A resource aimed at advanced biology students, this worksheet links topics on osmosis and transpiration. The worksheet begins with a recap of basic knowledge related to osmosis, predicting water movement between cells through use of their water potential values. The worksheet then moves on to consider water potential gradients that exist through an entire plant followed by the structure (as seen in longitudinal and transverse section) of roots. Key words: osmosis, water potential, apoplast, symplast, cell wall, casparian strip, active transport, minerals, epidermis, endodermis, root hair cells, cortex, xylem, transpiration

A resource aimed at advanced biology students, this worksheet provides a diagram of a transverse section of dicotyledenous root with associated questions. The questions focus on labelling each tissue layer within the root, identifying the route that water and minerals would take as they move through the root and how active transport of minerals leads to absorption of water by osmosis. Key words: osmosis, water potential, apoplast, symplast, cell wall, casparian strip, active transport, minerals, epidermis, endodermis, root hair cells, cortex, xylem

A worksheet aimed at advanced biology students, this resource focuses on the structure and layout of cells in the retina. The worksheet includes reference to the phenomena of retinal convergence, structure of rods and cones, bleaching and dark adaptation. Key words: Retina, Eye, rods, cones, sclera, choroid, bipolar cell, ganglion cell, sensory neurone, blind spot, fovea, visual axis, lens, suspensory ligament, ciliary muscles, pupil, iris

A worksheet aimed at advanced biology students, this resource provides a labelling task on the structure of the eye followed by a matching task that relates structural features to their function. The worksheet concludes by looking at how the eye focuses and the details of what happens to the lens and associated structures. This is a good resource when introducing the topic on the eye and dealing with the basic details of how the eye functions. Key words: Retina, Eye, rods, cones, sclera, choroid, bipolar cell, ganglion cell, sensory neurone, blind spot, fovea, visual axis, lens, suspensory ligament, ciliary muscles, pupil, iris

A worksheet aimed at advanced biology students, this resource consists of a labelling exercise on the structure and layout of cells in the retina. The worksheet continues with synoptic style application questions about various visual phenomena (e.g. visual acuity, night blindness, averted vision, bleaching of rods and cones). These questions are ideal for building synoptic understanding of how and why the cells of the retina are structured. Key words: Retina, Eye, rods, cones, sclera, choroid, bipolar cell, ganglion cell, sensory neurone, blind spot, fovea, visual axis, lens, suspensory ligament, ciliary muscles, pupil, iris

A resource aimed at advanced biology students, this worksheet is a 'DRAW IT' activity - the class is divided into two with each half being required to draw diagrams to represent the information on the sheet. In this case, one half of the students should draw diagrams to represent the action of baroreceptors, the other half should do the same with chemoreceptors. Once complete, students can be paired together to explain their respective diagrams followed by a summative class discussion with the teacher. Key words: baroreceptors, chemoreceptors, reflex, pressure, blood, pH

A worksheet aimed at advanced biology students, this resource provides a table with screenshot diagrams from an online animation that explains how the sliding filament theory works. Students are required to write their own notes in the relevant spaces. The weblink to the animation is provided at the top of the worksheet. Key words: muscle, sliding filament, theory, contraction, relaxation, actin, myosin

A resource aimed at advanced biology students, this worksheet provides an overview of the nervous system including how different parts are categorised, how nerve impulses are relayed around the body and the structure of different types of neurones. A useful exercise to give to students at the start of a topic on the nervous system. Key words: nervous system, neurones, relay, sensory, motor, cns, pns, autonomic, reflex arc, sympathetic, parasympathetic

A worksheet aimed at advanced biology students, this resource provides two sequencing tasks: one for the events that lead to generation of an action potential and one for the events of synaptic transmission. Both of these topics are frequently examined by most major exam boards and so this is a useful task to reinforce the factual content of these topics with students. Key words: synapse, action potential, nerve, neurone, transmission, vesicle, neurotransmitter, diffusion, depolarisation, repolarisation, refractory period

A worksheet aimed at advanced biology students, this is a useful resource to check understanding and factual recall with students following a topic on synaptic transmission. The worksheet includes a sequencing exercise for the main events involved with an excitatory synapse and further questions related to how the synapse functions. Key words: synapse, excitatory, acetylcholine, vesicles, neurotransmitter

