The Biology Department at Adelphi has introduced a new curriculum for biology majors. To provide students with the requisite tools to meet the demands of the next century, they are redesigning the Vertebrate Physiology laboratory and are introducing computers for real time monitoring of physiological experiments. The new equipment is being used in newly designed experiments, including hormonal and neurotransmitter control of muscle contraction, responses of different muscle types, and chemical control of nerve conduction. The project introduces computers in a laboratory environment closely approximating their use in a clinical or industrial setting. It allows for increased data analysis and manipulation which will improve students' quantitative skills, and is a major component of the plan to integrate computers in the undergraduate curriculum. The university will contribute an amount equal to the award.
