Dr. Chris Chabot e-mail: chrisc@mail.plymouth.edu
Boyd 218 ext. 2864
Office Hours: MWF10:10-11:00; F 1:25-2:15
Description: This course offers a hands-on approach to learning about mammalian cells, organs and organ systems. It is designed to expand upon A&P lectures. Study of histological (slide) sections, physiology lab equipment, and preserved specimens will coincide with the learning of structure and function of various tissues and organs.
Lab Manuals (required): Human Anatomy and Physiology Laboratory Manual,
5th ed. – 2003 (VandeGraff and Crawley)
**Lab Packet - to be purchased from the Biology Dept. Office (1st floor Boyd)
$10.00 CASH ONLY. You must purchase the lab packet prior to the 2nd lab, between the hours of 8:30-12:00 and 1:30-4:00. The office is NOT open at 8:00 am.
** http://oz.plymouth.edu~chrisc (This website will be helpful; Click on "Teaching", then on "Human Anatomy and Physiology I, BI 211", then "Labs")
Learning Goals: In this course we will strive to develop several different learning skills, including: critical thinking, reading, oral communication, conducting research and the relationship between technology and biology. See detailed information following the tentative schedule.
Lab Work and Attendance:
Instructions for each lab exercise will be included in the lab packet that you are required to purchase. You will be expected to familiarize yourself with each lab prior to coming to class.
Your lab grade will be based on:
8 Quizzes 5 points @ 35 pt total (low quiz score is dropped)
2 Lab Practicals 25 points @ 50 pt total
1 Oral Presentation 6 points 6 pt total
1 Email Assignment 2 points 2 pt total
1st Written Report (pH) 5 points 5 pt total
2nd Written Report (EMC) 10 points 10 pt total
The quizzes will be given at the beginning of each class (don’t be late!!!). These quizzes will cover the previous week’s information and may include a question about the upcoming lab (be sure to read ahead). Lab exams, presentations and emails will be explained in class. There is no extra credit in this course.
Attendance is MANDATORY. Participation in lab activities is required and attendance will be taken. Lab exercises cannot be made up.
Tentative Schedule:
***Labs are on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday ONLY. (New labs start on Wednesday)
Labs Begin: Title: Assignment: Lab #:
Sept 10 pH, Biological Solutions, Buffers** Quiz – lab 1 Lab 2
**Written Report (due at next lab)
Sept 17 Cells - EM, LM, and Mitosis Quiz – lab 2 Lab 3, Chp 2
Sept 24 Epithelial & Connective Tissue Quiz – lab 3 Lab 4, Chp 3
Oct 1 Vertebral Column Quiz – lab 4 Lab 5, Chp 5
Oct 8 Skull Quiz – lab 5 Lab 6, Chp 5
Oct 15 Upper extremities & Pectoral girdle Quiz – lab 6 Lab 7, Chp 6
Oct 22 Lab Practical I - covers all material to this point
Oct 29 Elicited Muscle Contractions No Quiz Lab 9
**Email – Experiment Ideas within 24 hours**
Nov 5 Lower extremities & Pelvic girdle No Quiz Lab 8, Chp 6 ~Tuesday Nov 11th labs will need to be made up the PREVIOUS Thursday (Nov 6th)
due to Veteran’s Day Holiday~
Nov 12 Elicited Muscle Contractions** Quiz –lab 8 Lab 10
**Written Report (due at next lab)
***Labs begin on Tuesday after Turkey Day!!!
Dec 2 Muscle Contractions/EMG’s ** Quiz – lab 11 Lab 12
TBA Final - Lab Practical II - given during final exam week
** Indicates a lab where you will be asked to work outside the regularly scheduled lab time. You may design your own experiment, carry it out, and report the results in either written or oral form (depending upon the lab), or be asked to send an email to your instructor.
Learning Goals ~
This is an Inquiry <--> Discovery (S Lab) Course
We can attain a clearer understanding of the world by learning how we arrive at such an understanding.
- This course will focus on those ways of knowing that use scientific methodologies.
