Choose one organ system that we have covered this semester.
Muscular System
Nervous System
Endocrine System
Cardiovascular System
Respiratory System
“Immune” System (this one technically covers a few different systems, but is OK to choose)
Digestive System
Urinary System
Reproductive System
Choose one pathology that affects that organ system. For this one, you may already have a pathology in mind, but if not, do some research or pick my brains, there are many fascinating options for each system.
Do your research, being sure to use only reputable resources. These include peer-reviewed scientific articles and journals, textbooks, educational resources (“.edu”), some government resources (“.gov”), and some organizations (“.org”). You must use at least two outside resources, meaning not from the class material or textbook. However, you will likely find that you need more than that. You will need to research for the following paper structure:
Paragraph 1 – Introduction: In this paragraph, you are just introducing your topic. By the end of this paragraph, I should know which organ system and pathology you chose, and a very brief breakdown of the information you will present in the paper.
Paragraph 2 – Organ System: In this paragraph, you will cover your organ system. You should include its physiology, or its overall biological function, and identify all organs that are found within the system. Each organ should have its own description on how it fits into the overall physiology of the organ system, with some detail.
Paragraph 3 – Pathology: In this paragraph, you will cover the pathology that you have chosen. You should include its name, its primary symptoms, and its prognosis. Then, go into detail about how the pathology manifests (is it inherited, is it sporadic, is it caused by a specific mutation, etc.) and which organ(s) it specifically targets in your chosen system. Then, conclude this paragraph by linking the affect on the individual organ(s) to its ability to cause dysfunction in the organ system as a whole, and the primary symptoms you identified at the beginning of the paragraph.
Paragraph 4 – Treatments: In this paragraph, I want you to explain two different treatments that are currently being explored for the pathology that you chose. Please explain how they target the pathology, how that reverses the effects on the organ(s) and organ systems, and any potential side effects that these treatments may cause in patients.
Paragraph 5 – Conclusion: In this paragraph, you will summarize what you have presented. Include the importance of studying your pathology and your own (critical, scientific) thoughts on the approach to treatment.
This project will have a few checkpoints to keep you on track throughout the semester. These checkpoints will include:
Choosing your topic
Citing two resources
An abstract
A draft peer review
When formatting the paper, along with the criteria mentioned in the description above, you should also include a succinct title that grabs the audience and accurately portrays the content of the paper, the abstract should appear, labeled, just below the title and before the paper begins, and a works cited page must be included at the end.
For 5 points of extra credit, there will be an opportunity to submit a video introduction for your paper. The instructions for this can be found HERE, and it must be submitted at the time of the paper.