This revision resource has been designed with the simple aim of motivating the students whilst they assess their understanding of the content found in topic 8 (The control of gene expression) of the AQA A-level Biology specification. This topic is regularly regarded as the most difficult by the students and therefore time has been taken to explain the important concepts so that key points are recalled and retained. The resource includes a detailed and engaging Powerpoint (108 slides) and associated worksheets, some of which are differentiated to allow students of differing abilities to access the work. The range of activities have been designed to cover as much of the content as possible but the following sub-topics have been given particular attention: The genetic code Substitution mutations and their impact on the primary structure Addition and deletion mutations and the frameshift Benign and malignant tumours The role of oncogenes and tumour-suppressor genes in cancer DNA methylation Genetic modification of bacteria to produce human insulin PCR Gel electrophoresis and its application in disease detection Potency of cells The range of activities include exam questions and understanding checks as well as quiz competitions to maintain student engagement. Revision resources are also available for the other 7 topics on the AQA A-level Biology specification

This fully-resourced lesson explains the relationship between the structure and function of arteries, veins and capillaries. The engaging and detailed PowerPoint and accompanying resources have been designed to cover point 8.1 © of the CIE International A-level Biology specification. This lesson has been written to build on any prior knowledge from GCSE to enable students to fully understand why a particular type of blood vessel has particular features. Students will be able to make the connection between the narrow lumen and elastic tissue in the walls of arteries and the need to maintain the high pressure of the blood. A quick version of the GUESS WHO game is used to introduce smooth muscle and collagen in the tunica media and externa and again the reason for their presence is explored and explained. Moving forwards, the lesson considers the structure of the veins and students are challenged to explain how the differences to those observed in arteries is due to the lower blood pressure found in these vessels. The final part of the lesson looks at the role of the capillaries in exchange. Links are made to diffusion to ensure that students can explain how the red blood cells pressing against the endothelium results in a short diffusion distance. It is estimated that it will take about 2 hours of allocated A-level Biology teaching time to cover the detail included in this lesson

This detailed lesson has been planned to cover the 1st 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 gross structure of the kidney included 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 OCR A-level Biology course

This lesson explains why large organisms with a low surface area to volume ratio need specialised gas exchange surfaces and a mass transport system. The PowerPoint and accompanying worksheets have been designed to cover points 4.1 (i & ii) of the Edexcel A-level Biology B specification and have been specifically planned to prepare students for the upcoming lessons on gas exchange (4.3) and circulation (4.4) The students are likely to have been introduced to the surface area to volume ratio at GCSE, but understanding of its relevance tends to be mixed. Therefore, real life examples are included throughout the lesson that emphasise the importance of this ratio in order to increase this relevance. A lot of students worry about the maths calculations that are associated with this topic so a step by step guide is included at the start of the lesson that walks them through the calculation of the surface area, the volume and then the ratio. Through worked examples and understanding checks, SA/V ratios are calculated for cubes of increasing side length and living organisms of different size. These comparative values will enable the students to conclude that the larger the organism or structure, the lower the surface area to volume ratio. A differentiated task is then used to challenge the students to explain the relationship between the ratio and the metabolic demands of a single-celled and multicellular organisms and this leads into the next part of the lesson, where the adaptations of large organisms to increase this ratio at the exchange surfaces are covered. The students will calculate the SA/V ratio of a human alveolus (using the surface area and volume formulae for a sphere) and will see the significant increase that results from the folding of the membranes. In addition to the ratio, time is taken to discuss and describe how the maintenance of a steep concentration gradient and a thin membrane are important for the rate of diffusion and again biological examples are used in humans and other organisms to increase the understanding. Fick’s law of diffusion is also introduced as a mechanism to help the students to recall that surface area, concentration difference and thickness of membrane govern the rate of simple diffusion. The final part of the lesson considers how a mass transport system is needed alongside the specialised gas exchange surface to allow the oxygen to be delivered to the respiring cells to enable them to continue to carry out aerobic respiration to generate ATP.

