Advanced Biology Kit

The Advanced Biology (advanced placement level) Kit

   Quality Science Labs is offering a full year of advanced biology lab investigations in a kit. Labs range from the classics (mitosis, osmosis, photosynthesis) to new techniques in biotechnology (clone a fluorescent jellyfish green gene into a bacteria plasmid); mathematical modeling using genetic databases, and significance analysis of your mitosis data.

    In the eight student guided inquiries, students will explore and design labs related to environmental effects on enzyme activity, mitotic growth rates, photosynthesis and cellular respiration; the effect of bacterial transformation on the second generation; and variables to increase biofuel production.

    The QSL Advanced Biology Lab kit is aligned with and designed to support the first year college/advanced placement level high school biology curriculum, standards, and science practices. Kit labs are ideal for virtual, blended virtual, independent, and home school students as well as classroom lab groups (we recommend a max of four students per kit). The lab kit includes related supplies, chemicals, equipment, personal safety items, and an Advanced Biology Lab Manual.

Note:  Some components require refrigerator and freezer storage.

Highlights of covered Science Practices (SP):                   
    Science Inquiry (SP 3,4,6,7) Student-designed inquiries are built into each main lab investigation. Students develop their own scientific questioning, plan, make predictions, and implement data strategies using the Experimental Design (ExD) protocols; as well as construct explanations and connect concepts in and across domains.

    Mathematical and Modeling Applications (SP 1,2,3,5) such as Chi-squared analysis for significance, transformation efficiency calculations, rates of reactions using slopes from constructed graphs, and ET50 data analysis, simulations and modeling allele frequencies.

    Technology (SP 1,2,6,7) Use of genetic databases like BLAST and Entrez Gene; Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium spreadsheet for analysis of allele frequencies within populations; microrespirometer construction and data collection; and biotechnology practices in bacterial transformation.

Of the eight main lab investigations (two for each AP® Bio Big Idea), there are a total of 24 labs, including a student guided inquiry for each of the eight main lab investigations:

1. DIFFUSION AND OSMOSIS
   Surface area and cell size, modeling, osmosis in live water plant cells, and student guided inquiry into water potential of plant tissues and osmosis connections to plant transpiration.
2. CHANGES WITHIN POPULATIONS
   PTC taste test global analysis, simulations of changes within populations (Equilibrium, Natural Selection, Genetic Drift); mathematical modeling of allele frequencies within a population, and student guided inquiry.
3. EVOLUTIONARY RELATIONSHIPS
   Cladogram construction, biochemical analyses of gene and protein sequence % similarities and differences; BLAST database tutorial and cladogram construction for comparing evolutionary relationships; Entrez Gene database tutorial comparing normal gene sequences to chromosomal aberrations in human diseases; and student guided inquiry.
4. MITOSIS and MEIOSIS
   Loss of cell cycle control analysis in cancer cells using human karyotypes; environmental abiotic effects on mitotic rates and data analysis for significance; student guided inquiry on environmental effects on mitosis; and crossing over in meiosis demonstrating increased genetic variability in subsequent generations.
5. ENZYME ACTIVITY
   Catalase enzyme and breakdown of toxins in the liver; enzyme specificity using lactase; enzyme rates of reaction assay and baseline; effects of pH on enzymatic activity; and student guided inquiry for other potential environmental effects on enzyme activity.
6. PHOTOSYNTHESIS AND CELLULAR RESPIRATION
   Predictions on effect of different abiotic conditions on photosynthesis and the effect of exercise on cellular respiration waste product production rates; measuring photosynthesis and cellular respiration rates using the Floating Leaf Disk technique; and student guided inquiry.
7. BIOTECHNOLOGY – BACTERIAL TRANSFORMATION
   Biotechnology simulation of transforming the human insulin-making gene into a bacterial plasmid; bacterial transformation of the jellyfish gene for green fluorescence into E.coli; transformation efficiency calculations; and student guided inquiry of the newly transformed bacterial colonies.
8. ENERGY DYNAMICS
   Environmental impact of eating at lower trophic levels; energy transfer and productivity lab using yeast fermentation of corn sugar into ethanol and carbon dioxide; and student guided inquiry on variables that could potentially increase the rate of fermentation for biofuel production.

