This detailed lesson describes the gross and microscopic structure of the mammalian kidney. The engaging PowerPoint and accompanying resource have been designed to cover point 7.18 of the Edexcel International A-level Biology specification. The lesson was designed to tie in with the upcoming kidney lessons (7.19 - 7.21) on ultrafiltration, selective reabsorption and the control of mammalian plasma concentration and a common theme runs throughout to allow students to build their knowledge 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 detailed lesson describes how urea is produced from excess amino acids and then removed from the bloodstream by ultrafiltration. The PowerPoint and accompanying resources have been designed to cover point 7.19 of the Edexcel International A-level Biology specification. The first part of the lesson describes how deamination and the ornithine cycle forms urea. Although the students are not required to know the details of the cycle, it is important that they are aware of how the product of deamination, ammonia, is converted into urea (and why). Moving forwards, the rest of the lesson has been written to allow the students to discover ultrafiltration as a particular function of the nehron 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 describes the structure and functions of the sensory, relay and motor neurones. The engaging PowerPoint and accompanying resources have been designed to cover point 8.1 of the Edexcel International A-level Biology specification but also considers the organisation of the nervous system into the central and peripheral nervous systems and therefore also covers point 8.10. The PowerPoint has been designed to contain a wide range of activities that are interspersed between understanding and prior knowledge checks that allow the students to assess their progress on the current topics as well as challenge their ability to make links to topics from earlier in the modules. Quiz competitions like SAY WHAT YOU SEE are used to introduce key terms in a fun and memorable way. The students will be able to compare these neurones based on their function but time is taken to distinguish between them based on their structural features. The importance of the myelin sheath for the sensory and motor neurones is briefly discussed and students are introduced to key terminology such as saltatory conduction and Schwann cells so they are prepared for the upcoming lesson covering specification point 8.5. The final task involves a comparison between the three neurones to check that the students have understood the structures and functions of the neurones. Throughout the lesson, the organisation of the nervous system is discussed and students are provided with additional knowledge such as the differences between somatic and autonomic motor neurones.

This lesson describes the structure and functions of the adrenal glands, and includes the hormones secreted by the cortex and the medulla. The detailed PowerPoint and accompanying resources have been designed to cover point 5.1.4 (b) of the OCR A-level Biology A specification This lesson has been planned to closely tie in with the previous lesson on endocrine communication, and specifically the modes of action of peptide and steroid hormones. At the start of the lesson, the students have to use the knowledge acquired in this last lesson to reveal the key term cortex and this leads into the description of the structure of the adrenal glands in terms of the outer region and the inner region known as the medulla. The main part of the lesson focuses on the range of physiological responses of the organs to the release of adrenaline. Beginning with glycogenolysis, the need for adrenaline to bind to adrenergic receptors is described including the activation of cyclic AMP. A quiz competition is used to introduce other responses including lipolysis, vasodilation, bronchodilation and an increase in stroke volume. Links to previous topics are made throughout the lesson and students are challenged on their knowledge of heart structure and polysaccharides. The final part of the lesson introduces the three zones of the adrenal cortex and the steroid hormones that they produce along with their functions. Once again, a series of exam-style questions are used to challenge their ability to apply their understanding to an unfamiliar situation and to make biological links and the mark schemes are embedded in the PowerPoint.

This detailed and engaging lesson describes how the passive transport of water molecules is brought about by osmosis. The PowerPoint and accompanying resources have been designed to cover the second part of specification point 4.2 (ii) as detailed in the Edexcel A-level Biology B specification and water potential is included throughout which will help students to prepare for core practical 6 It’s likely that students will have used the term concentration in their osmosis definitions at GCSE, so the aim of the starter task is to introduce water potential to allow students to begin to recognise osmosis as the movement of water molecules from a high water potential to a lower potential, with the water potential gradient. Time is taken to describe the finer details of water potential to enable students to understand that 0 is the highest value (pure water) and that this becomes negative once solutes are dissolved. Exam-style questions are used throughout the lesson to check on current understanding as well as prior knowledge checks which make links to previously covered topics such as the lipid bilayer of the cell membrane. The remainder of the lesson focuses on the movement of water between cells and a solution when these animal and plant cells are suspended in hypotonic, hypertonic or isotonic solutions.

