What's Inside Your Bones?
Biomedical engineers must understand the anatomy and physical properties of the human skeleton in order to design devices and implants to help patients with broken bones.Copyright 2007 LadyofHats, Mariana Ruiz Villarreal, Wikimedia Commons http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Human_skeleton_front_en.svg
After learning, comparing and contrasting the steps of the engineering design process (EDP) and scientific method, students review the human skeletal system, including the major bones, bone types, bone functions and bone tissues, as well as other details about bone composition. Students then pair-read an article about bones and bone growth and compile their notes to summarize the article. Finally, students complete a homework assignment to review the major bones in the human body, preparing them for the associated activities in which they create and test prototype replacement bones with appropriate densities. Two PowerPoint® presentations, pre-/post-test, handout and worksheet are provided.
The field of biomedical engineering focuses on the human body, human health and health care. Biomedical engineers design devices and procedures to help provide patients with effective treatments. Some biomedical engineers develop implants, which are medical devices designed to replace missing biological structures or support damaged biological structures. When designing implant models, engineers follow the steps of the EDP in order to collect data and create the best solutions possible. As students learn about, discuss and sketch what bones are made of, they are building a foundational understanding of the human body, as do biomedical engineers, and they are preparing for the associated activities by thinking about replicating bones using alternate materials that mimic natural bone densities.
After this lesson, students should be able to:
- List and describe the steps of the engineering design process.
- Compare and contrast the steps of the scientific method and the engineering design process.
- Explain the types of bones and bone tissue in the body, as well as the composition of bones.
- Draw and label a bone from the human body.