Course
Guidelines for Biology 316 Animal Development (4 credits)
Instructor: Dr. Christopher Rose
Office hours: TTh 9-11:30; if I am not in my office, look for me in my lab; email me for an appointment outside of office hours.
Office: Burruss 213 Lab: Burruss 339
Phone: 568-6666 (O) email: rosecs@jmu.edu
Lecture, lab, exam and assignment schedule
General description: This course provides an introduction to the basic patterns and fundamental processes and mechanisms of animal development. The primary focus is on vertebrate animals, but the approach is comparative, drawing on selected invertebrates to illustrate shared and divergent aspects of development. The processes and mechanisms involved in fertilization, morphogenesis, organogenesis, and postembryonic developmental phenomena are explored at both cellular and molecular levels. The majority of lectures address embryogeny, focusing on frog, chick, mouse, fish, human and fruit fly systems. The final lectures address postembryonic phenomena including regeneration, metamorphosis, and growth. The first third of labs complements lectures with microscope slide investigations of frog and chick developmental anatomy. The second third of labs introduces the students to live embryo observation and experimentation. The final third involves the presentation and discussion of student research papers on topical issues in developmental biology.
Goals and Objectives:
1: have students gain a basic understanding of the processes and patterns of embryonic and postembryonic development in vertebrate animals, as well as the fundamental cellular and molecular/genetic mechanisms involved by lecturing them on developmental processes (e.g., fertilization, cleavage, gastrulation, neurulation) in chronological order and explaining each process first at an organismal/morphological level, then at a cellular level and lastly at a genetic/molecular level. Before cell and molecular-level discussions, I give review lectures on cell behaviors, cell signaling and gene regulation. I also use interactive learning exercises as an alternative to lecturing and class discussion.
2: have students gain a helpful foundation in developmental biology for pursuing further educational and career goals including taking more courses in evolution, vertebrate biology and developmental biology; teaching courses in general biology, evolution and developmental biology; pursuing veterinary and medical programs; and doing postgraduate research in vertebrate developmental biology and evolution.
3: have students develop problem-solving and critical thinking skills by engaging the class in discussion and interactive learning exercises about the following: concepts and models in developmental biology, the use of experimental evidence to support developmental biology models, primary literature articles, designing and interpreting classical and modern experiments, important evolutionary questions and comparing processes across model organisms.
4: have students develop the skills for visualizing embryos and embryonic processes in three dimensions by having them do a microscopic analysis of serially sectioned chick and frog embryos that exhibit the anatomical changes and cell behaviors described in lectures on early embryonic development.
5: have students develop the skills for designing and carrying out their own developmental biology lab experiments by first instructing them on how to make and use basic embryological tools, and staging and handling frog and chick embryos, and then supervising them in group lab experiments. This exercise requires students to actively participate in every step of the scientific process, i.e., researching the topic, forming a testable hypothesis, developing a complete experimental technique, performing the technique to the best of their ability within the limitations imposed by schedules and resources, and discussing their results and interpretations.
6: have students appreciate developmental biology as a dynamic, topical and integrative science by exposing them to current research by developmental anatomists, developmental geneticists, biomedical professionals, evolutionary biologist, and having them do library research papers on topical issues that demonstrate the impact of developmental biology on society and biology but are outside the scope of the lecture material.
7: have students develop research and communication skills by having them do presentations on their group lab experiments, participate in interactive learning exercises, prepare an outline and oral presentation of a library research paper and lead a brief informal class discussion on the topic afterwards. They are also required to answer most exam questions in essay form.
Prerequisites: BIO 214 and BIO 224.
Course time and place: Lectures are scheduled on MWF at 11:15-12:05 and labs on MF 1:25-3:00. Lectures are in Burruss 336 and labs in Burruss 355.
Required texts and materials: The required reference text is "Developmental Biology (8th edition)" by Scott F. Gilbert, and the required lab manual is "Laboratory Studies of Vertebrate and Invertebrate Embryos, Guide and Atlas of Descriptive and Experimental Development (9th edition)" by Gary C. Schoenwolf.
