Biology is designed for multi-semester biology courses for science majors. It is grounded on an evolutionary basis and includes exciting features that highlight careers in the biological sciences and everyday applications of the concepts at hand. To meet the needs of today’s instructors and students, some content has been strategically condensed while maintaining the overall scope and coverage of traditional texts for this course. Instructors can customize the book, adapting it to the approach that works best in their classroom. Biology also includes an innovative art program that incorporates critical thinking and clicker questions to help students understand—and apply—key concepts.

By the end of this section, you will be able to:Describe the symptoms, potential causes, and treatment of several examples of nervous system disorders

Students are introduced to the circulatory system with an emphasis on the blood clotting process, including coagulation and the formation and degradation of polymers through their underlying atomic properties. They learn about the medical emergency of strokes the loss of brain function commonly due to blood clots including various causes and the different effects depending on the brain location, as well as blood clot removal devices designed by biomedical engineers.

What does the brain look like? As engineers, how can we look at neural networks without invasive surgery? In this activity, students design and build neuron models based on observations made while viewing neurons through a microscope. The models are used to explain how each structure of the neuron contributes to the overall function. Students share their models with younger students and explain what a neuron is, its function, and how engineers use their understanding of the neuron to make devices to activate neurons.

Following the steps of the engineering design process and acting as biomedical engineers, student teams use everyday materials to design and develop devices and approaches to unclog blood vessels. Through this open-ended design project, they learn about the circulatory system, biomedical engineering, and conditions that lead to heart attacks and strokes.

This course explores the cognitive and neural processes that support attention, vision, language, motor control, navigation, and memory. It introduces basic neuroanatomy, functional imaging techniques, and behavioral measures of cognition, and discusses methods by which inferences about the brain bases of cognition are made. We consider evidence from patients with neurological diseases (Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, Huntington’s disease, Balint’s syndrome, amnesia, and focal lesions from stroke) and from normal human participants.

This resource is a video abstract of a research paper created by Research Square on behalf of its authors. It provides a synopsis that's easy to understand, and can be used to introduce the topics it covers to students, researchers, and the general public. The video's transcript is also provided in full, with a portion provided below for preview:

"A new study re-examining the validity of a major drug trial might have doctors rethinking how to treat heart attack survivors. Bolstered by the findings of a landmark clinical trial reported in 2015, the blood thinner ticagrelor has been increasingly prescribed by doctors to reduce the risk of heart attack in people with a history of heart problems. Now, researchers from France say those findings don’t apply to all patients who meet the original study’s criteria. That bias could prove critical for prescribers, who may witness more cases of serious bleeding and death among their patients than previously reported. The 2015 drug study, known as the PEGASUS trial, screened heart attack survivors from around the globe. Those selected for the trial had to be at least 65 years old, or at least 50 with diabetes. Results showed that, when combined with aspirin, ticagrelor significantly decreased the risk of stroke or a second heart attack. It did, however, increase the risk of major bleeding..."

The rest of the transcript, along with a link to the research itself, is available on the resource itself.

This resource is a video abstract of a research paper created by Research Square on behalf of its authors. It provides a synopsis that's easy to understand, and can be used to introduce the topics it covers to students, researchers, and the general public. The video's transcript is also provided in full, with a portion provided below for preview:

"Diabetes is a major risk factor for myocardial infarction, stroke, and other cardiovascular diseases. The prime target for reducing cardiovascular risk is low-density lipoprotein, or LDL. LDL cholesterol has been linked to cardiovascular events in patients with type 2 diabetes. While statins have long been the primary treatment for reducing LDL, many patients are unable to reach recommended levels with a statin alone or are unable to take an effective dose. That places them at an especially high risk for cardiovascular disease. Now, a new study reports the efficacy and safety of evolocumab on top of statins in patients with both type 2 diabetes and hyperlipidemia or mixed dyslipidemia. The double-blind, phase 3 trial was conducted in patients from 10 different countries over a treatment period of 12 weeks. More than 980 patients were randomized to one of four subcutaneous treatments: 140 mg of evolocumab every 2 weeks, 420 mg of evolocumab monthly, or placebo at either of those frequencies..."

The rest of the transcript, along with a link to the research itself, is available on the resource itself.

This resource is a video abstract of a research paper created by Research Square on behalf of its authors. It provides a synopsis that's easy to understand, and can be used to introduce the topics it covers to students, researchers, and the general public. The video's transcript is also provided in full, with a portion provided below for preview:

"Stroke is the second leading cause of death and the third leading cause of disability worldwide. Most strokes are classified as ischemic, meaning they involve blockage of blood supply. There are no effective treatments for ischemic stroke or its complications, but several types of cells naturally produce molecules that can help heal ischemic tissue. These molecules are packaged and released within sacs called exosomes that can deliver them to other cells, making exosomes promising targets for stroke therapy. For example, some exosomes can exert anti-inflammatory effects, promote blood vessel formation, and support the development of new neurons. Beneficial exosomes can also suppress cell death and regulate immune responses. Studies on rat and rabbit stroke models have supported the clinical potential of exosomes to promote healing after stroke and a few clinical trials in humans are currently underway..."

The rest of the transcript, along with a link to the research itself, is available on the resource itself.

In this lesson on the brain's neural networks, students investigate the structure and function of the neuron. They discover ways in which engineers apply this knowledge to the development of devices that can activate neurons. After a review of the nervous system specifically its organs, tissue, and specialized cells, called neurons students learn about the parts of the neuron. They explore the cell body, dendrites, axon and axon terminal, and learn how these structures enable neurons to send messages. They learn about the connections between engineering and other fields of study, and the importance of research, as they complete the lesson tasks.

