Science Approach

Modules

The VISION project will include the following laboratories:  Exploring Neuron Form and Function: Using 3D Imaging of the Second Brain to Predict Neuronal Shape The purpose of this module is to allow students to explore the concept of form and function within the context of neurons from the enteric nervous system -- also known as "the Second Brain."   [icon]  Stomates Revealed: Investigating How Guard Cells Maintain Homeostasis Students measure stomatal aperture and volume to investigate how plant guard cells respond to different environmental conditions.   [icon] Surgery Practice: Digitally Defining, Diagnosing, and Excising Brain Tumors Students use MRI data and volumetric imaging to delineate, identify, and -- perhaps -- remove a brain tumor in this operating room simulation.   [icon] How Alcohol Alters the Brain: Exploring Hippocampal Volume Reduction in Teenagers Who Drink Students use diffusion transfer imaging (DTI) and ANOVAs to measure and analyze changes in the hippocampus between teens who drink and those who don't.   [icon] Mapping the Yeast Cytoskeleton: Reconstructing and Analyzing the Movement of Spindles and Centromeres During Mitosis Students use data from high-pressure freezing and 3D electron tomography to extend their knowledge of eukaryote cell division by exploring mitotic spindles in yeast.