This Catalyst article looks at the effect exercise has on the body. Poor fitness contributes to poor life expectancy, and inability to exercise reduces quality of life in the ill or aged. Scientists hope to understand the mechanisms which limit 'exercise tolerance' which would contribute to enhanced performance for...

From the National Non-Food Crops Centre, this factsheet looks at the sources and supply of biofuels in the UK. It describes:

• how biodiesel and bioethanol are produced
• blends of biofuels used in vehicle fuels
• sources and biofuel production in the UK
• greenhouse gas emission...

These Nuffield Council on Bioethics resources aim to help students make informed decisions about the use of animals in research.There are 10 activities to choose from, made up of individual starters, activities, plenaries and an assessment exercise which can be dropped into a lesson or used as a whole according to...

This is one of the 14 Background Books published for Stage III of the Nuffield Chemistry Sample Scheme. The books were highly illustrated and designed to be attractive. This book consists of a series of articles about scientists who won the Nobel Prize between 1929 and...

Most people are all too familiar with the idea of animal parasites, including tape worms, ticks and lice. But did you know that plants can also act as parasites, exploiting resources from unwilling hosts? Rather than being rare anomalies, however, there are over 4000 known species of parasitic plants, with...

In this practical protocol students investigate one way in which bacteria acquire antibiotic resistance through conjugation - horizontal gene transfer from one bacterial strain or species to another.

Plasmid-mediated evolution is fast because whole functional ‘modules’ are lost and gained, rather than the...

This Catalyst article investigates high pressure chemistry and discovers that, when put under extreme pressure, the properties of a material may change dramatically.

This article is from Catalyst: Secondary Science Review 2016, Volume 27, Issue 1.

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We all share something amazing in common – that we developed from a single sperm and egg to become complicated, sophisticated organisms, made of trillions of cells. But what are these cells like and how do they vary from one tissue to another?

This poster gives a flavour of the complex make-up of a...

Published in 2009 by LSIS, this report describes an action research project carried out at Richard Huish College. This project was a study into how feasible it would be to produce interactive materials by non-computing specialists. Such resources can be made to fit a teacher’s exact requirements and students gain...

This video explains the relationship between mass and weight.  It then shows how the car’s weight is quite distinct from its inertia (how hard it is to move it in a horizontal plane).

Produced by Science & Plants for Schools (SAPS), this investigation looks at end-product inhibition of the enzyme phosphatase. 

The investigation is designed for students following a Scottish Highers course but it is equally useful for other post-16 courses in biology. 

This investigation involves...

Produced by Science & Plants for Schools (SAPS), this activity enables students to investigate the effects of the plant hormone indole acetic acid (IAA) on root growth in mustard seedlings.

Different concentrations of IAA appear to have differing effects on root growth. These effects may vary from one...

Produced by Science & Plants for Schools (SAPS), this activity enables students to investigate the effects of different concentrations of nitrates, phosphates and potassium on the growth of radish seedlings.

After sowing, the radish seedlings are kept well watered, in a warm temperature under constant...

The video states that the velocity (v) of a wave moving along a string is related to the strings tension (T) and its mass per unit length (μ).  The unit of tension is the Newton (N) and the unit of mass/length is kg/m.

A simple interrogation of the formula v = √(T/ μ) shows that as T increases so too does...