FY13CE Biology case studies
FY13CE Biology · Put your knowledge to work in context.
FY13CE Biology is a multiple-choice biology certification exam organised around six weighted domains: Molecules and Cells (25%), Genetics and Heredity (20%), Organismal Biology and Physiology (20%), Evolution and Diversity of Life (15%), Ecology and the Environment (12%), and Scientific Inquiry and Data Analysis (8%). It is aimed at candidates who need to demonstrate a broad, working command of introductory college-level biology rather than deep specialisation in one subfield. The weighting tells you where the marks live: cell and molecular biology plus genetics together account for nearly half the paper, so those areas deserve the most preparation time. Organismal physiology is the other substantial block. The FY13CE Biology case studies are 5 cases and about 3,209 words.
1Apical glucose uptake in Caco-2 monolayers
Researchers study glucose absorption using Caco-2 monolayers grown on permeable supports. Apical and basolateral chambers both contain 5 mM glucose and 140 mM Na+.
677 words, about 3 min2An intergenic GWAS signal and a candidate gene
A consortium performs a genome-wide association study of fasting triglyceride levels in 12,000 adults. The SNP rs987654 (G A) has a minor allele frequency of 0.18 and is associated with 0.12 mmol/L higher triglycerides per A allele (95% CI 0.08-0.16; p=4×10^-14).
606 words, about 3 min3Malaria control and the sickle-cell allele
In a Kenyan district in 2005, before widespread bed-net distribution, 45% of children aged 2-10 years had malaria parasitemia, and the HbS allele frequency was 0.12. Children with HbSS usually died before age 5 (fitness about 0.10).
621 words, about 3 min4Hyponatremia at the marathon finish
A 42-year-old runner finished a marathon in 5 h 10 min. He weighed 70.0 kg before the race and 72.2 kg at the finish.
672 words, about 3 min5Restoring a shallow eutrophic lake
A 40-hectare shallow lake has a mean depth of 2.5 m. Summer total phosphorus (TP) is 65 µg/L, chlorophyll a is 45 µg/L, and cyanobacteria make up 70% of phytoplankton biovolume.
633 words, about 3 min