Di-deoxy sequencing is a way to determine the order of bases (A,C,G and T) in a piece of DNA. A set of 4 lanes (one for each base) is needed to sequence any given piece of DNA. Wherever a black
band appears in a particular lane that base is present. By reading off the order of bands across the four lanes the...

Stem cells have the potential to develop into different cell types in the human body and as such, can be used for tissue repair or, perhaps in the distant...

From the Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute, this animation shows a detailed overview of the processes involved in the dideoxy or Sanger method for sequencing DNA. This is the method used to sequence the human genome. The animation demonstrates the principles and techniques involved in the Sanger sequencing method,...

Diagramatic representation of the replication of DNA. This is the process by which the cell makes a copy of its existing DNA before it divides. This therefore ensures that each new cell receives a full complement of DNA. The DNA polymerase enzyme can only add new bases in the 5'-3' direction. This leads to...

The aim of this activity is for students to use tiddlywinks to represent sections of jumping genes, which they then flick onto a poster which is representative of a section of the human genome. Where their "gene" lands either will or will not disrupt the gene and may then cause disease. An accompanying PowerPoint...

These materials contain a range of activities where students use real genomic data from the Cancer Genome Project at the Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute to find mutations in a gene associated with pancreatic cancer. Students mark the locations of the mutations on a gene sequence banner and record the results on...

This video shows the various levels of DNA packaging and the four basic building blocks of DNA. it allows you to take a journey into the body to see where the genome is found and how DNA is packaged in the nucleus of the cell. The journey starts outside the body and takes you into the liver and a liver cell. You...

The ASE Lab Books were published in the early 1970s for the Association for Science Education by John Murray. Each title in the series covered one or two topics and brought together the best of the teaching notes and experimental ideas from members of the association...

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...

This activity introduces the idea of using family trees and symbols to represent the individuals in a family and identify who is affected by genetic conditions. Students can look at the family trees provided and discuss the different inheritance patterns for certain genes that cause genetic conditions (dominant,...

The Nuffield Advanced Biology Study Guide explored evidence and deduction in the biological sciences. The book contained a varied collection of biological data, some derived from previous publications, some original, but all of them concerned with aspects of enquiry. It...

Published by the Nuffield Foundation, the investigations in the Study guide were constructed from a varied collection of biological data. Each was intended to guide students to an understanding of certain basic concepts through a series of questions and, at the same...

This booklet from the National Strategies is an abridged version of the science-specific quality standards with the addition of extracts from a teacher e-module. It is designed to give an introduction and overview of the structure and use of the Classroom Quality Standards (CQS) in science. It is based on the...

This poster-style handout provides information about genes for children, explaining how genes are instructions for building proteins, how genetic disorders can happen and how many genes we have in our cells. The sheet was produced by Genetic Disorders UK, which provides schools with a host of free resources for...

A collection of resources about ethical issues surrounding genetics.