Edexcel A Level Biology B Topic 6: Microbiology and Pathogens – Subtopic 6.1 Bacteria and Disease Complete Pack.

Exam-board-aligned Edexcel A Level Biology B Bacteria and Disease pack with exam questions, retrieval practice, misconceptions and teacher mark scheme.

This resource is a complete exam-style assessment pack for Edexcel A Level Biology B, covering Topic 6, Subtopic 1 – Bacteria and Disease (6.1–6.4 and Core Practical 12).

NOTE: Word documents for student questions and the mark scheme are included for ease of editing, copying and adapting.

It has been written to closely reflect Edexcel command words, mark scheme phrasing and examiner expectations, making it ideal for both classroom teaching and focused exam preparation.

What’s included:

Student Pack
• Structured exam-style questions using Edexcel command words
• Short answer, structured, data-handling and extended response questions
• Challenging application and data-analysis tasks
• Questions on bacterial structure, antibiotics and antibiotic resistance
• Core Practical 12 investigation of bacterial growth
• Retrieval practice questions to consolidate key knowledge

Teacher Pack
• Fully worked Edexcel-style mark scheme
• Common student misconceptions with clear, examiner-focused corrections
• Retrieval question answer key
All materials are provided as ready-to-use PDFs, suitable for printing or digital classrooms.

Specification coverage:
6.1 Bacterial Growth and Core Practical 12
• Investigation of bacterial growth in liquid culture
• Measuring growth using turbidity / optical density
• Bacterial growth phases
• Aseptic technique and safe use of microorganisms
• Variables, reliability and appropriate experimental controls

6.2 Bacterial Structure and Disease
• Prokaryotic cell structure
• Circular DNA and plasmids
• Peptidoglycan cell walls
• Flagella and bacterial motility
• Binary fission
• Bacterial toxins and pathogenicity

6.3 Antibiotics
• Use of antibiotics to treat bacterial infections
• Bactericidal and bacteriostatic antibiotics
• Action of penicillin on bacterial cell wall synthesis
• Selective toxicity
• Effects of broad-spectrum antibiotics on the microbiome

6.4 Antibiotic Resistance
• Mutation and genetic variation
• Natural selection and selection pressure
• Development of antibiotic-resistant populations
• Transfer of resistance genes via plasmids and conjugation
• Consequences of antibiotic misuse and overuse
• Strategies for reducing the spread of resistant bacteria