Cell Biology & Biochemistry

School Science Review,
Volume 90, No. 332, March 2009.
Reviewed by: Stephen Hoskins

"I firmly recommend this product to all teachers of AS, A2 and sub-degree courses, believing it to represent the very best of modem educational technology"

The workbook follows the standard format for this series. Undoubtedly many A2 and other post- 16 tertiary biology students will find much to commend in it. Pages 1~7 explain to the student how to use the book, introduce activity pages, glossaries, using the Internet, resource information and what a cell biology concept map is. The first chapter, on Molecules of Life', starts with learning objectives cross-referenced to the relevant pages before beginning the more formal study of the biochemical nature of the cell and important molecular groups such as carbohydrates, lipids, proteins, etc. Below the text there are questions and spaces for answers and certain pages are intended for removal and insertion into student files. The text is both comprehensive and student-centred with a wealth of secondary resources, which the more ambitious student can follow up.

Throughout the book all the text, photographs and diagrams are in black and white and are not, in my opinion, of a particularly good standard; indeed some, such as the six pictures of organisms on page 33, are so small and lacking in detail as to be of questionable value. Similarly, the font size of the lists of supplementary texts, periodicals and web addresses, as on page 9, is very small. I understand and applaud the authors desire to produce a resource that supplements, extends and underpins course textbooks whilst at the same time being competitively priced, and at £6.95 they have succeeded admirably. However, in terms of quality of font and diagrams, attractiveness to the student, and some aspects of clarity, especially when describing molecules reacting or groups that are of particular importance to the behaviour and function of the molecule, the book falls short. Additionally, there is an expectation that the teacher has access to the accompanying CD-ROM as well as the usual textbooks associated with specific courses. Where students purchase their own copies of this workbook the cost to institutions is low, but where new copies have to be purchased for large sets of students each year this could become a financial burden. Overall, the book has merits. It is very comprehensive and it is cheap by today's standards. When used in conjunction with the CD-ROM and textbooks it will undoubtedly prove an invaluable resource and for that reason alone it is to be recommended.

Teaching has come a long way since the days of coloured chalk drawings on a blackboard and multicoloured Banda handouts. Nowhere is this more clearly seen than in the contents of the accompanying CD-ROM. The level of presentation, depth, content and general clarity is exceptional. Complex structures and intricate biochemical pathways unfold before the eyes of the student in ways that no blackboard or OHP acetate could portray.

There are six PowerPoint presentations covering: molecules of life; introduction to cells; cell structure; membrane and transport; cellular energetics; and processes in the nucleus. Each presentation is highly visual, accurate and very detailed, possibly exceeding the level of many non-traditional A2 syllabuses; thus the teacher would need to be selective in which slides to include to avoid overloading the students. However, this last point is not a criticism because it demonstrates the versatility of use of this teaching 'aid for a diversity of tertiary and foundation degree courses. Inevitably, there are minor errors such as the location of letters intended to show a specific part of a cell being slightly out of position, but the discerning teacher will spot this and build it into their presentation. The cost of the CD-ROM is high, but the fact that the authors have permitted it to be copied onto the intranet and individual staff laptops within the purchasing organisation, plus the fact that it can be edited and modified to suit individual needs, greatly offsets the initial outlay. I firmly recommend this product to all teachers of AS, A2 and sub-degree courses, believing it to represent the very best of modem educational technology.