Human Biology Disease/Disorder Project
Goal: To learn how normal body processes and homeostasis can become compromised by anomalous situations in organs and organ systems such as the effects of the disorder(s) or the disease process and how it can diminish life expectancy, quality of life, activities of daily living, etc.
Topic: Select ONE disorder or disease process pertaining to any of the 11 organ system in the Human Body. (Please stay with physiological processes instead of psychological disorders; i.e.; do not select bipolar disorder, manic depression, schizophrenia, etc.) Look at the end of each chapter in your book for ideas.
Assignment:
- After you have selected a disease or disorder, research the causes and effects of the disease / disorder using as many of the following resources as possible:
- textbooks
- medical journals
- internet (peer reviewed Web sites),
- medical dictionaries
- interview a nurse or physician that treats the disorder/disease
- interview a patient that exhibits the disorder or disease (*must have subject’s permission to include their information in your project and a signed consent form), and
- any other credible resources
- Produce a project to present the information in one of the following formats:
- PowerPoint or Prezi Presentation with Recorded Voice Over
- Brochure using Microsoft Word
- Website (Google Sites)
- Infographics (Piktochart or Canva)
- A research paper
- Other project of your choosing (Please email me your idea)
Information to Include in Your Project
Address the following questions in your project. Be as detailed as possible.
§ Introduce the name of the disease/disorder or process of imbalance. Does it have any common names in addition to its scientific name? (For example: Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis or ALS is commonly known as “Lou Gehrig’s Disease”….and Trisomy 21 is commonly called “Downs Syndrome”
§ Is the disorder/disease genetically linked? Which chromosome(s) carry the gene(s) for this?
§ What organ or organ system does the disorder/disease primarily impact in humans? How might it affect the whole body if it is progressive?
§ What are the chief symptoms of this disorder/disease? (What are they key signs a physician looks for in diagnosing a patient with it?)
§ How do these signs/symptoms affect the patient in terms of accomplishing activities of daily living? (Does it impact the ability to walk, talk, eat, bathe, brush teeth, work, etc.)
§ What are some therapeutic measures to counter the problems or at least lessen the severity of the problems with this disease/disorder? (medications, rehabilitative therapies, surgeries, etc.)
§ What is the incidence of occurrence for this disease/disorder? What is the prognosis or outlook for a patient who has it?