This concise lesson describes the basic structure of an amino acid and introduces them as the monomers of polypeptides. The engaging PowerPoint has been designed to cover point 2.9 (i) of the Pearson Edexcel A-level Biology A specification and has been specifically written to lead into the next lesson on dipeptides and polypeptides.
The lesson begins with a prior knowledge check, where the students have to use the 1st letters of 4 answers to uncover a key term. This 4-letter key term is gene and the lesson begins with this word because it is important for students to understand that these sequences of bases on DNA determine the specific sequence of amino acids in a polypeptide as detailed in specification point 2.8. Moving forwards, the students are given discussion time to work out that there are 64 different DNA triplets and will learn that these encode for the 20 amino acids that are common to all organisms. The main task of the lesson is an observational one, where students are given time to study the displayed formula of 4 amino acids. They are not allowed to draw anything during this time but will be challenged with 3 multiple choice questions at the end. This task has been designed to allow the students to visualise how the 20 amino acids share common features in an amine and an acid group. A quick quiz round introduces the R group and time is taken to explain how the structure of this side chain is the only structural difference, before cysteine is considered in greater detail due to the presence of sulfur atoms. Students are briefly introduced to disulfide bridges so they will recognise how particular bonds form between the R groups in the tertiary structure which is covered in the next lesson. The lesson concludes with one more quiz round called LINK TO THE FUTURE where the students will see the roles played by amino acids in the later part of the course such as translation and dipeptides.
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Topic 2: Genes and Health (Pearson Edexcel SNAB)
Some of the key biological topics are covered in topic 2 of the Pearson Edexcel A-level Biology A (Salters Nuffield) course and include the transport of materials across cell membranes, DNA structure and replication, protein synthesis and monohybrid inheritance. In line with this, many hours of intricate planning have gone into the design of all of the 19 lessons that are included in this bundle to ensure that the content is covered in detail, understanding is constantly checked to immediately address misconceptions and that engagement is high. This is achieved through the wide variety of tasks in the PowerPoints and accompanying worksheets which include exam-style questions with clear answers, discussion points, differentiated tasks and quick quiz competitions. The following specification points are covered by the lessons within this bundle: * The properties of gas exchange surfaces in living organisms * Understand how the rate of diffusion is dependent on these properties and can be used in the calculation of the rate of diffusion by Fick's law * Adaptations of the mammalian lung for rapid gaseous exchange * Structure and properties of cell membranes * Simple and facilitated diffusion as methods of passive transport * The involvement of ATP and carrier proteins in active transport, endocytosis and exocytosis * The basic structure of mononucleotides * The structures of DNA and RNA * The process of protein synthesis * The roles of the template strand, mRNA and tRNA * The nature of the genetic code * A gene is a sequence of bases on DNA that codes for the amino acid sequence of a polypeptide * The basic structure of an amino acid * The formation of polypeptides and proteins * The primary, secondary, tertiary and quaternary structure of proteins * Globular and fibrous proteins using haemoglobin and collagen as examples * The mechanism of action and the specificity of enzymes * Enzymes are biological catalysts that reduce activation energy * The process of DNA replication * Errors in DNA replication can give rise to mutations * The meaning of key genetic terms * Patterns of inheritance, in the context of monohybrid inheritance * Understand how the expression of a gene mutation in people with cystic fibrosis impairs the functioning of the gaseous exchange, digestive and reproductive systems * Understand the uses and implications of genetic screening and prenatal testing Due to the detail included in each of these lessons, it is estimated that it will take in excess of 2 months of allocated teaching time to cover the content. If you would like to see the quality of the lessons, download the gas exchange surfaces, cell membranes, transcription, globular and fibrous proteins, monohybrid inheritance and cystic fibrosis lessons as these have been shared for free
Biological molecules (Edexcel SNAB)
This lesson bundle contains 10 lessons which have been designed to cover the Pearson Edexcel A-level Biology A (Salters Nuffield) specification points which focus on the structure and function of the biological molecules, including water, carbohydrates, lipids and proteins. The lesson PowerPoints are highly detailed, and along with their accompanying worksheets, they have been planned at length to contain a wide range of engaging tasks which cover the following A-level Biology content that's found in topics 1, 2 and 4 of the course: 1.2: Understand the importance of water as a solvent in transport, including its dipole nature 1.12 (i): Know the difference between monosaccharides, disaccharides and polysaccharides, including glycogen and starch (amylose and amylopectin) 1.12 (ii): Be able to relate the structures of monosaccharides, disaccharides and polysaccharides to their roles in providing and storing energy 1.13: Know how monosaccharides join to form disaccharides (sucrose, lactose and maltose) and polysaccharides (glycogen and amylose) through condensation reactions forming glycosidic bonds, and how these can be split through hydrolysis reactions 1.14 (i): Know how a triglyceride is synthesised by the formation of ester bonds during condensation reactions between glycerol and three fatty acids. 1.14 (ii): Know the differences between saturated and unsaturated lipids 2.9 (i): Know the basic structure of an amino acid 2.9 (ii): Understand the formation of polypeptides and proteins (amino acid monomers linked by peptide bonds in condensation reactions) 2.9 (iii): Understand the significance of a protein’s primary structure in determining its three-dimensional structure and properties (globular and fibrous proteins and the types of bonds involved in its three-dimensional structure) 2.10 (iv): Know the molecular structure of a globular protein and a fibrous protein and understand how their structures relate to their functions (including haemoglobin and collagen) 4.9: Understand the structure and function of the polysaccharides starch and cellulose, including the role of hydrogen bonds between β-glucose molecules in the formation of cellulose microfibrils
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