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BW4. Students should be able to describe the structure, function, and interactions of the organs of the human digestive, circulatory and respiratory systems

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Collaborative Planning Document and Unpacking 

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Collaborative Planning Document and Unpacking 

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Starting Planning Contextual Strands

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Copy of Starting Planning - Contextual Strands (2)

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Inquiry Skill Focus: Critical Thinking

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NUI Galway researcher and vascular surgeon, Ms Niamh Hynes briefly discusses the science behind the way exercise is important for the heart.

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'The Effects of Exercise on the Heart and Blood Vessels' lesson plan kit is part of the Strength in Science project developed in collaboration between researchers, science teachers, PE teachers, fitness instructors, and Junior Cycle students.

Download Kit: Flyer | Lesson Plan | Worksheet

In this short video, we meet NUI Galway researcher and vascular surgeon, Ms. Niamh Hynes, who explains the science behind how exercise is good for your heart and blood vessels. It includes suggestions for what types of exercises are particularly good for these areas. Also, we learn about the latest work in medical devices to support these parts of your body.

Background

Keywords

Exercises

Facts

Curriculum Links

How Does Exercise Affect Heart and Blood Vessels?

Your blood vessels transport red blood cells with oxygen to important organs in your body. The lining of these blood vessels, known as your endothelium, can be damaged when your blood pressure is too high. This higher force causes what is called 'shear stress' which can damage the delicate insides of the blood vessels. The resulting tears to the lining can weaken the blood vessels, or can become pockets where plaque can start to build. If a blood vessel is weakened too much, a bulge can form called an aneurysm. If an aneurysm bursts it can cause serious internal bleeding.

Exercise makes your heart stronger to pump more blood with less effort. Exercise also signals the release of nitric oxide by the cells lining the insides of the blood vessels (endothelial cells). This causes the cells that form the blood vessel walls (smooth muscle cells) to stay relaxed. The relaxed smooth muscle cells widen your blood vessels which lowers your blood pressure.

How are Irish Researchers Developing Treatments for Diseases of the Blood Vessels?

Ms. Niamh Hynes is a vascular surgeon who is developing new ways to image blood vessels in order to detect and treat vascular diseases. The term 'vascular' refers to the blood vessels outside of the heart and brain. A vascular surgeon, like Ms. Hynes, is like a plumber for the human body! A patient with an aneurysm can be treated by reinforcing the blood vessel wall with a medical device called a stent. Ms. Hynes and her research group are developing a new imaging technique to measure the ability of a patient's blood vessels to expand and contract with changes in pressure. This technique will help surgeons determine what stent is the best fit to use based on a patient's individual needs.

Artery | Vein | Capillary | Aneurysm

Activity:

Warm Up

Activity One

Activity Two

Cool-Down

Warm-Up Your Heart

Equipment/Space Needed:

Instructions:

The teacher stands at the front and facing the class.

The teacher assigns movements to numbers that will be called out.

For example:

1. Sprint

2. Jump

3. Touch the ground

Everyone jogs around the hall.

The teacher calls a number and everyone does the corresponding movement for the number called. For example, the teacher calls out "1" and everyone sprints.

This is repeated with the teacher calling out the different numbers for about a few minutes until the class is warmed up.

Hamstrings

Quadriceps

Gastrocnemius and soleus (calves)

Deltoids (shoulders)

Biceps and triceps (upper arms)

Trapezius (upper back)

Pectoralis major and minor (chest)

Stretches:

After the warm-up, get the students to perform dynamic stretches targeting the following muscle groups in preparation for the activities:

Bean Bags and Blood Vessels

Equipment/Space Needed:

Large hall

A sheet of paper with "HEART" written on it (per team)

A sheet of paper with "BODY" written on it (per team)

A sheet of paper with "LUNGS" written on it (per team)

Tape or blue tack

2 baskets (per team), about the size of a typical laundry basket

5-10 blue bean bags (per team) which represent carbon dioxide in the blood

5-10 red bean bags (per team) which represent oxygen in the blood

Note: Bean bags can be substituted with balls or even crumpled pieces of red and blue paper.

Preparation:

Secure the sheet of paper with "BODY" written on it to the first basket using tape or blue tack.

Put the blue bean bags into the "BODY" basket.

Secure the sheet of paper with "LUNGS" written on it to the second basket using tape or blue tack.

Put the red bean bags into the "LUNGS" basket.

Put the "BODY" and "LUNGS" baskets on one side of the room.

