Developing a Developmental Biology Lab – Placenta Anatomy and Analysis by tking77798

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Developing a Developmental Biology Lab – Placenta Anatomy and Analysis
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 1rem;">Welcome to my new series documenting my trials and
tribulations as I foray into academia.&nbsp;
I’ve recently been put in charge of creating and managing a series of
labs for a college-level course in developmental biology. &nbsp;The description of the course is below:</span><br></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left:.5in"><i>“This
is a study of the principles of development and their application to animal and
plant embryos, regeneration, metamorphosis, cancer and related processes. The
laboratory includes observation and experimentation with living animal and
plant material, plant tissue culture, and examination of prepared slides.”<o:p></o:p></i></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">I do have a colleague handling the corresponding lecture,
but ultimately the responsibility for the labs falls on me.&nbsp; Labs are three hours long and are held once a
week for 13 weeks total.&nbsp; <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Designing this course has been fun, but it’s also a hell of
a challenge.&nbsp; The course hasn’t really
been run before and most of the labs have to either be created from scratch or
modified from protocols found within the Bio department or by searching the
internet.&nbsp; It's also hard to think of an
appropriate lab that’s specific to developmental biology, but doesn't overlap
with typical labs in a molecular biology, genetics, or anatomy course and also
fits within three hours.&nbsp; <span style="background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial;">I haven't been able to find many resources online for
creating this type of course so I thought I'd post my labs on Steemit after I
make them.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial;">&nbsp; <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial;">The first lab is a bit unusual in
that it features a developmental organ that’s rarely used in a college-level
training lab.&nbsp; <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center; "><span style="background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial;"><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial;"><o:p><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/drrz8xekm/image/upload/v1549337567/bdhgvsqwbljsyt2m5t9n.png" data-filename="bdhgvsqwbljsyt2m5t9n" style="font-size: 1rem; text-align: center; width: 320.994px;"><br></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p>&nbsp;From&nbsp;</o:p><span style="font-size: 1rem;">De humani corporis fabrica libri decem</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size:16.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:11.0pt;line-height:115%">Placental
Tissue Preparation and Analysis</span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><br></p><p class="MsoNormal"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/drrz8xekm/image/upload/v1549328027/zlevu6jt904i7t6jinp4.png" data-filename="zlevu6jt904i7t6jinp4" class="note-float-right" style="width: 527.5px; float: right;"></p><p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="text-align:center"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:11.0pt;line-height:115%"><span style="font-size: 14px;">A placenta.&nbsp; Source: my child :)</span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="text-align:center"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:11.0pt;line-height:115%"><span style="font-size: 14px;"><br></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="text-align:center"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:11.0pt;line-height:115%"><span style="font-size: 14px;"><br></span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center; ">That’s right, I brought in a placenta. I wanted students to
gain experience with real human tissue that hadn’t been preserved in
formaldehyde.&nbsp; The fact that the placenta
is a keystone organ in human developmental biology was an added benefit.&nbsp; Pictured above is the fetal side with
attached umbilical cord.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Placentas, and unpreserved human tissue in general, can be
difficult to obtain for a training lab.&nbsp;
They’re either too expensive or too time sensitive to work with for
teaching purposes.&nbsp; Fortunately, my wife
produced a specimen just 2 weeks before the first lab.&nbsp;&nbsp; She also produced my first child, pictured
below at the ripe age of five minutes old :P</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/drrz8xekm/image/upload/v1549328055/y90ux1s4hpinazvr8ghf.png" data-filename="y90ux1s4hpinazvr8ghf" style="width: 50%; float: right;" class="note-float-right"></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Getting this placenta was rather easy.&nbsp; Once I explained to the doctors and midwifes
why I wanted it, they got really excited.&nbsp;
Most people do weird things with the placenta like eat it so using it
for academic purposes was a nice change of pace.&nbsp; Once they gave it to me, they even wanted to
show me the anatomy and explain what they would look for in placentas to judge
fetal health.&nbsp;&nbsp; Once I had the thing, I
stored it in my car and it immediately froze in the hard cold of Buffalo’s
Winter.&nbsp; I thawed it for lab use and it
looked fine, aside from some clotting.&nbsp;
Still, I had to wash away a lot of excess blood to ensure everything was
easy to see.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Now showing off a fresh placenta gives this lab a nice wow
factor, but I still needed an actual experiment to go with it.&nbsp; I decided to have students cut off small
portions of the placenta and preserve some parts in formamide while extracting
DNA from other segments.&nbsp; Simple stuff,
but it lets the students get some experience handling this tissue and
