Good Health and Well-Being, High School, Human Biology & Health Science Projects (Page 3)

Seasonal Disease Outbreaks

Science Fair Project Idea

Scientific Method

"Flu season" is something we deal with every winter. Cyclical or seasonal outbreaks of an infectious disease can occur for a variety of reasons, such as seasonal changes in host behavior (for example, more people staying indoors), the seasonal abundance of disease carriers (for example, mosquitos), and many others. Another factor that can play a role in cyclical outbreaks occurs when the natural immunity to a disease has a short duration. This enables each individual in the population to… Read more

What’s Your Ideal Walking Speed?

Science Fair Project Idea

Scientific Method

Walking may seem simple, but it is actually a carefully coordinated process involving balance, rhythm, and efficiency. The way we walk—our gait—changes depending on speed. At slower speeds, people tend to take shorter, more careful steps. At faster speeds, stride length usually increases and step frequency (cadence) rises to keep up. Biomechanics researchers study these patterns to understand how speed influences gait mechanics and stability, since walking is one of the most… Read more

Can Your Body Temperature Tell the Time of Day? Find Out with Human Circadian Cycles.

Science Fair Project Idea

Scientific Method

Have you ever had to adjust to a new time zone and noticed that it takes a while before you start to feel normal again? By shifting your sleep and activity schedule, you have altered the pattern of your body's circadian rhythms. Human beings, like many other living things, have a number of internal processes that show a distinct circadian rhythm. The most obvious is our sleep cycle, with activity during the day, followed by sleep during the night. Circadian rhythms have also been demonstrated… Read more

Tracking COVID-19's Genomic and Clinical Evolution

Science Fair Project Idea

Scientific Method

Over time, viruses evolve. Their evolution is influenced by both neutral drift, the natural mutation rate of the virus, and selective pressure from the hosts' immune systems. Scientists study a virus's genomic evolution—the changes at the nucleotide and amino acid level—to better understand how the virus is spreading and the clinical implications. You can use public databases and tools to do the same type of tracking and analysis of COVID-19 that scientists around the world do. … Read more

Blood Sugar Balancing Act: How Exercise Tips the Scales

Science Fair Project Idea

Scientific Method

You are probably very familiar with the fact that over time, exercise changes your muscles, your lungs, your bones, and even your mindset; but did you know it has an immediate effect on your body's biochemistry? You can see this in the amount of glucose (a type of sugar your body uses for fuel) circulating in your blood. Blood glucose levels change as you exercise. For most people, this is not a big deal. But for top-level athletes in the middle of intense exercise (like a marathon), or for… Read more

Heart Rate Recovery Times

Science Fair Project Idea

Scientific Method

Over an average lifetime, the human heart beats more than 2.5 billion times, supplying blood to the entire body. When a person exercises, the heart has to work harder than usual. Have you ever wondered how quickly your heart beats when you exercise, or how long it takes to recover back to its normal rate after you are done exercising? Is the heart rate recovery time faster for people who get regular exercise compared to people who do not? Try out this science project to find out! Read more

How Can Vaccines Be Used to Fight Outbreaks?

Science Fair Project Idea

Scientific Method

Stopping a viral outbreak like COVID-19 takes more than luck, it takes public health tools. Vaccines are considered to be one of the best public health tools, which is why there is often a rush to develop good vaccines for newly discovered viruses, particularly those that have the potential to infect lots of people. Recent examples include COVID-19, Zika virus, and Ebola. If enough people are vaccinated, an effective vaccine can help stop outbreaks or even eradicate (completely get rid of) a… Read more

Model How R naught (R₀) Shapes an Epidemic

Science Fair Project Idea

Scientific Method

Even during a global pandemic like COVID-19, there are differences in how the epidemic unfolds within communities. Some communities see early, large waves of infected individuals, while others see smaller numbers of infections over a longer period of time, and others may not appear to have an epidemic at all. Could R₀ (pronounced R naught), account for some of this variation? R₀, the basic reproduction number of a disease, quantifies how many people, on average, an infected… Read more

Breath of Life: Does Exercise Increase Vital Capacity?

Science Fair Project Idea

Scientific Method

How much air do you think you breathe in when you take a deep breath? Can you increase your lung capacity by exercising regularly? Do athletes have greater lung capacity than non-athletes? This project shows you how you can find out. Read more

Do Stress Management Techniques Work for Different Types of Stressors?

Science Fair Project Idea

Scientific Method

Have you ever noticed that your heart beats faster when you’re nervous before a big event? How and when does your heart rate slow down back to normal? In this science experiment, you will see if you can use different stress reduction techniques (meditation, yoga, breathing techniques) to determine which type works best for different kinds and intensities of stressors (physical or mental). You can also record other physiological measures, such as blood oxygen and blood pressure, to see how… Read more

Good Health and Well-Being, High School, Human Biology & Health Science Projects (36 results)

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