Preface

List of abbreviations

Study strategies

• Developing your skills
• Self-management
• Learning effectively
• Making the most of learning resources
• Locating and citing published information
• Evaluating information
• Working with others
• Mapping your personal development

Assessment skills

• Succeeding in assessments
• Scientific writing
• Writing essays
• Reporting practical and project work
• Tackling literature surveys and reviews
• Presenting written assignments
• Preparing a poster
• Giving a spoken presentation
• Revision strategies
• Improving your performance in exams

Fundamental laboratory techniques

• Preparing for practical work
• Working safely in the lab and field
• Basic laboratory skills
• Measuring and dispensing liquids
• Preparing solutions principles and practice
• Measuring and maintaining pH

The investigative approach

• Making measurements
• Understanding SI units and their use
• Observational skills
• Recording data in the laboratory and field
• Drawing diagrams
• Taking samples
• Designing experiments
• Understanding bioethics
• Tackling project work and placements

Obtaining and identifying specimens

• Collecting animals and plants
• Collecting and isolating microbes
• Fixing and preserving specimens
• Naming and classifying organisms
• Identifying plants and animals
• Identifying microbes

Examining specimens and samples

• Understanding microscopy
• Preparing specimens for light microscopy
• Setting up and using a light microscope
• Interpreting microscope images
• Recording and processing photographic images
• Measuring growth and responses
• Dissection techniques

Working with microbes, cells and tissues

• Learning sterile technique
• Culturing cells
• Working with bacteria
• Working with eukaryotic microbes: fungi and protists
• Working with viruses
• Working with animal and plant tissues and cells

Environmental investigations

• Developing fieldwork skills
• Describing ecosystems
• Analysing aquatic environments
• Analysing soils and sediments
• Measuring atmospheric variables
• Measuring light

Analytical techniques

• Understanding chemical analysis
• Understanding calibration and quantitative analysis
• Assaying biomolecules
• Centrifugation techniques
• Using spectroscopic methods
• Using chromatographic systems
• Methods of electrophoresis
• Studying Mendelian and population genetics
• Investigating molecular genetics
• Using immunological methods
• Studying enzymes
• Measuring oxygen content
• Quantifying photosynthesis and respiration
• Using radioisotopes
• Analysing stable isotopes

Analysing and presenting data

• Manipulating and transforming raw data
• Analysing data with spreadsheets
• Summarising data in tables
• Illustrating data in graphs
• Solving numerical problems
• Using descriptive statistics
• Selecting and interpreting statistical tests

Appendix 1

Index