This detailed lesson has been written to cover the part of specification point 5.1.2 © of the OCR A-level Biology A specification which states that students should be able to demonstrate and apply an understanding of the process of ultrafiltration. The aim of the design was to give the students the opportunity to discover this particular function and to be able to explain how the mechanisms found in the glomerulus and the Bowman’s capsule control the movement of small molecules out of the blood plasma. Key terminology is used throughout and students will learn how the combination of the capillary endothelium and the podocytes creates filtration slits that allow glucose, water, urea and ions through into the Bowman’s capsule but ensure that blood cells and plasma proteins remain in the bloodstream. A number of quiz competitions are used to introduce key terms and values in a fun and memorable way whilst understanding and prior knowledge checks allow the students to assess their understanding of the current topic and to challenge themselves to make links to earlier topics. The final task of the lesson challenges the students to apply their knowledge by recognising substances found in a urine sample that shouldn’t be present and to explain why this would cause a problem This lesson has been written for students studying on the OCR A-level Biology A course and ties in nicely with the other 5.1.2 kidney lessons on the structure of the nephron, selective reabsorption, osmoregulation and kidney failure

This is a highly detailed and engaging lesson that covers the detail of specification point 15.1 (e) of the CIE International A-level Biology specification which states that students should be able to describe and explain the transmission of an action potential in a myelinated neurone. This topic is commonly assessed in the terminal exams so a lot of time has been taken to design this resource to include a wide range of activities that motivate the students whilst ensuring that the content is covered in the depth of detail that will allow them to have a real understanding. Interspersed within the activities are understanding checks and prior knowledge checks to enable the students to not only assess their progress against the current topic but also to challenge themselves on the links to earlier topics such as methods of movements across cell membranes. There are also a number of quiz competitions which are used to introduce key terms and values in a fun and memorable way and discussion points to encourage the students to consider why a particular process or mechanism occurs. Over the course of the lesson, the students will learn and discover how the movement of ions across the membrane causes the membrane potential to change. They will see how the resting potential is maintained through the use of the sodium/potassium pump and potassium ion leakage. There is a real focus on depolarisation to allow students to understand how generator potentials can combine and if the resulting depolarisation then exceeds the threshold potential, a full depolarisation will occur. At this point in the lesson students will discover how the all or nothing response explains that action potentials have the same magnitude and that instead a stronger stimulus is linked to an increase in the frequency of the transmission. The rest of the lesson challenges the students to apply their knowledge to explain how repolarisation and hyperpolarisation result and to suggest advantages of the refractory period for nerve cells. This lesson has been designed for students studying the CIE International A-level Biology course and ties in nicely with other uploaded lessons which cover the content of topic 15.1 (Control and coordination in mammals)

This is a detailed and engaging lesson which has been designed to cover specification points 14.1 (a, b and c) of the CIE International A-level Biology specification which states that students should be able to explain the importance of homeostasis and the roles of negative feedback and the communication systems in this control. As homeostasis is a topic met at GCSE, this lesson has been written to build on this knowledge as well as to check on their prior knowledge of earlier A-level topics such as osmosis when considering blood water potential. Discussion points are written into the lesson at regular intervals to encourage the students to consider why a particular process or method takes place and understanding checks allow them to assess their progress. Students will recall how body temperature, blood water potential and blood glucose concentration are maintained within strict limits and the importance of these systems are looked into in detail. They will also learn that carbon dioxide concentration and blood pressure are aspects that are controlled in the body and key terminology such as chemoreceptors and baroreceptors are used throughout so that students are confident with the meaning when met later in the module. The key components of the control system are recalled and then time is taken to focus on the cell signalling that occurs between the coordination centre and the effectors. Students will learn to associate the response with either the use of the neuronal or hormonal system. The final part of the lesson looks at the importance of negative feedback in reversing the change in order to bring it back to the optimum and the differences to positive feedback are also explored. This lesson has been written for students who are studying the CIE International A-level Biology course and ties in well with the other uploaded lessons on this topic such as those on the kidney

This detailed lesson has been planned to cover the content of specification point 14.1 (e) of the CIE International A-level Biology specification which states that students should be able to describe the gross structure of the kidney and the detailed structure of the nephron. The lesson was designed at the same time as the other lessons in this topic on ultrafiltration, selective reabsorption and osmoregulation so that a common theme runs throughout and students can build their knowledge up gradually and develop a deep understanding of this organ. Students will come to recognise the renal cortex and renal medulla as the two regions of the kidney and learn the parts of the nephron which are found in each of these regions. Time is taken to look at the vascular supply of this organ and specifically to explain how the renal artery divides into the afferent arterioles which carry blood towards the glomerulus and the efferent arterioles which carry the blood away. The main task of the lesson challenges the students to relate structure to function. Having been introduced to the names of each of the parts of the nephron, they have to use the details of the structures found at these parts to match the function. For example, they have to make the connection between the microvilli in the PCT as a sign that this part is involved in selective reabsorption. This lesson has been designed for students studying on the CIE International A-level Biology course

