Index of Biology multimedia
This is a listing of links to multimedia (animations, video clips, simulations, etc) which I
have found useful in A level Biology. It deliberately excludes photos and graphics, which
can be readily found through web search engines. If I have missed a really good resource,
please let me know (via BioTutor) so that I can add it to the next revision of this page.
A Gillham. The Blackpool Sixth Form College. June 2003
Remember you can search this document by using a Find command
Title
Technical notes
Description
Source
An interactive tour of
the cell
Narrated animation (A
number of other
animations at this url.)
Membrane structure &
neuron physiology Very
nice Flash animations,
mostly from UCLan.
 Novo. Hidden away in http://www.novo.dk
Flash animations with
text of mitosis & meiosis
How Embryonic Stem
Cell Lines are Made –
basic animation
 Cold Spring Harbor Lab.
http://www.dnaftb.org/dnaftb/1/concept/index.html
What are clones?
Animal cloning including
Dolly the sheep
 Cold Spring Harbor Lab.
http://www.dnalc.org/cloning.html
 Cell Biology
Virtual Cell Lab
Cell fractionation
Cell membrane
and transport
mechanisms
 http://www.sumanasinc.com/webcontent/anisamples/
microbiology/microbiology.html
 University of Central Lancashire.
http://www.uclan.ac.uk/clt/p_intro/jb/framset1.htm
 Cell Cycle
Cell division
Stem cells
Cloning
 Cold Spring Harbor Lab.
http://www.dnalc.org/stemcells.html
 Basics of Molecular Biology
DNA from the
beginning
Molecular
genetics.
"Exploring Our
Molecular Selves"
Introduction to
genetics
Chromosome and
DNA
DNA replication
Transcription
Translation
Complete molecular
genetics. A series of 41
animated tutorials
A computer-animated
video illustrating the
basic components and
principles of molecular
biology.
Flash introductions to
DNA and Genetics
Chromatin animation
 Cold Spring Harbor Lab. http://www.dnaftb.org/dnaftb
 National Human Genome Research Institute.
http://www.genome.gov/Pages/EducationKit/
 GlaxoSmithKline.
http://www.genetics.gsk.com/overview.htm
 Cold Spring Harbor Lab: DNAi. http://www.dnai.org/a/
 Cold Spring Harbor Lab: DNAi. http://www.dnai.org/a/
A real-time animation
 Cold Spring Harbor Lab: DNAi. http://www.dnai.org/a/
A real-time animation
 Cold Spring Harbor Lab: DNAi. http://www.dnai.org/a/
A real-time animation.
Simple translation
movie animation.
 Tom Diab. http://www.toppermost.biz/index2.html
Simple animation of
whole process.
Animated graphic tRNA
 University of California.
Molecular genetics “Learning to read the
http://www.ucsd.tv/sciencematters/
lecture
molecular book of life”.
26 minutes Real Player
video stream
 University of California.
The Code of Life
Illustrated lecture in
http://www.ucsd.tv/sciencematters/lesson1-col.shtml
lecture
English or Spanish
 More Molecular Biology, Biotechnology & Gene Technology
AG/June 2003
The Blackpool Sixth Form College
PCR
Polymerase chain
reaction animation – 2
choices
Electrophoresis
Preparing and running
an agarose gel.
Agarose gel run
animation.
DNA
fingerprinting
“DNA Detective”.
Description of the
technique and three
actual cases.
DNA microarray
methodology animation
DNA chip
Virtual Brewery
Outline of the brewing
Tour
process
 Genetics & Selection
Your genes, your
A multimedia guide to
health
genetic disorders.
Includes haemophilia,
PKU & sickle cell.
Genetic
counselling
Genetics and
selection
A role-playing activity
based on sickle cell
disease
Rabbit genetics
simulation
Bug Lab
Evolution simulation
 Cold Spring Harbor Lab.
http://www.dnalc.org/resources/BiologyAnimationLibr
ary.htm
 At-Bristol. http://www.atbristol.org.uk/stirring/schools.htm
 Wellesley College.
http://www.wellesley.edu/Biology/Concepts/Neuro_L
ab_Videos/movieDissections.html
 DJGood. http://wwwunix.oit.umass.edu/~ansc311/agarose_gel.swf
 Cold Spring Harbor Lab.
http://www.dnalc.org/shockwave/dnadetective.html
 Davidson College.
http://www.bio.davidson.edu/courses/genomics/chip/
chip.html
 Belhaven Breweries.
http://www.belhaven.co.uk/index01.html
 Cold Spring Harbor Lab.
http://www.yourgenesyourhealth.org/
 Channel 4 learning.
http://www.channel4.com/learning/microsites/G/gen
etics/activities/chrom11.html
 University of Cambridge.. http://ital.uclesred.cam.ac.uk/enigma/simulations/rabbits/rabbits.ht
ml
 Channel 4 learning.
http://www.channel4.com/learning/microsites/G/gen
etics/activities/buglab.html
 Biochemistry
Enzymes
Enzymes
Simple enzyme action
animation, effects of
heat, denaturation.
