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Teacher Enrichment Initiatives/MAX2012 © The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio

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ACTIVITY 2C: Organisms in Research - Card Sort Activity

Objectives:

✔ Relate the impact of research on scientific thought and society.

✔ Use critical thinking to arrange organisms into categories using multiple criteria.

✔ Compare external features of organisms.

✔ Compare and contrast basic characteristics of organisms.

Background and Directions:

Medical and scientific research requires lots of planning. Before research can start, a panel of experts must review the plan, determine how safe the research is, and decide if the research is even necessary. Some research projects include the use of organisms. It is important to understand the use of organisms in research is always carefully considered. What type of organism is best suited for the research? How will the organism be cared for during the research? How will the overall results of the research benefit humans or animals?

The article Medical Research with Animals, published by the National Institutes of Health, provides helpful information to guide class discussion throughout the activity. It can be used as a teacher resource, student support, and as the basis for a Socratic Conversation in Activity 2D.

In this activity, students will investigate different classifications of organisms and the role organisms have in research. The activity is divided into two separate card sort activities. Each card sort uses the same set of cards. The activity can be divided over two class periods.

MATERIALS: ✔ Student Background handout

✔ Processing Out worksheet

✔ 1 set of organism cards for every student or group of students**

✔ 1 set of invertebrate and vertebrate example cards for every student or group of students

✔ 1 Frequency Continuum Line for every student or group of students

✔ 1 Mammals in Research card for every student or group of students

**The organism cards are designed to be run off double sided (animal picture on one side and corresponding information on the other).


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DIRECTIONS: CARD SORT - PART 1:

In this activity, students will separate the cards into two groups: invertebrate and vertebrate. Both types of organisms are used in research.

Before starting the card sort, engage the students in a discussion about the differences and similarities between vertebrates and invertebrates. The terms are defined in the student Background Information section on the student activity.

Working in small groups, distribute the organism cards to the students. Have the students sort the cards into the two categories (vertebrate or invertebrate). Students are to record their answers in the table provided.

After completing Cart Sort Part 1, students can answer Part 1 of the Processing Out worksheet.

DIRECTIONS: CARD SORT - PART 2:

In this activity, students will learn more about how animal models are applied to specific types of research. Working in small groups, the students will resort the cards on the Frequency Continuum Line

Students are to arrange the cards in the order they believe reflects the frequency of use of specific organisms in research. Groups should arrange their cards under the appropriate heading (Used the Most, Middle, Used the Least) along the Frequency Continuum Line sheet provided.

Allow the students time for a “Gallery Walk” so that they may see other groups’ continuum. Next, pass out the Pie Charts to each group. Have the students re-sort the cards, this time the Frequency Continuum Line should match the data on the Pie Chart.

Used theMost

Used theLeast

Middle

Frequency Continuum Line

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Activity Suggestions/Extensions:

Card Sort 1

Complete as a class activity using a T-chart

After the card sort, part 1, have students add more examples of invertebrates and vertebrates to the list of invertebrates and vertebrates.

Students can research specific invertebrates or vertebrates and create a poster to highlight features and functions of their assigned organism (such as habitat, food source, lifespan, picture of organism).

Card Sort 2

Students can estimate the percentages of the animals represented on the pie chart (% rabbits, % mice, % others)

Important Activity Note: As the students complete the Frequency Continuum Line using the pie chart, it is important to note that the pie chart only focuses on vertebrates, specifically mammals. The students should notice that the invertebrate cards are not reflected in the pie chart.

The use of mammals in research is highly regulated through the Animal Welfare Act. The United States Department of Agriculture, USDA, closely monitors research facilities where animal models are used. However, the use of invertebrates is not monitored since the Animal Welfare Act only applies to vertebrates. As a result, the number of invertebrates used for research is not regulated. It is estimated 90-99% of all research that involves animal models use invertebrates. This means that less than 10% of all research actually involves vertebrate animal models.

Invertebrates are preferred by many researchers because they are small, easy to maintain, and can reproduce or replicate quickly.

Invertebrates Vertebrates


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)Resources:Animal Research: Finding Cures, Saving Lives http://www.animalresearchcures.org/typesneeded.htm

National Institutes of Healthhttp://www.nih.gov

Wilson-Sanders, S.E. (2011). Invertebrate Models for Biomedical Research, Testing, and Education. Institute for Laboratory Animal Research, 52(2). Retrieved from http://dels-old.nas.edu/ilar_n/ilarjournal/52_2/PDFs/v5202Wilson-Sanders.pdf.

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Dogs : • First animals used to study

organ transplants.• Researchers have learned

how to treat Emphysema (lung disease common in smokers).

• The heart-lung machine was developed.

• Used in the discovery of insulin. • Sent into space.

