Complete lesson covering the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) for AQA A level Biology, unit 8: The principles of the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) as an in vitro method to amplify DNA fragments. Lesson assumes students have already covered in vivo methods (only relevant for final activity). Everything is included in the PowerPoint including all activities and questions to consolidate understanding. No need to print!

This lesson is designed to follow a lesson on the homeostatic control of blood glucose concentration. The lesson explores type I and type II diabetes for AQA A level biology. Exam Qs are included but one worksheet referenced is on Kerboodle so cannot be shared. The end of the lesson introduces RP11. Specification points: The causes of types I and II diabetes and their control by insulin and/or manipulation of the diet. Students should be able to evaluate the positions of health advisers and the food industry in relation to the increased incidence of type II diabetes. Required practical 11: Production of a dilution series of a glucose solution and use of colorimetric techniques to produce a calibration curve with which to identify the concentration of glucose in an unknown ‘urine’ sample.

Complete PowerPoint presentation for a 2 hour lesson on genetic diversity and adaptation for AQA A Level Biology. Includes natural selection, directional selection and stabilising selection. New content slides and accompanying activities in the ‘learning loop’ format. Covers specification points: Genetic diversity as the number of different alleles of genes in a population. Genetic diversity is a factor enabling natural selection to occur. The principles of natural selection in the evolution of populations. Random mutation can result in new alleles of a gene. Many mutations are harmful but, in certain environments, the new allele of a gene might benefit its possessor, leading to increased reproductive success. The advantageous allele is inherited by members of the next generation. As a result, over many generations, the new allele increases in frequency in the population. Directional selection, exemplified by antibiotic resistance in bacteria, and stabilising selection, exemplified by human birth weights. Natural selection results in species that are better adapted to their environment. These adaptations may be anatomical, physiological or behavioural.

I created this broadsheet for students to revise the relevant areas of topic 1, cell biology (just the parts specified as making up the majority of exam content) - AQA 2022 Trilogy Higher It covers 4.1.2 Cell division - it covers the cell cycle, mitosis and stem cells. It can be used alongside BBC Bitesize revision pages if students have access to devices.

A worksheet I created to guide less confident students through calibrating and using a graticule to measure a cell. Suitable for GCSE and A Level Biology. I teach AQA but could be used for other specifications. AT d - use of light microscope at high power and low power, including use of a graticule

PowerPoint for full lesson on infertility for AQA GCSE Biology/trilogy. Covers fertility drugs, IVF and disadvantages/ethical issues. Covers: Students should be able to explain the use of hormones in modern reproductive technologies to treat infertility. This includes giving FSH and LH in a ‘fertility drug’ to a woman. She may then become pregnant in the normal way. In Vitro Fertilisation (IVF) treatment. • IVF involves giving a mother FSH and LH to stimulate the maturation of several eggs. • The eggs are collected from the mother and fertilised by sperm from the father in the laboratory. • The fertilised eggs develop into embryos. • At the stage when they are tiny balls of cells, one or two embryos are inserted into the mother’s uterus (womb). Although fertility treatment gives a woman the chance to have a baby of her own: • it is very emotionally and physically stressful • the success rates are not high • it can lead to multiple births which are a risk to both the babies and the mother

PowerPoint for a whole lesson on the endocrine system, control of blood glucose and diabetes - for AQA Trilogy or Biology. 2-3 lessons worth of content. Specification points: Students should be able to describe the principles of hormonal coordination and control by the human endocrine system. The endocrine system is composed of glands which secrete chemicals called hormones directly into the bloodstream. The blood carries the hormone to a target organ where it produces an effect. Compared to the nervous system the effects are slower but act for longer. The pituitary gland in the brain is a ‘master gland’ which secretes several hormones into the blood in response to body conditions. These hormones in turn act on other glands to stimulate other hormones to be released to bring about effects. Students should be able to identify the position of the following on a diagram of the human body: • pituitary gland • pancreas • thyroid • adrenal gland • ovary • testes. Blood glucose concentration is monitored and controlled by the pancreas. If the blood glucose concentration is too high, the pancreas produces the hormone insulin that causes glucose to move from the blood into the cells. In liver and muscle cells excess glucose is converted to glycogen for storage. Students should be able to explain how insulin controls blood glucose (sugar) levels in the body. Type 1 diabetes is a disorder in which the pancreas fails to produce sufficient insulin. It is characterised by uncontrolled high blood glucose levels and is normally treated with insulin injections. In Type 2 diabetes the body cells no longer respond to insulin produced by the pancreas. A carbohydrate controlled diet and an exercise regime are common treatments. Obesity is a risk factor for Type 2 diabetes. Students should be able to compare Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes and explain how they can be treated

PowerPoint for complete lesson on osmosis and active transport for AQA A Level Biology 3.2.3 Transport across cell membranes • osmosis (explained in terms of water potential) • active transport (involving the role of carrier proteins and the importance of the hydrolysis of ATP) • co-transport (illustrated by the absorption of sodium ions and glucose by cells lining the mammalian ileum).

