Course title

Pre-requisite

Course description

Principles of Biomedical
Course Description:
This course provides an introduction to the biomedical sciences through exciting hands-on projects and problems. Students investigate the human body systems and various health conditions including heart disease; diabetes; sickle-cell disease; hypercholesterolemia; and infectious diseases. They determine the factors that led to the death of a fictional person; and investigate lifestyle choices and medical treatments that might have prolonged the person?s life. The activities and projects introduce students to human physiology; medicine; research processes and bioinformatics. Key biological concepts including homeostasis; metabolism; inheritance of traits; and defense against disease are embedded in the curriculum. Engineering principles including the design process; feedback loops; and the relationship of structure to function are also incorporated. This course is designed to provide an overview of all the courses in the Biomedical Sciences program and lay the scientific foundation for subsequent courses.

The Principles of the Biomedical Sciences (PBS) course is divided into eight units designed to introduce students to the study of the human body and human medicine. The following is a description of each unit in the PBS course.
Unit 1 ? Human Body Systems
Unit one provides the foundation and develops the theme for the course. Students are engaged by reading about woman who is found dead in the entry to her house. In order to determine how she died the students are introduced to seven major human body systems: cardiovascular; digestive; endocrine; immune; nervous; respiratory; and urinary. Students explore the meaning of the term system and investigate the interrelatedness of human body systems. Students begin to develop effective skills in conducting internet research; documenting scientific sources; and summarizing key ideas.
Unit 2 ? Heart Disease
During unit two; students focus on the circulatory system. Students look at the role of this system in maintaining homeostasis by examining the structure and function of the heart and the engineering principles of fluid mechanics involved in pumping blood efficiently. Students are introduced to experimental design and LabVIEW software to collect and analyze heart data including: heart rate; blood pressure; and EKG.
Unit 3 ? Diabetes
In this unit students investigate the serious effects a disease within one system can have on homeostasis in the body as a whole. The disease studied is diabetes. Students are introduced to basic chemistry; the biochemistry of macromolecules; and the relationship of these molecules to metabolic function. The causes; symptoms; treatments and effects of diabetes are studied as well as the life style implications associated with this disease. The engineering principles involved in feedback loops are discussed and related to insulin and glucose.
Unit 4 ? Sickle Cell Disease
Genetics is the focus of this unit which uses Sickle Cell Disease as a tool to gain an understanding of the inheritance of traits. Students are introduced to bioinformatics as they explore the role of genes in determining the structure and function of proteins. Students build models of DNA and the beta-globin protein as they study the structure; function; and interrelatedness of nucleic acids and proteins. To study the impact of mutations they analyze karyotypes and explore the effects of single base-pair mutations.
Unit 5 ? Hypercholesterolemia
In unit 5; students look at the function of cholesterol in the body and its role in heart disease. DNA technologies including polymerase chain reaction (PCR); restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) analysis; and DNA electrophoresis are introduced as students complete activities dealing with the familial hypercholesterolemia gene.
Unit 6 ? Infectious Diseases
Bacteria and viruses; the causative agents of infectious diseases; are the focus of unit six. Structural differences between these organisms are examined as students Gram stain bacteria and produce models of virus particles. The differences in treatment protocols for bacterial and viral diseases are investigated. Students produce a public health campaign to educate peers about the dangers and the prevention of an infectious disease.
Unit 7 ? Medical Interventions
Medical interventions past and present are explored in this unit including surgery; medication; technology; and life style choice. The focus of the work is how medical interventions have changed over time to prolong and improve the quality of life. Students explore how a new pharmaceutical treatment goes from initial discovery to market; and research medical interventions currently available for common diseases or disorders including heart disease; sickle cell disease; hypercholesterolemia; and infectious diseases. The connections between engineering and biomedical sciences are introduced as students explore the design and development of various medical devices including prosthetics; artificial skin; insulin pumps; joint replacements; and heart pacemakers.
Unit 8 ? Grant Proposal
Funding medical research through the grant writing process is the focus of unit eight. In teams; students prepare a written grant proposal and give an oral presentation supporting the proposal; based on a disease topic of their choice. The grant proposal is based on a National Institutes of Health grant structure. This is an in-depth research project completed over a lengthy period of time. The final proposal is presented to a Grant Evaluation Committee consisting of community members employed in medical; healthcare; education; or business professions.