On the other side of the room, secure the sheet of paper with "HEART" written on it to the wall using tape or blue tack.

Instructions:

Students are grouped into teams of 4 (or a number divisible by 4).

Half the students on a team line up on one side of the hall, and the other half line up on the other side of the hall.

The teacher says "Ready, steady, go".

Student 1 from each team takes a blue bean bag (carbon dioxide) from the "BODY" basket. (Student 1 represents blood carrying carbon dioxide and the sprinting path a vein from the body to the heart).

Student 1 sprints across to the other side of the room where a teammate, Student 2, is waiting with his/her hand on the "HEART" sign that is taped to the wall.

Student 1 hands over the blue bean bag to Student 2.

Student 2 releases his/her hand from the "HEART" sign and sprints across to the other side of the room. (Student 2 represents blood carrying carbon dioxide and the sprinting path the pulmonary artery from the heart to the lungs).

Note: Student 2 can only release his/her hand from the "HEART" sign and start sprinting when he/she has the blue bean bag.

Student 2 puts the blue bean bag into the "LUNGS" basket.

Student 3 grabs a red bean bag from the "LUNGS" basket.

Note: Student 3 can only grab a red bean bag from the "LUNGS" basket after Student 2 has released the blue bean bag.

Student 3 sprints across to the other side of the room where a teammate, Student 4, is waiting with his/her hand on the "HEART" sign that is taped to the wall. (Student 3 represents blood carrying oxygen and the sprinting path the pulmonary vein from the lungs to the heart.)

Student 4 releases his/her hand from the "HEART" sign and sprints across to the other side of the room. (Student 4 represents blood carrying oxygen and the sprinting path the aorta from the heart to the body).

Student 4 puts the red bean bag into the "BODY" basket.

The sequence is repeated until the "BODY" basket is full of the red bean bags and the "LUNGS" basket is full of blue bean bags.

Whatever team fills the "BODY" basket with the red bean bags and"LUNGS" basket with the blue bean bags first wins.

Oxygen Tag

Equipment/Space Needed:

Large hall

8-10 blue bean bags (per team) which represent carbon dioxide in the blood

8-10 red bean bags (per team) which represent oxygen in the blood

Note: Bean bags can be substituted with balls or even crumpled pieces of red and blue paper.

Instructions:

The teacher divides the class into three teams with equal numbers of students:

1. Oxygens

2. Carbon Dioxides

3. Cells

Each student from the Oxygens team gets a red bean bag.

Each student from the Carbon Dioxides team gets a blue bean bag.

The teacher says "Ready, steady, go"!

The students on the Carbon Dioxides team try to tag the students on the Cells team.

If a student from the Cells team gets tagged by a student from the Carbon Dioxides team, they have to stop running and stay on the spot they were tagged, i.e. the student is "frozen".

The frozen student cannot move unless they are tagged by a student from the Oxygens team.

If the Carbon Dioxides team manages to freeze all of the students on the Cells team at the same time, then they are the winners.

If the Oxygens team manages to prevent all of the students on the Cells team from being frozen at the same time after a predetermined amount of time, then they are the winners.

Once the winning team is determined, have the students change teams and play again. For example, students who were on the Cells team switch to the Carbon Dioxides team; students who were on the Carbon Dioxides team switch to the Oxygens team; and students who were on the Oxygens team switch to the Cells team.

Stretches

Get the students to perform static stretches targeting the following muscle groups that were worked during the activities:

Hamstrings

Quadriceps

Gastrocnemius and soleus (calves)

Deltoids (shoulders)*Biceps and triceps (upper arms)

Trapezius (upper back)

Pectoralis major and minor (chest)

Facts about Cardiovascular Diseases and MedTech in Ireland

Ireland is the second largest exporter of MedTech products in Europe.

Ireland's MedTech sector employs 29,000 people across 450 companies.

Ireland has the highest number of people working in the MedTech industry than in any other European country, per head of population.

13 of the top 15 MedTech companies have operations in Ireland.

Galway employs one third of the country's MedTech employees.

Cardiovascular disease is the most common cause of death in Ireland, accounting for 36% of all deaths. 22% of premature deaths (under age 65) are from cardiovascular disease.

80% of global stent production is carried out in Ireland. The two largest employers within the Galway region are Medtronic and Boston Scientific, employing over 4,000 individuals. Due to the influential presence of these two companies, many companies in Galway are involved in cardiology-related devices, particularly drug-eluting stents and their components, such as guide wires and balloon catheters. This has resulted in Galway becoming recognised for its specialisation in coronary devices, producing the highest levels of R&D and High Tech Innovation worldwide.

