Human Biology Capstone Project

Topic: Select a disorder or disease process pertaining to any 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.) Your topic choice along with your sources are due on Friday, January 29. You must have a minimum of 8 sources cited in

APA format. No two people from the same class can select the same disease/disorder. This is not a group project.

Assignment:

  1. 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:
  2. textbooks
  3. medical journals
  4. internet (peer reviewed Web sites),
  5. medical dictionaries
  6. interview a nurse or physician that treats the disorder/disease
  7. 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
  8. any other credible resources
  1. Make sure to include a cover page with title and a reference page with works cited. Pictures, charts, diagrams or figures may not be more than 3” x 3” and must be cited as a source. Margins must be 1 inch on each end and font must be either 10 or 12 points and in Times New Roman black. The body of your research paper must be a minimum of 5 double-spaced pages excluding the title and reference page.
  1. You will also prepare an 8-10 minute presentation on your selected disease or disorder. You may use any presentation tool available. Be prepared to answer questions from your classmates and myself.

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? (sex-linked / recessive linkage) 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, clinical trials, etc.)
  • What is the incidence of occurrence for this disease/disorder? What is the prognosis or outlook for a patient who has it?
  • Why did you select the disease or disorder? What did you find the most fascinating about your research?

Due Date: Presentations will take place the week of April 25-28. A signup sheet will be available at a later date. The day you present, your paper is due as well.