National Science Standards Covered

NSES Content Standard K-12: Unifying Concepts and Processes
As a result of activities in grades K-12; all students should develop understanding and abilities aligned with the following concepts and processes:

? Systems; order; and organization
? A system is an organized group of related objects or components that form a whole.
? Systems have boundaries; components; resources flow (input and output); and feedback.
? Order?behavior of units of matter; objects; organisms; or events in the universe?can be described statistically.
? Types and levels of organization provide useful ways of thinking about the world.
? Evidence; models; and explanation
? Evidence consists of observations and data on which to base scientific explanations.
? Models are tentative schemes or structures that correspond to real objects; events; or classes of events; and that have explanatory power.
? Scientific explanations incorporate existing scientific knowledge and new evidence from observations; experiments; or models into internally consistent; logical statements.
? Constancy; change; and measurement
? Although most things are in the process of becoming different?changing?some properties of objects and processes are characterized by constancy.
? Interactions within and among systems result in change.
? Changes in systems can be quantified.
? Mathematics is essential for accurately measuring change.
? Scale includes understanding that different characteristics; properties; or relationships within a system might change as its dimensions are increased or decreased.
? Evolution and equilibrium
? Evolution is a series of changes; some gradual and some sporadic; that accounts for the present form and function of objects; organisms; and natural and designed systems.
? Equilibrium is a physical state in which forces and changes occur in opposite and off-setting directions.
? Interacting units of matter tend toward equilibrium states in which the energy is distributed as randomly and uniformly as possible.
? Form and function
? The form or shape of an object or system is frequently related to use; operation; or function.
? Students should be able to explain function by referring to form and to explain form by referring to function.
NSES Content Standard A: Science as Inquiry
As a result of activities in grades 9-12; all students should develop

? Abilities necessary to do scientific inquiry
? Identify questions and concepts that guide scientific investigation.
? Design and conduct scientific investigations.
? Use technology and mathematics to improve investigations and communications.
? Formulate and revise scientific explanations and models using logic and evidence.
? Recognize and analyze alternative explanations and models.
? Communicate and defend a scientific argument.
? Understandings about scientific inquiry
? Scientists usually inquire about how physical; living; or designed systems function.
? Scientists conduct investigations for a variety of reasons.
? Scientists rely on technology to enhance the gathering and manipulation of data.
? Mathematics is essential in scientific inquiry.
? Scientific explanations must adhere to criteria such as: a proposed explanation must be logically consistent; it must abide by the rules of evidence; it must be open to questions and possible modification; and it must be based on historical and current scientific knowledge.
? Results of scientific inquiry?new knowledge and methods?emerge from different types of investigations and public communication among scientists.
NSES Content Standard B: Physical Science
As a result of activities in grades 9-12; all students should develop an understanding of

? Structure of atoms
? Matter is made of minute particles called atoms; and atoms are composed of even smaller components.
? The atom?s nucleus is composed of protons and neutrons; which are much more massive than electrons.
? The nuclear forces that hold the nucleus of an atom together; at nuclear distances; are usually stronger than the electric forces that make it fly apart.
? Radioactive isotopes are unstable and undergo spontaneous nuclear reactions; emitting particles and/or wavelike radiation.
? Structure and properties of matter
? Atoms interact with one another by transferring or sharing electrons that are furthest from the nucleus.
? An element is composed of a single type of atom.
? Bonds between atoms are created when electrons are paired up by being transferred or shared.
? The physical properties of compounds reflect the nature of the interactions among its molecules.
? Solids; liquids; and gases differ in the distances and angles between molecules or atoms and therefore the energy that binds them together.
? Carbon atoms can bond to one another in chains; rings; and branching networks to form a variety of structures; including synthetic polymers; oils; and the large molecules essential to life.
? Chemical reactions
? Chemical reactions occur all around us; for example health care; cooking; cosmetics; and automobiles. Complex chemical reactions involving carbon-based molecules take place constantly in every cell in our bodies.
? Chemical reactions may release or consume energy.
? A large number of important reactions involve the transfer of either electrons (oxidation/reduction reactions) or hydrogen ions (acid/base reactions) between reacting ions; molecules; or atoms.
? Motions and forces
? Objects change their motion only when a net force is applied.
? Gravitation is a universal force that each mass exerts on any other mass.
? The electric force is a universal force that exists between any two charged objects.
? Between any two charged particles; electric force is vastly greater than the gravitational force.
? Electricity and magnetism are two aspects of a single electromagnetic force.
? Conservation of energy and increase in disorder
? The total energy of the universe is constant.
? All energy can be considered to be kinetic energy; potential energy; or energy contained by a field.
? Heat consists of random motion and the vibrations of atoms; molecules; and ions.
? Everything tends to become less organized and less orderly over time.
? Interactions of energy and matter
? Waves have energy and transfer energy when they interact with matter.
? Electromagnetic waves result when a charged object is accelerated or decelerated.
? Each kind of atom or molecule can gain or lose energy only in particular discrete amounts and thus can absorb and emit light only at wavelengths corresponding to these amounts.
? In some materials electrons flow easily; whereas in insulating materials they can hardly flow at all.
NSES Content Standard C: Life Science
As a result of activities in grades 9-12; all students should develop an understanding of

