The control of HEART RATE (OCR A-level Biology)

This fully-resourced lesson looks at the effects of nervous mechanisms on the heart rate. The engaging and detailed PowerPoint and accompanying resources have been designed to cover the part of point 5.1.5 (k) of the OCR A-level Biology A specification which states that students should be able to demonstrate and apply their knowledge and understanding of the control of the heart rate by the cardiovascular centre in the medulla oblongata

This lesson begins with a prior knowledge check where students have to identify and correct any errors in a passage about the conduction system of the heart. This allows the SAN to be recalled as this structure play an important role as the effector in this control system. Moving forwards, the three key parts of a control system are recalled as the next part of the lesson will specifically look at the range of sensory receptors, the coordination centre and the effector. Students are introduced to chemoreceptors and baroreceptors and time is taken to ensure that the understanding of the stimuli detected by these receptors is complete and that they recognise the result is the conduction of an impulse along a neurone to the brain. A quick quiz is used to introduce the medulla oblongata as the location of the cardiovascular centre. The communication between this centre and the SAN through the autonomic nervous system can be poorly understood so detailed explanations are provided and the sympathetic and parasympathetic divisions compared. The final task challenges the students to demonstrate and apply their understanding by writing a detailed description of the control and this task has been differentiated three ways to allow differing abilities to access the work