Adding/dropping class: Policy and deadlines can be found at http://www.jmu.edu/syllabus/
Disabilities: Policy and deadlines can be found at http://www.jmu.edu/syllabus/
Attendance policy: There is no credit given for attending class and no grade penalty for missing class. To get a good grade in this class, students are recommended to do three things. First, you attend class, pay attention, and be active note takers, which means that you do not limit this task to just copying what is put on the blackboard. Second, after each class, you review your lecture notes and do the assigned readings in the text, and if you still don't understand the material, you seek clarification in office hours at that time. Third, you prepare and use study notes before each lecture exam.
Grading: Grades will be based on the scores of three lecture exams, two lab exams, a research paper and presentation, a group lab experiment and presentation, and participation in interactive learning exercises and reading assignments. All exams will cover material from class plus the assigned readings. Please see the course syllabus for exam dates and due dates for papers, reading assignments and lab reports. The grade breakdown is:
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Lecture exam I |
15 % |
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Lecture exam II |
15 % |
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Lecture exam III (cumulative exam) |
20 % |
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Laboratory exam I |
10 % |
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Laboratory exam II |
10 % |
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Research presentation (done singly or in pairs) |
5 % |
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Research paper |
10 % |
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Group lab experiment and presentation |
10 % |
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Participation in class, interactive learning exercises and reading assignments |
5 % |
Lecture exams will consist of objective, short answer questions (definitions, identifications, fill-in blanks, etc.) and short essay questions that may require the use of diagrams. Lecture exams might include material from assigned readings. Lecture exam III will focus on the final third of the lecture material, but approximately 1/4 of the questions will address concepts/themes covered throughout the course.
Lab exams: The first will involve the identification of developmental anatomy from microscope slides, whole-mounts and/or models. The second, which will be open-book, will test experimental skills including hypothesis formation, designing experiments, and interpreting results.
Research papers: will be a 10+ page (double-spaced) essay on a current research topic in developmental biology. A list of Research topics is provided, although you may select your own with my approval. Students are required to select a research topic by Oct. 10 and submit an outline of their paper by Nov. 4. You will be requested to attend a brief meeting with the instructor before Thanksgiving to discuss your research outline and finalize the content of your presentation and paper. You will be required to research your topic through library searches of primary literature and books. Although students may research the topic in pairs (in which case an equal division of labor is required by the Honor code), each student is required to produce an independently written paper. Papers must have a minimum of seven references to books and primary literature from peer-reviewed scientific journals. The use of WIKIPEDIA and other internet encyclopedias is not allowed as they teach you nothing about how to research a scientific topic or read scientific literature.
Research papers must be written in your own words, and you must paraphrase all information taken from other sources. Plagiarism is easy to spot and will be dealt with according to the Honor code. Proper scientific writing permits very rare use of direct quotations, specifically when the writer wishes to retain the particular emphasis or eloquence of the original author. I will not tolerate direct quotes as a short cut to paraphrasing; unnecessary or excessive use of direct quotations will be penalized. I also discourage the writing strategy of editing other people's words with minor word substitutions, rearrangements, additions, and deletions. I am a much happier (and more generous) grader when the writing style is obviously the student's. The implication is that after you read something, you must think about it and try to express what is relevant to your paper in your words. The more you combine thoughts and ideas arising from different sources into your retelling of the story, the better. When paraphrasing information from other sources, you must properly cite and reference the articles used. Citing an article means listing the author(s) and year in parentheses, e.g., (Jones and Bentley, 2001), at the end of a sentence or group of sentences that paraphrases that author(s)' work. Referencing an article means listing it alphabetically in a reference list at the end of the paper; all articles must be referenced using a single format that is already used by a developmental biology journal; you can choose which journal to follow.
