Introduction
In this project, we were to study a method the human body maintains homeostasis, create and conduct an experiment to test it, and create a poster and report to present to the class. There was a little over a week, about 8 days, to complete this project. During this project we had to learn how to a proper scientific report and poster, which are both shown below. The method of homeostasis we had chosen was the body's process of maintaining blood sugar levels.
Experiment
1. Test blood sugar 10 minutes before eating dinner
2. Test 10 minutes after eating dinner
3. Test 20 minute after eating
4. Test 30 minutes after eating
5. Repeat for two meals
2. Test 10 minutes after eating dinner
3. Test 20 minute after eating
4. Test 30 minutes after eating
5. Repeat for two meals
Vocabulary
Homeostasis -The tendency or state of maintaining a steady internal environment. In this project we show how the body maintains steady blood sugar levels.
Scientific Method- The process of creating an experiment for a subject or problem. This was used at the beginning of the project to figure out what was being tested, how it was being tested, and what the results were going to show.
Scientific Article- An academic report explaining scientific research. For this project we created a scientific article explaining what we had done and what it taught us.
Blood Sugar Level- The amount of glucose in one's blood, this is measured in milligrams per deciliter (mg/Dl) in the United States. This is something that humans have to maintain stable levels of because if it is too high or low it can cause the body to not function correctly. In this project, this is what we were testing for.
Blood Glucose Meter- A device used to measure the amount of Glucose in one's blood, which is their blood sugar levels. This was used in our project to test the person's blood sugar levels.
Hormone- A regulatory substance in the body that helps the body maintain homeostasis when working properly. For this project, the hormones we studied was glucagon and insulin.
Glucagon- A hormone that helps increase blood sugar when it gets too low. In this project, if we had lowed a person's blood sugar this hormone would have increased it back to normal levels if it was not extreme.
Insulin- A hormone that decreases blood sugar when it gets too high. This can be seen when we had tested a person's blood sugar above the average amount and it had lowered back down due to the insulin.
Pancreas- An organ that helps create glucagon and insulin. In this project, there was research done to find out what organs play a role in blood sugar such as the pancreas.
Liver- An organ that stores glucose.
Baseline- The starting point. In this project it was the blood sugar before the test subject had eaten.
Hypothesis- A scientific prediction in the form of a "if... then" statement. The hypothesis of this experiment was, If blood glucose levels rise due to eating food, then the body will release insulin to naturally lower these levels to maintain homeostasis.
Independent Variable- The variable that is controlled by the humans. For our project it was the times the tests were taken and the food eaten.
Dependent Variable- The factor that changes according to the independent variable. During this project it was the blood sugar level.
Control- The baseline or the starting amount or value that the results of the test are compared to. In this case it was the blood sugar before the test subject had eaten.
Feedback Loop- A process or system where there is an input that causes an actions to occur that results in an affect. There are two types, positive and negative. The type we tested was a negative feedback, the input was the high blood sugar which caused the body to release insulin and resulted in the lowered blood sugar.
Positive Feedback Loop- The type of feedback loop in which the output is more than the input. An example of this is when fruit is ripening and it continuously ripens.
Negative Feedback Loop- This is when the output is less than the input. This can be seen with blood sugar when it rises it results lower because the feedback loop lowers it from the original state.
Scientific Method- The process of creating an experiment for a subject or problem. This was used at the beginning of the project to figure out what was being tested, how it was being tested, and what the results were going to show.
Scientific Article- An academic report explaining scientific research. For this project we created a scientific article explaining what we had done and what it taught us.
Blood Sugar Level- The amount of glucose in one's blood, this is measured in milligrams per deciliter (mg/Dl) in the United States. This is something that humans have to maintain stable levels of because if it is too high or low it can cause the body to not function correctly. In this project, this is what we were testing for.
Blood Glucose Meter- A device used to measure the amount of Glucose in one's blood, which is their blood sugar levels. This was used in our project to test the person's blood sugar levels.
Hormone- A regulatory substance in the body that helps the body maintain homeostasis when working properly. For this project, the hormones we studied was glucagon and insulin.
Glucagon- A hormone that helps increase blood sugar when it gets too low. In this project, if we had lowed a person's blood sugar this hormone would have increased it back to normal levels if it was not extreme.
Insulin- A hormone that decreases blood sugar when it gets too high. This can be seen when we had tested a person's blood sugar above the average amount and it had lowered back down due to the insulin.
Pancreas- An organ that helps create glucagon and insulin. In this project, there was research done to find out what organs play a role in blood sugar such as the pancreas.
Liver- An organ that stores glucose.
Baseline- The starting point. In this project it was the blood sugar before the test subject had eaten.
Hypothesis- A scientific prediction in the form of a "if... then" statement. The hypothesis of this experiment was, If blood glucose levels rise due to eating food, then the body will release insulin to naturally lower these levels to maintain homeostasis.
Independent Variable- The variable that is controlled by the humans. For our project it was the times the tests were taken and the food eaten.
Dependent Variable- The factor that changes according to the independent variable. During this project it was the blood sugar level.
Control- The baseline or the starting amount or value that the results of the test are compared to. In this case it was the blood sugar before the test subject had eaten.
Feedback Loop- A process or system where there is an input that causes an actions to occur that results in an affect. There are two types, positive and negative. The type we tested was a negative feedback, the input was the high blood sugar which caused the body to release insulin and resulted in the lowered blood sugar.
Positive Feedback Loop- The type of feedback loop in which the output is more than the input. An example of this is when fruit is ripening and it continuously ripens.
Negative Feedback Loop- This is when the output is less than the input. This can be seen with blood sugar when it rises it results lower because the feedback loop lowers it from the original state.
How Does it Work
When Blood Sugar Levels are Too High
|
When Blood Sugar Levels are Too Low
|
Research Article
Poster
Reflection
This project had successful results in the experiment and almost had a good presentation and report. Although much of the final product had been done more last minute than it should have and the experiment could have been conducted earlier. The results of the experiment were very clear in what they were saying and also went along with our predictions which allowed us to analyze the data better. The report and poster were made very neatly and had a good clear layout for anyone to read it. Still if we had timed our work better there is a chance we could have completed the project earlier and done more revises and touch ups. In addition, there could have been more tests done to increase our accuracy. During this project I was able to improve on my writing skills as well as my online graphing skills. However I can still improve on my communication and focus. Since this project had included a scientific report, it was necessary to learn how to write in a more formal tone which helped me improve my writing. On top of that, for the data and analysis we made a table and a graph on the computers which is an important skill to have as one goes further into science, and this project was a good time to improve that. Although I need to work on communication because there was a lack of communication between the group members when someone couldn't come to school. In addition, there were times when I had become distracted by outside factors, so it would have been more efficient had I not gotten off task. Overall the project had turned out successful though.