The Reproduction Student Edition book is one of ten volumes making up the Human Biology curriculum, an interdisciplinary and inquiry-based approach to the study of life science.

In this lesson, students will research how famous families came to be. They’ll work with their peers to uncover details about fertilization, gestation, and birth, as well as other aspects of the famous family’s story. Students will then demonstrate (orally or written) their understanding of the concepts from the past two lessons. They will also reflect on the role celebrities play in shaping our thoughts, feelings and behaviors around reproduction and families.

This second lesson enables students to apply what they know about human reproduction via PIV sex (Lesson 1 of this series) to other means of reproduction. They will not only learn the steps in how insemination and IVF work to create a pregnancy, but they will also learn that people other than parents can provide the genetic material (eggs, sperm, and embryos) and give birth to a child for someone else (surrogates). Students will be working in small groups to help one another understand the concepts and to practice using the inclusive language that the educator modeled in the first lesson.

This course is designed to give the student a clear understanding of the pathophysiology of the menstrual cycle, fertilization, implantation, ovum growth development, differentiation and associated abnormalities. Disorders of fetal development including the principles of teratology and the mechanism of normal and abnormal parturition will be covered as well as the pathophysiology of the breast and disorders of lactation. Fetal asphyxia and its consequences will be reviewed with emphasis on the technology currently available for its detection. In addition the conclusion of the reproductive cycle, menopause, and the use of hormonal replacement will be covered.

In this lesson students will learn about the recommendations for nutrition during pregnancy.  There are a few videos linked for the students to watch.  The main activity is based on recommendations from the myplate.gov website.  As a closing activity, students plan a one-day menu for a pregnant woman. 

This resource is a video abstract of a research paper created by Research Square on behalf of its authors. It provides a synopsis that's easy to understand, and can be used to introduce the topics it covers to students, researchers, and the general public. The video's transcript is also provided in full, with a portion provided below for preview:

"What’s the best way to control pain after a cesarean section? Women who give birth by C-section typically receive a spinal anesthetic, usually with a small amount of morphine to control pain after surgery. A more novel technique known as the quadratus lumborum block, in which anesthetic is injected into the waist area, might be able to provide even more pain relief. But the method hasn’t been consistently studied. Now, a meta-analysis from researchers from the Universities of Ottawa and Toronto in Canada and the Ohio State University finds that the quadratus lumborum block doesn’t offer a benefit on top of or in place of morphine -- but it does improve pain control when morphine isn’t used. Some scientists have reported that the quadratus lumborum block improves pain control after a C-section. Because the anesthetic is given next to the quadratus lumborum muscle, the block might be able to treat the somatic pain of the C-section incision along with the surgery’s visceral pain..."

The rest of the transcript, along with a link to the research itself, is available on the resource itself.

This resource is a video abstract of a research paper created by Research Square on behalf of its authors. It provides a synopsis that's easy to understand, and can be used to introduce the topics it covers to students, researchers, and the general public. The video's transcript is also provided in full, with a portion provided below for preview:

"In mammals, the maternal microbiome influences both mother and infant health and can be used to predict the likelihood of preterm birth. The mother’s number of previous pregnancies, or parity, can also affect preterm birth risk, but whether parity influences the maternal or infant microbiome is unclear. A recent study used marker gene sequencing and metagenomics analyses of stool samples to investigate the microbiomes of pregnant pigs of different parities and their offspring. Microbiome “maturity index” and Dirichlet multinomial mixtures (DMM) model analyses indicated that the sow microbiome changed in predictable ways throughout pregnancy and that the changes occurred more rapidly in sows with higher numbers of previous pregnancies. Parity (high vs. zero) was linked to the levels of specific types of bacteria in the maternal gut at the end of pregnancy. Sow parity also affected the abundances of certain metabolism-related bacteria in the piglet gut 10 days after birth..."

The rest of the transcript, along with a link to the research itself, is available on the resource itself.

This lesson explains reproduction to students using a PowerPoint presentation and includes a teacher’s resource with sample definitions and language that can be used. Students then receive cards and try to arrange themselves in the correct order of a 28-day menstrual cycle showing where sperm would need to be present in order for a pregnancy to occur as well as how methods of contraception can prevent pregnancy. The homework is watching a short video about pregnancy myths and answering questions on a worksheet.

In this seminar, we will explore the significance of struggles over reproductive rights in the United States. Throughout the course, we will ask such questions as: What is reproductive freedom and why has attaining it been so central to women’s liberation movements? Why have attempts to regulate reproduction been so prevalent in American politics?

This lesson defines sexual intercourse and the cells involved with reproduction (sperm and egg) using an AMAZE video. It also includes a discussion of how pregnancy can happen via other methods as well. Using a small group activity, this lesson also examines the economic reality of accessing reproductive health care and how economic disparities impact who can and cannot utilize these methods. This information sets the foundation for understanding a basic physiological process and underpins future lessons about pregnancy prevention.