Students will:

Watch a video discussing:

How high blood pressure damages blood vessels.

Current Irish research in treating diseases of the blood vessels.

How exercise makes your heart stronger to pump more blood with less effort.

Perform exercises to keep the heart and blood vessels healthy.

1. Run at a steady pace, suitable to level of fitness, for a set length of time.

2. Display an appreciation and enjoyment of athletics.

3. Demonstrate an understanding of the effects of exercise on the body.

4. Show an understanding of the role of physical activity in establishing and maintaining health.

5. Plan for and participate in regular physical activity.

6. Understand the difference between an artery, vein and capillary.

7. Understand how blood travels to and from the heart and lungs.

8. Know what an aneurysm is.

9. Understand how high blood pressure damages blood vessels.

10. Understand how exercise makes the heart stronger to pump more blood with less effort.

Students should be able to:

Curriculum Links:

Junior Cycle Science

The Nature of Science (LO 1 and 10)

Biological World (LO 4,6, and 9)

Junior Cycle Short Course in Physical Education (2016)

Junior Cycle Syllabus in Physical Education (2003)

Athletics - Running

Health-related activity

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# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
The Effects of Exercise on the Heart and Blood Vessels

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'The Effects of Exercise on the Heart and Blood Vessels' lesson plan kit is part of the Strength in Science project developed in collaboration between researchers, science teachers, PE teachers, fitness instructors, and Junior Cycle students.

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Links to other LO's.

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Links to other strands and learning outcomes

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Skill focus: Student construction of arguments. Highlighting the importance each organ system plays in maintaining human health.

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An interactive, visual video exploring the Human Body Systems. The content and illustrations are suitable for the students level of knowledge.

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Human Body Systems Overview (Updated 2024)

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Captures the transformative development of my thinking and perception in relation to teaching Junior Cycle Science

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Nature of Science: NOS3, NOS4, NOS7, NOS9.(Justification in links to other strands)

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Human Organs of the Human digestive, Circulatory and Respiratory system

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Resource for Assessment: Interactive 3D model of the Human Body

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Resource for Assessment: Interactive 3D model of the Human Body

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The digestive system is a group of organs working together to convert food into energy and basic nutrients to feed the entire body. Food passes through a long tube inside the body known as the alimentary canal or the gastrointestinal tract (GI tract). The alimentary canal is made up of the oral cavity, pharynx, esophagus, stomach, small intestines, and large intestines. In addition to the alimentary canal, there are several important accessory organs that help your body to digest food but do not have food pass through them. Accessory organs of the digestive system include the teeth, tongue, salivary glands, liver, gallbladder, and pancreas.mycontentbreak To achieve the goal of providing energy and nutrients to the body, six major functions take place in the digestive system:

Digestive System Anatomy

Mouth

Food begins its journey through the digestive system in the mouth, also known as the oral cavity. Inside the mouth are many accessory organs that aid in the digestion of food-the tongue, teeth, and salivary glands. Teeth chop food into small pieces, which are moistened by saliva before the tongue and other muscles push the food into the pharynx.

Teeth. The are 32 small, hard organs found along the anterior and lateral edges of the mouth. Each tooth is made of a bone-like substance called dentin and covered in a layer of enamel-the hardest substance in the body. Teeth are living organs and contain blood vessels and nerves under the dentin in a soft region known as the pulp. The teeth are designed for cutting and grinding food into smaller pieces.

Tongue. The is located on the inferior portion of the mouth just posterior and medial to the teeth. It is a small organ made up of several pairs of covered in a thin, bumpy, skin-like layer. The outside of the tongue contains many rough papillae for gripping food as it is moved by the tongue's muscles. The taste buds on the surface of the tongue detect taste molecules in food and connect to nerves in the tongue to send taste information to the brain. The tongue also helps to push food toward the posterior part of the mouth for swallowing.

Salivary Glands. Surrounding the mouth are 3 sets of salivary glands. The salivary glands are accessory organs that produce a watery secretion known as saliva. Saliva helps to moisten food and begins the digestion of carbohydrates. The body also uses saliva to lubricate food as it passes through the mouth, pharynx, and esophagus.