PowerPoint for a complete lesson on transport across membranes, focussing on simple and facilitated diffusion for AQA A Level Biology. 3.2.3 Transport across cell membranes Movement across membranes occurs by: • simple diffusion (involving limitations imposed by the nature of the phospholipid bilayer) • facilitated diffusion (involving the roles of carrier proteins and channel proteins)

A full lesson PowerPoint for AQA A Level Biology on the structure of cell membranes. 3.2.3 Transport across cell membranes The basic structure of all cell membranes, including cell-surface membranes and the membranes around the cell organelles of eukaryotes, is the same. The arrangement and any movement of phospholipids, proteins, glycoproteins and glycolipids in the fluid-mosaic model of membrane structure. Cholesterol may also be present in cell membranes where it restricts the movement of other molecules making up the membrane.

Lesson on proteins for AQA A Level Biology. Some slides taken from other free PowerPoints available on TES - thank you for sharing! Covering: Amino acids are the monomers from which proteins are made. The general structure of an amino acid. The twenty amino acids that are common in all organisms differ only in their side group. A condensation reaction between two amino acids forms a peptide bond. • Dipeptides are formed by the condensation of two amino acids. • Polypeptides are formed by the condensation of many amino acids. A functional protein may contain one or more polypeptides. The role of hydrogen bonds, ionic bonds and disulfide bridges in the structure of proteins. Proteins have a variety of functions within all living organisms. The relationship between primary, secondary, tertiary and quaternary structure, and protein function. The biuret test for proteins.

PowerPoint lesson on lipids for AQA A Level Biology Unit 1 - Biological Molecules

Large PowerPoint covering the whole cell biology topic for AQA GCSE Biology/Combined Science. Eukaryotes, prokaryotes, animal, plant and bacterial cells, cell specialisation, microscopes, mitosis and the cell cycle, stem cell, diffusion, osmosis and active transport.

PowerPoint on carbohydrates for AQA A Level Biology - Unit 1 - Biological Molecules

PowerPoint introducing monomers and polymers for AQA A Level Biology Unit 1 - Biological Molecules

AQA required practical 12: Investigation into the effect of a named environmental factor on the distribution of a given species. Template and accompanying PowerPoint presentation for students to plan and write up their investigation for practical 12. Designed to be conducted over a 2 hour session with an onsight investigation. Exam questions included have been taken from https://www.tes.com/member/m_adanah who also provides a free template for this practical and many others. Specification points covered: The size of a population can be estimated using: • randomly placed quadrats, or quadrats along a belt transect, for slow-moving or non-motile organisms • the mark-release-recapture method for motile organisms. The assumptions made when using the mark-release-recapture method Students could: • investigate the distribution of organisms in a named habitat using randomly placed frame quadrats, or a belt transect • use both percentage cover and frequency as measures of abundance of a sessile species. Students could use the mark-release-recapture method to investigate the abundance of a motile species.

Complete PowerPoint presentation for a 2 hour lesson on biodiversity within communities for AQA A Level Biology. Includes calculating the index of diversity, impact of agriculture on biodiversity and conservation techniques. New content slides and accompanying activities in the ‘learning loop’ format. Covers specification points: Biodiversity can relate to a range of habitats, from a small local habitat to the Earth. Species richness is a measure of the number of different species in a community. An index of diversity describes the relationship between the number of species in a community and the number of individuals in each species. Calculation of an index of diversity (d) from the formula d = N (N − 1) /n (n − 1) where N = total number of organisms of all species and n = total number of organisms of each species. Farming techniques reduce biodiversity. The balance between conservation and farming.

Complete 2 hour lesson on interpreting phylogenetic trees and clarifying evolutionary relationships using DNA sequences, proteins amino acid sequences and immunological techniques. For AQA A level biology 3.4.5 Species and Taxonomy. Uses the ‘learning loop’ lesson format, with plenty of short practise tasks and exam questions. Could be easily adapted to suit a different lesson length.

PowerPoint presentation on species, courtship behaviour and classification - used for AQA A Level Biology (2 hour lesson) but could be easily adapted. Topic 3.4.5 Specification points covered: Two organisms belong to the same species if they are able to produce fertile offspring. Courtship behaviour as a necessary precursor to successful mating. The role of courtship in species recognition. A phylogenetic classification system attempts to arrange species into groups based on their evolutionary origins and relationships. It uses a hierarchy in which smaller groups are placed within larger groups, with no overlap between groups. Each group is called a taxon (plural taxa). One hierarchy comprises the taxa: domain, kingdom, phylum, class, order, family, genus and species. Each species is universally identified by a binomial consisting of the name of its genus and species, eg, Homo sapiens.

Worksheet for teaching planning experiments in Biology at A level and GCSE, designed to use with AQA.