Originally published as Genetics Published Articles Ahead of Print on March 21, 2005.

Genetics, Vol. 170, 5-6, May 2005, Copyright © 2005
doi:10.1534/genetics.104.032060

Using Pool Noodles to Teach Mitosis and Meiosis

Department of Biological Sciences, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta T6G 2E9, Canada

1 Corresponding author: Department of Biological Sciences, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB T6G 2E9, Canada.
E-mail: john.locke{at}ualberta.ca

Although mitosis and meiosis are fundamental to understanding genetics, students often find them difficult to learn. We suggest using common "pool noodles" as teaching aids to represent chromatids in classroom demonstrations. Students use these noodles to demonstrate the processes of synapsis, segregation, and recombination. Student feedback has been overwhelmingly positive.