Tuesday, October 23, 2012

October 22 - 26

Monday, October 22
Objective: Describe the characteristics of the phylum chordata.
Look at the powerpoint. On slide 3 there is a picture of each of the 7 classes of vertebrates. Answer these three questions from that slide:
1. What are the similarities of all of the classes of vertebrates?
2. What makes each class different from the others?
3. Place the classes into three groups based on characteristics, and explain why you put them there.
Chordata Powerpoint

Tuesday, October 23
Objective: Read and interpret information about vertebrate diseases and apply it to research.
Vertebrate Diseases Article
Answer the following questions:
1.       What are some reasons for studying lower vertebrate disease?
2.       What is the best description for zoonoses?
3.       When discussing zoonoses (page 1, 2nd to last line), it refers to “arthropod vectors”. What could these be?
4.       How can a decline in the number of predators at the top of a food chain show that insecticides or water pollution are affecting an environment?
5.       Looking at the bodies and systems of different animals to learn about their similarities and differences is called comparative anatomy or physiology.
a.       Why have veterinary and medical students used comparative physiology of lower vertebrates in the past?
b.      Why do we study the anatomy of different organisms in this class?
6.       What is an example from this article of how lower vertebrates were used in medical research?
7.       What does Hinde (4th page, line 13) mean when he says “apparently close similarities between species may prove to be merely parallel evolutionary adaptations to a similar environment, and rest on quite different causal bases”?
8.       What is a positive of using lower vertebrates to study human diseases?  What is a negative?

Wednesday, October 24
Objective: Describe the characteristics of vertebrate animals.
Beginning of the research project on vertebrates.
Research project
Grading Rubric
Dates for Research Project

Thursday, October 25
Objective: View and describe the external anatomy of the squid.
Begin squid dissection

Friday, October 26
Objective: View and describe the internal anatomy of the squid.
Squid dissection