Simple enzyme action
animation, competitive
inhibition, noncompetitive inhibition
 R.G.Steane.
http://web.ukonline.co.uk/webwise/spinneret/ (use
site search)
Flash animations,
mostly from UCLan
Nerve impulse
animation
10 Flash animations.
 University of Central Lancashire.
http://www.uclan.ac.uk/clt/p_intro/jb/framset1.htm
 Dr John Mynett, Watford Girls Grammar School
http://biologyzone.port5.com/downloads.htm
 Physiology
Nerve physiology
Nervous system
Neurobiology
Animated tutorials.
Muscle
contraction
The heart
Sliding filament
animation
The cardiac cycle
animation and graphs.
Interactive heart.
Circulation
Blood flow animation.
Embryology
Human embryo
development morph.
Frames of stages
 Dissection
Virtual dissections
AG/June 2003
The pig
The frog
 http://www.biology4all.com/resources_library/63.asp
 http://www.blackwellscience.com/matthews/animate.
html
 http://www.sumanasinc.com/webcontent/anisamples/
neurobiology/neurobiology.html
 http://edcenter2.sdsu.edu/viz/movies.html (Other
movies at this url)
 Knowledge Weavers. http://wwwmedlib.med.utah.edu/kw/pharm/
 New Media. http://www.newmedia.co.uk/scienceyear/heart.asp
 HowStuffWorks.
http://www.howstuffworks.com/sportsphysiology.htm
 Uni of Michigan.
http://embryo.soad.umich.edu/index.html
 http://www.whitman.edu/biology/vpd/main.html
 http://www.froguts.com/
The Blackpool Sixth Form College
 Health & Disease
Immune system
Monoclonal
antibodies
Parasites &
pathogens
The inflammatory
response
One of a set of animated
tutorials, mostly above
A level.
Malaria infection cycle –
a simple and a more
complex animation
Parasites &
pathogens
Virus replication cycle
animation.
Life cycle of HIV.
Your genes, your
health
 Plant Physiology
Photosynthesis
animations
See above
Photosynthesis
simulation
 http://www.sumanasinc.com/webcontent/anisamples/
dynamicillustrations/inflammatory.html
 http://www.sumanasinc.com/webcontent/animation.h
tml
 http://www.liquidjigsaw.com/animation/anim_intro.ht
m
 http://www.sumanasinc.com/scienceinfocus/sif_malari
a.html
 http://www.liquidjigsaw.com/animation/anim_intro.ht
m
 http://www.sumanasinc.com/webcontent/anisamples/
microbiology/hiv.html
Light reactions,
The Calvin cycle,
Photosynthometer
Simulation of classic
Elodea experiments
 John Mynett, Biology4all.
http://www.biology4all.com/resources_library/source
/61c.swf
A large collection of
animated gifs, including:
cloning, muscle
contraction, fertilization,
infection by HIV,
meiosis, neuromuscular
junction, osmosis in red
blood cells,
photosynthesis, Pacinian
corpuscle & nerve
impulse, cellular
respiration
Various movie
animations, including
enzymes & dissection
videos
 Tom Diab. http://www.toppermost.biz/index2.html
 University of Cambridge. http://ital.uclesred.cam.ac.uk/enigma/simulations/elodea/elodea.ht
ml
 Various
Simplified Science
Animations
Biology concepts
 Wellesley College.
http://www.wellesley.edu/Biology/Concepts/Concepts
_in_Biology.html
Technical notes
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level in that web site. Please contact me if you find dead links.
Apologies for missing credits.
