Biology HL

shinesun

Is it possible to leave out DNA and RNA and Genetic Crosses
Chapters 16 and 17 in Michael O'Callagahans green Biology book?

Have has anyone left out these two chapters and got a high grade while studying the rest of the book?

I think I read that there is a genetics question every year but hopefully I will be able to avoid this!

Thanks:)

amyleaving

Well you can avoid it... but that means you have a really limited choice for the other long questions because it usually does come up every year,
I wouldn't avoid it but if you are going to make sure you at least learn the main definitions as they will come up in the short qustions!

ChemHickey

Also they could come up in the short questions. I enjoyed those chapters and didn't mind answering questions on them- but I didn't do it in my mocks or real thing because there can be little snags which are tricky

Sunny!!

shinesun wrote: »

Is it possible to leave out DNA and RNA and Genetic Crosses
Chapters 16 and 17 in Michael O'Callagahans green Biology book?

Have has anyone left out these two chapters and got a high grade while studying the rest of the book?

I think I read that there is a genetics question every year but hopefully I will be able to avoid this!

Thanks:)

I wouldnt! the dna and rna chapter is fine anyway i know its not a great thing to say but its rote learning.

The genetic crosses chapter requires understanding alright. This year i said there was no way of i was doing genetic crosses and left it out. I was so caught on the day i had to do the question!

Also, i think there was 2 genetic questions in the short questions a couple of years ago so youd get caught.

Trust me i've learned to get a high grade theres not much one can leave out.

Any questions feel free to ask:)

leaveiton

I wouldn't leave them out, there's always a long question on genetics, but it can come up in short questions too. Also the DNA/RNA chapter doesn't have to come up with genetics, it could come up in another long question. I hated the genetic crosses chapter because I thought it was so boring, but there's not a whole lot in it. If you find the crosses difficult, just keep practising them - look over the worked examples in the book and do out past exam questions. Apart from that, all you need to know in that chapter is definitions. You're guaranteed a question on it, so you might as well learn it, even if it's just for the sake of having a back-up question. The way the biology papers have gone lately, it's very very difficult to get a high mark if you leave things out.

shinesun

Thanks guys looks like I won't be leaving anything out then:o will have some guidance from a teacher so hopefully should be fine.

In relation to writing up the experiments, hopefully be doing it in a school,do all the exp have to be written up ya? The ones on the ecosystems will prob be around 3 pages each written out but guessing they all have to be written up but not marked on? Is that right?

Sunny!!

shinesun wrote: »

Thanks guys looks like I won't be leaving anything out then:o will have some guidance from a teacher so hopefully should be fine.

In relation to writing up the experiments, hopefully be doing it in a school,do all the exp have to be written up ya? The ones on the ecosystems will prob be around 3 pages each written out but guessing they all have to be written up but not marked on? Is that right?

We never wrote them out the first time i did my lc or repeating. Unless the teacher forces you i wouldnt bother, just learn the experiments from the book.

shinesun

Ok cool thanks.

ChemHickey

Which Ecology area are you going to study? We do the Rocky seashore seeing as we're from the N.West. I've some good notes on that if you want.

FaoiSin

Definitely do Genetics and DNA/RNA The question this year (and most years) was really easy.

shinesun

ChemHickey wrote: »

Which Ecology area are you going to study? We do the Rocky seashore seeing as we're from the N.West. I've some good notes on that if you want.

Thanks I would really appreciate that. Will send you a pm with email.
Thanks again.

biohaiid

Everyone says that these are really important chapters.
I hated genetics, I just couldn't get my head around it.
I really tried at it, but in the end I just learned enough to get me through the exam.
I tried the genetics Q but I did all the other questions too.
Genetic crosses are impossible, imo.
No matter how many times they were explained to me, I couldn't get them.
I don;t think it's possible to leave them out completely, but if your struggling go over past exam Qs and find the most frequent genetic Qs and learn the bare minimum whilst focusing on your strong points

IrishKnight

Not a LCer but if people are having bother with genetics, send me a PM and I'll try to help*. I'm a graduate in genetics, so I'd like to think I know a thing or two

*For free of course....

dcam

I know one of my friends left out genetics and she still got an A1. She obviously would have known everything else really really well though. So it can be done if you are having great difficulties but as everyone else has pointed out it probably isn't advisable. I'd say stick with it for as long as you can and if coming up to the exam you're still having problems then maybe drop the more difficut parts and focus on definitions, the DNA experiment etc.

RachEnnis

DNA and RNA are quite easy to get your head around! It is possible to leave it out, but as said, it does limit your options in Section C, and it could also come up in the other two sections, but is nearly always up in Section C. If you are going to leave it out, be sure you know the rest of the syllabus inside out to cover yourself! The hardest part is the crosses, they take a bit of time to understand them, not just learn them off! But, they are an easy section, and the questions are pretty predictable! I got an A in Biology this year, so if you have any questions, or want a few notes or anything, PM me