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    Teaching Biodiversity with Museum Specimens in an Inquiry-Based Lab
    In response to the growth of biology datasets and broad efforts to digitize data, an increasingly important skill for science students is the management and analysis of large datasets. We designed an inquiry-based lab module to introduce students...

    Courses: EcologyEcology EvolutionEvolution Introductory BiologyIntroductory Biology Science Process SkillsScience Process Skills

    data analysisnatural historyphylogenyBiodiversitymammalsAllen's RuleBergmann's Ruleecogeographymuseum research
    Lesson
    2736

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    252

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    A Muscular Dystrophy Case Study Illustrating the Phenotypic Effects of Mutation
    Mutations in genes can lead to a variety of phenotypes, including various human diseases. Students often understand that a particular mutation in a single gene causes a disease phenotype, but it is more challenging to illustrate complex genetic...

    Courses: Developmental BiologyDevelopmental Biology GeneticsGenetics

    mutationProtein Structureethicscentral dogmahuman disease
    Lesson
    2850

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    853

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    Fruit Fly Genetics in a Day: A Guided Exploration to Help Many Large Sections of Beginning Students Uncover the Secrets of Sex-linked Inheritance
    Moving beyond the basic concepts of autosomal Mendelian inheritance to sex-linkage can be difficult for introductory biology students. Although crosses with Drosophila fruit flies have long been a mainstay of genetics units that teach these...

    Courses: GeneticsGenetics

    Mendelian Geneticsfruit fly biologysex-linked inheritance
    Lesson
    3185

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    653

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    Homologous chromosomes? Exploring human sex chromosomes, sex determination and sex reversal using bioinformatics approaches
    Constructing a robust understanding of homologous chromosomes, sex chromosomes, and the particulate nature of genes is a notoriously difficult task for undergraduate biology students. In this lesson, students expand their knowledge of human...

    Courses: BioinformaticsBioinformatics GeneticsGenetics Introductory BiologyIntroductory Biology Science Process SkillsScience Process Skills

    bioinformaticsautosomehomologous chromosomeshomologous recombinationsex chromosomesex determinationsex reversal mutations
    Lesson
    5804

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    460

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    2

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    Meiosis Remodeled: Inclusion of New Parts to Poppit Bead Models Enhances Understanding of Meiosis
    A long-standing tradition uses strings of poppit beads of different colors to model meiosis, especially to show how segments of paired homologous chromosomes are recombined. Our use of orthodontic latex bands to model cohesion of sister...

    Courses: Cell BiologyCell Biology GeneticsGenetics Introductory BiologyIntroductory Biology

    meiosischiasma formationchromosome recombination
    Science Behind the Lesson
    1730

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    229

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    The Science Behind Parthenogenesis: Interesting things happen when meiosis goes “wrong”
    Parthenogenetic reproduction is a fascinating, complex topic.  This article accompanies “Why Meiosis Matters: The case of the fatherless snake.” It summarizes the basic information an introductory biology or genetics instructor...

    Courses: Cell BiologyCell Biology GeneticsGenetics Introductory BiologyIntroductory Biology

    meiosismitosissex determinationAsexual reproductionParthenogenesis
    Science Behind the Lesson
    1208

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    165

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    The Science Behind the ACTN3 Polymorphism
    A common polymorphism in the alpha-actinin-3 (ACTN3) gene results in the lack of ACTN3 protein expression in fast twitch muscle fibers in ~16% of the human population (1). This genetic change has been linked with muscle performance in humans (2)...

    Courses: Anatomy-PhysiologyAnatomy-Physiology GeneticsGenetics

    protein structure and functionhuman genetic variationskeletal muscle physiology
    Lesson
    1042

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    316

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    The ACTN3 Polymorphism: Applications in Genetics and Physiology Teaching Laboratories
    Inquiry-based undergraduate laboratories provide the opportunity to engage students in a research experience that improves scientific thinking, but such activities can be difficult to develop and implement due to limited time and resources. We...

    Courses: Anatomy-PhysiologyAnatomy-Physiology GeneticsGenetics

    protein structure and functionhuman genetic variationmuscle physiology
    Lesson
    1448

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    187

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    Building student literacy and metacognition through reading science in the news
    Ensuring students' science literacy is essential for preparation for study in science disciplines and is of critical importance given contemporary challenges in determining the legitimacy and accuracy of science in popular media. This lesson...

    Courses: Introductory BiologyIntroductory Biology

    metacognitionStem cellsscience literacycloninggenetically modified organismshuman genetic diseasescience news
    Lesson
    1858

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    632

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    Sequence Similarity: An inquiry based and "under the hood" approach for incorporating molecular sequence alignment in introductory undergraduate biology courses
    Introductory bioinformatics exercises often walk students through the use of computational tools, but often provide little understanding of what a computational tool does "under the hood." A solid understanding of how a bioinformatics...