understanding what might be done with it in a typical clinical lab.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Below, I’m going to provide a teacher’s guide and a protocol
handout for students.&nbsp; The teacher’s
guide is intended to be a resource for instructors to present this lab and the
protocol is a hand-out to give to students so they know what to do.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size:14.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:11.0pt;line-height:115%"><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size:16.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:11.0pt;line-height:115%">Teacher’s
guide<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Most instructors will probably not have a fresh placenta to
work with.&nbsp; However, you can buy animal
reproductive organs, like this beautiful cow uterus I found online (<a href="http://biologyproducts.com/cow-uterus-pregnant/">http://biologyproducts.com/cow-uterus-pregnant/</a>&nbsp;- it has a bonus fetus inside!) and run a similar lab.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">In this level course, most students should be familiar with
the placenta.&nbsp; The assigned readings are
actual published papers that give in-depth information on this organ.&nbsp; However, I did provide a brief introduction
powerpoint with some slides to explain normal placenta function.&nbsp; For a flashy title screen, I included a
somewhat disturbing illustration of the placenta from the 1627 medical textbook
De humani corporis fabrica libri decem (pictured at the top of this article).&nbsp;<span style="font-size: 1rem;">I also provided an image that shows placenta implantation&nbsp;</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center; ">&nbsp;<img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/drrz8xekm/image/upload/v1549337665/o63orhc8mignygcukehh.png" data-filename="o63orhc8mignygcukehh" style="width: 446.989px;"><o:p><br></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p><br></o:p></p>
<p><br></p><p class="MsoNormal">From The anatomy of a normal Placenta Huppertz B, <i>J Clin Pathol</i>. 2008, and a diagram of a
mature placenta&nbsp;</p><br><br><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center; "><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/drrz8xekm/image/upload/v1549337757/q6oilqbblxo3pkswrequ.png" data-filename="q6oilqbblxo3pkswrequ" style="width: 500px; float: none;"></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center; ">http://ib.bioninja.com.au/higher-level/topic-11-animal-physiology/114-sexual-reproduction/placenta.html<br></p><p class="MsoNormal"><br></p><p class="MsoNormal">I used both images to give a brief recap on how the placenta forms, and what structures we'd be looking at on the real thing.</p><p class="MsoNormal">Finally, I did an anatomy lesson with the placenta
itself.&nbsp;&nbsp; The nurses, doctors, and
midwifes that delivered my baby told me what to point out, and I’ve listed
prominent features below.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p><br></o:p><span style="font-size: 1rem;">Cord insertion site</span></p><p class="MsoNormal">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;–&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;should be center, but off-center is fine</p><p class="MsoNormal"><br></p><p class="MsoNormal">Number of vessels in cord</p><p class="MsoNormal">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;–&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; Should be three, 2 has increased risk of birth defects</p><p class="MsoNormal">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;–&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; Can be detected with ultrasound</p><p class="MsoNormal"><br></p><p class="MsoNormal">Fully intact</p><p class="MsoNormal">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;–&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; Pieces left behind can cause infection or hemmorage</p><p class="MsoNormal"><br></p><p class="MsoNormal">Calcifications</p><p class="MsoNormal">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;–&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; occur if baby is past due date</p><p class="MsoNormal"><br></p><p class="MsoNormal">Signs of decay</p><p class="MsoNormal">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;–&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; white/dead cells, necrotic tissue</p><p class="MsoNormal">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<span style="font-size: 1rem;">–&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; Often caused by smoking</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">Once this anatomy lesson is done, students can perform the
lab.&nbsp; <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><b>Assigned Reading:<o:p></o:p></b></p><p class="MsoNormal">The anatomy of a normal Placenta Huppertz B, <i>J Clin Pathol</i>. 2008.&nbsp; <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">This paper is a succinct overview of the placenta on a
macroscopic and microscopic level.&nbsp; It’s
a great reading to ensure all students are on the same page before starting the
lab.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><b>&nbsp;</b></p><p class="MsoNormal">Optimising sample collection for placental research, Burton
et al. <i>Placenta</i>, 2014 (<a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24290528">https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24290528</a>).
<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">This 2014 paper provides an excellent explanation of what we
can learn from a placenta and the nuances involved in analyzing it.&nbsp; The table they provide is also an excellent
overview of the types of analysis one can perform on this organ.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><b>&nbsp;</b></p><p class="MsoNormal"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/drrz8xekm/image/upload/v1549339014/xchsfl6heuqtakujnfec.png" data-filename="xchsfl6heuqtakujnfec" style="width: 527.528px;"><b><br></b></p><p class="MsoNormal"><b><br></b></p><p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size:16.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:11.0pt;line-height:115%">Protocol
