Biology

Collagen | Secrets of Skin

Collagen makes up 90% of the skin dermis. Professor Ben Garrod talks to a scientist studying collagen whose research has some ground-breaking appl...

Elastin | Secrets of Skin

Why do we get wrinkles? Professor Ben Garrod explores the function of elastin in an animal's skin.

Epidermis | Secrets of Skin

Professor Ben Garrod gives a brief introduction to the structure of skin, especially the epidermis.

All life needs water | Bitesize Science

Osmosis is a special type of diffusion, involving water, where molecules move from a high to a low concentration.

Beneath the surface | Bitesize Science

Microscopes continue to develop over time, giving us access to increasingly incredible magnification.

What makes up a cell? | Short Circuit

A computer simulation of a cell allows us to see the structure of a cell close-up.

Growing bacteria | Bitesize Science

Bacteria reproduce by cloning themselves, and in the right conditions can reproduce very quickly.

Dance of the chromosomes | Bitesize Science

Mitosis is a type of cell replication that is essential to the human body's ability to grow and repair.

The process of meiosis | Short Circuit

The process of meiosis in sperm and egg cells is explained and illustrated.

The process of mitosis | Short Circuit

The process of mitosis, seen through a microscope, and then illustrated and explained with a computer simulation.

How cancer changes our cells | Bang Goes the Theory

Liz Bonnin explains and illustrates what it means for a cell to become cancerous.

When a sperm cell meets an egg cell | Inside the Human Body

Using state-of-the-art graphics, Michael Mosley shows what happens in the moments a sperm cell meets an egg cell.

Sperms race to the egg | James May's Things You Need to Know

James May explains the human reproductive system and how sperm reaches the egg.

How is radiotherapy kept safe? | Bang Goes the Theory

Liz Bonnin explains how cells turn cancerous by blowing high-tech bubbles.

03: The Secret of Sex | How to Build a Human

The precise mechanics of human sexual reproduction are revealed,using new technology to produce previously unseen images.

01: Creation | How to Build a Human

Scientists are now at the pivotal moment of being able to unlock the instructions hidden in the cells of humans.

3: The Spark of Life | The Cell

Adam Rutherford reveals how scientists are close to repeating what has happened only once in four billion years - the creation of a new life ...

2: The Chemistry of Life | The Cell

Adam Rutherford explores how scientists delved deeper into the world of the cell, seeking to reveal the magic ingredient that can bring c...

1: The Hidden Kingdom | The Cell

Adam Rutherford tells the story of the biological cell. He explores how centuries of scientific and religious dogma were overturned by the d...

S2E5: Size Matters | Dara O'Briain's Science Club

Dara and the team reveal why size matters in science and how discoveries large and small are changing the way we view the u...

T Cells | Made of Stronger Stuff

Psychologist Kimberley Wilson and Dr Xand van Tulleken take a journey through the body's immune system and profile a remarkable white blood ...

The role of T cells and antibodies when fighting an infection | Inside the Human Body

Using state-of-the-art graphics, Michael Mosley explains what happens when a virus ente...

An introduction to phagocytes | Inside the Human Body

Michael Mosley looks at how white blood cells, called phagocytes, fight bacteria inside our blood.

Antibacterial resistance | Bang Goes the Theory

A demonstration of how bacteria can become resistant to antibiotics.

S7E2 | Bang Goes the Theory

In response to recent fears about the future of antibiotics, the Bang Goes the Theory team investigates germs and infection.

The process of healing a wound | Inside the Human Body

Using state-of-the-art graphics, Michael Mosley illustrates what happens inside the body in response to a wound or inj...

What happens when you get a cold? | James May's Things You Need to Know

James May asks the big questions about his body. Why are we made like this? In this clip, he explains...

Defeating superbugs | Dara O'Briain's Science Club

Could it be, that of all people, the Victorians had the answer to defeating superbugs all along?

Episode 6 | Your Body Uncovered with Kate Garraway

Kate and Guddi meet Paul, a dad of two who has been dealing with the aftermath of a severe stroke, and Janet, whose back p...

