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
- http://www.ibiblio.org/virtualcell/index.htm – An interactive cell biology site
- http://www.uq.oz.au/nanoworld – Visit the world of electron-microscopy
- http://www.dnai.org/a/index.html – Explore the genetic code
- 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.