This resource contains a detailed and engaging PowerPoint and accompanying worksheets, all of which have been designed to cover point 2.14 of the Edexcel GCSE Biology or Combined Science specification. This specification point states that students should be able to explain the structure and function of a reflex arc including sensory, relay and motor neurones. The lesson builds on the knowledge from point 2.13 where students learnt about the structures in the nervous system. The lesson begins by challenging the students to come up with the word reflex having been presented with 5 other synonyms of the word automatic. This leads into a section of discovery and discussion where students are encouraged to consider how a reflex arc can be automatic and rapid despite the fact that the impulse is conducted into the CNS like any other reaction. Students will be introduced to the relay neurone and will learn how this provides a communication between the sensory neurone and the motor neurone and therefore means that these arcs do not involve processing by the brain. Moving forwards, the main task of the lesson challenges the students to write a detailed description of a reflex arc. Assistance is given on the critical section which involves the relay neurone in the spinal cord before they have to use their knowledge of nervous reactions to write a paragraph before and after to complete the description. As a final task, students will have to compare the structure and functions of the three neurones. This lesson contains a wide range of activities which include quiz competitions to introduce key terms and values in a fun and memorable way as well as understanding and prior knowledge checks so that students can assess their grasp of the critical content. It has been written for students studying the Edexcel GCSE Biology or Combined Science courses but is also suitable for younger students looking at the nervous system or A-level students who need to recall the key details and structures

This fully-resourced lesson has been designed to cover the content found in specification point 5.1 (Homeostasis) of topic 5 of the AQA GCSE Biology & Combined Science specifications. This resource contains an engaging and detailed PowerPoint (45 slides) and accompanying worksheets The lesson begins by challenging the student’s literacy skills as they are asked to recognise the key term, optimum, from 6 of its’ synonyms. Moving forwards, a range of quiz competitions are used to introduce the term homeostasis and to provide a definition for this key process. Students are given a newspaper article about water and blood glucose so they can recognise 2 conditions which are controlled in the human body. The next part of the lesson looks at the importance of maintaining the levels of water and glucose by considering the medical problems that could arise if they move away from the optimum levels. Students will learn that body temperature is also controlled and links are made to earlier knowledge as they have to explain why an increase in temperature above the set point would be an issue because of the denaturation of enzymes. The rest of the lesson looks at the three parts that are included in all control systems before a final quiz round introduces the receptors, coordination centre and effectors in the control of body temperature. As stated at the top, this lesson has been designed for GCSE-aged students who are studying the AQA GCSE Biology or Combined Science course, but it can be used with A-level students who need to go back over the key points before looking at the process in more detail

An engaging lesson presentation (79 slides) and associated worksheets that uses a combination of exam questions, quick tasks and quiz competitions to help the students to assess their understanding of the topics found within Topic 9 (Ecosystems and material cycles) of the EDEXCEL GCSE Biology specification The topics that are tested within the lesson include: Levels of organisation Communities Interdependence in a community Determining the number of organisms in a given area Biomass and the transfer of energy between trophic levels Recycling materials Deforestation Global warming Decomposition and the rate of decay Students will be engaged through the numerous activities including quiz rounds like “Number CRAZY" whilst crucially being able to recognise those areas which need further attention

An engaging lesson presentation (73 slides) and associated worksheets that uses a combination of exam questions, quick tasks and quiz competitions to help the students to assess their understanding of the topics found within unit B5 (Homeostasis and response) of the AQA GCSE Combined Science specification (specification unit B4.5). The topics that are tested within the lesson include: Structure and function of the nervous system Human endocrine system Hormones in human reproduction Contraception The use of hormones to treat infertility Negative feedback Students will be engaged through the numerous activities including quiz rounds like “Take the IVF Hotseat” whilst crucially being able to recognise those areas which need further attention