The engaging PowerPoint and accompanying differentiated worksheets which come as part of this lesson resource have been designed to cover the SUPPLEMENT section of topic 13.1 of the CIE IGCSE Biology specification which states that students should be able to describe the structure and function of the kidneys. Students will initially be introduced to the gross anatomy of the kidneys with the cortex and medulla and the associated ureter before moving on to the fine anatomy of the tubules and focusing on the key functions like ultrafiltration and selective reabsorption. Lots of discussion points and student discovery have been written into the lesson to encourage students to think about why a certain process takes place before attempting to explain it using the Biology. In addition, there are lots of understanding checks and prior knowledge checks so that students are challenged on their knowledge of previously learned topics such as active transport and the components of blood. The final task of the lesson challenges the students to use their knowledge of the formation of urea from earlier in topic 13 and combine it with what they have learnt in this lesson to arrange statements about the journey of this molecule into the right order This lesson has been designed for students who are studying the CIE IGCSE Biology course but is suitable for older students who are studying the kidney at A-level and want to recall some of the key details of the structure and function of this organ

This lesson has been designed to cover the content in specification point 17.3 (Mitosis) which is part of topic 17 (Inheritance) of the CIE IGCSE Biology specification. A wide range of activities have been written into the lesson to motivate and engage the students whilst ensuring that the following content of both the Core & Supplement sections are covered in detail. The duplication of chromosomes before mitosis Mitosis is a form of division that results in genetically identical cells The important roles of mitosis for living organisms Stem cells use mitosis before differentiation to produce specialised cells Understanding checks have been included in the lesson at regular points to allow the students to assess their understanding as well as previous knowledge checks to topics like organelles in animal and plant cells. This lesson has been designed for GCSE-aged students but is suitable for older students who are studying mitosis at A-level and need to recall the key points

This engaging lesson describes the myogenic stimulation of the heart and focuses on the roles of the SAN, AVN and bundle of His. The PowerPoint and accompanying resources have been designed to cover the point 4.4 (iv) of the Edexcel A-level Biology B specification but also describes the role of the Purkyne fibres. The lesson begins with the introduction of the SAN as the natural pacemaker and then time is given to study each step of the conduction of the impulse as it spreads away from the myogenic tissue in a wave of excitation. The lesson has been written to make clear links to the cardiac cycle and the structure of the heart and students are challenged on their knowledge of this system from earlier in the topic. Moving forwards, students are encouraged to consider why a delay would occur at the AVN and then they will learn that the impulse is conducted along the Bundle of His to the apex so that the contraction of the ventricles can happen from the bottom upwards. The structure of the cardiac muscle cells is discussed and the final task of the lesson challenges the students to describe the conducting tissue, with an emphasis on the use of key terminology.

This engaging lesson covers the detail of the 2nd part of specification point 6.2.2 of the AQA A-level Biology specification which states that students should be able to explain temporal and spatial summation as well as understand inhibition by inhibitory synapses. This is a topic which is generally poorly understood by students or brushed over so considerable time has been taken to design the activities to motivate the students so that the content is memorable whilst still being covered in detail. Links are continually made to earlier topics in this module such as synapses and generator potentials but also to topics covered in the previous year and still to be covered. The lesson begins by challenging the students to recognise a description of generator potential and they will then discover that this is also known as an EPSP. Students will recall that a small depolarisation may not lead to the opening of the voltage gated channels and therefore the full depolarisation which is needed for the initiation of an action potential and will discuss how this problem could be overcome. Lots of discussion points like this are included in the lesson to encourage the students to challenge and debate why a particular process of mechanism occurs. Students will therefore learn that EPSPs can be combined and this is known as summation. A quiz round is used to introduce temporal and spatial summation. Moving forwards, students are presented with a number of examples where they have to decide why type of summation is involved. Again, the lesson has been written to include real-life examples such as chronic pain conditions so the chances of the content sticking is increased. The final part of the lesson introduces IPSPs and the effect of these on summation and action potentials is discussed. This lesson has been designed for students studying on the AQA A-level Biology course and ties in well with the other uploaded lessons from topic 6 which include cholinergic synapses and neuromuscular junctions, sensory receptors and nerve impulses

This fully-resourced lesson describes the process of contraction of skeletal muscle in terms of the sliding filament theory. The PowerPoint and accompanying resources have been designed to cover point 7.11 of the Edexcel International A-level Biology specification and includes descriptions of the role of actin, myosin, troponin, tropomyosin, calcium ions, ATP and ATPase. The lesson begins with a study of the structure of the thick and thin filaments. Students will recognise that the protruding heads of the myosin molecule are mobile and this enables this protein to bind to the binding sites when they are exposed on actin. This leads into the introduction of troponin and tropomyosin and key details about the binding of calcium to this complex is explained. Moving forwards, students are encouraged to discuss possible reasons that can explain how the sarcomere narrows during contraction when the filaments remain the same length. This main part of the lesson goes through the main steps of the sliding filament model of muscle contraction and the critical roles of the calcium ions and ATP are discussed. The final task of the lesson challenges the students to apply their knowledge by describing the immediate effect on muscle contraction when one of the elements doesn’t function correctly. This lesson has been written to tie in with the previous lesson on the structure of skeletal muscle fibre (point 7.10)