Handout<o:p></o:p></span></b></p><p class="MsoNormal"><b>Materials Needed<o:p></o:p></b></p><p class="MsoNormal">Dissecting kit<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">Mortar and Pestle (kept in freezer at -20 <sup>o</sup>C)<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">Eppendorf tubes (1.5 mL) and Specimen tubes (15 mL or 50 mL)<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">Scale accurate to milligrams<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">Pipettemen (P1000 and P200)<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">10% formalin<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">5% Bleach solution (for sterilization)<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><b>&nbsp;</b></p><p class="MsoNormal"><b>&nbsp;</b></p><p class="MsoNormal"><b>Observing Placenta
Anatomy<o:p></o:p></b></p><p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="text-indent:-.25in;mso-list:l2 level1 lfo5"><!--[if !supportLists]-->1.)<span style="font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 7pt; line-height: normal; font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;;">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;
</span><!--[endif]-->Record approximate size and thickness.&nbsp; Note the color.&nbsp; Look for any irregularities or missing
pieces.&nbsp; Identify the the amnionic sac,
the maternal/fetal sides, and individual cotyledon.&nbsp; If possible, count the number of visible
cotyledon.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="text-indent:-.25in;mso-list:l2 level1 lfo5"><!--[if !supportLists]-->2.)<span style="font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 7pt; line-height: normal; font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;;">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;
</span><!--[endif]-->Identify the umbillical cord, record the number
of blood vessels within the cord and the length of the cord.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="text-indent:-.25in;mso-list:l2 level1 lfo5"><!--[if !supportLists]-->3.)<span style="font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 7pt; line-height: normal; font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;;">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;
</span><!--[endif]-->Take a photo for your lab notebook.&nbsp; <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><b>&nbsp;</b></p><p class="MsoNormal"><b>Obtaining placental
samples</b></p><p class="MsoNormal"><b><br></b><span style="text-indent: -0.25in; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 14px; line-height: normal; font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;;">1.)&nbsp;</span><span style="text-indent: -0.25in; font-size: 14px;">Using a scalpel, razor blades, or scissors, cut
off a grape-sized section of the placenta and a 2 cm section of the umbilical
cord.&nbsp; Make sure to record where on the
organ you removed the pieces.&nbsp;</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="text-indent: -0.25in; font-size: 1rem;"><br></span><span style="text-indent: -0.25in; font-size: 14px;">2.) For each sample, remove all extraneous liquid
and any attached membrane.&nbsp; Record total
weight, size, and appearance.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="text-indent: -0.25in; font-size: 1rem;"><br></span><span style="text-indent: -0.25in; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 14px; line-height: normal; font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;;">3.)&nbsp;&nbsp;</span><span style="text-indent: -0.25in; font-size: 14px;">Cut each sample into 4 equal pieces.&nbsp; Each piece should be about 50 mg and fit
inside an Eppendorf tube.&nbsp; At least one
piece should be less than 3 mm in thickness.&nbsp;
Record the mass of each piece.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="text-indent: -0.25in; font-size: 1rem;"><br></span><span style="text-indent: -0.25in; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 14px; line-height: normal; font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;;">4.)&nbsp;&nbsp;</span><span style="text-indent: -0.25in; font-size: 14px;">Freeze 3 samples and keep the thinnest at room
temperature for formalin fixation.</span></p><p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="text-indent:-.25in;mso-list:l0 level1 lfo1"><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p><span style="font-size: 14px;">&nbsp;</span></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><b>Fixing Placental
tissue</b></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="text-indent: -0.25in; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 14px; line-height: normal; font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;;">&nbsp;1.)&nbsp;</span><span style="text-indent: -0.25in; font-size: 14px;">Add 1 mL 10% formalin to the tissue and incubate
for 5 minutes at room temperature.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="text-indent: -0.25in; font-size: 1rem;"><br></span><span style="text-indent: -0.25in; font-size: 14px;">2.) Calculate the volume of formalin needed to mix a
50:1 formalin:tissue ratio.&nbsp; Add that
volume to a Falcon tube.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="text-indent: -0.25in; font-size: 1rem;"><br></span><span style="font-size: 14px; text-indent: -0.25in;">3.) Transfer the tissue to the Specimen Tube.&nbsp; Make sure the tissue is completely
submersed.&nbsp; These will be incubated at
room temperature for a minimum of 72 hours to “fix” them.</span></p><p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="text-indent:-.25in;mso-list:l1 level1 lfo2"><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><b>Isolating Placental
