If You're Not Part of the Solution, You're Part of the Precipitate!
Students separate solid calcium phosphate from solution.Copyright 2012 Angela D. Kolonich, Michigan State University
Students continue the research begun in the associated lesson as if they were biomedical engineers working for a pharmaceutical company. Groups each perform a simple chemical reaction (to precipitate solid calcium out of solution) to observe what may occur when Osteopontin levels drop in the body. With this additional research, students determine potential health complications that might arise from a new drug that could reduce inflammatory pain in many patients, improving their quality of life. The goal of this activity is to illustrate biomedical engineering as medical problem solving, as well as emphasize the importance of maintaining normal body chemistry.
Biomedical engineers often gather information by observing experiments that have already been performed, or performing simple lab experiments. After completing the research phase of the design process, which includes reading scholarly articles for already discovered information, engineers find other methods of obtaining information before developing a design proposal. Performing simple experiments to understand the information gathered in the reading phase is another way to obtain information about the engineering challenge.
After this activity, students should be able to:
- Describe the importance of research in technological advancements.
- Explain the importance of maintaining body chemistry homeostasis.