Foundation Biology Tuition Online (Biology I and II)
Foundation Biology I and II: cells, respiration, genetics and development first, then biodiversity, ecology, photosynthesis and the physiology of plants and animals.
Founder & Head of School, Afterkelas
Afterkelas teaches foundation Biology online to students on university foundation programmes, for Biology I and Biology II. University tutors run live classes, 1-to-1 or in small groups, working from the student's own course outline.
What foundation Biology covers
The topics MQA's curriculum guidelines set for each course. Universities order and name them in their own way, so tutors map them to the student's outline.
Biology I
11 topics- Basic elements of life
- Cell structures and functions
- Cell transport
- Cell division
- Cell respiration
- Genetic inheritance
- Population genetics
- Expression of biological information
- Mutation
- Reproduction and development
- Growth
Biology II
10 topics- Biodiversity
- Ecology
- Variation
- Biocatalysis
- Photosynthesis
- Gaseous exchange and its control
- Transport systems
- Homeostasis
- Coordination
- Immunity
Cells and genes, then whole organisms
Biology I, which every science student takes, starts with the molecules of life and the cell, covers transport across membranes, cell division and respiration, then runs through genetics, from inheritance and population genetics to gene expression and mutation, before ending with reproduction, development and growth. Biology II, for the life sciences specialisation, covers biodiversity, ecology and variation, enzymes and photosynthesis, then the physiology of gas exchange, transport, homeostasis, coordination and immunity.
Genetics needs calculation and careful reasoning, while the physiology chapters need processes described in order. Tutors give each its own kind of practice.
Where marks are lost
Many lost marks come from answers that are nearly right. "Enzymes are killed by heat" earns little where "the enzyme is denatured, its active site changes shape and the substrate no longer fits" earns the marks. Students practise the precise wording for each process.
Genetics questions lose marks when the genotypes are not written out. Setting out the parents, the gametes and the offspring, as the worked question below does, makes the reasoning visible to the marker.
Lab reports and your course outline
Lab reports are part of the coursework in most foundation biology courses. Tutors can explain the biology behind an experiment and how to present and interpret the results, but the report is the student's own. Because each university writes its own outline within MQA's guidelines, the tutor starts from that outline and its past assessments.
A question, worked through
A Biology I genetics question: using a test cross to find an unknown genotype.
Question
In guinea pigs, black coat (B) is dominant to white coat (b). A black guinea pig is crossed with a white one, and the litters contain 12 black and 11 white offspring. What is the genotype of the black parent?
- The white parent shows the recessive phenotype, so its genotype is bb and every gamete it makes carries b.
- Each white offspring is bb, so it must also have received a b allele from the black parent.
- The black parent therefore carries both alleles: its genotype is Bb.
- Check: Bb × bb gives Bb and bb in a 1 : 1 ratio, and 12 black to 11 white is close to 1 : 1.
Answer The black parent is heterozygous, Bb.
Frequently asked questions
Do I take Biology II on a physical sciences track?
Not in MQA's guideline structure: Biology I is in the science core for everyone, and Biology II belongs to the life sciences specialisation. Universities can arrange their programmes differently, so check the course list for your programme.
Do you follow my university's course outline?
Yes. Names and order differ between universities, so the tutor works from the outline and past assessments the student shares.
When should foundation Biology tuition start?
In the first weeks of the semester, before the genetics topics, which need steady practice.
How much does foundation Biology tuition cost?
The fee depends on the format (1-to-1 or a small group), how many classes a week and the tutor, so there is no single figure. Send an academic advisor the university, the course code and the latest assessment results on WhatsApp, and you will get the current packages and a quote, usually within one working day.