DNA</b></p><p class="MsoNormal"><b><br></b><span style="text-indent: -0.25in; font-size: 14px;">1.) Ensure the mortar and pestle are below 0 </span><sup style="text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-size: 14px;">o</span></sup><span style="text-indent: -0.25in; font-size: 14px;">C.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="text-indent: -0.25in; font-size: 1rem;"><br></span><span style="text-indent: -0.25in; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 14px; line-height: normal; font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;;">2.)&nbsp;</span><span style="text-indent: -0.25in; font-size: 14px;">Remove one frozen tissue sample (the other two
samples are backups) and grind into an icy powder with the mortar and pestle.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="text-indent: -0.25in; font-size: 1rem;"><br></span><span style="text-indent: -0.25in; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 14px; line-height: normal; font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;;">3.)&nbsp;</span><span style="text-indent: -0.25in; font-size: 14px;">Transfer as much ground tissue to an Eppendorf
tube as possible.&nbsp; Use 200 uL H2O to
transfer remaining tissue.&nbsp; Put the
mortar and pestle in the bleach bath in the sink.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="text-indent: -0.25in; font-size: 1rem;"><br></span><span style="text-indent: -0.25in; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 14px; line-height: normal; font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;;">4.)&nbsp;</span><span style="text-indent: -0.25in; font-size: 14px;">Incubate the Tube for 5 minutes at 95 oC.&nbsp;</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="text-indent: -0.25in; font-size: 1rem;"><br></span><span style="text-indent: -0.25in; font-size: 14px;">5.) Vortex the tube for 1 minute at high speeds,
then incubate for 5 minutes at 95 oC again.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="text-indent: -0.25in; font-size: 1rem;"><br></span><span style="text-indent: -0.25in; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 14px; line-height: normal; font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;;">6.)&nbsp;</span><span style="text-indent: -0.25in; font-size: 14px;">Centrifuge at max speed for 1 minute.&nbsp; A pellet of cell lysate should form at the
bottom and the supernatant should contain DNA (it may be viscous).</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="text-indent: -0.25in; font-size: 1rem;"><br></span><span style="text-indent: -0.25in; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 14px; line-height: normal; font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;;">7.)&nbsp;</span><span style="text-indent: -0.25in; font-size: 14px;">Transfer the Supernatant to a sterile tube and
store in the freezer.</span></p><p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="text-indent:-.25in;mso-list:l5 level1 lfo3"><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast"><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><b>Cleanup<o:p></o:p></b></p><p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="text-indent:-.25in;mso-list:l3 level1 lfo4"><!--[if !supportLists]-->1.)<span style="font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 7pt; line-height: normal; font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;;">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;
</span><!--[endif]-->Put any equipment that’s touched organic
material into the bleach bath for at least 15 minutes.&nbsp; Once sterilized, they can be washed and
dried.&nbsp; <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="text-indent:-.25in;mso-list:l3 level1 lfo4"><!--[if !supportLists]-->2.)<span style="font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 7pt; line-height: normal; font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;;">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;
</span><!--[endif]-->Excess formalin should be dumped in the liquid
waste container.&nbsp; <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="text-indent:-.25in;mso-list:l3 level1 lfo4"><!--[if !supportLists]-->3.)<span style="font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 7pt; line-height: normal; font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;;">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;
</span><!--[endif]-->All other materials (pipette tips, tubes) need
to be disposed of in waste bins.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size:18.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:11.0pt;line-height:115%">Final
Thoughts<o:p></o:p></span></b></p><p class="MsoNormal"></p>
<p></p><p class="MsoNormal">All in all, there were minimal issues with this lab.&nbsp; It’s kind of a safe lab in that the star of
the show, the placenta, just has to sit there.&nbsp;
It lasted the full three hours and students were fairly intrigued to be
working with an unpreserved specimen.&nbsp;
However, it’s hard to conclusively determine that DNA was successfully
extracted or that the formalin fixation was successful.&nbsp; Future labs will continue to work with this
material and I will update on what we do with them.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p><br></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">One other thing I should mention is that I submitted this post on steemstem.io.&nbsp; I found the process a lot easier than normal posts through Steemit.&nbsp; My only challenge was implementing pictures, but otherwise I could copy-paste from word with most of my formatting intact.&nbsp; I imagine a set of references might be a bit tricky, but only if I put the links in the body of the article.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p><p class="MsoNormal"><br></p><p class="MsoNormal"><img src="https://steemitimages.com/0x0/https://steemitimages.com/0x0/https://i.imgur.com/WhYkkh9.gif"><br></p><p></p>
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properties (23)
post_id69,853,881
authortking77798
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created2019-02-07 16:21:24
last_update2019-02-07 16:43:03
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@alexs1320 ·
> ost people do weird things with the placenta like eat it so using it for academic purposes was a nice change of pace.

