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K–12 teaching and learning · from the UNC School of Education

Gum and heart disease

http://www.sciencenetlinks.com/sci_update.cfm?DocID=264

A lesson plan for grade 7 Science

Provider: American Association for the Advancement of Science


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In this Science Update, students explore a connection between gum disease and heart disease. Researchers at the University of Florida have found two kinds of oral bacteria in human artery plaque, which suggests that live bacteria from the periodontal area can live in and invade cells lining the arteries. People with gum disease generally have bleeding gums, and all those little cuts and tears would give the bacteria the opportunity to enter the bloodstream. But once they got there, many scientists have argued, the immune system might quickly kill them off. Given this possibility, those scraps of bacteria DNA in the arteries might have been from dead bacteria that never got to cause any real damage. The researchers grew cultures of live periodontal bacteria from samples of artery plaque, and since you can’t grow live bacteria from dead ones, this proves that there were some bacteria living in the plaque when it was still in the donor’s artery. Thus, this study provides evidence that there might be different strains of the bacteria. Science NetLinks provides a link to the audio file, a written transcript, and questions to engage students in discussion about how this study provides new and important information regarding the link between gum and heart disease. This activity also contains links to a related lesson plan from Science NetLinks and to a recording of the National Public Radio’s “Talk of the Nation.”

North Carolina Curriculum Alignment

Science (2005)

Grade 7

  • Goal 1: The learner will design and conduct investigations to demonstrate an understanding of scientific inquiry.
    • Objective 1.01: Identify and create questions and hypotheses that can be answered through scientific investigations.
    • Objective 1.05: Analyze evidence to:
      • Explain observations.
      • Make inferences and predictions.
      • Develop the relationship between evidence and explanation.
    • Objective 1.08: Use oral and written language to:
      • Communicate findings.
      • Defend conclusions of scientific investigations.
    • Objective 1.09: Use technologies and information systems to:
      • Research.
      • Gather and analyze data.
      • Visualize data.
      • Disseminate findings to others.
    • Objective 1.10: Analyze and evaluate information from a scientifically literate viewpoint by reading, hearing, and/or viewing:
      • Scientific text.
      • Articles.
      • Events in the popular press.
  • Goal 4: The learner will conduct investigations, use models, simulations, and appropriate technologies and information systems to build an understanding of the complementary nature of the human body system.
    • Objective 4.01: Analyze how human body systems interact to provide for the needs of the human organism:
      • Musculoskeletal.
      • Cardiovascular.
      • Endocrine and Nervous.
      • Digestive and Circulatory.
      • Excretory.
      • Reproductive.
      • Respiratory.
      • Immune.
      • Nervous system.
    • Objective 4.02: Describe how systems within the human body are defined by the functions it performs.
    • Objective 4.03: Explain how the structure of an organ is adapted to perform specific functions within one or more systems.
      • Liver.
      • Heart.
      • Lung. Brain.
      • Stomach.
      • Kidney.
    • Objective 4.05: Analyze how an imbalance in homeostasis may result from a disruption in any human system.
    • Objective 4.06: Describe growth and development of the human organism.
    • Objective 4.08: Explain how understanding human body systems can help make informed decisions regarding health.