T Level Health: Digestive, Endocrine and Nervous Systems

This material covers the second part of the body-systems science in the core of the T Level in Health: the digestive, endocrine and nervous systems and three conditions linked to them. In the specification used for students starting from September 2026, this content belongs to the science paper, one of the two written exams that, with an employer-set project, make up the core assessment. The questions are written at Level 3.

For the digestive system you follow food from the mouth to the colon: salivary amylase, stomach acid and pepsin, bile emulsifying fats, the pancreatic enzymes and absorption across the villi of the ileum. You then compare facilitated diffusion, active transport and sodium-glucose co-transport, the mechanism that lets glucose be absorbed even when little is left in the gut. Crohn's disease is covered through its combined causes, its effects on nutrition, energy and mental health, and why steroids are kept for flare-ups while other medicines are used for maintenance.

For the endocrine system you work with the pituitary and hypothalamus, target cells and receptors, thyroxine, and two homeostatic mechanisms: blood glucose control by insulin and glucagon, and osmoregulation by ADH. Diabetes is covered as type 1, type 2 and gestational diabetes, with its long-term effects on nerves, eyes, kidneys and blood vessels, and with data: a fasting glucose compared with thresholds and an HbA1c compared with a target.

For the nervous system you explain depolarisation and repolarisation, saltatory conduction, synaptic transmission and the reflex arc. Parkinson's disease is covered as the loss of dopamine-producing cells, with levodopa and the work of physiotherapists and speech and language therapists.

Most quiz questions are short scenarios in invented clinics and wards. The flashcards hold the key terms. The written work has eight longer tasks, such as comparing type 1 and type 2 diabetes or tracing an impulse across a synapse, marked against key points. The exam is a conversation with an examiner who asks about one system or condition at a time and gives brief feedback at the end.

The questions are original practice material and do not predict what a particular exam will ask. The material is for study only and is not medical advice: anyone with symptoms or questions about their own condition should speak to a doctor, pharmacist or NHS 111.

• Describe physical and chemical digestion from mouth to colon and explain absorption, including co-transport
• Explain the causes, effects and treatment of Crohn's disease
• Explain how hormones act on target cells and how insulin, glucagon and ADH maintain homeostasis
• Compare type 1, type 2 and gestational diabetes and interpret fasting glucose and HbA1c results
• Explain nerve impulses, synaptic transmission and the reflex arc, and the cause and management of Parkinson's disease

Practice material written by Zestly, based on the core content of the Pearson T Level Technical Qualification in Health specification (Version 1.2, July 2026, for students starting from September 2026), content area 9 (Further science concepts in health), sections 9.11 to 9.19. Not endorsed by Pearson or the Department for Education.