Bio 10 Lab Report (Homeostasis)

RESEARCH QUESTION:
What effect does body mass index(BMI) of a female student at JIS between the ages of 15-16.5 have on
homeostatic response to exercise stress (as measured by score on the Harvard Step Test) when they have
similar meat consumption(meal/week) and hours of sleep(hours/night)?

BACKGROUND INFORMATION:
Homeostasis is the process of changes to your internal environment that allow your body to maintain balance
regardless of the external environment(a state of balance). There are two types of feedback mechanisms:
positive feedback and negative feedback. Positive feedback is a response against equilibrium. It enhances
fluctuations. Negative feedback is a response to a change in a factor that seeks to counteract that change. it's
a response to reduce the fluctuations(Towards equilibrium). One example of negative feedback is exercise
body temperature. The typical body temperature is 98.6 degrees F, therefore your body will try to cool down
if it gets over that. When you exercise, you create heat, and when your body detects that your temperature is
increasing it will trigger the body to perspire so that you can cool down . (“Negative Feedback Loops during
Exercise: How They Affect Heart Rate and Blood Pressure”). feedback, and control are all necessary for
homeostasis to occur. Homeostatic regulation involves both physiological and behavioral responses. For
example when it is hot a behavioral response would be fanning yourself or panting and a physiological
response is sweating (Libretti and Puckett). Enzymes are proteins that catalyze (fasten) important chemical
processes within the organism. Enzymes can only work well in a narrow set of circumstances, such as a
specific pH and temperature. The enzymes are unable to operate if any circumstances are outside of their
particular range. This may result in the organism's death. Homeostasis is based on automated control
mechanisms such as nerve responses (nervous system) or chemical responses (nervous system) (endocrine
system). (“Homeostasis - Why Do We Need to Maintain a Constant Internal Environment? - OCR 21C -
GCSE Combined Science Revision - OCR 21st Century - BBC Bitesize”).
The Harvard step test was developed by Lucien Brouha in 1942. It is also known as the Brouha Test
in scientific literature, is a sort of cardiac stress test used to identify and diagnose cardiovascular disease
(Wikipedia Contributors). The Harvard step test is a test that shows your aerobic fitness and your recovery
rate after a hard workout. It is calculated using your heart rate. There is a website where you submit your
different heart rates and then it will manually calculate your Harvard step test score. To calculate it yourself
all you have to do is divide 3000(your time in seconds((5minutes*60) = 300 * 100) by your three different
heart rates(bpm)( heart rate 1 minute after the test, heart rate 2 minute after the test and your heart rate 3 min
after the test). You can do the Harvard step test anywhere because it requires little to no equipment at any
time. The Harvard step test is when the test subject continually walks up and off of a step in a two second
cycle. The steps should be around 41-50 cm. You do 30 steps per minute for five minutes(which means in
total you do 150 steps) or until tiredness is reached. The metronome is playing to guarantee the correct pace.
Exhaustion occurs when the individual can no longer maintain the stepping rate.(Wikipedia Contributors).
BMI is a measurement of body fat and a reliable indicator of your patients' risk of illnesses associated
with being overweight or obese. The optimal body weight in proportion to height is regarded as a healthy
weight for adults. According to NIH “People who are overweight (BMI of 25–29.9) have too much body
weight for their height. People who are obese (BMI of 30 or above) almost always have a large amount of
body fat in relation to their height”(“Body Mass Index, BMI Calculator, Healthy BMI”)The BMI is
calculated by dividing a person's weight in kilograms by the square of their height in meters(kg/m^2). BMI is
a simple and economical way of determining weight categories such as underweight, healthy weight,
overweight, and obesity. The accuracy of BMI as a measure of body fatness appears to be higher in those
who have both a high BMI and a high body fatness. While a person with a very high BMI is extremely likely
to have a lot of body fat, a person with a reasonably high BMI might have a lot of body fat or a lot of lean
body mass (muscle and bone). To assess an individual's health state and dangers, a skilled healthcare
professional should conduct proper health evaluations.
Independent Variable
Body mass index (±0.01kg)
Dependent Variable
The harvard step test (± 1 step)
Controlled Variable
Gender (female)
Age (15 - 16.5 years) (± 0.1 month)
Hours of sleep ( 5-8 hours) (±1 hour)
Meat consumption (3-9) (meals/week) (± )
Height (155 - 175 cm) (±0.01cm)
Warm up time (5 minutes)(±1 minute)
weight (kg)
BMI calculation:
height ¿ ¿
Both your weight and your height affect the
Harvard step test score.
The Harvard step test is a test that shows your
aerobic fitness. It is calculated using your heart
rate. Weight is one of the many factors that can
affect your Harvard step test score.
Gender is one of my controlled variables because
it can affect your fitness level. For the lab I
decided to use females, because supposedly
women process more oxygen than men which
means their heart rates are slower(more fit).
Age is one of my controlled variables because it
can affect your level of fitness. For the lab I
decided to use the data of females between 15-
16.5 because this is the average age for a grade
ten student.
Hours of sleep is one of my controlled variables
because sleep affects energy which can impact
your fitness level. I decided to use the data of
females who sleep between 5-8 hours a night.
Because this is the average sleep a person should
have.
Meat consumption is one of my controlled
variables because it affects your nutrients and
energy which can affect your fitness level. I
decided to use the data between females that eat
3-9 meals of protein a week. This is because the
more meat you eat the more nutrients and
energy you get which will improve your fitness.
Height is another one of my controlled variables
because it can also affect your fitness level.
decided to use the data points of females between
155-175 cm tall. This is because it is the average
height for a tenth grade female.
Before the lab each student had to do a five
 minute warm up. This way you could gradually
raise your heart rate and increase blood flow to
the muscles. This will increase your fitness level
and make it so that your heart rate is lower.

