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A Newsletter Exploring
Biomedical Research Issues
For Middle & High School Educators
Vol. 1, Issue 2, Winter 2002
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A High School Teacher Speaks…
Each year I instruct 50 to 60 high school students in a college level course in
Anatomy & Physiology. All of these students plan a future career in some level of
medical sciences: nursing, physical therapy, medical school, etc.
Young adults are extremely impressionable. They are extremely sensitive to the issues
involving cruelty to animals. The animal activist organizations reach them at a young age
though media advertising, school, and parental influence. Medical research is just another
form of cruelty to them. This false precept must be changed in these young adults. Only
organizations such as MISMR can affect the attitudes of these young adults. If you cannot
reach these young minds, then the cause is lost.
The essay contest MISMR sponsors is the first step in the right direction, but much,
much more is needed! Remember that these young adults of today are the leaders of tomorrow.
You must reach them now! Attempting to reason with an animal activist is futile. "You can
not reason a person out of something that they were never reasoned into."
Thomas J. Deschaine
Anatomy & Physiology Instructor
John Glenn High School
Research Models for the Classroom
Looking for organisms for classroom research that are inexpensive, last well, are easy to culture,
and that students don't mind working with? Here are some ideas.
California Blackworm, Lumbriculus variegatus
Also known as the mudworm, this small annelid worm is found throughout North America and
Europe, typically inhabiting the shallows of ponds, lakes, and marshes, where it feeds on decaying
vegetation and microorganisms. It is easily cultured in shallow pans in the school laboratory,
requiring gentle aeration, and occasional water changes. They should be fed sparingly with
sinking fish food pellets. They prefer to hide under paper towels placed in the pan. In the
laboratory they reproduce asexually by fragmenting into two or more sections, which quickly
regenerate the missing segments. This feature makes it a very interesting model for regeneration
studies. It also works very well for locomotion, behavior, and toxicology investigations. Cultures
may be purchased from most biological supply companies for around seven dollars for hundreds of
worms!
Vinegar Eel, Turbatrix aceti
This microscopic non-parasitic roundworm survives very easily in the classroom. With the
occasional addition of apple cider vinegar and slices of apple, these cultures last indefinitely.
They are easily observed through either a dissecting or an objective microscope under low power,
and they work very well for locomotion or toxicity studies.
Mealworm
If students would like to be able to physically handle their research subjects, the mealworm, which
is the larval form of the Tenebrio beetle, is a good model. This organism goes through complete
metamorphosis, which may be of added interest to the student. They may be purchased from biological
supply companies, or from local pet stores, where they are sold as live food for fish, reptiles,
amphibians, or even mammals such as the hedgehog. They are cultured in a container filled with bran
or oatmeal, with slices of apple added for moisture. The entire life cycle takes about four months,
but a culture once started will provide a large number of research subjects indefinitely.
Our Mission
The Michigan Society for Medical Research (MISMR) is a statewide nonprofit educational organization whose mission is to promote understanding of biomedical research and testing that use animal models.
Established in 1981, MISMR is made up of the state’s leading research universities, teaching hospitals, pharmaceutical companies, voluntary health organizations, and hundreds of scientists, educators, and students who understand and support the importance of animal research and testing in advancing health care and treatment.
MISMR Educational Projects & Activities
Annual Essay Contest
Each year, MISMR sponsors an essay contest for all Michigan middle and high school students.
Students from well over 500 schools in the state have annually participated in the contest to
address the benefits of biomedical research. Prizes are awarded.
Speakers Bureau
MISMR volunteers visit K-12 schools and civic community groups throughout Michigan each
year to educate the public about biomedical research and to dispel commonly held myths.
Annual Symposium
MISMR's popular annual meetings have often proved to be "standing room only", typically
attracting local and national educators and researchers with interactive training workshops
and presentations promoting biomedical research.
Human & Animals Enrichment Program
Designed for elementary school students, the Humans & Animals Enrichment Program
increases awareness for students of the many contributions people derive from animals through
the use of storytelling, discussion groups, slides, and demonstrations with live animals.
We Want to Hear From You!
We want to include your stories, comments, or questions relating to animals in your
classroom in upcoming editions of BioFocus. Please email stories to mismr@umich.edu.
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You may download a PDF format of the actual newsletter.
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