ⓟ/ⓦ: Radiolab – The Primordial Journey (💁/ 👭 max 3)

Listen to this RadioLab podcast on reproduction (skip ahead to 1:55 to begin). Together with your fellow podcasters, respond by discussing: 1) The basics of gametogenesis – what are gametes, and how do they form?; 2) If anything from the podcast surprised you.

ⓟ/ⓦ: Reproduction Revolution – Turning Skin Cells into Sperm/Egg (💁/ Podcast: 👭 max 3)

Biotech research is on the brink of being able to do something quite amazing: take a skin cell, induce it to reverse differentiate, then differentiate it into a sperm or egg cell. Connect your knowledge of stem cells with reproduction, and take a glimpse into the future of biotechnology. Respond by answering: 1) How do sperm/egg cells typically develop; 2) What are induced pluripotent stem cells?; and 3) Why would it be useful to reverse engineer a skin cell into a reproductive cell?

ⓟ/ⓦ: “The Pill”…Now for Women AND Men (💁)

Imagine a contraceptive pill for both men and women. That reality might not be too far off. Read about researchers efforts to produce a drug that can shut down the sperm’s ability to swim inside the uterus, then respond by discussing: 1) What capacitation is during fertilization; 2) How this drug might potentially affect capacitation; and 3) How you think society might respond to the idea of both men and women being “on the pill”.

ⓟ/ⓦ: The Mystery of “Semi-Identical Twins”  (💁/ 👭 max 3)

A recent case swept the medical community when a routine ultrasound + blood test revealed twins that were neither identical nor fraternal…but somewhere in between. Read about the case and discuss: 1) What typically happens to embryos in identical and fraternal twins; and 2) What unique steps happened in this case; and 3) What made the case a unique example of polyspermy.

ⓟ/ⓦ (+NOS): Woops?! Does ‘the pill’ make men infertile?

(💁/ Podcast: 👭 max 3)

Science sometimes has unintended consequences. As effective as the female contraceptive pill has been, its widespread use has proven to be a common suspect in problems ranging from “intersex fish” to infertile human males. Some suggest that the pill might be responsible for the recent “male fertility crisis” – the incredibly rapid rate of decline in both quality and quantity of male sperm in recent decades. Are these accusations misguided? Did we misstep in our use of the female contraceptive pill? Are alarmists spoiling a perfectly good scientific invention? How should science approach the possibility of unforeseen consequences? Respond to these problems, using ideas from 11.4.A1.

ⓟ/ⓦ: The 4-year old trapped inside a 14-year old’s body (💁)

What’s the earliest onset for puberty? If you’re unlucky enough to have a mutated luteinizing hormone gene, it can happen as early as 2 years old…which obviously presents some problems. Read about one such case, and discuss: 1) How do hormones regulate life phases, e.g. puberty?;  2) What exactly do hormones do during puberty? (use specific terminology from the unit);  3) How can single mutations result in completely unique lives and medical cases, as described in the story?; 4) If you think screening for such cases should be mandatory for expecting parents.   

ⓟ/ⓦ: TED Talk: The birds and the bees are just the beginning

(💁/ 👭 max 2)

People often know very little about sex, and even less about the evolution of sex in the natural world. From detachable penises to “traumatic insemination”, there are wildly strange sex habits in the animal kingdom. Learn about some of them here, then discuss: 1) How have different approaches to sex evolved in the animal kingdom?;  2) What is meant by the expressions, “eggs are expensive, and sperm is cheap?” and how do these influence the evolution of sex? 

Just for Extra Practice:  Menstrual Whiteboarding