A worksheet aimed at advanced biology students, this resource looks provides a sequencing exercise for the events involved in synaptic transmission of an impulse, followed by an exercise that illustrates the complexity of information processing at synapses. Further notes on the nature of temporal and spacial summation are provided. Key words: synapse, cleft, acetylcholine, neurotransmitter, calcium, vesicles, receptors, diffusion, summation, spatial, temporal, processing, synaptic resistance, inhibitory, excitatory

A comprehensive six page worksheet aimed at advanced biology students, this resource deals with all the major aspects of how a nerve impulse originates and is propagated along a neurone. The worksheets include diagrams that show the different open and closed positions of sodium and potassium channels with space for students to show their own positions of the relevant ions (this is with reference to an online animation - weblink included on the worksheet). The worksheet also has a labelling exercise for the classic action potential graph as well as details on saltatory conductance and factors affecting speed of impulse transmission. Key words: nerve, neurone, depolarisation, repolarisation, refractory period, action potential, resting potential, sodium, potassium, diffusion, ATP, ATPase pump

A worksheet aimed at 14-18 year old biologists which recaps the basics of stimulus and response in the nervous system, along with the details of the reflex arc. Key words: stimulus, reflex, arc, neurone, sensory, motor, relay, receptor, response

A worksheet aimed at advanced biology students, this resource provides several prompts for students to research and learn about the nature of the nerve impulse and action potential. Extension tasks are also provided along with weblinks to animations and information sources. This is a good activity to set a class as a homework or as an independent learning task prior to teaching of the topic in class. Key words: Nerve, neurone, nerve impulse, action potential, depolarisation, repolarisation, refractory period, resting potential, propagation, sodium, potassium, influx, efflux, membrane

A worksheet aimed at advanced level biology students, this resource provides students with a diagram and explanation of the appearance of a typical sarcomere. Students are required to use this diagram to label an actual micrograph image. The activity is a worthwhile exercise in getting students to relate the actual appearance of striated muscle tissue to the diagrams commonly shown in textbooks. Keywords: sarcomere, myofibril, muscle, z-line, h-zone, a-band, i band, striated

A worksheet aimed at advanced biology students, this resource provides a series of questions to recap the basic microscopic structure of muscle fibres and their arrangement. Key words: Muscle, fibre, myofibril, contraction, actin, myosin, A-band, I-band, H-zone

A worksheet aimed at advanced biology students, this resource serves as a recap of key events that occur during muscle contraction. The worksheet includes reference to the appearance of striated muscle fibres when in a state of contraction and relaxation (e.g. I bands, A-bands, H-zone) and the sequence of events that occur at the neuromuscular junction when a nerve impuse triggers muscle contraction. Key words: muscle, fibres, A-band, I-band, H-zone, contraction, relaxation, calcium, troponin, tropomyosin, myosin, actin

This resource is aimed at advanced biology students and includes two differentiated practical schedules for the observation of phototactic behaviour in blowfly larvae (maggotts). Both schedules include a brief introduction to the nature of taxis behaviour, followed by details of the practical task. A table to collate data is provided, followed by a step-by-step method of using the chi-squared test to assess statistical significance. The worksheet for higher ability students also contains extra challenge questions on the reason for statistical testing and the rationale for using chi-squared. Key words: behaviour, blowfly larvae, maggotts, statistics, phototaxis, light, response, chi-squared

A worksheet aimed at advanced level biology students, this resource focuses on the mechanism of action of agonists and antagonists. The worksheet includes a diagram and explanation of how agonists and antagonists work, followed by some examples of common drugs and chemicals that can act as agonists or antagonists of the autonomic nervous system. A diagram of the parasympathetic and sympathetic branches of the autonomic nervous system is included and is required for the final page of the worksheet - a series of questions that asks students to predict the effect of various drugs and poisons (e.g. beta blockers, muscarine, atropine, etc). This is a good activity for making the link between theory and practice; most students really enjoy being able to predict the action of a drug from a simple understanding of its mechanism. A second, shorter worksheet is also included on the same topic which could be used as a revision activity once the key concepts have been taught. Key words: agonist, anatgonist, sympathetic, parasympathetic, sympathetic, autonomic, muscarine, beta blockers, atropine, noradrenaline, acetylcholine, sarin

A starter/plenary worksheet that can be used to recap the events of action potential generation, propagation of an impulse and factors affecting speed of impulse transmission Key words: impulse, nerve, action potential, transmission, propagation, speed