Biology 30S Name

Film: Lorenzo’s Oil – Part One

Directions: Answer the following questions based on the information provided in the film, Lorenzo’s Oil.

Characters:

Science Movie Worksheets – http://www.NewYorkScienceTeacher.com/movies

Biology 30S Name

Lorenzo Odone – child

Michaela Odone– mother

Augusto Odone- father

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Biology 30S Name

1.  Lorenzo begins to experience problems at school and at home. What symptoms of the disease first

appeared?

______

______

2.  What medical tests were done to assess Lorenzo’s condition?

______

______

3.  When Lorenzo is diagnosed with Adrenoleukodystrophy, the doctor explains the prognosis for this disorder. What does he tell Mr. and Mrs. Odone?

______

______

5. The inheritance pattern for this disease is referred to as ______

6. Lorenzo inherited this disease from which parent? ______

7. The biochemical basis of this disease is related to the metabolism of what molecules?

______

______

8. What is myelin?

______

______

9. How is the buildup of molecules affecting the myelin sheath of Lorenzo’s neurons?

______

______

10. What two trial studies did Lorenzo’s parents try to help their son fight the disease?

______

______

11. What changes are apparent in the lives of the Odone’s that are related to Lorenzo’s illness?

______

______

12. What decision did Lorenzo’s parents make about the way they would fight the disease to save their son?

______

______

13. How was Lorenzo’s disease progressing?

______

______

Film: Lorenzo’s Oil – Part Two

Directions: Answer the following questions based on the information provided in the film, Lorenzo’s Oil.

  1. What is the attitude of the people in the foundation towards research and new treatments?

______

______

  1. What is the response of the foundation leader to the ideas of the Odone’s.

______

______

  1. What opposition do the Odone’s face from the medical community and care givers?

______

______

  1. What is an orphan drug?

______

______

  1. Augusto Odone makes a model to compare Lorenzo’s condition to a kitchen sink. What is the significance of the spigots and the drain?

______

______

  1. Michaela found an interesting research article on Polish rats. What was the significance of this research?

______

______

  1. During a medical conference what ideas are open to discussion on possible solutions to providing a treatment for Adrenoleukodystrophy?

______

______

  1. What oil offers a possible solution to Lorenzo’s high level of VLCFA?

______

______

  1. Where did Lorenzo’s father get this oil?

______

______

  1. How did Lorenzo consume the oil?

______

______

  1. How is Lorenzo’s response to the oil measured? This oil is only partially effective; explain why.

______

______

  1. What does the paper clip model demonstrate to Augusto? What is his dream?

______

______

  1. When Augusto explains the dream to the doctor, the paper clip model is shown to have this property of an enzyme reaction?

______

______

Film: Lorenzo’s Oil – Part Three

Directions: Answer the following questions based on the information provided in the film, Lorenzo’s Oil.

  1. What is the name of the second oil?

______

______

  1. What plant is this oil is extracted from?

______

______

  1. What is the medical basis of using this oil?

______

______

  1. Who is Lorenzo’s rat?

______

______

  1. Why can the therapy of erucic acid be tested on Michaela’s sister or Michaela?

______

______

  1. Why are the doctors and family concerned about toxicity?

______

______

  1. At this point, what is Lorenzo’s condition?

______

______

  1. How is Lorenzo breathing?

______

______

  1. After the administration of the oil, how does Lorenzo’s condition begin to change?

______

______

  1. When the Odone’s present their findings how do the parents in the foundation respond?

______

______

  1. How is the news received in the medical community?

______

______

  1. Augusto gets a new idea for a “cure” for Adrenoleukodystrophy from shaking puppies. Explain.

______

______

  1. How would a cure for the ALD boys offer hope to other neurological conditions?

______

______

Adenoleukodystrophy (ALD) Questions

Adenoleukodystrophy has only ever affected boys. That is because boys have always died before reaching

puberty. With the number of ALD boys living beyond puberty increasing, could there ever be an ALD girl? Explain.

______

______

Adenoleukodystrophy:

Film: Lorenzo’s Oil – Part One (Key)

Directions: Answer the following questions based on the information provided in the film, Lorenzo’s Oil.

Characters:

Science Movie Worksheets – http://www.NewYorkScienceTeacher.com/movies

Biology 30S Name

Lorenzo Odone – child

Michaela Odone– mother

Augusto Odone- father

Science Movie Worksheets – http://www.NewYorkScienceTeacher.com/movies

Biology 30S Name

  1. Lorenzo begins to experience problems at school and at home. What symptoms of the disease first

appeared?

-Tantrums, disoriented, easily annoyed

  1. What medical tests were done to assess Lorenzo’s condition?

-x-rays, MRI, CT scans, hearing tests and EEG (electroencephelograph)

  1. When Lorenzo is diagnosed with Adrenoleukodystrophy the doctor explains the prognosis for this

Disorder. What does the doctor tell Mr. and Mrs. Odone?

