NZC 2007 · Science · Living World · Level 7
Life processes:
“Explore the diverse ways in which animals and plants carry out the life processes.”
Verified record: curriculum statement ID 90644; section nzc2007-science-l7-living-world-life-processes-115.
Where taught: animal and plant cell specialisation (Lesson 1), membrane transport and exchange (Lessons 2–3), photosynthesis and respiration (Lessons 4–5), enzyme-controlled processes (Lesson 6), and DNA replication and mitosis (Lessons 7–8). Lessons 9–10 connect these ideas into contextual explanations.
NZQA Level 2 Biology v2
Title: Demonstrate understanding of life processes at the cellular level.
Status: Level 2 · 4 credits · external assessment.
The unit is learning preparation for this standard. It does not treat the portfolio as the external assessment and does not reproduce or predict an examination paper.
2026 specification coverage
| Current assessed detail | Explicit unit coverage |
|---|---|
| Cell structures and differences related to organism function | Lessons 1 and 10; learner sheets 1 and 10 |
| Diffusion, osmosis, active transport and facilitated diffusion; surface area to volume | Lessons 2–3; learner sheets 2–3 |
| Light-dependent and light-independent photosynthesis | Lessons 4, 9 and 10; learner sheets 4, 9 and 10 |
| Aerobic and anaerobic respiration | Lessons 5 and 10; learner sheets 5 and 10 |
| Enzyme factors: temperature, pH, substrate, coenzymes, cofactors and inhibitors | Lesson 6; learner sheet 6 |
| Semi-conservative DNA replication, antiparallel DNA and complementary base pairing | Lesson 7; learner sheet 7 |
| Mitosis and direct/indirect resource availability | Lessons 7–8; learner sheets 7–8 |
| Connected biological ideas in context | Lessons 9–10; teacher-authored responses and integrated simulated dataset |
Evidence-quality emphasis
The 2025 NZQA assessment report highlights the need to use supplied resources and connect relevant biological ideas. The learner pack therefore labels every simulated dataset, requires evidence use, and makes causal links visible in the portfolio and moderation guide.