A Science teacher by trade, I've also been known to be found teaching Maths and PE! However, strange as it may seem, my real love is designing resources that can be used by other teachers to maximise the experience of the students. I am constantly thinking of new ways to engage a student with a topic and try to implement that in the design of the lessons.
A Science teacher by trade, I've also been known to be found teaching Maths and PE! However, strange as it may seem, my real love is designing resources that can be used by other teachers to maximise the experience of the students. I am constantly thinking of new ways to engage a student with a topic and try to implement that in the design of the lessons.
This bundle contains 20 lesson PowerPoints which are highly detailed to ensure that the topic 7 content is covered at the depth required for A-level Biology. The lessons have been intricately planned to contain a wide variety of tasks that will engage and motivate the students whilst covering the current material and to make links to other lessons in this topic as well as to the previous 6 topics.
The tasks, which include exam-style questions with mark schemes, guided discussion time and quick quiz competitions, cover the following points in the respiration, muscles and the internal environment topic of the Edexcel International A-level Biology specification:
The overall reaction of aerobic respiration
The many steps of respiration are controlled and catalysed by a specific intracellular enzyme
The roles of glycolysis in aerobic and anaerobic respiration
The role of the link reaction and the Krebs cycle in the complete oxidation of glucose
The synthesis of ATP by oxidative phosphorylation
The respiratory quotient
Know the way in which muscles, tendons, the skeleton and ligaments interact in movement
The contraction of skeletal muscle in terms of the sliding filament theory
The myogenic nature of cardiac muscle
The coordination of the heartbeat
The use of ECGs in the diagnosis of abnormal heart rhythms
The calculation of cardiac output
The control of heart rate and ventilation rate by the cardiovascular control centre and the ventilation centre in the medulle oblongata
The role of adrenaline in the fight or flight response
The principle of negative feedback in maintaining systems within narrow limits
The meaning of homeostasis and the maintenance of a dynamic equilibrium in exercise
The gross and microscopic structure of the mammalian kidney
Selective reabsorption in the proximal tubule
Water reabsorption in the loop of Henle
The control of mammalian plasma concentration
Switching genes on and off by DNA transcription factors and the roles of peptide and steroid hormones
Due to the detail included in this lesson bundle, it is estimated that it will take in excess of 2 months of allocated A-level teaching time to cover the content
If you would like to sample the quality of the lessons in the bundle, then download the skeletal muscle, coordination of the heartbeat, role of adrenaline and control of mammalian plasma concentration lessons as these have been uploaded for free
The “negative and positive feedback” and “skeletal muscle” lessons are also uploaded on TES for free but haven’t been included in this bundle as the resource limit has been reached
Topic 8 of the Edexcel International A-level biology specification is content heavy and therefore all 11 lessons included in this bundle have been planned to cover this content in an engaging and memorable way. The lessons are filled with a wide variety of tasks, including understanding and prior knowledge checks, guided discussion periods and quick quiz competitions. Answers to all of the knowledge checks are embedded into the PowerPoints to allow the students to assess their progress.
The following specification points are covered by this bundle:
8.1, 8.2, 8.3, 8.4, 8.5, 8.6, 8.8, 8.10, 8.13, 8.14, 8.18, 8.19, 8.20
If you would like to get a sense for the quality of the lessons in this bundle, then download the nervous and hormonal control, saltatory conduction and pupil reflex lessons as these have been shared for free.
This bundle contains 20 fully-resourced and detailed lessons that have been designed to cover the content of topic 6 of the AQA A-level Biology specification which concerns the responses of organisms to stimuli. The wide range of activities included in each lesson will engage the students whilst the detailed content is covered and the understanding and prior knowledge checks allow them to assess their progress on the current topic as well as challenging them to make links to other related topics. Many of the tasks are differentiated to allow differing abilities to access the work and be challenged.
