Understanding genetic drift is crucial for a comprehensive understanding of biology, yet it is difficult to learn because it combines the conceptual challenges of both evolution and randomness. To help assess strategies for teaching genetic drift, we have developed and evaluated the Genetic Drift Inventory (GeDI), a concept inventory that measures…

The inclusion of socioscientific issues (SSIs) in the science curriculum is a well-established trend internationally. Apart from claims about its innate value, one of the rationales for this approach is its potential for helping to counter declining interest and participation. SSIs involve the use of science and are of interest to society, also…

Biological materials oversight in life sciences research in the United States is a challenging endeavor for institutions and the scientific, regulatory compliance, and federal communities. In order to assess biological materials oversight at Institutional Biosafety Committees (IBCs) registered with the United States National Institutes of Health,…

Social avoidance and anxiety are prevalent in fragile X syndrome (FXS) and are potentially mediated by the amygdala, a brain region critical for social behavior. Unfortunately, functional brain resonance imaging investigation of the amygdala in FXS is limited by the difficulties experienced by intellectually impaired and anxious participants. We…

A 3D model visualization and basic molecular modeling laboratory suitable for first-year undergraduates studying introductory medicinal chemistry is presented. The 2 h practical is embedded within a series of lectures on drug design, target-drug interactions, enzymes, receptors, nucleic acids, and basic pharmacokinetics. Serving as a teaching aid…

Background: Current genotype-phenotype correlations in Prader-Willi syndrome (PWS) are struggling to give an explanation of the diversity in phenotype and there is a need to move towards a molecular understanding of PWS. A range of functions related to glycoproteins are involved in the pathophysiology of PWS and it may be that abnormal…

In this review, we trace the origins and follow the development of mitochondrial medicine from the premolecular era (1962-1988) based on clinical clues, muscle morphology, and biochemistry into the molecular era that started in 1988 and is still advancing at a brisk pace. We have tried to stress conceptual advances, such as endosymbiosis,…

The extensive conservation of mitochondrial structure, composition, and function across evolution offers a unique opportunity to expand our understanding of human mitochondrial biology and disease. By investigating the biology of much simpler model organisms, it is often possible to answer questions that are unreachable at the clinical level.…

Specific genetic syndromes affect individuals' sexual development, experiences, and fertility. Individuals with specific syndromes can also display inappropriate sexual behavior resulting from vulnerabilities presented by their genetic makeup. Using clinical case studies, we discuss the specific impact that Down, Prader-Willi, and Williams…

The present study examined (1) whether children notice different causes for contagious illnesses, non-contagious illnesses, and injuries and (2) what information adults provide to children and to what extent this information is related to children's causal awareness. Studies 1 and 2 explored preschool teachers' and mothers' explanations of…

This study marries collaborative problem solving and learning study in understanding the onset of a cycle of teacher professional development process within school-based professional learning communities (PLCs). It aimed to explore how a PLC carried out collaborative problem finding--a key process involved in collaborative problem solving--that…

The importance of genetically literate individuals who can understand and join debates about genetics related issues, including gene therapy or cloning has been acknowledged by societies. With this respect, raising genetically literate individuals has become more prominent. Teachers' knowledge in genetics literacy and their attitudes towards…

The author's goal in this comment is not only to build on the Salk and Hyde (2012) exhortation but also to shape it toward certain kinds of developmental/genetic theory and away from others. She has several priorities: (a) to emphasize best practices in empirically defensible, nonreductive biology, (b) to provide feminist (and other) biologists…

Almost all living organisms, including plants, fungi, insects, and humans, have DNA. Variation in DNA, or genetic variation, is responsible for most of the diversity one sees in nature. By analyzing DNA, it is possible to create a DNA fingerprint that is unique to an organism. DNA fingerprinting is used in several disciplines of science, including…

Children's physiological reactions to stress are presented from the broader theoretical perspective of adaptive calibration to the environment, as rooted in life history theory. Del Giudice, Hinnant, Ellis, and El-Sheikh (2012) focus on children's physiological responses to a stressful task as a consequence of their history of family stress.…