This lesson describes how communication occurs between cells by cell signalling. The PowerPoint and accompanying resource have been designed to cover point 5.1.1 (b) of the OCR A-level Biology A specification and focuses on the use of the nervous system for communication between the CNS and effectors and the release of hormones to bring about responses. As this is one of the first lessons to be delivered in module 5, this lesson has been specifically planned to prepare students for the upcoming topics of neuronal and hormonal communication. Students begin by learning that cell signalling governs the basic activities of cells and coordinates multiple cell actions. Moving forwards, the next part of the lesson focuses on the nervous system and students will learn that an electrical impulse will be conducted on a somatic or an autonomic motor neurone depending upon the type of muscle to be stimulated. This provides some introductory information for modules 5.1.3 and 5.1.5. The remainder of the lesson describes how the hormones that are secreted by the cells of endocrine glands allow communication with target cells and the different actions of peptide and steroid hormones is considered.

This lesson describes how genetic diversity within, or between species, can be investigated by comparison of characteristics or biological molecules. The PowerPoint and accompanying worksheets are primarily designed to cover the content of point 4.7 of the AQA A-level Biology specification but as this is the last lesson in the topic, it has also been planned to contain a range of questions, tasks and quiz rounds that will challenge the students on their knowledge and understanding of topic 4. Over the course of the lesson, the students will discover that comparisons of measurable or observable characteristics, DNA and mRNA sequences and the primary structure of common proteins can all be used to investigate diversity. Links are continually made to prior learning, such as the existence of convergent evolution as evidence of the need to compare biological molecules as opposed to the simple comparison of phenotypes. The issues associated with a limited genetic diversity are discussed and the interesting biological example of the congenital dysfunctions consistently found in the Sumatran tigers in captivity in Australia and New Zealand is used to demonstrate the problems of a small gene pool. Moving forwards, the study of the 16S ribosomal RNA gene by Carl Woese is introduced and students will learn that this led to the adoption of the three-domain system in 1990. The final part of the lesson describes how the primary structure of proteins like cytochrome c that is involved in respiration and is therefore found in most living organisms can be compared and challenges the students to demonstrate their understanding of protein synthesis when considering the differences between humans and rhesus monkeys.

A detailed lesson presentation (37 slides) and associated worksheets that looks at the different pieces of evidence that scientists use to support evolution and discusses how these support the theory. The lesson begins by challenging students to decide which piece of evidence is the key piece in supporting evolution (fossils). Students will then have to arrange a number of statements to describe how a fossil is formed. Students are introduced to the fossil record and questions are used to check that they understand where the oldest fossils would be found. Moving forwards, students are given three pieces of evidence that would be observed in the fossil record and they are challenged to explain how each of these supports the theory of evolution. Quick competitions are then used to get the students to see some extinct organisms in the Dodo and Woolly Mammoth and again they are questioned on how extinct animals support the theory of evolution. Further evidence in rapid changes in species and molecular comparison is discussed. There are regular progress checks throughout the lesson so that students can assess their understanding and there is a set homework included.

A whole lesson on the topic of active transport which includes a concise lesson presentation (20 slides) and a set of questions that are used to check on the students’ understanding. This lesson is designed for GCSE students (14 - 16 year olds in the UK) but could be used with A-level students who are covering the topic of movement across cell membranes. The main focus of the lesson is to get students to understand that this is an active process which moves substances against the concentration gradient and therefore needs energy for this process. The final part of the lesson looks at the different types of questions that can accompany this topic and a step-by-step guide is used to answer a difficult longer answer question as a class.