The following sub-topics are covered in this bundle of lessons:
Survival and response in flowering plants
The protective effect of a simple reflex
The role of sensory receptors as outlined by the Pacinian corpuscle
The human retina as a sensory receptor
The differences in rods and cones that enable different sensitivity to light, colour and visual acuity
The roles of the SAN, AVN, Bundle of His and Purkyne fibres in the conduction system of the heart
The control of heart rate
The structure of a myelinated motor neurone
The factors that affect the speed of conduction of an impulse
The generation and transmission of nerve impulses
The transmission at a cholinergic synapse and a neuromuscular junction
Summation
The contraction of skeletal muscles
The structure and properties of slow and fast skeletal muscle fibres
The principles of homeostasis including negative feedback systems
The control of blood glucose concentration by the controlled release of insulin and glucagon
The causes and control of diabetes type I and II
The gross structure of the kidney
The detailed structure of the nephron
The production of glomerular filtrate
The reabsorption of glucose and water in the PCT
Maintaining a gradient of sodium ions in the medulla by the loop of Henle
The role of the hypothalamus, posterior pituitary and ADH in osmoregulation
This is one of the 8 topics which have to be covered over the length of the 2 year course and therefore it is expected that the teaching time for this bundle will be in excess of 2 months
If you want to see the quality of the lessons before purchasing then the lessons on responses in flowering plants, saltatory conduction, the contraction of skeletal muscles and ultrafiltration are free resources to download
Some of the key biological topics are covered in topic 2 of the Pearson Edexcel A-level Biology A (Salters Nuffield) course and include the transport of materials across cell membranes, DNA structure and replication, protein synthesis and monohybrid inheritance. In line with this, many hours of intricate planning have gone into the design of all of the 19 lessons that are included in this bundle to ensure that the content is covered in detail, understanding is constantly checked to immediately address misconceptions and that engagement is high. This is achieved through the wide variety of tasks in the PowerPoints and accompanying worksheets which include exam-style questions with clear answers, discussion points, differentiated tasks and quick quiz competitions.
The following specification points are covered by the lessons within this bundle:
The properties of gas exchange surfaces in living organisms
Understand how the rate of diffusion is dependent on these properties and can be used in the calculation of the rate of diffusion by Fick’s law
Adaptations of the mammalian lung for rapid gaseous exchange
Structure and properties of cell membranes
Simple and facilitated diffusion as methods of passive transport
The involvement of ATP and carrier proteins in active transport, endocytosis and exocytosis
The basic structure of mononucleotides
The structures of DNA and RNA
The process of protein synthesis
The roles of the template strand, mRNA and tRNA
The nature of the genetic code
A gene is a sequence of bases on DNA that codes for the amino acid sequence of a polypeptide
The basic structure of an amino acid
The formation of polypeptides and proteins
The primary, secondary, tertiary and quaternary structure of proteins
Globular and fibrous proteins using haemoglobin and collagen as examples
The mechanism of action and the specificity of enzymes
Enzymes are biological catalysts that reduce activation energy
The process of DNA replication
Errors in DNA replication can give rise to mutations
The meaning of key genetic terms
Patterns of inheritance, in the context of monohybrid inheritance
Understand how the expression of a gene mutation in people with cystic fibrosis impairs the functioning of the gaseous exchange, digestive and reproductive systems
Understand the uses and implications of genetic screening and prenatal testing
Due to the detail included in each of these lessons, it is estimated that it will take in excess of 2 months of allocated teaching time to cover the content.
If you would like to see the quality of the lessons, download the gas exchange surfaces, cell membranes, transcription, globular and fibrous proteins, monohybrid inheritance and cystic fibrosis lessons as these have been shared for free
This detailed and engaging lesson looks at the culture of transformed host cells as an in vivo method to amplify DNA fragments. Both the PowerPoint and accompanying resources have been designed to cover the third part of point 8.4.1 of the AQA A-level Biology specification and ties in with the previous two lessons in this sub-topic on producing DNA fragments and the polymerase chain reaction.
The lesson begins with the introduction of the terms transgenic and transformed. Students will learn that bacterial cells are the most commonly transformed cells so the next task challenges their recall of the structures of these cells so that plasmid DNA can be examined from that point onwards. A quick quiz competition is used to introduce the key term, vector, and then the rest of the lesson looks at the details of the five steps involved in the transformation of the host cell:
Remove and prepare the plasmid to act as a vector
Insert the DNA fragment into the vector
Transfer the recombinant plasmid into the host cell
Identify the cells which have taken up the recombinant plasmid
All the transformed host cells to replicate and express the novel gene
Time is taken to explore the finer details of each step such as the addition of the promoter and terminator regions, use of the same restriction enzyme to cut the plasmid as was used to cut the gene and the different types of marker genes. Links are continuously made to the previous lessons in this topic so that students feel confident to answer assessment questions which bring in knowledge from all of the sections.
