Preface

This book and CD has been prepared to help students in their studies of Biology. It has been designed
around the IB syllabus and the chapters correspond to the topics in the syllabus for the Standard and
Higher Level Sections.
Students taking the Biology exam at Standard Level need to study all the material in Chapters 1 to 6 and
choose two Options from Chapters 12 to 18. Students taking the Biology exam at Higher Level need
to study all the material in chapters 1 to 11 and choose two Options from Chapters 15 to 19. For more
details, please consult the IBO Syllabus Guide.
This book is intended as a framework for studying this course. However, please be aware that, to obtain
the best possible results, it is necessary to study as wide a range of resources as possible. This should
include other media, such as internet sources.
In particular, your own practical work will assist you in developing an understanding as well as an
appreciation of the depth and richness of Biology. Some further materials are being developed and
information can be found at www.ibid.com.au
It is important to consider both TOK and Internationalism when studying any IB subject. Some TOK
considerations have been included where appropriate in the text but students are encouraged to explore
the concepts further. Internationalism is woven into the text and students are encouraged to share their
own examples with their class mates.
The Exercises at the end of the chapters and Answers in the back of the book are provided to help
check understanding and recall of basic facts. They are not provided by the IBO and are not necessarily
aimed at IB level. Teachers and IB Coordinators can supply students with past IBO papers to help them
develop a sense of the level required for the examinations.
The Authors

Editors note

This project has involved teachers, authors, proof readers, artists and many other people on several
continents. It has been done within an extremely tight timeframe and involved thousands of emails
across the world and many different software applications. We are pleased, and trust that you will also
be pleased, with the final product which went to Press with no known errors. However we know from
experience that some typographic and other errors will have escaped our proofing process and will
emerge as students and teachers start using the books and CDs.
If you wish, you can help us and yourself in the following ways:
Send us an email at rory@ibid.com.au with details of any errors that you notice
Please visit www.ibid.com.au for errata sheets which will be produced promptly when needed and
be freely available as necessary
Check our website and other publicity regarding our Student Guides to Internal Assessment
and Volumes of Investigations for the Core, HL and Options in Biology, Chemistry and
Physics. These materials are currently in preparation and are due for publication later this year.


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The Authors

Minka Peeters Weem grew up in the Netherlands and started her involvement with the IB at the age of
16 when she was invited to join UWC of the Atlantic in the UK. After her IB Diploma, she returned to
the Netherlands to study Biology at the Agricultural University of Wageningen where her studies for her
Masters degree involved research in Animal Behaviour, Pharmacology and a teaching degree. Minka
started to work for the International School of The Hague and has since taught in Paris, Bahrain, Hong
Kong and Switzerland. She accepted the position of Head of School and commenced work at the European
International School in Lagos, Nigeria in August 2007.
Minka strongly believes in international education and supports the IBO in making international programmes
available to students in many countries, both in international and national schools, either private or state. To
Minka, the last sentence of the IBO Mission Statement is the most important : These programmes encourage
students across the world to become active, compassionate and lifelong learners who understand that other
people, with their differences, can also be right.
Christopher Talbot graduated with honours in Biochemistry from the School of Biological Sciences,
University of Sussex in the United Kingdom. He has a Masters Degree in Life Sciences (Chemistry) from
the National Technological University (NTU) in the Republic of Singapore. He also holds a Certificate in
Computing for Molecular Biology from Birbeck College, University of London in the United Kingdom. He
is currently teaching IB Chemistry and Theory of Knowledge in the Anglo-Chinese School (Independent),
Republic of Singapore. He previously taught IB Chemistry, IB Biology, Computer Studies and Theory of
Knowledge at the Overseas Family School, Republic of Singapore, where he was TOK Coordinator and
subsequently Curriculum Area Leader for the Science Department.
He is the author or co-author of the Student Guides to Internal Assessment for use with the International
Baccalaureate Chemistry, Biology and Physics Programmes and the Chemistry Practice Examination papers
(IBID Press 2007). He has also written books aimed at the Singapore Cambridge A-level Chemistry syllabus
and acted as a freelance Editor for Oxford University Press. He has moderated IB Chemistry coursework
and is a qualified IB Chemistry workshop leader.
Antony Mayrhofer graduated from the University of Sydney with a Bachelor of Degree Science majoring in
Biochemistry and a post-graduate Diploma of Education. He has been teaching International Baccalaureate
Diploma Programme Biology since 1990. He has been an assistant examiner of Scripts since 1996 and has
been a Senior Moderator of Biology Internal Assessment since 2000. He was a member of the curriculum
review committee that produced IB Biology Subject Guides including the new Biology Guide for exams
from 2009 onwards. He has been a Deputy Chief Examiner of Biology since 2002 and as such is involved in
the development of IB Biology curriculum and assessment material.
Antony is the IB Diploma Programme Co-ordinator at St Pauls Grammar School, Sydney, Australia, one
of the largest IB schools in the Asia Pacific Region. He had previously held the position of Head of Science
at the School. Antony has also had substantial involvement in the development of the NSW State Board Of
Studies Biology Syllabus for senior students in that system. He is Chair of the Association of Australasian IB
Schools (AAIBS) standing committee.

Acknowledgements

IBID Press wish to acknowledge the advice and assistance of the following people in the development and
production of these materials to support the teaching of IB Biology.

Chief author

Proof readers

Photographs, artwork & graphics

Minka Peteers Weem

Jessica Miller
Christopher Talbot

Manohar Hullan
Michael Badenoch
IBID Press
Science Teaching And Resources
Slapton Ley Field Centre in Devon (UK)
The authors

Contributing authors
Christopher Talbot
Antony Mayrhofer

Layout
Julie Rogers - Desert Sun DTP

Project management
Science Teaching And Resources

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