Human Biology Lab TA Information
I expect you to:
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Follow the syllabus!
Be on time for the pre-lab meetings, if you cannot come to the meeting let me know in
advance.
Please, no extra credits, no food in the lab. Wear lab coat all the time during your class and
follow safety rules (this is the link for lab rules:
http://bioserv.fiu.edu/~biolab/labs/2023/mainwebpage/safety_rules1.htm)
If you have any problem or question, let me know. I’m here to help you! My e-mail is
nolea002@fiu.edu. If is an emergency my mobile is 3053211317.
Before your class
 You need to request access to HLSII and to the labs; your PantherID will be your key. In
order to do it, ask Helen at OE167.
 The Human Bio Lab website address is http://bioserv.fiu.edu/~biolab
Click on Human bio. In the Students section you will find everything students need and
things you will use too (syllabus, TA schedule, lab schedule, safety rules etc).
The TA is only for TAs. To get access to TA section on the website: USERID: bio_ta
Password: humlab (lowercase) (Please, don’t share this password with your students, it is
just to be used by TAs). After you login to the TA section, you get access to grades
spreadsheet, link to the lab manual website (where you can find the answers for the lab
manual!), quiz bank and other helpful links.
 The excel grade sheet for Fall06 is available from this site and you should copy and backup
that file for your student records.
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Familiarize yourself with the syllabus, safety rules, microscope rules and the task for next
week (lab 1 microscope, metric system and cell structure)
For the First Class
Introduction:
 You will have your class roster in a small cabinet next to the door (it says class roster in it).
Check the students that show up to your class are actually register for it. Otherwise is always a
mess at the end of the semester to figure out in which section the student was register.
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First, introduce yourself and go over the syllabus. You can find it online
http://bioserv.fiu.edu/~biolab Please don’t forget to let your students know your e-mail and
office hours.
The transparencies with the syllabus, plagiarism, safety, and microscope rules are ready in
the folder with the other transparencies (you will see it next to the whiteboard. Please keep
them in order.
There is a microscope and safety sheet that you must go through with your students on the
first day of class. This sheet is online in the lab website and must be signed and dated by
your students for the second class.
The Plagiarism sheet is also online and you must go through this with them.
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You need to explain to the students the Cooperative Learning process that is used in the lab.
Information about it you can find in the TA section in the class website.
Have your students give you their email address before the second lab. Let them know that
counts for 1 point (they will need it!).
Set up 5-10 minutes meeting slots for each of your students between the first and second
class. The purpose of this is to get your students comfortable with you as a TA.
The task sheets are online and your students will print one out before each class. Each task
sheet will tell the students what is required from them during that lab period. They need to
complete only the sections from the task sheet.
Let the students know they are not allowed to use the printer in the lab.
Metric system
 It is always a good idea to explain them about how to make conversions in the metric
system. They always get confused about it.
Microscope
 Slides: letter “e” will be in blue boxes in each bench. After they used it, the students have to
return the slides to the same blue box and the microscopes to the cabinet, in order. No slides
should be left in the microscopes. 4x lens should be left in the stage. (just ask them to follow
the microscope rules)
 Onion cell and human epithelial cell. There are 2 slides in a blue box in your desk, you will
show your students both. You will show them with the microscope connected to the TV. To
make the microscope work, just turn on the tv, turn on the microscope and the lamp at the
top of the microscope. If you are not sure how to use it, come early and ask someone at the
stockroom for help.
Cell structure
 Make sure your students take a look of the models, the midterm will include them.
There are 2 demonstrations you should prepare for this class, the diffusion in liquid and
semisolid and the potato.
 For diffusion speed you need to set up the following: fill a beaker with water and, in front of
your students, place a drop of any dye (you’ll find dyes over the desk) into the water. Then
put a drop of that dye in an agar-filled Petri dish (take one from the refrigerator) and explain
then diffusion in liquid is faster than in semi solid (agar).
 Potato: Cut strips of potato and place some in water (hypotonic solution) and some in 10%
NaCl solution (hypertonic), explain that in an hypotonic solution cells get liquid thus potato
gets rigid while in hypertonic cells lose liquid and potato gets soft.
 For tonicity in red blood cells, you’ll find the reagents students will need in the refrigerator.
Make them to place those substances back in after they used them.
Before students leave:
 You must have your students clean their station; otherwise you will be responsible for
cleaning the lab. Students should leave the room the same way they found it for the next TA.
Each bench should have 4 chairs, the blue box with the slide and whatever was there
initially. They need to wash the tubes with soap and water in the sinks (not the ones in each
bench, because those splits water all over, ask them to use the big ones next to the walls)
 If you have any problem, please contact stockroom