Discussion board 3: skeleton story | biology | Fayetteville State University

Prompt:  

Comic book characters have all kinds of exciting and rare anatomical and physiological features that define their storyline. Apply what you have learned in Hands On Lab: Skeletal System to design your own comic book character (superhero or villain). You do not need to be a comic book expert at all! 

You will need to describe changes to the skeletal system (Wolverine and Mr. Glass are not allowed to be copied but may certainly be used for inspiration) on a detailed level that gives your character some benefit. Conversely, you will also need to describe a weakness or cost to the body from this change to the skeletal system. 

This is up to you! Have fun with it but base your choices on evidence. If you could enhance one part of our skeletal system to make us superheroes or supervillains, what would it be? 

In your posts to your classmates, evaluate their choices. Is there anything you want to borrow from their design to build a better comic book character? Are you able to offer them advice to how their design could be improved? Is there a weakness that they haven’t realized? 

Example: I may want to have a character who can easily move through treetops so I would redesign the bones of the upper body. I would discuss this in correct anatomical terms (Ex: femur, proximal) and include details on a cellular level (Ex: osteoblast). I may also look at the skeletal structure of animals, like an orangutan, to help guide me. The weakness may be how the skeleton may now be off balance so mobility would be affected or could be an issue with the joints now being overworked.

Part 1: Initial Post (Worth up to 50 points)

• Length: 250-500 words• You will need to use at least 3 reputable scientific references to support your post (not including your textbook). Reputable sources= peer reviewed scientific journal articles, accredited websites, or books. Google, Wikipedia, etc. are not acceptable sources.

Part 2: Responses (Worth up to 50 points)

Comment on at least 2 classmate’s discussion submissions. 

• Each comment must be 150-200 words!o Evaluate their posto You are looking at their design choice to offer constructive feedback o Offer questions or responses to what is said. Offer Research that backs or refutes a point being made (“Good Jobs”, or “I agree” are NOT allowed as your response!!).

How will I be graded? 

The rubric to this assignment is located in the same spot on Blackboard where this guideline is located, as a separate document. Take a look prior to starting the assignment and let your instructor know if you have any questions regarding expectations. 

What kind of sources should you use? 

Your information must be credible, accurate, and well supported by evidence. The best sources of information are the research journals and the books as well as webpages maintained by professional societies and organizations. Search for articles and academic material should start with the electronic databases of libraries such as FTCC’s Paul H. Thompson Library (opens new window), PubMed (opens new window) or other such resources. When in doubt about material, use CARS checklist (opens new window) to see if it can be used in discussions and writings.

Don’t forget to CITE!

You must cite all sources. Citation format must be MLA or APA (Visit the Purdue Owl Writing Lab (opens new window) for instructions on proper formatting)

Examples: In science we primarily use APA. These are basic examples of common citations. Please see the Purdue Owl (linked above) for more details/examples. 

In-text citation: When you are paraphrasing from an author, so whenever you a

taking information form a source and putting it in your own words.