? The cell
? Cells have particular structures that underlie their functions.
? Most cell functions involve chemical reactions.
? Cells store and use information to guide their functions.
? Cell functions are regulated.
? Plant cells contain chloroplasts; the site of photosynthesis.
? The process of photosynthesis provides a vital connection between the sun and the energy needs of living systems.
? Cells can differentiate; and complex multicellular organisms are formed as a highly organized arrangement of differentiated cells.
? Molecular basis of heredity
? In all organisms; the instructions for specifying the characteristics of the organism are carried in DNA; a large polymer formed from subunits of four kinds (A; G; C; and T).
? Most of the cells in a human contain two copies of each of 22 different chromosomes. In addition; there is a pair of chromosomes that determines sex: females have two X chromosomes and males have one X and one Y chromosome.
? Changes in DNA (mutations) occur spontaneously at low rates.
? Biological evolution
? Species evolve over time.
? The great diversity of organisms is the result of more than 3.5 billion years of evolution.
? Natural selection and its evolutionary consequences provide a scientific explanation for the fossil record of ancient life forms; as well as for the striking molecular similarities observed among the diverse species of living organisms.
? The millions of different species of plants; animals; and microorganisms that live on earth today are related by descent from common ancestors.
? Biological classifications are based on how organisms are related.
? Interdependence of organisms
? The atoms and molecules on the earth cycle among the living and nonliving components of the biosphere.
? Energy flows through ecosystems in one direction; from photosynthetic organisms to herbivores to carnivores and decomposers.
? Organisms both cooperate and compete in ecosystems.
? Living organisms have the capacity to produce populations of infinite size; but environments and resources are finite.
? Human beings live within the world?s ecosystems.
? Matter; energy; and organization in living systems
? All matter tends toward more disorganized states.
? The energy for life primarily derives from the sun.
? The chemical bonds of food molecules contain energy.
? The complexity and organization of organisms accommodates the need for obtaining; transforming; transporting; releasing; and eliminating the matter and energy used to sustain the organism.
? The distribution and abundance of organisms and populations in ecosystems are limited by the availability of matter and energy and the ability of the ecosystem to recycle materials.
? As matter and energy flows through different levels of organization of living systems?cells; organs; organisms; communities?and between living systems and the physical environment; chemical elements are recombined in different ways.
? Matter and energy are conserved in each recombination of elements.
? Behavior of organisms
? Multicellular animals have nervous systems that generate behavior.
? Organisms have behavioral responses to internal changes and to external stimuli.
? Like other aspects of an organism?s biology; behaviors have evolved through natural selection.
? Behavioral biology has implications for humans; as it provides links to psychology; sociology; and anthropology.
NSES Content Standard D: Earth and Space Science
As a result of activities in grades 9-12; all students should develop an understanding of

? Energy in the earth system
? Earth systems have internal and external sources of energy; both of which create heat.
? The outward transfer of earth?s internal heat drives convection circulation in the mantle that propels the plate comprising earth?s surface.
? Heating of earth?s surface and atmosphere by the sun drives convection within the atmosphere and oceans; producing winds and ocean currents.
? Global climate is determined by energy transfer from the sun at and near the earth?s surface.
? Geochemical cycles
? The earth is a system containing essentially a fixed amount of each stable chemical atom or element.
? Movement of matter between reservoirs is driven by the earth?s internal and external sources of energy.
? Origin and evolution of the earth system
? The sun; the earth; and the rest of the solar system formed from a nebular cloud of dust and gas 4.6 billion years ago.
? The early earth was very different from the planet we live on today.
? Geologic time can be estimated by observing rock sequences and using fossils to correlate the sequences at various locations.
? Interactions among solid earth; the oceans; the atmosphere; and organisms have resulted in the ongoing evolution of the earth system.
? Evidence for one-celled forms of life?the bacteria?extends back more then 3.5 billion years.
? Origin and evolution of the universe
? The origin of the universe remains one of the greatest questions in science.
? Early in the history of the universe; matter; primarily the light atoms hydrogen and helium; clumped together by gravitational attraction to form countless trillions of stars.
? Stars produce energy from nuclear reactions; primarily the fusion of hydrogen to form helium.
NSES Content Standard E: Science and Technology
As a result of activities in grades 9-12; all students should develop

