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BIOL121 ASSIGNMENT 3: Written assessment
Scenario: Jordan
Jordan is a 41-year-old male, who has made an appointment to see his GP for his biannual health check. He
tells the doctor that he has been feeling “a bit puffed” walking around the course during his weekly game of
golf and that he seems to be urinating more frequently of late. Jordan reports he has gained nine kilos since
his 30th birthday, and his waist measurement has expanded. He laughs this off as “middle-aged spread” and
says his wife tells him he needs to watch what he eats and drink less alcohol. Jordan works as a software
engineer, which he has been finding very stressful of late, and spends a lot of his time in the office sitting in
front of a computer, snacking on his favourite salt and vinegar chips. Jordan and his wife are keen to start a
family but have not yet been successful in conceiving.
On the advice of his doctor, Jordan has been taking Aspirin in the evenings for the past 18 months to lower
his risk of heart attack.
Physical examination:
Height 174 cm
Weight 94 kg
Appearance Neat appearance, overweight, pale
Temperature 37.1◦C
Blood work Blood type = O+
Blood glucose = 10 mmol/L
Blood Testosterone levels = 154 ng/dL
GnRH = low
BP 155/99 mm Hg
Respiratory rate 19 bpm
Diet Mostly healthy meals. Snacks on high
fat & sugar, processed foods. Heavy
alcohol consumption.
Past patient history Ex-smoker. Regular check-ups every six
months. Cholesterol levels have been
high at the last three check-ups. Takes
Aspirin in the evenings. Appendix
emoved 5 years ago.
Social status Lives with his wife and mother-in-law.
Sexually active.
Urinalysis:
Blood -
Bilirubin -
Urobilinogen 0.1 mg/dL
Ketone -
Protein -
Nitrite -
Glucose ++
pH 6
Specific Gravity 1.035
Leukocytes -
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All topics and their key points listed below must be discussed in your essay
Topic 1: Reproduction (10 marks total)
Jordan and his wife are keen to start a family but have had no success so far. Considering Jordan’s blood test
esults, indicate whether there is need for further investigation. Your discussion should include the
homeostatic regulation of male reproductive physiology and the relevant glands, cells, and hormones. (10
marks)
Topic 2: Renal (5 marks total)
Evaluate Jordan’s urinalysis. Using your knowledge of normal kidney function and urine formation, explain
any abnormal values, and the possible underlying mechanisms. (5 marks)
Topic 3: Digestion/metabolism (8 marks total)
After speaking to his doctor, Jordan has decided to try to lose weight. He has decided to cut out fat and
cheese from his diet and has moved to lactose-free skim milk but has not changed his ca
ohydrate intake.
Discuss the mechanical and chemical events required for Jordan to abso
the ingested ca
ohydrates. (4.5
marks)
Jordan is having a TV dinner and enjoying his high ca
ohydrate/low fat meal. State the hormone that is
MOST active in maintaining Jordan’s blood glucose levels at this time. Explain your answer XXXXXXXXXXmarks)
Topic 4: Pharmacology (7 marks total)
Under the advice of his doctor, Jordan has taken a low dose, enteric-coated Aspirin tablet each evening for
the past 18 months.
Discuss the route of administration, where the drug is likely to be abso
ed after administration, and its
likely bioavailability. Justify your response by discussing whether the drug would be subjected to hepatic first
pass. (4 marks)
Discuss the importance of the half-life of a drug. Assuming there is 100% absorption, and the half-life of
Aspirin is 3 hours, calculate the % of drug that is likely to be present in Jordan’s blood after 15 hours. (3
marks)
Exemplar Case Study: Frank
Frank is a 72-year-old male, who has been living alone since his partner died 2 years ago. He has come to
see his GP today because five days ago he sustained a large gash in his left palm when he was pruning his
oses without wearing gardening gloves. Frank explains that when it happened, he just wiped the wound
with his hanky until it stopped bleeding, and then continued working in the garden without gloves on. Since
then, his left hand has been thro
ing with pain and appears red and swollen. Even though he did
eventually put a Band-Aid on it, it’s still sore to touch and a sticky white substance keeps seeping from the
wound. Frank has also discovered a small lump in his left armpit which wasn’t there before.
Frank’s GP confirms the lump through palpation and suspects a swollen lymph node but writes him a
efe
al for an ultrasound just to be sure. She also informs Frank that he is due for his biennial routine
lood test and requests one for him, including a complete blood count. The GP prescribes Frank with some
antibiotics and schedules another appointment with him one week later.