Episode 5 | Your Body Uncovered with Kate Garraway

Kate and Guddi meet Miriam, a young woman with debilitating endometriosis, as she comes face to face with the source of he...

Episode 4 | Your Body Uncovered with Kate Garraway

Kate and Dr Guddi meet Tina, whose adventurous lifestyle has ground to a halt because of a spine problem, and Annabelle, w...

Episode 3 | Your Body Uncovered with Kate Garraway

Kate meets Judith, a singer struggling with a thyroid nodule affecting her voice, as well as Melina, whose favourite foods...

Episode 2 | Your Body Uncovered with Kate Garraway

Kate meets Rozi, a doting grandmother to 23 grandchildren, who tries to understand why Covid-19 hit her so hard, as well a...

Episode 1 | Your Body Uncovered with Kate Garraway

Kate and Guddi meet Hilda, a fashion influencer suffering from fibroids who confronts her debilitating condition, as well ...

4: Behaviour | Extra Life: A Short History of Living Longer

Documentary series about the effect of medicine on life expectancy. How the readiness of communities to engage wi...

3: Data | Extra Life: A Short History of Living Longer

Documentary series about the effect of medicine on life expectancy. Before a vaccine or an effective treatment can com...

2: Medical Drugs | Extra Life: A Short History of Living Longer

Documentary series about the effect of medicine on life expectancy. How knowledge gained from the discovery o...

1: Vaccines | Extra Life: A Short History of Living Longer

Documentary series about the effect of medicine on life expectancy. How the development and delivery of the smallp...

S2E6: The Immune System | Dr Alice Roberts: Don't Die Young

Dr Alice Roberts endures a terrifying test to see how well her immune system works and swab analysis at a student...

3: Poison | Pain, Pus and Poison: The Search for Modern Medicines

Dr Michael Mosley explores how scientists went from finding antidotes to poisons to applying poisons as cur...

Vavilov and the first seed banks | Botany: A Blooming History

Nikolai Vavilov’s work crossing plant varieties led him to establish the first seed bank.

Variation, inheritance and the work of Mendel | Botany: A Blooming History

How pioneer botanists opened the door to a new branch of science - plant genetics.

Why can we classify species? | Botany: A Blooming History

Timothy Walker explores how Darwin's Theory of Evolution influenced 19th century botanists' understanding of how an...

The first hybrid plant | Botany: A Blooming History

Thomas Fairchild was the first to artificially cross two plant species and produce a new hybrid plant. This brought him i...

The standardisation of names | Botany: A Blooming History

Timothy Walker looks at how Carl Linnaeus came up with his new naming system for plant species, and how it set the ...

The first classification of plants | Botany: A Blooming History

Timothy Walker explores the beginnings of the classification of plants.

Variation and defining species | Botany: A Blooming History

Timothy Walker looks at John Ray's discovery of variation, and how it formed the basis of our understanding of pl...

S4E6 | Bang Goes the Theory

Liz Bonnin looks at the controversial science of genetically modified crops in Hawaii, while Dallas tries to remedy Jem's dust allergy by making ...

Genetically Modified Papaya | Bang Goes the Theory

An examination of the need for, and the potential issues with, the genetic modification of papayas in Hawaii.

Artificial selection | Short Circuit

The breeding of racehorses with desirable characteristics is an example of artificial selection.

Dominant and recessive genes | Short Circuit

A simple, illustrated explanation of how dominant and recessive genes determine characteristics in animals.

Dominant and recessive genes | James May's Things You Need to Know

James May explains DNA and dominant and recessive genes.

What contributions has The Human Genome Project made? | Dara O'Briain's Science Club

When the human genome was sequenced, it was heralded as one of the most significant even...

How many genes do we have compared to a banana? | Dara O'Briain's Science Club

Dara O'Briain explores how many genes humans have in common with mice, fruit flies, and bananas.

The development of artificial selection in farming | Science of the Harvest

Stefan Gates reveals the ways in which plant breeders can speed up natural selection.

The Making of Man's Best Friend | Dog Tales and Cat Tales

The latest archaeology and genetics answer the biggest questions about dogs. Where did they come from? How can they...

