Students will be able to analyze critically and apply the major principles of
organismal biology.

My original interest in biology started with the ideas of organismal biology. My original interested started in high school when I took an anatomy and physiology class and throughout my time at Longwood my interests have changed, but I still like learning the various principles that pertain to organismal biology. The major principles of organismal biology include learning about biodiversity, anatomical structures and physiology, as well as the development of organisms. I think a project that really stands out during my time at Longwood that describes the major principles well is the project that I completed in BIOL 301. This class was the first half of anatomy and physiology for me and during lab portions of the class myself and my lab partners were able to complete a semester long project on how weight affects the amount of force on the joints of the ankle. The ankle is a key portion of your body and previous studies have shown that the feet and ankles bear the most weight. For me personally I was able to take what I had learned in lecture about joints and bones and apply to the real world. During this project participants would complete a vertical jump and my lab partners and I would measure the force and angle of the ankle during the jump. This project allowed us to apply the knowledge of anatomy of the ankle to something that a people could do on a daily basis and to find out the implications that force and weight has on the ankle joint.