Biology students have explored fascinating insights into transport systems over the past few weeks. Their unit on transport in plants equipped them well for the complexities of the human body. They examined how water and mineral nutrients are absorbed and circulated through a plant. This provided a foundation for understanding parallel concepts in the human cardiovascular system.
The class has now moved on to transport in humans. Through lectures, hands-on experiments, and virtual reality simulations, students are learning the structure and function of the heart and blood vessels. They can see how the miraculous circulatory system delivers oxygen, nutrients, hormones, and more to every part of the body. Students expressed interest in exploring healing and health from studying how the body functions under normal conditions.
The current focus is on the coronary arteries and the consequences of occlusion. Students are analyzing what happens when one of these crucial blood vessels becomes blocked. They are learning why this can damage the heart muscle and potentially cause a heart attack. This real-world application of cardiovascular anatomy and physiology helps strengthen their understanding of this essential system. It also increases awareness of risk factors and lifestyle choices that can impact heart health.
Overall, this transport unit is laying a strong foundation for the standard level topics as well as preparing students well for their future studies in this area at the higher level.