Pharynx

The pharynx, or throat, is a funnel-shaped tube connected to the posterior end of the mouth. The pharynx is responsible for the passing of masses of chewed food from the mouth to the esophagus. The pharynx also plays an important role in the respiratory system, as air from the nasal cavity passes through the pharynx on its way to the larynx and eventually the . Because the pharynx serves two different functions, it contains a flap of tissue known as the epiglottis that acts as a switch to route food to the esophagus and air to the .

Esophagus

The is a muscular tube connecting the pharynx to the stomach that is part of the upper gastrointestinal tract. It carries swallowed masses of chewed food along its length. At the inferior end of the esophagus is a muscular ring called the lower esophageal sphincter or cardiac sphincter. The function of this sphincter is to close of the end of the esophagus and trap food in the stomach.

Stomach

The is a muscular sac that is located on the left side of the abdominal cavity, just inferior to the . In an average person, the stomach is about the size of their two fists placed next to each other. This major organ acts as a storage tank for food so that the body has time to digest large meals properly. The stomach also contains hydrochloric acid and digestive enzymes that continue the digestion of food that began in the mouth.

Small Intestine

The small intestine is a long, thin tube about 1 inch in diameter and about 10 feet long that is part of the lower gastrointestinal tract. It is located just inferior to the stomach and takes up most of the space in the abdominal cavity. The entire small intestine is coiled like a hose and the inside surface is full of many ridges and folds. These folds are used to maximize the digestion of food and absorption of nutrients. By the time food leaves the small intestine, around 90% of all nutrients have been extracted from the food that entered it.

Liver and Gallbladder

The liver is a roughly triangular accessory organ of the digestive system located to the right of the stomach, just inferior to the diaphragm and superior to the small intestine. The liver weighs about 3 pounds and is the second largest organ in the body.

The liver has many different functions in the body, but the main function of the liver in digestion is the production of bile and its secretion into the small intestine. The gallbladder is a small, pear-shaped organ located just posterior to the liver. The gallbladder is used to store and recycle excess bile from the small intestine so that it can be reused for the digestion of subsequent meals.

Pancreas

The pancreas is a large gland located just inferior and posterior to the stomach. It is about 6 inches long and shaped like short, lumpy snake with its "head" connected to the duodenum and its "tail" pointing to the left wall of the abdominal cavity. The pancreas secretes digestive enzymes into the small intestine to complete the chemical digestion of foods.

Large Intestine

The large intestine is a long, thick tube about 2.5 inches in diameter and about 5 feet long. It is located just inferior to the stomach and wraps around the superior and lateral border of the small intestine. The large intestine absorbs water and contains many symbiotic bacteria that aid in the breaking down of wastes to extract some small amounts of nutrients. Feces in the large intestine exit the body through the anal canal.

Digestive System Physiology

The digestive system is responsible for taking whole foods and turning them into energy and nutrients to allow the body to function, grow, and repair itself. The six primary processes of the digestive system include:

1. Ingestion of food

2. Secretion of fluids and digestive enzymes

3. Mixing and movement of food and wastes through the body

4. Digestion of food into smaller pieces

5. Absorption of nutrients

6. Excretion of wastes

The first function of the digestive system is ingestion, or the intake of food. The mouth is responsible for this function, as it is the orifice through which all food enters the body. The mouth and stomach are also responsible for the storage of food as it is waiting to be digested. This storage capacity allows the body to eat only a few times each day and to ingest more food than it can process at one time.

In the course of a day, the digestive system secretes around 7 liters of fluids. These fluids include saliva, mucus, hydrochloric acid, enzymes, and bile. Saliva moistens dry food and contains salivary amylase, a digestive enzyme that begins the digestion of carbohydrates. Mucus serves as a protective barrier and lubricant inside of the GI tract. Hydrochloric acid helps to digest food chemically and protects the body by killing bacteria present in our food. Enzymes are like tiny biochemical machines that disassemble large macromolecules like proteins, carbohydrates, and lipids into their smaller components. Finally, bile is used to emulsify large masses of lipids into tiny globules for easy digestion.

The digestive system uses 3 main processes to move and mix food:

Swallowing. Swallowing is the process of using smooth and skeletal muscles in the mouth, tongue, and pharynx to push food out of the mouth, through the pharynx, and into the esophagus.

Peristalsis. Peristalsis is a muscular wave that travels the length of the GI tract, moving partially digested food a short distance down the tract. It takes many waves of peristalsis for food to travel from the esophagus, through the stomach and intestines, and reach the end of the GI tract.