Useful web sites for Biology - AQA spec B
General websites for getting information
Web address
http://www.nhm.ac.uk/
AG/June 2003
Title
The Natural History
Museum Home Page
Brief description
Really worth looking at –
all kinds of information
The Blackpool Sixth Form College
http://www.ncbe.reading.ac.u
k/menu.html
The National Centre for
Biotechnology
Education Home Page
http://www.biology4all.com/
http://wsrv.clas.virginia.edu/
~rjh9u/sites.html
Biology links
available
Mainly about DNA,
microbiology and
biotechnology but there
are lots of interesting links
to Biology sites in general
Site with lots of biology
links, hosted by University
of Central Lancashire
Gives lots of links to
Biology sites, listed under
different categories
AS Module 1 – Core Principles
Web address
Title
http://www.cellsalive.com/ Cells Alive!
http://koning.ecsu.ctstateu.
edu/cell/Cell.html
Typical Plant Cell
http://www.jonmaber.dem
on.co.uk/monosaccharide/
http://www.biology.arizon
a.edu/cell_bio/cell_bio.ht
ml
http://faculty.nl.edu/jste/tra
nsport.htm
http://www.biology.arizon
a.edu/biochemistry/bioche
mistry.html
Monosaccharide browser
Brief description
Lots of information about
all kinds of cells
An interactive site where
you can click on any bit of
the cell and find out more
about it
Space-filling models of
monosaccharides
The Biology Project: Cell
Biology
Cell transport
Good descriptions and
pictures
The Biology Project:
Biochemistry
AS Module 2 – Genes and Genetic Engineering
Web address
http://vector.cshl.org/dnaft
b/
http://www.thetech.org/ex
hibits_events/online/geno
me/
http://www.biology.arizon
a.edu/molecular_bio/molec
ular_bio.html
http://www.unc.edu/depts/
salmlab/mitosis/mitosislin
ks.html
AG/June 2003
Title
DNA from the beginning
Brief description
DNA is an instruction
manual
The Biology Project:
Molecular Biology
Mitosis and meiosis links
many links to pages
covering mitosis and
meiosis - some good
The Blackpool Sixth Form College
animations
quizzes and photographs
http:www.biology.arizona. Online onion root tips
Work through an onion
edu/cell_bio/activities/cell
root tip and identify the
_cycle/cell_cycle.html
stages of mitosis the
different cells are in. If
you get it wrong, you’re
told!
http://faculty.nl.edu/jste/mi Mitosis
A stage by stage
tosis.htm#surface
explanation of mitosis
http://vector.cshl.org/Shoc PCR animation
From the DNA Learning
kwave/pcranwhole.html
Center, Cold Spring
Harbor. Excellent PCR
animation – needs
Shockwave plug-in
http://vector.cshl.org/Shoc Cycle sequencing
From the DNA Learning
kwave/cycseq.html
Center, Cold Spring
Harbor. Excellent cycle
sequencing animation –
needs Shockwave plug-in
http://vector.cshl.org/resou DNA detective
Use your knowledge of
rces/dnadetective.html
DNA to be a detective –
but you need the right
plug-in
http://vector.cshl.org/biofo The Mystery of the
Use your knowledge of
rms
Romanovs
DNA to solve this mystery
– but you need the right
plug-in
http://www.biology.arizon Blackett Family DNA
Learn the concepts and
a.edu/human_bio/activities activity
techniques behind DNA
/blackett/introduction.html
profiling and use them to
determine family
relationships
http://www.biointeractive. HHMI Virtual Bacterial ID An interactive program in
org/grants/lectures/biointer Lab
a virtual lab where you
active/vlabs.html
have to identify different
species of bacteria based
on their DNA sequence.
This includes using PCR
and DNA sequencing.
http://www.sci.sdsu.edu/m Mitosis
Interactive mitosis tutorial
ultimedia/mitosis/
http://129.137.140.39/vgen Mitosis and meiosis
etic/mitosis/mitosis.htm
Virtual mitosis and
meiosis
http://www.biology.arizon The Biology Project:
a.edu/molecular_bio/molec Molecular Biology
AG/June 2003
The Blackpool Sixth Form College
ular_bio.html
AS Module 3 – Physiology and Transport
Web address
http://sin.fi.edu/biosci/hear
t.html
Title
The Heart: An Online
Exploration
http://cer.hs.washington.ed
u/John/start.htm
Introduction to Blood
http://www.botany.hawaii.
edu/faculty/webb/BOT410
/Roots/roots.htm
Roots
Brief description
Learn about the heart, how
it works, and the blood
system and blood vessels.
Find out how to have a
healthy heart and monitor
your heart’s health.
Useful introduction to
blood and the blood
system
A2 Module 4 – Energy, Control and Continuity
Web address
http://www.exploratorium.
edu/learning_studio/cow_e
ye/index.html
Title
Cow’s eye dissection
http://www.biology.arizon
a.edu/immunology/immun
ology.html
http://www.sonic.net/~nbs/
projects/anthro201/exper/
The Biology Project:
Microbiology and
Immunology
Pea experiment
http://www.biology.arizon
a.edu/human_bio/problem
_sets/blood_types/intro.ht
ml
http://kauai.cudenver.edu:
3010/0/nutrition.dir/cellres
p.html
Blood types tutorial
AG/June 2003
Brief description
Dissect a cow’s eye. The
site also has many
interesting links and a
small interactive program
teaching about the parts of
the eye.
