Digestion Activity 4

Activity 4:

Orientation:

The questions in this activity encourage students to apply the concepts from across this unit. Students should answer questions using the journal page, using web, library, or other resources if necessary.

Materials:

Activity 4 Journal Page (right mouse click and select "open in a new window" to open as a MS Word document)
Optional: library or web resources about organ systems & digestion

Applying Important Concepts
Using your activity 4 journal page, answering the following with what you now know about digestion:

1. What is heartburn? How does it happen? (Think about the structure in the digestive tract that is close to the heart and not protected by mucous.)

2. Make a list of foods that humans could not eat if they did not have a liver? Why not?

3. Why can cows eat grass and humans cannot? What do they do different during digestion than humans? If you have ever seen a cow what are they always doing with their mouth? Do you think that cows have an extra organ in their digestive tract to help them digest grass?

4. Diabetes is a genetic metabolic disorder that affects all races, particularly Hispanics. Diabetes occurs when your cells do not receive enough glucose. The symptoms of diabetes are high blood sugar level and glucose in the urine. Pretend you are a doctor and you have a patient who displays these symptoms. Which hormone would you conclude is not being produced? What organ normally produces this hormone? Can you think of possible ways to administer the hormone to your patient? When would you think the best time to administer this hormone would be?
If you are interested in learning more about the prevalence of diabetes among Hispanics, visit the National Disease Information Clearinghouse website.

5. Apply your knowledge and speculate on a general pathway in the body that could stimulate the contraction of the diaphragm and the abdominal muscles that stimulate vomiting. Begin with a trigger/receptor listed in the "What We Know" section and finish with the muscles that are stimulated. Your pathway should list the steps a signal would take to get from the trigger/receptor to the muscles that make you vomit. You should incorporate your knowledge from other organ systems, particularly the nervous system. You may use resources on the web or at the library for additional information, but be sure to list your sources.

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