Team: 56
School: St. Thomas Aquinas
Area of Science: biology
Interim: Problem definition- Type two diabetes is a serious problem for a lot of people, even people close to me. Type two diabetes is when your body stops using insulin correctly, and you can’t process sugar as well. Some effects of diabetes are heart disease, stroke, and kidney disease. Then there are also eye problems, dental disease, nerve damage, and foot problems. Type two diabetes is a big problem in modern day that needs to be solved.
Problem- If type two diabetes can be understood, then we can learn how to fix most peoples diabetic problems. Using the netlogo blood sugar simulation I can learn how the body will react to different foods and different amounts of exercise. With the original model I will use it as a base for my model. In my blood sugar model I will look closer at how foods like donuts and foods like broccoli will affect a diabetics blood sugar. Learning about diabetes can help scientists to defeat it once and for all.
Progress- I am studying the useage, and functions of the original netlogo simulation on blood sugar. Then I can use the original to make my own simulation on blood sugar. I have also researched different topics and views on blood sugar regulation. In my model I will change some of the variables in the original model. The list below has the variables that control each model.
Original Model
Setup button - keep
Go button - keep
Eat button - (changing into two different buttons one for healthy food and another for sugary foods.)
Follow glucose button - keep
Metabolic rate slider - (changing into an exercise slider.)
Insulin sensitivity slider - keep
Glucose sensitivity slider - keep
Glucagon sensitivity slider - keep
My Model
Setup button
Go button
Follow glucose button
Insulin sensitivity slider
Glucose sensitivity slider
Glucagon sensitivity slider
High carb food button
Low carb food button
Exercise slider
Expected Results- I expect to figure out how to simulate how a type two diabetic can regulate their blood sugar. I also want to simulate what happens in their bodies when they eat, and exercise. I believe that when a diabetic eats sugar it will make their blood sugar levels rise and if they eat healthy then it will keep their blood sugar levels steady. I also think that when a type two diabetic does exercise it will make their blood sugar levels decrease. I also think that when a diabetic eats sugary foods it will take a lot longer for the blood sugar levels to go down than for a regular person. In conclusion, there are a lot of variables to take under consideration and I look forward to seeing how they interact with each other.
Citation- http://www.netlogoweb.org/launch#http://ccl.northwestern.edu/netlogo/models/models/Sample%20Models/Biology/Blood%20Sugar%20Regulation.nlogo, https://www.cdc.gov/diabetes/managing/manage-blood-sugar.html, https://www.hsph.harvard.edu/nutritionsource/carbohydrates/carbohydrates-and-blood-sugar/, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blood_sugar_regulation, https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34959894/, https://www.niddk.nih.gov/health-information/diabetes/overview/what-is-diabetes
Team Members:
Julianna Matthews
Team Members:
Sponsoring Teacher: Eric Vigil