This is a highly-detailed revision resource which has been designed to be used over a number of lessons and allows teachers to dip in and out of the material as fits to the requirements of their classes and students. The resource consists of an engaging and detailed powerpoint (133 slides) and worksheets which have been differentiated to allow students of differing abilities to be challenged and access the work. The lesson consists of a wide range of activities which will engage and motivate the students and includes exam questions, quiz competitions and quick tasks. The mathematical element of the course is challenged throughout the lesson The lesson has been designed to cover as many of the sub-topics within topics 1, 2, 3 and 4 of the AQA GCSE Biology specification, and will be covered in paper 1, but the following sub-topics have been given particular attention: Topic B1: Cell biology Eukaryotic and prokaryotic cells Cell specialisation Organelles in animal and plant cells Osmosis Mitosis and the cell cycle Microscopy and calculating size Topic B2: Organisation The functions of the components of blood The heart and blood vessels CHD Topic B3: Infection and response Communicable diseases Monoclonal antibodies Topic B4: Bioenergetics Aerobic respiration and ATP Lactic acid This revision resource can be used in the lead up to mocks or the actual GCSE exams and due to its size, it could be repeatably used to ensure that students develop a deep understanding of these topics.

This lesson describes the principles of homeostasis and the differences between negative feedback and positive feedback. The PowerPoint and accompanying resources have been designed to cover point 5.1.1 [c] of the OCR A-level Biology A specification and explains how this feedback control maintains systems within narrow limits but has also been planned to provide important details for upcoming topics such as osmoregulation, thermoregulation and the depolarisation of a neurone. The normal ranges for blood glucose concentration, blood pH and body temperature are introduced at the start of the lesson to allow students to recognise that these aspects have to be maintained within narrow limits. A series of exam-style questions then challenge their recall of knowledge from topics 1-8 to explain why it’s important that each of these aspects is maintained within these limits. The students were introduced to homeostasis at GCSE, so this process is revisited and discussed, to ensure that students are able to recall that this is the maintenance of a state of dynamic equilibrium. A quick quiz competition is used to reveal negative feedback as a key term and students will learn how this form of control reverses the original change and biological examples are used to emphasise the importance of this system for restoring levels to the limits (and the optimum). The remainder of the lesson explains how positive feedback differs from negative feedback as it increases the original change and the role of oxytocin in birth and the movement of sodium ions into a neurone are used to exemplify the action of this control system.

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 (bundle of His) in the initiation and control of heart action. The PowerPoint and accompanying resources have been designed to cover point 3.1.2 (g) of the OCR A-level Biology A 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 3.1.2. 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 explores the effect of geographical and reproductive isolation on the evolution of a new species. The engaging PowerPoint and accompanying resources have been designed to cover point 6.1.2 (g) of the OCR A-level Biology A specification which states that students should be able to demonstrate and apply an understanding of the effect of these isolating mechanisms on the evolution of a new species by either allopatric or sympatric speciation. The lesson begins by using the example of a hinny, which is the hybrid offspring of a horse and a donkey, to challenge students to recall the biological classification of a species. Moving forwards, students are introduced to the idea of speciation and the key components of this process, such as isolation and selection pressures, are covered and discussed in detail. Understanding and prior knowledge checks are included throughout the lesson to allow the students to not only assess their progress against the current topic but also to make links to earlier topics in the specification. Time is taken to look at the details of allopatric speciation and how the different mutations that arise in the isolated populations and genetic drift will lead to genetic changes. The example of allopatric speciation in wrasse fish because of the isthmus of Panama is used to allow the students to visualise this process. The final part of the lesson considers sympatric speciation and again a wide variety of tasks are used to enable a deep understanding to be developed. This lesson has been written to tie in with the other uploaded lessons on topic 6.1.2 (patterns of inheritance).