This detailed lesson describes how the structure of a prokaryotic cell differs from the structure of an eukaryotic cell. The engaging PowerPoint and accompanying resources have been designed to cover the first part of point 2.1.2 of the AQA A-level Biology specification and describes how the size and cell structures differ and also covers the additional features that are found in some prokaryotic cells.
A clear understanding of terminology is important for A-level Biology so this lesson begins with a challenge, where the students have to add an additional prefix to their prefix and suffix table which they believe will translate as before or in front of. This leads into the discovery of the meaning of prokaryote as before nucleus and this acts to remind students that these types of cell lack this cell structure. Links to the previous lessons on the eukaryotic cells are made throughout the lesson and at this particular point, the students are asked to work out why the DNA would be described as naked and to state where it will be found in the cell. Moving forwards, the students will discover that these cells also lack membrane bound organelles and a quick quiz competition challenges them to identify the specific structure that is absent from just a single word. In addition to the naked DNA, students will learn that there are also ribosomes in the cytoplasm and will discover that these are smaller than those found in the cytoplasm of an eukaryotic cell (but the same size as those in chloroplasts and mitochondria). The remainder of the lesson focuses on the composition of the cell wall, the additional features of prokaryotic cells such as plasmids and there is also the introduction of binary fission as the mechanism by which these organisms reproduce.
This detailed lesson describes the key structural features of a prokaryotic cell and compares these against the structures of an eukaryotic cell. The engaging PowerPoint and accompanying resources have been designed to cover specification points 1.2 (d) & (e) as detailed in the CIE International A-level Biology specification and describes how the size and cell structures differ as well as the additional features that are found in some prokaryotic cells and briefly introduces binary fission.
A clear understanding of terminology is important for A-level Biology so this lesson begins with a challenge, where the students have to recognise a prefix that they believe translates as before or in front of . This leads into the discovery of the meaning of prokaryote as before nucleus and this acts to remind students that these types of cell lack this cell structure. Links to the previous lessons on the eukaryotic cells are made throughout the lesson and at this particular point, the students are asked to work out why the DNA would be described as naked and to state where it will be found in the cell. Moving forwards, the students will discover that these cells also lack membrane bound organelles and a quick quiz competition challenges them to identify the specific structure that is absent from just a single word. In addition to the naked DNA, students will learn that there are also ribosomes in the cytoplasm and will discover that these are smaller than those found in the cytoplasm of an eukaryotic cell (but the same size as those in chloroplasts and mitochondria). The remainder of the lesson focuses on the composition of the cell wall, the additional features of prokaryotic cells such as plasmids and there is also the introduction of binary fission as the mechanism by which these organisms reproduce
This detailed lesson describes how the movement of water between solutions and cells has differing effects on animal and plant cells. Both the PowerPoint and accompanying resources have been designed to cover specification points 4.2 (a) and (f) as detailed in the CIE International A-level Biology specification.
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 when animal and plant cells are suspended in hypotonic, hypertonic or isotonic solutions and the final appearance of these cells is described, including any issues this may cause.
A deep understanding of the topic of cells is crucial for the success of any A-level Biologist and these lessons not only provide the depth of detail needed at this level but also make links to the upcoming 18 topics in the CIE course.
Contained within the 4 lesson PowerPoints and multiple resources that are included in this bundle are a wide range of activities to motivate and engage the students whilst they cover the content as detailed in topic 1.2 of the CIE A-level Biology specification. The majority of the resources are differentiated to allow students of differing abilities to access the work and to be challenged at all times.
The following specification points are covered in this bundle:
The relationship between the structure and function of the structures of eukaryotic cells
The structure and role of ATP in cells
The structural features of prokaryotic cells
Comparing eukaryotic and prokaryotic cells
The key features of viruses as non-cellular structures
If you would like to sample the quality of these lessons, then download the eukaryotic cell structures and functions and viruses lessons as these have been shared for free
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 Module 2.1.1 (Cell structure) of the OCR A-level Biology A specification.
The sub-topics and specification points that are tested within the lesson include:
The use of microscopy to observe and investigate different types of cells
The use and manipulation of the magnification formula
The difference between magnification and resolution
The ultrastructure of eukaryotic cells and the function of the different cellular components
Interpretation of electron microscope images
The interrelationship between the organelles involved in the production and secretion of proteins
The similarities and differences in the structure and ultrastructure of prokaryotic and eukaryotic cells
Students will be engaged through the numerous quiz rounds such as “It doesn’t HURT to CONVERT” and “Word association game” 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 fully-resourced lesson describes the structure of the cell surface membrane and references Singer and Nicholson’s fluid mosaic model. The detailed and engaging PowerPoint and accompanying resources have been designed to cover specification point 4.2 (i) of the Edexcel A-level Biology B specification and also makes clear links are made to related topics such as the binding of hormones as covered in topic 9 and the electron transport chain as covered in topic 5.
