Developmental Biology Lab Schedule: Spring 2006
Lab meets Wednesday Afternoons 1:10-4 p.m. Room 122
(NB: Some experiments will require additional lab time on subsequent days in order to make observations of your developing embryos. Please plan accordingly.)
Animal Experimentation Policy
Class Materials:
Each week you should bring with you to lab
Lab Instructions (posted on Blackboard site) and a Lab Notebook for taking notes and drawing pictures.
Highly Recommended Text for Laboratory:
A Photographic Atlas of Developmental Biology. Shirley J. Wright. Morton Publishing Co., 2005
Jan 18. No Lab
Jan 25. Getting Organized. Microscopic Study of the Chordate Body Plan (Amphioxus), Gonads and Gametes.
Bring $5 for key deposit.
- Introduction to the Compound Microscope
- Study of prepared slides of Amphioxus
- Study of prepared slides on Oogenesis and Spermatogenesis
Feb 1. Mammalian Embryos, Extraembryonic Membranes and the Placenta
Feb. 8-22. Development of Amphibian Embryos
Feb. 8 Staging living salamander (Ambystoma) embryos.
You will continue to observe these embryos in the weeks to come, and when they are older, observe development of motor behavior and responses to sensory stimuli. Consult "The Development of Behavior Patterns" (taken from A Manual of Experimental Embryology by Viktor Hamburger. University of Chicago Press, pub. 1960) to guide your experimental design.
Feb. 15 Continue observations on living embryos and Begin Microscope Study of Amphibian Embryo Slides.
Feb. 22 Continue to observe behavior in salamander embryos and study amphibian slides.
Written Lab Report on your observations of Embryo Development and on the Development of Behavior in Salamander Embryos: Due Date Friday Mar 3 (before you leave for Spring Break). See Guide for Instructions for Writing Lab Report
Mar 1-Apr 5. Development of Chicken Embryos
Mar 1. Transforming 3 Flat Germ Layers into a Tubular Body Plan
- The Origami Embryo
- Begin Microscopic study of prepared slides of 33-hour and 48-hour chick embryos embryos
(No Labs week of March 6-10: BMC Spring Break)
Mar 15-29. The Role of the Apical Ectodermal Ridge (AER) in Limb Development
This lab module has been modeled on classic experiments done by John Saunders (J. Exp. Zool, 108:363 (1948)
- Mar 15 Surgery Day
- Mar 22 Fix Embryos that Survived. Begin cartilage staining procedure
- Mar 29 Analysis of Results and Photography
Written Lab Report on Limb Bud Lab: Due Date Wednesday April 5, beginning of lab period
Apr 5. Chicken Organogenesis. Study of Prepared Slides
Apr 12 & 19. Development of Drosophila Embryos
Analysis of Gene Expression in transgenicDrosophila embryos
N.B. There will be no written Lab Report on the Drosophila experiments, but you should expect to find one or more questions about the lab on your Final Exam.
Apr 26. Lab Practical Exam based on Study of Prepared Slides, and Lab Clean-Up
- N.B. Lab room will be locked and "off limits" starting 8 am April 26.
This page was posted 13 January 2006
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