Download Millie Hughes-Fulford: Scientist in Space

Millie Hughes-Fulford: Scientist in Space
A resource for using QUEST video in the classroom
Watch it online http://science.kqed.org/quest/video/millie-hughes-fulford-scientist-in-space/ | 10:11 minutes
QUEST
SUBJECTS
PROGRAM NOTES
Life
Science
Biology
Health
Environment
Earth
Science
Geology
Climate
Weather
Astronomy
Physical
Science
NASA’s space program became a celebrated endeavor during the successful Moon
landing in 1969, but few people link NASA and medical research. At the inception of
NASA’s Apollo Program in the 1960s, scientists discovered a link between gravity and
human health. As the government space program now draws to an end, we go to Marin
County to visit former astronaut Millie Hughes-Fulford, the first female working scientist to
travel into space, still conducting experiments in space to further medical understanding.
In this segment you’ll find…
۞ information on medical experiments done in space.
Physics
Chemistry
Engineering
۞ a description of the immune system and the
importance of T cells.
۞ an explanation of gravity’s influence on the human
immune system.
CA SCIENCE
STANDARDS
Grades 9-12
Physiology (Biology)
9. (e, f) why an individual
with a compromised immune
system (for example, a
person with AIDS) may be
unable to fight off and
survive infections by
microorganisms that are
usually benign; the roles of
phagocytes, B lymphocytes
and T lymphocytes in the
immune system.
TOPIC BACKGROUND
At the time of the first Apollo missions in the 1960s, half the astronauts became ill during
their flight or soon after coming home. Scientists realized that the pull of Earth’s gravity
kept the human body healthy. In a zero gravity environment, the human body
experiences alterations at the cellular level that can lead to changes in muscle tissue and
bone loss. In 1991, molecular biologist Millie Hughes-Fulford was on NASA’s first mission
to conduct medical research in space. She will send her ninth experiment into space in
2012, this time funded privately. She hopes it will help her understand which genes in our
immune system malfunction in the absence of gravity.
T cells, a type of immune system cell, are part of the army that makes up the body’s
defenses. Born in the thymus, T cells activate other immune cells to combat disease.
Their primary function is to regulate the other branches of the immune system in order to
create antibodies, which are proteins that attack foreign invaders. Without healthy T cells,
the body is unable to fight off invaders such as the influenza virus or tuberculosis
bacteria. Scientists are learning that T cells need gravity in order to activate the proper
genes and correctly carry out their critical functions.
Other scientific experiments in space focus on how a zero gravity environment affects
aging and the health of the cardiovascular system. The implications of medical research
in space could be as far-reaching as aiding future astronauts going to more distant
destinations, like Mars. And because this research helps us understand basic
physiological processes, it will likely help those on Earth with health disorders as well.
Additional Resources:
Gladstone Institute of Virology and Immunology at UCSF
http://www.gladstone.ucsf.edu/gladstone/site/givi/
Millie Hughes-Fulford: Scientist in Space Educator Guide
www.kqed.org/quest
PRE-VIEWING
VOCABULARY
Adaptive immunity
part of the immune
system that targets
specific diseasecausing agents and
attempts to destroy
them
Gene
a segment of DNA that
codes for a specific trait
such as eye color
Immuno-suppression
a weakening of the
body’s natural immune
system due to factors
such as aging, disease
or bacteria
Payload specialists
scientists who explore
space and carry out
experiments to further
our understanding of
life on Earth
T cells
white blood cells, or
lymphocytes, that are
central to proper
functioning of the
body’s immune system
Thymus
an immune system
organ near the heart
that manufactures T
cells

How does the immune system work?

What causes an immune system to become compromised?

In what ways might research in space benefit our understanding of human
physiology?
VIEWING FOCUS
NOTE: You may choose to watch the video segment twice with your students: once to
get an overview of the topic and again to focus on facts and draw out opinions.

What is the focus of Hughes-Fulford’s research?

How does gravity affect the immune system?

What are the implications of Hughes-Fulford’s research?

Now that the space shuttle program has ended, what is the future of medical
research conducted in space?
For all media see:
 Segment Summary Student Sheet
http://www.kqed.org/quest/downloads/QUEST_SegSum_StudentSheet.pdf
 Personal Response Student Sheet
http://www.kqed.org/quest/downloads/QUEST_PersResp_StudentSheet.pdf
LESSON PLANS and RESOURCES from QUEST, PBS and NPR
Fighting Back PBS LearningMedia
http://www.pbslearningmedia.org/content/tdc02.sci.life.stru.mumpsweb/
In this interactive feature from the NOVA: Surviving AIDS Web site, students are put in
charge of destroying a virus that is running wild inside a cell. Students learn why invasion
by HIV is unique and devastating.
Immune Cells in Action PBS LearningMedia
http://www.pbslearningmedia.org/content/tdc02.sci.life.stru.immune/
In this video segment from The Secret of Life teaching modules: "Nothing to Sneeze At:
Viruses," watch as a virus attacks a cell and learn how the immune system reacts to this
onslaught.
Bacteria Grown in Space Become More Deadly NPR
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=14653292
In this All Things Considered broadcast, listen to how a study aboard one space
mission showed how spaceflight affects the strength of salmonella, bacteria that cause
food poisoning.
Space Eggs NPR
http://www.npr.org/2011/10/14/141356524/video-pick-space-eggs
Join Don Pettit, a NASA astronaut who has logged nearly six months on the International
Space Station, as he talks to Ira Flatow about spinning eggs in space.
Millie Hughes-Fulford: Scientist in Space Educator Guide
www.kqed.org/quest
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MORE EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES FOR USING QUEST MULTIMEDIA TO
ENHANCE 21st CENTURY SKILLS IN TEACHING AND LEARNING
Why Use Multimedia in Science Education?
http://science.kqed.org/quest/files/downloads/2011/06/QUESTWhyMedia.pdf
 Read about the importance of using multimedia in the 21st century
science classroom.
How to Use Science Media for Teaching and Learning
http://science.kqed.org/quest/files/downloads/2011/06/QUESTMediaTips.pdf
 A collection of tips, activities and handouts to actively engage students
with multimedia.
Science Multimedia Analysis
http://science.kqed.org/quest/files/downloads/2011/06/QUESTMediaAnalysis.
pdf
 Give your students the tools to recognize the purposes and messages of
science multimedia.
Create Online Science Hikes with Google Maps
http://science.kqed.org/quest/files/downloads/2011/06/QUEST_ExplorationCr
eation.pdf
 Do you like the science hike Explorations on the QUEST site? Use this
place-based educational guide to create similar science-based maps with
youth.
Media-Making Toolkit for Science Education
http://science.kqed.org/quest/education/media-making-toolkit/
 Are you interested in integrating media making into your classroom or
science education program? Find instructions, worksheets and rubrics for
implementing simple media-making projects with students.
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UC Berkeley Natural
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