What Are the Health Effects from Exposure to Carbon Monoxide?
CO Lesson 2 CARBON MONOXIDE: LESSON TWO What are the Health Effects from Exposure to Carbon Monoxide? LESSON SUMMARY Carbon monoxide (CO) is an odorless, tasteless, colorless and nonirritating Grade Level: 9 – 12 gas that is impossible to detect by an exposed person. CO is produced by the Subject(s) Addressed: incomplete combustion of carbon-based fuels, including gas, wood, oil and Science, Biology coal. Exposure to CO is the leading cause of fatal poisonings in the United Class Time: 1 Period States and many other countries. When inhaled, CO is readily absorbed from the lungs into the bloodstream, where it binds tightly to hemoglobin in the Inquiry Category: Guided place of oxygen. CORE UNDERSTANDING/OBJECTIVES By the end of this lesson, students will have a basic understanding of the physiological mechanisms underlying CO toxicity. For specific learning and standards addressed, please see pages 30 and 31. MATERIALS INCORPORATION OF TECHNOLOGY Computer and/or projector with video capabilities INDIAN EDUCATION FOR ALL Fires utilizing carbon-based fuels, such as wood, produce carbon monoxide as a dangerous byproduct when the combustion is incomplete. Fire was important for the survival of early Native American tribes. The traditional teepees were well designed with sophisticated airflow patterns, enabling fires to be contained within the shelter while minimizing carbon monoxide exposure. However, fire was used for purposes other than just heat and cooking. According to the historian Henry Lewis, Native Americans used fire to aid in hunting, crop management, insect collection, warfare and many other activities. Today, fire is used to heat rocks used in sweat lodges.
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