This lesson describes the relationship between the specialised features of the mammalian egg and sperm and their functions. The PowerPoint and accompanying resources have been designed to cover point 3.11 of the Edexcel International A-level Biology specification and includes a focus on the acrosome in the head of the sperm and the zona pellucida in the egg The lessons at the start of topic 3 (Cell structure, Reproduction and Development) described the ultrastructure of eukaryotic cells, so this knowledge is referenced throughout the lesson and the students are challenged on their recall and understanding through a range of prior knowledge checks. For example, two of the exam-style questions that are included in the resources challenge the students to explain why a sperm cell is classified as an eukaryotic cell and to recognise the centrioles and the nucleus from structural descriptions. Along with the mitochondria, time is then taken to discuss and to describe the role of these organelles in relation to the function of the sperm cell. When considering the fusion of the haploid nuclei to form a diploid nucleus in the nucleus, links are made to the upcoming topic of mitosis and the significance of this form of nuclear division. The importance of the enzymes that are found inside the acrosome is emphasised and this leads into the second half of the lesson where the layers surrounding the plasma membrane of the egg cell (corona radiata and zona pellucida) are examined The final part of this lesson has been specifically planned to prepare the students for the next lesson in topic 3, where the acrosome reaction, cortical reaction and the fusion of nuclei that are involved in fertilisation are described

This lesson describes the gross structure of the human gas exchange system, including the trachea, bronchi, bronchioles and lungs. The PowerPoint and accompanying resources are part of the third lesson in a series of 6 which have been designed to cover the detail of topic 3.2 in the AQA A-level Biology specification which is titled gas exchange and this lesson has been specifically planned to prepare students for the next lesson where the essential features of the alveoli are described. The lesson is filled with a range of activities such as guided discussion periods, exam-style questions (with markschemes) and quiz competitions and these run alongside the slides containing the detailed A-level Biology content to cover the following features: The incomplete rings of cartilage, ciliated pseudostratified columnar epithelium and goblet cells in the trachea The narrowing airways of the primary, secondary and tertiary bronchi The elastic fibres and smooth muscle in the terminal and respiratory bronchioles The pleural cavity and fluid of the lungs When describing the production of mucus by the goblet cells in the trachea, time is taken to consider cystic fibrosis and the inheritance of this autosomal recessive disorder. Students will be supported in working out genotypes from a pedigree tree to prepare them for the topic of inheritance (7.1)

This lesson describes how passive transport is brought about (simple) diffusion and facilitated diffusion. The PowerPoint and accompanying resources have been designed to cover the first part of specification point 4.2 (ii) of the Edexcel A-level Biology B specification but also covers 4.2 (iii) as the relationship between the properties of a molecule and the method by which they are transported is discussed. The structure of the cell surface membrane was described in the previous lesson, so this lesson has been written to include continual references to the content of that lesson. This enables links to be made between the movement across a cell membrane with the concentration gradient, the parts of the membrane that are involved and any features that may increase the rate at which the molecules move. A series of questions about the alveoli are used to demonstrate how a large surface area, a short diffusion distance and the maintenance of a steep concentration gradient will increase the rate of simple diffusion. One of two quick quiz rounds is then used to introduce temperature and size of molecule as two further factors that can affect simple diffusion. The remainder of the lesson focuses on facilitated diffusion and describes how transmembrane proteins are needed to move small, polar or large molecules from a high concentration to a lower concentration across a partially permeable membrane

This resource, which consists of an engaging and detailed PowerPoint and a differentiated worksheet, has been designed to cover the content in the supplement section of topic 14.4 in the CIE IGCSE Biology specification, specifically the control of blood glucose concentration and the symptoms and treatment of diabetes type I. A wide range of activities are found across the lesson which will engage and motivate the students whilst the important content is covered and understanding and previous knowledge checks are included at regular points so students can assess their progress. The following content is covered across this resource: The release of insulin by the pancreas when high glucose levels are detected The role of the liver and muscle cells in the conversion of glucose to glycogen Negative feedback in this homeostatic control mechanism Diagnosis and treatment of type I diabetes Type I diabetes as an autoimmune disease (link to topic 10) The release of glucagon and the role of the liver cells when blood glucose concentration is low As shown above, links are made to other topics where possible so students can recognise the importance of making connections between related subjects. This lesson has been designed for students studying on the CIE IGCSE Biology course but is suitable for older students who are looking at this topic at A-level and need to recall the key details

