ORT Biology case studies
ORT Biology · Put your knowledge to work in context.
The ORT in Biology is a subject-based assessment used to evidence biological knowledge for progression into further or higher study, and it is also taken by candidates who need a formal biology credential outside a standard school-leaving route. It suits school leavers, mature learners returning to science, and applicants to health, environmental or life-science programmes who must show competence across the breadth of biology rather than in one specialism. The syllabus spans eight areas: cell biology and biochemistry, genetics and molecular biology, anatomy and physiology, ecology and environment, evolution and biodiversity, plant biology, reproduction, development and growth, and applied biology and biotechnology. Questions are multiple choice, so success depends on precise recall plus the ability to apply concepts to unfamiliar data, graphs and experimental scenarios. The ORT Biology case studies are 5 cases and about 2,903 words.
1Metformin Sensitivity in Glucose- versus Galactose-Grown HepG2 Cells
An energy-metabolism laboratory grows HepG2 hepatoma cells for 24 h in DMEM containing either 25 mM glucose or 10 mM galactose. After 6 h, half of each group receives 2 mM metformin.
627 words, about 3 min2Homozygosity on Chromosome 6 Without Paternal Transmission
A 3-year-old boy has a recessive disorder mapped to chromosome 6. Exome sequencing shows a homozygous frameshift variant in a gene at 6p.
595 words, about 3 min3Oxygen Titration in Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease
A 68-year-old man with a 40-pack-year smoking history presents with worsening dyspnea. On room air, arterial blood gas shows pH 7.33, PaCO2 68 mmHg, PaO2 52 mmHg, and HCO3− 35 mmol/L.
541 words, about 3 min4Trap-Happy Lizards and a Biased Lincoln–Petersen Estimate
On a 4-ha island, conservation biologists study a lizard population. In week 1 they capture 150 adults, mark them with unique toe clips, and release them.
577 words, about 3 min5Iron Chlorosis in Hydroponic Tomatoes at High pH
Tomato plants are grown in two recirculating hydroponic tanks. Both receive the same nutrient solution, except that tank A is maintained at pH 5.5 and tank B at pH 7.8 by daily KOH addition.
563 words, about 3 min