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This interrupted case study explores the role of cytoskeletal structures on human health, specifically on respiratory function, sperm motility, and female fertility. It follows the story of a couple struggling to conceive a child and the doctors working to help them. Students are presented with clinical histories, narrative elements, documentary-style videos, and microscopic evidence in order to determine the cause of the couple's infertility. Along the way, they learn about the three types of cytoskeletal elements and the roles these play in cellular biology and human physiology. The use of videos makes it suitable for the "flipped classroom," allowing students to prepare outside the classroom for the case study, which they then complete in class. An original video by the author on the structure and function of microtubules, microfilaments, and intermediate filaments is included. The case was developed for an introductory level general biology course and could be delivered during a unit on the cell structure and function. The case could also be used in a cell biology course.

Although Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium is a fundamental part of introductory biology classes, students often have difficulty understanding its implications. This interrupted case study places students in the role of small teams who are conducting preliminary research into the impact of roads on the population structure of timber rattlesnakes in order to apply for a grant for further research. Research groups consisting of 3-4 students work through a series of questions allowing them to use HWE principles to discover for themselves how deviations from HWE can have implications for conservation biology. Periodic interruptions with help sheets (see Supplemental Materials) allow teachers to maintain an active role in the students' progress, while also demonstrating the collaborative nature of scientific research. Ultimately students formulate formal emails summarizing and interpreting their findings in order to "apply" for the grant. The case is designed for undergraduate students in introductory biology or in lower-level population genetics/conservation courses where connecting basic genetic principles to ecology and sustainability is key.

A Cornell study offers further proof that the divergence of humans from chimpanzees some 4 million to 6 million years ago was profoundly influenced by mutations to DNA sequences that play roles in turning genes on and off.

groups of cells in the blastula are synchronized to divide at the same time through mitosis. Some of these cells will eventually give rise to the sand dollar's germ cells. Others will play important roles in various developmental processes, such as cell differentiation, the formation of the digestive system, and the development of the exoskeleton. Despite their different characteristics and roles, all of the sand dollar's cells (except for eggs or sperm) are genetically identical due to mitosis.

video clips of diverse women scientists and STEM role models  3700 video clips from 160 inspiring women - biochemists, biomedical researchers, chemists, forensic scientists, geneticists, genomic sciences, geologists, icthylogists, meterologists, oceanographers

webquest with student group members assuming different roles when investiigating genetic disease 

3:35 video Enzymes are the critical ingredient in every organism that make life possible. They are catalysts and drive every chemical reaction that takes place in the human body, enabling our bodies to be built from proteins, carbohydrates, and fats. In this program from VEA we investigate the role of enzymes in detail, offering both theoretical and practical examples.

University of Washington Institute for Science and Mathematics Education has created partnerships to envision, cultivate, and study equity-focused educational models and practices in areas of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM). We do this work across the K-12 grade span and across formal and informal learning environments. We believe that all young people should be able to decide their own futures. Their opportunity to learn in STEM fields plays a critical role in their opportunity to do so now and in the future. We develop innovative projects that seek to deliver on this goal and closely study them to develop knowledge about how to broaden participation in STEM. The Institute is strongly affiliated with the Learning in Informal and Formal Environments (LIFE) Center.

This animation describes insulin resistance, an underlying cause of type 2 diabetes. It explains the roles of glucose and the hormone insulin in our body. Symptoms of diabetes are reviewed and various health complications that type 2 diabetes can lead to if left untreated.

Which pathogens play a major role in causing infection? Just recently, the Robert Koch-Institute prepared a list of 127 pathogens by ranking them in terms of frequency, spread and burden of disease.   Considering this prioritisation, we extended our search tool by bacteria, viruses and fungi accordingly. In the list, you will find both the clinically relevant pathogens and the spectrum of effect necessary for disinfectants to inactivate them.

In this interrupted case study, students shadow an endocrinologist as she tries to determine what is wrong with Angela Barber. Angela is a middle-aged woman presenting with symptoms suggestive of a thyroid issue. Students are given background information, patient history, and results from thyroid-specific blood tests. The exercise emphasizes the hypothalamic-pituitary-thyroid axis and particularly highlights the role of negative feedback. Students will use results from serum thyrotropin and thyroid hormone level tests, as well as patient symptoms, to come up with a diagnosis. In preparation for the diagnosis, students are asked to compare the endocrine profiles of patients with Graves' disease, Hashimoto's disease, iodine deficiency (primary hypothyroidism), and various tumors. The case was developed for college-level biology majors in a physiology course, but also has been used successfully for pre-nursing students in a non-majors anatomy and physiology course. Thus, this activity would be suitable for majors in physiology or pre-medical students, as well as allied health majors.

