Nobel Prize 2014: The Brain's Positioning System
The Nobel Assembly at Karolinska Institutet has today decided to awardThe 2014 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicinewith one half toJohn O´Keefeand the other half jointly toMay-Britt Moser and Edvard I. Moserfor their discoveries of cells that constitute a positioning system in the brain.How do we know where we are? How can we find the way from one place to another? And how can we store this information in such a way that we can immediately find the way the next time we trace the same path? This year´s Nobel Laureates have discovered a positioning system, an “inner GPS” in the brain that makes it possible to ori...
Source: The A and P Professor - October 6, 2014 Category: Physiology Authors: Kevin Patton Source Type: blogs
No Red Pens!
All teachers use red pens to grade student work, right? Not this teacher. I haven't used a red pen in over a decade. I have strong reasons for that.Many years ago, I happened to be scanning some information about research on the psychological effects of colors. I was planning a major overhaul of my writing studio and wanted to find a paint color that would not interfere with my focus and productivity—or perhaps even enhance my productivity. That's when I ran across something that pointed out some unintended adverse effects of using a red pen for grading student work.As we all know, red is an...
Source: The A and P Professor - September 29, 2014 Category: Physiology Authors: Kevin Patton Source Type: blogs
Sweeteners Alter Gut Microbiome to Promote Glucose Intolerance
I'll never forget when Ira Fritz, my doctoral committee chair, practically slapped a packet of artificial sweetener out of my hand as I was about to put it into my iced tea. "That stuff will kill you!" he said as he extracted from me an oath to swear off the stuff. I'm not sure I quite believed him, but to this day I still drink my iced tea unsweetened.As usual, Ira was right. Recently another brick has been added to the foundation of his concern about sugar substitutes. Researchers have found that sweeteners such as saccharine, sucralose, aspartame can alter the microbial ecosystem of our gut in a way th...
Source: The A and P Professor - September 19, 2014 Category: Physiology Authors: Kevin Patton Source Type: blogs
Updated Cell Transport Slides
Many longtime readers of this blog know that I have a set of animated PowerPoint-compatible slides available for you to use FREE in your A&P classes. These slides—the Lion Den Slide Collection— supplement the publisher-supplied slides or homegrown slides that you are already using.I recently updated, improved, and expanded the set of slides that animate several key cell transport processes such as diffusion, osmosis, endocytosis, etc. If you've accessed the Lion Den Slide Collection in the last several months, you've already registered in the system and probably have already received an email notifi...
Source: The A and P Professor - September 15, 2014 Category: Physiology Authors: Kevin Patton Source Type: blogs
Pre-A&P
A story broadcast recently on National Public Radio (NPR) highlighted the role of a Pre-A&P course in student success. Listen to the story yourself (link below) and tell me you don't recognize the issues brought up there. Students failing A&P because they just don't know how to read a science textbook, don't know how to study, and don't have higher-order thinking skills. You may recall my bringing up some of these issues in a recent blog post Help Your Students Get Off to a Good Start.The story mentions a course to help students through these difficulties at West Kentucky Community and Technical College. &nbs...
Source: The A and P Professor - September 8, 2014 Category: Physiology Authors: Kevin Patton Source Type: blogs
Help Your A&P Students Get Off to a Good Start
I recently posted an article in The A&P Student called Getting a Good Start in Your Anatomy & Physiology Course. In it, I run down a brief list of practical strategies students can employ from the start of their course to get a solid start in a rigorous course—a course that intimidates many beginners who are not fully prepared.My suggested strategies are organized under three subheadings:Learn to read and raid your textbookBrush up on your study skillsTake A&P seriouslyFor each of these broad categories, I list several practical and proven tips for A&P students to get a handle on things early in...
Source: The A and P Professor - September 1, 2014 Category: Physiology Authors: Kevin Patton Source Type: blogs
Use Eponyms with Style!
Paul LangerhansI love eponyms!I'm a bit sad that eponyms—terms that include a proper name—are going out of style in the world of human sciences, it seems.The international lists of anatomic terminology recommend against most eponyms, providing descriptive terms in their place. For example, pancreatic islet is the term preferred to the eponym islet of Langerhans. Osteon is preferred over haversian system.Of course, I get that. Descriptive terms are more intuitive and therefore easier to understand, learn, and remember. Related to that is that they are more accurate when it comes to medi...
