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AQA Biology 7401/7402: the route map

Checked against AQA Biology 7401/7402, version 1.6 (July 2026) on 16 August 2026. The table links each specification heading to the relevant InkBiology lesson and identifies partial or missing coverage. Use the awarding body’s current specification as the definitive source.

AS 7401 examines sections 3.1 to 3.4; A-level 7402 examines all eight.

Start with the topic notes · questions by topic, with mark schemes · the practical work · where the real past papers are · the definitions · flashcards · a revision checklist.

3.1 Biological molecules

Ref	Specification heading	Taught in	Coverage
3.1.1	Monomers and polymers	Carbohydrate structure and function, Protein structure and function, DNA and RNA structure, Lipids: triglycerides, phospholipids and ester bonds	Covered
3.1.2	Carbohydrates	Carbohydrate structure and function	Covered
3.1.3	Lipids	Lipids: triglycerides, phospholipids and ester bonds	Covered
3.1.4.1	General properties of proteins	Protein structure and function	Covered
3.1.4.2	Many proteins are enzymes	Enzyme action and specificity, Factors affecting enzyme rate: temperature, pH and concentration, Enzyme inhibition and metabolic control	Covered
3.1.5.1	Structure of DNA and RNA	DNA and RNA structure, Eukaryotic cell structure and organelles	Covered
3.1.5.2	DNA replication	DNA replication	Covered
3.1.6	ATP	Glycolysis, ATP and the link reaction, The Krebs cycle and oxidative phosphorylation	Covered
3.1.7	Water	Water and inorganic ions	Covered
3.1.8	Inorganic ions	Water and inorganic ions	Covered

3.2 Cells

Ref	Specification heading	Taught in	Coverage
3.2.1.1	Structure of eukaryotic cells	Eukaryotic cell structure and organelles, Cell specialisation and biological organisation	Covered
3.2.1.2	Structure of prokaryotic cells and of viruses	Prokaryotic cells and viruses	Covered
3.2.1.3	Methods of studying cells	Microscopy, magnification and resolution, Optical microscopy and calibrated measurement	Covered
3.2.2	All cells arise from other cells	The cell cycle and mitosis, Prokaryotic cells and viruses	Covered
3.2.3	Transport across cell membranes	Membrane structure and the fluid mosaic model, Diffusion and osmosis, Active transport, co-transport and bulk transport	Covered
3.2.4	Cell recognition and the immune system	Pathogens and non-specific defences, The specific immune response, Antibodies, vaccination and the four kinds of immunity	Covered

3.3 Organisms exchange substances with their environment

Ref	Specification heading	Taught in	Coverage
3.3.1	Surface area to volume ratio	Surface area to volume ratio: why size limits diffusion	Covered
3.3.2	Gas exchange	Gas exchange in mammals: lungs and ventilation, Gas exchange in insects, fish and plants, Transpiration and stomatal control	Covered
3.3.3	Digestion and absorption	Digestion and absorption in the human gut, Active transport, co-transport and bulk transport	Covered
3.3.4.1	Mass transport in animals	Haemoglobin and oxygen dissociation curves, The heart and cardiac cycle, Blood vessels, tissue fluid and lymph, Cholesterol, atheroma and what a risk factor means, Diet, energy and how to read a health claim, Dissection and biological drawing	Covered
3.3.4.2	Mass transport in plants	Xylem and the transpiration stream, Transpiration and stomatal control, Phloem translocation and the mass-flow hypothesis	Covered

3.4 Genetic information, variation and relationships between organisms

Ref	Specification heading	Taught in	Coverage
3.4.1	DNA, genes and chromosomes	The genetic code and transcription, DNA and RNA structure, Prokaryotic cells and viruses, Eukaryotic cell structure and organelles	Covered
3.4.2	DNA and protein synthesis	The genetic code and transcription, Translation and protein synthesis, Genome analysis, genetic screening and gene therapy	Covered
3.4.3	Genetic diversity can arise as a result of mutation or during meiosis	Meiosis and the sources of genetic variation, Mutation, gene expression and cancer, DNA replication, Natural selection: variation, selection and allele frequency	Covered
3.4.4	Genetic diversity and adaptation	Natural selection: variation, selection and allele frequency, Evidence for evolution, resistance and genetic drift, Aseptic technique and the effect of antimicrobials	Covered
3.4.5	Species and taxonomy	Classification, phylogeny and molecular evidence, Speciation and reproductive isolation	Covered
3.4.6	Biodiversity within a community	Measuring biodiversity	Covered
3.4.7	Investigating diversity	Measuring biodiversity, Classification, phylogeny and molecular evidence, Averages, spread and the null hypothesis	Covered