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 has been designed to cover the content of the 1st part of specification point 6.1.2 of the AQA A-level Biology specification which states that students should know the basic structure of a Pacinian corpuscle and be able to use its function as a representation of sensory receptors. By the end of the lesson students will understand that sensory receptors respond to specific stimuli and how a generator potential is established. The lesson begins by using a quiz to get the students to recognise the range of stimuli which can be detected by receptors. This leads into a task where the students have to form 4 sentences to detail the stimuli which are detected by certain receptors and the energy conversion that happen as a result. Students will be introduced to the idea of a transducer and learn that receptors always convert to electrical energy which is the generator potential. The remainder of the lesson focuses on the Pacinian corpuscle and how this responds to pressure on the skin. The involvement of sodium and potassium ions is introduced so discussions on how the membrane potential changes from resting potential in the establishment of a generator potential are encouraged. This lesson has been written for students studying on the AQA A-level Biology course and ties in nicely with other uploaded lessons which cover the content of topic 6

This concise lesson covers the content of specification point 5.1.5 (l) of the OCR A-level Biology A specification which states that students should be able to demonstrate and apply an understanding of the action of neuromuscular junctions. Due to a number of similarities between these structures and cholinergic synapses, this lesson uses prior knowledge of these connections between neurones to build a good understanding of the junctions. Students will discover that the events that occur at an axon tip mirror those which happen at the pre-synaptic bulb and this is then developed to look at the differences in terms of the events once the acetylcholine has bound to its receptor sites. There is a focus on the structure of the sarcolemma and time is taken to explain how the action potential is passed from this membrane to the transverse tubules in order to stimulate the release of calcium ions from the sarcoplasmic reticulum. As a result, this lesson ties in nicely with the following lesson on the contraction of skeletal muscle and students will be able to link the binding to troponin in that lesson to the release of these ions from this lesson. Both of the main tasks of the lesson have been differentiated so that students of all abilities can access the work and make progress. This lesson has been designed for those students studying on the OCR A-level Biology course and ties in nicely with the other uploaded lessons on module 5.1.5 (Animal and plant responses)

This lesson has been written to cover the part of specification point 6.4.3 of the AQA A-level Biology specification which states that students should be able to describe how water and glucose are reabsorbed in the proximal convoluted tubule. It has specifically been designed to build on the knowledge gained in the previous lessons on the structure of the nephron and ultrafiltration. The lesson begins by challenging the students to recall the substances that are found in the glomerular filtrate so that each of them can be considered over the course of the rest of the lesson. Moving forwards, the first of the numerous discussion points which are included in the lesson is used to get students to predict the component of the filtrate which won’t be found in the urine when they are presented with pie charts from each of these situations. Upon learning that glucose is 100% reabsorbed, along with most of the ions and some of the water, the rest of the lesson focuses on describing the relationship between the structure of the PCT and the function of selective reabsorption. Again, this section begins by encouraging the students to discuss and to predict which structures they would expect to find in a section of the kidney if the function is to reabsorb. They are given the chance to see the structure (as shown in the cover image) before each feature is broken down to explain its importance. Time is taken to look at the role of the cotransporter proteins to explain how this allows glucose, along with sodium ions, to be reabsorbed from the lumen of the PCT into the epithelial cells. The final part of the lesson focuses on urea and how the concentration of this substance increases along the tubule as a result of the reabsorption of some of the water. This lesson has been designed for students studying on the AQA-A level Biology course and ties in nicely with the other lessons from 6.4.3 as well as the other uploaded lessons from topic 6

This engaging and fully-resourced lesson looks at the myogenic nature of cardiac muscle and explores the roles of the SAN, AVN and Purkyne tissue in the initiation and control of heart action. The PowerPoint and accompanying resources have been designed to cover points 8.2 (d) of the CIE International A-level Biology specification. 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 topic 8.1. 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 Due to the detailed nature of this lesson, it is estimated that it will take about 2 hours of A-level teaching time to cover the detail

