This Catalyst article looks at the use of polymers in the manufacture of household items. The exciting thing about polymers is that it is possible to make polymers behave in so many different ways by organising their long chain molecules in different ways – polymers are the ultimate designer material. The article...

Published by the Wellcome Trust, the 'Big Picture' explores issues around biology and medicine.

Fat is a word that carries a lot of weight, conjuring up topics as diverse as obesity, hibernating animals, and what we eat and how we cook it. This issue of the Big Picture looks at the fats and lipids to find...

A Catalyst article investigating a few of the uses of naturally occurring oils. These oils are extracted from animal fats or plant seeds and can be turned into a variety of compounds including soaps, fuel and margarine. The article looks at oils as fuels, their use in paint and detergents and problems with their...

A Catalyst article about what happens as plants grow. During their growth, plants remove compounds of nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium from soil which need to be replaced to maintain the soil’s fertility. For centuries farmers have used organic manures, crop rotation or ploughed in specially grown crops; today...

This article from Catalyst focuses on dengue fever. Dengue fever is a mosquito-borne disease found in tropical areas and its range is spreading. The article is from Catalyst: Secondary Science Review 2014, Volume 25, Issue 2.

Catalyst is a...

This Catalyst article looks at how exercise affects our immunity and susceptibility to infection. Recent research indicates that a person's level of physical activity affects their immune function, influencing their risk of respiratory tract infections such as a cold. Whereas moderate levels of regular exercise...

Chemists analyse the tiny traces of substances which form a fingerprint. This allows them to determine drug abuse and as well as the age, gender and diet of an individual.

This article is from Catalyst: Secondary Science Review 2016, Volume 26, Issue 3.

This Catalyst article looks at the work of fire engineers whose aim is to minimise the threat of fire and to protect people when fire breaks out. The article is from Catalyst: Secondary Science Review 2014, Volume 24, Issue 4.

Catalyst is a...

This Catalyst article looks at fireworks and their history, how they are made and set off, and what gives them their colours and effects. The basic chemistry used in fireworks is looked at and how they work once the fuse is ignited.

This article is from Catalyst: GCSE Science Review 2002, Volume 13, Issue 2...

A Catalyst article about the Wright brothers who made the first powered flight. Unlike the try-it-and-see methods used in many of the previous attempts, the Wrights approached the problem of flight in a scientific way and beat the competition. This article looks at the Wright brothers' research and the wing shapes...

This Catalyst article describes how fish can help scientists to learn more about human biology. Understanding how human bodies work and what causes human disease is the key to future medical breakthroughs. Most discoveries in medical science are a result of experiments that cannot be performed on humans. Animal...

This Catalyst article explores 'Biomodels', biological species which are increasingly well-understood and which have been chosen because they can help us to test new biological theories, particularly in the field of genetics.

This article is from Catalyst: Secondary Science Review 2011, Volume 22, Issue 2....