How does the fossil record prove evolution | Short Circuit

Angela Milner of the Natural History Museum shows examples of fossils which record the evolutionary changes that h...

How does inheritance work? | Dara O'Briain's Science Club

The Beasts Within | Walking with Beasts

A look behind the scenes at the making of the series on prehistoric mammals. TV special effects show how Man's dextrous hands & expre...

Triumph of the Beasts | Walking with Beasts

The incredible story of how mammals took over from the dinosaurs as the largest, fastest and fiercest creatures on Earth.

The function of the kidneys | Short Circuit

The function of the kidneys in the body and how they work, including a cast showing the blood vessel structure.

Rods, cones & 3D vision | James May's Things You Need to Know

James May asks the big questions about his body. Why are we made like this? In this clip, he explores cones, ro...

Enzyme power and food as fuel | Bitesize Science

Enzymes are biological catalysts which help us to get the energy we need from food to survive.

The large intestine | Guts: The Strange and Wonderful World of the Human Stomach

A camera travels through the last part of the digestive system and explores the role of the ...

The brain in our gut | Guts: The Strange and Wonderful World of the Human Stomach

Our intestines are remarkable similar to that of a pigs.

The small intestine | Guts: The Strange and Wonderful World of the Human Stomach

A camera travels through the digestive system and shows the frenzy of digestion within the s...

Digestive powers | Guts: The Strange and Wonderful World of the Human Stomach

The digestive powers of the gastric juices within the human stomach are tested.

How food and oxygen combine to provide energy to work the body | Inside the Human Body

Using state-of-the-art graphics, Michael Mosley explains what happens to food inside o...

Journey through guts | Dara O'Briain's Science Club

A camera travels through the digestive system.

What does your stomach look like from the inside? | Guts: The Strange and Wonderful World of the Human Stomach

Michael Mosley finds out what happens inside our stomachs by s...

Blood Vessels | Bitesize Science

A short guide on blood vessels in the body.

The circulatory system | Bitesize Science

A short guide on the circulatory system.

The life cycle of a red blood cell | Inside the Human Body

Using state-of-the-art graphics, Michael Mosley shows the journey of a red blood cell through the body.

Collagen | Secrets of Skin

Collagen makes up 90% of the skin dermis. Professor Ben Garrod talks to a scientist studying collagen whose research has some ground-breaking appl...

Elastin | Secrets of Skin

Why do we get wrinkles? Professor Ben Garrod explores the function of elastin in an animal's skin.

Epidermis | Secrets of Skin

Professor Ben Garrod gives a brief introduction to the structure of skin, especially the epidermis.

The Spine | Made of Stronger Stuff

Psychologist Kimberley Wilson and Dr Xand van Tulleken take a journey around the human body. In this episode, it's the turn of the backbon...

Light receptors | Inside the Human Body

There are two types of light receptors within the retina responsible for detecting and processing light: the rods and the cones.

Alcohol | The Truth About...

A&E doctor Javid Abdelmoneim is on a mission to find out the truth about alcohol, including why the government cut the recommended weekly limit ...

04: Living Forever | How to Build a Human

The solution to ageing may be in sight with the discovery that a vital gas is the chief culprit, while a drug claims to double life...

Salt in the ocean | Royal Institution Christmas Lectures

Dr Helen Czerski investigates the salt in the ocean.

Volcanoes and the carbon cycle | Royal Institution Christmas Lectures

Professor Chris Jackson explains the important role that volcanoes play in the carbon cycle.

Episode 3 | Lost Land of the Volcano

A team of scientists and film-makers explores the jungle wilderness of New Guinea.

Episode 2 | Lost Land of the Volcano

A team of scientists and film-makers explores the jungle wilderness of New Guinea.

Lost Land of the Volcano

A team of scientists and film-makers explores the jungle wilderness of New Guinea.

Human impact | Highlands - Scotland's Wild Heart

The impact of human life on marine seabirds is quite apparent as the seas warm. This has encouraged different types of fish ...

