Genetics. Published Articles Ahead of Print: March 21, 2005, Copyright © 2005
doi:10.1534/genetics.104.032060


A more recent version of this article appeared on May 1, 2005.


GENETICS EDUCATION

Using Pool Noodles to teach Mitosis and Meiosis

1 University of Alberta

* To whom correspondence should be addressed. E-mail: john.locke{at}ualberta.ca.

Submitted on June 5, 2004
Revised on July 31, 2004
Accepted on 8 January 2005


Abstract

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.

Key Words: Genetics Education, Meiosis, Mitosis, Pool noodles, chromosome