This web site has an
interactive pea-breeding
experiment, where you can
breed your own hybrid pea
plants! You choose two
parents to breed from, and
end up with four offspring.
You then choose two of
these to interbreed, and so
on…..
Cellular respiration
The Blackpool Sixth Form College
http://biotech.icmb.utexas.
edu/glycolysis/glycohome.
html
http://faculty.nl.edu/jste/ph
otosynthesis.htm
http://www.netspace.org/
MendelWeb/
http://faculty.washington.e
du/chudler/neurok.html
Glycolysis – the universal
energy pathway
http://www.biology.arizon
a.edu/mendelian_genetics/
mendelian_genetics.html
The Biology Project:
Mendelian Genetics
Photosynthesis
Animations of
photosynthesis
Mendelweb home page
Neuroscience for Kids
Lots of information and
interactive sites about
neuroscience – not all of it
is A level, but there’s
plenty which you will find
both useful and interesting
A2 Module 5 – Environment
Web address
Title
Brief description
A2 Module 6 – Applied Ecology
Web address
Title
Brief description
A2 Module 7 – Microbes and Disease
Web address
http://www.tulane.edu/~d
msander/WWW/Coursewa
re.html
http://www.accessexcellen
ce.org/AB/GG/biotechnolo
gy.html
http://www.brewingtechni
ques.com/library/backissue
s/issue2.5/allen.html
http://commtechlab.msu.ed
u/sites/dic-me/zoo/
http://www.microbeworld.
AG/June 2003
Title
All the virology on the
world wide web
Brief description
Lots of information about
all kinds of viruses
Biotechnology:present and
future
The Microbrewery tutorial
The Microbe Zoo
MicrobeWorld is your
The Blackpool Sixth Form College
org/
http://www.demon.co.uk/s
cotcal/murray/index.html
http://www.milk.co.uk/
gateway to the world
Murray’s identity crisis
http://www.pfizer.com/rd/
microbes/
http://www.biology.arizon
a.edu/immunology/immun
ology.html
http://www.tulane.edu/~d
msander/Big_Virology/BV
HomePage.html
http://www.medmicro.mds
.qmw.ac.uk/underground/
http://www.biointeractive.
org/grants/lectures/biointer
active/Antibiotics_Attack/f
rameset.html
http://www.biointeractive.
org/grants/lectures/biointer
active/vlabs.html
Pfizer microbes site
http://falcon.cc.ukans.edu/
~jbrown/bugs.html
The National Dairy
Council
All sorts of information,
like how yoghurt and
cheese are made, as well
as career information
The Biology Project:
Microbiology and
Immunology
The big picture book of
viruses
The Microbial
Underground
Antibiotics Attack
Tutorial on antibiotics and
how they work
HHMI Virtual Bacterial ID An interactive program in
Lab
a virtual lab where you
have to identify different
species of bacteria based
on their DNA sequence.
This includes using PCR
and DNA sequencing.
Bugs in the news
A2 Module 8 – Behaviour and Populations
Web address
Title
Brief description
Web-sites of general interest
Web address
http://george.lbl.gov/ITG.h
m.pg.docs/dissect/info.htm
l
http://medicus.marshall.ed
u/medicus.htm
AG/June 2003
Title
Virtual frog dissection kit
The Interactive Patient
Home Page
Brief description
Have a go at dissecting a
frog – without causing it
any harm!
An interactive site where
you are given a patient,
and you have to be the
The Blackpool Sixth Form College
http://powayusd.sdcoe.k12
.ca.us/ewe2/
Ewe 2
http://www.austmus.gov.a
u/fish/dissect/
http://gened.emc.maricopa.
edu/bio/bio181/BIOBK/Bi
oBookTOC.html
http://rpiwww.mdacc.tmc.
edu:80/se/anatomy/
Dissection of a blue
mackerel
Online Biology Book
Human dissections
doctor and diagnose
what’s wrong!
Interactive case study
exploring the ethics of
cloning humans
A general fish dissection
Good for extension
reading, yet quite
accessible
The first page shows you
an outline human – click
on a bit of the anatomy to
view a dissection of that
area
http://www.biozone.co.nz/ Human evolution
HUMAN_EVOLUTION.h
tml
http://www.acs.ucalgary.ca The Virtual Embryo
/~browder/
http://www.talkorigins.org Prominent hominid fossils
/faqs/homs/specimen.html
AG/June 2003
The Blackpool Sixth Form College