Rewilding | Highlands - Scotland's Wild Heart

Rewilding and reintroducing species to Scotland is controversial and while there are benefits, it is the people of Scotland who...

Regenerating forests | Highlands - Scotland's Wild Heart

After centuries of neglect, the ancient forests of the Highlands are in need of help to naturally regenerate.

Scottish wild cat | Highlands - Scotland's Wild Heart

Due to diluting with domestic cats, the true genes of the Scottish wild cat are scarce. This has lead to a specific bre...

Caring for reindeer | Highlands - Scotland's Wild Heart

Highlanders help maintain the reindeer population, who are very docile, bringing in tourism to the local area through...

Public engagement | Highlands - Scotland's Wild Heart

Public engagement has been vital in succeeding at conservation as it spreads knowledge and awareness about the plight o...

Conserving ospreys | Highlands - Scotland's Wild Heart

Due to egg collectors, the osprey was on the brink extinction until the 1950's when conservation began and they reappe...

Black grouse | Highlands - Scotland's Wild Heart

As the snow clears, male black grouse with wheezing calls and plumped up feathers battle to gain the best ground for courtship.

Northern lights | Highlands - Scotland's Wild Heart

As the Winter solstice approaches, the Northern Lights becomes visible.

Ptarmigans | Highlands - Scotland's Wild Heart

As the Winter snow settles, ptarmigans plumage turns white for camouflage and they stick close to the Scottish skiers as then ...

Lost seal pups | Highlands - Scotland's Wild Heart

When moving around the beach, its easy to become lost as a seal pup. Trying to find mum can be fraught with attacks from o...

Salmon breeding | Highlands - Scotland's Wild Heart

The female digs a small hole in the bottom of the river to lay her eggs, protecting them and preparing them for fertilisa...

Grey seals | Highlands - Scotland's Wild Heart

Grey seal clans are controlled by one male who is in charge of a harem of females when settled on the beach, and none of the y...

Hoarding squirrels | Highlands - Scotland's Wild Heart

One red squirrel's hard hoarding work, marking and burying food for winter, is all undone by a rival who follows her a...

Reindeer fight | Highlands - Scotland's Wild Heart

A young reindeer challenges the older male for alpha status.

The Lungs | Made of Stronger Stuff

Psychologist Kimberley Wilson and Dr Xand van Tulleken take a journey around the human body. In this episode it's the turn of the airbags,...

Trees and carbon dioxide | Making Scotland's Landscape

The important role that trees play in clearing carbon dioxide.

Photosynthisis | Bitesize Science

Photosynthesis is essential to life on this planet.

Generation of clean fuels | Botany: A Blooming History

Scientists harnessing the processes in photosynthesis.

Calvin-Benson cycle | Botany: A Blooming History

How Benson and Calvin established the biochemical reactions involved in photosynthesis.

How photosynthesis is vital to the success of farming | Science of the Harvest

Stefan Gates reveals how we can see photosynthesis in action using some simple props.

The discovery of chloroplast | Botany: A Blooming History

Timothy Walker explains how Julius von Sachs discovered where starch was made in a plant, and how new microscopy te...

How iodine was used to discover starch in plant leaves | Botany: A Blooming History

How botanists made the connection between a plant's growth and the energy from the sun.

An introduction to photosynthesis | Short Circuit

An introduction to how plants photosynthesise using chlorophyll, and how important the process is in maintaining the balanc...

1: Life From Light | How to Grow a Planet

How plants have driven the greatest changes to the Earth. Prof Iain Stewart shows how they first harnessed light from the sun and c...

2: Photosynthesis | Botany: A Blooming History

The air we breathe, and all the food we eat, is created from water, sunlight, carbon dioxide and a few minerals. That's it, no...

Getting Fit | The Truth About...

Michael Mosley teams up with scientists whose latest research is turning common knowledge about fitness on its head to separate fact from fi...

Calories | The Truth About...

Dr Chris van Tulleken investigates Britain's favourite foods to discover the truth about calories and shows how we can all be healthier by eati...

How commercial growers apply knowledge of photosynthesis | Botany: A Blooming History

Spec references J247: B1.4e J250: B1.4e. How commercial growers increase the amount of ...

