This project involves the implementation of changes in the programs of Physiology and Neuroscience that are designed to train students more effectively in the fundamentals of physiology and in the methods of scientific inquiry and independent investigation. The role of the professor is not to present a prespecified number of facts for memorization, but instead to provide experiences that enhance student ability to teach themselves and think more critically and analytically about fundamental physiological principles that are common throughout the animal kingdom. Laboratory research experiences of introductory-level students involve the noninvasive measuring of human physiological variables. Research experiences of upper-level undergraduates are centered around the use of live invertebrate or vertebrate animals or animal tissues. The project includes the purchase of six physiological workstations, each including an Apple MacIntosh Performa computer and MacLab computer software and hardware for acquiring and analyzing physiological data. These workstations enable students to propose and perform a wide variety of hands-on investigations that serve to reinforce concepts they have learned in class and give them a greater appreciation for principles and methods of scientific inquiry. Specifically, students in Core Zoology use these workstations to study principles of human muscle physiology, circulation, and respiration. Physiology students can investigate the properties of animal organ systems that result in homeostasis of the internal environment. Neuroscience students can explore the cellular phenomena of excitable cells that give rise to resting potentials, action potentials, synaptic potentials, and synaptic plasticities.
