In health courses, the students must be familiar with the effects of intravenous solutions on cell volume and function, a topic where there can be learning difficulties and misunderstandings. Since educational games can assist in understanding complex concepts, we created a game relating solution osmolarity and tonicity to red blood cell volume…

The Nernst equation is key to understanding the electrophysiology of the cell membrane and the pathophysiology of K[superscript +] imbalances (i.e., hyperkalemia and hypokalemia). However, in our experience teaching medical students over the years, many students struggle to make connections between a brief introduction of the Nernst equation and…

Iron is needed for normal development in adolescence. Exposure to individual environmental metals (e.g., lead) has been associated with altered iron status in adolescence, but little is known about the cumulative associations of multiple metals with Fe status. We used data from the 2017-2018 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey…

The depolarization is also important for the short-term synaptic plasticity, known as depolarization-induced suppression of excitation (DSE). The two major types of neurons and their synapses in the lateral nucleus of amygdala (LA) are prone to plasticity. However, DSE in interneurons has not been reported in amygdala in general and in LA in…

This study aims to determine misconceptions about interphase, a basic phase in the cell cycle and to address those misconceptions. Meristem cells in plants, stem cells in animals, spermatogonia and oogonia cells, and some cells with partial regeneration ability do not lose dividing ability. However, normal tissue cells other than these are in the…

In this laboratory exercise, students have an opportunity to evaluate the potential endocrine disrupting abilities of environmental chemicals of their choice using human cell culture. Over the course of 9 weeks, students learn how to aseptically handle and manipulate cells, perform and analyze a cytotoxicity assay and an enzyme-linked…

This study aimed to enhance students' experimental skills and laboratory techniques in cell and molecular biology. A trifold intervention involving a Gene Screen Worksheet, a Gene Screen Flowchart, and a laboratory manual were used, along with a mixed methods approach to data collection. The trifold intervention was grounded in constructivism,…

The dopamine system has been implicated in decision-making particularly when associated with effortful behavior. We examined acute optogenetic stimulation of dopamine cells in the ventral tegmental area (VTA) as mice engaged in an effort-based decision-making task. Tyrosine hydroxylase-Cre mice were injected with Cre-dependent ChR2 or eYFP control…

This paper introduces a safe, interesting, convenient, and low-cost experiment. The products of galvanic cells and electrolytic cells are compressed into specimens that are placed on a slide to stretch the metal dendrites in one plane and ensure they are not easily destroyed by external factors. The details and growth process of the metal…

This study aims to examine the unique educational films prepared by science teacher candidates about biotechnology applications and getting their perceptions on the process/the educational films they have prepared. The phenomenology method was used. The study group consists of 30 sophomore teacher candidates. Teacher candidates prepared…

We present here two accessible ways for enhanced understanding of complex biological structures and their function in undergraduate Biology and Biochemistry classrooms. These methods can be applied for in-class instruction as well as for remote lessons, as they are cheap, easily available and easy to implement. LEGO® bricks and MERGE CUBE based…

In this study, it was aimed to examine the visual content and expressions in the texts in the "Cell Divisions" unit in the 10th Grade Biology textbook of the Ministry of National Education, Secondary Science High School, taught in the 2022-2023 academic year, in terms of scientific content. The data sources of the research, in which the…

An Australia-wide consensus was reached on seven core concepts of physiology, one of which was "structure and function" with the descriptor "Structure and function are intrinsically related to all levels of the organism. In all physiological systems, the structure from a microscopic level to an organ level dictates its…

This paper reports on a study which designed and developed a multi-fingered haptic interface in conjunction with a three-dimensional (3D) virtual model of a section of the cell membrane in order to enable students to work collaboratively to learn cell biology. Furthermore, the study investigated whether the addition of haptic feedback to the 3D…

The origin of life is one of the most interesting and challenging questions in biology. This article discusses relevant contemporary theories and hypotheses about the origin of life, recent scientific evidence supporting them, and the main contributions of several scientists of different nationalities and specialties in different disciplines. Also…