2000 year-old Greek “computer” recreated
A British curator has recreated an ancient proto-computer, the Antikythera device, based on 2000 year-old salvaged parts, X-ray tomography and huge patience – and got it to work!
As you can see in the NewScientist video, it was an example of a mechanical computer – designed to pr
edict the relative positions of the planets, chart astrology and count down to the Olympics.It shows us just how advanced Greek science was, and makes us wonder – what would have happened if this technology had not been lost? Would the Greeks have been playing Spore in 200AD?
Some questions to think about:
– What makes this a computer?
– What sets it apart from an old alarm clock?
– Where do you think we would be now if this knowledge hadn’t been lost?
Digestion: Core and Higher Level
Here is the presentation for the Core section:
Class Notes to fill in here (pdf download – A3 size)
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Some good links:
Enzyme activity animations from McGraw Hill, Northland College and KScience.co.uk
A great animation/tuturial on digestion of different types of foods from kitses.com
And an introduction to absorption(and villi):
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Higher Level Content for the Further Human Physiology topic:
Class Notes to fill in are here (pdf file)
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Some links:
Click4Biology Digestion FHP page
North Harris College animations collection
Gastric secretion animation from McGraw Hill
Digestion of lipids from ZeroBio
Heliobacter pylori and gastric pathology from Johns Hopkins
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Absorption of Digested Foods:
Class Notes to fill in here (pdf download)
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Villi structure from the University of Lanacaster and 3d4 Medical.com
Colorado State has animations for active transport.
Nutrition from JBPub.com has animations for passive transport, fat uptake, facilitated diffusion, endocytosis.
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And, of course, here are JD and Turk to tell us about the diagnostic miracle of egestion:
DNA Structure (Core and AHL)
This is a short one – class presentation is here (click shadowed images for animations and movies):
Here’s a decent video from BBC AS Guru with David Suzuki:
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And here’s a very stylized video of DNA structure from Hybrid Medical Animation. See if you can narrate it:
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The story of the discovery of the double-helix structure is a good example international collaboration and competition, and led to the Nobel prize for Crick, Watson and Wilson (who we never hear about). You’ve got to feel for Rosalind Franklin – her work was key in their discovery and she wasn’t cited for it until after her death.
Here’s a great video, though the presenter sound like he has a mouth full of marbles:
Defense Against Infectious Disease megapost
Here we go, Standard Level and Higher Level in one big post:
As always, North Harris College has a great set of links to immunology animations.
Here’s the core, for everyone:
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Antibiotics:
Antibiotic action from HHMI
Antibiotic resistance from Sumanas
Interferon, an antiviral medication from the University of Illinois
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Antibody prodution:
Simple animation from ccbmd.edu
Retro-style animation and explanation from CellsAlive.com
More detail (better for HL) from McGraw Hill
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HIV & AIDS:
Have a go at the Rediscovering Biology online text and animations
Here’s an in-depth look at the HIV virus from rnceus.com
And a good look at the HIV life cycle from Sumanas
You should really read this article on social and economic impacts of HIV
The resources for HIV out there are prolific, so go find them if you’re still curious!
And to set your mind at ease, the best HIV website: www.avert.org
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Additional Higher Level content:
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Start off with some of these resources from Bio-Alive.com
Blood clotting:
Explanation and animation from HowStuffWorks and ADAM
And from the Indiana Haemophilia and Thrombosis Centre
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The Specific Immune Response
Great introduction by RM Chute
This one from McGraw Hill is really clear (we don’t need the bit about cytotoxic cells), and CancerResearch.org have these animations about the cellular response and humoral response.
Here’s a nice one about the action of antibodies from edumedia (but you’ve got to pay), and a better one on the action of immunoglobulins (antibodies) from WHFreeman.
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Monoclonal Antibodies:
Here’s a simpe YouTube explanation:
Good animations from McGraw Hill and Sumanas.
And when you’re through all that, have a go at a Virtual ELISA test from HHMI
You might even feel like a pregnancy test.
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Vaccination
Here’s House MD to knock some sense into you:
And on more serious note – the NHS has a very clear website with animations.
Girls might want to know more about the HPV Vaccination and its protection against cervical cancer.
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And for more readers and in-depth stuff:
The Media’s MMR Hoax from BadScience.net is the perfect reader for discussion of the perceived dangers of the MMR jab. You could pair it with this video (edited by an anti-MMR activist).
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Go for Rediscovering Biology’s Emerging Infectious Diseases online course.
Or find out more about parasitology, check out the Atlas of Parasitology or check out this video:
The Contraption
Bro Taylor sent another quality video. His title was ‘What Engineers do when they retire‘, though looking at the original website, it should read ‘what workshy engineering graduates do when they don’t want a real job.’
This is kind of contraption that would put Wallace and Gromit to shame:
My favourite quote from their website:”Baynham & Tyers is no longer an active company, as Ben and Tom are heavily involved in exciting new projects.” Like gluing things to the wall, evidently.
Carbohydrates, Lipids and Proteins
Here’s the class presentation – click the shadowed images for animations.
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For more information on condensation and hydrolysis reactions:
Simple explanation by Terry Brown
Collection of examples from North Harris College
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Carbohydrates:
Explanation and animation from National Louis University
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Proteins:
Life Cycle of a Protein from Sumanas
Making polypeptides from John Kyrk
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Lipids:
Structures of Fats from HHMI
Lipids (and condensation animation) from National Louis University
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Secrets of the Sequence – The Discovery of DNA
This 9-minute clip is an ideal ‘watcher’ to go along with the reader in the Course Companion – it tells the story of the discovery of the DNA double helix structure by Watson and Crick and how their discovery was dependant on the prior work of Rosalind Franklin and the compeitive/cooperative nature of research:
This clip is taken from the vdeo lesson resource provided by Virginia Commonwealth University’s ‘Secrets of the Sequence’ website. They have 50 different videos, each with accompanying lesson plans and activities.
They also have a YouTube channel: VCULifeSciences.
Proteins (AHL & C.1)
After the Carbohydrates, Lipids and Proteins last week, we’re taking a closer look at Proteins and their structures.
Here is the class presentation – click the shadowed images for links to animations:
Check that you know the different levels of protein structure, including the roles of hydrogen bonds and disulfide bridges. Think about how the properties of the R-groups on amino acids cause the protein to fold up in a set configuration.
Make sure you can give examples of fibrous and globular proteins and that you can name some examples of uses of proteins that are not structural or related to the plasma membrane.
The revision notes from Click4Biology are here.
Five things you need to know about the oceans
Homework for my HL class:complete the Fisheries Management sheet and make notes on international measures that can be taken to promote conservation of fish stocks.
Resources: watch this, read the article and then check the webpage at MarineBio.org.
i-Biology 