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AQA A-level Biology flashcards

9 decks · 624 cards · built into Willys · free samples below

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Written against: AQA AS and A-level Biology (7401/7402) specification, version 1.6, July 2026 (eight topics). Updated 2026-10-10.

What's in it

Every deck follows the course outline, with tags you can study or suspend topic by topic. Open a deck to study its free sample right here.

Learn · 8 decks · 554 cards

Concepts, mechanisms and the questions a course or exam asks about them.

Biological Molecules AQA A-level Biology topic 1: monomers and polymers, carbohydrates, lipids, proteins and enzymes (required practical 1), DNA and RNA, replication, ATP, water and inorganic ions, with the food tests and mark-scheme terms. 10 free · 76 cards in the app Cells AQA A-level Biology topic 2: eukaryotic and prokaryotic cells, viruses, microscopy and cell fractionation, mitosis and the cell cycle (required practical 2), membrane transport (required practicals 3 and 4) and the immune system, HIV, vaccines and monoclonal antibodies. 10 free · 80 cards in the app Exchange and Transport AQA A-level Biology topic 3: surface area to volume ratio, gas exchange in insects, fish, leaves and lungs, digestion and absorption, haemoglobin, the heart and blood vessels, tissue fluid, xylem and phloem (required practical 5). 10 free · 71 cards in the app Genetic Information and Variation AQA A-level Biology topic 4: genes, the genetic code, transcription and translation, mutation and meiosis, natural selection and aseptic technique (required practical 6), taxonomy, the index of diversity and measuring genetic diversity. 10 free · 64 cards in the app Energy Transfers AQA A-level Biology topic 5: the light-dependent and light-independent reactions, glycolysis to oxidative phosphorylation, required practicals 7–9, primary and secondary production, and the nitrogen and phosphorus cycles. 10 free · 62 cards in the app Responding to Change AQA A-level Biology topic 6: tropisms, taxes and reflexes (required practical 10), receptors, control of heart rate, nerve impulses and synapses, muscle contraction, and homeostasis of blood glucose (required practical 11) and water potential. 10 free · 75 cards in the app Genetics, Populations and Ecosystems AQA A-level Biology topic 7: genetic crosses including sex linkage, linkage and epistasis, chi-squared, Hardy–Weinberg, selection, drift and speciation, and populations in ecosystems with sampling and succession (required practical 12). 10 free · 63 cards in the app Control of Gene Expression AQA A-level Biology topic 8: gene mutations, stem cells, transcription factors, epigenetics and RNAi, cancer, genome projects, recombinant DNA and PCR, DNA probes and screening, and genetic fingerprinting. 10 free · 63 cards in the app

Practice · 1 deck · 70 questions

Multiple-choice practice questions, one best answer each, with the reasoning.

Practice Questions Multiple-choice practice questions, one best answer each, across all eight AQA A-level Biology topics, with calculations on magnification, diversity, Hardy–Weinberg, chi-squared, productivity and mark-release-recapture. 6 free · 70 questions in the app

Study guide

Topics covered

The decks follow the order of the course outline. Numbers are cards per topic.

