Proposal: In this project we will be displaying the growth rate of bones during the aging process and those affected by osteoporoses. By displaying the bone growth we hope to give the general public a model to help understand the process in which the bone develops and how it is affected by disease. The osteoclasts (a cell that destroys bone) and osteoblasts (a cell that repairs bone) are the main factors that affect the development of bones. The bones in adults become brittle because of the lack of flexibility within the bone. When an adult does not consume enough calcium at the point in life when bones are capable of absorbing the nutrients they can develop certain bone diseases such as osteoporoses. In modeling the growth of a healthy bone and a bone with osteoporosis, we can compare the two bones and give the public an idea of a bone structure. We plan on using all available sources such as an anatomy and physiology class which is currently being taken, also many internet sources to find information about the ratio of osteoclasts to osteoblasts in the human body. We will be using Starlogo to model the bone growth process. The cells will be turtles and the patches will represent the actual bone.

Team Members:

Bryn Barley
Andreanna Borrego-Lewis

Sponsoring Teacher: Janet Penevolpe

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