Environmental Health Issues
Diseases and Toxins
As the number of man-made chemicals increases, the amounts of environmental toxins we are exposed to on a daily basis also rise. This chapter addresses some of the major causes of human disease and other health ailments as they relate to the environment. This includes both infectious and non-transmissable disease. This chapter sets a good foundation for some of the health issues arising from air pollution and water pollution, which are covered in later units.
Human Health and Environmental Toxins Powerpoint
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Purpose: This lecture covers both the living and non-living causes of disease in the environment. The first section compares major diseases caused by parasites, bacteria, viruses, and prions. Examples of emerging diseases, such as swine influenza and SARS are discussed. Students will also learn about chemical toxins, how they are evaluated, and the different effects on the human body. The last section discusses risk assessment and how we prioritize health issues.
Essential Concepts: Environmental toxins, disease, emerging disease, zoonosis, bacteria, virus, protozoa, prions, malaria, food bourne illness, teratogens, mutagens, carcinogens, ld50, lethal dose, risk, risk assessment, heavy metals, neurotoxins, endocrine hormone disruptors, toxicity, antibiotic resistance.
Human Health and Environmental Toxins Lecture Notes Outline
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Purpose: Taking efficient notes can be a big challenge for many students, especially when working from a Powerpoint lecture. This outline gives students a means to take notes that guides them toward important concepts and avoids the pitfalls of writing word-for-word or simply not taking notes at all. The outline is written as a series of questions, fill-in-the-blanks, or diagrams. This outline is based on the Powerpoint lecture written specifically for this unit.
Essential Concepts: Environmental toxins, disease, emerging disease, zoonosis, bacteria, virus, protozoa, prions, malaria, food bourne illness, teratogens, mutagens, carcinogens, ld50, lethal dose, risk, risk assessment, heavy metals, neurotoxins, endocrine hormone disruptors, toxicity, antibiotic resistance.
PBS Evolution - Evolutionary Arms Race
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Purpose: This episode of the PBS Evolution documentary series looks at the race between predators and prey, parasites and hosts. Much of the episode centers around the evolution of drug resistance in disease. Since bacteria can reproduce much faster than larger species can, antibiotic resistance can emerge very rapidly. This episode uses the study of multi-drug resistant tuberculosis to see this arms race in action.
Essential Concepts: Antibiotics, antibiotic resistance, sub-theraputic antibiotics, bacteria, infectious disease
The Eyes of Nye - Antibiotics
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Purpose: This episode of the Eyes of Nye covers the issue of antibiotic resistance. First, Bill Nye gives a basic explanation of what antibiotics do, and their importance to the human population. Then, he explores the problem of antibiotic resistance and its roots. Finally, he interviews scientists researching future alternatives to antibiotics.
Essential Concepts: Antibiotics, antibiotic resistance, sub-theraputic antibiotics, bacteria, infectious disease
Lead Poisoning Graph Analysis Activity
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Purpose: This assignment has students analyze IQ data taken from young children living near a metal smelting plant who may be exposed to lead contamination. Students will graph the relationship between lead concentration in the blood and IQ, then issue recommendations to the town based on their findings.
Essential Concepts: Risk assessment, neurotoxins, lead, lead poisoning.
Measuring Toxicity with LD50 Graphs
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Purpose: This activity presents students with LD50 data taken from administering two different toxins to a population of lab mice: arsenic and cyanide. Students will calculate the percent of the mouse population that was killed by each successive dosage of the toxin, then use those graphs to determine the LD50 of each compound. At the end of the activity, students will compare the relative LD50 values for several other compounds.
Essential Concepts: LD50, lethal dose, toxicity, animal testing, risk assessment.
Human Health and Environmental Toxins Study Guide
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Purpose: Once the instruction for the unit is completed, students can complete this study guide to aid in their preparation for a written test. The study guide is divided into two sections: vocabulary and short answer questions. The vocabulary is taken directly form the lecture, sequentially. The short answer questions are meant to model the type they may see on the exam.
Essential Concepts: Human population, exponential growth, linear growth, pronatalist factors, antinatalist factors, fertility rate, birth rate, death rate, immigration, emigration, population pyramids, demographic transition model, developed countries, developing countries.
