VCE Biology explores the diversity of life as it has evolved and changed over time and considers how living organisms function and interact. It explores the processes of life, from the molecular world of the cell to that of the whole organism and examines how life forms maintain and ensure their continuity. Students study contemporary research, models, and theories to understand how knowledge in biology has developed and how this knowledge continues to change in response to new evidence and discoveries. Students develop insights into how knowledge in biology changes in response to new evidence, discoveries and thinking.
Students examine the cell as the structural and functional unit of life, from the single-celled to the multicellular organism, including the requirements for sustaining cellular processes. Students focus on cell growth, replacement and death and the role of stem cells in differentiation, specialisation, and renewal of cells. They explore how systems function through cell specialisation in vascular plants and animals and consider the role homeostatic mechanisms play in maintaining an animal’s internal environment.
Students explore reproduction and the transmission of biological information from generation to generation and the impact this has on species diversity. They apply their understanding of chromosomes to explain the process of meiosis. Students consider how the relationship between genes, and the environment and epigenetic factors influence phenotypic expression. They explain the inheritance of characteristics, analyse patterns of inheritance, interpret pedigree charts, and predict outcomes of genetic crosses.
Students analyse the advantages and disadvantages of asexual and sexual reproductive strategies, including cloning technologies. They study structural, physiological, and behavioural adaptations that enhance an organism’s survival. Students explore interdependences between species, focusing on how keystone species and top predators’ structure and maintain the distribution, density, and size of a population. They also consider the contributions of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander knowledge and perspectives in understanding the survival of organisms in Australian ecosystems.
Students investigate how cells function to sustain life from multiple perspectives. They explore the relationship between nucleic acids and proteins as essential molecules in cellular processes. Students analyse the structure and function of nucleic acids as information molecules, examine gene structure, expression and regulation in prokaryotic and eukaryotic cells, and investigate proteins as a diverse group of functional molecules. They consider the biological consequences of manipulating DNA and the applications of biotechnology. Students also explore the structure, regulation and rate of biochemical pathways, with a focus on photosynthesis and cellular respiration, and evaluate how biotechnologies applied to these pathways can improve agricultural practices.
Students consider the continual change and challenges to which life on Earth is subjected to. They study the human immune system and the interactions between its components in providing immunity against specific pathogens. Students investigate how biological knowledge can be applied to address bioethical issues and challenges associated with disease. They explore evolutionary biology through the accumulation of scientific evidence over time, investigating how change events can alter a population’s gene pool and influence allele frequencies. Students analyse evidence for relatedness among species and the evolution of life over time using paleontology, structural morphology, molecular homology, and comparative genomics. They also examine trends in the human fossil record, recognising that scientific interpretations may be contested, refined, or replaced as new evidence emerges.
