BIOL102: Human Biology
Name _________________
Scientific Analysis of Products or Product Claims
(30 points) You are responsible for one of the two assignments. You will complete your analysis
and write a report on your findings, including proper citations from any reference sources used.
You can consult with classmates and even work together on the assignment but you are
responsible for your own report.
Assignment 1: Critical Analysis of Advertisement
Assignment 2: Analysis of Energy Drinks
Energy drinks are very popular these days. What ingredients in these drinks provide “biological energy”?
What ingredients are designed to help “body repair”? What about the other ingredients?
1.
2.
3.
Choose an energy drink. Consider the marketing claims for the chosen drink. You can usually
find the marketing claims on the company website. You might want to consider this as you’re
choosing the drink.
Now consider the ingredients in these drinks. Consider the following questions:
A.
What is the biological definition of energy?
B.
What is the nature (sugar, amino acid, vitamin, other) of each ingredient listed on the
can?
C.
What is the physiological role of each ingredient in the human body?
D.
Which ingredients are claimed to provide energy?
E.
Which ingredients are claimed to contribute to body repair (i.e., help build or rebuild
muscle tissue)?
Your task is to research each ingredient found in your chosen drink. Web sources may provide
valuable information, but be critical in their use because many will make unsubstantiated claims.
Two websites that can get you started for basic information are www.chemindustry.com and
www.usda.gov/wps/portal/usdahome (click on the “Food and Nutrition” link). Determine the
chemical structure, the type of chemical each is, and the physiological role played by each
compound. Complete the table below and answer the questions.