Peer Review

Plant Anatomy Laboratory

Material Detail page

Reviewed:: Jun 30, 2011 by Biology

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Ratings

Overall Rating:

Content Quality:

Effectiveness:

Ease of Use:

Overview:: Plant Anatomy Laboratory is a great website that provides digital images for specimens viewed under a microscope. The site consists of well over 300 digital (JPEG) files that allow individuals to view various pictures of plant cells, simple tissues and complex plant tissues. Additionally, the site contains text descriptions and distinct labels in the pictures for the viewer. It is very useful in the classroom for showing what actual photomicrographs look like and for pointing out structures that aren’t always shown in textbooks. Sections of roots, stems, leaves, flowers and other plant parts are shown in good detail. The site contains examples of cross, longitudinal, radial and tangential sections of plant material. These sections include examples of angiosperms (monocots and dicots), C3, C4, and CAM plants, conifers and lower vascular plants.
Type of Material:: This site can be used to find photomicrographs typically used to study Plant Biology and Plant Anatomy. All pictures are in JPEG format for easy use.
Recommended Uses:: Users can view the materials any place a computer is available to get a better idea of what they are looking for when viewing with the microscope. The site contains a great deal of excellent examples of plant structures that can be utilized by students and instructors alike.
Technical Requirements:: This is a straightforward site that requires only a browser to view HTML/Text as well as images.
Identify Major Learning Goals:: Users will learn how particular images studied in Plant Anatomy look under a microscope. Users will have the opportunity to investigate the diversity among plant taxa in regard to internal (and external) plant structure.
Target Student Population:: Primarily, this site is targeted to undergraduate and graduate students in the plant sciences. However, this site is very beneficial to professionals and high school students.
Prerequisite Knowledge or Skills:: There are no prerequisites for this site, although some knowledge of Plant Biology and Plant Anatomy, as well as of the microscope to view images will help in understanding what is presented.

Content Quality

Rating:

Strengths:

The information is an accurate representation of is studied in a plant anatomy photomicrograph collection
Excellent examples of images used in Plant Anatomy
Most of the images are good quality
Images are appropriately categorized

Concerns:

More specimens may be needed for use in a more advanced Plant Anatomy course
Most of the images are clear and pretty typical of what the students might view using their own microscope slides

Potential Effectiveness as a Teaching Tool

Rating:

Strengths:

This is a good site for getting an idea of what might be viewed under the microscope in lab
Material is presented in a pretty typical manner for a Plant Anatomy Laboratory
This site will promote a greater understanding of the vast diversity in the Plant Kingdom
Most of the images are in color, which will help to pinpoint structures that are being viewed

Concerns:

Magnifications should be provided
Sections for some specimens are labeled, but not for other specimens
Very few labels, if any, are provided on the photomicrographs

Ease of Use for Both Students and Faculty

Rating:

Strengths:

The information is organized by groupings of specimens (as part of individual chapters, including parenchyma, xylem, phloem, stems, etc.) that can be viewed at any time
Images can be viewed quickly by one-step click of the specimen
A logical progression of material is presented
No defective links or major bugs were found

Concerns:

At the time of this review there was no search engine to specifically find specimens by common or scientific name

Other Issues and Comments:: This is a good general site for students and professionals who seek to find photomicrographs used in a Plant Anatomy course.
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