Cosmetic dentistry has gained unprecedented popularity. Whether your teeth exhibit chips, stains, wear, breakage, gaps, or misalignment, a variety of dental procedures are available to enhance the aesthetic appeal of your teeth, providing a significant confidence boost to your smile. In this podcast, Sixth Form Biology student Yasmin J explores the options available, assessing both the benefits they bring and the risks they pose.

Consumption, or pulmonary tuberculosis, killed around 25% of the adult population in the 19th century. So why was this deadly disease seen as fundamentally romantic, intellectual and aesthetic? In this podcast, Year 13 biologist Felicity P will explore causes of the romanticisation of consumption, from Victorian fashion and styles, to its role as an emotional response to grief. 

In this podcast, I reveal the shameful practices taking place in the greyhound racing industry, and the devastating truth as to why most rescues are classed as 'unrehomable' and so are euthanised. The story of my own rescue greyhound, Luca, is explored to provide some real life context.

The glymphatic system works as a waste-carrying drainage system which removes unwanted materials from the brain. It was identified as a system in 2013 by Danish neuroscientist Maiken Nedergaard. He used the term glymphatic because the system works in a similar way to the lymphatic system but it is managed by the glial cells of the brain. There are still many unanswered questions about the role of the glymphatic system and how it may be harnessed to alleviate diseases like Parkinsons and Alzheimer’s. New drugs could be developed to increase the rate of CSF flow during sleep, which would help flush out harmful proteins. This is certainly an area for further research and may have the potential to reduce the actual number of dementia patients. (With thanks to our sponsor 'Curriculum Press' for providing content for this podcast)

It wasn’t until Sperry’s split-brain research that it was possible to test the idea of hemispheric lateralisation. His studies used a unique group of participants, all of whom had undergone the same treatment for their severe epilepsy which involved cutting the corpus callosum in order to control severe epileptic seizures. While the surgery was successful in helping to control the patients’ seizures, it also left them with unique brains, giving Sperry an opportunity to test the abilities of each hemisphere as independently functioning structures. (With thanks to our sponsor 'Curriculum Press' for providing content for this podcast)

In this podcast, I’m joined by Poppy GT who discusses the various treatments available for those suffering with depression. Should someone opt to have psychotherapy as opposed to being prescribed antidepressants, or could a combination of both be the most effective form of treatment?

In this second podcast of the series, I describe the initial three-month journey from embryo to foetus, in a period known as the first trimester. I'll examine the significant developments that occur, not only in terms of overall length, but in the physical structures and features that begin to take shape. 

Human embryonic development is the development and formation of the human embryo. It is characterised by the processes of cell division and cellular differentiation of the embryo that occurs during the early stages of development. In biological terms, the development of the body entails growth from a single-celled zygote to an adult human being. This is the first in a series of podcasts examining the fascinating subject of human embryogenesis; in this podcast, I describe the processes of fertilisation and implantation.   

Any person, at any stage of their life, can experience an eating disorder. Of people with eating disorders in the UK, around 10% have Anorexia nervosa compared to 40% with Bulimia nervosa; binge eating disorder along with several other conditions make up the remaining 50%. Anorexia is a serious mental health condition which significantly impacts a person's life - physically, emotionally and socially; it is in fact a potentially life threatening eating disorder. However, with the right treatment, recovery is possible. The earlier it is identified, the greater the opportunity for recovery or improved quality of life.