Juniors Study Endocrine System and Use 3D Printing to Produce Medical Device Prototype
Juniors have been hard at work exploring the form and function of the endocrine system. Like many careers, the endocrine system relies heavily on communication. To explore the depth of this communication, students chose a career that requires extensive communication and developed a comparison between components of that career and components of the endocrine system. As students were exploring the major anatomical parts and their physiological functions, they began asking leading questions about diseases associated with the thyroid and hormone production. This transitioned them into part two of the project: exploring associated diseases and disorders such as diabetes, thyroid cancer, Graves disease, and growth disorders. One of the essential questions asked while investigating a disease is: how do we use our knowledge to develop preventions and/or cures? To begin answering this question, students designed a medical device prototype that would improve the life of an individual diagnosed with their assigned disease/disorder. Their finished prototypes were 3D printed and are now on display along with their product brochures at the High School.
