Design and manufacture of embryological models for didactic use

Abstract

Some areas of knowledge are usually related to a high degree of abstraction involved in the object studied. In the case of the embryology study, for instance, the students’ learning difficulties are recurrent due to a lack of didactic resources, which may aid the interpretation process of the figures presented in related literature. Based on the motivation to improve university education, specially  in the area of biological sciences, the present work aims to represent in three dimensions, stages of the human embryological development. SolidWorks 3D modeling software was used, as well as didactic material related to the subject of embryology, conception and human development, such as books, atlases and scientific papers. There were designed, in 3D software, models representing the stages of human embryonic development. This means of production allowed the elaboration of exclusive anatomic models, with low cost (less than R$100,00 for more than 10 parts) and ease of visual interpretation. The models were designed in scale, such that it was possible to compare models that represent distinct periods of ontogenic development. It was possible to contribute to an improvement in the understanding of the topic of embryology for students with major related to health, through the visualization, in three dimensions, of models that are sometimes very expensive as physical pieces, or even nonexistent in market.