Leptin Larry!

By:

Story: Steve is having lunch and is filling up quickly. Leptin Larry (The Player) must make his way to the brain to let Steve know he is full.

Objectives: Get Leptin to Steve's brain to let Steve know he is full!

Audience: Children to young adults

Team members: Ethan Eastwood and Michael Rutherford

Health lesson: What makes you hungry? It’s actually specific cells in your brain that tell you to eat and not to. Now these cells don’t turn off by themselves. They require Leptin, which will be absorbed into a hunger cell and turn it on and off depending on whether it is a “hungry” or an “I’m full” cell.

Some facts about Leptin:

1. Found in 1994 by Jeffrey M. Friedman at Rockfeller university.

2. Leptin is a hormone released from fat tissue in your body.

3. Leptin was found by testing on obese lab mice!

Picture of an actual Leptin cell:

Site used: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leptin