 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
|
 |
|
 |
|
 |
|
 |
|
 |
|
Activity Guide
With Nerve and Muscle
Ask students the following questions:
- Do you know how your muscles work?
- How are they connected to your nerves?
- Have you ever seen a nerve cell? Can you imagine what it must be like to be the first person to figure out how certain cells behave?
Explain that the scientists in this program are very interested in nerves and muscles in humans and other creatures. From the Caribbean Sea to the Atlantic Ocean to laboratories and universities, their work involves science and fundraising, since scientific research requires money. All of them are trying to answer difficult questions about how living cells work.
Wilfred Denetclaw, Jr., Ph.D., postdoctoral fellow, University of California, San Francisco
Dr. Denetclaw studies the development of muscle cells. He hopes that his research will be useful in our understanding of muscular diseases. He has already found some of these answers - on an earlier research project, Wilfred was part of a team of scientists who discovered how the gene that causes Muscular Dystrophy affects muscle cells. Before he could begin his career, Dr. Denetclaw had to resolve some cultural issues between his Navajo values and the methods of biological research. By learning about the properties of muscle cells at different developmental stages, he may find some clues about how things can go wrong.
Discussion and Activities:
- When Dr. Denetclaw began his career as a cell biologist, he was faced with a difficult decision about doing research on living creatures and dead animals. What are the students' feelings about dissection and animal research? As they watch, ask them to listen to Wilfred's explanation about why his research is important. What are some of the benefits of doing this type of biological research?
- As a boy, Dr. Denetclaw became interested in science because of what he saw on television. In what ways do students think that television images can influence young people's decisions about possible careers?
Gladys Escalona de Motta, Ph.D., professor and dean, University of Puerto Rico
Dr. Escalona's research focuses on a marine poison and its effects on the human nervous system. She grew up in Puerto Rico, where many of the fish that carry these poisons live. She made important discoveries about the types of fish that carry harmful amounts of the poison and was the first person to publish a study of this poison. As a young woman, her family encouraged her to become a physician, but she was more interested in research. As one of the first graduate students in biology from the University of Puerto Rico, Dr. Escalona created the model for study at the school. Today, she has the top job, dean of the School of Natural Sciences.
Discussion and Activity:
Most people become ill after eating big fish because the concentration of poison is higher in big fish than in small fish. To demonstrate this situation, draw a large triangle with the base at the bottom. Along the base, draw 16 tiny fish. Above them, draw 4 small fish. Above them, draw 2 medium fish. At the top of the triangle, draw one very big fish. Explain that each tiny fish eats one portion of poison. Each small fish eats four tiny fish. The medium fish eat two small fish, and the big fish eats two medium fish. How does this model explain Dr. Escalona's findings?
George Langford, Ph.D., e.e. just professor of biological sciences, Dartmouth College
Dr. Langford studies the communication features of nerve cells. He has spent years studying nerve cells in squid. Dr. Langford is an African-American scientist carrying on the tradition of another African-American marine scientist, Professor E. E. Just. Dr. Langford's research has led to many findings about the ways that long filaments inside nerve cells carry proteins, which serve as chemical messages to other nerves and to muscles. As a professor with an active lab, he balances his career between teaching and research. Late one night in the summer of 1991, while doing research at the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute, he observed proteins moving, but could not see the filaments they were moving on. This mysterious finding led to an exciting new discovery for Dr. Langford.
Discussion and Activities:
- Dr. Langford spends time counseling his students in their own research and in their decisions about future work and study. As students watch him interacting with his students, have them make notes about some of his comments. How important do students think it is to have a mentor? What qualities would your students seek in the people who might serve as their mentors?
- This program includes a profile of Ernest Just, the professor for whom Dr. Langford's job is named. What is the significance of this profile in the context of Dr. Langford's career and attitudes toward science?
Resource CenterAbout the Series || Directories Resources || Educational Materials