Teaching Cell Biology: and Histology

breadth and depth of coverage in cytology, heredity, Teaching Cell Biology: and histology. The lecture sections have continuity, in that plant and animal cell structure and function-including chromosome biology-can be integrated with his- Experimental tology through the treatment of tissue types as dif- Format ferentiated cells. Histology is slighted for a particular reason: the basic tissue types presented are the epithelial, the connective, and the irritable (nerve and muscle), with the recognition that laboratory experimentation in histology (see below) will lead L. C. EDDINGTON the student on to greater depth in histology plus demonstrating to him the fact that most tissues and organs are but composites of these three elemental types. The lectures make use of several audiovisual methods. The instructor must be sensitive to the Downloaded from http://online.ucpress.edu/abt/article-pdf/34/6/329/29450/4443975.pdf by guest on 26 September 2021 method that most efficiently communicates the subject; for example, he might use models in chemistry, flow diagrams to explain metabolism, and the oscil- There are perhaps as many curriculum concepts in nerve biology. In tissue studies I have the and ways of organizing a given course as there are loscope slides while they listen biologists teaching today. Faced with this and with students look at microscope at times they are asked to give their the problem of teaching numerous classical courses to my lecture; attention to projections on a screen. at small enrollments, the biology department at Biola The laboratory work is correlated with the lec- College initiated a core curriculum in 1967. The tures. It emphasizes research techniques and experi- biology courses were organized hierarchically-popu- mentation: approximately half the semester is de- lation, organismic, cellular, and molecular biology- voted to two open-ended, inquiry based research with introductory courses in biology survey and (table 1). The student, working in team systematics. In addition, various elective courses projects student, is required to formulate, ex- were offered. with another with, analyze, and formally report on a The course in cell biology was organized to intro- periment problem of his choosing. Before he undertakes the duce sophomore and junior students to cytology, project the student has been exposed microbiology, histology, and microtechnique. It be- tissue-culture of culture, counting, staining, and the came obvious during the first year that a survey to methods that is, he has some confidence in attempting would not acquaint the students with these subjects like; In this laboratory, tissue culture is vital: in any depth, give them the skills of experimentation, the project. its practice the student learns cytology, micros- or convey the excitement of these fields of biology. from and photography, and he develops proficiency I also suspected that the students would not appre- copy, in culturing techniques, counting, staining, ciate "cookbook" laboratories; therefore an inquiry- aseptic slides. In addition, the stu- based course was introduced. and making permanent dent becomes aware of the cells' needs (nutrition, pH, temperature) and learns to recognize causal en- Organization of the Course vironmental relationships. He observes that a strain Such a course has been taught for the past two of cancer cells may be polynuclear and divide twice years; see table 1. The table outlines a 15-week- as fast as do normal cells. He has at his disposal at all semester, four-unit course having three hours of times graphic instruments such as the camera lucida, lecture and two two-hour labs a week. The three microprojectors, microscope closed-circuit television, general sections are broad enough to allow teachers and bright-field, dark-field, and phase microscopes. much freedom of choice as to topics and format; at The student is encouraged to use 35-mm, polaroid, the same time they are inclusive enough to insure and 16-mm time-lapse microphotographic techniques of analysis and recording. In addition to tissue-culture experimentation the Lester C. Eddington is assistant professor student is exposed to other cellular concepts and of biology, Biola College, 13800 Biola Ave., techniques through the experiments in cell fractiona- La Mirada, Calif. 90638. A 1964 graduate of tion by differential centrifugation and autoradiog- North Dakota State University, he received his M.S. degree in entomology from that raphy. The student is also introduced to the study institution in 1966 and presently is com- of cell development through experiments dealing with pleting work on a Ph.D. in zoology at the nuclear transplantation (attempted) and with en- University of California, Los Angeles. His zyme induction in a microorganism. 