The Biotransmitters - Making Science Fun

A team of Graduate and Undergraduate students from California Lutheran University visit and introduce Middle School children to the profession of Biomedical Engineering through lecture, skits and hands-on experiments.

The presentation focuses first on the anatomy and function of the neuron followed by an activity where students play the part of the neuron in sending signals. Next the volt and its importance in signal transduction is discussed, followed by an activity where the presenters play roles of historical figures who contributed to the development of the prosthesis; including: Herodotus, Ambroise Pare, and Alfred Mann. This section is followed by a discussion of action potentials in their relation to both neurons and how cutting edge prosthetics interpret signals, followed by an activity where two teams of students must compete to reach an action potential first. Lastly, the importance of signal transduction is explained and finally the students are hooked up to an EKG to see signal transduction in action.

Sponsored by the Buenaventura Chapter of the IEEE Engineering in Medicine and Biology Society, the program is designed to generate interest in science, and in particular Biomedical Engineering, as a career profession that is interesting and benefits humanity.