The Secret of Life

School Videos and Videodisc


Produced by the Educational Programming and Interactive Departments
Part of the WGBH Collection
Closed captioned for the hearing impaired
Funded by The McGraw-Hill Companies and Glencoe, a Division of McGraw-Hill

Produced by the Educational Programming department at WGBH Educational Foundation in Boston, Massachusetts, The Secret of Life school videos are eight 15-minute glimpses into the multifaceted world of biology, based on the critically-acclaimed PBS series, The Secret of Life. Spanning subject matter from archaebacteria to viruses to genetic medicine to the biodiversity crisis, the Secret of Life School Videos tell fascinating stories and raise profound questions. Designed for use in secondary schools and for college biology courses.

The Secret of Life videodisc, produced by the Interactive Projects department at WGBH, provides one CAV side with 30 minutes of video clips for a range of topics in general biology, as well as an extensive databank of still illustrations from McGraw-Hill and Glencoe texts. A second CLV side of the videodisc provides 4 of the school videos.

Educators may purchase the Secret of Life VHS videos for classroom use, from:

Films for the Humanities and Science (800) 257-5126
For more information, call McGraw-Hill (College), at (800) 338-3937 or Glencoe (High School), at (800) 334-7344

Educators may purchase the Secret of Life videodisc for classroom use, from:

McGraw-Hill (College), at (800) 338-3937 or Glencoe (High School), at (800) 334-7344


The Basics of Life: What's in Stetter's Pond?

Subject: Primitive bacteria in Italy, nematodes in Britain and DNA trapped in amber offer clues about the nature of life.


Viruses: Nothing To Sneeze At

Subject: The annual hunt for virulent forms of the flu virus leads to an understanding of how viruses interact and survive in a changing environment.


Evolution: It's In The Genes

Subject: The story of the sickle cell gene in Africa and America is a powerful drama about evolution at the genetic level.


Development: Sex and the Single Gene

Subject: Two women, and their chromosomes, raise questions about whether it is our appearance, our hormones, our genes or the way we think of ourselves that determines whether we are women or men.


Genetic Medicine: Tinkering with our Genes

Subject: Three profiles show how modern science is beginning to intervene at the genetic level in hereditary diseases, with the promise to save...and possibly alter...life.


Biotechnology: In the Land of Milk and Money

Subject: Bioengineered products will soon find their way into consumers' homes...and will mean profit to those who invest in their development.


Portraits of Modern Science: On The Brink

Subject: Four scientists and their work in applied and basic genetic science raise profound questions about the role of science, technology and intervention in the fundamentals of life.


The Biodiversity Crisis: Gone Before you Know It

Subject: The remarkable process of biodiversification, and the present terrible threat to it, is presented in stories about the silversword and the ne ne of Hawaii.