biol+3+SACs

On this page you will find links to the various Unit 3 SACs. I will also try and give some general feedback and advice based on your SAC performances.

biol 3 membrane SAC

I think your first lot of SACs were very well completed. there was lots of understanding shown. terminology was used well by and large and you were able to interpet questions accurately. Answers were often relevant and logically constructed. it was good to see that there was very liitle repeating of the question in your answers. BUT... here are some points to remember:
 * In experiments we always write in the third person, so don't use "I" and "we"
 * you must avoid using "it", "they" or any other preposition as this leaves your response open to different interpretations and being unclear. A reader must not have to assume anything. You must ensure that each sentence is clearly showing what your are referring to.
 * Answers should be specific in that the context of the question needs to be addressed, otherwise you will inevitably end up writing a vague or genral response which will definitley not get you the marks in the exams. Eg. in the "beverage with a high alcohol content" question you needed to refer somewhere in your answer to the beverage having a higher alcohol content meant that the there would be a greater concentration gradient between the stomach region and the epithilial cells lining the stomach, therefore diffusion of alcohol into these cells (absorption) would be greater, compared to a beverage with lower alcohol content.
 * try to ensure that you have included appropriate terminology in your answer (this was done well)
 * make sure you are directly answering the question being asked. Eg, if it says "use data" then do so! Eg. some responses on the "conclusion about the effect of temperature" question were devoted to explaining the effect of temperature rather making an actual conclusion.
 * this leads to the need for you all to carefully read the words in the preamble to determine the question type. Eg does it say describe, explain, compare, list, state, name etc.

biol 3 enzyme SAC

Yes, this was a more difficult SAC from two perspectives. Firstly, a higher level of accuracy in your responses was expected and secondly, some of the questions were more challenging. But in general there were some excellent responses and results were still high. Good points
 * Use of terminology was excellent and diagrams were clear and labelled appropriately
 * Application questions were done well, with answers being specific to information given
 * Concepts were generally understood well

But here is what counts, learn from your mistakes and ensure you understand all comments I have written. Particular areas for you to keep in mind.


 * Make sure you read the information blurb everytime you answer a "part a, b, c" question so that your answer is specific to info given
 * Analysing graphs needs to be done more carefully
 * Drawing of graphs needs to be accurate including single lines and appropriate labelling
 * Make sure you are absolutely clear on variables that are controlled, the variable that is investigated and other aspects of the scientific method
 * Describing a graph means just that, not EXPLAINING!

Responding to the environment SAC

Immune response SAC