Biology 240W: Function and Development of Organisms

Course Materials Course Objectives Organization & Policies

Evaluation Methods Class Syllabus Lab Syllabus

SPRING 2009
Instructor:	Jacqueline McLaughlin, Ph.D.
	Associate Professor in Biology
	Cell and Developmental Biologist
Class Time:	Monday, Wednesday and Friday, 11:00 -11:50 AM
Class Room:	Room 122
Laboratory Time:	Section 001 - Tuesday, 11:30 AM - 1:30 PM Section 002 - Tuesday, 1:45 PM - 3:45 PM
Laboratory Room:	Room 121
Office:	Room 140
Office Hours:	Monday and Wednesday, 1:00-3:00 PM or by appointment
Office Phone:	(610) 285-5109
E-mail:	jshea@psu.edu
Computer Resources:	ADAM Series of Physiology CD ROMs
WWW Resources:	Biology 240W: Chicken Heart Lab
	Exploring Life
	Student Resources / Biology, Seventh Edition
	Society for Developmental Biology
	Interactive Physiology
	The Biology Place
Teaching Assistant: Foram Dave 2008 winner of the Penn State Lehigh Valley Biology Award Teaching Assistant and Lab Assistant: Soumy Immella
Credits, lecture periods, lab periods: 4, 3, 3 BIOL 240 can be considered an extension of BIOL 110, which is a prerequisite for this course. Chem 12 is also a prerequisite.

Course Materials

Laboratory Manual: Investigating Biology -- A Laboratory Manual for Biology (fourth edition), Judith G. Morgan and M. Eloise Brown Carter

Writing Manual: Writing Papers in the Biological Sciences (third edition), Victoria E. McMillan (on reserve in the library)

Articles: Gopen, G. D. and J. A. Swan (1990). The Science of Scientific Writing. American Scientist, 78: 550-558.

Wilmut, I., Schnieke, A. E., McWhir, J., Kind, A. J., & Campbell, K. H. S. (1997) Viable offspring derived from fetal and adult mammalian cells. Nature, 385: 810-813.

Laboratory Supplies: Laboratory notebook with graph paper

Course Objectives

1. To understand the metabolism, physiology and development of plants and animals at the organismic, cellular and, when necessary, molecular level.

2. To blend classical embryology with current cellular and molecular understandings of development.

3. Follow the "Scientific Method" with regard to experimentation itself, scientific writing and oral presentation, and become proficient with this method.

4. Think, creatively design, and undertake scientific experiments on current research topics in embryonic development and plant and animal physiology.

5. Thoroughly examine writing and the scientific process. Learn to turn discovery and the recording of data into valid and clear interpretation.

6. Use technology to foster interactive, collaborative, and/or inquiry-based learning in and out of the classroom and laboratory.

Organization and Policies

1. Class: The course meets three times a week. Class topics are outlined in the schedule below.

   An integral part of this course is the development of critical thinking skills. Science is a dynamic process that requires more than mere acquisition and memorization of facts. It requires understanding the interrelationships of all life from the sub-cellular level to the whole organism. Classroom presentations will guide you in the development of your critical thinking skills, and the comprehension of the core concepts that thread through physiology and developmental biology. Laboratories will stimulate and support these goals.

   I will use the class period to clarify concepts which are presented in the textbook or assigned web-modules; I will assume you have covered the material. This course will stress concepts and it will be important that you strive to understand the material; mere memorization will not suffice. I strongly suggest that you participate in a study group of some type and use the group to assess your comprehension of the course material. Also, work with your TAs. Foram and Soumy are highly qualified and will aid you in your understanding of both class and laboratory material.
   
   My cumulative research and publication efforts have led to me develop a "triangulation" model of biology instruction, in which classroom presentations by the instructor, interactive technology used in and out of the classroom, and traditional text/notes play equal roles. I will provide direction for its implementation in our classroom.

2. Laboratories: Laboratories will commence on the second week of classes and will meet as scheduled. Check your schedule carefully before attending lab! The laboratory exercises are designed to give you an opportunity to learn experimental biology, and use critical thinking skills. What I mean is "Learn by Doing and Thinking." I will provide instruction in the nuts and bolts of appropriate experimental methods. I also will provide guidance into how an effective experiment is designed. You, however, will perform your own experiments. For instance, you will carry out a two month Independent Research Project (IRP) on the growth regulators in the fast plant Brassica rapa. You, as the researcher, must plan and carry out your every step of experimentation. What I am stressing is that you think about the experiments you are carrying out, plan ahead, and follow through with your results and write-ups.
   
