KYTOS Biology

In this podcast, Year 13 Biology student Emma T discusses bioluminescence, a phenomenon in which organisms produce their own light. She will describe the mechanisms through which light is produced, and how this form of chemiluminescence aids the survival of different species.   

Studies have suggested that there are 3 key reasons why medical professionals struggle to deliver bad news. In this podcast, I discuss what those reasons are, and the significant impact they potentially have on clinical outcomes. 

The development of insulin for the treatment of Diabetes mellitus by Banting et al, is regarded by many as one of the greatest biological discoveries of our time. In this podcast, I’ll put forward the argument as to why, and give some background into the discovery. As Hume stated in his biography of Banting, ‘no single event in the history of medicine had changed the lives of so many people, so suddenly’.

The common fruit fly (Drosophila melanogaster) has been the test subject from which some of the 20th century's greatest biological discoveries have arisen. In this podcast, I outline the reasons why this rather simple being is regarded as a ‘model organism’ for scientific research. 

In this podcast, I discuss how blood pattern analysis can aid forensic investigators make sense of a crime scene, and reveal why the technique is viewed by some professionals as controversial. 

In this personal study of psychopathology, I describe the nature of obsessive compulsive disorders. This podcast will outline the key characteristics of these conditions, and provide some biological explanations for them. 

In 1901, Sir Edward Henry provided the foundations on which modern day fingerprint classification systems are based.  In this podcast, I refer to a number of high profile criminal cases where fingerprint evidence has been used, and talk about the biology behind the fingerprint itself – what exactly causes the distinct ridges and grooves that we see?

The contributions that HeLa cells have made in the fields of Science and Technology are vast. In this podcast, I'm joined by Year 13 Biology student Anoushka D, who will argue that the HeLa cell is one of the greatest biological discoveries of the 20th Century. 

In this podcast, I outline the steps involved in genetically engineering Golden Rice as a means of preventing Vitamin A (retinol) deficiency. 

In this podcast, we look at the process of apoptosis, or programmed cell death. What is the exact mechanism behind this self destruction, and when   would the body employ such a tactic?