This manual, from the Microbiology Society, provides a basic introduction to microbiology, aseptic technique and safety.

Part 1 of the book includes information on good microbiological laboratory practice, equipment, preparation of culture media, sterilisation and disinfection, inoculation, aseptic technique...

A Catalyst article about biologists looking for patterns in the distribution of barnacle species on the sea shore. Barnacles are arthropods which live as tiny larvae in the sea and then cement themselves, head down, on suitable rocks, build a shell, poke their legs out of the top of it and start to filter feed. The...

This practical activity explores beak adaptations in bird populations and looks at the way in which variation in beak shape is related to the available food sources within an environment.

Students simulate bird feeding by using a ‘beak’ to collect food and place it into a stomach. There are four different...

A Catalyst article about Darwin's travels on the Beagle which gave him ideas about evolution. Darwin spent almost five years on board HMS Beagle as it sailed around the world. The purpose of the voyage was to map navigation channels around the coast of South America. Darwin was the ship’s naturalist and companion...

Produced by the Association of the British Pharmaceutical Industry (ABPI) as part of their 'At Work With Science' series, this resource looks at a hypothetical, but realistic, project aimed at producing a new way of treating bacterial infections. In this activity, students first consider what features are important...

The materials provide teachers with examples of different enquiry types, e.g. classifying and identifying, developing systems, and pattern seeking.  The booklet provides an overview of the enquiries and the particular approaches used. Scientists use many different ways to collect evidence, but a survey undertaken...

Produced by the Wellcome Trust, the Big Picture magazine was aimed at post-16 students and explored contemporary issues within biology and medicine. Each contains accessible information, that is directly relevant to the curriculum, along with supporting resources such as stimulus materials, activity sheets and...

Organisms must stay in good health to survive and thrive; the health of an individual results from interactions between its body, behaviour, environment and other organisms.

Genetic information is passed from each generation to the next; this information and the environment affect the features, growth and development of organisms.

All organisms, including humans, depend on, interact with and affect the environments in which they live and other organisms that live there.

Organisms are made of one or more cells, which need a supply of energy and molecules to carry out life processes.