Using Zebrafish to Explore Development in a Large Introductory Biology Laboratory Course

 

Jennifer J. Rahn

Tested Studies in Laboratory Teaching, 2018, Volume 39

Abstract

Zebrafish are excellent animal models for undergraduate teaching labs. In addition to being inexpensive, zebrafish produce hundreds of transparent, rapidly developing embryos. A four-week module using zebrafish was developed for use in an Introductory Biology laboratory course. Students were given information about six different chemicals with either known or suspected teratogenic effects in humans: lithium, valproic acid, retinoic acid, ethanol, thalidomide and permethrin. Students selected a chemical of interest and designed an experiment to test the effect of their chosen chemical on zebrafish development. After fixing and storing treated zebrafish, students examined their samples for developmental abnormalities. Next, students worked together to compile their data, explore connections of their findings to human health, and prepare a 15 minute presentation to be given during the last week of the module. In this lab, students were able to visualize the consequences of altering early development and make connections to human developmental abnormalities.

Keywords:  development, zebrafish, Inquiry-based learning, inquiry-based, teratogen

University of Wisconsin, Madison (2017)