Learn Developmental Biology with Vade Mecum: An Online Resource with Multimedia Chapters
Vade Mecum: An Interactive Guide to Developmental Biology
Developmental biology is the study of how living organisms grow, develop, and differentiate from a single cell to a complex multicellular organism. It is a fascinating field that reveals the secrets of life's origin, diversity, and evolution. However, learning developmental biology can be challenging, especially for students who lack access to laboratory facilities or experience with experimental techniques.
Vade Mecum: An Interactive Guide to Developmental Biology [Darka full version
That's where Vade Mecum comes in. Vade Mecum is a CD-ROM that takes the student through the developmental cycles of a number of the model organisms used in developmental biology and illustrates techniques used in studying these organisms. Its name, Vade Mecum, comes from the Latin for "go with me," but means, in its richer context, "accompany me on my journey." In the past, the term Vade Mecum has been used to designate a manual or handbook. This Vade Mecum is meant to be a "manual" that will "go with you," both teachers and college students, as you explore developmental biology in all its beauty and complexity.
Vade Mecum has many features and benefits that make it an ideal learning resource for developmental biology. Some of them are:
It contains over 140 interactive videos and 300 labeled photographs that take the student through the life cycles of model organisms used in developmental biology laboratories. The videos provide students with the concepts, vocabulary, and motivation to enter the laboratory fully prepared.
It includes chapters on the slime mold, Dictyostelium discoideum; planarian; sea urchin; the fruit fly, Drosophila melanogaster; chick; and amphibian. There is also a chapter on the risks of ultraviolet radiation and its effects on sea urchin development.
It provides "how-to" instructions on techniques used in studying the organisms - from obtaining gametes from a sea urchin to dissecting imaginal discs from a fruit fly larva. Where useful, color-coding is superimposed on living embryos to illustrate positioning of different germ layers.
It includes a complete set of cross-sections of a 33-hour chick embryo and whole mounts with definitions of terms on rollover. It also has a chapter on histological techniques for paraffin sections that shows step-by-step procedures for fixing, embedding, cutting, mounting, and staining sections.
It has a chapter on microscope use that includes a "virtual microscope" which teaches how to achieve Koehler illumination, dark-field illumination, and how to use polarizing filters. It also has a chapter on making microdissecting tools.
It comes with a laboratory manual that contains challenging experiments requiring minimal equipment that are suitable for both large and small classes. The manual provides extensive background information and instructions for experiments.
It has study questions and websites for each chapter that help students review and expand their knowledge. It also has slide shows on laboratory safety and how to navigate through the CD-ROM.
To access Vade Mecum, you need a computer with the following system requirements:
For PC/Windows:Pentium II CPU, 200 MHz or faster (Pentium III recommended), Windows 95/98/NT or later, 2025 MB RAM (3035 MB with Netscape), 8X CD-ROM drive or higher, Windows-compatible sound-card, QuickTime 4.0 (installer provided). Internet connection and Netscape/Internet Explorer are optional.
For Macintosh:7600/132 (G3 or greater highly recommended), System 8.5 or later, 2023 MB RAM (3035 with Netscape), 8X CD-ROM drive or higher, 800x600 resolution and thousands of color monitor or higher, QuickTime 4.0 (installer provided). Internet connection and Netscape/Internet Explorer are optional.
You can order Vade Mecum online from Amazon.com or from Sinauer Associates, Inc., the publisher of the CD-ROM. You can also find more information about Vade Mecum on the website of Sinauer Associates, Inc.
In this article, we will give you an overview of each chapter of Vade Mecum and what you can learn from them. We hope you will enjoy this interactive guide to developmental biology and discover the wonders of life's development.
Chapter 1: Tools
In this chapter, you will learn about the tools used in developmental biology and how to make them. You will see how to make microdissecting tools and histological techniques for paraffin sections.
Microdissecting tools are instruments used to manipulate small specimens under a microscope. They include needles, forceps, scissors, scalpels, probes, spatulas, pipettes, etc. You will learn how to make your own microdissecting tools from common materials such as sewing needles, insect pins, razor blades, glass rods, etc. You will also learn how to sharpen and bend your tools to suit your needs.
Histological techniques are methods used to prepare specimens for microscopic examination of their structure and function. They include fixing, embedding, cutting, mounting, and staining sections. You will learn how to perform these techniques step by step using paraffin as the embedding medium. You will see how to fix specimens in formalin or ethanol to preserve their morphology; how to embed specimens in paraffin blocks to provide support for cutting thin sections; how to cut sections on a rotary microtome using a steel knife; how to mount sections on glass slides using an adhesive; and how to stain sections using different dyes to highlight different features.
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