The WASSCE Biology Syllabus is comprised of 7 major topics that are covered within PSI Grade 7 Life Science, Biology and Advanced Placement Biology courses. Select the appropriate PSI unit link to access materials that correspond to the WASSCE Biology topics listed below. The number following each topic corresponds to the order it is listed in the released WASSCE syllabus. The WASSCE syllabus outline can be accessed under Teacher Resources.

Life Science Foundation

Structure and Function & Information Processing 

Growth and Development of Organisms

Inheritance and Variation of Traits

Organization of life (a) Levels of organization; A2

(a) Cell structure and functions of cell components. (b) Similarities and differences bewteen plant and animal cells; A4

Nervous Coordination (a) The center nervous system (i) Components of the central nervous system (iii) Structure and function of the Spinal Cord. (b) Peripheral Nervous System. (c) Types of nervous actions (i) The reflex arc (ii) Reflex and voluntary actions (iii) Differences between reflex and voluntary actions. (iv) Conditioned reflex and its role on behaviour; A13

Transmission and expression of characteristics in organisms; F2

Probability in genetics; F4

Evolution (a) evidence of evolution (b) Theories of evolution; G2

Classification living and non-living things; A1

The cell and its environment: Physical and Biophysical processes. (a) diffusion (b) osmosis (c) active transport; A5

Properties and functions of the living cell (a) Nutrition (i) Autotrophic (photosynthesis) (ii) Heterotrophic (holozoic) (b) Cellular respiration definition and processes of: (i) aerobic respiration (ii) anaerobic resipiration (iii) energy release; A6

(a) Cell structure and functions of cell components (b) Similarities and differences bewteen plant and animal cells; A4

 Forms in which living cells exist: (a) Single and free-living: Amoeba, Paramecium, Euglena and Chlamydomonas (b) Colony: Volvox c Filament: Spirogyra (d) Part of a living organism: Cheek cells, onion root tip cells and epidermis of fleshy leaves; A3

Chromosomes: the basis of heredity (a) Structure (b) Process of transmission of hereditary characters from parents to offspring; F3

Properties and functions of the living cell (d) Growth (i) Basis of growth - cell division (mitosis), enlargement and differentiation (ii) Aspects of growth: Increase in dry weight, irreversible increase in size and length and increase in number of cells (g) Reproduction: Types of reproduction. (i) Asexual: fission, budding and vegetative propagation. (ii) Sexual: Conjugation, formation of male and female gametes, fusion of gametes; A6

Genetic Terminologies; F1

Transmission and expression of characteristics in organisms (a) Hereditary variation (b) Mendel's work (i) Mendle's experiments (ii) Mendelian traits (iii) Mendelian laws; F2

Probability in genetics; F4

Linkage, sex determination and sex-linked characters; F5

Morphological variations in the physical appearance of individuals. (a) size, height and weight (b) colour (c) finger prints; E1

Physiological variations (a) ability to roll tongue (b) ability to taste PTC (c) Blood groups; E2

Behavioural adaptations in social animals (a) termites (b) bees; G1

Evolution (a) evidence of evolution (b) Theories of evolution; G2

Classification Living and non-living things (b) Classification of living things into kingdoms:  Monera, Protista, Fungi, Plantae, Animalia (c) differences between plants and animals; A1

Organization of life (a) Levels of organization (i) cell (single-celled organisms): Amoeba, Euglena, Paramecium (ii) Tissue: Hydra (iii) Organ storage bulb, rhizome and heart. (iv) System/Organ System: In mammals, flowering plants - reproductive system, excretory system, etc. (b) Complexity of organization in higher organisms: advantages and disadvantages; A2

Ecosystem: Components of the ecosystem and sizes (a) Ecological components: environment, biosphere, habitat, population, biotic, community and ecosystem. (b) Components of ecosystem: Biotic and abiotic; C1

Ecological factors: Ecological factors in aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems; C2

Simple Measurements of Ecological Factors (a) Physical factors: Climatic, topographic and gaseous (b) Edaphic factors: Chemical and physical composition, moisture content and soil texture; C3

Food webs and trophic levels (a) Autotrophs and Heterotrophs (i) Producers: autotrophs (ii) Consumers: heterotrophs (iii) Decomposers (b) Trophic levels energy relationships (i) Food chain (ii) Food web c Energy flow (i) Food/Energy relationships in aquatic and terrestrial environment. (ii) Pyramid of energy and Pyramid of numbers. (d) Decomposition in nature (i) Decomposers (ii) Gaseous products (iii) Role of decomposers; C4

Ecological Management: (a) Biological Associations Type of associations: Parasitism, symbiosis, commensalism and saprophytism. (b) Adaptation of organisms to habitats (c) Pollution of the atmosphere (i) Nature, names, sources and effects of air pollutants. (ii) Effect of noise (d) Water and Soil Pollution Type and effects of pollutants; C5

Ecology of population (a) Ecological succession (i) Structural changes in species composition, variety or diversity and increase in numbers. (ii) General characteristics and outcomes of succession (b) Primary succession. Succession in terrestrial and aquatic habitatss. c Secondary succession, climax of the succession: characteristic of a stable ecosystem. (d) Factors that affect population size: natality, mortality, emigration, immigration, food shortage, predation, competition and diseases. e Preservation and storage of foods (f) The life of selected insects; (i) Weevils and cotton strainers. (ii) Control of pests; C6

 Resources to be conserved: soil, water, wildlife, forest and minerals. Ways of ensuring conservation; D1 & D2

A7-A15

B1

Application of the principles of heredity in: (a) Agriculture (b) Medicine; F6