BioNRICH

stemNRICH : Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics enriched
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Welcome to bioNRICH: the biology section of stemNRICH. This contains mathematical activities for students aged 14 - 19 designed to complement and enhance the study of biology.

 

Area of biological Maths	Style	Question	Description
Basic maths in biology	Image	Big and Small Numbers in Biology	10 individual questions using numbers big and small to calculate or estimate various quantities in simple biological contexts.
Measurement and estimation	Image	Bird-brained	Estimate how many eggs a bird should lay to maximise the number of chicks that will hatch in this introduction to optimisation.
Graphs and equations	Image	Graphic Biology	What biological processes might fit onto these graphs? What units and axes would be relevant? What functions would describe the graphs?
	Image	Drug Stabiliser	How does the half-life of a drug affect the build up of medication in the body over time?
Statistics in biology
	Image	Very Old Man	Is it likely someone could have lived to 200 years old? Use statistics to investigate.
	Image	Chi-squared Faker	How could you massage this $\chi^2$-squared test to reject the hypothesis?
Moles and molarity	See also the Moles and Molarity section on the chemNRICH pages
	Image	Mixed Up Mixture	A standard calibration for a spectrophotometric assay for lysozyme was performed and the data tabulated. The data have become mixed up. Can you reassemble it using the interactive card sorter?
Dilutions	See also the Dilutions section on the chemNRICH pages
	Image	Ratios and Dilutions	Scientists often require solutions which are diluted to a particular concentration. In this problem, you can explore the mathematics of simple dilutions.
DNA and Genetics	Image	The Genes of Gilgamesh	Is it possible to create a genetic stock of the type that the hero Gilgamesh was said to possess?
	Image	Why Multiply When You're about to Divide?	The Polymerase Chain Reaction is a technique used to amplify the amount of DNA in a sample. Find out how it works here.
	Image	Is Your DNA Unique?	Use combinatorics to analyse the liklihood of someone sharing your DNA.
Shapes	Image	Fitting Flat Shapes	Develop your understanding of area by visualising the best way in which you can pack various shapes together most efficiently. Does Nature pack shapes efficiently?
	Image	Packing 3D Shapes	Can you visualise or sketch the packing of the sorts of 3D shapes which occur in nature?
Advanced mathematics in biology	Image	Predator-prey Systems	Use differential equations to model the evolution of a system of carnivorous predators and their vegetarian prey.
	Image	Prepare for university	Get yourself ready for university with these questions and guidance on mathematical biology.
Articles	Image	Genetic Intrigue	Read this introduction to core topics in genetics.