Biodesk

1. Investigate how the thickness of a human hair relates to strength
2. Is difference in width of dark bands on hoverflies living in cold and warm conditions a significant feature
3.  
   variations in vital capacity in individuals of the same age.(Click for data).
4. relationship between vital capacity & body mass or height.(Click for data). 
5. relationship between blood pressure and breathing rate..(and maybe also pulse rate?)(Click for data).
6. blood donation/menstruation and effects on blood pressure
7. vital capacity between the sexes..
8. effects of exercise on composition of expired air..
9. variations in resting pulse rates in different age groups (Click for data).
10. changes in pulse rate in response to varying workloads (e.g. step test/bicycle ergometer..)
11. differences in pulse rate between students who exercise regularly and those who do not .(Click for data). 
12. Differences in pulse rates between the sexes (Click for data).
13. effects of caffeine/alcohol on pulse rate(careful-relate it to the specification!)
14. relationship between lung capacity and cigarette smoking.(Click for data). 
15. relationship between heart rate and cigarette smoking (Click for data).
16. Does recovery time after exercise vary in the same individual? This could involve a study of any of a number of variables e.g.: time of day (circadian rhythms)
17. Ability of sections of artery and vein to stretch and recover when a force/weight is applied.
18. Does the strength of human hair relate to thickness?
19. There is no quantifiable difference between human males and females. (Requires great care with planning, standardisation and statistics).
20. Judgement of distance is/is not better with two eyes than one.....
21. Reaction time- does it vary through the day?
22. Does fish eating improve mental performance? (See this link for a student's attempt at this
23. Effects of smoking on nervous response(eg reaction time)
24. Does subcutaneous fat level increase with age? (acknowledgement to EdExcel)
25. Can aerobic training increase vital capacity?(acknowledgement to EdExcel)
26. How does anaerobic conditioning affect muscle strength?(-acknowledgement to EdExcel)
27. Relationship between body fat content & body mass index(acknowldgement to EdExcel)

Cell and molecular biology topics

1. Factors affecting relative activity of immobilised enzymes..eg bead size or flow rate or temperature or substrate concentration or vessel shape (use one only!)
2. Comparing antibacterial action of (eg) Strepsils vs Fishermens Friends
3. Comparing antibacterial action of (eg) TCP vs Aspirin/disprin or similar   
4. Which is the cheapst bug killer? Cost effectiveness comparison of antibacterials (eg those in the previous two suggestions.
5. Factors affecting the production of simple sugars through the malting of barley grains...  
6. Factors maximising alcohol yield from (eg) fruit juices or grains or potato.. could use a single yeast strain OR more than one(but don't overdo it!). 
7. Are there differences in water potential between fruit at different ripenesses? Or in potatoes as they sprout? (Many do between Feb-April)
8. Effect of fruit ripening on concentration of reducing sugars(a variation on the previous suggestion)This one is a very tricky one to carry out!
9. Effect of fruit ripening on the concentration of proteolytic enzyme in pineapples.(This digests gelatin)
10. Factors affecting tomato seed germination. Does washing, treatment/removal of testa affect it? (You'll need to research and suggest reasons!).
11. The rate of fermentation of various carbohydrate(e.g. lactose/glucose/starch/sugar etc. etc.) by yeast(or their growth). Could relate to several themes including respiration.
12. Effects of alcohol on yeast respiration
13. Effects of different alcohols on yeast respiration
14. Action of inhibitors on the activity of the enzyme succinic dehydrogenase obtained from plant tissue. Possible inhibitors include silver nitrate and malonic acid.
15. Effect of sodium chloride on amylase
16. Effects of temperature or pH on enzyme activity.Careful! Needs great refinement and originality to be at all worthwhile!!
17. Effects of calcium chloride on (different) milk clotting enzymes
18. Effects of substrate concentration on enzyme activity. Needs great care to be worthwhile!
19. Other enzyme experiments- see the list of suggested topics in the biology prep room
20. Root tip squashes - but beware! You need to make these quantitative.
21. Effects of different pH solutions on membrane permeability
22. Effects of alcohols on membrane permeability
23. Effects of heat(cooking)/light(storage)/cold(freezing or refrigeration) on vitamin C content in named fruit(ie optimal conditions are...?)
24. Is vitamin C denaturation related to the cooking method (ie boiling, frying, baking). Why?

Ecological and 'outdoor' or fieldwork topics

1. Is the frequency of plants associated with N fixing microorganisms (eg vetches)actually greater in low N soils under natural conditions?
2. Is there a relationship between soil nitrate levels on earthworm numbers/types?
3. Is there a correlation between bird wing movements/flight patterns and other factors?(eg bird size/ground dwellers/diet/normal habitat etc)
4. Successional change following fire (eg after 5 November bonfires?)
5. Zonation. E.g.: types of lichens found at different heights on a (church?)wall. (Effects of exposure to abiotic factors such as weather,sunlight etc. Need considering)
   Click this link for background data
6. Abiotic. E.g.: types of lichens found on different stone surfaces (gravestones may offer a useful undisturbed substrate)Click this link for background data
7. Similar zonation or abiotic studies to the previous two but using algal Pleurococcus spp instead of lichens.
8. Succession. Changes in overall plant diversity as succession proceeds(this could also relate to the effects of management).Click this link for some actual data 
9. Succession. Changes in overall plant diversity at various densities.Click this link for some actual data and suggestions (being updated)
10. Succession. Changes in overall plant diversity as height of tree spp. Increases.Click this link for some suggestions 
11. River studies. Effects of man's activities on the chemistry/biology of the River Great Ouse. (This needs to do much more than "look at" the values at different places)..Click this link for some actual data (being updated)
12. Effects of changed management practices on ecosystems and species diversity. This is a wide ranging field and allows scope for statistical tests and use of diversity indices. Many local possibilities.... changed mowing regimes, changes in the management and grazing at Dunstable Downs, use your eyes!Click this link for some actual data and suggestions (being updated)
13. Nitrate pollution of local streams.Click this link for some actual data (being updated)
14. Assessing the success of quarry reclamation(lots of scope here-there are worked out brickpits as well as the ongoing cycle of quarrying and reclamation at Steetly's Fuller Earth Quarry, Woburn Sands. You need permission.Click this link for background information and suggestions (being updated)
15. Trampling. E.g.: Size/length of Ribwort Plantain leaves on and off a footpath/trodden area.
16. Autecology & shade. E.g.: comparing size(length) of nettle leaves in and out of shade. (This could also involve other factors-e.g. chlorophyll present...chromatography etc)
17. Comparing stomatal density of sun and shade leaves (needs very careful thought to produce worthwhile marks)
18. Comparisons - differences in initial branch height or girth at breast height(GBH) of trees at different densities in a woodland.
19. Comparisons - differences in initial branch height or girth at breast height(GBH) of trees at different locations(e.g. at edges/in shade/in sunlight etc.) in a woodland.
20. Diversity - the edge effect on species diversity at woodland or hedgerow edges compared to the adjacent areas.
21. Adaptation. The relationship between insect colour and the colour of their (most common?) habitat.
22. Evaluating the merits of physical, chemical and biological water quality indices.
23. Urban air pollution through lichen analysis of masonry of buildings.Click this link for some actual data and suggestions (being updated)
24. Investigating the effects of air pollution on vegetation.
25. Investigating the effects of traffic pollution run-off on vergeside plant succession.