Table of Contents

Lab 1: Diffusion,Osmosis and their connection to transpiration in plants
  Pre-Lab Questions
  Lab 1.1: Surface Area and Cell Size
  Lab 1.2: Part 1 - Modeling Diffusion and Osmosis
  Part 2 - Observing Osmosis
  Part 3 - Student Guided Inquiry, Water Potential in Plant Tissues

Lab 2: Hardy-Weinberg Equilibrium: Modeling Allele Frequencies in Populations
  Pre-lab and Questions: Estimating Allele Frequencies
  Lab 2.1: A Micro-Evolution Simulation
  Lab 2.2: Part 1 - Estimating Allele Frequencies Tutorial
  Part 2 - Student Guided Inquiry
 
Lab 3: Comparing DNA Sequences (BLAST)
  Pre-lab and Questions: Cladograms
  Lab 3.1: Part 1 - BLAST Practice
  Part 2 - Student Guided Inquiry

Lab 4: Cell Division: Mitosis and Meiosis
  Pre-lab and Questions: Loss of Cell Cycle Control in Cancer
  Lab 4.1 Part 1 - Environmental Effects on Mitosis
  Part 2 - Student Guided Inquiry
  Lab 4.2 Meiosis and Crossing Over in Sordaria

Lab 5 Enzyme Activity
  Pre-lab Questions
  Lab 5.1: Enzyme Specificity
  Lab 5.2: Enzyme Rate of Reaction Assay and Baseline
  Lab 5.3 Part 1 - Determining the Effect of pH on Enzymatic Activity
  Part 2 - Student Guided Inquiry

Lab 6 Photosynthesis and Cellular Respiration
  Pre Lab and Questions
  Part A Photosynthesis
  Part B Cellular Respiration
  Lab 6.1 Part 1 - Floating Leaf Disk
  Part 2 - Cellular Respiration
  Part 3 - Student Guided Inquiry

Lab 7 Biotechnology: Bacterial Transformation
  Pre-lab and Questions: Genetic Engineering
  Lab 7.1: Part 1 - Bacterial Transformation
  Part 2 - Student Guided Inquiry
  Lab 7.2: Calculating Transformation Efficiency
 
Lab 8 Energy Dynamics
  Pre-lab Questions
  Lab 8.1 Part 1 - Energy Transfer and Productivity
  Part 2 - Student Guided Inquiry

Supplies included in the kit:

Equipment
9-volt battery
24-well reaction plate
Beads, black
Beads, white
Beaker, plastic 150 mL
Beaker, plastic 30mL
Beaker, plastic 50mL
Conductivity Tester
Cups, 2 oz
Cups, 8 oz, foam
Cups, 9 oz
Dialysis tubing
Digital scale
Forceps
Gloves, disposable
Graduated cylinder, 10mL
Magnifying glass
Microscope coverslips
Microscope slides
Microscope slides, concave
Paper lunch bag
pH paper indicator strips
Pipet, 1mL, serological
Pipet, mini (fine tip)
Pipets, graduated
Razor blade, scalpel
Ruler
Safety goggles
Stopwatch
Syringe, 5cc
Syringe, 60cc
Test tube rack
Test tubes with caps
Thermometers
Toothpicks
Tubing, ¼” x ⅝” silicon

Solutions
Red food coloring
Hydrochloric acid, 0.1 M
Iodine solution
Toluidine blue stain (0.5%)

Solids
Glucose (dextrose)
Glucose test strips
Lactase tablets
Ovalbumin powder
pH Buffers 4.0 in test tube
pH Buffers 7.0 in test tube
pH Buffers 10.0 in test tube
Protein test strip
PTC Test strips
Yeast envelope

Other
Biotech bacterial transformation kit