Textbook:  None
Webpage:  http://biology.creighton.edu/courses/BIO450/

General Information

This laboratory course is intended to supplement the material presented in Bio 449, as well as to provide hands on experience with current techniques used in physiological studies. In general, each week we will complete a set of experiments examining a particular aspect of animal physiology. We use a variety of animal models, including humans, to conduct these experiments. Be aware that animals will be sacrificed on several occasions during the semester. (Human sacrifices will be kept to a minimum.)

Objectives

By the conclusion of this course, you should have a good understanding of the particular physiological systems we investigate, as well as a working knowledge of computer-based data acquisition and analysis.

Lab Exercises

The schedule provides the general topic of the lab exercises for each week. Handouts on each lab will be made available prior to each lab meeting. You should have read the background and procedures for each set of exercises before arriving at lab. There will be a quiz on this material every other week. During each lab, you will complete a worksheet to be turned in at the end of the period or at the beginning of the following lab.

Exams

There will be a final exam consisting of two components, a practicum and a set of written questions. The practicum will take place during week 14, and the written exam week 15. The practicum portion requires that you be able to conduct a randomly selected lab exercise, so pay attention to each week's experiment! We will talk about this exam in more detail as it approaches.

Policy on Attendance

You are expected to be at lab each week, and to actively participate in all the lab exercises. If you must miss a lab period, contact me (Dr. Cullum) beforehand if possible, or as soon afterward as you can. In addition to the unavoidable penalties of unexcused absences or failure to participate (missing quizzes and worksheets, poor performance on the practicum, missing data in lab write-ups, etc.), I reserve the right to lower grades further for those who are chronically missing or inert.

Equipment

Beyond the equipment listed under “Safety”, at least one member of your lab group must have a dissection kit. You will not need a formal lab book.

Safety

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) stipulates the following requirements for personnel working in a laboratory environment:

• Confine long hair and loose clothing
• Wear closed-toe shoes - no sandals, perforated shoes or canvas sneakers
• Wear full length pants or skirt
• Avoid skin contact with irritating or harmful substances by using gloves and wearing long sleeved shirts
• Wear safety goggles when working with potentially dangerous chemicals

You are expected to have and use your own lab goggles when needed. The Biology Department will supply gloves and aprons.

Office Hours

I am generally available 10:00-11:15 MWF and frequently available at other times. You can drop by whenever my door is open or make an appointment.

Grading

A total of 200 points will be divided as follows:

Quizzes (10 @ 5)		50 points
Worksheets (10 @ 5)		50
Lab write-ups (2 @ 25)		50
Practicum		30
Written exam		20

My plan is to assign grades on a straight scale:

A: 90-100%		B+: 85-89.9%		B: 80-84.9%		C+: 75-79.9%
C: 70-74.9%		D: 60-69.9%		F: 59.9% and below

Class Cancellation

Class will never meet if the University is closed for weather or other reasons. If class is cancelled for other reasons, I will send out an email (to your official campus address) and post a notice on the course website as soon as I know of the cancellation, or have a Biology faculty or staff member make an announcement in the lab. If a University closure occurs during a scheduled exam, I will send and post information on alternative arrangements.

Academic Honesty

I assume you are all familiar with the Creighton’s policy on academic honesty. If not, please consult the section on Academic Honesty in the Creighton University Student Handbook (http://www2.creighton.edu/fileadmin/user/StudentServices/CenterforStudentIntergrity/docs/CreightonStudentHandbook.pdf). In this class, cheating on a quiz or exam, or plagiarizing a written assignment may result in sanctions ranging from a score of zero for the work to a failing grade in the course. In addition, students caught cheating will have a letter placed in their college file, so that future offenses will carry more severe consequences. One potentially confusing aspect of academic honesty concerns individual and independent work within lab groups – we will discuss this issue in class.