Equipment
● 1 Laptop or phone (to show the video on youtube)
● 1 Stopwatch (±0.005 seconds)
● 1 Step with a height of cm (±1cm)

Procedure
1. Create a safe environment and use appropriate clothes and shoes to prevent injuries.
Make sure you are hydrated before starting the exoeriment.
2. By using a stopwatch place two fingers on your neck to record your resting heart rate
3. Start your stopwatch and count your pluses for 15 seconds and then press stop.
4. Multiply your number of pulses by 4 so that it will be BPM(beats per minute)
5. After that you will warm up for exactly 5 minutes by watching a video on youtube by
Juice & Toya this will help prevent any injuries.
6. Go on google and search up metronome and set it to 120bpm(±1bpm) this way you can
keep a consistent pace while listening to it.
7. Search for a step that is about cm tall (±1cm)
8. Play the metronome and start the stopwatch(±0.005 seconds)
9. By listening to the metronome move one foot for each beat(up up down down), allowing
you to step on and off the step at a rate of one step every two seconds.
10. While you are stepping up and down, take more notice of how you're feeling, such as a
rise in temperature or a change in your breathing.
11. Repeat step numbers 8 and 9 till your stopwatch reaches 5 minutes(stop your
stopwatch).
12. After 1 minute measure your heart rate (±1bpm)again by placing two fingers onto your
neck(index and pointer finger) and starting your stopwatch.
13. Stop your stopwatch after fifteen seconds and multiply it by 4 to get BPM(beat per
minute) and then write down your heart rate.
14. Repeat steps 11 and 12 after each minute for the next three minutes. This means that by
the end of the lab you will have 4 different heart rates(resting heart rate, heart rate 1
minute after the test, heart rate 2 minutes after the test and your heart rate 3 minutes after
the test).
15. Type all your heart rates into the Harvard step test calculator to get your score.

Safety in the procedure:

Safety precaution Why is it a precaution?

Warm up The students are requaired to warm up for 5

minutes. This is to ensure that none of the
 students get injured. It will also prevent
cramps and soreness for after you complete
the experiment.

Environment The usage of flat surfaces will help to limit the

risk of injury to individuals who utilize them.
Prior to the exam, the investigator must
identify a ledge for the participant/student.
The flat surface of the ledge is ideal for
stepping up and down.

Clothing and shoes It is suggested that the students wear

appropriate shoes and clothes to prevent
injuries.

Health If any students are already injured or sick

they should not be allowed to participate in
the experiment. This will help prevent injuries
and more.

RAW DATA COLLECTION:

