At a party, one of your friends has just revealed that he and his wife are trying to conceive. What do you advise him to avoid at the party?

Question

A.  The loud music
B.  The raw vegetable appetizers
C.  The hot tub
D.  The melted cheese fondue

Clarify Question
What is the key concept addressed by the question?
What type of thinking is required?


Gather Content
What do you already know about spermatogenesis? What other information is related to the question?


Choose Answer
Given what you now know, what information is most likely to produce the correct answer?

Reflect on Process
Did your problem-solving process lead you to the correct answer? If not, where did the process break down or lead you astray? How can you revise your approach to produce a more desirable result?

Answer 1

C.  The hot tub


Clarify Question
What is the key concept addressed by the question?
     · This question is asking about environmental factors that may affect fertility.
What type of thinking is required?
     · Apply level:
       o You are being asked to take what you already know and use, or apply, it to the improvement of fertility based on environmental variables.


Gather Content
What do you already know about spermatogenesis? What other information is related to the question?
     · Sperm develop at an optimal temperature that is a few degrees cooler than the typical human body temperature.
     · Failure to maintain a lower temperature during spermatogenesis leads to impaired sperm.


Choose Answer
Given what you now know, what information is most likely to produce the correct answer?
     · Loud music may have long-term effects on hearing, but its impact on fertility has not been noted.
     · If contaminated with bacterial, raw vegetable appetizers may be dangerous to pregnant women, but would not pose a threat to the fertility of a man.
     · Dairy products are not known to impact fertility.
     · Since sperm develop at an optimal temperature of 34°C, exposure to hotter temperatures can result in disrupted sperm for months.

Reflect on Process
Did your problem-solving process lead you to the correct answer? If not, where did the process break down or lead you astray? How can you revise your approach to produce a more desirable result?
     · Apply level:
       o Answering this question correctly depended on your ability to use spermatogenesis in a new situation. If you got an incorrect answer, did you remember that spermatogenesis must occur in temperatures that are lower than human body temperature, or that warmer temperatures cause defective sperm? Did you have trouble extending the concept of spermatogenesis to determine the correct answer?