Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jul 5, 2026
10:39
Using Mouse Mammary Tumor Cells to Teach Core Biology Concepts: A Simple Lab Module
Published on: June 18, 2015
Teaching Dynamics to Biology Undergraduates: the UCLA Experience
Alan Garfinkel1, Steve Bennoun2, Eric Deeds3
1Integrative Biology and Physiology, University of California, Los Angeles, CA, 90095, USA. agarfinkel@mednet.ucla.edu.
Bulletin of Mathematical Biology
|February 12, 2022
Summary
A new dynamical systems approach to calculus for life sciences (LS 30) improves student interest and performance in biology and related STEM fields. This innovative course enhances math perception and reduces achievement gaps for diverse learners.
Area of Science:
- Mathematical Biology
- Life Sciences Education
- Dynamical Systems Theory
Background:
- Traditional calculus for life sciences courses often fail to demonstrate biological relevance, leading to decreased student engagement.
- Leading scientific organizations advocate for mathematics curricula focused on dynamics and modeling for biology students.
- There is a need for improved pedagogical approaches in quantitative biology education.
Purpose of the Study:
- To design and implement a novel calculus course for life sciences students centered on dynamical systems modeling.
- To enhance student understanding of biological feedback mechanisms through mathematical modeling.
- To improve student attitudes towards mathematics in biological contexts.
Main Methods:
- Developed a new course, LS 30, focusing on modeling biological relationships as dynamical systems.
- Utilized vector field visualization to represent dynamical systems across state spaces.
- Integrated "change vectors" to illustrate system dynamics at every point.
Main Results:
- The LS 30 course has been adopted by approximately 1400 students annually at UCLA.
- Significant improvements observed in student perceptions of mathematics within biology.
- Reduced performance disparities among minority student groups.
- Increased subsequent academic performance in physics and chemistry.
Conclusions:
- The dynamical systems approach to calculus for life sciences is effective in engaging students and improving learning outcomes.
- LS 30 offers a customizable and adaptable model for diverse educational institutions.
- Course materials and supplementary videos are available, facilitating wider adoption and implementation.
Related Concept Videos
01:23Characteristics of Life
Biology is a natural science that studies life and living organisms, including their structure, function, development, interactions, evolution, distribution, and taxonomy. The field's scope is extensive and divided into several specialized disciplines, such as anatomy, physiology, ethology, genetics, and many more. All living things share a few key traits, including cellular organization, heritable genetic material and the ability to adapt/evolve, metabolism to regulate energy needs, the...
01:29Life Histories
Constrained by limited energy and resources, organisms must compromise between offspring quantity and parental investment. This trade-off is represented by two primary reproductive strategies; K-strategists produce few offspring but provide substantial parental support, whereas r-strategists produce much progeny that receives little care. These strategies are related to an organism’s survival likelihood across its lifespan, which is represented by a survivorship curve. Three general types of...
00:58Symbiosis
Symbiotic relationships are long-term, close interactions between individuals of different species that affect the distribution and abundance of those species. When a relationship is beneficial to both species, this is called mutualism. When the relationship is beneficial to one species but neither beneficial nor harmful to the other species, this is called commensalism. When one organism is harmed to benefit another, the relationship is known as parasitism. These types of relationships often...
01:19Protein Dynamics in Living Cells
Different fluorescence-based techniques are used to study the protein dynamics in living cells. These techniques include FRAP, FRET, and PET.
Fluorescent recovery after photobleaching (FRAP) is a fluorescent-protein-based detection technique used to quantify protein movement rates within the cell. This method exposes a small portion of the cell to an intense laser beam. The laser beam causes permanent photobleaching of the fluorophore-tagged proteins in the exposed region. As the bleached...
Fluorescent recovery after photobleaching (FRAP) is a fluorescent-protein-based detection technique used to quantify protein movement rates within the cell. This method exposes a small portion of the cell to an intense laser beam. The laser beam causes permanent photobleaching of the fluorophore-tagged proteins in the exposed region. As the bleached...
01:19Key Techniques in Microbiology
Aseptic techniques prevent contamination, ensure experimental accuracy, and protect researchers and microbial cultures. These techniques are essential in clinical, industrial, and research settings where sterility is required.Maintaining Sterility in Laboratory PracticesScientists maintain sterility by sterilizing tools with heat or chemicals, disinfecting work surfaces, and handling cultures in controlled environments. Working near an open flame or within a laminar flow hood reduces the risk...
01:28Introduction to Microbial Ecology
Microbial ecology examines the complex web of interactions and diversity among microorganisms within various ecosystems. This field seeks to understand how microbial populations adapt to and influence their environments and how these interactions shape broader ecological processes. Microbes are integral to ecosystem function, participating in nutrient cycling, energy flow, and the maintenance of environmental homeostasis.An ecosystem represents a dynamic interaction between living organisms...