Photosynthesis research by Julius von Sachs | Botany: A Blooming History

Spec references J247: B1.4d. Experiment by Julius von Sachs which involves testing for starch in lea...

Photosynthesis research by Jan Ingenhouz | Botany: A Blooming History

Spec references J247: B1.4d J250: B1.4d. How Jan Ingenhouz researched photosynthesis by putting plants ...

Rate of photosynthesis | i-Science

Photosynthesis is the chemical reaction through which plants make glucose and oxygen. It is crucial to all life on Earth because it is the...

Photosynthesis | Curriculum Bites

Schools science programme where topics in the double science curriculum are broken down into small chunks.

Respiration | Curriculum Bites

Schools science programme where topics in the double science curriculum are broken down into small chunks.

Breathing | Curriculum Bites

Schools science programme where topics in the double science curriculum are broken down into small chunks.

How does inheritance work? | Dara O'Briain's Science Club

The role of the hypothalamus in water levels in blood | Short Circuit

An explanation and visualisation of how the hypothalamus works to control water concentration in the bl...

How the body keeps warm in cold environments | Inside the Human Body

Using state-of-the-art graphics, Michael Mosley shows what happens in our bodies when we get cold.

S2E2: Female Reproductive Organs | Dr Alice Roberts: Don't Die Young

Dr Alice Roberts turns her attention to the female reproductive organs where she uses an MRI scanner to ...

S2E1: Male Reproductive Organs | Dr Alice Roberts: Don't Die Young

In the first of a new series, Dr Alice Roberts explains how the male reproductive organs work and has advi...

S1E1: Reproduction | Dara O'Briain's Science Club

Dara O Briain and a team of experts look at the world of reproduction and inheritance. Comedian Ed Byrne discovers just how...

1: Challenges of Life | Life

David Attenborough examines how living long enough to breed is a monumental struggle, and how many animals and plants go to extremes to give the...

Dementia | The Truth About...

Angela Rippon investigates Alzheimer's disease. She learns how people can help to prevent it, meets some of those who are living with it and ex...

The Menopause | The Truth About...

Mariella Frostrup shares her own experience of the menopause and brings this great taboo out into the open, investigating how the latest s...

Getting Fit at Home | The Truth About...

Mehreen Baig delves into the latest science on home fitness. She reveals why six minutes per week could be enough and why doing too ...

How the body maintains temperature | The Human Body: Secrets of Your Life Revealed

Spec references J247: B3.3b. Experiment to observe change in temperature and how it affect...

How the body responds to extreme temperatures | The Human Body: Secrets of Your Life Revealed

Chris van Tulleken uses a miniature thermometer to explore what happens to his ...

Fear Response | The Human Body: Secrets of Your Life Revealed

Chris van Tulleken accompanies some snake hunters at work, showing what happens inside our bodies when we exper...

The body's response to extreme cold | The Human Body: Secrets of Your Life Revealed

How do our bodies react and respond when we dive into freezing water?

An Introduction to Homeostasis | The Human Body: Secrets of Your Life Revealed

We live on a knife edge, and we are amazingly good at doing it. Chris van Tulleken gives a sim...

Homeostasis in Humans | GCSE Bitesize Revision

Spec references J247: B3.3g, B3.3i, B3.3j. Summary of homeostasis including removal of waste products, managing water levels, ...

Homeostasis | GCSE Bitesize Revision

Spec references J247: B3.3a, B3.3b, B3.3c, B3.3d, B3.3e, B3.3g, B3.3j. Higher paper content for homeostasis. Structure of the kidney, ho...

Let's Talk About Periods | Newsround Specials

Half of the world's population have periods - yet people are often embarrassed to talk about them. Lauren Layfield meets expert...

Hormone Hell | Body Chemistry

Bodily hormones tell us it's still the Stone Age and that if life was simpler, such torments as puberty, PMT and the menopause wouldn't be a pr...

What are hormones? | The Fantastical World of Hormones with Professor John Wass

Professor John Wass gives a simple introduction to hormones, what they are, and how they work...