Here are some books that you may find useful during your studies. Search the Bennies catalogue Accessit for more, or browse the Non-fiction collection NFS.
The Basics of Genetics by 
Britannica Illustrated Science Library by 
DNA abbreviation of deoxyribonucleic acid, organic chemical of complex molecular structure that is found in all prokaryotic and eukaryotic cells and in many viruses. DNA codes genetic information for the transmission of inherited traits.
Cells- Cell, in biology, the basic membrane-bound unit that contains the fundamental molecules of life and of which all living things are composed.
Biotechnology Biotechnology, the use of biology to solve problems and make useful products. The most prominent area of biotechnology is the production of therapeutic proteins and other drugs through genetic engineering.
- How does DNA control the production of all the proteins the body needs? - How can a code consisting of only four different bases in the DNA molecule direct the syntheses of proteins as diverse as the haemoglobin that carries oxygen in blood, antibodies that fight disease and the fibres that make up muscle cells? - Is it always true that one gene codes for one protein?
This video unravels the mystery of cell division using clear and simple animations, together with exceptional micro photographic images of cell division occurring in animal and plant cells. Topics covered include mitosis, meiosis, cytokinesis, morphogenesis and embryogenesis.
Cells are found in the tissues of all kinds of different organisms but how are new cells created? This clip describes the cell cycle and two types of cell division: mitosis, which is important for growth and repair; and meiosis, the process of generating sex cells for sexual reproduction. Diagrams and graphics demonstrate what is happening inside dividing cells.
This program shows how DNA replicates, how copy errors occur and are fixed by repair enzymes, how DNA is compressed into chromosomes making possible mitosis and cell division.
A mutagen is any agent (physical, chemical or biological) capable of altering the structure of DNA within our cells. Whilst some mutation is a natural process resulting from errors in the copying and repair of DNA, mutagens are able to greatly increase the mutation rate within a population. Some mutagens naturally exist in the world around us e.g. UV radiation, cosmic rays and some radioactive isotopes. Others are specific chemicals that have been synthesised for use in manufacturing or other industries. Mutagens may also arise during the metabolism of certain foods. In general mutagens act either directly on the DNA themselves or produce chemicals that then act directly on the DNA to cause substitutions, deletions, insertions, or rearrangements of the important genetic code. If DNA alterations occur in germline (egg or sperm) cells the altered DNA may become the basis for an inherited disease..
Biotechnology- is the use of an organism, or a component of an organism or other biological system, to make a product or process.
Protein synthesis Transfer RNAs (tRNAS) have two jobs: 1. They carry a protein building block (an amino acid) to a cell's protein assembly machine, called a ribosome. 2. They translate the genetic code of messenger RNA (mRNA) into the amino acid sequence of proteins.
Cells You might already have some type of a notion of a what a cell is. You might already realize that it is most basic unit of life. Some would argue that maybe viruses are even a more basic unit of life, but the organisms that we consider living, like ourselves, are made up of cells and all living organisms that we for sure consider living are made up of at least one cell, so the most basic unit of life.
DNA Today, the DNA double helix is probably the most iconic of all biological molecules. It's inspired staircases, decorations, pedestrian bridges (like the one in Singapore, shown below), and more.
At its simplest, biotechnology is technology based on biology - biotechnology harnesses cellular and biomolecular processes to develop technologies and products that help improve our lives and the health of our planet. cts
The term cloning describes a number of different processes that can be used to produce genetically identical copies of a biological entity. The copied material, which has the same genetic makeup as the original, is referred to as a clone.
Deoxyribonucleic acid or DNA is a molecule that contains the instructions an organism needs to develop, live and reproduce. These instructions are found inside every cell, and are passed down from parents to their children.