AP2 Lab Introduction: Blood Lab, Heart Models, and Dissection Overview

Lab space and setup

  • Lab called “lab in frame”; questions about room availability; about half the class in the room; overall it’s a lab room with specimens and models.
  • Lab spaces include: large torso model, heart models, preserved specimens (pigs), and microscopes stored along a side shelf.
  • The room now has brand-new microscopes; previously older ones used; the instructor can refresh microscope usage if needed.
  • Models and microscopes are arranged so students can practice with the equipment during the labs.

Course structure: A&P I vs A&P II; scope of the first unit

  • A&P II involves more dissection work and deeper exploration of anatomy; A&P I emphasized brain and eye with one or two dissection days.
  • A&P II dissection plan includes:
    • Heart dissection (beginning next week)
    • Kidney dissection
    • Multi-week pig dissection (full body) as a major multi-day, multi-lab activity.
  • Pig dissections use fetal pigs; the dissections are planned to span multiple weeks and multiple lab sessions.
  • In contrast, A&P I used mainly models early in the course; A&P II uses more real dissection and more extensive models too.

Core materials and textbooks

  • Lab manual is essential; it’s the primary resource for reviews and lab exercises.
  • Edition matters: the newest lab manual edition is currently in use; a pig version exists and a cat version exists. If you already have the cat version, it’s not a disaster, but the pig version is recommended for this course because it aligns with the pig dissections.
  • OpenStax textbook compatibility is noted; you may have OpenStax, which is still usable, but the lab manual is heavily relied upon for lab activities.
  • The bookstore may have stock issues; if not in today, you can obtain it soon. The manual is used daily for labs and review sheets.

Attendance, Canvas, and schedule

  • There is a Canvas page for the lab with a separate schedule detailing lab days and activities; the instructor will publish the Canvas page with the lab breakdown.
  • The syllabus includes grading details posted on Canvas; there are no separate lab assignments beyond the review sheets and exams.
  • Attendance is taken; the instructor will learn names quickly to ensure everyone is accounted for.
  • It’s possible to submit lab review sheets online via Canvas (Dropbox) or as a paper copy—either method is acceptable.

Lab format and daily workflow

  • The lab instructor coordinates both lecture and lab; the same instructor teaches both to help alignment between lecture and lab material.
  • Day plan: introduce topic/exercise, present anatomical features (if focusing on an organ), then students work independently with the lab manual, answering questions, and performing activities.
  • The instructor circulates to provide help and answer questions; students are encouraged to ask for help when needed.
  • The lab review sheets at the end of each exercise are submitted for points; the goal is to ensure all sections are completed, not necessarily 100% accuracy.
  • Review sheets are worth a small number of points; completion on time yields full points with minor corrections sometimes provided.
  • Emphasis on student effort and work completion rather than perfect accuracy on every item.
  • The format of lab exams is practical (identify structures on specimens or images).

Safety, policies, and classroom rules

  • Safety is the primary concern in labs that involve dissections and sharp tools.
  • Required safety gear: gloves and goggles; gloves are always worn when dissecting; preservative fluids are used and are not toxic, but gloves are still worn as a best practice.
  • Footwear: closed-toed shoes required; sandals and flip-flops not allowed during dissections.
  • Food and drinks: no food in bio labs; no eating in the lab environment during dissections.
  • Handling tools: scalpels are very sharp; proper handling and safety procedures will be reviewed before dissection.
  • Chemical safety: the preservative used is not formaldehyde (formaldehyde has not been used in decades in labs); still, standard lab safety protocols are followed.
  • Open lab policy: this room is not available for open lab time because there are many sections using the room; a lab instructor must accompany students at all times.
  • Schedule changes: the instructor may adjust the schedule due to school closures or other events and will communicate changes.

Lab pace, time management, and optimization tips

  • Labs run for roughly
    • an hour and forty minutes per week; this time is valuable and should be used efficiently.
  • If an exercise consumes a lot of time (e.g., a long pig dissection), the remainder of the session can be used to review other topics or work on models and slides.
  • Don’t rush to leave; use the time to review earlier material and solidify understanding of anatomy.
  • If students struggle with a topic, they should spend extra time and ask the instructor for help—the instructor is there to assist.

