Biology Future Prospects

Having an ‘A’ level in Biology opens the door to a wide range of job opportunities and university courses. It reflects an ability to not only learn and understand complex biological facts, but to think logically and be able to apply this detailed knowledge to unfamiliar situations. The ‘A’ level is well respected and a valuable asset to any curriculum vitae.

At A Level Science we expect you to do some wider reading. This is extremely important. It can help you to improve your grades as it can deepen your understanding and interest of the syllabus. To achieve top marks in the A level Biology essays, there must be evidence of ‘reading beyond specification requirements’. Hopefully it will be an enjoyable activitiy – a personal exploration of the subject(s) you emjoy the most.

Wider reading will also prove to University admissions tutors that you are genuinely passionate and informed about your chosen subject, and that you’re therefore likely to succeed at university.

Here are some suggestions:

Books

Richard Dawkins: The Selfish Gene

Steve Jones:

The Blind Watchmaker.

In the Blood: God, Genes and Destiny

Almost Like a Whale: The ‘Origin of Species’ Updated

The Language of the genes

Matt Ridley:

Genome: The Autobiography of a Species in 23 Chapters

The Red Queen: Sex and the Evolution of Human Nature

Francis Crick: Discoverer of the Genetic Code

Nature Via Nurture: Genes, Experience and What Makes Us Human

James Watson:

DNA: The Secret of Life

The Double Helix: Personal Account of the Discovery of the Structure of DNA

Charles Darwin: The origin of species

Ernst Mayr: This Is Biology: The Science of the Living World

George C. Williams: Plan and Purpose in Nature

Steve Pinker: The Language Instinct

Edward O Wilson: The Diversity of Life

Richard Leaky: The Origin of Humankind

Bill Bryson: A Short History of Nearly Everything

Websites 

  1. http://www.ibiblio.org/virtualcell/index.htm – An interactive cell biology site
  2. http://www.uq.oz.au/nanoworld – Visit the world of electron-microscopy
  3. http://www.dnai.org/a/index.html – Explore the genetic code
  4. http://nature.com – The site of the scientific journal

If you would like further information on any aspect of AS or A Level Biology, then please contact the Science Department.