  • Biological Molecules 84
    • ATP 5
    • Carbohydrates 14
    • Inorganic Ions 4
    • Lipids 7
    • Monomers and Polymers 5
    • Nucleic Acids 13
    • Proteins 23
    • Water 5
  • Cells 89
    • All Cells Arise from Other Cells 14
    • Cell Recognition and the Immune System 23
    • Cell Structure 26
    • Transport Across Cell Membranes 17
  • Exchange of Substances 79
    • Digestion and Absorption 8
    • Gas Exchange 19
    • Mass Transport in Animals 25
    • Mass Transport in Plants 13
    • Surface Area to Volume Ratio 6
  • Genetic Information and Variation 72
    • Biodiversity Within a Community 6
    • DNA Genes and Chromosomes 10
    • DNA and Protein Synthesis 11
    • Genetic Diversity and Adaptation 10
    • Investigating Diversity 7
    • Mutation and Meiosis 13
    • Species and Taxonomy 7
  • Energy Transfers 71
    • Energy and Ecosystems 12
    • Nutrient Cycles 12
    • Photosynthesis 19
    • Respiration 19
  • Responding to Change 85
    • Blood Glucose 10
    • Blood Water Potential 9
    • Control of Heart Rate 8
    • Homeostasis and Negative Feedback 5
    • Nerve Impulses 10
    • Receptors 7
    • Skeletal Muscle 9
    • Survival and Response 8
    • Synaptic Transmission 9
  • Genetics Populations and Ecosystems 72
    • Evolution and Speciation 11
    • Inheritance 27
    • Populations 8
    • Populations in Ecosystems 17
  • Control of Gene Expression 72
    • DNA Probes and Screening 6
    • Gene Expression and Cancer 7
    • Gene Mutation 7
    • Genetic Fingerprinting 6
    • Genome Projects 3
    • Recombinant DNA Technology 17
    • Regulation of Transcription and Translation 9
    • Totipotency and Stem Cells 8

A study plan

  • 23 new cards a day covers everything in a month, leaving the last weeks for review.
  • 12 new cards a day covers everything in two months, leaving the last weeks for review.
  • 8 new cards a day covers everything in three months, leaving the last weeks for review.

Willys schedules reviews for you (FSRS spaced repetition), so the daily number above is only for new cards; reviews of what you have learned come back on their own. Study a topic's cards right after you meet it in class, suspend topics you have not reached yet, and use the app's quiz mode in the final two weeks.

How to get these decks

  1. Install Willys on your iPhone, iPad or Mac — App Store. 14-day free trial, then $14.99 a year.
  2. In Willys, tap Exam Library at the top of your Decks (or Browse Exam Library… under the + button), find the exam on its shelf or by search, tick it and tap Add.
  3. Study. The exam comes in as its own collapsible folder, every card scheduled by FSRS spaced repetition. Nothing you already have is changed.

Every deck is built into Willys

All 9 AQA A-level Biology decks (624 cards), with FSRS spaced repetition, quizzes and mock tests, on iPhone, iPad and Mac. 14-day free trial, then $14.99 a year.

Get the app

In Willys, tap Exam Library at the top of your Decks (or Browse Exam Library… under the + button), find the exam on its shelf or by search, tick it and tap Add.

About these cards

Review status: Second-reader reviewed, with corrections applied.

Checked against:

  • Topic outline follows the AQA AS and A-level Biology (7401/7402) specification, version 1.6 (July 2026) (outline only; no specification text reproduced).
  • OpenStax Biology 2e, consulted as a reference; no text copied.
  • Required practical and colorimetry cards checked against the AQA AS and A-level Biology required practical handbook, version 2.3 (January 2026) (reference only; no text copied).
  • Also checked against the AQA AS and A-level Biology required practical handbook, version 2.3 (January 2026), Practical Biology (practicalbiology.org), AQA and Exampro mark schemes (conventions only) and the NHS website (reference only; no text copied).
  • OpenStax Biology 2e and OpenStax Anatomy and Physiology 2e, consulted as references; no text copied.
  • Also checked against the AQA AS and A-level Biology required practical handbook, version 2.3 (January 2026) (reference only; no text copied).
  • Also checked against the AQA AS and A-level Biology required practical handbook, version 2.3 (January 2026) and Practical Biology (practicalbiology.org) (reference only; no text copied).
  • Also checked against the AQA AS and A-level Biology required practical handbook, version 2.3 (January 2026), the NIST/SEMATECH e-Handbook of Statistical Methods and the NHS website (reference only; no text copied).

These are independent study notes written for Willys. They are not official exam material, may contain mistakes, and are no substitute for your course, your teacher or the exam owner's own publications. Found an error? Tell us — corrections ship as a new version of the deck.

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