Biology 8811

A-Level Biology

The 21st Century affords many challenges for biologists such as improving ecosystem resilience; using the ideas of cell theory and cell signalling to inform our knowledge and understanding of immunity, perception, coordination and regulation; understanding epigenetic regulation, cell differentiation and migration in embryo development, aging and disease to allow the systematic exploration of novel therapeutic avenues with a view to personalised medicine.

To gain a wider understanding of the breadth you could:

Read:

'Almost like a whale' – Steve Jones

Steve Jones revisits Charles Darwin's The Origin of Species to reveal ties between cancer and the genetics of fish, brewing and inherited disease and the sex lives of crocodiles and the politics of Brazil.

'The Selfish Gene' – Richard Dawkins

Dawkins’ gene's eye view of evolution in which organisms can be seen as vehicles for their replication.

'What is life? With mind and matter and autobiographical sketches' – Erwin Schroinger.

Nobel laureate Erwin Schrödinger's What is Life? is a science classic. Written for the layman, it was one of the spurs to the birth of molecular biology and the subsequent discovery of DNA.

Online:

https://royalsociety.org/ - The world's oldest independent scientific academy, dedicated to promoting excellence in science

https://www.rsb.org.uk/ - The Royal Society of Biology is a single unified voice for biology: advising Government and influencing policy; advancing education and professional development; supporting our members, and engaging and encouraging public interest in the life sciences. The Society represents a diverse membership of individuals, learned societies and other organisations.

Listen:

https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p01gyd7j - excellent series of podcasts that deals with a wide range of scientific principles, theories, and the role of key figures in the advancement of science.


https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b015sqc7 The Life Scientific is a BBC Radio 4 science programme, presented by Professor Jim Al-Khalili OBE FRS FInstP, in which each episode is dedicated to the biography and work of one living scientist. The programme consists of an interview between Jim al-Khalili and the featured scientist.

Click Here to access the course syllabus.