The reconstruction of two-dimensional (2D) slices to three-dimensional (3D) digital anatomical models requires technical skills and software that are becoming increasingly important to the modern anatomist, but these skills are rarely taught in undergraduate science classrooms. Furthermore, learning opportunities that allow students to…

Activity theory is a relatively young methodology for researching higher education teaching practices. Beyond systemic analyse of workplace activities and their development, activity theory used in its full interventionist capacity can foster practitioners' transformative agency to initiate practice change. Nevertheless, this is not an easy…

The term "histology" was coined a little over 200 years ago and the subject has always relied on microscopy as its defining technology. Microscopy was and still is an essential approach for the description of cellular components and their arrangements in living organisms. For more than a century and a half, histology or microanatomy has…

Renal clearance encompasses a somewhat abstract concept, which makes it a hard-to-visualize phenomenon. It is a confusing topic for students and a difficult task for the instructor to teach. In order to improve or facilitate the teaching-learning process of renal clearance, an alternative strategy is presented here. To properly characterize the…

In this article, we introduce a new virtual application that offers an interactive model of the brain for neuroanatomy education. Through a dual-platform architecture, the application can be downloaded on both desktop and mobile devices, with the mobile app leveraging unique capacities of modern handheld systems to deploy the brain model in…

Teaching introductory anatomy and physiology (A&P) requires a careful balance of conveying core content while at the same time fostering a deep interest in the subject matter. This is especially true in the laboratory where students are expected to not only master experimental procedures but also connect what they learn in the laboratory to…

This paper details the creation of a human gross anatomy laboratory from a defunct chemistry laboratory at West Liberty University, a small primarily undergraduate institution in West Virginia. The article highlights important considerations with regard to the development of a human gross anatomy laboratory including access to human gifts;…

In order to increase understanding of the cochlea and to illustrate its connection to basic physics, a functional model was developed. It was found to be useful in exploring the basic dynamics of the basilar membrane and its role in the frequency mapping of the cochlea.

Digestion is a fundamentally important process for an individual's life. However, the physical process of digestion is hidden inside the body, making it challenging to understand and a particularly difficult topic for students to learn in the classroom. Traditional approaches to teaching body processes include a mixture of textbook teaching and…

Students of physiology are taught that the body's homeostatic mechanisms are in place to maintain the body's internal environment. This is most often associated with maintaining health. Congestive Heart Failure represents a disease in which the body's homeostatic mechanisms worsen the progression of the disease. Using the analogy of Santa Claus…

Open-ended problems are a very effective tool for engaging student interest. In this paper, we report a physics activity that provides insight into the lifestyle of theropod dinosaurs. This activity generates great enthusiasm among the students since virtually everyone is interested in dinosaurs. In the spirit of the "spherical cow"…

For many reasons, physiological aspects of anatomy and physiology laboratories are often presented as simulations. While simulations effectively convey concepts, hands-on activities promote more active student engagement. Recycled soda bottles, supplemented with other inexpensive readily available supplies, can be used to create working models…

This chapter describes a meditative embodied yoga approach to teaching and learning anatomy and physiology in both higher education and in yoga teacher training and how teaching in one setting has influenced teaching in the other.

Anatomy education forms the foundation of a successful medical education. This has necessitated the development of innovative ideas to meet up with current realities. Despite these innovative ideas, there are challenges facing anatomy education, especially in sub-Saharan Africa. Problems such as inadequate teaching experts and outdated curricula…

Everyone has an aunt or grandfather or other relative who can tell when the weather is changing because his or her joints start to ache or an old injury begins to hurt. This column provides background science information for elementary teachers. This month's issue focuses on three major weather factors and how they affect the human…