Last winter when members of the Biology Club stumbled across a slimy, grey mass in a dog shark’s stomach during a dissection, it took them a while to identify what the mass was. To their amazement, it turned out to be another fish – a fascinating glimpse into the shark’s last meal.
Known for their unique dissections, Bio Club dedicates many of their meetings to offering hands-on experience for students interested in STEM fields. This semester, they dissected a frog after reviewing the anatomy in the prior meeting to ensure members were familiar with the process on the day-of.
“It gives them a little more detailed look at the internal workings of these organs that we normally wouldn’t have time for in class,” AP Biology teacher and Advisor of the club, David Cmaylo said.
In previous years, Bio Club has performed dissections on a variety of organs and species, from dog shark stomachs to sheep brains, studying the anatomy of different animals to later compare to humans.
Vice President senior Shriya Jain said the skills the members learn from these dissections are identifying the anatomy of the animals, and visualizing how different parts of the body connect with each other.
“I think that [the dissections] offer a lot of clarity on how biological processes work together as a whole,” Jain said.
Generally, their bi-weekly meetings are dedicated to understanding the physical structures of the biological concepts through arts and crafts and other interactive activities. Senior and Co-President Roshni Jobanputra said that it provides the members with an educational yet fun experience.
“One week we used candy to replicate the structure of DNA…I think that really helped members visualize the composition of a double helix,” Jobanputra said.
Additionally, Bio Club offers AP Biology review sessions during their meetings before the AP test. Jobanputra said that the majority of their members are AP Bio students or former AP Bio students, giving them the opportunity to strengthen their understanding of the material.
“Last year I was in AP Biology, and I remember I really appreciated those review sessions…there’s always stuff you don’t remember from the beginning of the year.” Jobanputra said.
Jobanputra said that Bio Club’s mission is to foster people’s love for biology and provide members with opportunities to learn from guest speakers who bring expertise in fields such as healthcare and scientific research. Their emphasis on hands-on activities and dissections allows members to engage in a practical way, offering a glimpse into real-world applications of biology.
“What we do is more than
just teaching people the basic concepts,” Jobanputra said. “It’s more about learning the advanced concepts and actually learning how it’s being used in the real world.”
