A resource suitable for use with both GCSE and A-Level students as a lesson starter, this worksheet provides an account of aseptic technique from an instruction manual; after each step in the instructions, students are required to comment on the reasons why each technique or precaution is necessary. A useful exercise to use at the beginning or an investigation involving microbiology. Key words: aseptic, bacteria, agar, contamination

This worksheet is designed to work with the web-based world mapper resource - an ingenious programme that distorts the world map according to the prevalence of certain factors. For example, if cholera deaths was the selected factor, Africa would be hugely increased in size on the map, whereas North America would shrink to become almost invisible. This worksheet allows students to see the impact of various factors of their own choosing on birth rate, death rate and overall population size. A great way for students to find out for themselves how various factors affect the global population. Key words: Population, geography, death rate, birth rate, disease, economics, religion, biology, map, world, earth, continent, countries, europe, north america, south america, asia, oceania

A resource aimed at advanced biology students, this worksheet focuses on how food is digested in both the mouth and stomach. The worksheet contains both factual information and questions that discuss the breakdown of carbohydrates by salivary amylase and proteins by pepsin. The physiology of the stomach is also covered along with consideration of endopeptidase enzymes. Key words: stomach, mouth, saliva, amylase, maltose, starch, goblet cells, oxyntic cells, hydrochloric acid, endopeptidase, exopeptidase, protein, pepsin

A resource aimed at advanced biology, applied science or physical education students, this worksheet provides several questions that lead students through the topic of blood doping. Lance Armstrong is used as a contextual example of an athlete that has been disgraced following the revelation that he was involved in blood doping; the worksheet provides questions on the effect of EPO, the impact on blood cell counts and how haematocrit tests could be used to provide evidence. The worksheet also has follow up questions on the use of steroids and diuretics in sports. Key words: Sports, Blood, doping, haematocrit, EPO, steroids, diuretics, lance armstrong, blood volume, steroids

A worksheet aimed at advanced biology students who are studying a topic on gene technology and the role of restriction endonucleases. The worksheet consists of task where students are required to choose the most appropriate restriction enzyme to cut out a gene from a piece of DNA. Students are given four different examples of restriction enzymes, together with information about the recognition sequence for each enzyme. Using this information, students must then select the most appropriate enzyme to cut out the gene. Key words: restriction endonuclease, gene, recognition sequence

A resource aimed at GCSE or A-Level biology, physical education or applied science students, this worksheet provides a series of instructions to investigate the effect of exercise on blood pressure, heart rate and cardiac output. The worksheet includes a weblink to an online metronome for students to standardise their rate of exercise (e.g. squats)and also provides a graphic to gauge whether blood pressure is optimal or above normal. Key words: blood pressure, sphygmomanometer, exercise, heart rate, cardiac output, recovery

A comprehensive six page worksheet aimed at advanced biology students, this resource tells the story of how the work of several scientists ultimately led to the discovery and understanding of DNA. The worksheet includes diagrams, images and information relating to classic experiments performed by scientists (including Friedrich Meischer, Fred Griffiths, Oswald Avery, Alfred Hershey, Rosalind Franklin, James Watson and Francis Crick.

An activity aimed at A-Level Biology students. This activity involves a series of statements that can be given to a class at the start of a lesson with the instruction that they draw the phosphorous cycle based on this information. Students should initially do this in pairs but can then be teamed up in larger groups to show, discuss and explain their own diagrammatic interpretations of the phosphorus cycle. Finally, the whole class can be brought together to discuss the best way of joining these statements together into an agreed phosphorous cycle. Key words: Phosphorous, cycle, ATP, NADP, weathering, phosphates, fertilisers, glycolysis, kinase, phosphorylation

This guidance sheet is for use in lesson as an introduction to muscles and the features of synovial joints. The dissection is broken up into several different tasks, each of which have follow up/extension questions that encourage students to make cross links with other topics. Muscles, bone, cartilage, ligaments and tendons are all covered in this activity.