Hahahaha

> (html comment removed: [if !supportLists])1.)    (html comment removed: [endif])

Formats are fighting :(
👍  
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@tking77798 ·
6cr3ku0gb
Good catch. I'll try to fix on my end, but leave one or two up for @lemouth to see.
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@alexs1320 ·
The only way to kill the bugs is to test it again and again :D
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@lemouth ·
wuegsqaus
This is already on my list. I notice it fails :)
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@steemstem ·
$0.41
re-tking77798-developing-a-develop-1549556482-20190207t185856974z
<div class='text-justify'> <div class='pull-left'> <br /> <center> <img width='125' src='https://i.postimg.cc/Gtd18f7W/steemstem_curie_utopian.png'> </center> <br /> </div> <br /> <br /> <br />

 This post has been voted on by the **SteemSTEM** curation team and voting trail in collaboration with **@utopian-io** and **@curie**. <br /><br /> 
 If you appreciate the work we are doing then consider [voting](https://steemit.com/~witnesses) all three projects for witness by selecting [**stem.witness**](https://steemconnect.com/sign/account_witness_vote?approve=1&witness=stem.witness), [**utopian-io**](https://steemconnect.com/sign/account_witness_vote?approve=1&witness=utopian-io) and [**curie**](https://steemconnect.com/sign/account_witness_vote?approve=1&witness=curie)! <br /><br /> 
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👍  , ,
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@tts ·
To listen to the audio version of this article click on the play image.
[![](https://s18.postimg.org/51o0kpijd/play200x46.png)](http://ec2-52-72-169-104.compute-1.amazonaws.com/tking77798__developing-a-develop-1549556482.mp3)
Brought to you by [@tts](https://steemit.com/tts/@tts/introduction). If you find it useful please consider upvoting this reply.
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@dexterdev · (edited)
People eating placenta? 🤔

Btw great article! 😃
👍  
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@lemouth ·
me473grh5
I must tag @scienceangel and @egotheist here. This was a thing at the steemstem-meetup #2 :)
👍  
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@dexterdev ·
Oh is it??
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@roguescientist84 ·
My mother fed me a piece of my middle brothers placenta when I was 7. I cringe when I hear the word. Reading this piece was difficult, hahahahaha.
👍  
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@tking77798 ·
4amojiaij
Yeah, the doctors told me a good portion of people keep the placenta and presumably eat or do something weird with it.  I was the first person to have an actual use that made sense to them .
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@lemouth ·
vuxhv923s
Now a real comment, after spamming all the comments to your post (having discovered the placenta-eating 'trend' (or name this as you want) on Steem... I had too ;)

Thanks a lot for sharing this kind of material on steemstem. This is the kind of stuff that will make us different from any other platform on the web! On top of being very cool for your student. Being able to manipulate and do experiments going beyond the books (which seems to be the case here) is how we will attract students into science and hopefully create vocation.

PS: I assume you will have to find a placenta for every year now :p
👍  ,
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@tking77798 ·
pj0ahr9ff
Thanks for the positive response.  I'll try to get my other labs up here as long as they contain enough original material to warrant a post. 

As for getting another placenta, my wife has already told me not to expect one for next year so I'll have to search elsewhere :P
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@lemouth ·
You never know with babies (congrats by the way. For some reason I forgot to say that! Shame on me).
👍  
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@utopian-io ·
#### Hi @tking77798!

Your post was upvoted by Utopian.io in cooperation with @steemstem - supporting knowledge, innovation and technological advancement on the Steem Blockchain.

#### Contribute to Open Source with utopian.io
Learn how to contribute on <a href='https://join.utopian.io'>our website</a> and join the new open source economy.

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@adamada ·
It's a different way of tackling what I already knew about Placentas in general. We frequently have this handed to us for inspection after delivering the baby (medical intern here). We don't examine the thing as in depth like what a laboratory study would do. Most of what we know are based on textbooks and what we personally handled on the actual birthing process. Histopath specimens would only be relevant if we suspected exisiting pathology on it.
👍  
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@tking77798 ·
1p08skbgt
Yeah, the doctors/midwives I talked to said that they just give it a once-over for signs of disease or abnormalities.  A lot of the problems with a placenta will also show up on an ultrasound well before the baby is delivered.  
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@tking77798 ·
ifk32577p
Yeah, the doctors/midwives I talked to said that they just give it a once-over for signs of disease or abnormalities.  A lot of the problems with a placenta will also show up on an ultrasound well before the baby is delivered.  
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@partiko ·
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