All Immunity AQA AS Level plus Exam Questions and Mark Scheme

RESOURCE CONTENTS: A-LEVEL BIOLOGY IMMUNITY AND COMMUNICABLE DISEASES (AQA SPECIFICATION BUT ADAPTABLE)

PATHOGEN STRUCTURE AND CLASSIFICATION

• Prokaryote structure:
• Viral structure: Capsid, nucleic acids (DNA/RNA), and attachment proteins.
• HIV structure: Detailed anatomy including reverse transcriptase, RNA, capsid, and envelope.
• Viral infection: Mechanism of viral replication within host cells.

PHAGOCYTOSIS AND NON-SPECIFIC IMMUNITY

• Mechanism of phagocytosis
• Role of lysosomes, phagosomes, and phagolysosomes.
• Antigen presentation: How macrophages become Antigen-Presenting Cells (APCs).

SPECIFIC IMMUNE RESPONSE (CELLULAR AND HUMORAL)

• T-cell activation: Helper T-cells, Cytotoxic T-cells, and Memory T-cells.
• Role of Cytokines: Interleukins and their role in cell signaling and clonal expansion.
• B-cell activation: Clonal selection and clonal expansion.
• Plasma cells and Memory B-cells: Primary vs. secondary immune responses.

ANTIBODIES AND IMMUNOLOGY TECHNIQUES

• Antibody structure: Variable and constant regions, hinge regions, disulfide bridges, and light/heavy chains.
• Monoclonal Antibodies (mAbs): Definition and properties.
• Monoclonal Antibody production: The Hybridoma method (fusing B-cells with myeloma cells).
• ELISA Test: Direct and indirect methods for detecting antigens or antibodies (e.g., HIV testing).

ANTIBIOTICS AND PENICILLIN

• Mechanism of action:
• Bacteria vs. Viruses: Why antibiotics are ineffective against viral structures and metabolism.
• Antibiotic resistance: Development and spread of resistant strains.

VACCINATION AND ETHICS

• Principles of vaccination: Artificial active immunity and herd immunity.
• Types of vaccines: Attenuated, killed, and subunit vaccines.
• Ethics: Discussion on animal testing in vaccine development, and clinical trial protocols.

ASSESSMENT AND DATA

• Integrated AQA past paper questions.
• Mark schemes for questions on B/T cell coordination and mAb production.

TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS

• Format: Editable .pptx / Google Slides.
• Exam Board: Designed for AQA. Can be adapted for OCR / Edexcel etc.
• Level: Key Stage 5 / A-Level.