Biology

Find out more about the Biology foundation subject on the UPC. Learn about what you will study, teaching methods, assessments and recommended reading.

Subject description

In this subject, you will be introduced to the core principles of biology. It is a part of the Undergraduate Preparatory Certificate for Science and Engineering (UPCSE) pathway.

You will be taught a wide range of topics to give you a broad and in-depth understanding of the subject. You will also study how to interpret data and complete a variety of assessments throughout the international foundation year.

The course focuses on eight main topics:

Molecules and Cells

• Biological Molecules: Water, Carbohydrates, Lipids, Amino Acids
• Nucleic acids
• DNA Replication and protein synthesis
• Enzymes
• Cell structure and cell membrane
• Cell organelles
• Chromosome structure and mitosis

Exchange and Transport

• Movement of molecules
• Gas exchange in plants and simple organisms
• Gas exchange in mammals
• Transport in mammals: blood
• Transport in mammals: vessels
• Transport in mammals: heart
• Transport in plants: Water, Transpiration
• Transport in Plants: Solutes, Translocation

Metabolism, Respiration and Photosynthesis

• The role of ATP in metabolism
• Aerobic respiration
• Anaerobic respiration and energy budgets
• Photosynthesis
• Biochemistry of the light dependent stage
• Biochemistry of the light independent stage
• Alternate pathways of glucose production

Regulation and Control

• Homeostasis
• The kidney
• Functioning of the kidney
• Plant growth substances
• Effect of light on plant growth
• Nerves
• Synapses
• The central nervous system
• Sensory receptors
• The eye

Microbiology

• Types of microorganisms
• Growth and culture techniques
• Fermentation
• Pathogens and human disease
• Protection against disease
• Immunology
• Applications and contemporary issues

Reproduction and Genetics

• Pollination and fertilisation
• Seed development
• Variation
• Meiosis
• Mendel’s laws
• Deviations from Mendel’s laws and sex linkage
• Mutations
• Recombinant DNA technology
• Analysis of genetic data

Ecology, Energy and the Environment

• Autotrophic and heterotrophic nutrition
• Energy flow in the ecosystem
• Food chains and food webs
• Ecological pyramids
• Recycling of nutrients
• Population growth and dynamics
• Resource management and human influences
• Applied biology skills

Classification, Biodiversity and Evolution

• Principles of taxonomy
• Seven kingdom classification
• Population genetics
• Evolution and selection
• Evidence of evolution
• Isolation and speciation
• Biodiversity

The organisms used to illustrate these topic areas will include mammals, flowering plants and microorganisms, such as bacteria and viruses.

How we teach biology

You will have a mixture of lectures, tutorials and practical laboratory work. Weekly office hours are available as optional sessions for support. Alongside these sessions, we expect you to complete your own independent investigations.

To support your learning, the subject includes offsite day trips to local study centres in England. You might also have educational visits to other places of interest if there are opportunities. These experiences will allow students to understand the principles of biology first-hand. The travel and accommodation costs are included within the course fee.

Intended learning outcomes

By the end of the subject, you should be able to:

• present your understanding of the principles of biology using a variety of media
• use some sophisticated manual laboratory skills
• interpret data relating to statistical analysis and graphical representations
• evaluate data collection and manipulation processes
• complete a wide range of assessments
• develop excellent technical subject language and terminology

Overview of Summative Assessment

Recommended reading

If you want to do some reading on the subject of biology before you arrive, we recommend the following:

• Edexcel International GCSE (9-1) Biology Student Book, ISBN- 978-0-435 18508-4
• Edexcel A level Biology  – Student Book 1, ISBN-978-147-180343
• A Dictionary of Biology in English (Penguin), ISBN 978-0141013961
• Review BBC bitesize – BBC Bitesize Biology page

Please note the information on all the UPC subject pages, including this one, reflects the subject as it was taught in the 2025-26 academic year (unless otherwise stated). The information may change for the next year of entry.