Foundational Biology: Life's Machinery

This subject builds on students’ prior knowledge, exploring the diversity and unity of life through the lens of five core concepts: evolution, cell theory, regulation, transmission of information and interconnectedness in biological systems. These concepts will be studied at the molecular, cellular, and individual level. Topics will include the evolution of life from the abiotic to the individual, the molecular and physical structure of the cell, cell replication and gene expression, homeostasis and physiological systems regulation, respiration, and interactions within and between organisms.

探索生命的基本运作机制和原理。

• 1demonstrate an understanding of the evolution of life from the molecular level to the multicellular;
• 2recognize cells as the fundamental structural and functional unit of life with respect to their molecular machinery, cellular function and cellular interaction;
• 3explain the importance of information being conserved, or modified within, and transferred between, cells and organisms;
• 4describe the chemical nature of biological processes and the way cells and organisms regulate their (internal) environment;
• 5identify biology as an evolving science based on concepts developed from observations, experiments and data analysis; and
• 6explain the interconnectedness and interacting nature of living systems by drawing on examples of networks at the molecular, cellular and individual levels;