Choosing a Topic (BIOLOGY OF HEALTH AND DISEASE)

For the purposes of this assignment, you may choose one of the following: 

· A Chronic Disease: the term chronic disease for this project is used to describe any condition that persists over a long period of time as a result of lifestyle choice or genetic factors (you will describe which factors are at play).  This can include diseases such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), coronary artery disease (CAD), or any infectious disease whose course is lifelong or for which there is no cure. 

· An Acute Disease: the term acute disease is used to describe any condition whose duration is short.  This can include appendicitis, cholecystitis (inflammation of the gall bladder), nephritis (kidney infection), and any infectious diseases whose course is short or curable, just to name a few.  

· A Condition: the term condition for this project is used to describe a condition that exists now for a patient as a result of an injury or illness.  These can include hemiplegia, quadriplegia, paraplegia, neuropathy, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS, or Lou Gehrig’s Disease), multiple sclerosis (MS), or others.

There is no limit or restriction on the disease, disorder, or condition you may choose, but it must be subject to significant research so that the rest of your project can be completed.  

To complete this portion of the project, choose a topic and create a Word document with a minimum of 500 words stating:

· the disease, disorder, or condition you chose;

· why it is significant to you;

· why it is significant to the general population- including information such as how many people are affected by the disease annually, does the disease pose a threat to the health of others, are the treatment costs high, does the condition greatly affect quality of life or life expectancy, etc.; and

· the search terms you used to find research that was readily available