This lesson explains how a nerve impulse (action potential) is conducted along an axon and focuses on the role of the sodium and potassium ions. The PowerPoint and accompanying resources have been designed to cover point 8.4 of the Edexcel International A-level Biology specification and contains detailed descriptions of resting potential, depolarisation, repolarisation, hyperpolarisation and the refractory period. This topic is commonly assessed in the terminal exams so extensive planning ensures that this resource includes a wide range of activities to motivate and engage 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 is a fully-resourced REVISION lesson that uses a combination of exam questions, understanding checks, quick tasks and quiz competitions to enable students to assess their understanding of the content found within Topic 5 (Energy transfers in and between organisms) of the AQA A-level Biology specification. The sub-topics and specification points that are tested within the lesson include: The light dependent reaction including the production of ATP and reduced NADP and the photolysis of water The light-independent reaction to form triose phosphate and regenerate RuBP Identify environmental factors that limit the rate of photosynthesis Glycolysis as the first stage of both aerobic and anaerobic respiration The conversion of pyruvate to lactate The stages of aerobic respiration that occur in the mitochondria Losses of energy through food chains The roles of microorganisms in the nitrogen cycle The environmental issues of the use of fertilisers as seen with eutrophication Students will be engaged through the numerous quiz rounds such as “Can you DEPEND on your knowledge” and “Are you on the right PATH” whilst crucially being able to recognise those areas which require their further attention during general revision or during the lead up to the actual A-level terminal exams

This lesson describes the meaning of biodiversity, explains how it relates to a range of habitats, and describes how to calculate an index of diversity. The PowerPoint and accompanying worksheets are part of the first in a series of 2 lessons that have been designed to cover the content of topic 4.6 of the AQA A-level Biology specification. The second lesson describes the balance between conservation and farming. A quiz competition called BIOLOGICAL TERMINOLOGY SNAP runs over the course of the lesson and this will engage the students whilst challenging them to recognise species, population, biodiversity, community and natural selection from their respective definitions. Once biodiversity as the variety of living organisms in a habitat is revealed, the students will learn that this can relate to a range of habitats, from those in the local area to the Earth. When considering the biodiversity of a local habitat, the need for sampling is discussed and some key details are provided to initially prepare the students for these lessons in topic 7. Moving forwards, the students will learn that it is possible to measure biodiversity within a habitat, within a species and within different habitats so that they can be compared. Species richness as a measure of the number of different species in a community is met and a biological example in the rainforests of Madagascar is used to increase its relevance. The students are introduced to an unfamiliar formula that calculates the heterozygosity index and are challenged to apply their knowledge to this situation, as well as linking a low H value to natural selection. The rest of the lesson focuses on the index of diversity and a 3-step guide is used to walk students through each part of the calculation. This is done in combination with a worked example to allow students to visualise how the formula should be applied to actual figures. Using the method, they will then calculate a value of d for a comparable habitat to allow the two values to be considered and the significance of a higher value is explained. All of the exam-style questions have mark schemes embedded in the PowerPoint to allow students to continuously assess their progress and understanding.

This lesson guides students through the use of the chi-squared test to determine the significance of the difference between observed and expected results. It is fully-resourced with a detailed PowerPoint and differentiated worksheets that have been designed to cover point 8.2 (vi) of the Edexcel A-level Biology B specification The lesson includes a step-by-step guide to demonstrates how to carry out the test in small sections. At each step, time is taken to explain any parts which could cause confusion and helpful hints are provided to increase the likelihood of success in exam questions on this topic. Students will understand how to use the phenotypic ratio to calculate the expected numbers and then how to find the critical value in order to compare it against the chi-squared value. A worked example is used to show the working which will be required to access the marks and then the main task challenges the students to apply their knowledge to a series of questions of increasing difficulty. This is the final lesson of topic 8.2 (transfer of genetic information) and links are made throughout the lesson to earlier parts of this topic such as dihybrid inheritance as well as to earlier topics like meiosis

This lesson describes the relationship between the structure and function of the xylem and phloem in transport. The engaging and detailed PowerPoint and accompanying resources have been designed to cover point 4.7 (i) of the Edexcel A-level Biology B specification. The lessons begins by challenging the students to identify the substances that a plant needs for the cellular reactions, where they are absorbed and where these reactions occur in a plant. The aim of this task is to get the students to recognise that water and mineral ions are absorbed in the roots and needed in the leaves whilst the products of photosynthesis are in the leaves and need to be used all over the plant. Students will be reminded that the xylem and phloem are part of the vascular system responsible for transporting these substances and then the rest of the lesson focuses on linking structure to function. A range of tasks which include discussion points, exam-style questions and quick quiz rounds are used to describe how lignification results in the xylem as a hollow tube of xylem cells to allow water to move as a complete column. They will also learn that the narrow diameter of this vessel allows capillary action to move water molecules up the sides of the vessel. The same process is used to enable students to understand how the structures of the companion cells allows assimilates to be loaded before being moved to the sieve tube elements through the plasmodesmata.