BIO 741 - PLTW Principles of Biomedical Science

CAREER AND TECHNICAL CREDIT TYPE
3 credit(s)

This course provides an introduction to the biomedical sciences through exciting hands-on projects and problems. Students investigate concepts of biology and medicine as they explore health conditions including heart disease, diabetes, sickle-cell disease, hypercholesterolemia, and infectious diseases. They will determine the factors that led to the death of a fictional woman as they piece together evidence found in her medical history and autopsy report. Students will investigate lifestyle choices and medical treatments that might have prolonged the woman’s life and demonstrate how the development of disease is related to changes in human body systems.

Course Learning Outcomes

1. Be used to investigate the circumstances surrounding a mysterious death.
2. Experiments are designed to find answers to testable questions.
3. Human DNA is a unique code of over three billion base pairs that provides a genetic blueprint of an individual. DNA is packaged as chromosomes, which each contain numerous genes or segments of DNA sequence that code for traits. DNA from all living organisms has the same basic structure - the differences are in the sequences of the nucleotides. Restriction enzymes recognize and cut specific sequences in DNA.
4. Gel electrophoresis separates DNA fragments based on size and is used in Restriction Fragment Length Polymorphism (RFLP) analysis. The purpose of an autopsy is to answer any questions about the illness, cause of death, and/or any co-existing conditions. Determining the manner of death involves the investigation of many aspects, including the medical condition of the victim, the internal and external examination of the body, the chemical and microscopic analysis of tissues and body fluids, and the analysis of all evidence found at the scene. A comprehensive set of standards and practices is necessary in order to give patients specific rights regarding their personal health information.

5. Examine diabetes as a disorder characterized by high blood glucose levels and caused by insufficient insulin or the inability of the insulin to function properly. Diabetes can be diagnosed and further characterized as Type 1 or Type 2 by measuring glucose and insulin levels in the blood or urine. The human body uses feedback mechanisms to maintain homeostasis. It is important to evaluate a source of information to ensure the information is accurate and unbiased. Foods contain macromolecules, particularly carbohydrates, lipids, and proteins, which are broken down and reassembled for use in the human body.

6. Examine how the human body utilizes nutrients, vitamins, and minerals consumed in food to maintain overall health and homeostasis. Energy is stored in the chemical bonds of the macromolecules found in food. Diabetes affects the overall health of the individual as well as aspects of daily life. Blood glucose concentration affects osmosis, the movement of water in and out of body cells. Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes can cause significant complications in many human body systems.

7. Show how scientists need to make sure that what they present is accurate and is communicated in a way that keeps interest and focus.
8. Sickle cell disease is caused by an abnormal type of hemoglobin which causes red blood cells to become shaped like crescents or sickles. Sickle cell disease and anemia cause many health problems and affect daily life for someone with the disease. Proteins are produced through the processes of transcription and translation. Changes in the genetic material may cause changes in the structure and function of a protein and consequently the traits of an organism.

9. Examine how chromosomes transfer genetic material from cell to cell as well as from generation to generation, in processes called mitosis and meiosis. There are often several forms of each gene, some being dominant over the others. There are many moral, ethical, and legal considerations surrounding the right to a person’s tissues and organs. The expression of a trait through the generations of a family can be visualized using a pedigree. A Punnett square is a simple graphical way of discovering all of the potential combinations of genotypes of an offspring and can be used to determine the percent chance of each genotype occurring.

10. Explore how the human heart is a four-chambered muscular pump designed to provide the force needed to transport blood through all the tissues of the body. The heart’s pulmonary circuit pumps blood to the lungs to pick up oxygen, while the systemic circuit pumps oxygenated blood out to the tissues of the body. The structure of blood vessels relates to their overall function. Heart rate, EKG, and blood pressure measurements are indicators of a person’s overall cardiac health. Experiments are designed to find answers to testable questions. Cholesterol is a lipid that is necessary for the proper functioning of cells and for maintaining a healthy body. The measurement of the HDL and LDL complexes may indicate a person’s risk for heart disease. Restriction Fragment Length Polymorphism (RFLP) analysis can be used to diagnose genetic disease and disorders. The human heart pumps blood around the body, and the efficiency of this pump is affected by the rate at which blood can move through the vessels. Experiments are designed to find answers to testable questions.

11. Explore how a blocked coronary artery can lead to tissue death causing a myocardial infarction, or heart attack. Risk factors such as genetics, poor diet, high cholesterol, high blood pressure, diabetes, and smoking increase a person’s risk of developing heart disease. Infectious diseases are caused by infectious agents and are transmitted in a variety of manners. Aseptic technique assures that contaminants are not introduced into a specimen and that infectious agents are not spread to people or laboratory surfaces. Bacteria are characterized by their shape, colony morphology, metabolism, and reaction to the Gram stain. The specific structures of the immune system function to protect the human body against foreign invaders. The human body is composed of multiple body systems working together to maintain good health. Scientists need to make sure that what they present is accurate and is communicated in a way that keeps interest and focus.
Determining the cause of death involves the investigation of many aspects of the medical condition of a victim, the internal and external examination of the body, and the chemical and microscopic analysis of tissues and body fluids.