The fluid mosaic model is introduced at the start of the lesson so that it can be referenced at appropriate points throughout the lesson. Students were introduced to phospholipids in topic 1 and an initial task challenges them to spot the errors in a passage describing the structure and properties of this molecule. This reminds them of the bilayer arrangement, with the hydrophilic phosphate heads protruding outwards into the aqueous solutions on the inside and the outside of the cell. In a link to some upcoming lessons on the transport mechanisms, the students will learn that only small, non-polar molecules can move by simple diffusion and that this is through the tails of the bilayer. This introduces the need for transmembrane proteins to allow large or polar molecules to move into the cell by facilitated diffusion and active transport. Proteins that act as receptors as also introduced and an opportunity is taken to make a link to topic 9 so that students can understand how hormones or drugs will bind to target cells in this way and cause the release of cAMP on the interior of the cell. Moving forwards, the structure of cholesterol is covered and students will learn that this hydrophobic molecule sits in the middle of the tails and therefore acts to regulate membrane fluidity. The final part of the lesson challenges the students to apply their newly-acquired knowledge to a series of questions where they have to explain why proteins may have moved when two cells are used and to suggest why there is a larger proportion of these proteins in the inner mitochondrial membrane than the outer membrane.
This bundle contains 6 lesson PowerPoints and their accompanying resources, all of which have been planned at length to contain a wide variety of tasks that will engage and motivate the students whilst the detailed content of topic 2.4 of the AQA A-level Biology specification is covered.
The following specification points are covered in this lesson bundle:
The identification of cells including pathogens through use of the surface molecules
The antigen
The effect of antigen variability on disease and disease prevention
The phagocytosis of pathogens and the subsequent destruction by lysozymes
The response of T lymphocytes to a foreign antigen in the cellular response
The role of antigen-presenting cells
The role of helper T cells
The response of B lymphocytes in the humoral response
The definition and structure of an antibody
The formation of an antigen-antibody complex and the destruction by agglutination and phagocytosis
The roles of plasma cells and memory cells in the primary and secondary responses
The use of vaccinations and the concept of herd immunity
The differences between active and passive immunity
The structure of HIV and its replication in helper T cells
How HIV causes the symptoms of AIDS
Why antibiotics are ineffective against viruses
The use of antibodies in the ELISA test
The variety of tasks include exam-style questions with detailed mark schemes, class discussion points of selected questions and quiz competitions to introduce values and
terms in a memorable way
If you would like to sample the quality of this lesson bundle, then download the roles of B and T lymphocytes lesson and the HIV and AIDS lesson as these have both been uploaded for free
This lesson bundle contains 4 fully-resourced lessons that use a wide variety of tasks to engage and motivate the students whilst covering the following specification points in topic 2.3 of the AQA A-level Biology specification:
The basic structure of cell membranes
The arrangement of phospholipids, proteins, glycoproteins and glycolipids in the fluid-mosaic model of membrane structure
The role of cholesterol in membranes
Simple diffusion and the limitations imposed by the phospholipid bilayer
Facilitated diffusion and the role of channel and carrier proteins
Osmosis in terms of water potential
Active transport
Co-transport as illustrated by the absorption in the ileum
Hours of planning has gone into the lesson design to ensure that links are made to topics 2.1 & 2.2 as well as to topic 1 (biological molecules) and to differentiate resources where possible to challenge and support all abilities of students
If you would like to sample the quality of lessons in this bundle, then download the osmosis lesson which has been shared for free
This lesson describes how the cells of multicellular organisms are organised into tissues, tissues into organs and organs into systems. The detailed and engaging PowerPoint and accompanying resources have been designed to cover point 3.13 of the Pearson Edexcel A-level Biology A (Salters Nuffield) specification and focuses on the levels of organisation in humans and plants
The lesson begins by using the process of haematopoiesis from haematopoietic stem cells to demonstrate how the red blood cell and neutrophil differ significantly in structure despite arising from the same cell along the same cell lineage. A series of exam-style questions will not only challenge their knowledge of structure but also their ability to apply this knowledge to unfamiliar situations. These differences in cell structure is further exemplified by the epithelial cells of the respiratory tract and students are challenged to remember how the shape and arrangement of these cells differ in the trachea and alveoli in relation to their function. The link between specialised cells and tissues is made at this point of the lesson so students are reminded that a tissue is a group of cells that work together to perform a specific function or set of functions. Moving forwards, a quick quiz competition will challenge the students to recognise the liver, kidney, spinal cord and pancreas from a brief functional description and this leads into a series of questions that links back to topics 1 and 2 and earlier in topic 3 where blood clotting, proteins, osmosis, organelles, methods of transport, carbohydrates and enzymes were originally covered. These prior knowledge checks are found throughout the lesson, along with current understanding checks, and all of the mark schemes are embedded into the PowerPoint to allow students to assess their progress. In terms of organ systems, a quick task challenges them to recognise 8 of the 11 that are found in humans from descriptions and this leaves them to identify the gaseous exchange, digestive and reproductive systems as the remaining 3. This leads into a section about cystic fibrosis as this genetic disorder impairs the functioning of these systems.