- That Lorenzo would die within 2 years or less. His condition would gradually deteriorate.

5. The inheritance pattern for this disease is referred to as mother to son or x-linked.

6. Lorenzo inherited this disease from which parent? His mother

7. The biochemical basis of this disease is related to the metabolism of what molecules?

-Long chain fatty acids

8. What is myelin?

-The tissue surrounding nerve cells

9. How is the buildup of molecules affecting the myelin sheath of Lorenzo’s neurons?

-it is breaking the myelin down

10. What two trial studies did Lorenzo’s parents try to help their son fight the disease?

-changing his diet and immunosuppressant chemotherapy

11. What changes are apparent in the lives of the Odone’s that are related to Lorenzo’s illness?

-their lives are dominated by the quest for a cure to ALD

12. What decision did Lorenzo’s parents make about the way they would fight the disease to save their son?

They decide not to wait for conventional treatment but to develop an alternative

13. How was Lorenzo’s disease progressing?

-he was digressing at a rapid rate

Film: Lorenzo’s Oil – Part Two (Key)

Directions: Answer the following questions based on the information provided in the film, Lorenzo’s Oil.

  1. What is the attitude of the people in the foundation towards research and new treatments?

-they were cautious about giving anyone false hopes and didn’t really believe that a cure was attainable. Their focus was on helping families cope.

  1. What is the response of the foundation leader to the ideas of the Odone’s.

-assumed that they were arrogant and just wanted to go through the motions

  1. What opposition do the Odone’s face from the medical community and care givers?

-the caregivers’ focus is more on coping than actually healing

  1. What is an orphan drug?

-a drug used to treat a rare disease affecting fewer than 200,000 Americans

  1. Augusto Odone makes a model to compare Lorenzo’s condition to a kitchen sink. What is he

significance of the spigots and the drain?

-the spigot was the intake of the LCFA and the drain was enzymes that metabolize them

  1. Michaela found an interesting research article on Polish rats. What was the significance of this

research?

-dietary modification could lower certain fat levels

  1. During a medical conference what ideas are open to discussion on possible solutions to providing

a treatment for Adrenoleukodystrophy?

-olive oil and fatty acid manipulation

  1. What oil offers a possible solution to Lorenzo’s high level of VLCFA?

-oleic acid

  1. Where did Lorenzo’s father get this oil?

-Protochem lab that produced industrial lubricant,

  1. How did Lorenzo consume the oil?

-tube feeding

  1. How is Lorenzo’s response to the oil measured? This oil is only partially effective; explain why.

-the LCFA levels in his blood (15% drop), they were too low down on the fatty acid chain and couldn’t be completely metabilized

  1. What does the paper clip model demonstrate to Augusto? What is his dream?

-they model the different types of fatty acids, that Lorenzo is eating both types of paper clips

  1. When Augusto explains the dream to the doctor, the paper clip model is shown to have this

property of an enzyme reaction?

-both types of fatty acids are being metabolized by the same enzyme (competition)

Film: Lorenzo’s Oil – Part Three (Key)

Directions: Answer the following questions based on the information provided in the film, Lorenzo’s Oil.

  1. What is the name of the second oil?

-erucic acid

  1. What plant is this oil is extracted from?

-canola/rapeseed

  1. What is the medical basis of using this oil?

-it distracts one of the enzymes, thereby, preventing it from metabolizing the wrong fatty acid

-in many eastern countries canola oil was found to prevent heart disease

  1. Who is Lorenzo’s rat?

-his maternal aunt (Deirdre)

  1. Why can the therapy of erucic acid be tested on Michaela’s sister or Michaela?

-they are the carriers

  1. Why are the doctors and family concerned about toxicity?

-they are concerned that high levels of canola oil could be fatal

  1. At this point, what is Lorenzo’s condition?

-he is almost dead and in a vegetative state

  1. How is Lorenzo breathing?

-humidified and his breating is very laboured

  1. After the administration of the oil, how does Lorenzo’s condition begin to change?

-no longer needs constant suctioning, his breating became less laboured and he was able to interact by blinking his eyes

  1. When the Odone’s present their findings how do the parents in the foundation respond?

-they are cautious at first but when they realize how positive the results are they become angry about this treatment being withheld from their children

  1. How is the news received in the medical community?

-humiliated, doubtful, dumbfounded

  1. Augusto gets a new idea for a “cure” for Adrenoleukodystrophy from shaking puppies. Explain.

-transplant neurons and brain tissue, myelin regeneration

  1. How would a cure for the ALD boys offer hope to other neurological conditions?

-myelin deterioration is also the cause of other illness like MS

Adenoleukodystrophy (ALD) Questions

Adenoleukodystrophy has only ever affected boys. That is because boys have always died before reaching

puberty. With the number of ALD boys living beyond puberty increasing, could there ever be an ALD girl? Explain.

______

______

Adenoleukodystrophy:

Science Movie Worksheets – http://www.NewYorkScienceTeacher.com/movies