Research papers will be graded on the basis of their content, organization, writing style, and originality. Content includes whether the paper addresses the developmental concepts and mechanisms needed to explain the phenomenon in question, plus the depth, clarity and completeness of the explanation. Organization refers to the overall structure of the paper, i.e., whether the paper has a clearly defined introduction, body and conclusion and sections separated by subheadings, are topics presented in a logical sequence, and whether paragraphs have clearly defined opening sentences. Writing style refers to grammar, spelling, conciseness, and the flow and coherence of ideas. Originality refers to how well the author defines the problem in his/her own terms and presents his/her own synthesis of the information available.
Research presentations: Prior to its submission for grading, the research paper will be given as an oral presentation to the class. This can be done either singly or in pairs. Some form of visual aids is generally considered essential to any presentation in biology. You can use overhead, slide and computer projectors, or blackboard illustrations/outlines. Depending on the number, presentations will be 15-20 minutes in length, with 5-10 minutes for questions and discussion. Presentations will be graded on the basis of their content, organization, effectiveness of communication, and efforts to answer questions and stimulate discussion of the topic.
Group lab experiments and presentations will be graded on the basis of the submission of a written Introduction, Materials and Methods & Schedule, the effectiveness of your lab activity, self-scoring of individual performances, and quality of the presentation.
Participation in class, interactive learning exercises and reading assignments: During lectures, the professor will introduce interactive learning exercises wherein the class is divided into groups and each group has 5 minutes to formulate a response to different kinds of problems. Examples are to design an experiment to test a particular hypothesis, speculate on the evolutionary significance of a phenomenon, or provide an explanation for an experimental result. At the end of the preparation period, one group will be picked to present its response to the class, and the other(s) will critique the response. Students will also receive two reading assignments for which they are required to complete and hand in answers to questions and then participate in a class discussion of those answers. In addition, the format of some lectures will be modified to accommodate alternative pedagogies. For example, students might be provided with reading materials before the lecture and asked to perform quizzes and/or participate in interactive learning based on the reading during the lecture period. Students are also expected to participate in asking and answering questions during lectures. Students will be graded on their participation in all of these activities.
Final letter grades will be assigned using the standard numerical scale (e.g., > 90 = A, 80-89 = B, etc.). Grades of WP and WF will not be given out in this class.
Class study notes: Students have the option of making study notes for exams as a class effort. Students who choose to participate will be required to produce a 1-page study note for 1-2 lectures before an exam. These are due one lecture before the exam so the instructor has time to assemble and distribute the study note package. The purpose of making study notes is to summarize and consolidate the important information of each lecture into an accessible point-form formaton one side of paper. Students are encouraged to synthesize information by drawing connections between material covered in different lectures, and comparing similar phenomena in different systems. The more thinking that goes into preparing a study note (as opposed to simply listing details from lectures), the more useful the study note will be in answering thought-provoking questions.
Missed classes, exams and deadlines: While there is no penalty for missing classes or labs, students are strongly recommended to come to all classes and labs and to come to office hours and ask for additional lab time to make up for missed classes or labs. If you have a valid excuse (school-recognized religious observation; official school business; job, court or graduate school interview; sickness with doctor’s note; death or serious illness in family) for missing an exam or assignment deadline, contact me by email at least three days before the date in question and you will either be given an extension or make-up exam or have your grade calculated on the basis of the remaining evaluations. If you do not have a valid excuse or fail to contact me three days before the date, your grade will be zero.
Inclement weather policies: Missed classes and labs will be made up at times to be announced at the next class meeting. On days when the start of school is delayed past the start of a class, the professor will announce by email whether the class will still be held.
Religious observation accommodations: Policy and deadlines can be found at http://www.jmu.edu/syllabus/.
Laboratory policy: Students must wear closed-end shoes (no flip flops, sandals or other shoes with open toes or heels) when attending all labs. Some lab procedures might requite the use of safety glasses. Some laboratory exercises will involve the manipulation of frog and chick embryos. All procedures will be done in accordance with government regulations protecting animal rights and welfare. If any student objects to the use of live material for such educational purposes, he or she is strongly requested to bring their concern to the instructor's attention at the start of the course (i.e., in the first week of classes). Depending on the circumstances, the student may be given an alternative lab assignment or advised to reconsider their enrollment in the course. All students are requested to treat all laboratory exercises and animals with the respect and maturity befitting serious scientific inquiry.