A fully resourced revision lesson which uses a range of exam questions (with explained answers), quick tasks and quiz competitions to enable the students to assess their understanding of the topics found within module 5.1.4 (Hormonal communication) of the OCR A-level Biology A specification. The topics tested within this lesson include: Endocrine communication Adrenal glands The pancreas and the release of insulin Regulating blood glucose Diabetes Student will enjoy the range of tasks and quiz rounds whilst crucially being able to recognise any areas which require further attention

This revision resource has been filled with a range of activities that will motivate the students whilst they assess their understanding of the content found in module 4.2.1 (Biodiversity) of the OCR A-level Biology A specification. The content of this module is regularly assessed in the exams and therefore time has been taken to design the lesson to encourage recall. The resource includes a detailed and engaging Powerpoint (80 slides) and associated worksheets, some of which are differentiated to allow students of differing abilities to access the work. The range of activities have been designed to cover as much of the content as possible but the following sub-topics have been given particular attention: Considering biodiversity at different levels including species biodiversity Calculating the biodiversity of a habitat using the Simpsons index of diversity Assessing genetic diversity by looking at polymorphic gene loci Zoos as an ex situ method of maintaining biodiversity The factors affecting biodiversity There is a real emphasis on the mathematical element of the course in this lesson as students are challenged to apply the formulae in this module as well as more general skills such as percentage change. There are also links to topics from other modules such as selection pressures and codominance so students can experience the need to make connections between modules

This fully-resourced lesson looks at the series of small steps that form the Krebs cycle and focuses on the reactions which involve decarboxylation and dehydrogenation and the reduction of NAD and FAD. The engaging PowerPoint and accompanying resource have both been designed to cover points 12.2 (d) and (e) of the CIE International A-level Biology specification. The lesson begins with a version of the Impossible game where students have to spot the connection between 8 of the 9 terms and will ultimately learn that this next stage is called the Krebs cycle. The main part of the lesson challenges the students to use descriptions of the main steps of the cycle to continue their diagram of the reactions. Students are continually exposed to key terminology such as decarboxylation and dehydrogenation and they will learn where carbon dioxide is lost and reduced NAD and FAD are generated. They will also recognise that ATP is synthesised by substrate level phosphorylation. The final task challenges them to apply their knowledge of the cycle to work out the numbers of the different products and to calculate the number of ATP that must be produced in the next stage This lesson has been designed to tie in with the other uploaded lessons on glycolysis, the Link reaction and oxidative phosphorylation.

A considerable amount of time has been taken to design this revision resource so that the included activities engage the students whilst containing sufficient detail to enable them to assess their understanding of the content in topic 9 (Transport in animals) of the CIE IGCSE Biology specification. This resource can be used with those students taking both the 0610 and 0970 specifications and will be examined in June and November 2020 and 2021. This topic contains a lot of key details about the workings of the human body and is therefore likely to be heavily involved in the make up of upcoming examinations. The range of activities include exam questions with answers explained, differentiated tasks and quiz competitions such as “FOUND in the PLASMA” where students have to be the 1st to name the substances that are carried in this liquid and also “Is this passage on the right PATH” where students have to analyse a passage about the pathway of blood to determine if it is 100% correct. The lesson has been written to cover as much content from both the Core and Supplement sections as possible but the following have received particular attention: The functions of the different components of blood The structure of arteries and veins and how this is related to their functions The risk factors and treatments for CHD The structure of the heart and its associated blood vessels The function of the valves found in the heart and veins The double circulatory system