Observation, hypothesis testing, experimentation, application of technology, statistical methodologies will all be discussed in both lectures and labs. These processes will be implemented in labs.
- There will be multiple opportunities for students to partake in the process of inquiry and discovery, or what is classically known as the scientific method.
There will be three opportunities in the lab. Students will be introduced to topics and equipment by performing a short directed inquiry-based experiment. They will then be asked to design an experiment of their own, carry it out, analyze it using statistics, and then present their data/interpretations either orally or in a written format.
- Emphasis will be placed on the fact that the road toward understanding is uneven and proceeds by fits and starts.
Current examples will be used. Students will gather some of this info via their research assignments. Recent examples from the media that can be used are:
1) Hormone Replacement Therapy or not? (Millions of women have been placed on estrogen supplements in order to "replace" the decreased levels of this hormone as they age. This has been previously thought to be beneficial for women in a number of ways (decreased bone loss, decreased cardiovascular problems, decreased cancer risks). This recommendation was based on a few studies involving limited numbers of women. A recent very large study has actually "shown" that HRT can increase the risk of certain types of cancers and does not seem to be protective of the cardiovascular system. We will take a careful look at the factors that lead to these conflicting recommendations. A similar approach will be taken in examining the following issues:
2) Calcium supplements or not?
3) Anabolic steroids or not?
4) Low/hi carb/fats/protein diets - do they work?
5) There will probably be 8-10 other areas that you will bring up in class and we will discuss at length.
- Social, cultural, and political contexts will be provided, and ethical considerations will be thoroughly considered.
Again from recent mass media:
1) Food "Supplements" (Are the claims made for a wide variety of food supplements such as St. John's wort true? Is this type of advertising legal? Ethical? What kinds of laws govern this type of food product? Are" herbs" more culturally/politically acceptable than "drugs"? Is there a difference?);
2) Alcohol/drug use;
3) Steroid use;
4) Blood doping;
5) Antibiotic (Over)use.
- This course will show that science has real applications for your own life, and will help you to make sense of the explosion of information that you encounter every day.
See previous items listed; For example steroid use: "You are on the women’s soccer team here at PSU and are trying to sort through the maze of information about steroids. The team physician and trainers say 'Stay away from them' but some of your teammates say those warnings are just scare tactics, and that lots of players take them. Where do you turn to for unbiased information? Does it exist? How do you evaluate it?" Other examples will include aerobic/anaerobic workouts benefits; diets; surgical choices and efficacies.
- Use of and facility with scientific methods in laboratory or field settings will be an integral part of this course.
This will occur primarily in the lab portion although many focused lecture discussions will address the scientific processes used (hypothesis testing, etc.) as well as specific scientific techniques (e.g. - biochemical testing) needed to perform different procedures and/or gather information.
This course is designed so that you will:
1) Plan investigations;
2) Collect, analyze, and interpret data;
3) Develop your ability to propose answers, offer explanations, and make predictions.
The above will be developed primarily in the lab although there will be many "thought'
experiments that I will ask the students to design throughout the semester.
4) Learn about both the power and the limitations of the scientific method.
5) Investigate the distinctions between rational thinking and anecdotal argumentation and
6) Develop an understanding that answers are never final, but always subject to revision.
We will have much more opportunity to discuss these issues in lecture but these issues will be addressed at least a few times in lab.
Skills emphasized:
You will have multiple opportunities to develop your skills of:
1) Critical thinking, (multiple opportunities every day)
2) Reading of scientific reports, (primarily in class)
3) Technical writing for purposes of scientific communication, (email assignments)
4) Verbally presenting scientific material (primarily in lab) and careful listening to discussions to allow comprehension of the material
5) Conducting research. (primarily in lab)
6) Quantitative reasoning, qualitative assessment, and the analysis of data through statistical methods. (primarily in lab)
7) The relationship between technology and science will also be closely examined. (This is absolutely inherent in the course - both lecture and lab; there will not be a day that we do not discuss some sort of technology, its use and perhaps its potential for misuse)