    Courses: Biochemistry and Molecular BiologyBiochemistry and Molecular Biology BioinformaticsBioinformatics Introductory BiologyIntroductory Biology

    BLASTmultiple sequence alignmentsequence similarityphylogramZika virusAlgorithmScoring Matrix
    Lesson
    2492

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    103

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    Film as a Powerful Tool for Increasing Awareness of the Importance of Belonging in STEM
    People of color in STEM fields can face a variety of challenges with belonging due to structural, cultural, psychological, and institutional barriers. The professional development sessions described in this lesson involved using film as well as...

    Courses: Professional Development and Career PlanningProfessional Development and Career Planning

    steminclusionfilmbelonging
    Lesson
    1133

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    274

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    Using a Primary Cell Culture Model to Study the Neural Extracellular Matrix
    The extracellular matrix (ECM) provides structural support to cells, but also has key roles in mediating cell adhesion, cell signaling, and differentiation. While this topic is discussed in the lecture setting, it is not heavily studied in...

    Courses: Cell BiologyCell Biology NeurobiologyNeurobiology

    Neural extracellular matrixPerineuronal netPrimary neuronal culture
    Lesson
    4710

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    933

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    An active-learning lesson that targets student understanding of population growth in ecology
    Effective teaching and learning of population ecology requires integration of quantitative literacy skills. To facilitate student learning in population ecology and provide students with the opportunity to develop and apply quantitative skills, we...

    Courses: EcologyEcology Introductory BiologyIntroductory Biology

    population growthexponential growthlogistic growthpopulation ecologygrowth rateDensityAbundancecarrying capacitylinear growth
    Lesson
    929

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    5

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    The Great Petunia Carnage of 2017: A Clicker Case Study Using Petunias to Describe the Effect of Genetic Modification on the Biochemistry of Flower Color and Phenotype in Plants
    In this single class period case study, students examine the difference between genotype and phenotype by studying the mechanisms by which commercially available petunias have been bred to have different phenotypes (flower colors). Students review...

    Courses: GeneticsGenetics Introductory BiologyIntroductory Biology Plant BiologyPlant Biology

    case studyGenetic ModificationsBiochemistry of Flower ColorGMO regulationsGenotype-Phenotype Connections
    Lesson
    4565

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    590

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    How Do Kidneys Make Urine From Blood? Qualitative and Quantitative Approaches to Filtration, Secretion, Reabsorption, and Excretion
    The function of the kidneys is to help maintain a constant internal environment (homeostasis) by regulating the volume and chemical composition of the blood. This regulation occurs via three fundamental processes: filtration, secretion, and...

    Courses: Anatomy-PhysiologyAnatomy-Physiology Introductory BiologyIntroductory Biology

    collecting ductexcretionglomerular filtration rate (GFR)nephron tubulereabsorptionrenal corpusclesection
    Lesson
    4531

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    594

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    Investigating Enzyme Structure and Function Through Model-Building and Peer Teaching in an Introductory Biology Course
    A foundational knowledge of the relationship between structure and function is critical to understanding how enzymes work. The seemingly invisible nature of these molecular interactions makes it challenging for undergraduate students to...

    Courses: Biochemistry and Molecular BiologyBiochemistry and Molecular Biology Introductory BiologyIntroductory Biology

    structure-functionEnzymeallosteric regulationcompetitive inhibitionfeedback inhibitionnoncompetitive inhibitionproductsubstrate
    Teaching Tools and Strategies
    1008

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    132

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    An Open Source, Collaborative Electronic Notebook for Undergraduate Laboratory Classes
    To overcome many of the limitations of the paper laboratory notebook (PLN), we developed an electronic laboratory notebook (e-LN) for the Dynamic Genome course at the University of California. The Dynamic Genome course is an authentic research...

    Courses: Science Process SkillsScience Process Skills

    data collectionData annotationNotebook Skills
    Lesson
    1037

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    146

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    Using Musical Instruments to Model Negative Feedback in the Hypothalamo-Pituitary-Target Gland Axes
    Homeostasis and negative feedback are crucial, yet difficult, concepts for undergraduates, particularly in the context of the hypothalamo-pituitary axes. This interactive activity was designed to (1) reveal how negative feedback can restore...

    Courses: Anatomy-PhysiologyAnatomy-Physiology

    cell-cell communicationhomeostasisnegative feedback
    Lesson
    2180

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    273

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    You and Your Oral Microflora: Introducing non-biology majors to their “forgotten organ”
    With limited time available for laboratory activities, introductory science courses for non-science majors typically use the laboratory period to reinforce material that was previously presented during lecture. This practice was true of a human...

    Courses: GeneticsGenetics Introductory BiologyIntroductory Biology MicrobiologyMicrobiology Science Process SkillsScience Process Skills

    bacteriamicrobiomeBLASTmicrobesDNA replicationPolymerase chain reaction (PCR)
    Lesson
    2491

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    372

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    Honoring the Complexity of Genetics: Exploring the Role of Genes and the Environment Using Real World Examples
    Historically, undergraduate genetics courses have disproportionately focused on the impact of genes on phenotypes, rather than multifactorial concepts which consider how a combination of genes, the environment, and gene-by-environment interactions...

    Courses: EvolutionEvolution GeneticsGenetics Introductory BiologyIntroductory Biology

    genesenvironmentMendelQuantitative traitsMultifactorialGene by environment interactions