This fully-resourced lesson looks at the double, closed circulatory system as found in a mammal and considers how the pulmonary circulation differs from the systemic circulation. The engaging PowerPoint and accompanying resources have been designed to cover point 8.1 (a) of the CIE International A-level Biology specification The lesson begins with a focus on the meaning of a double circulatory system and checks that students are clear in the understanding that the blood passes through the heart twice per cycle of the body. Beginning with the pulmonary circulation, students will recall that the pulmonary artery carries the blood from the right ventricle to the lungs. An opportunity is taken at this point to check on their knowledge of inhalation and the respiratory system as well as the gas exchange between the alveoli and the capillary bed. A quick quiz is used to introduce arterioles and students will learn that these blood vessels play a crucial role in the changes in blood pressure that prevent the capillaries from damage. When looking at the systemic circulation, time is taken to look at the coronary arteries and renal artery as students have to be aware of these vessels in addition to the ones associated with the heart. In the final part of the lesson, students are challenged to explain how the structure of the heart generates a higher pressure in the systemic circulation and then to explain why the differing pressures are necessary. As a result of the constant reference to the heart, the blood vessels and the blood, students will be reminded that these are the components of the circulatory system

This fully-resourced looks at the phenomenon known as the Bohr effect and describes and explains how an increased carbon dioxide concentration effects the dissociation of adult oxyhaemoglobin. The PowerPoint and accompanying resources have been designed to cover point 8.1 (g) of the CIE International A-level Biology specification and continually ties in with the previous lesson on the role of haemoglobin in carrying oxygen. The lesson begins with a terminology check to ensure that the students can use the terms affinity, oxyhaemoglobin and dissociation. In line with this, they are challenged to draw the oxyhaemoglobin dissociation curve and are reminded that this shows how oxygen associates with haemoglobin but how it dissociates at low partial pressures. Moving forwards, a quick quiz is used to introduce Christian Bohr and the students are given some initial details of his described effect. This leads into a series of discussions where the outcome is the understanding that an increased concentration of carbon dioxide decreases the affinity of haemoglobin for oxygen. The students will learn that this reduction in affinity is a result of a decrease in the pH of the cell cytoplasm which alters the tertiary structure of the haemoglobin. Opportunities are taken at this point to challenge students on their prior knowledge of protein structures as well as the bonds in the tertiary structure. The lesson finishes with a series of questions where the understanding and application skills are tested as students have to explain the benefit of the Bohr effect for an exercising individual.

This detailed lesson describes the role of the strand of mRNA, the tRNA molecules, the amino acids and the ribosome during the second stage of protein synthesis - translation. Both the PowerPoint and accompanying resources have been designed to cover the second part of point 6.2 (d) of the CIE International A-level Biology specification and ties in with the first part of this specification point which covered transcription. Translation is a topic which is often poorly understood and so this lesson has been written to enable the students to understand how to answer the different types of questions by knowing and including the key details of the structures involved. The lesson begins by challenging the students to consider why it is so important that the amino acids are assembled in the correct order during the formation of the chain. Moving forwards, a quick quiz round called “LOST IN TRANSLATION” is used to check on their prior knowledge of the mRNA strand, the tRNA molecules, the genetic code and the ribosomes. The next task involves a very detailed description of translation that has been divided into 14 statements which the students have to put into the correct order. By giving them a passage that consists of this considerable detail, they can pick out the important parts to use in the next task where they have to answer shorter questions worth between 3 and 4 marks. These types of questions are common in the assessments and by building up through the lesson, their confidence to answer this type should increase. The final two tasks of the lesson involve another quiz called “The protein synthesis game”, where the teams compete to transcribe and translate in the quickest time before using all the information from the lessons on protein synthesis to answer some questions which involve the genetic code and the mRNA codon table.

Amino acids are the monomers of polypeptides and this lesson describes their structure and makes links to related topics such as genes and dipeptides. The engaging PowerPoint has been designed to cover the first part of point 1.4.1 of the AQA A-level Biology specification and provides a clear introduction to the following lesson on the formation of 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. 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. 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 mineral ions.