Physical examination:
Height 178 cm
Weight 70 kg
Appearance Clean, dry skin, thin, significant muscle
wastage
Temperature 37.9◦C
Blood work Blood type = A+
RBC count = 5.8 million cells/µL
WBC count = 12,000 cells/µL
Platelet count = 450,000/µL
HR 80 bpm
BP 130/86 mm Hg
Respiratory rate 22 bpm
Diet Low fi
e, high fat
Past patient history Mobility issues due to osteoarthritis,
has been hypertensive for many years,
aspirin in morning. Previous history of
hepatitis.
Social status Living at home, lonely, widower
Urinalysis:
Blood -
Bilirubin -
Urobilinogen 0.1
Ketone +++
Protein +
Nitrite -
Glucose +
pH 6.0
Specific Gravity 1.015
Leucocytes +
Exemplar
• This exemplar is intended to help you better understand how to answer the guiding questions in an
essay format.
• The case study and guiding questions are representative. Do NOT submit an essay on this case
study.
• It is not a complete essay, nor is it referenced as the focus is on guiding you on HOW to answer the
questions and incorporate appropriate case study data.
• The essay that you submit will need to be suitably referenced to achieve high marks. Please refer to
the Academic Skills Unit and ACU Li
ary APA 7 referencing resources for appropriate guidance on
APA referencing requirements.
• Although these are adequate and appropriate answers, they are not perfect, so consider whether
the question has been answered, whether the answers link to the information provided in this case
study, where it would be appropriate to include in-text referencing, and whether the writing is
concise and clear.
Guiding Questions
Question 1 (8 marks total)
A. Using your knowledge of body defences, relate the signs and symptoms experienced by Frank to
the lines of defence employed, the relevant immune cells and the roles they play. (6 marks)
B. With reference to Frank’s scenario, choose two components from the ‘chain of infection’ and
describe how they could have been implemented/altered to avoid this outcome/prevent future
spread of infection. (2 marks)
Question 2 (8 marks total)
The time a
ives for Frank’s follow-up appointment. It’s a hot day and Frank is walking
iskly to catch the
us. When he gets to the bus stop, he is relieved to find he has a few minutes to spare. While he waits for
the bus, Frank uses his hanky to wipe sweat from his forehead.
Explain the homeostatic mechanisms taking place in Frank’s body. Your answer should include discussion
on the components of the feedback loop, the roles they play and an explanation of the type of feedback
demonstrated in this scenario. (8 marks)
https:
leo.acu.edu.au/mod
ook/view.php?id=1888106&chapterid=116998
https:
libguides.acu.edu.au
eferencing/apa7
Frank, a 72-year-old male, has presented to his GP complaining of a wound on his left hand, which he
sustained whilst gardening, and a lump in his left armpit. Upon examination, it is clear Frank’s wound has
ecome infected and his doctor suspects this is the cause of the swollen lymph node in his armpit. In this
essay, we will explore the normal anatomy and physiology of the immune system, specifically the body
defences, and we will discuss the role of homeostasis relevant to Frank’s scenario.
Our immune system exists to protect us from disease-causing pathogens arising from the external
environment. We have three lines of defence, each with its own aims and mechanisms employed to help us
fight off disease. The first line of defence includes healthy, intact skin and aims to deny pathogens entry by
creating a physical and chemical ba
ier between our internal and external environments. Frank’s first line
of defence was
eached when he cut his palm and a portal of entry was created. Frank explains that,
instead of immediately washing and covering the wound (to flush out potential pathogens and prevent
further entry), he continued to work in his garden which is likely the reason his wound became infected.
In future, wearing gardening gloves would help maintain Frank’s physical ba
iers by protecting against
further cuts and lacerations. To support Frank’s immune system in eliminating the infection, his GP has
prescribed a course of antibiotics (medication which targets bacterial infections). By taking the antibiotics,
Frank is eliminating the pathogenic agent from the chain of infection and thereby preventing its further
spread.
There are numerous signs that Frank’s second line of defence, which utilises phagocytic white blood cells,
has also been engaged. The swelling, redness and pain experienced by Frank in his left hand are all signs of
inflammation, a process which serves to increase blood flow to the injured site so that more white blood
cells and proteins can be delivered to fight off infection. Frank also has a fever (37.9◦C). Elevated
temperatures within fe
ile range helps to reduce the infectious potential of pathogens by inhibiting their
eplication and stimulating the innate and adaptive (third line) immune responses. Finally, we see that
Frank’s white blood cell count is elevated above normal, and the wound is producing pus. Phagocytes such
as neutrophils and macrophages engulf and destroy pathogens, cellular de
is