Primary Science

Coming back to life | A Perfect Planet

The Wood frog has an incredible defrosting ability.

The boiling sea | Blue Planet II

Lantern fish provide a rare banquet for some of the ocean’s top predators.

Indigenous communities in the Amazon | Amazon under Threat

Since the election of Jair Bolsonaro as president of Brazil, the protected rainforest reserves of indigenous group...

Trees and carbon | Amazon under Threat

A demonstration of the importance of trees for climate change.

How deforestation in Madagascar is threatening animal habitats | Deadly Dilemmas

UK teenagers witness first hand the major issues Madagascan wildlife is facing. They explore...

Flooded forest | Earth's Great Rivers

Wildlife thrives in the Amazon during the wet season.

Habitat destruction | Extinction: The Facts

The impact of soy consumption on habitats, with a focus on ant eater habitats.

Forest education | Life

In the Sumatran rainforest, a female orangutan still looks after her 6-year-old daughter; it will be another three years before her education is comp...

A salt flat lizard searches for water | Mountain: Life at the Extreme

These lizards rely on flies as their source of food and water.

The importance of giraffes | Natural World

Recent discoveries in giraffe’s movements and behaviours are unveiled.

Biodiversity | Our World

A team of botanists from Kew discuss the importance of protecting biodiversity.

Undiscovered species of plant | Our World

Thousands of undiscovered species, with potentially life saving properties, are at risk due to deforestation in Columbia.

Fungi | Planet Earth

The high humidity of the rainforest creates the ideal environment for life built on decay.

Life in Death Valley | Planet Earth

A single shower can transform Death Valley.

Moisture in the Atacama | Planet Earth

Life exists in a strip of the Atacama Desert due to fog that blows in from the sea.

Winter in Antarctica | Seven Worlds, One Planet

During the winter, Antarctica doubles in size; however, the frozen surface hides a great secret.

The Living Planet: Heights of diversity

Rich jungle habitats reflect the warmth and wetness at the equator.

Life in icy environments | The Secret Life of Ice

Dr Gabrielle Walker investigates how life has evolved in icy underwater environments.

A resilient forest | Life

Two species of tree weather incredibly harsh conditions and seasonal change to ensure their survival.

The importance of animal pollinators and their relation to our fruit harvest | Science of the Harvest

Stefan Gates explores the vital role that bees and other insects play i...

Plant Life | Brain Freeze

Knowles and McCork ask the impossible question 'How many plants are there in the world?'

Flight of the bumblebee | The Private Life of Plants

David Attenborough explores the role of insects, especially bees, in the pollination process.

Cunning Cacti | Life

This cacti deploys a variety of methods to maximise its chances of successful seed dispersal.

The dead-horse arum and the titan arum | The Private Life of Plants

David Attenborough describes how the dead-horse arum and the titan arum are able to reproduce.

Flower power | Life

Flowers lure pollinators to ensure that plants can reproduce.

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 pollination process | The Private Life of Plants

David Attenborough describes the process of pollination and how this helps plants reproduce.

Searching for sunlight | Life

Different species of plants adopt a variety of ingenius techniques to secure much needed sunlight.

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.

Echoes | Nina and the Neurons

Emma wants to know why some places have echoes.

You Could Run at the Speed of Sound? | Hey You, What If?

A fun run goes wrong when one ambitious runner tries running at the speed of sound.

Making Music | Nina and the Neurons

Joel wants to make music, so Nina helps him find household objects that he can use as instruments.

Voice Recording | Brain Freeze

Knowles and McCork ask, why does my voice sound different recorded?

Trumpet | Nina and the Neurons

Luke from Newcastle has had enough of his dad's trumpet practice, so Nina comes to the rescue.

Wakey Wakey | Nina and the Neurons

Nina helps a family who can't hear their alarm and so keep oversleeping.

Shooting Star | Brain Freeze

Knowles and McCork ask the question 'What is a shooting star?'

The Earth Stopped Spinning? | Hey You, What If?

Find out why stopping the earth from spinning isn't such a good idea.

Stars | Nina and the Neurons

When Emma from the Yorkshire Dales asks Nina to find out where stars go during the day, she needs help from Luke, the sight neuron, to find out.

Space | Brain Freeze

Knowles and McCork ask the question 'What is a black hole?'

The Earth Was Flat? | Hey You, What If?

Find out why a flat Earth would feel very unflat indeed!

Space Food | Brain Freeze

Knowles and McCork ask the question 'Could pineapples grow on the moon?'

The Earth Was Shaped Like a Doughnut? | Hey You, What If?

Would it be possible to live on an Earth shaped like a doughnut? You might be surprised!

The Sun | Brain Freeze

Knowles and McCork ask, when will the sun stop shining?

The Moon Was Made of Cheese? | Hey You, What If?

