Dendritic Spines Lab

The brain physically changes when exposed to drugs. This activity utilizes scientific thinking and assessment without the need for laboratory equipment. Students investigate how neurons change their connectivity when exposed to the drug morphine.

The zip file, in the Attachments section below, includes the four pictures described in the teacher guide, as well as the Word document of the teacher guide and two handouts: Control Example and Morphine Effect Example.

Grade Level: 9-12

Lesson Length: 1 - 2 class periods

See the page Visualizing Neurons for an interactive image of a mouse neuron.