The weight, height, body mass index, gender, age, hours of sleep per night, meat consumption and the
Harvard step test results on students.
DV: The
Harvard Step
IV: Height Body mass CV: CV: Hours of CV: Meat Test Score.(±
IV: Weight (cm) index Gender(femal CV: Age (± sleep/night Consumption 1 step)
(±0.01kg) (±0.01cm) (±0.1kg/m2) e) 0.1 month) (±1 hour) (meals/week)
50.0 160.0 19.5 Female 15.6 7-8 7-8 84
49.0 164.0 18.2 Female 16.0 6-7 7-8 92
43.0 160.0 16.8 Female 15.0 6-7 5-6 78
43.5 159.0 17.2 Female 16 5-6 7-8 66
51.0 160.0 19.9 Female 16.0 7-8 9-10 87
46.5 161.0 17.9 Female 16.3 4-5 9-10 77
48.5 162.0 18.5 Female 16.0 5-6 7-8 107
68.0 175.0 22.2 Female 15.0 6-7 3-4 129
44.0 164.0 16.4 Female 16.3 5-6 9-10 66
60.0 157.0 24.3 Female 16.0 7-8 5-6 69
58.0 174.0 19.2 Female 16.0 7-8 7-8 83
50.0 165.0 18.4 Female 16.0 4-5 9-10 67
48.0 162.0 18.3 Female 15.3 4-5 3-4 109
45.7 159.0 18.1 Female 16.0 6-7 3-4 375
50.3 168.0 17,8 Female 15.1 5-6 3-4 75
55.0 166.0 20 Female 16.5 5-6 5-6 66
 47.7 164.0 17.7 Female 15.1 6-7 5-6 75
45.8 161.0 17.7 Female 16.3 4-5 3-4 88
56.0 171.0 19.2 Female 16.0 6-7 3-4 68
41.5 156.0 17.1 Female 16.4 6-7 3-4 64
49.8 157.0 20.2 Female 16.0 6-7 3-4 70
84.0 169.0 29.4 Female 15.5 4-5 7-8 79
55.9 158.0 22.4 Female 15.0 6-7 3-4 93
59.0 173.0 19.7 Female 16.0 7-8 3-4 135
42.7 148.0 19.5 Female 15.0 6-7 9-10 83
49.2 160.8 19 Female 16.5 6-7 3-4 95
51.0 169.0 17.9 Female 15.7 6-7 3-4 83
53.0 164.8 19.5 Female 16.2 4-5 7-8 97
51.0 171.0 17.4 Female 15.0 6-7 5-6 94

This graph shows the unprocessed data of bothe the Harvard step test and the body mass index.
You can see in the graph that the trendline slope is negative. The R value for this graph is really
low which means that there is minimal correlation.

Qualitative: Observations before, during and after the experiment.

 Before During After

- My resting heart rate - While I was - My face was red and I

was 72 BPM (beats exercinging I noticed a could see that I was
per minute) change in my sweating.
- My breathing is breathing. I was - My heart rate
normal.(not breathing breathing a lot faster gradually decreased.
too much or too less) than I usually do. It returned to normal
- I am hydrated and - I noticed that my after about 4 minutes.
energized because I heart rate was - My breathing slowed
ate something before increasing because I down while I was
taking the test. felt it through my cooling down and
chest(pounding) returned back to
- I felt a lot hotter than normal after about 2
I did in the beginning minutes.
of the experiment. I - I am a kinda thirsty
was starting to sweat.
- After a couple minutes
my legs(thighs, calves)
started to get sore.
- When I was starting to
sweat(physiological
response) I would
either use my hand to
wipe it off or fan
myself(behavioral
response).

DATA PROCESSING:Processed data table showing the relationship between the Body Mass Index
range(±0.1kg/m2) and the Harvard step test score on a female student(aged between 15-16.5).
Body Index Mass (BIM) Average Harvard Step Test Standard Deviation (±0.01)
(±0.1kg/m2) (AHST) (± 1 step)

16.4 - 17.7 73.8 11.4

17.7 - 18.2 131.7 119.4

18.3 - 19.2 88.2 18.5

19.5 - 20 92.0 23.3

20.2 - 29.4 88.0 24.9

Data Interpretation:
This graph shows that there is a negative correlation meaning that as the body mass index increases the
Harvard step test score decreases(physical fitness). The R2 value for my graph is 0.007 signifying that the
correlation is very weak. A R2 value close to 1 indicates a significant negative or positive correlation.
Implying that the data collected in the graph is very close to the line of best fit. However since my R2 is
really small this shows that it was far away from my line of best fit and that my independent variable didn't
really have much effect on the dependent variable. In my graph you can see that the bar for the 17.7-18.2
BMI is a lot bigger than the other bars indicating that there is an outlier in my data. In the processed data
table you can see that one of my standard deviations is almost 5 times bigger than the rest of the standard
deviation which also shows that there is an outlier(outliers) in my datal. The outlier in the data was a lot
bigger than the rest which means that the person has a really good fitness level. My processed data is very
unreliable because it keeps going up and down which shows that there is minimal correlation. My average
Harvard step test score is 94 which means that your cardiac fitness is really good. Any number above 90 for
the Harvard step test is considered ‘olympic’ level of fitness. The average body mass index is 19.3kg/m2
which is above average for a 15-16.5 year old female. The average body mass index for a 15-16.5 year old
female is 16.8 - 17.2kg/m2. Overall, the data analysis reveals that the body mass index and the Harvard step
test have very little correlation.