Honor Code: All students are expected to be familiar with and abide by the JMU Honor Code (http://www.jmu.edu/honor/code.shtml). Forms of academic dishonesty include cheating on tests or homework, lending your work to another person to submit it as his or her own, reporting false data, selling or uploading unauthorized documents from a class, deliberately creating false information on a works cited or reference page; and plagiarism, presenting another person’s writing, ideas or results as your own, whether intentional or not. Work submitted for this course must be your own and written for this course. To avoid plagiarism in writing, paraphrased and quoted materials must be properly cited in the text and referenced in the bibliography (see above); unnecessary or excessive use of direct quotations will be penalized.
Additional reference texts and lab manuals (all of which are available for short term loan from me, the lab room or the library):
Gilbert, S.F. and Epel, D. 2009. Ecological Developmental Biology, Integrating Epigenerics, Medicine and Evolution. Sinauer Associates, MA.
Wolpert, L. 2007. Principles of Development, Oxford: Oxford University Press, UK
Slack, J.M.W. 2006. Essential Developmental Biology, Blackwell Publishing: Malden, MA
Gilbert, S.F., Tyler, A.L., and Zackin, E.J. 2005. Bioethics and the New Embryology, Sinauer Associates: Sunderland, MA
Wilt, F.H and Hake, S.C. 2004. Principles of Developmental Biology, Norton and Co.: NY, NY
Wilkins, A.S. 2002. The Evolution of Developmental Pathways, Sinauer: Sunderland, MA
Gerhart, J. and Kirschner, M. 1997. Cells, Embryos, and Evolution, Blackwell Science, Malden, MA
Gilbert, S.F. and Raunio, A.M. (eds) 1997. Embryology: Constructing the Organism, Sinauer: Sunderland, MA
Carlson, B.M. 1996. Patten’s Foundations of Embryology, 6th ed., McGraw-Hill: New York
Kalthaus, K. 1996. Analysis of Biological Development, McGraw-Hill: New York
Raff, R.A. 1996. The Shape of Life: Genes, Development, and the Evolution of Animal Form, University of Chicago Press: Chicago
Hall, B.K. 1992. Evolutionary Developmental Biology, Chapman & Hall: London
Browder, L.W., Erickson, C.A., and Jeffery, W.R. 1991. Developmental Biology, 3rd ed., Saunders College: Philadelphia
Raff, R.A. and Kaufman, T.C. 1983. Embryos, Genes, and Evolution: The Developmental-Genetic Basis of Evolutionary Change, Macmillan Publ.: New York
Slack, J.M.W. 1983. From Egg to Embryo, Cambridge, University Press: Cambridge, UK
Balinski, B.I. 1981. An Introduction to Embryology, 5th ed., Saunders College: Philadelphia
Mathews, W.W. and Schoenwolf, G.C. 1998. Atlas of Descriptive Embryology, 5ft ed., Prentice Hall: Englewood Cliffs, NJ
Johnson, L.G. 1995. Johnson & Volpe’s Patterns and Experiments in Developmental Biology, 2nd ed., Wm. C. Brown: Dubuque, IA
Schoenwolf, G.C. 1995. Laboratory Studies of Vertebrate and Invertebrate Embryos, Guide and Atlas of Descriptive and Experimental Development, Prentice Hall: Upper Saddle River, NJ
Tyler, M.S. 1994. Developmental Biology: A Guide for Experimental Study, Sinauer: Sunderland, MA
Cruz, Y.P. 1993. Laboratory Exercises in Developmental Biology, Academic Press: San Diego
Rugh, R. 1962. Experimental Embryology: Techniques and Procedures, Burgess Publ.: Minneapolis
Hamburger, V. 1960. A Manual of Experimental Embryology, revised ed., University of Chicago Press: Chicago
Developmental biology webpages
Consult the following websites for information on educational rights and privacies:
The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) of 1974
Lecture, lab, exam and assignment schedule