In our latest Science round-up, Year 7 set about studying the melting and freezing point of stearic acid for Physics - they studied the Particle Theory and observed changes of state for stearic acid. Stearic acid is most commonly used in detergents, soaps and cosmetics or as a softening agent. This led to discussions about heating and cooling graphs, and the energy transferred under different conditions. 

Meanwhile Year 12 undertook a fish gills dissection for Biology, studying the countercurrent system, and trying to look at lamellae under a microscope. In fish, gill lamellae are used to increase the surface area between the surface area in contact with the environment to maximize gas exchange (oxygen-in and carbon dioxide-out) between the water and the blood. In fish gills, there are two types of lamellae - primary lamellae (also called gill filament) from the gill arch, and secondary lamellae which extend from the primary gill lamellae.