| Life Sciences 2 Cells, Tissues, and Organs | ||||||||
| Lab Modules - Concepts and Skills | ||||||||
| LAB 1 – Introduction to Scientific Methodology | ||||||||
| This introductory lab helps students develop the concepts and skills needed to perform scientific investigations, carry out experiments appropriately, and write reports. Students will apply what is learned in this lab to the Pigments of Photosynthesis and Metabolism labs later in the course. | ||||||||
| Concepts – | ||||||||
| Scientific method – formulating a null hypothesis | ||||||||
| Statistical analysis – reject/accept a null hypothesis by interpreting a p-value | ||||||||
| Scientific report structure | ||||||||
| Skills – | ||||||||
| Calculating a p-value using a t-value and a table | ||||||||
| Using a web database to retrieve demographic data | ||||||||
| Using PubMed or other academic database to retrieve a peer reviewed article | ||||||||
| LAB 2 – The Pigments of Photosynthesis | ||||||||
| Working with several taxa of photosynthetic organisms, students will explore the physical nature of the pigments that allow organisms to trap light energy and convert it into chemical energy. Students will utilize thin layer chromatography and spectrophotometry to examine the pigment composition of these photosynthetic pigments and relate results to environmental and evolutionary factors that influence pigment composition in these organisms. | ||||||||
| Concepts – | ||||||||
| Thin Layer Chromatography – using silica strips and methanol extracts | ||||||||
| Evolutionary vs. environmental similarities | ||||||||
| Understanding Rf values | ||||||||
| Review of photosynthesis and photosynthetic pigments | ||||||||
| Skills – | ||||||||
| Using the spectrophotometer (wavelength scanning function) | ||||||||
| Correctly spotting/running a TLC strip | ||||||||
| Calculating Rf values | ||||||||
| LAB 3 - Metabolism in Goldfish | ||||||||
| Students will use electronic data acquisition tools to explore respiration in animals. Computerized tutorials will serve as a guide in use of probeware, oxygen electrodes and oxygen chambers, enabling students to formulate predictions about metabolic rates in goldfish and develop experimental strategies by which to test them. | ||||||||
| Concepts – | ||||||||
| Proposing a testable hypothesis | ||||||||
| Designing an experiment with controls | ||||||||
| Understanding and interpreting p-values | ||||||||
| Review of photosynthesis and photosynthetic pigments | ||||||||
| Skills – | ||||||||
| Handling live experimental subjects | ||||||||
| Using a computer interface with a dissolved oxygen probe to collect data | ||||||||
| Analyzing results in Excel (creating a graph, finding the slope, combining data between groups to strengthen analysis) | ||||||||
| LAB 4 - Rat Dissection | ||||||||
| During this lab students will dissect a rat, focusing on the relationship between structure and function in approximately a dozen major organ systems. In addition to providing detailed guidance with the dissection procedures, computer enhancements will facilitate comparisons to other mammals. | ||||||||
| Concepts – | ||||||||
| Learning the functions of the major organs of the rat | ||||||||
| Relating the morphology and function of organs in rats to humans | ||||||||
| Skills – | ||||||||
| Proper dissection techniques (using dissection pins, scalpel, scissors, forceps and bone shears) | ||||||||
| Proper disposal of tissue waste | ||||||||
| LAB 5 - Histology | ||||||||
| This is an introduction to the dissecting and compound microscopes, incorporated into a laboratory investigation of histology. While becoming familiar with the use of these tools and with the aid of information describing the function of various tissues and cells, students will relate structure to function as they deduce the identities of a variety of unknown human cell and tissue samples. This exercise will enhance understanding of cell, tissue and organ systems explored in the rat dissection lab. | ||||||||
| Concepts – | ||||||||
| Making the connection between morphology and function | ||||||||
| Skills – | ||||||||
| Proper use of dissecting and compound microscopes | ||||||||
| Proper handling of slides | ||||||||
| LS Laboratory Website | ||||||||
| Information on class, section and room schedule can be found here: | ||||||||
| http://lslab.lscore.ucla.edu | ||||||||