Things don't quite go to plan when the moon turns into cheese.

Time Zone | Brain Freeze

In this time zone special, Knowles and McCork ask 'Why does the Earth spin on its axis?'

You Could Actually Reach for the Stars? | Hey You, What If?

Want to reach for the stars? It would be the journey of a lifetime - literally.

You Could Go on Holiday to Mars? | Hey You, What If?

Experience the ultimate in long-distance travel - a holiday on Mars!

You Could Live on the Moon? | Hey You, What If?

Some day people will live on the moon - find out just what they are in for.

You Could Switch Off the Sun? | Hey You, What If?

See what would happen if you really could switch off the sun.

You Could Take a Lift to Space? | Hey You, What If?

What would happen if there really was a lift that took you all the way up to space?

You Fell Into a Black Hole? | Hey You, What If?

Experience the most extraordinary ride in the universe - falling into a black hole.

You Try to Catch a Falling Star? | Hey You, What If?

What happens if you try to catch a falling star? Spoiler alert - probably best not to try!

Sugar in processed foods | Diet: A Horizon Guide

The introduction of sugar into processed foods improved the taste and had a dire effect on a generation's health.

Saturated fats and fibre | Diet: A Horizon Guide

Susan Jebb looks back at when Horizon brought light to the different types of fats we were eating and the affect this had on...

Cholesterol and different fats | Dr Alice Roberts: Don't Die Young

Alice finds out about cholesterol and what different types of fat affect it.

Diabetes, Glucose and Insulin | Dr Alice Roberts: Don't Die Young

Alice demonstrates the affect of sugar on the blood and how insulin is formed.

The why of obesity and its history | Diet: A Horizon Guide

Susan Jebb mentions her own research that proved that obese people having a slow metabolism was a complete myth.

Foods with a low glycaemic index | What's The Right Diet For You? A Horizon Special

The "feasters" are split and are given different lunches with varying GI (glycaemic index...

Fasting, fats and ketones | What's The Right Diet For You? A Horizon Special

The "cravers" are put on a strict intermittent fasting diet which has a considerable effect on t...

Sugar and the brain | Food on the Brain

Neuroscientist Nicole Avina describes the affect of a consistent supply of sugar on the brain and the similarities this has to drug a...

Fish and kale: brain-food | Food on the Brain

Stephen tries some foods that are good for the brain and finds out why fish and kale are particularly good.

Mushrooms, Sun and Vitamin D | Britain's Favourite Foods - Are They Good for You?

Alice reveals how mushrooms have a similar membrane to our skin that soak up vitamin D when...

Bread and salt | Britain's Favourite Foods - Are They Good for You?

Alice reveals how much bread we eat as a nation and a worrying statistic about its salt levels.

Cheese, calcium and fats | Britain's Favourite Foods - Are They Good for You?

Alice does a test with someone eating a low and high dairy diet to see the effects of shedding ...

Apples and polyphenols | Britain's Favourite Foods - Are They Good for You?

Alice finds out that some types of apples are significantly better for us than others; simply the...

Bananas and potassium | Britain's Favourite Foods - Are They Good for You?

Alice divulges some facts about one of the nations favourite fruits, the banana.

Meat and protein | Britain's Favourite Foods - Are They Good for You?

A woman's brain pattern is examined with regards to hunger and cravings before and after consuming a pr...

Food labelling and design | What's Really in Our Food?

A design company skirts around the truth of what can be put on food packaging.

Diet and water-loss | What's The Right Diet For You? A Horizon Special

When dieting, the initial loss of weight is actually water-loss rather than fat.

Exercise, weigh loss and compensation | What's The Right Diet For You? A Horizon Special

An exercise scientist explains the benefits of exercise and the phenomenon of "compe...

Metabolic rate myths | What's The Right Diet For You? A Horizon Special

Nutritionist Susan Jebb shows how the dieters metabolic rate has reduced in line with the them losing...

Genes, fat levels and leptin | What's The Right Diet For You? A Horizon Special

Scientist Giles Yo demonstrates how the dieters genes may not be helping them in their battle...

The importance of breakfast | What's The Right Diet For You? A Horizon Special

Geneticist Giles Yo outlays the importance of breakfast with a simple experiment.

Obesity and dopamine receptors | Food on the Brain

Some research shows that obese people often can have reduced dopamine receptors, meaning that genetically they are transpo...

Dietary labelling and misinformation | Week In Week Out

Despite strong legislation surrounding the supplement industry, it is rarely enforced.

Pro-hormones and steroids | Week In Week Out

Some supplements are even masquerading as "designer" steroids, which are in fact a class C drug.

Bowel cancer and 'transit time' | Dr Alice Roberts: Don't Die Young

Alice does a test with Les eating sweetcorn to see how long it takes for them to digest the food until ex...

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...

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

A camera travels through the digestive system.

