A much-needed new study on plant galls growths on plants formed of plant tissue that are caused by other organisms.

Most naturalists have come across oak apples, robin s pincushions, marble galls and witches brooms, a few of the more familiar examples of the strange growths that are plant galls. They are beautiful, often bizarre and colourful, and amazingly diverse in structure and in the organisms which cause them. They have been known since ancient times and have attracted superstitions and folk customs. Both the ancient Greeks and the Chinese used them in herbal medicine, and until well into the nineteenth century, they had a variety of commercial uses: important for dyeing cloth, tanning leather and for making ink.

Knowledge of gall types increased during the late nineteenth century and throughout the twentieth century as more species were described and their structure became more clearly understood, and yet even today, little is known about the mechanisms that cause gall formation as well as the life cycles of the organisms that initiate gall growth. Since most galls do not cause any economic damage to crop plants, research funding has traditionally been sparse in this area. However, the insect cycles and gall structures are amazing examples of the complexity of nature.

Margaret Redfern explores these fascinating complexities in this latest New Naturalist volume, providing much-needed insight into the variety of galls of different types caused by a wide range of organisms including fungi, insects and mites. She discusses the ecology of galls more generally and focuses on communities of organisms within galls, the evolution and distribution of galls, as well as human and historical perspectives."

Exam Board: OCR Level & Subject: GCSE Biology First teaching: September 2016 Next exams: June 2023 OCR endorsed GCSE Science is changing and OCR Gateway GCSE (9-1) Biology from Collins has been developed to embed the skills your students need to succeed in all three assessment objectives, while providing a clear and supportive route through the new, more challenging GCSE content. Each spread starts with language and ideas at a lower level and increases in complexity, engaging students of all ability levels Key concept spreads highlight knowledge that students must grasp before they can move on Dedicated pages on analysing, interpreting and evaluating practicals, so students are fully prepared for the indirect assessment. Maths activities at the appropriate level are embedded throughout, along with Maths skills pages that focus on developing the skills needed for each topic Prepare students for the demands of the new specification with differentiated questions, worked examples and lots of opportunities to practice Co-teach both Foundation and Higher tier with a single book (the Higher-only content is clearly flagged).

Here children can explore some of the most interesting and important life cycles in the animal kingdom. With engaging language and an innovative use of design, this series make the science behind life cycles accessible to reluctant and confident readers alike.

Chomp! This photo-guessing game challenges kids to guess whose teeth are in the images. The dazzling, jagged and razor-sharp answers may be surprising!

Grrr! This photo-guessing game challenges kids to guess whose ears are in the images. The furry, floppy and finely-tuned answers may be surprising!