A Catalyst article about what happens as plants grow. During their growth, plants remove compounds of nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium from soil which need to be replaced to maintain the soil’s fertility. For centuries farmers have used organic manures, crop rotation or ploughed in specially grown crops; today...

This Catalyst article looks at fireworks and their history, how they are made and set off, and what gives them their colours and effects. The basic chemistry used in fireworks is looked at and how they work once the fuse is ignited.

This article is from Catalyst: GCSE Science Review 2002, Volume 13, Issue 2...

A Catalyst article about the Wright brothers who made the first powered flight. Unlike the try-it-and-see methods used in many of the previous attempts, the Wrights approached the problem of flight in a scientific way and beat the competition. This article looks at the Wright brothers' research and the wing shapes...

This Catalyst article describes how fish can help scientists to learn more about human biology. Understanding how human bodies work and what causes human disease is the key to future medical breakthroughs. Most discoveries in medical science are a result of experiments that cannot be performed on humans. Animal...

This Catalyst article looks at the use of fluoride in water supplies. The UK health secretary has announced that more water companies would be encouraged to add fluoride to the water supplies. The article looks at why fluoride is added, what the advantages and risks are and why should it be put into water.

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A Catalyst article about careers in the food industry. The food and drink industries are part of a chain linking farming and growing through to food processing, manufacture and finally to the sale of food in supermarkets and restaurants. This article describes some of the many career areas in food technology...

A Catalyst article about food chains and food webs. The article studies evidence for global climate change and considers possible causes. It also explores how climate change might affect the food web, with evidence from a long-term study which started in 1931.

This article is from Catalyst: GCSE Science...

A Catalyst article about food additives. Some additives are natural and some are manufactured by the chemical industry. Some, like vitamin C, can come from either natural or artificial sources. As with every other component of food all additives are chemicals. Even organic food can contain a certain number of...

A Catalyst article looking at how insects are used to provide clues at crime scenes. Forensic entomology is the study of insects and other arthropods in a legal context. It covers many different areas, such as pests in stored food products and insect infestations in human habitations. However, the most high-profile...

A Catalyst article about careers in forensic science covering the work of the reporting officer. The article explains what it takes to become a forensic scientist and what qualities are required to join this profession.

This article is from Catalyst: GCSE Science Review 2005, Volume 16, Issue 1.

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A Catalyst article about scientists who are only beginning to understand just how complex and fascinating the relationship between trees, the carbon cycle and climate really is. This article explores how aspects of the GCSE science course relate to the latest research. It also covers the relationship between trees...

A Catalyst article about the use of fruit flies in research about genetic diseases and in particular the study of DNA and how genes can cause disease. Scientists have studied the effects of placing new DNA into the chromosomes of fruit flies. One line of research is to utilise fruit flies with the human gene...

A Catalyst article explaining how a Geiger counter works through the use of captioned illustrations.

This article is from Catalyst: GCSE Science Review 2004, Volume 15, Issue 1.

Catalyst is a science magazine for students aged 14-19 years...

A Catalyst article looking at how gel electrophoresis is used in DNA fingerprinting. Gel electrophoresis is used to separate big molecules, in particular nucleic acids and proteins. To learn more about the structure and function of large molecules such as DNA and proteins, they can be broken up into smaller...

A Catalyst article about the life and work of Gertrude B. Elion a pioneer in anti-viral drugs. The ground breaking research methodology she used and her work in creating and investigating purine compounds lead to the development of drugs which are used in the treatment of leukaemia.

This article is from...