MICROORGANISMS and DISEASE BOOKLET

This booklet is not intended to be used as a student text but to provide the teacher with sufficient background material to be able to teach the Microorganisms and Disease in Humans topic in the GCSE Science: Biology syllabus with confidence. It is, however, entirely at the teacher's discretion as to how the book is used in practice.

Edexcel Foundation is grateful to Dr. John M. Grainger, of the School of Animal & Microbiological Sciences, the University of Reading, who read most of the typescript on behalf of the Microbiology In Schools Advisory Committee (MISAC) and made a number of corrections and helpful suggestions. A draft copy of this document was also commented upon by the CLEAPSS School Science Service. Any inaccuracies in the published version remain the responsibility of Edexcel Foundation.

Whatever use is made of this booklet, it is hoped that it proves helpful and informative.

This Teacher Support booklet, produced for the 'Microorganisms and Disease in Humans' section of syllabus 1026 Science: Biology, like its companion for the 'Biotechnology in Food Production' section, is intended to assist teachers in the effective delivery of the syllabus content, at an appropriate level and against a background of limited time and resources. Help is offered by indicating a suitable level of treatment, possible sequencing, suggestions for activities, homework and sources of information and materials. Background text, which does not form part of the syllabus requirements, is included; much of this is at a level appropriate to discussion with GCSE students and some may help in answering their queries. Protocols are provided for a number of basic practical exercises. Some of these activities lend themselves to assessment of coursework, but the pinpointing of these opportunities is left to teachers.

Somewhat less background and source material is offered here than in the companion booklet, largely because the field is developing at a less frenetic pace so that a higher proportion of relevant material is available in standard texts. Editions of well known standard GCSE/GCE Biology/Human Biology/Social Biology texts which pre-date the introduction of the National Curriculum are a source of much useful, and still valid, information which has not been included in more recent publications. Current GCE ' A' level texts carry much useful information which is a valuable resource for teachers' use, though this material requires careful selective editing before use with GCSE students.

It is envisaged that with Higher tier Students, and depending upon the experimental and investigative work undertaken, approximately 12-16 hours of teaching time will be required for this section of the extension material.

Sequencing

The heavy involvement of microorganisms in both sections of the GCSE Science: Biology subject extension material means that there are strong links between them. There are advantages in delivering the 'Microorganisms and Disease in Humans' section before 'Biotechnology in Food Production' since it offers students the opportunity to acquire an understanding of the nature and activities of microorganisms and of topics such as asepsis and the production of penicillin in a fermenter. In this way, smooth and logical progression can be achieved between the two subject extension sections. Alternatively, it is perfectly feasible to extract parts of the extension sections to be dealt with at appropriate points in the core material. For example, treatment of certain aspects of immunity, in the extension, could be integrated with the material on combating infection required by the core syllabus content.

The order in which the material is presented in this booklet broadly parallels that in the syllabus and, where the section is to be approached as a whole, represents one possible teaching sequence.