Introduction
Did you know that cells are the building blocks of all life? I know, it sounds overwhelming! How can something so small really be that big in our day to day body functions. Did you also know that there is a constant flow of scientific research that gets posted to the internet every day on new discoveries and advances on stem cell and cloning? That's right, every day a scientist or group of scientists publish their findings and results in peer-reviewed articles that are published in scientific journals online and in print. It's like instant education at our fingerprints.
Well, today I'm here to get you started on your quest of knowledge as you explore the internet as it relates to new research on different types of cells, cells and the human body and other new and exciting research. So, let's get you started on your journey!
Task
The task at hand is to use the web to research different types of cells, discover how scientists study a variety of topics to understand the ever evolving cells and exploring how they play different rolls within our bodies. Finally, to answer the set of questions below to demonstrate the knowledge gained and share them in summary format along with any new studies that might be groundbreaking.
- What do researchers think is one cause of memory impairment related to growing older? What does new research show that may be able to help reverse this process?
- How might fat cells be able to help people with spinal cord injuries?
- How are frog eggs being used in research involving human cells?
- What are Schwann cells? How are they affected in multiple sclerosis patients?
- What role do cells play in preventing the stomach from digesting itself?
Process
Listed below is a snippet of information to guide you on some of the questions that need to be answered from your task. You will then use the links below and work on your own or with your partner to dive deeper into your research. Make sure to take notes as you go along in order to analyze and draw conclusions for the information you have gathered. Once completed your finished tasks, you should present them in summary format on a power point or word document as it pertains to the topics. If you get really excited, you can even put together a youtube video on your findings.
Memory Impairment
There are times when I'm sitting on the couch and I watch my mom go to the kitchen, stop and mumble "what did I come over here for?" As people get older, their short term memory starts to fade and they become forgetful. It's not something to worry about as it's part of the aging process. However, if my mom drove to the store and forgot how to get home that's memory loss and it would definitely be a concern and a need for a doctors visit.
Follow the links below to discover causes of memory impairment related to growing older as well as new research that can help reverse the process.
https://www.nia.nih.gov/health/memory-forgetfulness-and-aging-whats-normal-and-whats-not
https://www.helpguide.org/articles/alzheimers-dementia-aging/age-related-memory-loss.htm
I've also added new cutting edge research on Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy that is exciting news for those suffering from Dementia and Alzheimer's disease.
Spinal Cord Injuries & Fat Cells
Sometimes, you will see people in wheelchairs who have suffered from injuries to their spinal cord causing paralysis. Their conditions are known as quadriplegia or paraplegia and life is very difficult for them because they are not able to move or function like an able body person because of a spinal cord injury. Since stem cells have the ability to renew themselves into a new type of cell. The research is showing that it can replenish the damaged cells. All this new research is very promising for those affected!
Follow the links below to learn and discover the kind of hope that is becoming available to those affected with all this new research!
https://www.ninds.nih.gov/Disorders/All-Disorders/Spinal-Cord-Injury-Information-Page
Frog Eggs and Human Cells
Have you ever wondered what frog eggs have to do with research involving human cells? According to a study from the University of Copenhagen extracts from eggs have proteins similar to human cells. Through their research they have found that the cause and effect of the DNA replication process is that every time a cell divides then it triggers the repair of the damaged DNA.
Take a closer look with the links below on this groundbreaking research
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1097276518309948
https://phys.org/news/2019-01-frog-eggs-dna.html
Schwann cells and Multiple Sclerosis (MS)
Multiple sclerosis (MS) affects about 2.3 million people worldwide. It is a progressive disease that gets worse over time. A patient suffering from MS slowly loses the myelin sheats as Schwwann cells die off because the immune system attacks the oligodendrocytes which are the central nervous system glial cells that forms myellin sheaths.
There are exciting new therapies that are showing promise in slowing the progression of MS with stem cell. Follow the links below to share in your findings and learn about the effects of these cells, multiple sclerosis and new age possibilities.
https://www.healthline.com/health/multiple-sclerosis/effects-on-the-body
Stomach Does What?
How is it possible that the stomach doesn't digest itself? Have you ever wondered about that? The stomach is protected by the mucosal barrier which neutralizes the acid. It's almost like super hero abilities that don't make any sense until you start to research and learn about how it actually works. Now, there are times when things can get a bit messy and you have to see a doctor about an ulcer or stomach pains.
Let's click on the link and find out how the stomach does what it does.
https://health.howstuffworks.com/human-body/systems/digestive/question464.htm
https://www.bbc.co.uk/science/humanbody/body/factfiles/stomach/stomach.shtml
Evaluation
This rubric will be used to evaluate this project
CRITERIA
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | POINTS | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Task |
The task was not completed.
|
It appears that some effort was made to complete the task, but important information is missing. |
The task was completed as assigned, but some of the information was faulty.
|
The task was completed with great attention to detail. All the information was reported and is accurate.
|
|
| Process |
The process was not followed.
|
The overall summary was lacking. Answers to questions were not complete. |
Overall, the task was completed correctly. Student may have appeared to rush through project or not been thorough. |
The results show that a lot of thought went into collecting and summarizing information.
|
|
|
Web Summary |
Summary was sloppy and not well prepared.
|
The summary included key information but lacked general cohesiveness. |
Information was presented well, but lacked organization.
|
Summary was well organized; information was clearly and concisely stated. |
|
Conclusion
After researching these questions and topics, you should have a better understanding on how different things can help and repair the human body and how much of a role cells play in our overall being. This WebQuest should have sparked your interest in further studies and allowed you to work with your peers using technology and creative thinking in order to present your findings in a clear and concise way.
But don't let the journey end here, there is still so much more to learn! Now that you have your own skills in this WebQuest, share your knowledge and encourage other students on this different way of learning. Remember, there is always more than one way to learn a lesson just like there is always more then one way to solve a problem.
Credits
The following sites will be used to help gather information regarding questions related to cells and cell research:
https://www.helpguide.org/articles/alzheimers-dementia-aging/age-related-memory-loss.htm
https://www.alz.org/alzheimers-dementia/10_signs
https://www.nia.nih.gov/health/memory-forgetfulness-and-aging-whats-normal-and-whats-not
https://www.ninds.nih.gov/Disorders/All-Disorders/Spinal-Cord-Injury-Information-Page
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6172584/
https://phys.org/news/2019-01-frog-eggs-dna.html
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1097276518309948
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2019/01/190122092852.htm
https://www.closerlookatstemcells.org/stem-cells-medicine/multiple-sclerosis/
https://biologydictionary.net/schwann-cells/
https://www.healthline.com/health/multiple-sclerosis/effects-on-the-body
https://www.dvcstem.com/post/stem-cell-therapy-for-ms
https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/stem-cell-multiple-sclerosis#treatment-for-ms
https://health.howstuffworks.com/human-body/systems/digestive/question464.htm
https://www.statnews.com/2016/06/07/stomach-digestion/
https://www.bbc.co.uk/science/humanbody/body/factfiles/stomach/stomach.shtml