? Abilities of technological design
? Identify a problem or design an opportunity.
? Propose designs and choose between alternative solutions.
? Implement a proposed solution.
? Evaluate the solution and its consequences.
? Communicate the problem; process; and solution.
? Understandings about science and technology
? Scientists in different disciplines ask different questions; use different methods of investigation; and accept different types of evidence to support their explanations.
? Science often advances with the introduction of new technologies.
? Creativity; imagination; and a good knowledge base are all required in the work of science and engineering.
? Science and technology are pursued for different purposes.
? Technical knowledge is often not made public because of patents and the financial potential of the idea or invention. Scientific knowledge is made public through presentation at professional meetings and publications in scientific journals.
NSES Content Standard F: Science in Personal and Social Perspectives
As a result of activities in grades 9-12; all students should develop understanding of
? Personal and community health
? Hazards and potential for accidents exist.
? The severity of disease symptoms is dependent on many factors; such as human resistance and the virulence of the disease-producing organism.
? Personal choice concerning fitness and health involves multiple factors.
? An individual?s mood and behavior may be modified by substances.
? Selection of foods and eating patterns determine nutritional balance.
? Families serve basic health needs; especially for young children.
? Sexuality is basic to the physical; mental; and social development of humans.
? Population growth
? Populations grow or decline through the combined effects of births and deaths; and through emigration and immigration.
? Various factors influence birth rates and fertility rates.
? Populations can reach limits to growth.
? Natural resources
? Human populations use resources in the environment in order to maintain and improve their existence.
? The earth does not have infinite resources.
? Humans use many natural systems as resources.
? Environmental quality
? Natural ecosystems provide an array of basic processes that affect humans.
? Materials from human societies affect both physical and chemical cycles of the earth.
? Many factors influence environmental quality.
? Natural and human-induced hazards
? Normal adjustments of earth may be hazardous for humans.
? Human activities can enhance potential for hazards.
? Some hazards; such as earthquakes; volcanic eruptions; and severe weather; are rapid and spectacular.
? Natural and human-induced hazards present the need for humans to assess potential danger and risk.
? Science and technology in local; national; and global challenges
? Science and technology are essential social enterprises; but alone they can only indicate what can happen; not what should happen.
? Understanding basic concepts and principles of science and technology should precede active debate about the economics; policies; politics; and ethics of various science- and technology-related challenges.
? Progress in science and technology can be affected by social issues and challenges.
? Individuals and society must decide on proposals involving new research and the introduction of new technologies into society.
? Humans have a major effect on other species.
NSES Content Standard G: History and Nature of Science
As a result of activities in grades 9-12; all students should develop understanding of

? Science as a human endeavor
? Individuals and teams have contributed and will continue to contribute to the scientific enterprise.
? Scientists have ethical traditions.
? Scientists are influenced by societal; cultural; and personal beliefs and ways of viewing the world.
? Nature of scientific knowledge
? Science distinguishes itself from other ways of knowing and from other bodies of knowledge through the use of empirical standards; logical arguments; and skepticism; as scientists strive for the best possible explanations about the natural world.
? Scientific explanations must meet certain criteria.
? Because all scientific ideas depend on experimental and observational confirmation; all scientific knowledge is; in principle; subject to change as new evidence becomes available.
? Historical perspectives
? In history; diverse cultures have contributed scientific knowledge and technologic inventions.
? Usually; changes in science occur as small modifications in extant knowledge.
? Occasionally; there are advances in science and technology that have important and long-lasting effects on science and society.
? The historical perspective of scientific explanations demonstrates how scientific knowledge changes by evolving over time; almost always building on earlier knowledge.

