Did you know that the earliest microscopes were known as “flea glasses” because they were used to study small insects? Or that most of the oxygen produced by photosynthesis doesn’t actually come from the plant life above ground, but from the sea?
And how about all these food facts. If you picture salmon, it would most likely be as a pink fish, which is true for wild salmon. But farmed salmon don’t have the same diet of lots of shrimp so end up being white. They are fed plant pigments to make them the same colour pink. Next time you are eating bright red coloured sweets, you could actually be consuming crushed beetles. A common red food dye is made from crushed up beetles! In the early 1800’s some people believed that tomatoes had medicinal properties. A doctor from Ohio actually made a pill version of tomatoes and subsequently sold it as a medicine. He claimed it could treat diarrhoea and indigestion.
Luckily you don’t need to know these random facts – but you do need to revise the “Required Practicals” you will have studied in class. These include using a microscope, and measuring the rate of photosynthesis in a plant.
Try our new guide “How to work with Required Practicals: Part 1”. It focuses on Biology practicals needed for Paper 1 (AQA). It includes:
Using a Microscope, Investigating Osmosis, Enzymes, Food Tests, Photosynthesis.
You will find a brief description of what you need to know about each practical, and key questions you may be asked. As always there are questions to try, and answers to check your understanding.
If you found this useful and think you would benefit from some additional help, please contact us.
