QCAA Biology EA case studies
QCAA Biology EA · Put your knowledge to work in context.
The Biology General senior syllabus 2025 is the Queensland Curriculum and Assessment Authority syllabus for a General senior Biology course, published as Biology 2025 v1.3 and intended for implementation with students who will complete their study of the course in 2026 or beyond. It is studied by senior secondary students in Queensland working towards their Queensland Certificate of Education, typically across Units 3 and 4 in their final year. The course is assessed through a combination of school-based internal assessment and external assessment set by the QCAA. Internal instruments published as samples are a Unit 3 data test (IA1), a Unit 3 student experiment (IA2) and a Unit 4 research investigation (IA3). The QCAA Biology EA case studies are 5 cases and about 1,676 words.
1Sodium channel blocker and the action potential
A neurotoxic peptide is applied to an isolated sensory neuron. Voltage-clamp recordings show that, at the peak of a normal action potential, the inward current is carried almost entirely by Na+.
334 words, about 2 min2Thermoregulation in a desert bird during heat stress
A small diurnal desert bird has a body temperature of 41 °C and a mass of 40 g. On a 44 °C day, its evaporative water loss rises from 0.8 to 3.6 g per hour, and its body temperature climbs to 43.5 °C.
360 words, about 2 min3Pedigree with incomplete penetrance
A family shows a rare autosomal dominant condition. Individual II-3 is affected and has an affected father (I-1) and an unaffected mother (I-2).
321 words, about 2 min4Hardy-Weinberg in a fragmented population
A beetle species lives in two habitat patches. Patch A has 900 individuals and patch B has 100.
307 words, about 2 min5Trophic cascade after removing an apex predator
A rocky reef has four trophic levels: apex predatory fish, grazing sea urchins, fleshy macroalgae, and encrusting coralline algae. A survey records 40 apex fish, 8000 urchins, and 5% macroalgal cover.
354 words, about 2 min