Blood lab: scope of today’s activities

  • Blood is introduced as a core topic, with today’s focus on observing and identifying human blood cells under the microscope.
  • Students will work in teams with microscopes to examine preserved human blood samples; the goal is to identify different blood cells.
  • Prelab quiz appears at the start of the lab exercise; some questions cover topics already discussed in lecture (e.g., formed elements).
  • Formed elements of blood (three categories) include:
    • Erythrocytes (RBCs)
    • Leukocytes (WBCs)
    • Platelets
      extFormedelements=extErythrocytes,extLeukocytes,extPlateletsext{Formed elements} = ext{Erythrocytes}, ext{Leukocytes}, ext{Platelets}
  • Five white blood cell types (to memorize): neutrophils, basophils, eosinophils, lymphocytes, monocytes
    • Grouping: granulocytes (neutrophils, eosinophils, basophils) and agranulocytes (lymphocytes, monocytes)
    • Percentages and notes:
    • Basophils are very rare (~1extextbar1001 ext{ extbar}100 white blood cells)
    • Eosinophils = ~2ext−4extextpercent2 ext{-}4 ext{ ext percent} of WBCs
    • Functions:
    • Neutrophils: inflammatory chemicals; phagocytosis; jack-of-all-trades among WBCs
    • Basophils: release heparin; release histamine; involved in inflammatory responses
    • Eosinophils: kill parasites; involved in allergies and inflammation
    • Lymphocytes: immune memory and adaptive immunity (memory for pathogens; vaccine response example: flu shot)
    • Monocytes: large; perform phagocytosis; largest WBC; cleanup crew
  • Visual identification on slides includes differences in morphology and staining; platelets are tiny purple specks; RBCs are abundant and appear as the majority on slides.
  • The instructor emphasizes that students must be able to identify the five WBC types on the slides.
  • The lab uses prepared blood smears; live blood work is avoided due to safety risks; preserved blood is used instead.
  • The presentation includes images showing RBCs and WBCs; a particular slide demonstrates the five WBC types (excluding basophils due to rarity).
  • Key morphological cues for identification:
    • Neutrophils: nucleus with 3–5 lobes (multilobed); granular cytoplasm
    • Eosinophils: two lobes (resembles lungs) with red-orange granules
    • Lymphocytes: small; large nucleus with a thin rim of cytoplasm (ring around nucleus)
    • Monocytes: large; horseshoe-shaped nucleus
    • Basophils: dark granules; nucleus often obscured; rough-textured cytoplasm; rare
  • The slide set for today includes five slides of the human blood smear; students will rotate to different microscopes to identify cells; aim is to see many RBCs and locate WBCs.
  • The instructor demonstrates how to adjust the scope focusing and magnification; cautions about not touching the smallest objective and avoiding oil immersion unless necessary
  • Magnification tips:
    • Start with the red objective first, then move to yellow and blue as needed
    • The smallest objective with the red ring is the starting lens; the oil immersion lens (white ring) is not needed for these slides
    • Focus using coarse knob (large) and fine knob (small) as needed; stage moves with the mechanical stage controls
  • The equipment instructions include: three students per scope to ensure everyone gets slide time; five slide sets available for a class of about 15; slides should be shared and returned to proper position on the shelf
  • The instructor guides a hands-on approach while allowing students to explore and discuss identifications among peers; there is feedback and corrections as needed
  • Some live scanning of slides continues past the main activity; students may continue to look for more cells as time permits

Practical heart dissection and models: upcoming weeks

  • After the blood activity, the instructor gives a quick orientation to the heart because heart dissection will occur next week.
  • Heart models are available (including large torso models and heart models) to help students learn anatomy before dissection.
  • The instructor emphasizes that the heart models and pig heart dissection will be a major focus in the upcoming unit; the heart models are designed to resemble human heart anatomy in size and structure (referred to as sheath hearts by the instructor).
  • The introductory note clarifies that the lab will also tie into lecture material on heart physiology and anatomy; there will be a separate discussion on the heart in the lecture as well as the lab.
  • The OpenStax textbook remains compatible; the lab manual remains the primary resource for dissection instructions and review sheets; the pig version aligns with pig dissection practice.

Lab assessments and schedule overview

  • Three lab exams in total:
    • Exam 1 (around Week 55): focus on anatomy of the heart and blood; includes elements of the circulatory system
    • Exam 2: lymphatic system, respiratory system, and digestive system
    • Exam 3: urinary and reproductive systems
  • The exam format is practical ( identification-based) rather than purely memorization-based; the course emphasizes anatomy in lab and physiology in lecture.
  • The pacing in A&P II is a bit more relaxed than A&P I, with more time devoted to dissection and anatomy review; lecture remains more physiology-focused.
  • Homework and review sheets: students complete and turn in lab review sheets; the instructor looks for completion of all items; partial corrections may be provided but the aim is to ensure students engage with the material.
  • The overall approach aims for coherence between lecture and lab; the more concept-driven nature of A&P II means students must understand relationships and functions in addition to identifying structures.

Practicalities and contact

  • If there are questions or if someone needs a refresher on scopes, the instructor offers help; students should raise concerns rather than struggle alone.
  • The instructor is available for extra support and encourages students to seek help with difficult topics or lab techniques.
  • The room schedule and Canvas page will be updated as needed, and changes will be communicated to students.
  • The first-day content included attendance checks, lab rule reminders, and an outline of what to expect in the coming weeks (hematology, blood vessels, EKG readouts, blood pressure lab, and the heart dissection).

Quick reference: key terms and concepts to know for today

  • Formed elements of blood: extErythrocytes(RBCs),extLeukocytes(WBCs),extPlateletsext{Erythrocytes (RBCs)}, ext{Leukocytes (WBCs)}, ext{Platelets}
  • WBC types (granulocytes vs agranulocytes):
    • Granulocytes: neutrophils, eosinophils, basophils
    • Agranulocytes: lymphocytes, monocytes
  • WBCs and functions:
    • Neutrophils: inflammatory response; phagocytosis; multilobed nucleus (3–5 lobes)
    • Eosinophils: parasite defense; allergies; bilobed nucleus (looks like lungs)
    • Basophils: histamine release; heparin release; granules; obscured nucleus
    • Lymphocytes: immune memory; small size; large nucleus with thin cytoplasmic ring
    • Monocytes: phagocytosis; large; horseshoe-shaped nucleus
  • Platelets: tiny fragments involved in clotting
  • Blood smear interpretation: RBCs as the abundant cells; look for WBCs; identify the five WBC types by morphology
  • Practical lab skills: using a microscope (red, yellow, blue objectives; avoid oil immersion), focusing, returning scopes to numbered positions, sharing slides, and working in teams
  • Heart anatomy focus: shift from blood to cardiac structures; pig heart dissection planned; heart models used for orientation