Required Materials:

Laboratory Exercises printed from pdf files available on the Lab Schedule. Printouts will not be available in lab.

Dissecting Kit: Several of the laboratory exercises involve dissection of preserved specimens, and you will need to purchase a your own dissecting kit to complete these exercises. Dissection kits are available in the Bookstore. A single kit may be shared by two students at the same table since you will be working in pairs on most disections.

Optional Study Aid:

A Photographic Atlas for the Biology Laboratory, 5th Ed. VanDeGraff, K.M. and J. L. Crawly.   Morton Publishing 2005 . 

Safety:

Chemical reagents will be used in some laboratory exercises. Treat all chemical reagents with great care and respect. Reagents may be irritants, poisonous, flammable or give off dangerous fumes. Follow your lab instructor's directions for use of reagents. Also make sure you know the location of the eyewash, overhead shower and first aid supplies. Emergency Medical Procedures are posted on the laboratory door and in the prep room.

Biological wastes and all waste chemicals, including preservatives and preserved animal parts, will be collected in special containers and disposed of properly. If reagents are spilled or glassware broken, notify your lab instructor for cleanup directions. When participating in dissections or handling certain types of reagents, you will be provided with disposable gloves. You may also choose to wear goggles (not provided), especially if you wear contact lenses. In laboratories where temporary microscope slides are prepared, coverslips are disposable and should not be washed. Shoes are required (not sandals or thongs) in the laboratory.

Environmental Health Services (EHS) has mandated an emergency evacuation plan for all university buildings. In the event of an alarm, the building must be evacuated immediately. Your lab instructor will discuss the building floor plan, the “safe rooms”, the exit route and other details of an emergency exit and evacuation.

Lab Cleanup:

When you leave the laboratory, your materials should be put away properly. Glassware, reagents, microscopes, slides, models and other materials all have designated places in the lab. Your tabletop should be clean. You and your lab partners are responsible for your table. Be especially careful around the computer monitors. For hygienic and safety reasons, food or drink are not allowed in the lab.

Review and Makeup:

If you miss an exercise, check with the instructor of another section, and with permission, attend that section if there is room. A listing of lab sections, times, instructors and their office locations will be posted on the laboratory door and is also available on the General Biology II (Biol 1012) website. There will be no unsupervised access to the lab on weekends or evenings.

The General Biology II Lab will be open for review before each of the practical exams. A staff member, either a graduate TA or an undergraduate TA will be available for assistance. Slides, models and other materials will be set up on the side counters in the lab when possible. Live materials may not be available, since some living specimens can be held for only a few days, or must be returned to the greenhouse. Also some laboratory exercises involve group projects that cannot be easily done by an individual.