Human Biology & Health Project Ideas

Deep Knee Bends: Measuring Knee Stress with a Mechanical Model
Are you interested in things like prosthetic limbs and artificial joints that can help people with disease or injury to lead a normal life? Or maybe you're interested in sports medicine or physical therapy? Either way, this project could be a good match for you. Find out how the tension on the knee joint changes as a function of angle by building a simple mechanical model. Read more

I See a Full Moon Rising...and Shrinking...or Do I?
Have you ever noticed how the moon appears bigger at the horizon, just as it is rising over the treetops, than it does later in the evening when it is overhead? Actually, the size of the moon does not change, but our perception of its size changes based on where it is in the sky. In this human biology science fair project, you will investigate Emmert's law, which explains the full moon illusion. You will estimate the size of the perceived… Read more

Under Pressure: Does a Child's Blood Pressure Depend on His or Her Age?
Every time you go to the doctor's office, the nurse measures your blood pressure. But why does he or she do this? What does your blood pressure tell your doctor about your health? And what exactly is blood pressure? In this life science project, you will learn about blood pressure and what causes it. You will even learn how to take blood pressure readings. Once you learn this skill, you will test a population of children and determine if… Read more

Fast Food: Can Peppermint Improve Reaction Times?
Did you know that some teachers give their students a peppermint candy on state testing days? Is it to give the kids sweet-smelling breath? Or are the teachers hoping for something more on the important testing day? In this human biology science fair project, you'll explore whether or not peppermint influences scores on different types of tests. Read more

Sucrose & Glucose & Fructose, Oh My! Uncovering Hidden Sugar in Your Food
Maple syrup on pancakes, ripe bananas, and soft drinks are all foods that are tasty to us because of the sugar in them. But did you know there are different kinds of sugar? One food can have multiple kinds of sugar in it, and our bodies actually process the different types of sugars differently. In this science project, you will measure the concentration of two sugars, glucose and sucrose, in different foods and investigate how sucrose… Read more