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Title: Compartments in the Human Body

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Assignment Goals
Source Material
Student Instructions
Guiding Questions
Writing Prompt
Calibrations, Average Word Count, and Answer Keys

Assignment Goals

This assignment requires you to use your understanding of the levels of organization within the human body to describe compartments in several of the levels of organization.

The first half of BIOL 310, Human Physiology, deals with equilibrium, energy, pressures, and flows, so thinking about campartments is a necessary first step before you can answer the key question, "How does your body control the movement of 'stuff' so that it goes where it's needed?"

You will demonstrate that you can use these terms: cell membrane, cell junctions, epithelia, extracellular fluid, organ system, phospholipid, and vesicles.

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Source Material

You are to study Chapters 1 and 3 in your textbook, Human Physiology by Silverthorn (Prentice Hall), for resource materials that you will use to describe compartments at various levels of organization within the human body. This assignment requires you to write a 50-200 word paragraph that integrates your understanding of Figures 1-2, 3-4, and 3-16 in your textbook. The figures adapted from the 1998 edition of the Silverthorn text are available to you here under Source Materials Resources.

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Source Material Resources:
Figure 1-2 - assignment resource
URL: http://cpr.molsci.ucla.edu/cpr/data/institutions/300010/001001400288/000102500436/perm/resources/res1/file/Fg01_02.gif
Figure 3-4 - A video clip showing a cell in three dimensions. Only some of the parts are labeled, so refer to your textbook for names of the other cell organelles.
URL: http://cpr.molsci.ucla.edu/cpr/data/institutions/300010/001001400288/000102500436/perm/resources/res3/file/Vd03_01c.mov
Figure 3-16 - assignment resource
URL: http://cpr.molsci.ucla.edu/cpr/data/institutions/300010/001001400288/000102500436/perm/resources/res4/file/Fg03_16.gif

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Student Instructions

Compartments allow organisms to maintain a variety of internal environments that are very different from environments outside the organism. Maintaining such internal environments is critical to homeostasis. Study Chapters 1 and 3 in your textbook until you have a clear mental picture of the various compartments at each level of organization within the body. Check yourself by describing the compartments in the figures listed as Source Material Resources.

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Guiding Questions

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Writing Prompt

Write a paragraph describing various walls and compartments at different levels of organization within the human body.

Figure 1-1 may help you organize your paragraph.

Check your paragraph against the guiding questions and use all the terms within a context that demonstrates your understanding for full credit.

(Max = 200 words)

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Calibrations and Answer Keys

Average Calibration Word Count = 102
High Quality Calibration
Humans bodies have compartments at several of the different levels of organization. At the smallest level, phospholipid bilayers form the walls of compartments called organellesthat are in cells. The nucleus is a compartment, and organelles like the endoplasmic reticulum and vesicles like lysosomes are also intracellular compartments that are surrounded by membranes made of protein and phosphlopid bilayer. Such organelles are smaller compartments within larger compartments called cells that are also surrounded by cell membranes of protein and phosphlopid bilayer. The cell membrane separates the cytoplasm within the cell compartment from the extracellular fluid outside the cell. Cell junctions unite some cells into layers called epithelia. Epithelial cell layers form the walls that separate lumens of some organs from the extracellular fluid. Many different organ systems have organs that are lined with epithelial cell layers. These include the digestive system, respiratory system, and urinary system.

1. This assignment requires students to write about both cells and organ systems. Does the essay address both of these levels of organization?

Yes
No

Answer: Yes
Feedback : Humans bodies have compartments at several of the different levels of organization. At the smallest level, phospholipid
2. Does the paragraph state that cells are surrounded by cell membranes?

Yes
No

Answer: Yes
Feedback : Humans bodies have compartments at several of the different levels of organization. At the smallest level, phospholipid
3. Does the essay state that cell membranes or vesicle walls are made of a phospholipid bilayer?

Yes
No

Answer: Yes
Feedback : Humans bodies have compartments at several of the different levels of organization. At the smallest level, phospholipid
4. Vesicles are organelles within cells. Does the essay use the term vesicle to describe compartments that are inside cells?

Yes
No

Answer: Yes
Feedback : Humans bodies have compartments at several of the different levels of organization. At the smallest level, phospholipid
5. Extracellular fluid is the fluid outside the cells within the body. Does the essay make this point?

Yes
No

Answer: Yes
Feedback : Humans bodies have compartments at several of the different levels of organization. At the smallest level, phospholipid
6. Does the student explain that cell junctions join cells into layers?

Yes
No

Answer: Yes
Feedback : Humans bodies have compartments at several of the different levels of organization. At the smallest level, phospholipid
7. Several organs are lined with epithelial cell layers. Does the essay make this point?

Yes
No

Answer: Yes
Feedback : Humans bodies have compartments at several of the different levels of organization. At the smallest level, phospholipid
8. Does the essay have mechanical errors (that is, mistakes in spelling, grammar, and punctuation)?
None
Some (1 or 2)
Many (more than 2)
Answer: None
Feedback : none
9. Does this essay waste words by discussing items that might be considered irrelevant material?

Yes
No

Answer: No
Feedback : none
10. The essay is supposed to be written in the words of student/author. Does the essay contain sentences that are direct quotations from the textbook?
None
Some (1 or 2)
Many (more than 2)
Answer: None
Feedback : none
11. How would you rate this text?
10 Highest
9
8
7
6
5
4
3
2
1 Lowest
Rating: 10
Feedback : This text flows in logical organization from smallest to largest level of organization.

