Midterm! 25 stations with 4 questions at each (total of 100 points), covering the course material to date. Format is similar to parts of the quizzes where you're asked to identify structures on actual dissections; these structures will be pre-labeled. You will have 2 minutes at each station, though there may be a few minutes at the end to make corrections.
Sample Question: Setup is a ventral view of the shark muscles. The Intermandibular, Coracomandibular, Coracohyoid, and Coracobranchials are respectively labeled A, B, C, and D.
Questions:
1)Identify muscle A
2)What is the action of muscle B?
3)What is the origin (proximal insertion) of muscle C?
4)Identify muscle D
There will be lab afterwards, so don't forget your lab coat and tools. It'll be a short, fun one after the stress of the midterm, but it's not to be missed; the practical portion of the Final will include material starting with this week's lab.
Figure 9.4 in your lab manual has some of the cranial nerves mislabeled. On the right side, the nerve labeled X (10) should be labeled XI (11); on the left side, the nerve labeled IX (9) should be labeled X (10). Figure 9.3 has them labeled correctly.
If you find yourself blanking on an answer during the midterm, but think it'll come to you later, make some notes to yourself on your answer sheet, or even draw a little picture. During the time at the end, you may be able to fill in those empty blanks.
If you're uncertain of an answer, go with your first hunch. It's more likely to be correct. Many times I've seen correct answers erased and incorrect ones written in over the top; don't let it happen to you.
There are a couple of mnemonic phrases available to help you remember the names of the cranial nerves in order, and whether they're sensory, motor, or both. If this sort of thing helps you remember them, make use of it. If you just find it confusing, an additional thing to remember, then ignore it.
With the exception of something very obvious such as the optic nerves, you will only be asked to identify cranial nerves on the brain models, since most of them don't show up on the actual brains. Remember that Nerve I comes in at the top, to the olfactory bulbs, and is not shown on the models. Be able to identify the cranial nerves both on the large pink model and on the smaller, funky-colored one. Look for "landmark" nerves ... II is obvious, as is the large V, and VI sitting off by itself near the midline; then XI with the long extention trailing down toward the spinal cord. VII and VIII are together in a cluster, as are IX, X, and XI. On the pink model, nerve XII is the second-from-the-bottom; on the funky-colored one, nerve XII is the third-from-the-bottom.
Nothing directly to do with the course ... this section will have an occasionally-changing recommendation for books of general scientific interest - guided by the whimsy of the web-site maintainer, of course. :) This week's pick is:
The Stone Age Present by William F. Allman
(How evolution has shaped modern human life, from sex, violence, and language to emotions,
morals, and communities.)