This fully-resourced lesson is highly detailed and covers all of specification points 14.1 (h, i and j) of the CIE International A-level Biology specification which states that students should be able to describe how blood glucose concentration is regulated using negative feedback mechanisms that release insulin or glucagon and outline the role of cyclic AMP. A wide range of activities will maintain motivation and engagement whilst the content is covered in detail to enable the students to explain how the receptors in the pancreas detect the concentration change and how the hormones attaching to receptor sites on the liver triggers a series of events in this effector organ. This is a topic which has a huge amount of difficult terminology so time is taken to look at all of the key words, especially those which begin with the letter G so students are able to use them accurately in the correct context. The final part of the lesson looks at the role of the secondary messenger, cyclic AMP, and describes how this is involved when glucagon and adrenaline attach to receptors on the liver. The action of adrenaline is also considered and linked to the breakdown of glycogen to glucose during glycogenolysis. This lesson has been written for students studying on the CIE International A-level Biology course and ties in with the other uploaded lessons which cover the content of topic 14.1 (Homeostasis in mammals)

This fully-resourced lesson explores how the presence of particular alleles at one locus can mask the expression of alleles at a second locus in gene interactions. The detailed and engaging PowerPoint and associated resources have been designed to cover the part of point 16.2 (b) of the CIE International A-level Biology specification which states that students should be able to use genetic diagrams to solve problems that involve gene interactions. This is a topic which students tend to find difficult, and therefore the lesson was written to split the topic into small chunks where examples of dominant, recessive and complimentary gene interactions are considered, discussed at length and then explained. Understanding checks, in various forms, are included throughout the lesson so that students can assess their progress and any misconceptions are immediately addressed. There are regular links to related topics such as dihybrid inheritance so that students can meet the challenge of interpreting genotypes and link to the different types of interactions

This lesson describes how maltose, sucrose and lactose are synthesised during condensation reactions and broken down during hydrolysis reactions. The PowerPoint and accompanying question sheet have been designed to cover point 1.1 (iii) of the Edexcel A-level Biology B specification but also make links to the previous lesson on monosaccharides when considering the different components of these three disaccharides. The first section of the lesson focuses on a prefix and a suffix so that the students can recognise that the names of the common disaccharides end in -ose. In line with this, a quick quiz round is used to introduce maltose, sucrose and lactose before students are challenged on their prior knowledge as they have to describe how condensation reactions and the formation of glycosidic bonds were involved in the synthesis of each one. The main task of the lesson again challenges the students to recall details of a previous lesson as they have to identify the monomers of each disaccharide when presented with the displayed formula. Time is taken to show how their knowledge of these simple sugars will be important in later topics such as enzymes, translocation in the phloem and the lac operon in the control of gene expression. The lesson finishes with two exam-style questions where students have to demonstrate and apply their newly acquired knowledge

This fully-resourced lesson describes the different effects that gene mutations can have on the amino acid sequence of a protein. The engaging and detailed PowerPoint and accompanying resources have been designed to cover points 1.4 (viii) & (ix) as detailed in the Edexcel A-level Biology B specification and includes substitutions, deletions and insertions and considers a real life example in sickle cell anaemia. In order to understand how a change in the base sequence can affect the order of the amino acids, students must be confident in their understanding and application of protein synthesis which was covered earlier in this topic. Therefore, the start of the lesson focuses on transcription and translation and students are guided through the use of the codon table to identify amino acids. Moving forwards, a task called known as THE WALL is used to introduce to the names of three types of gene mutation whilst challenging the students to recognise three terms which are associated with the genetic code. The main focus of the lesson is substitutions and how these mutations may or may not cause a change to the amino acid sequence. The students are challenged to use their knowledge of the degenerate nature of the genetic code to explain how a silent mutation can result. Students will learn that a substitution is responsible for the new allele that causes sickle cell anaemia and they are tested on their understanding through an exam-style question. As with all of the questions, a mark scheme is included in the PowerPoint which can be displayed to allow the students to assess their understanding. The rest of the lesson looks at base deletions and base insertions and students are introduced to the idea of a frameshift mutation. One particular task challenges the students to evaluate the statement that base deletions have a bigger impact on primary structure than base substitutions. This is a differentiated task and they have to compare the fact that the reading frame is shifted by a deletion against the change in a single base by a substitution

This engaging lesson acts as an introduction to topic 1.3 (proteins) by introducing the general structure of an amino acid. The PowerPoint lesson has been designed to cover point 1.3 (i) as detailed in the Edexcel A-level Biology B specification and provides a clear introduction to the following lesson on the formation of polypeptides, protein structures and globular and fibrous proteins. 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. Moving forwards, 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. One more quiz round called LINK TO THE FUTURE is used to conclude the lesson and demonstrates the range of roles performed by amino acids in the latter part of the course including translation at the ribosomes.

