Why Is Evolution Important Now? Disease Prevention

On February 27, students read an article, MRSA and The Science Classroom, and answered the questions that go with the article.  The article can be accessed online at:
http://www.nsta.org/publications/news/story.aspx?id=54441
Students also started a hands-on genetics activity where they are creating a karyotype of male and female chromosomes.

MRSA and the Science Classroom Article
Reading Questions

1. Where can “staph” bacteria be found (be detailed and specific)?


2. How are “staph” infections spread?


3. The initials MRSA are shorthand for the name ___________________.


4. Explain how MRSA became resistant to methicillin.


5. How many people died in 2005 because of MRSA infections?


6. Why is MRSA now recognized to be a widespread community health problem?


7. How many student deaths from MRSA occurred in 2007?


8. If MRSA is not identified and treated early, what can happen during the course of the infection?



9. Jim Henson (creator of the Muppets) died of MRSA pneumonia. Name an actor who died from a MRSA infection.


10. Draw the shape of Staphylococcus aureus and tell what classification group of bacteria to which it belongs.

More information about antibiotic resistance can be found on my previous post. 
Update in the news: Delaware woman treated for rare antibiotic-resistance infection:
http://www.delawareonline.com/article/20100415/HEALTH/4150342/1113/Delaware-woman-treated-for-rare-antibiotic-resistant-infection
Posters about MRSA can be found here:
http://www.cdc.gov/mrsa/library/posters.html

For more reasons to understand evolution, the following posts also address the question: Why is Evolution Important Now?

 Why Is Evolution Important Now? Understanding Extinction and Our Environment
http://cavalierscience.blogspot.com/2009/03/why-is-evolution-important-now.html

Why Is Evolution Important Now? Disease Prevention
http://cavalierscience.blogspot.com/2009/02/why-is-evolution-important-now-disease.html

Why Is Evolution Important Now? Antibiotic Resistance
http://cavalierscience.blogspot.com/2009/02/why-is-evolutions-important-now.html

Why Is Evolution Important Now? Understanding Diseases and Food Production
http://cavalierscience.blogspot.com/2009/02/why-is-evolution-important-now.html

Why Is Evolution Important Now? Understanding Predation
http://cavalierscience.blogspot.com/2010/07/why-is-evolution-important-now.html

Why Is Evolution Important Now?  Battling the Bedbug Epidemic and Cockroach avoidance of bait - Pesticide Resistance
http://cavalierscience.blogspot.com/2011/03/why-is-evolution-important-now-battling.html


If you find a link on my blog that does not work, please let my know by leaving a comment.  I would like to keep my blog up-to-date and relevant.

Why Is Evolution Important Now? Understanding Diseases and Food Production

Students watched a video titled: Why Is Evolution Important Now? This video is available to watch online at: http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/evolution/educators/teachstuds/svideos.html
Students also watched video clips about Debie's story, which is on a CD-ROM on infectious diseases, which can be obtained from NIH teaching materials.  You can also access the videos online and watch them if you have Quick Time player. 
http://science.education.nih.gov/supplements/nih1/diseases/activities/activity3_debi-story.htm

Students read an article about Bananas to learn about a reason: Why Evolution is Important Now. The article was published in the News Journal, Wilmington, Delaware on December 9, 2005, and is titled: In 10 years, banana you love might be no more.
As an alternative article, students can read the following articles (links below), or any article of a similar nature. Students were to write 30 facts, in complete sentences, on loose leaf and hand in. One of the sentences students were to find, in the News Journal article, was the sentence that contained the word "Darwinian." Students can probably find similar references to evolution in the online articles.
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/06/18/opinion/18koeppel.html?pagewanted=all
http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qn4158/is_20080522/ai_n25445685?tag=content;col1
http://www.fruitguys.com/news/000213.shtml
http://www.newscientist.com/article/mg17723784.800-going-bananas.html
http://www.popsci.com/scitech/article/2008-06/can-fruit-be-saved?single-page-view=true
https://www.wired.com/2017/03/humans-made-banana-perfect-soon-itll-gone/

A breakthrough-the approval of the first genetically modified bananas that are resistant to the fungus that has put the Cavendish variety banana on the road to extinction.

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2024-02-16/australia-approves-first-genetically-modified-banana-panama-tr4/103476986?utm_campaign=abc_news_web&utm_content=link&utm_medium=content_shared&utm_source=abc_news_web


Did you know that the pecan is the only major nut tree that is native to North America?  Understanding evolution is important in the production of our food crops.
http://www.ilovepecans.org/history.html

Here is a book and a blog that explain how understanding evolution can improve agriculture:
Denison, R. Ford. 2012. Darwinian Agriculture, How Understanding Evolution Can Improve Agriculture. 272 pages. Princeton University Press, New Jersey.  http://press.princeton.edu/titles/9777.html    The book is also available as an e-book.
Here is the Darwinian Agriculture blog: http://blog.lib.umn.edu/denis036/darwinianagriculture/

News about the Global Seed Vault
http://www.usnews.com/news/world/articles/2015/10/19/syrian-seeds-withdrawn-from-arctic-doomsday-vault

Interesting Book for Discussions

Pollan, Michael. 2006. The Omnivore’s Dilemma: A National History of Four Meals. 450 pages. Penguin.  Also available as an ebook.

For more reasons to understand evolution, the following posts also address the question: Why is Evolution Important Now?

 Why Is Evolution Important Now? Understanding Extinction and Our Environment
http://cavalierscience.blogspot.com/2009/03/why-is-evolution-important-now.html

Why Is Evolution Important Now? Disease Prevention
http://cavalierscience.blogspot.com/2009/02/why-is-evolution-important-now-disease.html

Why Is Evolution Important Now? Antibiotic Resistance
http://cavalierscience.blogspot.com/2009/02/why-is-evolutions-important-now.html

Why Is Evolution Important Now? Understanding Predation
http://cavalierscience.blogspot.com/2010/07/why-is-evolution-important-now.html

Why Is Evolution Important Now?  Battling the Bedbug Epidemic and Cockroach avoidance of bait - Pesticide Resistance
http://cavalierscience.blogspot.com/2011/03/why-is-evolution-important-now-battling.html