This resource is a video abstract of a research paper created by Research Square on behalf of its authors. It provides a synopsis that's easy to understand, and can be used to introduce the topics it covers to students, researchers, and the general public. The video's transcript is also provided in full, with a portion provided below for preview:

"A recent study published in the journal Oxidative Medicine and Cellular Longevity suggests that the molecule hydrogen sulfide can help mitigate sarcopenia, a disease characterized by decreased muscle loss and function that often leads to disability in patients with diabetes. Type 2 diabetes is one of the biggest health and development challenges of the 21st century. Currently, 366 million people live with type 2 diabetes, and another 280 million are at high risk. By 2030, those numbers are expected to double. Diabetes is characterized by the body’s ineffective use of insulin and largely results from excess body weight and physical inactivity. Several diseases are associated with diabetes, including high blood pressure, heart attack, stroke, and sarcopenia. Sarcopenia is a disease characterized by muscle loss and dysfunction leading to disability in patients with diabetes. It’s well known that the symptoms associated with the development of sarcopenia can potentially be mitigated by hydrogen sulfide..."

The rest of the transcript, along with a link to the research itself, is available on the resource itself.

This resource is a video abstract of a research paper created by Research Square on behalf of its authors. It provides a synopsis that's easy to understand, and can be used to introduce the topics it covers to students, researchers, and the general public. The video's transcript is also provided in full, with a portion provided below for preview:

"A critical cellular process that occurs in the wake of a stroke in mice could hint at how to salvage otherwise compromised brain tissue. Strokes happen when the flow of blood to the brain is blocked, most often by a blood clot in a vessel. This creates two zones of injury: a central core and a radiating penumbra. Deprived of oxygen and glucose, brain cells in the core can die within minutes. Those in the penumbra are not as severely damaged. But if blood flow isn’t re-established within hours, those cells will succumb too. That’s why fast responses to strokes are so important—especially among the elderly, who are less resilient than younger sufferers of stroke. New research shows that that disparity between aged and young brains could be due to differences in calcium ion activity brought on by stroke. After inducing stroke in old and young mice, researchers found that spontaneous calcium activity was reduced in the brains of young mice, whereas it was increased in the brains of old mice..."

The rest of the transcript, along with a link to the research itself, is available on the resource itself.

Students work as biomedical engineers to find liquid solutions that can clear away polyvinyl acetate polymer "blood clots" in model arteries (made of clear, flexible tubing). Teams create samples of the "blood clot" polymer with different concentrations to discover the concentration of the model clot and then test a variety of liquids to determine which most effectively breaks down the model blood clot. Students learn the importance of the testing phase in the engineering design process, because they are only given one chance to present the team's solution and apply it to the model blood clot.

This resource is a video abstract of a research paper created by Research Square on behalf of its authors. It provides a synopsis that's easy to understand, and can be used to introduce the topics it covers to students, researchers, and the general public. The video's transcript is also provided in full, with a portion provided below for preview:

"Oropharyngeal dysphagia is characterized by difficulty swallowing and occurs in about 45% of stroke patients. Thickening agents are one effective way to help patients with dysphagia consume liquids and foods. However, few viscosity levels per study have been assessed, and the optimal levels for patients with oropharyngeal dysphagia have not yet been established. To address that gap, the Physiology Digestive team from the Hospital of Mataró recently tested Nutilis Clear®, a xanthan gum-based thickener, at 7 shear viscosity levels. They looked at the effects of viscosity on the safety, efficacy, and physiology of swallowing in patients with post-stroke oropharyngeal dysphagia. The researchers first provided patients a thin liquid, followed by thickened boluses, from the highest to the lowest. Each bolus was provided in duplicate..."

The rest of the transcript, along with a link to the research itself, is available on the resource itself.

This resource is a video abstract of a research paper created by Research Square on behalf of its authors. It provides a synopsis that's easy to understand, and can be used to introduce the topics it covers to students, researchers, and the general public. The video's transcript is also provided in full, with a portion provided below for preview:

"Direct oral anticoagulants, or DOACs, are prescribed to millions of patients to prevent life-threatening events such as stroke and thromboembolism. However, scenarios such as serious bleeding or the need for an emergent invasive procedure may require active reversal of anticoagulant effects. Two reversal agents are now FDA-approved, but their use in clinical practice is complicated by lack of evidence on their comparative effectiveness with other strategies, cost, availability, and safety concerns. To provide clarity for clinicians, the Anticoagulation Forum, the largest organization of anticoagulant providers, has developed clinical guidance on the use of reversal agents as well as their acquisition and management. This expert guidance is designed to help clinicians and institutions ensure the safe and effective treatment of patients taking anticoagulants. First, and perhaps most importantly, reversal agents should be the last line of defense..."

The rest of the transcript, along with a link to the research itself, is available on the resource itself.

This patient education program explains the rehabilitation options available for people who have had a stroke. Rehabilitation through physical therapy, speech therapy, and occupational therapy may be necessary to improve the functions of the body after a stroke. This is a MedlinePlus Interactive Health Tutorial from the National Library of Medicine, designed and developed by the Patient Education Institute.

Stroke is the third largest cause of death in the UK after heart disease and cancer. It is also the single leading cause of severe disability in the UK. Classification of stroke is crucial in planning treatment and is a good indication of prognosis

This Learning Object helps individuals understand how to make the diagnosis of stroke using the Oxford Stroke classification. It is suitable for any health care professionals involved in the management of stroke but especially doctors and medical students

OBJECTIVES:
* To develop an understanding of the different symptoms and signs seen in stroke
* To be able to classify the type of stroke using the Oxford Stroke classification
* To relate the clinical diagnosis to the likely anatomical lesion and pathology
* To understand the importance of the clinical classification in estimating prognosis

Please note that all persons were filmed with their consent.