Year 9 learned to prepare slides for use under a microscope in one of their first biology lessons of the year. They looked at onion and cheek cells as an example of plant and animal cell models, and Mrs Bijnens also gave them some blood cell slides to study.  

Elsewhere in the school, Year 13 scientists set up an experiment to study how sodium (salt) decreases the liver’s ability to break down harmful toxins, such as hydrogen peroxide, which can be present in the body as a natural by-product of cellular detoxification of other materials. As some studies link high-sodium diets to high blood pressure and heart disease, Mrs Bijnens thought it would be interesting for students to test this effect in vitro. With this, a new year of interesting Science investigations has started at Blackheath High.