Plaque assay and eye dissection
Fri, May 7, 2027 · Week 16 · Human Anatomy & Physiology (Human Body Systems)
Today's goal: Perform an antiviral plaque assay and an eye dissection to connect structure, infection, and treatment.
This is a model of the work you should turn in today. Use it to check your own: match the structure and the level of detail, do not copy it. Your data and wording should be your own.
Part 1: Antiviral plaque assay
Setup: each condition plated in 3 wells on a cell lawn; plaque counts averaged.
- No-virus control: 0, 0, 0 -> average 0 plaques (confirms the plates were not contaminated).
- Untreated virus control: 50, 46, 48 -> average 48 plaques.
- Antiviral A: 24, 20, 22 -> average 22 plaques. Percent reduction = (48 - 22) / 48 = 54%.
- Antiviral B: 10, 14, 12 -> average 12 plaques. Percent reduction = (48 - 12) / 48 = 75%.
Reading: Antiviral B cut infectious virus the most (75% fewer plaques than untreated).
Measurement-error source: plaques were counted by eye, and two plaques that overlap can be miscounted as one, which undercounts the virus.
Part 2: Eye dissection
Structures identified and labeled: cornea, iris, pupil, lens, retina, optic nerve.
Structure to function: the lens focuses light onto the retina, and the retina turns that light into signals the optic nerve carries to the brain.
Structure vulnerable to viral infection: the cornea, because it is the exposed outer surface and viruses such as herpes simplex can infect it and cloud vision.
(Tip: always run a no-virus control; the 0 count is what proves the plaques you counted came from the virus, not contamination.)
This model shows the level of evidence and organization needed to complete: Reports plaque counts for each antiviral condition with percent reduction calculated against an untreated control, then adds a labeled eye-structure diagram noting one structure that a virus can infect.
- State the question and method.
- Present the observations and data with units.
- Explain the result, limitations, and next investigation.
Keep the structure. Replace the question, facts, measurements, and evidence. Then recheck units, vocabulary, and whether the conclusion goes beyond the evidence.
Also due today: Submit your plaque-assay and eye-dissection lab report on Schoology.
Turn in: Plaque assay and eye dissection lab report
Go to Schoology to turn this in.
Submit one PDF. Put your first and last name in the document header. Name the file: FirstName LastName - Assignment Title - YYYY-MM-DD.pdf.
Open Schoology PDF upload helpIf you cannot get in, see Mr. Mendoza. Do not skip the work.
Claim ceiling: Today's evidence supports a classroom claim about today's lesson. It cannot prove causation, diagnose a real patient, or justify action outside this room.
One exam-style question that uses exactly what you practiced today. Try it before you reveal the answer, then read why each choice is right or wrong.
Tap an answer to see the full explanation. Nothing is recorded or graded.
It builds this reusable test skill: Counting plaques and calculating percent reduction per antiviral condition.
- Name the concept or data pattern being tested.
- Cross out choices that violate that rule or the evidence.
- Justify the best remaining choice before checking the answer.