A Simplified System for Studying Digestive Function and Responses

Students of biology or physiology are continually raising questions pertaining to the responses of living tissue to various chemical compounds. Their interest often stems from current news releases and cautions from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration about food additives, food contaminants, pharmaceuticals, illicit drugs, and carcinogenic compounds. Some rather simple but interesting experiments can be designed by using sections of the intestine taken from various small animals. Experiments such as these could provide potential answers for the students' experimental hypotheses as well as introducing a sensitive laboratory testing device.