Sea Sponge:

• Extracted compounds that have anti-viral and anti-cancer properties.

• Compounds may combat malaria.

• Possible new antibiotics.

Worms:

• how genes (DNA) work.

• how nerves regenerate when they are damaged.

• learn more about human development, aging and disease.

Cats:

• Study eye disorders in humans such as ‘lazy eye’ and ‘cross eye’.

Pigs • research studies for burn

victims. • Pig skin is used as a

temporary bandage protecting patients from infection.

• development of CAT scan (allows doctors to look at human organs without having to do surgery).

Chimpanzees • They have the same number

of chromosomes as humans.• Their immune systems work

similarly to ours. • Used for development of the

hepatitis B vaccine • Used for the study of HIV and

AIDS.• They are the only species

that can be infected with human HIV to test for treatments

Starfish:

• Study regeneration of limbs (arms and legs).

Mice • Used in many

research studies.• Small size/low cost

make good subjects for laboratory experiments.

• Used to develop vaccines for influenza, polio, yellow fever and rabies.

• Have been used in many anti-aging studies.


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Fish:

• how the fish’s body works

• how living things are affected by different environmental factors.

• study liver cancer

• aquaculture (fish farming)

Rabbits

• Used in research drugs and therapy for cancer treatments.

• Used in research for ear infections which affects millions of children

• Used in toxicity testing for household products.

Armadillos:

• Test a preventative treatment vaccine for Leprosy (serious skin and nerve disease).

Lobsters:

• treatments for Syphilis (an STD).

• neurological (brain) diseases like Parkinson’s and Huntington’s disease.

Sheep • Used to perfect the

arteriovenous shunt (a device that allows patients with kidney failure to be connected to dialysis machines)

• testing of a device that helps lung functions in infants.

• human pregnancy and fetal development.

• study of genetics• First mammals cloned.

Chickens • Used to study sclerosis

(hardening of body tissue due to swelling) which can cause heart attacks

• Used to study vitamin deficiencies

• Used in muscular dystrophy research

• Used for studies of eye abnormalities in humans.’

Monkeys: (macaques and rhesus)

• Study obesity

• Study reproduction behavior

• Study AIDS

• Development of vaccines.

Fruit flies

• have similar genes(DNA) to humans.

• study human genetics

• Used in studies for Anthrax (a deadly bacteria)

• First animals to go into space in 1947.


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)INVERTEBRATES

animals without backbones - Card Sort Part 1

VERTEBRATESanimals without backbones - Card Sort Part 1

FishReptile Amphibians

Mice Birds

ProtozoaAnnelids

Mollusks

Echinoderms Crustaceans Arachnids Insects

Suggestions:

Create a T-chart on the board. Have the students look at the samples of invertebrates and vertebrates provided. In their own words, have the students list characteristics of each.

Mice and Rats*

Guinea Pigs

Rabbits

Hamsters

Farm Animals

Cats

DogsNon-Human PrimatesOther

*Mice and rats estimated; all others are based on USDA animal use data for 2010.

Mammals in ResearchC

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shttp://www.animalresearchcures.org/typesneeded.htm

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What is medical research that uses animals? Animals and people get many of the same illnesses. Certain types of animals can stand in for humans with particular diseases. The information we gain from these studies—about how we’re the same and how we’re different—benefits people and animals.

Medical research with animals is one type of medical research, but other types include experiments with cells and chemicals and simulations on computers. Animal research usually describes research involving vertebrates, such as cats, mice, frogs, pigs, and primates. Most animals used in research are specifically bred for use in medical research.

Another important type of research is clinical research, in which scientists conduct studies with humans. These studies almost always require the results of preliminary tests in animal research studies.

Did you know that a child born today in the United States is expected to live into his or her late 70s, whereas the same child born at the turn of the 20th century would have been expected to live only into his or her 40s?

Eating better and learning how to keep ourselves and our environment clean played a role, but medical research using laboratory animals was a vital factor driving this incredible progress.

How do scientists decide to use animals in medical research? All medical research is carefully planned, and this includes medical research with animals. Experts who review a scientist’s proposed experiment involving animals weigh several considerations before approving each study.

The most important thing is that the research must be relevant to human or animal health. Studies need to protect the animals’ welfare. That means that only the fewest number of the most appropriate species may be used. Under federal law, all animals must be treated humanely and undergo the least distress possible.

Table 1. Medical Research with Animals Saves Lives

Animal Model Medical Benefit for People

Dog Discovery of insulin

Monkey Polio vaccine

Mouse Rabies vaccine

Pig Skin grafts for burn victims

Pig Computer-assisted tomography (CAT) scans

Rabbit Corneal transplants

Rat Carcinogen screeningJi

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Who does medical research with animals? Medical researchers who have Ph.D., D.V.M., or M.D. degrees oversee animal research studies. These scientists study animals because they are a lot like people when it comes to basic body functions like breathing, eating, hearing, and seeing. That’s because nature is extremely economical. Throughout vast evolutionary time—from bacteria to plants to people—the same biological processes are recycled over and over.