Segmentation. Segmentation occurs only in the small intestine as short segments of intestine contract like hands squeezing a toothpaste tube. Segmentation helps to increase the absorption of nutrients by mixing food and increasing its contact with the walls of the intestine.

Digestion is the process of turning large pieces of food into its component chemicals. Mechanical digestion is the physical breakdown of large pieces of food into smaller pieces. This mode of digestion begins with the chewing of food by the teeth and is continued through the muscular mixing of food by the stomach and intestines. Bile produced by the liver is also used to mechanically break fats into smaller globules. While food is being mechanically digested it is also being chemically digested as larger and more complex molecules are being broken down into smaller molecules that are easier to absorb. Chemical digestion begins in the mouth with salivary amylase in saliva splitting complex carbohydrates into simple carbohydrates. The enzymes and acid in the stomach continue chemical digestion, but the bulk of chemical digestion takes place in the small intestine thanks to the action of the pancreas. The pancreas secretes an incredibly strong digestive cocktail known as pancreatic juice, which is capable of digesting lipids, carbohydrates, proteins and nucleic acids. By the time food has left the duodenum, it has been reduced to its chemical building blocks-fatty acids, amino acids, monosaccharides, and nucleotides.

Once food has been reduced to its building blocks, it is ready for the body to absorb. Absorption begins in the stomach with simple molecules like water and alcohol being absorbed directly into the bloodstream. Most absorption takes place in the walls of the small intestine, which are densely folded to maximize the surface area in contact with digested food. Small blood and lymphatic vessels in the intestinal wall pick up the molecules and carry them to the rest of the body. The large intestine is also involved in the absorption of water and vitamins B and K before feces leave the body.

The final function of the digestive system is the excretion of waste in a process known as defecation. Defecation removes indigestible substances from the body so that they do not accumulate inside the gut. The timing of defecation is controlled voluntarily by the conscious part of the brain, but must be accomplished on a regular basis to prevent a backup of indigestible materials.

Digestive Disorders

Many diseases and health conditions - such as ulcers, GERD, IBD and celiac disease, just to name a few - lead to dysfunction in our digestive system. Learn about them by visiting our section on digestive diseases and conditions. (Also, now you can test for your genetic risk of acquiring celiac disease - learn more about DNA health testing.)

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Interactive Guide to the Digestive System | Innerbody

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Learn about the digestive system with Innerbody's interactive guide. View detailed diagrams of the stomach, liver, and other digestive organs.

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Diagram of the main organs in the Digestive System

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Diagram of the main organs in the Digestive System

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Human Body Systems Functions Overview: The 11 Champions (Older Video 2016)

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Links to Resources: Significance of Incorporating Classroom Discussions and Debates 

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Links to Resources: Significance of Incorporating Classroom Discussions and Debates 

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Classroom Discussions: Strategies & More

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This peer reviewed paper discuses how teaching and learning argumentation is a valuable tool in the classroom as it facilitates scientific inquiry and literacy.

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Research trends on argumentation in science education: a journal content analysis from 1998–2014 - International Journal of STEM Education

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Background The primary objective of this paper is to provide a review of research on argumentation in science education based on publications from 1998 to 2014 in three science education journals. In recent years, the teaching and learning argumentation (i.e. the coordination of evidence and theory to support or refute an explanatory conclusion, model or prediction) has emerged as a significant educational goal. Argumentation is a critically important discourse process in science and it should be taught and learned in the science classroom as part of scientific inquiry and literacy. Argumentation stresses the evidence-based justification of knowledge claims, and it underpins reasoning across STEM domains. Our aim in this study was to investigate how argumentation has been positioned within the publications of three top academic journals: Science Education, International Journal of Science Education, and Journal of Research in Science Teaching. A methodology for content analysis of the journals is described using quantitative and qualitative techniques. Results One of the contributions of our analysis is the illustration that researchers studying argumentation from a linguistic perspective have been emphasizing related concepts in different ways. While the emphasis has been on discourse and discussion across all journals, the related concepts of talk, conversation, dialogue and negotiation were observed to a lesser extent. Likewise, the fine-level analysis of the key epistemic concepts such as reasoning, evidence and inquiry indicates variation in coverage. Conclusions The findings can provide evidence-based indicators for where more emphasis needs to be placed in future research on argumentation, and in particular they can provide guidelines for journals in soliciting articles that target underemphasized aspects of argumentation in science education.