Cardiac and vascular complications
Cardiac and vascular complications
Paper instructions:
Source Material
The source material is comprised of three websites. Make sure that you read all of the websites and incorporate your understanding of the concepts from each into your essay.
Source Material Resources:
Overview – A brief summary of the disorder.
URL – http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marfan_syndrome
National Marfan Foundation – This website covers Marfan in detail on all biological levels. Take advantage of their links to lean more.
URL – http://www.marfan.org/nmf/index.jsp
Cardiac and vascular complications – This site has some nice diagrams and descriptions of the main cause of death in Marfan’s syndrome.
URL – http://www.clevelandclinic.org/heartcenter/pub/guide/disease/aorta_marfan/marfan.htm
Keep these in mind as you study the source material:
1. What is Marfan syndrome?
2. What causes Marfan syndrome and how does that initial problem cascade into the symptoms? (include the symptoms and how they tie to the original issue)
3. Why is genetic testing not feasible presently?
4. How and why does the condition impact the physiology of the cardiac and vascular systems?
5. Is there a cure? a treatment(s)? if so, please detail how they address the original cause and/or the cascade of events that has gone awry.
6. Pull in some of the themes we have discussed…emergent properties, integrated systems, biological levels, etc…
Write a 200 – 2000 word essay that discusses Marfan syndrome on several biological levels and integrates several biological themes. Make sure to include the cardiac and vascular issues these patients face. Incorporate all of the guiding questions in your essay. Your goal should be to demonstrate your comprehension of the topics in your own words (quotes are inadvisable as they demonstrate the author’s knowledge, not yours).
Be sure that you follow the Student Instructions and address all of the Guiding Questions, but remember that you are writing an essay that integrates ideas and information. In other words, do not simply provide a series of answers to the Guiding Questions. Internal integrity, organization, and structure to your essay are of vital importance.