Principles of Biomedical Unit Outlines
Unit One: Human Body Systems
Lesson 1.1: The Mystery (22 days)
Activity 1.1.1: The Mystery?Was It a Crime?
Activity 1.1.2: How Is a Career Journal Entry Completed?
Activity 1.1.3: How Do the Parts Make a Whole?
Activity 1.1.4: What Is Our Skeletal System?
Activity 1.1.5: How Do Systems Interconnect?
Activity 1.1.6: What Does the Evidence Say?
Activity 1.1.7: Why Confidentiality?
Activity 1.1.8: Careers that Determine the Cause of Death
Unit Two: Heart Attack
Lesson 2.1: What Is a Pump? (2 days)
Activity 2.1.1: What Is a Pump?
Lesson 2.2: The Structure of the Human Heart (7 days)
Activity 2.2.1: How Many Chambers Does It Have?
Activity 2.2.2: What Does a Heart Really Look Like?
Lesson 2.3: The Heart at Work (12 days)
Activity 2.3.1: How Can Heart Function Be Monitored Using LabVIEW?
Activity 2.3.2: What Makes Your Heart Beat Faster?
Activity 2.3.3: What Is Blood Pressure?
Activity 2.3.4: The EKG - What Can It Tell Us?
Activity 2.3.5: Careers that Involve Cardiac Testing
Lesson 2.4: Blood ? The River of Life (8 days)
Activity 2.4.1: How Do Blood Cells Differ?
Activity 2.4.2: Where Does All that Blood Go?
Activity 2.4.3: Why Are Cells So Small?
Activity 2.4.4: Careers that Involve Cardiac Tissues
Unit Three: Diabetes
Lesson 3.1: What Is in Our Food? (11 days)
Activity 3.1.1: What Is in that Stuff We Eat?
Activity 3.1.2: How Much Energy Is in Food?
Activity 3.1.3: What Makes All Matter?
Activity 3.1.4: Where Is the Energy?
Activity 3.1.5: Careers in Food Science
Lesson 3.2: Macromolecules (7 days)
Activity 3.2.1: What Are Macromolecules?
Project 3.2.2: Which Molecule Am I?
Lesson 3.3: Molecules Working Together (3 days)
Activity 3.3.1: What Are Action Molecules?
Lesson 3.4: The Diabetes Connection (14 days)
Activity 3.4.1: Can Negative Feedback Be a Positive Thing?
Activity 3.4.2: Why Is Too Much Sugar in Blood Bad?
Project 3.4.3: How Does Insulin Work?
Activity 3.4.4: What Is Diabetes?
Activity 3.4.5: Careers Involved in Treating Diabetes
Lesson 3.5: Life with Diabetes (3 days)
Activity 3.5.1: So What Can I Eat? (Optional; additional 3 days)
Activity 3.5.2: What Is a Day in the Life of a Diabetic Really Like?
Activity 3.5.3: Careers that Aid Diabetics
Unit 4: Sickle Cell Disease
Lesson 4.1: What Is Sickle Cell Disease? (5 days)
Activity 4.1.1: What Are Sickle Cells?
Activity 4.1.2: What Are the Clinical Symptoms and Complications?
Activity 4.1.3: What Is the World Distribution of Sickle Cell Disease?
Activity 4.1.4: Careers that Involve the Study of Disease
Lesson 4.2: What Causes Sickle Cell Disease? (8 days)
Activity 4.2.1: What Are Chromosomes?
Activity 4.2.2: The Story of HeLa Cells
Activity 4.2.3: The Doctor?s Point of View
Activity 4.2.4: How Does Sickle Cell Pass through Families?
Activity 4.2.5: What Is a Family?s Pedigree?
Activity 4.2.6: What Is the Probability?
Activity 4.2.7: Careers that Study Family Traits
Lesson 4.3: How Do Chromosomes Carry Information? (10 days)
Activity 4.3.1: How Do Chromosomes Carry Information?
Activity 4.3.2: What Is the Structure of DNA?
Activity 4.3.3: How Is DNA Isolated from Cells?
Activity 4.3.4: How Much DNA Is in a Human Cell?
Activity 4.3.5: Careers that Study DNA
Lesson 4.4: What Is the DNA Code? (7 days)
Activity 4.4.1: What Is the DNA Code?
Activity 4.4.2: What Determines the Shape of a Protein?
Activity 4.4.3: What Is the Shape of Beta-Globin? (Optional; additional 3 days)
Project 4.4.4: How Are Designer Proteins Made?
Lesson 4.5: Mistakes Happen (5 days)
Activity 4.5.1: What Is Karyotyping?
Activity 4.5.2: Does Changing Just One Nucleotide Make a Big Difference?
Unit 5: Hypercholesterolemia
Lesson 5.1: Cholesterol (5 days)
Activity 5.1.1: Aren?t All Fats the Same?
Activity 5.1.2: What Are LDL and HDL?
Activity 5.1.3: Careers the Involve Diet and Lifestyle Changes
Lesson 5.2: Molecular Biological Techniques for Diagnosing Disease (6 days)
Activity 5.2.1: How Does PCR Amplify DNA?
Activity 5.2.2: What Is Familial Hypercholesterolemia and How Is It Diagnosed?

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• CTE
• Career and technical education

• LBIO
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