Summary
This project can be teacher-directed or student-directed. This unit would be relevant and interesting to high school chemistry students.
Through introductory activities, students are introduced to the concepts of natural products, and the topic is narrowed to urushiols, produced by members of the family Anacardiaceae.
Instruction then travels from the inside out… and back inside again.
First, students examine the origins of the chemicals and their synthesis. They are found in the resin canals of representative plants and are a modified catechol (benzenediol), substituted with varying lengths and saturations of alkyl chains. These chains are synthesized similarly to fatty acids.
Then, the mechanism of transmission is explored, and students learn that the toxin can be transferred through direct or indirect contact with the plant. It is also noted that dead or dry leaves, clothing, and gardening tools can still contain the poison. The presentation then turns inside again - only this time, it is inside the body. Immune response to urushiol is explored, and the resulting allergic reaction is presented in various photos. The reaction has an afferent, efferent, and resolution phase.
Students can then view a presentation about the various effects urushiols have on humans. Demographic information is provided that examines the ages and occupations most likely to react to the chemical. It was found that younger people have a higher percentage of reactivity, and those who spend time in the woods will contract it more often. Particularly interesting is the possibility of firefighters contacting the toxin when inhaling smoke from forest fires. This type of transmission causes severe irritation of respiratory membranes.
An evaluation is provided for students to test their understanding of presented material.
Additional references are provided for further research.
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