Water is essentially everywhere in our world, and the average human is composed of between 55 and 60% water. So what role does water play in our bodies, and how much do we actually need to drink to stay healthy? Mia Nacamulli details the health benefits of hydration.

How do cells in your body differentiate into other types of cells? Explore cell specialization featuring stem cells and the role they play in cell differentiation.

This interrupted case study tells the story of Michael, a Harvard law graduate with a stressful job and a seemingly heavy drinking problem. Students are provided with background information, medical history, and lab results in order to guide them towards determining what is wrong with Michael. This study highlights cirrhosis and the effects of alcohol abuse on the liver. Before beginning the case study, students should have a background in the physiological role of the liver and the breakdown of hemoglobin. Students are asked to use the information provided for them in the case study to gather more information about liver cells and their functions, alcohol, and alcoholic liver damage. Ultimately, using multiple blood tests, the Maddrey's discriminant function (DF) score, and results from a magnetic resonance elastography (MRE), they will diagnose Michael with alcoholic cirrhosis. This case was developed for use in a non-majors physiology course, but could easily be used for a majors class.

This interrupted case study was inspired by and uses data from one of the largest commercial restaurant associated outbreaks of norovirus reported in the literature. It applies basic principles of epidemiology and outbreak investigation to a shellfish-linked norovirus outbreak at a Michelin star restaurant in the UK in 2009. The details of the case are taken directly from the report that was produced by the health protection agency and publications that followed. Students take on the role of an infection control team (ICT) that is responsible for identifying the extent and source of the outbreak. They are taken through different stages of the outbreak investigation and at each stage asked what their team would do in response to given pieces of information. Specifically, students uncover the scope and source of the outbreak using descriptive and basic analytical epidemiology methods. The case is suitable for first or second year introductory courses in microbiology, epidemiology, or other infectious disease related topics.

This case study takes place at a fictional biotechnology company developing herbicides against invasive plant species. The case study focuses on five herbicides with different effects on photosynthesis. Students play the role of lab interns and explore photosynthesis and the herbicide effects by engaging in concept mapping, experimental design, data manipulation, and data analysis. The goal is to use the experimental data to predict the steps in photosynthesis that are inhibited by each herbicide. Students should come away from the case study with a process-based understanding of photosynthesis. This case study is designed for the "flipped" classroom with suggested preparatory videos and associated assessment questions included. Videos can be supplemented with textbook readings or mini-lectures. This activity was developed for a non-majors introductory biology course but it could also be used in any general biology course, including majors' courses. It might also be used to establish foundational knowledge for more advanced discussions of photosynthesis in plant biology (botany) courses.

The advent of increasingly powerful and inexpensive DNA sequencing methods is changing many aspects of genetics research. In particular, human genome sequencing is transforming our understanding of many aspects of human biology and medicine. However, we must be careful to remember that genes alone do not determine our futures-environmental factors and chance also play important roles.

This case study is based on the 2014 Ebola epidemic that spread to multiple highly populated countries in West Africa, making it the largest and most devastating outbreak in the history of the virus. The storyline, inspired by a compilation of factual information, unfolds through a fictional narrative wherein students play the role of an infectious disease specialist in training to learn about the techniques used in the detection, diagnosis, and management of Ebola virus outbreaks. The story is presented as an interrupted "clicker case" that combines problem-based case teaching methods with simulated biological laboratory inquiry through the use of Case It, a free molecular biology software, along with the NCBI's online bioinformatics tools and databases. Students work in groups to collaboratively explore various biological and social aspects of this infectious disease outbreak. This case was developed for senior students at the secondary level and can be modified for use in an introductory biology, microbiology, or epidemiology course at the undergraduate level.

269 page  Curriculum Supplement from NIH 5 lessons  Ideas about the role of evolution in medicine Investigating lactose intolerance and evolution evolutionary processes and patterns inform medicine Using evolution to understand influenza Evaluating evolutionary explanations