4 . ' research is concerned with lipid metabo- student, again as part of a team of two, must lism in arthropods and associated endocrine regulation of The metamorphosis. also formulate a plant or animlal histology project 329 involving preparation and analysis of tissue slides. "dry-labbing." He is also encouraged to organize The student learns the joys and pitfalls of histologic results in graph or table form, caption his pictures, microtechnique and acquires experience in recog- label his diagrams, discuss problems of method or nizing cell, tissue, and organ structures. theory, and include a bibliography. Theoretically, if all these things are faithfully entered the project report can be a summary of notebook research in- Complementary Projects formation rather than a formidable obstacle. Two or The projects complement and reinforce each other three checkings of the notebook (with grading) in terms of experimental technique and conceptual during the course will insure full participation by the information.For example, the student is expected to student as well as allow the instructor to correct and reach a certain proficiency in the recognition of tis- comment on format errors. sue slides, and this is reinforced by analysis of his own project. The student has access at all times to a Evaluation; Equipment complete reference collection of slides in cytology and histology and is encouraged to study them and Evaluation in the course is by means of objective include comparativeaspects in his research notebook and subjective hour-long exams, daily quizzes, take- and formal reports. A corollary experience is the self- home problems, work sheets, oral reports, laboratory tutorial use of Super 8 film loops that emphasize practicals, and the formal project reports. Cytogenet- Downloaded from http://online.ucpress.edu/abt/article-pdf/34/6/329/29450/4443975.pdf by guest on 26 September 2021 laboratory techniques. Film-loop content is coded to ics and principles of microscopy are sections con- the laboratoryoutlines; however, viewing is optional. ducive to take-home problems. It has been observed Students are required to summarize and evaluate that students tend to perform for a grade when only 10 journal or review articles in this field during the objective testing is used, whereas take-home exams semester. The journal articles selected by the stu- more directly help students consolidate and con- dent usually relate to lectures or laboratory work- ceptualize information; and this technique appears allowing him to focus on current research develop- to provide stronger motivation for learning. ments. What equipment is needed and what textual ma- The requirement that the student keep a research terial is used? Table 2 is a list of specialized equip- notebook is necessary in a course of this nature. It ment that could be used in a course of this nature. forces the student to organize his time and his ex- This list is suited to the open laboratory design; that perimental procedures so that raw data and chrono- is, student groups follow experimentation timetables logic observations can be entered directly without that are not necessarily concurrent with the formal Table 1. Topical summary of the cell-biology course. Time Time General subject Lecture (hours) Laboratory (weeks) Cell structure and function History, survey of structure, cellular Introduction to microscopy, bacteriologic chemistry 6 and cytologic culture, counting, staining, and mounting techniques 2 Microscopy and cytologic techniques 3 Cell fractionation by centrifugation and staining analyses 1 Cytoplasm, membrane systems, cell Plant and animal tissue culture project 3 organelles 7 Nuclear and cytogenetics Nucleus and chromosomes, reproduction 4 Plant root-tip, animal mitosis, and Drosophila chromosome preparations, mammalian chromosome culture, chromosome cytology (prepared slides), cell autoradiography 3 Mendalian genetics (review), cyto- Nuclear transplantation in Amoeba genetics and radiation biology 6 proteus and p-galactosidase enzyme induction in E. coli 1 Cell differentiation 2 Functional histology Epithelial and connective tissues 7 Whole-mount and histologic techniques, histology project experimentation 3 Irritable tissues (nerve and muscle Glycerinated muscle preparation and biology) 5 frog nerve-muscle electrophysiology experiment 1 Plant-cell types 2 Histology review (prepared slides), student discussion of histology research projects, laboratory practical Tests 3 exam 1 Total 45 Total 15 330 THE AMERICANBIOLOGY TEACHER, SEPTEMBER 1972 Table 2. Specialized equipment used in the cell-biology course. Projection based on a laboratory enrollment of 10 to 15 students. The estimates can be doubled for every 15 additional students in laboratory

Load more