This fully-resourced lesson describes the conversion of glucose to pyruvate during glycolysis in the cytoplasm and produces ATP and reduced NAD. The engaging PowerPoint and accompanying differentiated resources have been designed to cover point 5.1 (i) as detailed in the Edexcel A-level Biology B specification and includes the phosphorylation of glucose, the breakdown to glycerate-3-phosphate and the subsequent oxidation to produce ATP and the reduced coenzyme. The lesson begins with the introduction of the name of the stage and then explains how the phosphorylation of the monosaccharides, the breakdown into GP and the production of the ATP, reduced coenzymes and pyruvate are the stages that need to be known for this specification. Time is taken to go through each of these stages and key points such as the use of ATP in phosphorylation are explained so that students can understand how this affects the net yield. A quick quiz competition is used to introduce NAD and the students will learn that the reduction of this coenzyme, which is followed by the transport of the protons and electrons to the cristae for the electron transport chain is critical for the overall production of ATP. Understanding checks, in a range of forms, are included throughout the lesson so that students can assess their progress and any misconceptions are immediately addressed.

This lesson describes how to use the magnification formula to calculate the actual sizes of specimens in a range of units. The PowerPoint and accompanying resources have been designed to cover point 1.1 (e) of the CIE A-level Biology specification but can also be used as a revision tool on the content of the previous two lessons as prior knowledge checks are included along with current understanding checks. The students are likely to have met the magnification formula at iGCSE so this lesson has been written to build on that knowledge and to support them with more difficult questions when they have to calculate actual size without directly being given the magnification. A step by step guide is used to walk the students through the methodology and useful tips are provided. The final quiz round of the competition that has run over the course of these 3 lessons will challenge them to convert between units so they are confident when challenged to present actual size in millimetres, micrometres or nanometres.

This lesson describes how to use the magnification formula to calculate the magnification or the actual size in a range of units. The PowerPoint and accompanying resources have been designed to cover the 3rd part of point 2.1.3 of the AQA A-level Biology specification The students are likely to have met the magnification formula at GCSE so this lesson has been written to build on that knowledge and to support them with more difficult questions when they have to calculate actual size without directly being given the magnification. A step by step guide is used to walk the students through the methodology and useful tips are provided. Students could be asked to calculate the actual size in millimetres, micrometres, nanometres or picometres so time is taken to ensure that they can convert between one and another. This lesson has been written to tie in with the previous two lessons on microscopes and measuring the size of an object and the two rounds of the ongoing quiz competition take place in this lesson.

This lesson describes the differences between monosaccharides, disaccharides and polysaccharides, including glycogen and starch. The PowerPoint and accompanying resource have been designed to cover point 1.2 (i) of the Edexcel International A-level Biology specification and the main aim of the lesson is to prepare the students for the upcoming lessons on the individual carbohydrate groups. The lesson begins with a made-up round of the quiz show POINTLESS, where students have to try to identify four answers to do with carbohydrates. In doing so, they will learn or recall that these molecules are made from carbon, hydrogen and oxygen, that they are a source of energy which can sometimes be rightly or wrongly associated with obesity and that the names of the three main groups is derived from the Greek word sakkharon. A number of quick quiz rounds have been written into the lesson to introduce key terms in a fun and memorable way and the first round allows the students to meet some of common monosaccharides. Moving forwards, students will learn that a disaccharide is formed when two of these monomers are joined together and they are then challenged on their knowledge of condensation reactions which were originally encountered during the lesson on water. Students will understand how multiple reactions and multiple glycosidic bonds will result in the formation of a polysaccharide and glycogen and starch are introduced as well as amylose and amylopectin as components of this latter polymer.

This fully-resourced lesson describes the relationship between the structure of monosaccharides and their roles in living organisms. The engaging PowerPoint and accompanying resources have been designed to cover the second part of points 1.2 & 1.4 of the Edexcel International A-level Biology specification and describes alpha-glucose, galactose, fructose, deoxyribose and ribose. The lesson begins by reminding students that monosaccharides are the simplest sugars and that these monomers provide energy. Using the molecular formula of glucose as a guide, students will be given the general formula for the monosaccharides and will learn that deoxyribose is an exception to the rule that the number of carbon and oxygen atoms are equal. Moving forwards, students have to study the displayed formula of glucose for two minutes without being able to note anything down before they are challenged to recreate what they saw in a test of their observational skills. At this point of the lesson, the idea of numbering the carbons is introduced so that the different glycosidic bonds can be understood in an upcoming lesson as well as the recognition of the different isomers of glucose. The difference between alpha and beta-glucose is provided but students do not need to consider the beta form until topic 4. The remainder of the lesson focuses on the roles of the monosaccharides and the final task involves a series of application questions where the students are challenged to suggest why ribose could be considered important for active transport and muscle contraction