Posted by Our steam project covers how hormones exert control over target cells and how feedback within those systems works. We specifically chose to cover cortisol and its long-term effects. We used two separate comics to show this. One comic follows a college student through an average, albeit, stressful day. Their day begins by waking up late and having to rush to their organic chemistry exam. This triggers the release of cortisol. Short term, this is beneficial and helps them get to class in time for their exam. However, as their day continues and they encounter more stressors, “The Stressor” wreaks havoc on their body. The second comic follows the story of “The Stressor,” a molecule of cortisol wreaking havoc on cellopolis. Cellopolis is the student’s internal environment. Each external stressor allows “The Stressor” to grow stronger and cause more damage. At this point, the student is feeling incredibly stressed and their mental health is declining. Despite the damage done by cortisol, the comics do have a happy-ish ending. The student gets a call from their best friend, which cheers them up. Finally, cellopolis has a protagonist, “Serotonin Man.” While serotonin is not released to directly combat the effects of cortisol, it does help to reduce the effects of long-term cortisol exposure. In the end, “The Stressor” wins, but the fight is not over, and “Serotonin Man” lives to fight another day.