3.5 Energy transfers in and between organisms (A-level only)

Ref	Specification heading	Taught in	Coverage
3.5.1	Photosynthesis	Chloroplast structure and the light-dependent reactions, The Calvin cycle, Limiting factors and primary productivity, Chromatography and the separation of pigments, Measuring respiration and photosynthesis rates	Covered
3.5.2	Respiration	Glycolysis, ATP and the link reaction, The Krebs cycle and oxidative phosphorylation, Anaerobic respiration and the respiratory quotient	Covered
3.5.3	Energy and ecosystems	Limiting factors and primary productivity	Covered
3.5.4	Nutrient cycles	Nutrient cycles: nitrogen, phosphorus and eutrophication	Covered

3.6 Organisms respond to changes in their internal and external environments (A-level only)

Ref	Specification heading	Taught in	Coverage
3.6.1.1	Survival and response	Plant responses: tropisms, auxins and the classic experiments, Receptors: transduction and the reflex arc, Choosing, carrying out and concluding a statistical test	Covered
3.6.1.2	Receptors	Receptors: transduction and the reflex arc	Covered
3.6.1.3	Control of heart rate	The heart and cardiac cycle, Organisation of the nervous system	Covered
3.6.2.1	Nerve impulses	The action potential and its propagation	Covered
3.6.2.2	Synaptic transmission	The synapse: transmission, and why it runs one way, Muscles and movement: the sliding-filament model	Covered
3.6.3	Skeletal muscles are stimulated to contract by nerves and act as effectors	Muscles and movement: the sliding-filament model	Covered
3.6.4.1	Principles of homeostasis and negative feedback	Hormonal communication and negative feedback, Regulation of blood glucose and diabetes mellitus, Factors affecting enzyme rate: temperature, pH and concentration, Thermoregulation in endotherms and ectotherms	Covered
3.6.4.2	Control of blood glucose concentration	Regulation of blood glucose and diabetes mellitus, Hormonal communication and negative feedback	Covered
3.6.4.3	Control of blood water potential	Osmoregulation and kidney function	Covered

3.7 Genetics, populations, evolution and ecosystems (A-level only)

Ref	Specification heading	Taught in	Coverage
3.7.1	Inheritance	Monohybrid inheritance and genetic diagrams, Dihybrid inheritance, linkage, epistasis and the chi-squared test, Choosing, carrying out and concluding a statistical test	Covered
3.7.2	Populations	Population genetics and Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium, Populations and their limits	Covered
3.7.3	Evolution may lead to speciation	Natural selection: variation, selection and allele frequency, Evidence for evolution, resistance and genetic drift, Speciation and reproductive isolation, Meiosis and the sources of genetic variation	Covered
3.7.4	Populations in ecosystems	Populations and their limits, Succession and environmental change, Measuring biodiversity, Conservation in situ and ex situ	Covered

3.8 The control of gene expression (A-level only)

Ref	Specification heading	Taught in	Coverage
3.8.1	Alteration of the sequence of bases in DNA can alter the structure of proteins	Mutation, gene expression and cancer, The genetic code and transcription	Covered
3.8.2.1	Most of a cell's DNA is not translated	Stem cells and cell potency, Cell specialisation and biological organisation, Mutation, gene expression and cancer	Covered
3.8.2.2	Regulation of transcription and translation	Control of gene expression, Mutation, gene expression and cancer	Covered
3.8.2.3	Gene expression and cancer	Mutation, gene expression and cancer, Control of gene expression	Covered
3.8.3	Using genome projects	Genome analysis, genetic screening and gene therapy	Covered
3.8.4.1	Recombinant DNA technology	Recombinant DNA technology, Genome analysis, genetic screening and gene therapy	Covered
3.8.4.2	Differences in DNA between individuals of the same species can be exploited for identification and diagnosis of heritable conditions	Genome analysis, genetic screening and gene therapy	Covered
3.8.4.3	Genetic fingerprinting	Genome analysis, genetic screening and gene therapy, Recombinant DNA technology	Covered

What each paper is, how long it runs and where AQA publishes it: 7402 past papers.

Found a mismatch between this map and a lesson? Report it from the relevant lesson page.