A resource aimed at biology students studying surface area: volume ratio. This worksheet discusses the nature of surface area:volume ratio and why it is important in terms of gas and heat exchange in living organisms. The first worksheet covers basic principles of calculating surface area and volume of cubes of varying sizes, followed by calculation of surface area:volume ratio. Unlike many textbook resources, this worksheet emphasises the fact that surface area is linked to the ABILITY to exchange whereas volume is linked to the NEED to exchange. The second worksheet considers how this principle is applied to adaptations for heat exchange in different species of fox and finally how metabolic rate is influenced by the size of an organism and its ability to exchange heat with the surroundings. Key words: Surface area, volume, ratio, exchange, cube, heat, gas, metabolism, fox, ears

A comprehensive four-page worksheet that deals with the physiology and function of the liver. This resource is aimed at advanced biology students and begins with a synoptic starter task that examines how blood flows through major body organs and the overall role of the liver in the mammalian circulatory system. The worksheet then moves on to look at gross anatomy of the liver and microscopic histology of the liver, covering details of the the liver lobules, bile canaliculi, sinusoids, hepatocytes and Kupffer cells.

A worksheet aimed at A-Level Biology students that provides four questions to practice their knowledge of the technique of mark-release-recapture. The questions also test student's understanding of the limitations of this technique and causes of inaccuracies Key words: Mark, release, recapture, biology, limitations, assumptions, N1, N2, n, population, estimate

A resource aimed at GCSE (14-16 year old) biology students, this worksheet provides a labelling task for animal and plant cells as viewed down the light microscope along with mix and match task relating to the function of each organelle. The task also includes some extension questions on the nature of mitochondria for students to research (perhaps as a homework exercise). The resource is tailored to the Hodder AQA 9-1 Biology textbook but the page references in the worksheet could easily be adapted to any other textbook reference.

A worksheet aimed at advanced level biology students, this resource is useful as a review of how colorimeters work and how they should be operated. The second worksheet contains a list of questions on different types of error that may result from laboratory investigations, some of which may be experienced when using a colorimeter: zero errors, systematic errors and random errors. The third worksheet is a differentiated version of the above, with an emphasis towards more simple ideas on the difference between qualitative and quantitative errors and calibration curves.

A resource aimed at advanced level biology students, this resource provides fifteen questions which require students to respond with the appropriate term relating to their understanding of meiosis. Useful as a starter or plenary exercise to consolidate understanding. Key words: meiosis, mitosis, diploid, haploid, homologous, chromosomes, cells, gametes

A worksheet aimed at advanced biology students, this resource is suitable as a lesson starter for a topic on gas exchange in fish. The worksheet requires students to consider the difference in circulatory system layout between a fish and a mammal before focusing on the differences between concurrent and counter-current exchange. Key words: fish, circulatory, counter-current, concurrent, blood, gas exchange, oxygen, carbon dioxide, gills, Fick's law, equilibrium, surface area, concentration gradient, exchange surface

This resource consists of two worksheets, each of which contains a task on identifying structures associated with the lungs and thorax, followed by a table which requires students to identify the key events that occur during ventilation. Each worksheet contains slightly different terminology, making one more suitable for A-Level and one more suitable for GCSE. The worksheets can be used as a starter or plenary task to recap student's knowledge. Key words: Intercostal, lungs, pressure, Boyle's law, diaphragm, ribs, contract, relax, trachea, cartilage, alveoli, bronchus, bronchi

Worksheet starter task to recap the basics of amino acid structure

This resource is aimed at A-Level Biology students and lists the mechanisms behind each of four different lung diseases and disorders: asthma, tuberculosis, pulmonary fibrosis and emphysema. As well as being a useful collection of revision notes in itself, the task here is for students to explain how each of these diseases causes a reduced tolerance to exercise - this is often asked in exam questions and requires students to apply their knowledge of Fick's Law. Each disease will impact on surface area, concentration gradient and/or thickness of exchange surface thereby reducing the rate of diffusion; the challenge is for students to explain this