The remainder of the lesson focuses on specialised plant cells and the differing shapes and features of the palisade and spongy cells in the mesophyll layer and the guard cells are covered at length and in detail. The cells found in the xylem and phloem tissue are also discussed.
This lesson describes how only part of a cell’s DNA is translated and explains how the potency of a stem cell determines its ability to specialise. The engaging and detailed PowerPoint and accompanying resources have been planned to cover all of the content in point 8.2.1 of the AQA A-level biology specification.
The lesson begins by challenging the students to recall any existing knowledge of stem cells, to check that they remember that these cells differentiate, before the concept of cell potency is introduced to allow them to recognise that not all cells can differentiate into the same amount of cell types. A quick quiz is used to introduce pluripotency, unipotency, totipotency and multipotency before they are challenged to use their understanding of language to order these along the potency continuum. Beginning with totipotency, time is taken to go through details of each of these cell types, including where these cells are located. During the section of the lesson considering pluripotency, induced pluripotent stem cells are discussed and their potential for use in regenerative medicine is explored. Understanding checks through exam-based questions are embedded throughout the lesson (as well as the answers) to allow students to assess their current understanding and to address any gaps immediately. There are also prior knowledge checks so students can link to other topics from the specification and there is a maths in biology question so their mathematical skills are challenged in line with that element of the course.
This lesson bundle contains 7 lessons which have been designed to cover the Pearson Edexcel A-level Biology A (Salters Nuffield) specification points which focus on the structure of eukaryotic and prokaryotic cells and the functions of their components. The lesson PowerPoints are highly detailed, and along with the accompanying worksheets, they have been planned at length to contain a wide range of engaging tasks which cover the following A-level Biology content found in topics 2, 3 and 4 of the course:
2.2 (i): Know the structure and function of cell membranes
3.1: Know that all living organisms are made of cells, sharing some common features
3.2: Know the ultrastructure of eukaryotic cells, including nucleus, nucleolus, ribosomes, rough and smooth endoplasmic reticulum, mitochondria, centrioles, lysosomes, and Golgi apparatus
3.3: Understand the role of the rough endoplasmic reticulum (rER) and the Golgi apparatus in protein transport within cells, including their role in the formation of extracellular enzymes
3.4: Know the ultrastructure of prokaryotic cells, including cell wall, capsule, plasmid, flagellum, pili, ribosomes, mesosomes and circular DNA
3.6: Understand how mammalian gametes are specialised for their functions (including the acrosome in sperm and the zona pellucida in the egg)
3.13: Understand how the cells of multicellular organisms are organised into tissues, tissues into organs and organs into systems
4.7: Know the ultrastructure of plant cells (cell walls, chloroplasts, amyloplasts, vacuole, tonoplast, plasmodesmata, pits and middle lamella) and be able to compare it with animal cells.
