Helps middle school students understand basic scientific principles related to the brain and nervous system. Five lessons examine the structure and specialized regions of the brain, its diverse functions, how the body receives and delivers information through the nervous system, factors that affect learning, and our sense of self. Interactive web activities are included.

This site helps students discover the fundamentals of neurobiology and how drugs change the brain. Among the topics: functions of specific brain areas; anatomy of the neuron; neurotransmission; drug action on neurons; genetic, behavioral, and environmental influences on drug addiction; and addiction as a chronic disease.

This curriculum supplement brings into the classroom new information about some of the exciting medical discoveries being made at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and their effects on public health. This set is being distributed to teachers around the country free of charge by the NIH to improve science literacy and to foster student interest in science. The first three supplements in the series are designed for use in senior high school science classrooms: Emerging and Re-emerging Infectious Diseases (with expertise from the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases); Cell Biology and Cancer (with expertise from the National Cancer Institute); Human Genetic Variation (with expertise from the National Human Genome Research Institute).

provides lessons for learning about the relationship between chemicals in the environment and human health. Topics include the science of toxicology, dose-response relationships, individual susceptibility, risk assessment, and environmental hazards. Students are introduced to the ever-changing nature of our understanding of how chemicals influence the health of living organisms.

This site tells how chemistry and biochemistry are increasing our understanding of human health. Learn how biochemical relays keep our organ systems operating, how food is broken down and used to build tissues and organs, and how tiny biological probes and instruments can track single molecules. Topics in the 60-page booklet include folic acid, sugars and fats, DNA, making medicines, harnessing biology's magic, and more.

This site introduces the work of basic biomedical scientists -- scientists who seek answers to key biological questions like how cells talk to each other, how biological machines fold into their active shapes, and how genes are regulated. Topics include Alzheimer's disease, anthrax, flu vaccines, Nobel Prize winners, and more.

This site helps students understand the basics of scientific inquiry. Lessons progress from what students already know about scientific inquiry, or think they know, toward a more complete and accurate perspective. Activities include distinguishing questions that can be tested by a scientific investigation from those that cannot and participating in a computer-based scientific investigation as members of a fictitious community health department.

This site explores factors associated with disease emergence and re-emergence and considers the human activities that can increase or decrease the likelihood of outbreaks of infectious diseases. Students play the role of epidemiologists looking for clues to solve the case of a mystery disease, watch simulations of herd immunity and the impact of vaccination programs, and assign limited funds to three proposals submitted to address a major infectious disease.

Emerging and Re-emerging Infectious Diseases has two objectives: to introduce students to major concepts related to emerging and re-emerging infectious diseases and to convey to students the relationship between basic biomedical research and the improvement of personal and public health. The improvement of personal and public health is the central mission of the National Institutes of Health, the world's largest organization devoted to biomedical research, and the funding agency for this module.

This site aims to increase student interest and preparation in the environmental health sciences so that they are aware of science career opportunities, and to increase public awareness about the impact of environmental agents on human health so that all citizens can lead healthy and productive lives.

This brochure looks at how genes work, exceptions to Mendel's rules, how DNA gets replicated, genes and disease, current research and recent discoveries, and how applications of genetic research (biotechnology) are being used in agriculture, health, and pharmacogenetics (medicine) to change our world for the better.

This activity helps students learn how audio and visual cues can help communication, how loudness is measured, how changes in the hearing pathway may affect hearing, and how to prevent hearing loss. Animations (under student activities) show an ear hearing the Gettysburg Address in 5 languages, a graphic display of pitch and volume, and how sounds are converted into electrical impulses and sent to the brain.

This curriculum supplement offers activities exploring how genes and the environment influence human diversity, what role DNA sequences play in genetic differences, and more. Students are invited to assume the role of employees at a pharmaceutical company developing new drugs. A game helps show the links between genetic variation, environmental factors, and disease prevention. A family's case study on genetic variation testing exemplifies difficult moral and social questions for society.

This brochure explores the smallest form of life: the cell. Discover what's happening inside your body. See basic structures that let your cells accomplish their tasks. Learn about functions shared by virtually all cells: making fuel and proteins, transporting materials, and disposing of wastes. Find out how cells specialize to get their unique jobs done -- and how cells reproduce, age, and die.

This site explores careers in health and medical sciences. See interviews with more than 70 professionals -- a chemist, dentist, dietician, epidemiologist, lab technologist, medical illustrator, microbiologist, nurse, pharmacist, social worker, veterinarian, and others. Learn what their typical workday involves and why they chose their career. Find out which careers match your interests and skills.

This site provides information about heart, lung, and blood diseases and sleep disorders. Learn how the heart works. Find out about aneurysms, angioplasty, electrocardiograms, heart attacks, high blood pressure, asthma, cystic fibrosis, sickle cell anemia, insomnia, narcolepsy, and more.

This site examines the mouth and its various purposes, different types of teeth and their functions, bacteria that live in the mouth, and the processes of tooth decay and oral disease. The site includes activities and a teachers guide, which are designed for use by elementary school teachers.

Open Wide and Trek Inside has several objectives. The first is to help students understand major concepts related to oral health. By focusing on the science of the oral environment, the module goes beyond the traditional "brushing and flossing" curriculum and presents to students the ways science has helped people understand how to take proper care of their mouths and the structures within.

The second objective of the module is to engage students in the nature of science through inquiry. As students ask and answer questions about their mouths, they model the process scientists use to find out more about the natural world.

Science plays an important role in assisting individuals as they make choices about enhancing personal and public health. In this module, students see that science provides evidence that can be used to support ways of understanding and treating oral health and disease. Because the mission of the National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research is to improve and promote craniofacial, oral, and dental health, the Institute believes that education provides one context in which it can fulfill its mission. The lessons in this module encourage students to think about the relationships among knowledge, choice, behavior, and enhanced human health in this way:

* knowledge (what is known and not known) + choice = power

* power + behavior = enhanced human health

An additional objective of this module is to encourage students to think in terms of these relationships now and as they grow older, and to use their knowledge of the oral environment to affect positive behaviors that enhance their oral health.

This site helps us strive toward energy balance. Lessons and activities reveal what energy is, how our bodies use it, how we spend our time, how serving sizes on food labels compare with the amounts of food we eat, and how many calories are associated with various foods. Students analyze data and design experiments to learn how genetics, food availability, and exercise affect weight changes in mice.