Human Physiology

  1. Gas exchange & breathing
  2. Food & Diet: Iron
  3. Osmosis: Red blood cells
  4. Cardio-Vascular: Blood vessels

Gas exchange & breathing

Breathing Exhaling 01:

Breathing and exhaled air. Three ways to detect carbon dioxide. Two qualitative ideas and one quantitative. 1. Lime water bubbling. Investigate the effect of holding one’s breath. 2. Bicarbonate indicator 3. Carbon dioxide sensor detecting exhaled air.

Food & Diet: Iron

Iron in cereal 01:

Looking at iron supplements in cereal: setting the scene.

Iron in cereal 02:

Iron in cornflakes. Data from the packaging. How much iron is there in a box of flakes? Testing flakes with a magnet.

Iron in cereal 03:

Floating cornflakes and the effect of a magnet.

Iron in cereal 04:

A method to make a cereal paste then trying to isolate iron from the cereals with magnets. Using iron supplement tablets as an alternative.

Iron in cereal 05:

An idea to apply the physics of electromagnetism to explore magnet effects. No specific practical details here though.

Osmosis: Red blood cells

Osmosis RBC 01:

Introduction to red blood cell osmosis. Risk assessment. Looking at a prepared stained blood sample.

Osmosis RBC 02:

Setting up the finger pricker device. Be on top of your risk analysis requirements!

Osmosis RBC 03:

Safe and painless blood extraction. Take 1: with a poorly set up FastClix finger pricker.

Osmosis RBC 04:

Take 2: Safe and painless blood extraction.

Osmosis RBC 05:

Obtaining red blood cells.

Osmosis RBC 06:

Adding blood to isotonic, hyper and hypo tonic solutions cavity slides.

Osmosis RBC 07:

Red blood cells under the microscope. Can we see RBCs changing shape in different solutions?

Osmosis RBC 08:

Looking at red blood cells in saline solution.

Cardio-Vascular: Blood vessels

Blood Vessel 01:

Following on from previous blood pressure work. Modelling blood flood flow with different types of tubes, diameters, funnels, volumes etc. How might your students design an investigation into blood vessels? Perhaps look a different blood viscosity.

Blood Vessel 02:

Two tubes modelling blood flow; one with a blu-tak plaque. Look out for the results.

Blood Vessel 03:

Modelling blood flow. Lessons learnt. Check the kit to begin with. The first results were determined by faulty equipment not our intended model plaque!

Blood Vessel 04:

Modelling blood flow Take 2. The next step would to be to undertake repeat readings.

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