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Abstract
This interrupted case study begins with a woman’s discovery that both she and her husband are carriers for familial dysautonomia (FD), a disease that affects the development and survival of neurons in the autonomic nervous system (ANS). The case covers introductory information on the function and structure of the ANS, but goes beyond simple memorization of neurotransmitters and pathways to help students make connections between the system and a pathology that affects it. The case was originally developed for students in a year-long anatomy and physiology (A&P) course taught at a community college, but it may also be appropriate for first- or second-year university students, students in nursing or other professional programs, and possibly for high school students in honors or advanced placement A&P classes.