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.

Stomach and intestines | Dr Alice Roberts: Don't Die Young

Alice shares some facts about the stomach and intestines.

Saliva test | The Secrets of Your Food

A saliva test reveals the role of our senses in saliva production and in our digestive system as a whole.

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.

Anatomy of a stomach | Dr Alice Roberts: Don't Die Young

Alice dissects a pigs stomach to show how a human one works. She also tests her own stomach acid.

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 ...

Burning Calories | The Truth About…

Dr Chris van Tulleken investigates how much energy is in popular foods by setting them on fire.

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...

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...

Anatomy of the heart | Dr Alice Roberts: Don't Die Young

Alice examines a pigs heart and describes how it works in human terms.

A circulatory path | Heart vs Mind: What makes us human

In the 17th century, Harvey discovered that blood flows in a circulatory path.

Anatomy of the lungs | Dr Alice Roberts: Don't Die Young

Alice dissects a pigs to demonstrate how our human lungs work.

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.

Arteries and alcohol | Dr Alice Roberts: Don't Die Young

Alice tests the effect of alcohol on her arteries and blood flow.

Chambers of the heart | Heart vs Mind: What makes us human

Cardiac imaging reveals how our hearts push blood around our bodies.

T Cells (Full Programme) | Made of Stronger Stuff

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

The function of platelets | The Wonderful World of Blood - with Michael Mosley

Michael Mosley conducts an experiment to demonstrate blood clotting, and explains the role of ...

High Blood Pressure | Dr Alice Roberts: Don't Die Young

Alice demonstrates high blood pressure and explains what it means.

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...

Laughter workshop for the heart | Dr Alice Roberts: Don't Die Young

A Bristol laughter workshop encourages people to laugh which has an interesting effect on your heart.

The changes to red blood cells when oxygen is added | The Wonderful World of Blood - with Michael Mosley

Michael Mosley pumps oxygen through a blood sample, demonstrating th...

Lung Structure | Dr Alice Roberts: Don't Die Young

Alice details the structure of the human lungs.

The immune system and white blood cells | Dr Alice Roberts: Don't Die Young

Alice describes how the immune system works and what white blood cells do when we're ill.

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

Alice describes the makeup of the male reproductive organ.

How an erection works | Dr Alice Roberts: Don't Die Young

Alice demonstrates how blood is essential to an erection.

The prostate | Dr Alice Roberts: Don't Die Young

Alices demonstrates where the prostate is and what can happen to it over time.

The Testes | Dr Alice Roberts: Don't Die Young

Alices explains what the testes in the male reproductive system do.

Anatomy of the Female Reproductive Organs | Dr Alice Roberts: Don't Die Young

Alice dissects a pigs reproductive organs to demonstrate the anatomical makeup of a woman's equ...

MRI of the Female Reproductive Organs | Dr Alice Roberts: Don't Die Young

Alice examines an MRI of her own female reproductive anatomy.

Ovulation and menstruation | Dr Alice Roberts: Don't Die Young

Alice explains what happens during ovulation and menstruation.

A sperm's journey | Dr Alice Roberts: Don't Die Young

Alice details the tough journey each sperm endures in an attempt to fertilise an egg.

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.

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.

The process of meiosis | Short Circuit

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

From Embryo to Foetus | Growing Babies

(Contains graphic medical images) Showing the growth of the embryo into the foetus, from five weeks to nine weeks.

Three Weeks Since Conception | Growing Babies

(Contains graphic medical images) Time-lapse showing how, three weeks from conception, the embryo starts to take shape.

Drinking in first trimester | Misbehaving Mums to Be

Juliet is used to four bottles of wine a day. She gets quite a shock when her midwife gives her a total booze-ban.

High-risk pregnancy for obese mothers | Misbehaving Mums to Be

Kayley visits a maternity ward to see what it means to have a high-risk pregnancy.

Midwife deals with an under-eating mother | Misbehaving Mums to Be

Natalie updates her midwife on her food diary and gets a reality check when she has a scan of her twins.

Smoking and pregnancy | Misbehaving Mums to Be

Smoker Charlie is shown how little oxygen her baby is receiving and explains her reasons why she didn't think smoking was that...

Stress and Pregnancy | Misbehaving Mums to Be

Laura is about to have her second child. She is plagued with worry about doing it all again and the affect this new stress will...

Under-eating and pregnancy | Misbehaving Mums to Be

Natalie doesn't eat much and when she does its unhealthy food. Her midwife Deb gives her a reality check.

Unhealthy eating and pregnancy | Misbehaving Mums to Be

Kayley loves chips and gravy but gets a wakeup call from her midwife when she learns what affect this could have on h...

Working too much during pregnancy | Misbehaving Mums to Be

Midwife Deb encourages a workaholic mum-to-be to reduce her hours and rest for the health of the baby.