GIBSON, J. PHIL. Department of Biology, Agnes Scott College, Decatur, GA 30030. - Why is that cell red? A microtechnique based approach for teaching a plant anatomy lab.
Many introductory biology laboratories include a session devoted to
plant anatomy. Students often view these laboratory sessions as
tedious, laborious, and requiring little more than memorization of
slides. Thus, students do not sufficiently learn the fundamentals of
plant anatomy, nor do they develop an appreciation of histological
techniques and comparative approaches that can be used in biology. I
propose the use of plant anatomy laboratory exercises in which
students not only view prepared slides, but they also prepare their
own slides. In the laboratory exercise I will describe, students use
histological techniques for the staining of biological tissues to
identify slides containing unknown plants. Through this approach,
students not only make a more detailed study of plant anatomy, but
they also learn fundamentals of histological techniques, concepts
related to cell wall biochemistry, and how to conduct comparative
analyses. It has been my experience that students develop a greater
understanding of plant anatomy and key anatomical concepts through the
use of this approach.
Key words: histological techniques, laboratory exercises, plant anatomy, techniques