This is an engaging revision lesson which uses a range of exam questions, understanding checks, quick tasks and quiz competitions to enable students to assess their understanding of the content within topic 1 (Characteristics and classification of living organisms) of the CIE IGCSE Biology specification, for examination in 2020 and 2021. The lesson covers the content in both the core and supplement sections of the specification and therefore can be used with students who will be taking the extended papers as well as the core papers. The specification points that are covered in this revision lesson include: CORE Describe the characteristics of living organisms by defining the terms movement, respiration, sensitivity, growth, reproduction, excretion and nutrition State that organisms can be classified into groups by the features that they share Define and describe the binomial system of naming species as an internationally agreed system in which the scientific name of an organism is made up of two parts showing the genus and species List the main features used to place animals and plants into the appropriate kingdoms SUPPLEMENT Explain that classification systems aim to reflect evolutionary relationships Explain that classification is traditionally based on studies of morphology and anatomy Explain that the sequences of bases in DNA and of amino acids in proteins are used as a more accurate means of classification Explain that organisms which share a more recent ancestor (are more closely related) have base sequences in DNA that are more similar than those that share only a distant ancestor List the main features used to place all organisms into one of the five kingdoms: Animal, Plant, Fungus, Prokaryote, Protoctist List the features of viruses, limited to protein coat and genetic material The students will thoroughly enjoy the range of activities, which include quiz competitions such as “Are you the KING of the KINGDOMS” where they have to name the kingdoms involved based on a feature whilst crucially being able to recognise the areas of this topic which need their further attention. This lesson can be used as revision resource at the end of the topic or in the lead up to mocks or the actual IGCSE exams

This lesson describes the similarities and differences between the xylem and phloem vessels and the sclerenchyma fibres. The engaging and detailed PowerPoint and accompanying resources have been designed to cover point 4.11 of the Pearson Edexcel A-level Biology A specification which states that students should be able to compare these tissues in terms of structure, position in the stem and function. 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. The final part of the lesson introduces the sclerenchyma tissue as part of the vascular bundle and along with the structure and function, the students will observe where this tissue is found in the stem in comparison to the xylem and phloem. It is estimated that it will take in excess of 2 hours of A-level teaching time to cover the detail which has been written into this lesson

This detailed lesson has been written to act as an introduction to gene mutations and the potential effects on the polypeptide chain. The engaging PowerPoint and accompanying resources have been designed to cover point 6.2 (b) and © of the CIE International A-level Biology specification and explores how substitution, insertions and deletions can change the primary structure. The lesson has been written to tie in with previous lessons where the genetic code was introduced and students will be challenged to describe how the degenerate nature of the code means that a substitution mutation doesn’t always lead to a change in structure. As detailed in point ©, students will learn how a single change to the primary structure of the HBB gene results in abnormal haemoglobin and they are challenged to recall knowledge about the structure and function of haemoglobin whilst completing a detailed passage about sickle cell anaemia. Time is also taken to look at changes to the structure as a result of frameshift mutations and this is related to the non-overlapping code. This topic is met again in topic 16 so this lesson has been designed to act as an introduction before greater detail can be added

This lesson describes the nature of the genetic code as near universal, non-overlapping and degenerate and relates this to the triplet code. The engaging lesson PowerPoint has been designed to cover point 2.11 of the Edexcel International A-level Biology specification and clear links are made to protein synthesis and gene mutations which students will meet in the next lot of lessons. At the start of the lesson, the students are challenged to use their knowledge of the bases in DNA and RNA to complete a definition which describes the genetic code as being near universal, non-overlapping and degenerate. Time is taken to explain how three bases on DNA (a triplet) and three bases on mRNA (a codon) encode for a single amino acid or a stop codon and this is the triplet code. A quick quiz competition is used to generate the number 20 so that the students can learn that there are 20 proteinogenic amino acids in the genetic code. This leads into a challenge, where they have to use their prior knowledge of DNA to calculate the number of different DNA triplets (64) and the mismatch in number is then discussed and related back to the lesson topic. Moving forwards, base substitutions and base deletions are briefly introduced so that they can see how although one substitution can change the primary structure, another will change the codon but not the encoded amino acid. The lesson concludes with a brief look at the non-overlapping nature of the code so that the impact of a base deletion (or insertion) can be understood when covered in greater detail in the lesson covering point 2.14