   For some of the laboratory activities you will spend the first meeting learning experimental methodology. You will then have the next few days to design an experiment and turn in a protocol, which will be graded and turned back to you. The next laboratory session will be your time to carry-out your proposed experiment and to collect/analyze your data. Importantly, it is suggested that you keep an accurate and updated notebook. I will be continually instructing you on the maintenance of this notebook.

   To receive "W" credit, each student will be required to write two protocols, one formal lab report (chicken heart development), and an Independent Research Project (IRP) scientific paper (Brassica rapa laboratory). You will be required to follow the guidelines in Writing Papers in the Biological Sciences (McMillan, 2001). For each of the above write-ups, you will have the opportunity for several revisions prior to receiving your grade. As stated, this semester's IRP will concentrate on plant growth regulators and will require intense organization and commitment on your behalf. It will be your opportunity to excel as a research scientist.

3. Attendance and Make-up Exams: You will be responsible for all material. Please note the exam schedule. All of the exams will be used to assess your performance in this course; none will be dropped. Only those individuals with legitimate and verifiable excuses will be allowed to schedule a make-up exam. If you cannot take the exam at a scheduled time, you need to contact me as soon as possible. Documentation of reason for missing an exam is required before a grade will be released and recorded.

4. Legitimate excuses are the following:

   1. illness, with a doctor's excuse and receipt,
   2. a University-sponsored event (including religious holidays recognized by the University)
   3. a death in the family with documentation
   4. during Finals Week three or more exams in one day.

   Family reunions, anniversaries and weddings are not legitimate excuses and make-up exams will not be given for those reasons. Check the exam schedule now to see if there are any conflicts between your academic and social calendar, and make adjustments or arrangements in your social calendar right away.

   * It is stressed that if you are late for class or miss class because of dangerous weather conditions, your safety is more important. Always drive safely!

5. Missed Laboratories: Lab attendance is mandatory. If you miss a lab you must have a legitimate excuse (as above).

   If you fail to make up a missed lab you will lose 100 of your total laboratory points at the end of the semester. Missed labs will indeed affect your grade!

6. Classroom Courtesy: No cell phones, pagers, or alarm watches, please! Also note that TEXTING is prohibited. While we all love these conveniences, they have no place in the classroom, where they break others' concentration. Also, please keep all beverages, food, or chewing gum out of the classroom and laboratory areas.
   


7. Senate Policy 49-20 ACADEMIC INTEGRITY
   
   Academic integrity is the pursuit of scholarly activity in an open, honest and responsible manner. Academic integrity is a basic guiding principle for all academic activity at The Pennsylvania State
   University, and all members of the University community are expected to act in accordance with this principle. Consistent with this expectation, the University's Code of Conduct states that all students should act with personal integrity, respect other students' dignity, rights and property, and help create and maintain an environment in which all can succeed through their efforts. Academic
   integrity includes a commitment not to engage in or tolerate acts of falsification, misrepresentation or deception. Such acts of dishonesty violate the fundamental ethical principles of the University community and compromise the worth of work completed by others.


8. Note to students with disabilities: Penn State welcomes students with disabilities into the University's educational programs. If you have a disability-related need for modifications or reasonable accommodations in this course, please inform the instructor or contact Linda Rumfield in Disability Services, 610-285-5124, Room123 Academic Building, as early in the semester as possible.

Evaluation Methods

Class:

5 Semester Exams (100 points each)	500 points
1 Final Exam	200 points
Total	700 points

Laboratory:

Chicken Heart Protocol	= 100 points
Chicken Heart Presentation	= 300 points
IRP Protocol	= 100 points
IRP Scientific Paper	= 500 points
Lab Notebook (includes chicken heart lab report)	= 400 points
Total	1,400 points

Class grades will be determined by a percentage scale based upon the total number of points available (700 points). Lab grades will be determined by a percentage scale based upon the total number of points available (1,400 points). Class component equals 60% of overall final grade; lab grade equals 40% of overall final grade.

Penn State University letter grade equivalents:

95-100	A
90-94	A-
87-89	B+
84-86	B
80-83	B-
75-79	C+
70-74	C
60-69	D
0-59	F

Knowledge of class material will be evaluated by four semester exams and a final exam.

The class exams will cover material presented in the classroom, and assigned course websites and textbook material. Each exam will consist of multiple choice, fill-in, short answers, and essays. The final exam will be weighted in favor of the material presented after the third exam but will also test your comprehensive knowledge of the entire semester's material.