This lesson bundle contains 6 lessons which have been designed to cover the Edexcel International A-level Biology specification points which focus on the structure of eukaryotic and prokaryotic cells and the functions of their components. The lesson PowerPoints are highly detailed, and along with the accompanying worksheets, they have been planned at length to contain a wide range of engaging tasks which cover the following A-level Biology content found in topics 2, 3 and 4 of the course:
2.2 (i): Know the structure and function of cell membranes
3.1: Know that all living organisms are made of cells, sharing some common features
3.2: Understand how the cells of multicellular organisms are organised into tissues, tissues into organs and organs into systems
3.3: Know the ultrastructure of eukaryotic cells, including nucleus, nucleolus, ribosomes, rough and smooth endoplasmic reticulum, mitochondria, centrioles, lysosomes, and Golgi apparatus
3.4: Understand the role of the rough endoplasmic reticulum (rER) and the Golgi apparatus in protein transport within cells, including their role in the formation of extracellular enzymes
3.5: Know the ultrastructure of prokaryotic cells, including cell wall, capsule, plasmid, flagellum, pili, ribosomes, mesosomes and circular DNA
3.11: Understand how mammalian gametes are specialised for their functions (including the acrosome in sperm and the zona pellucida in the egg)
4.1 (i): Know the ultrastructure of plant cells (cell walls, chloroplasts, amyloplasts, vacuole, tonoplast, plasmodesmata, pits and middle lamella) and be able to compare it with animal cells
4.1 (ii): understand the function of the structures listed in (i)
This lesson explains how uncontrolled cell division can lead to the formation of tumours and considers the differences between benign and malignant. The PowerPoint and accompanying resources have been planned to cover point 5.1 (6) of the CIE A-level biology specification (for assessment in 2025 - 2027),
The lesson begins with the introduction of the meaning of the mitotic index as well as its formula and the students are then challenged to apply their understanding of this unfamiliar formula to a series of exam-style questions. This will challenge their mathematical skills along with the recollection of the details of the cell cycle that were met in the earlier lessons in topic 5.1.
Moving forwards, the potential meanings of a high mitotic index are explored, including high rates of growth and tissue repair, before students are supported to understand that this could indicate that cell division has become uncontrolled. The key term tumour is revealed during a quick quiz round and then the remaining part of the lesson considers how benign and malignant tumours differ.
Understanding checks and prior knowledge checks are found throughout the lesson and the answers are embedded into the PowerPoint to allow the students to assess their progress.
This fully-resourced REVISION lesson has been written to challenge the students on their knowledge of the content of topic 1 (Cell structure) of the CIE International A-level Biology specification. The PowerPoint and accompanying resources will motivate the students whilst they assess their understanding of the content and identify any areas which may require further attention.
The wide range of activities have been written to cover as much of the topic as possible but the following specification points have been given particular focus:
ATP is produced in mitochondria and chloroplasts and the role of ATP in cells
Recognising eukaryotic cell structures and outlining their functions
Calculating actual sizes from electron micrographs
The structural features of a typical prokaryotic cell
The key features of viruses as non-cellular structures
Distinguish between resolution and magnification
Quiz rounds such as “GUESS WHO of CELL STRUCTURES” and “YOU DO THE MATH” are used to test the students on the finer details of their knowledge of the structure and functions of the organelles and some key numerical facts
This lesson describes the relationship between the structure and function of the vacuole, chloroplast and cell wall, as found in plant cells. Additional structures, such as the nucleus and mitochondria, were covered in the previous lesson on the structure of eukaryotic animal cells and the detailed content of these two lessons has been designed in parallel to cover the main content of point 2.1.1 of the AQA A-level Biology specification.
The lesson begins with a task called REVERSE GUESS WHO which will challenge the students to recognise a cell structure from a description of its function. This will remind students that plant cells are eukaryotic and therefore contain a cell-surface membrane, a nucleus (+ nucleolus), a mitochondria, a Golgi apparatus, ribosomes and rough and smooth endoplasmic reticulum like the animal cells. Moving forwards, the rest of the lesson focuses on the relationship between the structure and function of the vacuole, chloroplast and cellulose cell wall. When considering the vacuole, key structures such as the tonoplast are described as well as critical functions including the maintenance of turgor pressure. A detailed knowledge of the structure of the chloroplast at this early stage of their A-level studies will increase the likelihood of a clear understanding of photosynthesis when covered in topic 5. For this reason, time is taken to consider the light-dependent and light-independent reactions and to explain how these stages are linked. The final part of the lesson challenges the students on their knowledge of cellulose as a polysaccharide as previously covered in topic 1. In addition to the focus on plant cells, the presence of chloroplasts and a cell wall in algae and the latter in fungi is also described.
The previous lesson which contains the content that ties in closely with this one has been uploaded under the title “Structure of eukaryotic (animal) cells”
