Beginning in the fall semester with BIO 363 and continuing this semester in BIO 364, students in Dr. Pam Faber’s Human Anatomy and Physiology lab honed their skills in animal care, sterile technique, suturing, giving injections and female rat anatomy.
According to Pam, these preparations culminated in surgical removal of ovaries from anesthetized rats this semester under the supervision of ‘Berg alumnus and veterinarian Dr. Frank Krupka ’94. Frank works at the Avon Lake Animal Clinic and has returned to Heidelberg numerous times to help guide students through these procedures. (Pictured with Frank on Feb. 8 are Shadra Hampshire and Brianna Lloyd.)
Following surgery, students applied hormonal treatments after which they assessed the development of the inner lining of the uterus. After they collected data, the blind study allowed students to predict which treatment was applied based on their understanding of the hormonal control of the rat's four-day cycle.