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Reproductive Biology Review

Peru Trip & Other Anecdotes

  • The speaker is planning a trip to Peru if they sell their house.
  • They mention a potential 9-day trip from Nashville to Peru for 950, including hotels and flights, with no visa requirements.
  • They compare Machu Picchu to Angkor Wat, highlighting the high elevation and potential breathing difficulties.

Lab and Reproductive System Overview

  • The night class will be looking at lab models.
  • A practice lab will be set up.
  • The speaker acknowledges not being a specialist in reproduction but recognizes its importance.
  • Male and female anatomy are considered the easy parts of the topic.
  • The class will briefly review a lab copied from earlier.
  • Many students are interested in labor and delivery nursing.
  • There are changing job market dynamics for nurses, with some experiencing mandated reduced hours and pay while others have opportunities for extra shifts.
  • A former student working in the prison system made 165,000 last year but is now experiencing a pay decrease due to contract changes.
  • Post-COVID, the high pay rates are declining due to supply and demand changes.

AI Integration in Teaching

  • The speaker used Chat GPT to generate a list of common reproductive hormones and related questions.
  • AI was also used to create a list of anatomy and physiology structures for students to label, without a word bank.
  • AI generated a list similar to the course syllabus, including endocrine and cardiovascular systems.
  • The speaker shares an anecdote about a lab final where students struggled to identify a coronary artery, even an LPN.
  • The speaker notes the importance of keeping up with common anatomical knowledge.
  • AI provided a generic list of structures, including the large intestine, gallbladder, pancreas, glomerulus, Bowman's capsule, and reproductive organs.
  • The speaker deems the AI-generated list as very introductory.
  • AI also included the thoracic duct, which carries lymph and drains into the left subclavian vein.
  • The speaker finds the detailed knowledge of adrenal cortex layers (zona glomerulosa, fasciculata, reticulata) to be excessively detailed.
  • The speaker requested unlabeled diagrams from AI for student tests.
  • The speaker mentions an AI meeting discussing the growing importance of AI.
  • AI generated a list of blood vessels (portal vein, femoral, popliteal) and heart structures (papillary muscles, interventricular septum).
  • AI also listed stomach regions (cardia, fundus, body, pylorus).
  • The speaker likens AI to having a million little ants for research.
  • AI struggled to produce quality diagrams without a paid membership.
  • The speaker tasked AI with writing a paper on preventing diabetes with exercise, which it did, including peer-reviewed sources and in-text APA citations.
  • The speaker notes that AI-generated personal statements for scholarships can be generic and require human modification.
  • The speaker reflects on the rapid advancement of technology and its potential impact on student learning, both positive and negative, similar to spell checker.

Practical Application & Moodle Quiz

  • The speaker is considering a Moodle quiz on hormones.
  • The lecturer intends to create a hormone list including digestive hormones like secretin, gastrin, CCK, and leptin.

Hormone Graphs and Coloring Sheets

  • The class looks at a self-proliferation graph showing the luteinizing hormone (LH) line.
  • The speaker mentions having coloring sheets available.
  • The speaker discusses the decision to save students money by not requiring a lab book, which has made teaching more difficult.
  • The speaker acknowledges the availability of an e-book option with McGraw Connect but notes that some students prefer hard copies.
  • Students sometimes mistakenly purchase codes from unofficial sources.
  • The bookstore is involved, but too much chaos has led to sticking with physical books.
  • Students will receive course evaluation emails.
  • The speaker encourages providing written suggestions, such as feedback on the textbook.
  • Providing Powerpoint notes can be overwhelming.

Reproductive System Anatomy

  • The class is reviewing the anatomy of the reproductive system.
  • The speaker suggests examining the pictures first, starting with the male sagittal view.
  • The speaker points out the bladder, prostate gland, and pubic bone (pubis) on the diagram.
  • The vas deferens goes up and around through the prostate.
  • The lab book asks what gives fluid to the reproductive fluid.
  • Prostate hypertrophy can clamp down on the ducts, causing stenosis.
  • The seminal vesicle and vas deferens add fluid to the ejaculatory duct.
  • The bulbourethral gland contributes a mucousy fluid to eliminate urine and prepare for fluid passage.
  • The penis's blood vessels are on top (dorsum) in anatomical position.
  • The prepuce is the foreskin, which is removed during circumcision.
  • Circumcision is done for religious or personal hygiene reasons, reducing the risk of certain conditions.
  • The testes produce sperm, and the epididymis stores sperm.
  • Usually, only one sperm fertilizes an egg.
  • The seminal vesicle is full of tubules for sperm production (sperm factory).
  • Testosterone is made in the interstitial cells between the tubules.
  • The sperm head contains DNA, and the acrosome has digestive enzymes to break open the egg.
  • Sperm has a tail for movement and can sometimes have deformities.
  • The lab will not require labeling these details.

Female Anatomy

  • The labia majora is analogous to the scrotum in males, and the clitoris is analogous to the glans of the penis.
  • From anterior to posterior, the order of orifices is clitoris, urethral orifice, vaginal orifice, perineum, and anus.
  • The fimbriae are not continuous to the ovary.
  • AI research indicates that up to 25% of released eggs never enter the fallopian tube, ending up in the pelvic cavity.
  • The fimbriae have cilia to help pull the egg into the fallopian tube.
  • Ectopic pregnancies usually occur in the fallopian tubes.
  • There's no direct connection between the ovary and the fallopian tube.

Biological Variation & Ethical Considerations

  • The speaker mentions finding a fetal pig with both testicles and a vagina.
  • In fetal pigs, the testicles are not descended at birth.
  • Finding a pig with both sets of reproductive organs caused a discussion on the spectrum of biological sexes and the concept of "deadnaming" in the context of transgenderism.
  • The speaker raises questions about transgender athletes participating in sports.
  • The lecturer talks about a time when certain races would have the "Clydesdale category" for athletes above 220 lbs.

Menstrual Cycle

  • The menstrual cycle is approximately 28 days, with a follicular phase and a luteal phase.
  • The oocyte contains the egg and supporting cells.
  • Estrogen is prevalent during the follicular phase.
  • Luteinizing hormone (LH) triggers ovulation, causing the follicle to develop into the corpus luteum.
  • The corpus luteum produces progesterone.