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LabTutor software is changing life science education by making it easier for educators to include relevant, student-friendly experiments in their classroom laboratories.
The five latest LabTutor experiments introduce students to pharmacological theory, technology and laboratory protocols. Students set up and conduct isolated tissue studies, and examine and report on the effects of different pharmacological interventions. As they complete the experiments, students gain experience and confidence in:
- isolated tissue organ bath studies
- performing dose response assays - drug and electrical stimulation
- dissections and tissue preparation
- calibration and data analysis
The five experiments are:
Drugs Affecting the Chick Biventer Cervicis - Students investigate the properties of the neuromuscular junction of skeletal muscle. They will examine the response of the chick biventer cervicis muscle to nerve stimulation and the effect of neuromuscular blockers and an anticholinesterase on fast and slow muscle fibers. Drugs Affecting the Guinea Pig Atria - Students use an atrial preparation to investigate the impact of agonists (isoprenaline and acetylcholine), antagonists (propranolol and atropine), an anticholinesterase (physostigmine) and electrical stimulation on the frequency and strength of muscle contraction.
 Above: LabTutor exercise showing the effects of Isoprenaline on the guinea pig atria Drugs Affecting the Stimulated Ileum - Students use the stimulated guinea pig ileum preparation to examine the effects of an opioid receptor agonist and an adrenergic receptor agonist, with and without an opioid antagonist, on the amplitude of the contractile responses. They will also examine the effects of acetylcholine on the unstimulated ileum and relate this to the effects of opioids.
Drugs Affecting the Unstimulated Ileum - Students will use the unstimulated guinea pig ileum to examine the acetylcholine and histamine, and antagonists of these, on the amplitude of the smooth muscle contractile responses. In a separate experiment the effects of addition of the Ca2+-channel blocker, nifedipine are examined.
Drugs Affecting the Mammalian Uterus - As well as observing the normal spontaneous activity of the uterine muscle, students will investigate the effect of oxytocin on this spontaneous activity. They will precontract the preparation and abolish spontaneous activity and investigate the effect of adrenergic agonists and an antagonist in relation to this contracture.
LabTutor users can download each experiment individually, or as a complete collection.
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| Above: Background information with relevant theory is included in every experiment.
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09 January 2008
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