Worms and the ageing process in humans

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Suitable for 14-19-year olds (secondary and high schools, and college), this article and accompanying activity sheet can be used in the classroom, biology/STEM clubs and at home.

This resource links to KS4 and KS5 Biology.

It can also be used as a careers resource and links to Gatsby Benchmarks:
Gatsby Benchmark 2: Learning from career and labour market information
Gatsby Benchmark 4: Linking curriculum learning to careers

This teaching resource explains the investigation Dr Jennifer Tullet, a biogerontologist based at the University of Kent, has undertaken into the lifespan and ageing process of a nematode worm and how the study can be applied to humans. By uncovering the processes that control ageing and age-related disease in these worms, biogerontologists can increase our understanding of ageing and age-related disease in people.

The resource also contains an interview with Dr Tullet.

The activity sheet poses ‘talking points’ to get students thinking about different aspects of Dr Tullet’s work and includes an organism investigation task.

This resource was first published on Futurum Careers, a free online resource and magazine aimed at encouraging 14-19-year-olds worldwide to pursue careers in science, tech, engineering, maths, medicine (STEM) and social sciences, humanities and the arts for people and the economy (SHAPE).

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