WELCOME TO

BIOL 184

TA:

Email:

Lab Section:
Meet your classmates
OVERVIEW OF TODAY
• Lab schedule and evaluation
• Overview of lab logistics, expectations, and safety
• Introduction to microscopes

• A general, brief introduction to the course will be

presented.

• Students are responsible for reading and

understanding all of the introductory
information and course policies in the lab
manual.
ROLE OF INSTRUCTORS
• We are here to support and mentor your
development of lab skills and foster your
passion for biology!
• We are not here to directly provide answers
but are happy to help you learn how to use the
resources and tools available to you to find the
answers.
• Don’t be shy! We are here to help.
STUDENT CONDUCT
• We expect everyone to treat one other with mutual
respect.
• Students are expected to work solely on Biology 184
material while in the lab.
• Personal laptops are to be used for related course
material only. Some laptops will be available for the labs
as needed.
• Cameras, cell phones, and other electronic devices
are NOT permitted in the lab.
• No photographs of any lab material.
• Use the time you have in the lab effectively. Be engaged!
LABORATORY ATTENDANCE
• Students are expected to:
Arrive on time
Arrive prepared for each lab exercise
 Attend the lab section they are registered in
 Attend all scheduled labs

• Attendance is mandatory
• Must attend 6 of the 8 labs for course credit
• Refer to the course syllabus and lab manual
for details
 WHAT TO EXPECT FOR EACH LAB
• There may be a short pre-lab assessment.
• There will be a 15 – 20 minute pre-lab introduction
for the day’s lab.
• The remaining time will allow you to complete the
lab, including in-lab assignments and clean-up
• A check-in with your TA is required before leaving
the lab
• Pre-lab slides will be available on Brightspace at the
beginning of each week
Lab Schedule and
Evaluation
 Laboratory Schedule
Sept. 11 – 15 Lab 1. Introduction to Microscopes
Sep. 18 – 22 Lab 2. Micrometry and Prokaryotes
Sep. 25 – 29 Lab 3. Protist Diversity
Oct. 3 – 6 Virtual (Self-Directed) Scientific Literature Workshop – No
labs this week
Oct. 9 – 13 Thanksgiving Day (Monday) – No labs this week

Oct. 11 Lab Test 1 on Brightspace (all students)

Oct. 16 – 20 Lab 4. Plant Diversity I: Mosses, Ferns, Horsetails…

Oct. 23 – 27 Lab 5. Plant Diversity II: Angiosperms; Fungi; Lichens
Oct. 30 – Nov. 3 Lab 6. Animal Diversity: Invertebrates I
Nov. 6 – 10 Lab 7. Animal Diversity: Invertebrates II

Nov. 13 – 17 Reading Break (Mon/Tues/Wed) – No labs this week

Nov. 20 – 24 Lab 8. Animal Diversity: Vertebrates

Nov. 27 – Dec. 1 Lab Test 2 in-person – course requirement

LABORATORY EVALUATION
• Lab counts for 45% of your course grade
• You must pass the lab to pass the course (see
course syllabus)
• Failure to complete the course requirements
will result in an N (incomplete). See course
syllabus for details
LABORATORY EVALUATION
Assessment % Details
Integrity Matters! Course 2 course requirement
Reading, Researching and Referencing
Assignment 2
Topic of the week Literature Assignments 5 1% each (Labs 4-8)
Weekly In-Lab Assignments and Questions 16 2% each (Labs 1-8)
Pre-Lab Assessments 6 1% each (Labs 2-8)
Lab Test 1 4
Lab Test 2 10 course requirement

Total: 45%
 ASSIGNMENT DUE DATES
Oct. 6 Scientific Literature Worksheet

Oct. 13 Reading, Researching and Referencing Assignment

Oct. 20 Topic of the Week Literature Assignment 1

Oct. 27 Topic of the Week Literature Assignment 2

Nov. 3 Topic of the Week Literature Assignment 3

Nov. 10 Topic of the Week Literature Assignment 4

Nov. 17 Integrity Matters! – course requirement

Nov. 24 Topic of the Week Literature Assignment 5

More information on assignments will be provided next week

 Integrity Matters (a Brightspace course)