Sample calculations:
 Calculation Formula Sample calculation

Beats per minute pluses counted in 15 seconds * 4 = 18 * 4 = 72bpm

(resting heart rate) BPM(beats per minute) My resting heart rate = 72bpm
(beats per minute)

Harvard step test time of exercise∈seconds∗100 30000

=70.7
calculation (mine) bpm pulse(1)+ bpm pulse(2)+ bpm pulse(3) (184+ 140+100)
=HSTS(harvard step test score) 30000
= =70.7
424
HSTS = ~71

Average harvard step test total ∑ of all the numbers Average=

(16.4 - 17.7) Average = 66+78+64 +66+94 +75
number of items∈the set =73.8
6

Standard Deviation = 11.4

(16.4 - 17.7)

CONCLUSION:
The data in this experiment shows that as the body mass index increases the Harvard step test decreases(level
of fitness decreases). The body mass index for 15-16.5 year old females had little effect on the homeostasis
measured by the Harvard step test. This is evident because the r2 value is 0.007 which is very small meaning
that there is minimula correlation between the two variables and that my data does not fit my line of best fit.
This shows that my data is inconclusive and that there is no definite result.
The girls' being insecure of their own height and weight could have altered the results of the BMI. Due to
peer pressure, several individuals may have claimed lower weights and greater heights. Because of this the
BMI would have been completely wrong meaning that all my data is wrong and unreliable because then you
can not actually see how the BMI affects your Harvard step test score.Another possible mistake was the
outlier. The highest achievable Harvard step test score is 200. This means that the outlier has the fitness level
of an olympic athlete. This is impossible because 15-16.5 year old females are not in the same fitness group
as an olympian athlete. Due to that outlier this means that my data is unreliable.
The environment of the experiment is also another big factor that could have affected the results. The
experiment was carried out in many different settings, some at school and some at home. The people at
school were required to wear masks, this would make it harder to breathe while doing the experiment which
could have increased your heart rate affecting your Harvard step test score. The people at school were also
required to go outside to do the experiment as opposed to the people at home who did it in their house with
the air conditioner. The temperature outside is a lot more hot than inside which could have increased your
heart rate, affecting your Harvard step test score. Overall, my data is very unreliable and according to my
data the body mass index does not really have much of an effect on your Harvard step test score meaning that
the data is inconclusive.

Explanation:
The Harvard step test findings indicated no association between the BMI and the outcomes of 10th grade
females between the age of 15-16.5 at JIS. According to the national library of medicine “Several studies
have reported that higher BMI is associated with reduced levels of physical performance”(Shen et al.) This
means that my data is wrong and unreliable because it does not show that in the graph. According to the data
above there is not one single person who was in the obesity range. When I am exercising my body
temperature would increase from energy loss, the thermoreceptors(sensor) would then detect the change in
temperature and send a signal to the sweat glands(effector). The Sweat is secreted as a response. This
perspiration gradually evaporates from the skin's surface, thereby lowering body temperature.
Weighing more can increase your body temperature, blood pressure and respiration. These are all factors that
can affect homeostasis when exercising. As we gain weight our metabolism gets faster and our body
temperature increases which will increase our homeostatic response and our heart rate which will affect your
Harvard step test score.

EVALUATION:
Describe the strength of the experimental or Impact on Results/Data (how did it improve/support
procedural design. reliability/precision/accuracy

The calculator for the harvard step test The Harvard step test results were derived using a
website. Since everyone used the same website the
Harvard Step Test results should be exact and
precise because everyone used the same calculator.

Gender and age range All the participants were female and in between the
age of 15-16.5. This helps my data be more accurate
because the people will have similar responses and
results.

Describe the Impact on Results/Data Relevant improvement to these

limitation/error/weakness of the limitations/errors/weaknesses
experimental or procedural with specific detail.
design.

Falsely recording your weight and Students may record their height
height and weight incorrectly, resulting
in an unrealistic or inaccurate
BMI. This might have an impact
on the data analysis.
Have someone take all the
participants height and weight in
the experiment this way no one
accidently makes a mistake when
they are submitting their data.

Environment The experiment was carried out in Make sure every student does the
a variety of settings, some of experiment in the same place so
which were at school and others that the results will be more
at home. The people at school accurate.
 would have to wear a mask which
could affect their heart rate
impacting their Harvard step test
score.

The height of the step
The students have stairs with Have every student participating
different heights. This means that in the experiment use the same
some students would be working step so that they are all working at
at a higher intensity than other the same intensity
students since there stair is higher
than the other which could affect
their heart rate and harvard step
test results.

BMI formula inaccurate
Because the body mass index This will cause your data to be
formula does not take into unreliable and will decrease your
consideration body fat proportion BMI.
or distribution, it is not an
accurate predictor of health. This
means that the BMI in your lab is
inaccurate.

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