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Setting the Scene
📖 Setting the Scene
In 1953, Watson and Crick discovered the structure of DNA — the code of life. In 1967, Christiaan Barnard performed the first heart transplant. In 2003, the Human Genome Project mapped all human genes. Medicine has advanced more in the last 70 years than in the previous 2,000. We can transplant organs, edit genes, fight cancer with targeted drugs, and scan inside the living body. Yet new challenges emerge: antibiotic resistance threatens to return us to pre-penicillin mortality; lifestyle diseases like obesity and diabetes are epidemic; an aging population strains healthcare systems.
DNA Discovery - Crash Course (12 mins) Antibiotic Resistance Crisis - TED-Ed (5 mins)
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📝 Exam Technique: Thematic Study Overview
For "How much change?" essays across the whole period:
🏫 Edexcel 1HI0/10 — Medicine in Britain (Paper 1, Option 1HI0/10): This topic is tested on Paper 1 alongside the Historic Environment (Western Front). Edexcel question types differ from AQA:
- "Describe two features of..." (4 marks) — Identify a feature (1 mark) + supporting detail (1 mark). Write two separate PEEL-style paragraphs. No evaluation needed.
- "Explain why..." (12 marks) — Explain two or three reasons with specific evidence. Level 3 (7–9 marks) requires explained reasons; Level 4 (10–12 marks) requires explanation showing how factors connect or reinforce each other.
- "How far do you agree that..." (16 marks + 4 SPaG) — Extended writing. Two sides: evidence FOR the statement, evidence AGAINST. Reach a supported judgement. Level 4 (13–16 marks) requires a consistently argued judgement. SPaG marks reward accurate spelling of key historical terms.
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Quiz · Question 1 of 8
In which year did Watson and Crick discover the structure of DNA?
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