This resource is a video abstract of a research paper created by Research Square on behalf of its authors. It provides a synopsis that's easy to understand, and can be used to introduce the topics it covers to students, researchers, and the general public. The video's transcript is also provided in full, with a portion provided below for preview:

"The community of microorganisms that colonize our gut is an adaptive one. It changes with environment, disease, and major life events. But one life event that has remained underexplored by microbiome science is pregnancy, especially in women with type 1 diabetes, which poses a health risk to both mother and fetus. To address this gap, researchers recently examined gut microbiome composition across 70 pregnancies, 36 of them involving women with type 1 diabetes. Women with diabetes demonstrated a shift towards a more pro-inflammatory gut microbiome during pregnancy, showing an increase in bacteria that produce lipopolysaccharides, which promote inflammation; decreased concentrations of short-chain fatty acids, which protect against inflammation; and increased serum levels of the protein I-FABP, an indicator of organ wall damage. These changes could contribute to pregnancy complications in women with type 1 diabetes, but might be modified through the diet..."

The rest of the transcript, along with a link to the research itself, is available on the resource itself.

This resource is a video abstract of a research paper created by Research Square on behalf of its authors. It provides a synopsis that's easy to understand, and can be used to introduce the topics it covers to students, researchers, and the general public. The video's transcript is also provided in full, with a portion provided below for preview:

"Undernourishment or undernutrition can be caused by a lack of food or a high energy demand, such as during pregnancy and lactation. Undernutrition in production animals disrupts metabolic homeostasis and causes serious health problems, including maternal metabolic disorders and stillbirth. Many production animals are ruminants, named for their unique digestive organ, the rumen, which houses a diverse anaerobic microbiome. The ruminal microbiome allows the host to break down hard-to-digest plant carbohydrates and produce protein that the host later absorbs. But little is known about the effects of undernutrition on the host-microbiome interaction in ruminants. A recent study investigated changes in the ruminal microbiome and epithelium in undernourished pregnant sheep. During undernutrition, the bacterial genes involved in the digestion of carbohydrates and protein synthesis were downregulated. This meant less energy and protein was available to the host and critical signaling pathways were inhibited..."

The rest of the transcript, along with a link to the research itself, is available on the resource itself.

This resource is a video abstract of a research paper created by Research Square on behalf of its authors. It provides a synopsis that's easy to understand, and can be used to introduce the topics it covers to students, researchers, and the general public. The video's transcript is also provided in full, with a portion provided below for preview:

"Surgery may not be the only way to relieve the symptoms of adenomyosis – a condition where endometrial tissue, which normally forms the inner lining of the uterus, instead grows within the uterine muscle wall. Often managed with hysterectomy, the abnormal spread of this tissue can cause heavy menstrual bleeding and severe, debilitating pain. Although conservative treatments like hormone therapy can ease symptoms, many women with adenomyosis must choose between major, life-changing surgery or living with their symptoms. Now, researchers have shown that the minimally invasive procedure known as uterine artery embolization, or UAE, is a promising non-surgical treatment option. During UAE, a catheter is inserted into the groin and then guided to the uterine arteries , which supply blood to the uterus. Tiny plastic particles are then injected to block blood flow. Because healthy uterine tissue can readily recruit new blood vessels, it isn’t harmed by this blockage..."

The rest of the transcript, along with a link to the research itself, is available on the resource itself.

Students discuss several human reproductive technologies available today pregnancy ultrasound, amniocentesis, in-vitro fertilization and labor anesthetics. They learn how each technology works, and that these are ways engineers have worked to improve the health of expecting mothers and babies.

Student teams learn about and devise technical presentations on four reproductive technology topics pregnancy ultrasound, amniocentesis, in-vitro fertilization or labor anesthetics. Each team acts as a panel of engineers asked to make a presentation to a group of students unfamiliar with the reproductive technology. Each group incorporates non-lecture elements into its presentation for greater effectiveness. As students learn about the technologies, by creating a presentation and listening to other groups' presentations, they also learn more about the valuable skill of technical communications.

This resource is a video abstract of a research paper created by Research Square on behalf of its authors. It provides a synopsis that's easy to understand, and can be used to introduce the topics it covers to students, researchers, and the general public. The video's transcript is also provided in full, with a portion provided below for preview:

"Postpartum hemorrhage is a serious complication after childbirth affecting approximately 6% of women. When hemorrhage occurs, endometrial cells can be damaged and even die, in severe cases causing irreversible damage to the uterus. The key to preventing this process is blocking the accumulation of toxic byproducts like reactive oxygen species and increasing antioxidant levels. A recent study evaluated a new strategy to prevent endometrial cell damage. Using a model of ischemic-reperfusion injury in human endometrial cells, the researchers used the microRNA miR-941 to inhibit a protein called Keap1. This process activated the protein Nrf2, which turned on genes involved in antioxidative processes. Activating Nrf2 protected endometrial cells from damage. Although clinical studies are needed, the results suggest that miR-941 may be a novel strategy for protecting endometrial cells during hemorrhage, keeping women healthier postpartum..."

The rest of the transcript, along with a link to the research itself, is available on the resource itself.