chi-squared test10 min answer →
- How do linkage and gene interactions such as epistasis cause departures from the expected Mendelian ratios?Explain autosomal linkage, recombination by crossing over, and epistasis as causes of departure from expected ratios9 min answer →
- How are single-gene traits inherited, and how do we predict the outcomes of a monohybrid cross?Explain monohybrid inheritance using genetic diagrams, including dominant, recessive, codominant and sex-linked alleles9 min answer →
- How does natural selection lead to adaptation and changes in allele frequencies over time?Explain natural selection and how it brings about evolution and adaptation, including directional, stabilising and disruptive selection9 min answer →
- Where does the genetic variation that natural selection acts on come from?Explain the sources of genetic variation: mutation, meiosis (crossing over and independent assortment) and random fertilisation8 min answer →
- How do new species arise, and what is the difference between allopatric and sympatric speciation?Explain the concept of a species and the mechanisms of allopatric and sympatric speciation9 min answer →
- How can we calculate allele and genotype frequencies in a population, and what conditions keep them constant?Use the Hardy-Weinberg principle to calculate allele and genotype frequencies and state the conditions for equilibrium9 min answer →
Molecular Genetics
Module overview →- How do cells switch genes on and off so that the right proteins are made at the right time?Explain the control of gene expression in prokaryotes (the lac operon) and the principles of eukaryotic gene control9 min answer →
- How is the structure of DNA suited to storing genetic information and copying it accurately?Describe the structure of DNA and explain the semi-conservative mechanism of DNA replication9 min answer →
- How do the tools of molecular biology let us copy, cut, join and analyse DNA, and what are these techniques used for?Describe the principles of recombinant DNA technology, PCR, gel electrophoresis and DNA sequencing and outline their applications9 min answer →
- How is the genetic material organised within a genome, and what can genomics tell us about an organism?Describe how DNA is organised into chromosomes and genomes and outline the applications of genome sequencing8 min answer →
- What types of mutation occur in DNA, and how do they affect the protein produced and the organism?Describe the types of gene and chromosome mutation and explain their effects on protein structure and phenotype9 min answer →
- What are the properties of the genetic code, and how do they shape the relationship between DNA and proteins?Describe the genetic code and explain its key properties: it is a triplet code, degenerate, non-overlapping and near universal8 min answer →
- How is the information in a gene used to build a polypeptide through transcription and translation?Describe the processes of transcription and translation and the roles of mRNA, tRNA and ribosomes in protein synthesis10 min answer →