Source: The A and P Professor - August 25, 2014 Category: Physiology Authors: Kevin Patton Source Type: blogs
Human Microbial System
A recent article in The Scientist once again reminds us of the ongoing explosion in the scientific understanding of the human microbial system. In a few short years, this area of exploration has moved to the forefront of medical and basic science research in human biology.I think it's becoming clear that the most useful way to think of human body function is to recognize that an "organism" is really a sort of "habitat." And like any habitat, it functions best when all the inhabitants are within a limited range of balanced relationships. Who are the inhabitants? Besides our own cells? Well, one could...
Source: The A and P Professor - August 18, 2014 Category: Physiology Authors: Kevin Patton Source Type: blogs
Start A&P 1 with a Comprehensive Exam. Really.
A while back, I recommended starting the second semester of A&P 2 with an exam. In that article, I stated that it's a good opportunity to get everyone started on the right track—and on the same track—before jumping right back into it.If you think about it, even the first semester of A&P is "jumping back into it." That is, if we assume that our students have had some learning in biology already. Don't we want them to already know at least a little bit about:basic chemistry (like what an atom is)cell biology (at least what a cell is and perhaps a few organelles)scientific terminology (like what r...
Source: The A and P Professor - August 11, 2014 Category: Physiology Authors: Kevin Patton Source Type: blogs
Forensic Anthropologist Clyde Snow Passes
I just learned that the renowned forensic anthropologist Clyde Snow passed away this past May at the age of 86.Famous for identifying the remains of Nazi war criminal Josef Mengele and victims of mass murderer John Wayne Gacy, Snow was one of a generation of pioneers who sparked the current popular interest in forensic sciences.What can we use from this in teaching undergraduate A&P? Some of stories of his achievements (see links below) can help spark interest in studying the human skeleton and other systems. And some of his familiar quotes are worth using in the lab or classroom:"There are 206 bo...
Source: The A and P Professor - August 4, 2014 Category: Physiology Authors: Kevin Patton Source Type: blogs
Syllabus Resources for A&P
Fall is the traditional start of the academic year, so as we approach that mark it may be a good time to think about ways to tweak our course syllabus in ways that may promote student success. There are some "teaching moments" in a syllabus that we don't want to miss!I have few suggestions for you to consider.ChunkingExperts call it excessive cognitive load and I say it's just plain rude to put all your policies, procedures, advice, and explanations in one or two big lumps, then expect students to actually read it and be familiar with the contents. Go ahead and get it all down there--then chunk it by dividing it up i...
Source: The A and P Professor - July 28, 2014 Category: Physiology Authors: Kevin Patton Source Type: blogs
Number of Human Genes Revised Downward. Again.
Genomic researchers in Spain have recently proposed a new, lower number of protein-coding genes in the human genome. Previously, the number of coding genes was estimated by some at nearly 22,000 in the human genome. The new estimate is approximately 19,000 protein-coding genes.How can we use this new information in teaching undergraduate A&P? Well, first we can update the numbers we use when discussing the role of genes in protein synthesis. If it fits with our course objectives, we can use this as a way to transition to a discussion of coding vs. noncoding genes.We also have an opportunity to d...
Source: The A and P Professor - July 24, 2014 Category: Physiology Authors: Kevin Patton Source Type: blogs
Biological Pacemaker Using Gene Therapy
Researchers recently induced ordinary cardiac muscle fibers into becoming functioning pacemaker cells by injecting a therapeutic gene.Working with pigs, a common model for human cardiovascular research, researchers first destroyed the natural pacemaker cells in each subjects heart and installed an electronic pacemaker. They then inserted a gene for transcription factor TBX18 into cardiac muscle tissue using an adenovirus. Using adenovirous vectors for inserting genes is a common strategy in gene therapy. Within a couple of days, ordinary myocardial fibers had developed the structure and function of pacemaker cells. &...
Source: The A and P Professor - July 21, 2014 Category: Physiology Authors: Kevin Patton Source Type: blogs
The Life Science Teaching Resource Community
Have you heard that the American Physiological Society (APS) has expanded their Archive of Teaching Resources into The Life Science Teaching Resource Community?This new online community—LifeSciTRC for short—offers thousands of FREE resources that you can use in your A&P course!This transition marks a culmination of efforts of APS and several other scientific societies to advance the Archive of Teaching Resources beyond an online library into a community of practice for life science educators at the K-12, undergraduate, graduate, and professional levels.The LifeSciTRC offers more than 6,000 free, scientifically-accu...
Source: The A and P Professor - July 16, 2014 Category: Physiology Authors: Kevin Patton Source Type: blogs
