Rosalind Franklin is the only female scientist named in GCSE and National 5 science exam specifications in the UK, according to new research.

A Cambridge study found that of the 86 scientists named by UK exam boards, the English chemist, whose work in the 1950s helped reveal the structure of DNA, was the only woman.

Exam specifications set out the skills and knowledge students are expected to have gained by the end of their course and how they will be assessed.

Exam boards said there was "a clear need for greater representation in science qualifications".

Academics from the University of Cambridge, along with institutions in the US and Australia, examined how many women were mentioned in specifications for biology, chemistry, physics, environmental science, geology and astronomy.

Their work, published in the British Educational Research Journal, looked at six exam boards in the UK:

AQA

Cambridge OCR

Pearson Edexcel

WJEC

CCEA

Qualifications Scotland

At Key Stage 4 and equivalent, including GCSEs…