This fully-resourced lesson describes the behaviour of chromosomes during interphase, mitosis and cytokinesis in the cell cycle. The detailed PowerPoint and accompanying resources have been designed to cover the first half of point 2.2 as detailed in the AQA A-level Biology specification whereas uncontrolled cell division and cancer and binary fission are covered in upcoming lessons. Depending upon the exam board taken at GCSE, the knowledge and understanding of mitosis and the cell cycle will differ considerably between students and there may be a number of misconceptions. This was considered at all points during the planning of the lesson and to address existing errors, key points are emphasised throughout. The cell cycle is introduced at the start of the lesson and the quantity of DNA inside the parent cell is described as diploid and as 2n. A quiz competition has been written into the lesson and this runs throughout, challenging the students to identify the quantity of DNA in the cell (in terms of n) at different points of the cycle. Moving forwards, the first real focus is interphase and the importance of DNA replication is explained so that students can initially recognise that there are pairs of identical sister chromatids and then can understand how they are separated later in the cycle. The main part of the lesson focuses on prophase, metaphase, anaphase and telophase and describes how the chromosomes behave in these stages. Centrioles were not covered in the topic 2.1 lessons on cell structures so a quick task will introduce them to these organelles who are responsible for the production of the spindle apparatus, Students will understand how the cytoplasmic division that occurs in cytokinesis results in the production of genetically identical daughter cells. This leads into a series of understanding and application questions where students have to identify the various roles of mitosis in living organisms as well as tackling a Maths in a Biology context question. The lesson concludes with a final round of MITOSIS SNAP where they only shout out this word when a match is seen between the name of a phase, an event and a picture.

This fully-resourced lesson guides students through the construction of genetic crosses and pedigree diagrams for the inheritance of a single gene. The clear PowerPoint and accompanying resources have been designed to cover point 8.2 (ii) of the Edexcel A-level Biology B specification and includes the inheritance of multiple allele characteristics as well as those that demonstrate codominance. In order to minimise the likelihood of errors and misconceptions, step by step guides have been included throughout the lesson to support the students with the following: Writing parent genotypes Working out the different gametes that are made following meiosis Interpreting Punnett crosses to work out phenotypic ratios Students can often find pedigree trees the most difficult to interpret and to explain so exemplar answers are used as well as differentiated worksheets provided to support those students who need extra assistance.

This resource contains an engaging and detailed lesson PowerPoint and accompanying worksheets which cover the content of both the Core and Supplement sections of topic 14.2 (Sense organs) as detailed in the CIE IGCSE Biology specification. Understanding checks are included at regular points throughout the lesson to allow the students to self-assess their progress and quiz competitions like SAY WHAT YOU SEE and LOOK into these WORDS introduce key terms in a fun and memorable way. The following content is covered across this resource: The function of the cornea, retina, lens, optic nerve and iris Identifying these structures and the pupil, fovea and blind spot on a diagram The roles of the rods and cones in the retina and their distribution Explain the pupil reflex in terms of the antagonistic action of the muscles in the iris Accommodation to view near and distant objects Sense organs and the stimuli to which they respond This lesson has been designed for GCSE-aged students who are studying the CIE IGCSE Biology course but is suitable for both younger and older students who are studying this organ

This fully-resourced lesson has been designed to cover the content of specification point 5.2.2 (The brain) as found in topic 5 of the AQA GCSE Biology specification. This resource contains an engaging PowerPoint (33 slides) and accompanying worksheets, some of which have been differentiated so that students of different abilities can access the work. The resource is filled with a wide range of activities, each of which has been designed to engage and motivate the students whilst ensuring that the key Biological content is covered in detail. Understanding checks are included throughout so that the students can assess their grasp of the content. In addition, previous knowledge checks make links to content from earlier topics such as cancer. The following content is covered in this lesson: The functions of the cerebral cortex, medulla and cerebellum Identification of the regions of the brain on an external and internal diagram The early use of stroke victims to identify functions The key details of the MRI scanning technique The difficulties of diagnosing and treating brain disorders and disease As stated at the top, this lesson has been designed for GCSE-aged students who are studying the AQA GCSE Biology course, but it can be used with A-level students who need to go back over the key points before looking at the functionality of the regions in more detail