Learning about chromosomes is standard fare in biology classrooms today. However, students may find it difficult to understand the relationships among the "genome", "chromosomes", "genes", a "gene locus", and "alleles". In the simple activity described in this article, which follows the 5E approach…

How much do students really know about chromosomes? This article describes a partner activity and then a whole-class activity that use modeling to teach DNA replication, connect it to the shape of chromosomes during mitosis, and help students understand how daughter cells have the same DNA. Modeling is integral to science, helping students…

The "plasma membrane," which controls what comes in and goes out of a cell, is integral to maintaining homeostasis. Cell transport of small molecules across the cell membrane happens in several different ways. Some small, nonpolar molecules cross the plasma membrane along the concentration gradient directly through the "phospholipid…

In this article, the authors describe an interconnected set of relatively simple laboratory experiments in which students determine the RNA content of yeast cells and use agarose gel electrophoresis to separate and analyze the major species of cellular RNA. This set of experiments focuses on RNAs from the yeast "Saccharomyces cerevisiae", a…

Discusses the fluid mosaic model, examining how it arose, evaluating its strengths and weaknesses, and using it as an example to discuss how powerful scientific models are used. Indicates that this model, like all models, are to be used for further studies; however, they are not to be believed. (JN)

Equipped with string and paper models, students are able to illustrate the processes of meiosis. (ZWH)

The use of simple materials to illustrate complex biological concepts provides benefits to all students, particularly the visually handicapped. A list of materials needed and discussion of procedures used are given for (1) a nucleosome simulation and (2) a supercoiled model of condensed DNA. (DH)

A microarray experiment is presented that, in six laboratory sessions, takes undergraduate students from the tissue sample right through to data analysis. The model chosen, the murine erythroleukemia cell line, can be easily cultured in sufficient quantities for class use. Large changes in gene expression can be induced in these cells by…

Describes making three-dimensional models of cells, creating a mitosis bulletin board, and creating flip books to help students understand mitosis. (PR)