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Mid Quality Calibration
Figure 1-2 shows the ten systems of the body and all have some campartments. The circulatory system, digestive system, urinary system, and respiratory system are lined with a phospholipid bilayer that keeps vesicles from going in and out of the organ systems and keeps the extracellular fluid out of the cells. Cells are surrounded by cell membranes, but they can also be stuck together at cell junctions, and that's how cells fit together to make up the organ systems.

1. This assignment requires students to write about both cells and organ systems. Does the essay address both of these levels of organization?

Yes
No

Answer: Yes
Feedback : Figure 1-2 shows the ten systems of the body and all have some campartments. The circulatory system, digestive
2. Does the paragraph state that cells are surrounded by cell membranes?

Yes
No

Answer: Yes
Feedback : Figure 1-2 shows the ten systems of the body and all have some campartments. The circulatory system, digestive
3. Does the essay state that cell membranes or vesicle walls are made of a phospholipid bilayer?

Yes
No

Answer: No
Feedback : Figure 1-2 shows the ten systems of the body and all have some campartments. The circulatory system, digestive
4. Vesicles are organelles within cells. Does the essay use the term vesicle to describe compartments that are inside cells?

Yes
No

Answer: No
Feedback : Figure 1-2 shows the ten systems of the body and all have some campartments. The circulatory system, digestive
5. Extracellular fluid is the fluid outside the cells within the body. Does the essay make this point?

Yes
No

Answer: No
Feedback : Figure 1-2 shows the ten systems of the body and all have some campartments. The circulatory system, digestive
6. Does the student explain that cell junctions join cells into layers?

Yes
No

Answer: Yes
Feedback : Figure 1-2 shows the ten systems of the body and all have some campartments. The circulatory system, digestive
7. Several organs are lined with epithelial cell layers. Does the essay make this point?

Yes
No

Answer: No
Feedback : Figure 1-2 shows the ten systems of the body and all have some campartments. The circulatory system, digestive
8. Does the essay have mechanical errors (that is, mistakes in spelling, grammar, and punctuation)?
None
Some (1 or 2)
Many (more than 2)
Answer: Some (1 or 2)
Feedback : Figure 1-2 shows the ten systems of the body and all have some campartments. The circulatory system, digestive
9. Does this essay waste words by discussing items that might be considered irrelevant material?

Yes
No

Answer: No
Feedback : none
10. The essay is supposed to be written in the words of student/author. Does the essay contain sentences that are direct quotations from the textbook?
None
Some (1 or 2)
Many (more than 2)
Answer: None
Feedback : none
11. How would you rate this text?
10 Highest
9
8
7
6
5
4
3
2
1 Lowest
Rating: 6
Feedback :

This essay does not use all the vocabulary or address all the concepts required.

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Low Quality Calibration
The circulatory system transports materials between all cells of the body. The digestive system converts food into particles that can be transported into the body. The respiratory system controls exchange of oxygen and carbon dioxide between the external and internal environments, while the urinary system removes wastes and maintains water and solutes in the internal environment. The reproductive system is the compartment for perpetuation of the species. These systems have compartments, but the endocrine, immune, integumentary, musculoskeletal, and nervous systems have no compartments.

1. This assignment requires students to write about both cells and organ systems. Does the essay address both of these levels of organization?

Yes
No

Answer: No
Feedback : The circulatory system transports materials between all cells of the body. The digestive system converts food into
2. Does the paragraph state that cells are surrounded by cell membranes?

Yes
No

Answer: No
Feedback : The circulatory system transports materials between all cells of the body. The digestive system converts food into
3. Does the essay state that cell membranes or vesicle walls are made of a phospholipid bilayer?

Yes
No

Answer: No
Feedback : The circulatory system transports materials between all cells of the body. The digestive system converts food into
4. Vesicles are organelles within cells. Does the essay use the term vesicle to describe compartments that are inside cells?

Yes
No

Answer: No
Feedback : The circulatory system transports materials between all cells of the body. The digestive system converts food into
5. Extracellular fluid is the fluid outside the cells within the body. Does the essay make this point?

Yes
No

Answer: No
Feedback : The circulatory system transports materials between all cells of the body. The digestive system converts food into
6. Does the student explain that cell junctions join cells into layers?

Yes
No

Answer: No
Feedback : The circulatory system transports materials between all cells of the body. The digestive system converts food into
7. Several organs are lined with epithelial cell layers. Does the essay make this point?

Yes
No

Answer: No
Feedback : The circulatory system transports materials between all cells of the body. The digestive system converts food into
8. Does the essay have mechanical errors (that is, mistakes in spelling, grammar, and punctuation)?
None
Some (1 or 2)
Many (more than 2)
Answer: None
Feedback : none
9. Does this essay waste words by discussing items that might be considered irrelevant material?

Yes
No

Answer: Yes
Feedback : The assignment was NOT to write a description of the systems, and this paragraph does NOT integrate knowledge of compartments at all levels of organization or from the three Figures that were to be studied. Only Figure 1-2 is addressed in this paragraph.
10. The essay is supposed to be written in the words of student/author. Does the essay contain sentences that are direct quotations from the textbook?
None
Some (1 or 2)
Many (more than 2)
Answer: Many (more than 2)
Feedback : Many of the statements are copied verbatim from Table 1.1.
11. How would you rate this text?
10 Highest
9
8
7
6
5
4
3
2
1 Lowest
Rating: 2
Feedback : No attempt was made in this essay to include information from chapter 3 or to use all of the vocabulary instructed. A good paragraph that does not address the assignment gets a poor rating.

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