Biology EE on physiology a good idea?

[Joe Boyle]

Hi guys, I'm looking to do a biology extended essay about physiology (not sure exactly which organisms yet) and I was looking for tips from anyone who may have done something similar.

How narrow should I go? One species? One genus? etc. or just one aspect of any of those? I am thinking possibly Marsupial reproduction (advantages and disadvantages of short-gestation birthing, radically different sexual organs etc.) and how it benefits a species (I was thinking of red kangaroos) but I don't know if that's too narrow?

Have any of you done one before?

Is it something to avoid?

thanks

[Sandwich]

As a broad rule, you're not going to get above a grade C for a science EE unless you perform an experiment, regardless of how excellent your EE is otherwise. Therefore I'd recommend you try and focus on areas which allow you to do an experiment of some sort, unless you want to shoot yourself in the foot from the word go!

Just research/reading-based EEs tend to perform poorly. As the IBO has strict regulations about not doing anything involving animals and so on, most people tend to start out wanting to look at physiology because they want to go on to study medicine or whatever and then discover that actually this is rather an impossible area thanks to the limitations on what experiments you can do. The closest possible area of experimentation is generally memory/behaviour. Or to just give up on this route altogether.

[LMaxwell]

Hi guys, I'm looking to do a biology extended essay about physiology (not sure exactly which organisms yet) and I was looking for tips from anyone who may have done something similar.

How narrow should I go? One species? One genus? etc. or just one aspect of any of those? I am thinking possibly Marsupial reproduction (advantages and disadvantages of short-gestation birthing, radically different sexual organs etc.) and how it benefits a species (I was thinking of red kangaroos) but I don't know if that's too narrow?

Have any of you done one before?

Is it something to avoid?

thanks

Are you sure that doing an EE in Biology is a good choice seeing as you don't study it? At my school they say you must do your EE in one of your higher level subjects, with a few people doing theirs in standard subjects due to special circumstances.

Just a thought before one embarks on a mystical Extended Essay journey,

brofessional

[Joe Boyle]

As a broad rule, you're not going to get above a grade C for a science EE unless you perform an experiment, regardless of how excellent your EE is otherwise. Therefore I'd recommend you try and focus on areas which allow you to do an experiment of some sort, unless you want to shoot yourself in the foot from the word go! Just research/reading-based EEs tend to perform poorly. As the IBO has strict regulations about not doing anything involving animals and so on, most people tend to start out wanting to look at physiology because they want to go on to study medicine or whatever and then discover that actually this is rather an impossible area thanks to the limitations on what experiments you can do. The closest possible area of experimentation is generally memory/behaviour. Or to just give up on this route altogether.

Okay, thanks. I'm thinking I may change it to conservation and do environmental systems & society of whatever it's called haha then I could maybe do it about coral reefs or deforestation etc.

Are you sure that doing an EE in Biology is a good choice seeing as you don't study it? At my school they say you must do your EE in one of your higher level subjects, with a few people doing theirs in standard subjects due to special circumstances.

Just a thought before one embarks on a mystical Extended Essay journey,

brofessional

I would have taken biology had doing all three sciences been an option, and I'll be doing some of it at uni, so I wanted to show that I can do it basically

Edited April 19, 2012 by Joe Boyle