Stem Cells: Promises to Keep? Clicker Case Version
Department of Biology
Ball State University
This clicker case is based upon the case "Stem Cells: Promises to Keep" written by Lauren E. Yaich and published by the National Center for Case Study Teaching in Science. The case is formatted as a PowerPoint presentation (1.5 MB) punctuated by questions that students answer in class using personal response systems (commonly known as "clickers"). Students learn about a fictional couple, Samantha and Brad, who became parents by the process of in vitro fertilization. They still have frozen embryos, and a television program on stem cells leads them to a discussion of the uses they might be put these to and the ethical dilemmas this would present. The case provides an introduction to stem cells and is designed for use in introductory biology courses for both science majors and non-majors.
- Understand the basic procedure of in vitro fertilization.
- Differentiate between embryonic, adult, and umbilical stem cells.
- Become familiar with potential therapeutic uses (and limitations) for stem cells.
- Understand the basic procedure of pre-implantation genetic diagnosis (PGD).
- Identify several ethical issues associated with stem cell research.
KeywordsStem cells; in vitro fertilization; pre-implantation genetic diagnosis; therapeutic cloning; blastocyst; inner cell mass; totipotent; pluripotent; multipotent
Topical AreasEthics, Social issues
Educational LevelUndergraduate lower division, Undergraduate upper division
Type / MethodsClicker, Interrupted
Subject HeadingsBiology (General) | Cell Biology | Biotechnology |
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