Laboratory Blocks
BIO12/13 includes four 8-week inquiry-based laboratory blocks in which students work in teams to design experiments, analyze data, and communicate research findings.
- Cell Biology Block
Students will purify and partially characterize bovine IgG antibody. Students are given 15 ml of bovine serum that is the source of the antibody. They purify the antibody using ammonium sulfate precipitation and ion exchange and affinity chromatography. Characterization of the antibody molecule and monitoring of the purification process is accomplished using gel electrophoresis. The students present the results of the work in the form a paper submitted in scientific journal format.
- Genetics Block
Excessive exposure to sunlight can be harmful as the sun’s ultraviolet (UV) rays cause DNA damage. If this damage is not repaired in human cells, cancer and/or cell death can result. With the incidence of skin cancer growing at an increasing rate, there has been much research directed at finding more effective substances to protect against damage from the sun’s harmful UV radiation. The effects of UV radiation on cells and the mechanisms cells use to repair UV-induced DNA damage are highly conserved between yeast and humans.
Students use the model organism Saccharomyces cerevisiae, common baker’s yeast, to compare the abilities of substances to protect yeast cells against ultraviolet (UV) light. Students present their data in a poster format.
Genetics Lecture/Lab Syllabus (38 KB)
Genetics Lecture/Lab Schedule (49 KB)
- Ecology/Evolution Block
To test the theory of Batesian mimicry, students prepare three colors of artificial worms (made from flour and lard) and arrange them in a random array for native birds. Prey of one color are completely palatable; 3/4 of the prey of the second color are palatable (quinine sulfate is added to the remainder), and 1/4 of the prey of the third color is palatable. Students observe bird-feeding preferences. In a separate experiment, students observe the common house cricket, Gryllus domesticus, and formulate hypotheses about male dominance hierarchies and mating behavior. Students communicate their findings as a PowerPoint presentation.
- Physiology Block
Electrical stimulation at any part in the heart musculature (myocardium) results in almost simultaneous contraction of individual cardiac (myocardial) cells. This allows the heart to work like a pump. In the Physiology Block, students record their electrocardiograms (EKGs) using a standard Limb Lead II EKG procedure to measure the rate and rhythm of their cardiac contractions and relaxations. Once familiar with the Limb Lead II procedure, students propose testable hypotheses based on primary literature searches about the effects of diet and exercise on cardiac rate and rhythm. Students then collect data from each other to test their hypotheses, analyze and interpret their data, and discuss their results with a PowerPoint presentation.
Physiology Lecture Syllabus (42 KB)
Physiology Lab Syllabus (975 KB)
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