The lab component will be judged by two lab protocols, an formal research presentation, a formal lab report, an IRP scientific paper, a professional lab notebook, and of course work ethic.

The Penn State Principles

CLASS SYLLABUS
(syllabi subject to change as deemed appropriate by the instructor)

LAB SYLLABUS

Date	Topic		Assignment
1/13	No Laboratory
1/20	Introduction
1/27	Animal Development		"A Dozen Eggs Video" Lab Topic 25.1, Development in Echinoderms
2/3	Animal Development Continued		"A Dozen Eggs Video" Lab Topic 25.2 and 25.3, Development in Amphibians and Zebrafish
2/10	Animal Development Continued		"A Dozen Eggs Video" Lab Topic 25.4, Development in Birds
2/17	Development of the Chicken Heart		http://www.lv.psu.edu/jxm57/chicklab and handout
2/24	Development of the Chicken Heart Experiment Chicken Heart Protocol Due		"
3/3	Development of the Chicken Heart Experiment Continued		"
3/10	Spring Break - No Laboratory		"
3/17	Development of the Chicken Heart Experiment Continued; Introduce IRP - Plant Growth Regulators
3/24	Begin IRP - Plant Growth Regulators; Chicken Heart Presentations
	Example Past Presentations - (Internet Explorer 4.+ recommended for viewing presentations) 2008:   Epinephrine's Effect on Avian Embryonic In Vitro Heart Rate     by Aresh Ramin and Kelly Fetter 2007:   The Effect of Dobutamine on the 8-Day Old Chicken Embryonic Heart Rate     by Amanda Lindsay and Fatema Kermalli Investigating the Effects of Varying Concentrations of Epinephrine on 6-Day Chicken Embryos     by Daniel Devine, Rachele Cantrel, and Pandelee Mikroudis 2006:   The Effects of Caffeine On the 4-Day Old Chicken Embryonic Heart Rate     by Mazin Albert 2005:   The Effects of Nicotine on the Heart Rate of the 5-Day In Vitro Chicken Embryo     by Daniel Arbeider and Aaron Kaiser 2004:   The Effects of Neo-synephrine on the 6-day Chicken Embryo     by Sonya Park and Veronica Kvarta   The Effects of Acetaminophen and Acetaminophen with Codeine on the Heart Rate of the 144 Hour Explanted Chick Embryo     by Daniel Kohli and Justin Stauffer   The Effects of Caffeine on the Heart Rate of the Six Day In Vitro Chicken Embryo     by Krista Pummer and Alyssa Miller   Investigating the Effects of Caffeine on the 6-Day Chicken Heart Rate     by Keila Ortiz and Kaltrina Sylejmani 2003:   The Effects of Ephedrine on the Heart Rate of the 120 Hour Explanted Chick Embryo     by Alana Gutierrez and Scott Radio   The Effects of Pseudoephedrine on the Heart Rate of the 120 Hour Explanted Chick Embryo     by John Boutros and Hosam Kamhia   The Effects of Nitroglycerin on the Heart Rate of the 120 Hour Explanted Chick Embryo     by Adrienne Dorwald and Susan Mette 2002:   The Effects of Alcohol on the Heart Rate of the 72 Hour Explanted Chick Embryo     by Brandon McCollum, Phillip Domagala and Chad Flyte   Experiment To Test The Effects Of Alcohol On A 72 Hour Chick Embryonic Heart Rate     by Suhail Syed, Ihab Abdelaal, Jarett Zuber and Christopher Kowalski   The Effect of Caffeine on an Explanted 96-hour Chicken Embryo Heart     by Laura Hanlon and Brett Shook   The Effect of Exogenous Caffeine on the Embryonic Heart Rate of the 72-Hour Chick     by Brett Brown and Saboor Shad 2001:   The Effect of Caffeine Exposure on the 72-Hour Embryonic Chicken Heart Rate     by Jennifer Gangi & Jennifer Hartley   Developmental and Physiological Aspects of the Embryonic Chicken Heart     by Jennifer Mitchell and Jennifer Schriner
3/31	Chicken Heart Presentations; IRP experimentation continued.
4/7	IRP experimentation continued
4/14	IRP experimentation continued
4/21	IRP experimentation continued
4/28	IRP Scientific Paper Due
5/5	Final Exam Period - Lab Notebook Due

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This page was last modified September 25, 2009. Send questions or comments to jshea@psu.edu Drawing courtesy of Andrea Reimer.