• a course about academic integrity

• will be accessed under assignments
Course Requirement
Due Friday, Nov 17th
(details will be provided next week)
 CHEATING AND PLAGIARISM
The University and the Biology Department treat cheating
and plagiarism as a serious matter, since ignoring it could be
interpreted as endorsing dishonest practice in one's later
professional career. To claim ignorance of the following
guidelines is therefore not excused. Please carefully read the
policy in the Academic Calendar to avoid unpleasant
misunderstandings. If you do not understand any of these
points, discuss it with your instructor before completing an
assignment.

The biology department reserves the right to use plagiarism

detection software or other platforms to assess the integrity
of student work.
CHEATING AND PLAGIARISM
To avoid accusation of cheating:
 You must prepare and submit all assignments independently,
even when they are based on group or class data or discussions

 All work must be original, regardless of the information source.

Word re-arrangements or occasional word substitutions are not
considered original work

 Proper credit must be given to any literature or online sources

you use by citing them specifically at the end of your assignment

 Do not resubmit work previously evaluated in this or another

course
Meet Other
Classmates
Lab Policies
• Please wash or sanitize your hands when you
enter and leave the lab

• Masks highly recommended; please ask if

you would like one
 Stay home if you don’t feel well

If you miss a lab (for any reason),

please email biologylabs@uvic.ca within 24 h

You will have one week to complete the missed in-lab

assignment
WHAT IF I MISSED A LAB?
QUESTIONS ABOUT THE LAB? NEED
EXTRA HELP?
1. CONSULT THE LAB MANUAL.
Most of what you need to know about the lab component of the course is in the
manual. If, however, your question is not answered in the lab manual…

2. CHECK THE BIOLOGY 184 BRIGHTSPACE PAGE.

Schedules, assignments, and instructor contact information are posted here.
Messages and updates will also be posted in Announcements.

3. GO TO THE BIOLOGY 184 DROP-IN CENTRE.

To speak to an instructor directly, go to the Drop-in Centre located in room
Cunningham 005. The schedule will be posted on Brightspace and on the Drop-in
Centre door.
WHAT IF I MISSED A LAB?
QUESTIONS ABOUT THE LAB? NEED
EXTRA HELP?
4. EMAIL YOUR TA.
For lab content and assignment related questions email your lab instructor. Email
addresses for all instructors will be posted on Brightspace and at the Drop-in
Centre.
5. EMAIL BIOLOGYLABS@UVIC.CA.
For other inquiries email the Biology Lab Communications Assistant who will
answer your question or direct your question to the appropriate person.

YOU ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR ANY MISSED CONTENT

 THE BIOLOGY 184 DROP-IN
CENTRE

• In Cunningham 005

• A place for you to get help; you can visit any

TA
- can review missed material
- can work on lab assignments

• Schedule will be posted on Brightspace and

on the Drop-in Centre door
GENERAL LAB SAFETY AND RULES
• Lab coats must be worn in every lab but
must not to be worn outside of the lab
• Long hair must be tied back
• Shoes must have closed toe and heel
• Absolutely no food or drinks in the lab
• Chemical and biological waste must be
disposed of properly
• Equipment and lab must be cleaned and
left tidy
• Follow all instructions carefully – they
are for everyone’s safety
• Lab-related accidents must be reported to
the instructor
LABORATORY SAFETY
• As required by health and safety law, and to
prevent injury, all students and instructors
must:
 Wear a lab coat, goggles and gloves when
handling hazardous materials
 Wash hands thoroughly before leaving the lab
or if hazardous materials come in contact
with skin

• Students will be made aware of all

hazardous materials

• Know the location of the eyewash station

and fire extinguisher
 In case of an emergency…

Do not leave the

assembly area until
instructed to do so.

