Tag: study
-
Color the Bone Matrix
Anatomy students learn about the skeletal system, where they examine bones and how the bones fit together to make up an entire skeleton. In addition, some courses also explore bone tissue and how bone is formed and repaired. The bone matrix is the hard, supportive material that makes up most of a bone’s structure.…
-
Case Study: How Did the Guppy Get His Color?
This case study examines evolution in guppies as evidenced by color variation in populations. It is based on an iconic study performed by John Endler where he collected data on guppies by scoring the size, number, and brightness of spots. Students progress though the slides (lecture and discussion), and examine details of Endler’s study, such as where…
-
Case Study: How Do Genes Determine Skin Color?
This case study focuses on a news story whose headline declares that a “mother is a the only black woman to give birth to two white babies.” Students look past the sensationalized headline to discover how skin color is controlled by multiple genes and make a final judgement about whether statements made in the…
-
Case Study: Why Are There No Male Calico Cats?
This presentation case study asks two important questions regarding cat coloration: The case is presented as a slide presentation where students consider evidence and data related to cat coloration and chromosomes. Working in small groups, they discuss the case and eventually answer the two main questions. I usually collect their answers at the end of class…
-
Meiosis Case: SRY not SRY
Students are given a scenario about a female athlete who was stripped of her medal when it was discovered that her cells contain a Y chromosome.
-
Case Study – What’s Wrong with Timothy?
The endocrine system can be a difficult subject to cover in anatomy. It isn’t as showy as the other systems where you can label organs or dissect an eyeball. Students must also memorize a number of hormones and their functions which have complicated names like thyroxine and tri-iodothyronine. When I first started teaching anatomy,…
-
HHMI and Case Studies
HHMI Biointeractive has many interactive resources, case studies, and data analysis. Here is a list of my favorites: Interactive Case Study For Studying Elephant Communication Effects of Fungicides on Bumble Bee Colonies Human Skin Color: Evidence for Selection Lactase Persistence: Evidence for Selection Exploring Trophic Cascades Exploring Biomes in Gorongosa Nutrient Cycling in the Serengeti
-
Case Study: John Snow and the Origin of Epidemiology
This case study explores a time before the Germ Theory when doctors were uncertain how disease was spread. Current models, such as the humoral or miasma model could not fully explain how cholera infected some households, but not others. This case story explores London, England in 1854 after an outbreak of cholera which had…
-
Case Study – Are Nanobacteria Alive?
In this case study, students review the evidence of scientists on both sides of the controversy questioning whether nanobacteria are living organisms.