Veterinarians with specialized training in laboratory animal medicine are an integral part of a medical research team. As part of this research group, veterinarians assure the humane treatment of animals and provide medical and surgical support throughout research studies. Emergency veterinary care for research animals is available on a 24-hour basis.

How are animals protected? Congress and the Public Health Service have set up laws, regulations, and policies to ensure humane treatment of all animals in research. The Public Health Service Policy on Humane Care and Use of Laboratory Animals, the Guide for the Care and Use of Laboratory

Animals, and the Animal Welfare Act give details about day-to-day animal care. (Links to these publications are provided at the end of the fact sheet.)

Scientists use this and other information to answer important questions about setting up the proper environment for research animals. How big should the cages be, and how warm or cool do the animals need to be to stay healthy? What kind of food is best, and how much noise do the animals like to have (some like it very quiet)? Do the animals like bright or dim light, and do they need other animals or toys to play with?

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Why do medical research with animals? Results from animal studies are crucial for closing knowledge gaps about health and disease in both humans and animals. Understanding cell and organ function—which is similar in all vertebrates—helps researchers design experiments to test new treatments in people.

Cell culture studies or computers are important but cannot at present take the place of research models that use animals. No single set of results from a particular model—whether animal, cell, or computer—can predict exactly what will happen, so researchers often ask the same questions in different kinds of studies. When different models yield similar results, the results are much more believable.

Where is medical research with animals conducted? The National Institutes of Health funds most of the basic medical research in the United States and beyond. This research takes place at universities and medical schools in all 50 states. In turn, biotechnology and pharmaceutical companies, often in partnership with the NIH, expand on this foundation of knowledge to develop medical treatments.

Every academic institution funded by the NIH that conducts medical research with animals is required to have a committee called the Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee that oversees care of animals in research. These committees are responsible for making sure that all the researchers at the institution obey the animal welfare laws. Additionally, the government even has rules about who should serve on these committees.

Computer Models in Research Even though computer models are very valuable, they are limited by what is already known about a process or disease. Data for computer models often comes from animal studies. In turn, computer models reveal gaps for further study in living organisms. Thus, medical research with animals and computer modeling studies work together to increase our understanding of health and disease.

In Vitro Studies in Research In vitro experiments are performed in test tubes and plastic dishes. These studies usually use tissues or cells obtained from animals or people. When scientists study living cells in laboratory containers, they cannot reproduce the whole, complex, interactive system that is present in an animal or a human. But researchers can learn a lot from in vitro studies. The results of these experiments help scientists design further experiments to conduct in an animal.

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When do research results in animal studies get applied to humans? Sometimes quickly, sometimes slowly. Scientists don’t understand human biology enough to risk using new medical treatments or surgical procedures directly on people. Because research is a quest to understand the unknown, the rate of progress varies a lot. In research, one discovery builds upon another.

Nearly everyone considers finding lifesaving cures through biomedical research to be one of humanity’s highest purposes. Although research helps humans protect and provide for

themselves, humans are also the only species capable of considering the needs of other species on the planet we share.

Learn more at these Web sites: National Institutes of Health http://www.nih.gov

Animals in Research http://science.education.nih.gov/animals

Living Laboratories http://publications.nigms.nih.gov/thenewgenetics/livinglab.html

NIH Office of Laboratory Animal Welfare http://grants.nih.gov/grants/olaw/olaw.htm

Public Health Service Policy on Humane Care and Use of Laboratory Animals http://grants.nih.gov/grants/olaw/references/phspol.htm

Guide for the Care and Use of Laboratory Animals http://books.nap.edu/readingroom/books/labrats

Animal Welfare Act http://www.access.gpo.gov/uscode/title7/chapter54_.html

Office of Animal Care and Use Regulations and Standards http://oacu.od.nih.gov/regs/index.htm

NIH Clinical Research http://grants.nih.gov/grants/funding/PHS398/instructions2/p2_human_subjects_definitions.htm

ClinicalTrials.gov http://clinicaltrials.gov

Table 2. Medical Research that Helps Animals

Discovery How it Helps Animals

Research on viruses Dog parvovirus vaccine

Research on reproduction Breeding programs for endangered species (like pandas, white tigers)

HIV/AIDS research Cat leukemia vaccine

Surgical research Dog heart valves, hip replacements

Chronic disease treatments Diabetes, heart disease treatments for pets

4 NIH Publication Number 08-6436

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