Biology

“Students of Biology are in the right place at the right time”
Introduction to Biology, by Campbell, Reece and Mitchell

Introduction

Biology is the subject of the 21st Century.

At no other stage in history have we seen human knowledge advance so quickly. There are now over one million new publications every year in the scientific journals; a million new things discovered. No-one can possibly hope to keep up with this dizzying pace of discovery, but at OHS we aim to include the most exciting and relevant Biological discoveries in our teaching. Our emphasis is very much on practical work, with girls encouraged to take responsibility for designing and carrying out their own experimental investigations. There are dissections, “wet lab” work micro-biology, fruit fly breeding, behavioural experiments, and basic genetic techniques in the 6th form. Even pure theory is supported by model making or role play or animations, including innovative use of PowerPoint. Girls in the 6th form are also encouraged to read widely round the subject (see Reading List taster) and we are very keen on “why” questions, as students try to explain the living world around them. Our courses are challenging and stimulating, and aim to encourage curiosity, sound scientific technique, independent study and confident practical skills.

It has never been a better time to be a Biologist.

Year 9 Biology

Year 9 girls modelling Osmosis

In Year 9, girls study Biology as a separate science for the first time. The course provides a general introduction to the subject and introduces important skills and concepts that they will need throughout all their Biological studies at OHS. Topics include microscopy, micro-biology, dissection, osmosis, diffusion and mammalian reproduction.

Bacterial colonies cultured from Oxford High School garden soil

GCSE Biology

Girls in Years 10 and 11 study the Biology specification of the AQA Additional Science syllabus. We adapt the course to make it as stimulating, exciting and up-to-date as possible, with masses of practical work and satisfying levels of explanation. Among other topics, girls can expect to cover Enzymes, The Nervous System, Immunology and Genetics. We discuss the often controversial applications of Biological Technology, and students are encouraged to form opinions based on real scientific knowledge and understanding.

At the end of this course, they will not only gain their Additional Science qualification, they will also have enjoyed a challenging course that, should they choose to continue with Biology, provides ideal training for A-level.

Year 11 girls with rare Amazonian Reebops following successful captive breeding programme. Note the different phenotypic characteristics.

A-Level Biology

Biology is a traditionally popular subject at A-level, with over 60 girls in Years 12 and 13 choosing to study it. We follow the OCR specification. Although the theoretical knowledge required is much greater than at GCSE, it is also more satisfying and interesting, and we continue to place a strong emphasis on practical work. Girls can, among other things, expect to examine their own blood, carry out DNA finger printing and build their own DNA models. They are also trained in basic field work techniques, which this year took place at Nettlecombe Court in Somerset during the Year 13 Biology Field Trip.

Careers and Opportunities

Biologists do not just become Biology teachers. For some, it is, of course, one of the A-levels they need to qualify for training in Medicine or Veterinary Medicine. For others, it can lead to a vast range of careers and opportunities. The following list just gives a flavour of the possibilities, both at university and beyond.

University Courses with a Biological Flavour

  • Medicine, Veterinary Medicine, Biomedical Sciences, Dentistry, Physiology, Physiotherapy, Pharmacology, Immunology, Anatomy, Neuroscience,
  • Biochemistry, Genetics, Population Genetics, Developmental Genetics, Molecular Biology, Biotechnology, Microbiology, Virology, Developmental Biology
  • Forensic Science, Food Science, Brewing (yes, really), Sports Science, Indian Head Massage
  • Botany, Zoology, Marine Biology, Oceanography, Ecology
  • Conservation Biology, Wildlife Management, Tropical Coastal Management, Fisheries, Aquaculture
  • Psychology, Anthropology, Biometrics, Statistics

Subsequent careers

  • Journalism
  • Conservation
  • Wildlife film making
  • Overseas development work
  • Research
  • Environmental law
  • Environmental policy making
  • Tourism
  • Education
Staff

Head of Department

  • Dr Paul Weeks MA, PhD (Cambridge) – Check out more of the flavour of OHS Biology at Dr Weeks’s own website.

Teaching Staff

  • Miss Sue Berry
  • Mrs Judith Stone
  • Mrs Olwen Curry
  • Mrs Maria Whittington

Technical Staff

  • Ms Kay Bell
Reading List Taster

Genome

Definitely the BEST popular introduction to modern genetics. Ridley’s structure is wonderfully simple; 23 chapters to cover the 23 human chromosomes, but he uses it brilliantly. We start with Chromosome number 1 and a gene that we share with every other life form, including, probably, the very first living organism. Stunning. And essential reading.
APW

 

The Blind Watchmaker

Every A-level Biology student should read at least one of Dawkins’ books, and this may be the best place to start. Readable and provocative, you can accuse Dawkins of many things, but he is never dull. This book outlines how Evolution can result in astonishingly complex structures, such as the eye, while simultaneously rubbishing the claim that such things provide evidence for the existence of god. All good, clean fun.
APW

 

The Energy of Life

An enthralling account of the electricity that keeps you alive and one of the best popular science books ever written. It complements the A2 Respiration topic perfectly and makes all kinds of complex issues immediately accessible. If you read nothing else, read this.
APW

 

Power, sex, suicide: mitochondria and the meaning of life

Not an easy read, but awesome in scope and mind-boggling in the implications. From the very origins of mitochondria in the murky bacterial soup, to the dangers of keeping DNA next to this bubbling furnace of free radicals, to the role of mitochondria in apoptosis. Includes all the latest research and ideas in this field, and essential reading for anyone who’s serious about Oxbridge.
APW

 

The Man Who Mistook His Wife For a Hat

Sack’s case studies make fascinating reading and this is the most famous, and probably the most accessible, of his books. The chapters are interesting for what they reveal about the human brain and how it works, but the stories are so much more than just dry case histories. Sachs never loses sight of the fact that his patients, for all their bizarre symptoms, are human beings, and his compassion is evident throughout. Extraordinary and moving, this book may change the way you view the world. Superb.
APW

Atkin’s Molecules

This sounds terribly dry. A book about molecules? Ugh. But try this extract from the section of pheromones:

“Another component of male underarm sweat provides an engaging story. This component is a hormone molecule that closely resembles one secreted by a male pig encouraging mating behaviour in a sow. The same pheromone is also secreted by the fungus we know as the truffle. Because truffles do not appear above ground, they must be sought out by pigs, who end up frustrated. Whether our enjoyment of truffles is related to our perhaps unconscious enjoyment of our own underarm sweat is a matter of conjecture.”

Could make you fall in love with Biochemistry…
APW

The Periodic Table

Primo Levi is best known for his extraordinary accounts of his time in Auschwitz as a prisoner of the Nazis, how he lived, how he survived, and how he finally found his way home. These books, If This Is A Man, and The Truce, should be read by anyone and everyone. But Levi was an industrial chemist by training, and another of his books, the unpromisingly titled The Periodic Table, celebrates this first love. Forget the title. Each chapter has the name of an element, and each is a self-contained story. These vary hugely, from pure fantasy to historical fable to autobiographical snippets. Vanadium describes how his knowledge of that element’s properties helped him survive the concentration camp. Lead tells the story of a mediaeval lead worker. Carbon, the best of all, narrates the journey of a carbon atom as it travels into and out of the living world. These are wonderful stories, wholly original and utterly compelling. Highly recommended.
APW