Assignment 4 - Microgravity (Part 2)
All work will be due on January 15th at 11:59 pm HOL time. No work submitted after this date will receive points.
Each assignment will consist of different options to pick from. You can pick whichever combination of options you like, up to a total of 60 points worth of work. The first 30 points will be your homework and the second 30 points will be your extra credit. If you accidentally send in more than 60 points worth of work, only the first 60 points worth will be marked.
All assignments should be sent to hol.spacemedicine@gmail.com
The subject of emails should be Space Medicine - Assignment # - HOL Name
Example: Space Medicine - Assignment 2 - Bella Coupland
Attachments will not be opened.
Please include your HOL name and House in the body of your email.
Should you rely on assistive technology or have any other needs that should be taken into account, please contact me and we can discuss other options for certain parts of the assignments.
Option 1 - Research (15 points)
In this lesson we discuss how bone loss in space leads to increased calcium levels in the blood and urine. One major risk from these high calcium levels is the formation of kidney stones.
Please perform research into kidney stones and write an essay describing:
1) Signs and symptoms of kidney stones
2) Ways to prevent kidney stones
3) Treatment options for kidney stones on Earth
4) Propose a way that you might treat an astronaut with kidney stones in space and give reasons why you would choose this way.
Minimum 150 words. Please write down all the sources that you used.
Option 2 - Short answer (10 points)
Please answer the following questions. Each question is worth 2 points each.
1. What are the two main pathways through which bones weaken in microgravity?
2. Bone loss in astronauts is similar to which disease seen on Earth?
3. What is the term used to describe a loss of muscle from lack of use?
4. What vitamin supplement is given to astronauts to improve their bone health?
5. Which type of bone cell is more active in children?
Option 3 - Graphic (15 points)
The next round of astronauts are big fans of comic books. They have asked you to create a comic, of at least 3 panels/scenes, that shows what might happen to bones in space. Your comic's main character must be either a calcium molecule, an osteoblast or an osteoclast.
Upload your image to a hosting site, such as Postimages.org and send me the link. Do not send your image as an attachment as it will NOT be opened.
Option 4 - Haiku (5 points)
Please write a Haiku about an astronaut exercising in space. A Haiku is a three line poem that has 5 syllables in the first line, 7 syllables in the next line, and 5 syllables in the last line.
Option 5 - Fill in the blank (10 points)
1. The ______ within bones helps them to maintain compressional strength.
2. When the body absorbs too much calcium from the bones, it leaves them ______ and _______.
3. In elderly people, _________ tend to become more active, breaking down more _____ than can be replaced.
4. Astronauts bones weaken the most between _____ and ______ months into a space mission.
5. The Advanced Resistive Exercise Device creates a ________ when an astronaut applies a force to the crossbar and foot stand.
Option 6 - Experiment (15 points)
For this experiment you will need a bone from a cooked animal (chicken works best) and vinegar. The bone should be washed so that there is no meat on it. Answer the following questions:
1) How does the bone feel? Is it soft or hard?
Now place the bone in a container, and cover it with vinegar. It should be completely covered. Let it soak in the vinegar for at least 2 days. After 2 days, answer the following questions:
2) What is different about the bone compared to when you felt it before? Tell me what you smell, see, and feel.
3) Do you think this bone is stronger or weaker than before it was in the vinegar?
The bone has changed because the vinegar has dissolved the calcium that was in the bone.
4) How do you think this experiment is similar to what happens to astronauts bones in space?
Option 7 - True or False (10 points)
Please tell me if each of the following statements are true or false. If they are false, please tell me the correct answer. Each statement is worth 2 points each.
1. Alendronate is used to treat headaches in the elderly
2. Astronauts on the International Space Station must exercise for 2 hours per day.
3. Astronauts on the International Space Station use a treadmill, bicycle and weight machine to exercise.
4. Astronauts that take alendronate have weaker bones than astronauts who do not take it.
5. Astronauts lose between 10-20% of their muscle mass in short term space missions.
Option 8 - Jigsaw (10 points)
Please complete the following jigsaw puzzle. Take a screenshot of the completed puzzle, including the number of pieces and the time it took you to complete it. Upload this to an image hosting site, such as Postimages.org and send me the link. Do not send your image as an attachment as it will NOT be opened.
Advanced Resistive Exercise Device jigsaw
Option 9 - Exercise Plan (10 points)
In this lesson we talked about the different exercise machines available to astronauts on the International Space Station. Please come up with an exercise plan that astronauts could use during their daily 2 hour session. Describe how long they will spend on each machine, and the kinds of movements/exercise they will do on each machine. Describe how fast or how much effort they should be putting in, whether they will take rest breaks (and for how long) and how many repetitions they should do for each exercise. Minimum 75 words. Please write down any additional sources that you used.