The basolateral amygdala (BLA) is a temporal lobe structure that contributes to a host of behaviors. In particular, it is a central player in learning about aversive events and thus assigning emotional valence to sensory events. It is a cortical-like structure and contains glutamatergic pyramidal neurons and GABAergic interneurons. It is divided…

Although differences in DNA methylation have been associated with both syndromic and idiopathic autism, differential methylation has not been examined previously with respect to sex differences. The goals of this study were to (1) identify differences in the DNA methylation profiles of lymphoblastoid cell lines derived from a subgroup of severely…

Over the past decade, the development of three-dimensional mammalian cell organization--called human organoids--from stem cells has provided a framework for future clinical therapies. As human organoid research progresses, we also need to keep in mind the cross-cultural and ethical dimensions of human organoids research. Our review article aims to…

Practical work as observation and experimentation are vital parts of science education. One way to accomplish this is by applying inquiry-based learning in laboratory activities. Inquiry enhances the development of scientific skills as well as the learning of the scientific concepts. In the present article, a laboratory activity was developed to…

National calls to improve science education include focusing on scientific practices coupled with learning disciplinary core ideas. Among the practices is constructing explanations. In the field of cellular and molecular biology, explanations typically include a mechanism and can be used to make predictions about phenomena. In this work, we…

A central topic in Bioelectricity is the generation of the extracellular potential that results from the propagation of a transmembrane action potential along the muscle fiber. However, the way in which the extracellular potential is determined by the propagating action potential is difficult to describe, conceptualize, and visualize. Moreover,…

This study aimed to determine the gender lens of Senior High School educators and learners in General Biology, particularly on The Cell's content standards. The content standards that exhibited most biases were identified. The Gender Lens Instrument in Biology, a validated and reliability-tested tool (Cronbach's [alpha] = 0.81) was used to…

Long-term but not short-term memory and synaptic plasticity in many brain areas require neurotrophin signaling, transcription, and epigenetic mechanisms including DNA methylation. However, it has been difficult to relate these cellular mechanisms directly to behavior because of the immense complexity of the mammalian brain. To address that…

There is a collective agreement about the necessity of content knowledge (CK) as a prerequisite for pedagogical content knowledge (PCK). However, most PCK models lack explanatory power because of the missing link between CK and PCK. Thus, the study firstly attempts to develop a theoretical model that consists of knowledge of students' learning…

Critical thinking skills are one of the four main competencies that must be empowered in the 21st-Century Learning. This study aimed to describe students' critical thinking skills through the application of blended-problem-based learning (PBL) in the Cell Biology course. The data sources of this research were 28 students who were taking Cell…

Often overlooked in many molecular cell biology laboratory and cell culture courses, suspension cells represent an important aspect of molecular cell biology and cell culture. Most primary cell cultures and cell lines are adherent cells which grow in monolayers on surfaces. However, other cells such as hematopoietic cells, certain tumor cells, and…

In this work, we present the results of an undergrad student from the perspective of its first approach as a principal researcher in a project. In order to gain practical experience, one of the options for students that have interest in pursuing a postgraduate program corresponds to a research stay in a laboratory of their selected field…

Undergraduate laboratory exercises addressing aspects of cancer biology such as increased cell proliferation, gain-of-function signaling mutations and tumour formation often rely on tissue culture or even small mammal models. Many departments have limited or no access to these tools, and even well-equipped departments face logistical problems when…

This chapter provides an overview on how the use of Virtual Reality apps and related activities enhanced student learning in conjunction with a low-tech, team-based, active learning assessment. Our approach for integrating emerging immersive technology in a Cell Biology class, a first of its kind at Otterbein University in Westerville, Ohio, was…

In the Fall of 2016, we created an integrated introductory biology/chemistry course for first-semester students at Wellesley College. This course was designed to meaningfully integrate chemistry and molecular cell biology while also building community and fostering mentorship both inside and outside the classroom. Here, we describe the assessment…