Exploring What's Vital
MEDICAL DETECTIVES USE THESE CLUES TO HELP THEM DISCOVER WHAT MAY BE WRONG WITH A PATIENT. THEY ARE ONE OF THE FIRST THINGS RECORDED WHEN SEEING THE DOCTOR.
VITAL SIGNS
THIS VARIABLE TELLS WHAT IS BEING MEASURED IN AN EXPERIMENT.
DEPENDENT VARIABLE.
WHAT IS THE FIRST STEP OF THE EXPERIMENTAL DESIGN PROCESS?
IDENTIFY A PROBLEM/QUESTION
THE CLUES THAT DOCTORS USE TO DIAGNOSE A PATIENT ARE CALLED ________________.
SYMPTOMS
TRUE OR FALSE: A VIRUS NEEDS A HOST TO SURVIVE.
TRUE
THIS VITAL SIGN IS RECORDED AS BEATS PER MINUTE. IT INDICATES THE NUMBER OF TIMES THE HEART PUMPS BLOOD IN ONE MINUTE.
PULSE/HEART RATE
ALL GOOD SCIENCE EXPERIMENTS SHOULD BE REPEATABLE AND HAVE ____________TRIALS.
MULTIPLE
WHAT ARE THE THREE TYPES OF VARIABLES THAT WE DISCUSSED IN CLASS?
INDEPENDENT, DEPENDENT, AND CONTROL
A PATIENT COMES IN TO THE OFFICE COMPLAINING OF CONGESTION, RUNNY NOSE, COUGH, AND FATIGUE. BASED ON THESE SYMPTOMS, DO YOU THINK THE PATIENT HAS A VIRAL OR BACTERIAL ILLNESS?
VIRAL ILLNESS
TRUE OR FALSE: BACTERIA ARE TOO SMALL TO BE SEEN WITH A TRADITIONAL MICROSCOPE.
FALSE
THIS VITAL SIGN IS MEASURED IN BREATHS PER MINUTE. A NORMAL READING FOR THIS VITAL SIGN IS BETWEEN 12 AND 16 BPM.
RESPIRATORY RATE
THIS VARIABLE IS CHANGED BY THE EXPERIMENTER.
WHAT IS THE FINAL STEP OF THE EXPERIMENTAL DESIGN PROCESS?
STATING CONCLUSION AND WRITING A SUMMARY
A PATIENT COMES INTO THE OFFICE SAYING THEY GOT SICK SHORTLY AFTER COMING INTO CONTACT WITH SICK PEOPLE AT SCHOOL. WHAT IS THE MANNER OF SPREAD?
PERSON TO PERSON
HOW WOULD A FUNGAL INFECTION BE TREATED?
ANTI-FUNGAL MEDICATIONS OR CREAMS.
THIS VITAL SIGN IS MEASURED USING A THERMOMETER. A NORMAL READING IS 98.6 DEGREES. A LOW GRADE OR HIGH GRADE READING OF THIS VITAL SIGN CAN POINT TO POSSIBLE VIRAL OR BACTERIAL INFECTIONS.
TEMPERATURE
THIS VARIABLE IS USED AS A COMPARISON OF NORMAL CIRCUMSTANCES. THIS IS AN EXTREMELY IMPORTANT VARIABLE, AS IT ALLOWS THE EXPERIMENTER TO COMPARE RESULTS TO A NORM.
CONTROL/CONSTANT VARIABLE
CONTROL
A PATIENT COMES INTO THE CLINIC COMPLAINING OF STOMACH PAINS. IT IS DETERMINED THAT THEY HAVE SALMONELLOSIS. WHAT IS THE MANNER OF SPREAD OF SALMONELLOSIS?
FOODBORNE
HOW WOULD A VIRAL INFECTION BE TREATED?
THIS VITAL SIGN IS BROKEN INTO TWO PARTS: SYSTOLIC AND DIASTOLIC. THE SYSTOLIC READING IS THE TOP NUMBER AND INDICATES THE PRESSURE IN BLOOD VESSELS WHEN THE HEART CONTRACTS. THE DIASTOLIC READING IS THE BOTTOM NUMBER AND INDICATES THE PRESSURE IN BLOOD VESSELS BETWEEN HEART CONTRACTIONS.
BLOOD PRESSURE
A STUDENT CONDUCTS AN EXPERIMENT TO FIND OUT WHETHER OR NOT SUNLIGHT IS NEEDED TO GROW PLANTS. SHE USES THREE DIFFERENT PLANTS AND COVERS THEM UP WITH DARK PLASTIC TO ALLOW AS LITTLE LIGHT TO GET TO THEM AS POSSIBLE. AFTER 1, 2, AND 3 WEEKS SHE MEASURES THE HEIGHT OF THE PLANT. WHAT IS MISSING?
A CONTROL VARIABLE
YOU SHOULD ONLY BE TESTING ONLY ONE OF THESE IN AN EXPERIMENT.
INDEPENDENT VARIABLE
WHAT IS IT CALLED WHEN AN ILLNESS IS CONTRACTED DUE TO AN INSECT SUCH AS A FLEA, TICK, OR MOSQUITO.
VECTOR BORNE
NAME A BACTERIAL INFECTION THAT WE HAVE LEARNED ABOUT THIS SEMESTER. HOW WOULD IT BE TREATED?
STREP THROAT, CHOLERA, E. COLI, PNEUMOCOCCAL PNEUMONIA; ANTIBIOTICS