CALL CAMPUS SECURITY: 250-721-7599

Questions?
• Positions available for a general biology lab assistant for
184/186

• See the recent Brightspace announcement for details

 Lab 1.
Introduction to Microscopes
Why do we use microscopes?

compound dissecting
Purpose: To become familiar with using
compound and dissecting microscopes.

In pairs, label and learn the parts of the

microscope along with your TA. Once you are
comfortable with the parts, use the provided
slides to practice operating the compound and
dissecting microscopes as part of the lab
exercises.
 Proper Handling
• Lowest objective

• Light off and

unplugged

• Covered if on bench

• Not covered if
storing in cupboard

https://www.microscopeworld.com/p-3568-5-tips-to-properly-care-for-your-microscope.aspx
Working Properties of a Microscope
60X

1. Depth of Focus Z
5X
Y
X

2. Working Distance

http://www.olympusmicro.com/primer/java/microscopy/focallength/index.html

5X 60X

2 mm 0.16 mm
3. Field Diameter
 EXERCISE 1 – COMPOUND MICROSCOPES
Objective lens
Ocular lens/
Eyepiece

Light intensity
control
Stage

Condenser iris Condenser focus

diaphragm knob

Condenser

Field iris diaphragm Fine focus

control

Condenser centering Coarse focus

screws control
EXERCISES 2 AND 3.
• familiarize yourself with the compound
microscope parts and how the compound
microscope works
EXERCISE 4. PRACTICING KOEHLER ILLUMINATION

• Why is it used? To provide optimal resolution for

observation

• Practice Koehler illumination using the provided prepared

slides

• Then, prepare a wet mount slide using the provided pond

water and observe the slide
EXERCISE 4. KOEHLER ILLUMINATION IS ACHIEVED
WHEN THE EDGE OF THE FIELD IRIS DIAPHRAGM IS SHARP

Basic steps to achieve Köehler Illumination:

1. Close the field iris diaphragm until a small circle can be viewed.
2. Center the circle of light using the condenser centering screws.
3. Adjust the condenser knob until the edges of field iris diaphragm are sharp.
4. Open the field iris diaphragm until the circle of light just disappears from
the field of view.

Not in Köehler Illumination In Köehler Illumination

 Exercise 4. What might you see in pond water?

• algae, diatoms, protists…

• draw an observed organism using proper format

https://rsscience.com/microscopic-organisms-pond-water/#google_vignette
 How to prepare a wet mount slide

Figure 2.6: Wet mount preparation. Licensed CC-BY-NC-SA by Jeremy Seto in Biology OER
https://louis.pressbooks.pub/generalbiology1lab/chapter/depth-of-field-and-wet-mount-of-specimens/
BIOLOGICAL
DRAWINGS

• A formal
representation of
what is being
observed
• Certain conventions
must be followed
(see Appendix F in
lab manual for
details)
A reminder…
Microscopes require special care:
Microscopes should be:
 Turned off and unplugged when not in use
 Stored in the cupboard with the cover off
 With the cover on if left on benches
 Carried upright with two hands
 Stored with the lowest objective lens in position
 Stored with light intensity at lowest level

Cleaning the lens:

 Wipe gently, in a circular motion, with lens tissue, not Kimwipes®. Do not
press hard.
 Never take a lens apart
Exercise 5. Dissection Microscopes

• Observe a few specimens

to get familiar with its parts
and operation

• How is it different from a

compound microscope?
For today’s lab
• Complete exercises 1-5

• Submit a biological drawing without a scale bar

(see Appendix F)

• Clean your station (see checklist on the bench)

Check in with your TA once the above has been

completed
 Next Week

• Lab 2: Micrometry and

Prokaryotes

• Lab coats required

• Be prepared for a
possible pre-lab electron micrograph of E. coli
assessment https://www.nature.com/scitable/content/an-electron-
micrograph-of-a-prokaryote-escherichia-14708319/
Questions?