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Fifties biology

(83 Posts)
Flutterby345 Wed 14-Jan-26 12:08:23

Who else did biology as part of O level general science in.the fifties? I was idly trying to remember the five, I think, functions of the body and looked it up. I remembered ambulation, respiration and reproduction and another one was about the digestive system, nutrition? The fifth? Can any fifties biol person remember? It's all much more complicated now according to computer. Goes into far too much detail IMHO.

JaneJudge Sat 17-Jan-26 10:59:56

I did A level biology and there was a lot about fruit flies and Darwin. You ought to see what is taught now. It is honestly mind blowing how much our knowledge has come on in 40 years

Grandma70s Sat 17-Jan-26 12:24:11

In my parents’ bookshelf there were two books called The Marriage Book and The Motherhood Book. When I was about ten I used to sneak these out and hide them in the roof of my dolls’ house. I have no idea whether my mother knew or not. The books fascinated me, but I didn’t understand them at all.

Luckily my mother told me about periods etc, plus there was a great deal of gossip at school. I was the first in my form, which made me a sort of heroine. I was 11 when I had my first period.

annodomini Sat 17-Jan-26 13:10:25

When our boxer bitch went on heat for the first time, when I was about 11, my Mum told me about reproduction and menstruation - though perhaps not all about them! | gave up science classes after third year, as I wanted to take Classics. I learnt a good deal about the 'facts of life' from prolonged perusal of the two Penguin volumes of Greek myths - Greek gods and goddesses were a randy bunch.

watermeadow Mon 19-Jan-26 12:26:47

Having pets teaches children a lot about birth and death and how mammals are made. It’s amazing how ignorant many people are about their own anatomy and how our bodies work.
The dog’s seasons are a good place to start sex education but dogs and cats don’t menstruate.

annodomini Thu 22-Jan-26 22:04:10

Obviously, mum couldn't explain the difference between our dog's bleeding when on heat and a woman's menstrual blood. It was quite a useful analogy until, some years later, when the local boy dogs were gathered round our back gate, it occurred to me to ask if menstruation was a sign that I was fertile.

camlyn Sun 25-Jan-26 19:26:03

I think it is the nervous system

Ohmother Mon 26-Jan-26 00:33:05

Endoplasmicreticulum. There! Are you impressed? I’ve always loved that word.