obtain knowledge about different practical techniques, compilation, analysis and discussion of results, and biological drawings, which will help learners successfully undertake Papers III and IV of the AM Biology examination.
The Biology practicals will be held on Wednesdays from 17:00 till 20:00. Commencement date will be announced in due course.
A fieldwork session will be held during the day on Tuesday 18 March 2025 (date might change depending on weather conditions).
The course will assume that learners are familiar with the theoretical knowledge required for each session.
The practicals will cover the following:
Food tests
Determination of an unknown glucose concentration
Animal Diversity Part A
Animal Diversity Part B
Use of the Light Microscope
Low Power Plans
High Power Plans
Animal Histology Part A
Animal Histology Part B
Measurements taken under the Light Microscope & Stomatal Counts
Plant Diversity Part A
Plant Diversity Part B
Floral Dissection, floral diagram and formulae
Transpiration
Rate of an Enzyme Catalysed reaction vs Temperature
Rate of an Enzyme Catalysed reaction vs Substrate Concentration
Rate of an Enzyme Catalysed reaction vs pH
Rate of an Enzyme Catalysed reaction vs Enzyme Concentration
Determination of the rates of fermentation of yeast on different sugars
Preparation of Temporary Slides
Finding the solute potential of leaf epidermal cells
Finding the water potential of a plant tissue
Investigation of the Selective Permeability of Membranes
Respirometer
Separation of Photosynthetic Pigments using Chromatography
Benedict's sensitivty
Rate of photosynthesis vs carbon dioxide concentration
Preparation of a Root Tip Squash to show stages of Mitosis
Meiosis & DNA Extraction
Restriction Mapping of Plasmid DNA
Fieldwork
Learners who register as private candidates are to make arrangements with a school to gain the practical experience required.
A certificate of participation, as well as practical writeups for eligibility to sit for Paper IV, will be awarded to learners who successfully complete the course.
Applicants choosing this course must attend all the sessions to ensure that they are eligible to sit for the MATSEC Biology Paper IV examination session.
Each practical session will be allotted 10 marks.
Marks will be awarded on questions in the follow-up part of the schedule, drawings, plotting of graphs and other practical techniques.
Learners will be allowed to proceed with this paper only if they submit to the examiners their original laboratory and practical reports which have been properly certified by their tutors. These practical reports will be marked by MATSEC examiners so that a 10-mark allocation is given according to the quality of the practical workbook(s).
The practical hands-on part of this paper will involve experimental work and observations to be carried out in the laboratory. It will consist of one question – involving an experiment to test the ability to follow laboratory instructions, to design experiments, to make accurate observations, to record their observations in an appropriate manner and to interpret and analyse experimental data.
Learners are expected to bring their dissection kit, watch and calculator to the examination.
Both laboratory and field work should form the basis of the course. Learners are required to submit their original practical reports (workbook(s)), properly certified by their tutors, to be examined by the MATSEC examiners, to the MATSEC Office or as instructed by a given date. They will not be allowed to proceed with Paper IV if they fail to do so, or if they fail to satisfy the examiners that these practical reports are their own original work. 10/50 marks will be allotted to the quality of the practical workbooks (consisting of a minimum of 25 practicals) in the following manner:
10 marks: Good Practical book(s), a record completely covering all sections of the syllabus but with a considerable amount of additional material, i.e. critical appreciation of physiological exercises is expected and fieldwork, if carried out, must be more than just an account of a field course.
8 marks: Above average practical book(s), a record completely covering all sections of the syllabus but showing evidence of additional effort extra notes, drawings, experiments or fieldwork.
6 marks: Average Practical book(s), a virtually complete record covering all sections of the syllabus. Labels complete and physiological exercises written up.
4 marks: Below average Practical book(s), a virtually complete record covering all sections of the syllabus but lacking in quality, care, labels or corrections.
2 marks: Poor Practical book(s), incomplete (i.e. does not cover all sections of the syllabus).
Learners must fulfil a minimum of 25 practical writeups.
