Unit 6 Reflection

In this unit, we learned about the classification of bones, the general anatomy of each type of bone, the functions and dysfunctions of the skeletal system, bone health, and the relationship between: bones, tissue, and joints. Initially, we learned about ossification- the process where the bone is formed- and the many different cells that participate both in the building and destroying of bones. From there we learned about the importance of different vitamins and the affect they have on our bones. Continuing on the theme of bones, we learned that there are four different classifications of the bones- long, short, flat, and irregular. Then we learned the different types of fractures that can range from the bone being totally broken through, to not extending through the bone, to the bone piercing through the skin. After that, we learned how the bone begins to heal itself by inflammation, clots, producing proteins, and then the osteoblasts arrive and begin repairing the bone itself.  After bones, we began to look at joints and how they affect the movement of bones, as well as their different classifications- synarthroses, amphiarthroses, and diarthroses.

I would have loved to learn more about the functions of joints and how they effect the movement of bones. I still have questions about the causes of the different disorders of bones and how they effect the daily lives of those who have them. Second semester, while being closer to the end of the year, I find it easier to stay motivated because there isn't much time left. There are more tests and larger assignments than last semester, so as a result it's harder for me to get a "healthy" amount of sleep each night, and I'm trying to find ways to cope with the stress of the many tests and assignments.

Owl Pellet Lab

We completed a dissection of an owl pellet, identified each bone, reconstructed the skeleton to the best of our capability, and defined what the animal was based on the varying bone shape and size. Once we reconstructed the skeleton, as much as we could, we found that it was once a smaller bird. The evidence that supported this claim was that the animal had a rather large breast bone-which mirrored that of the basic bird skeleton-, and had an elongated femur and leg bones- which eliminated the possibility of it being a smaller rodent.

In comparison to a human skeleton, the bird bones vary in many different ways- both in shape and size. One of the differences is the breast bone. On the bird, the breast bone is more rounded, protrudes from the ribs and spine, and is much longer- as it starts at the cervical spine and ends near the femur. The breast bone on the human, however, is flat and smaller than that of the bird. A second difference would be the size and angle of the talus, as it lies vertical and is much longer than the humans talus- which is small and semi-round. The third difference between the bird and human skeleton is that the curvature of the birds cervical vertebrae is much more drastic than that of the human.
Despite some differences, the human and bird skeleton do have similarities. As the picture above shows, the bird looks as though it is a tiny human skeleton, but once muscle and joints are added into the birds skeleton, the orientation and movement of the bones change. Continuing, the birds pelvis- similar to a humans- is curved and lies at the beginning of the femur. Lastly, many of the bones in the bird-the femur, mandible, and spine- all mirror that of the humans, even though the orientation of the bones change.

Unit 5 Reflection

In this unit, we learned about metabolism, the endocrine system, and the lymphatic system. With metabolism, there are three main states: the fed state, the fasting state, and the starvation state. In the fed state, large molecules are broken down, the small molecules are turned into acetyl coA, and the krebs cycle begins. Sugar is absorbed and the pancreas releases insulin to the body. Moving to the next state, the fasting state, your body begins to break down the glycogen to use for energy; however, if you run out of glycogen, your body then turns to amino acids and triglycerides to turn into glucose so that your body has energy. The last state, the starvation state, occurs after four to five days of not eating. In this state your body begins to turn to other sources as a source for energy, such as adipose tissue and ketone bodies. In the endocrine system, its main functions are to control the process involved in movement and physiological equilibrium and secrete hormones into the blood. The glands in the endocrine system produce hormones that regulate certain parts in the body. For example, the thyroid gland produces the hormone amines, which stimulates and maintains the metabolic processes. The lymphatic systems main functions within the body are: immunity, lipid absorption, and fluid recovery. 
During this unit, I read an article that described how there are three different types of human body types: mesomorphs, athletic builds; endomorphs, "bigger" bodies; and ectomorphs,very thin builds. A lot can effect the "speed" of your metabolism based upon what type of body type an individual may have. Ectomorphs unique build makes them the more likely individuals to have a faster metabolism. These individuals normally have small shoulders and very little muscle mass. Ectomorphs, on the other hand, may have a more difficult time gaining weight and muscle due to their overly fast metabolism. For example of a individuals metabolism could be hyperthyroidism-or a overactive thyroid gland- can potentially be a cause. Other causes can include: "nervousness, fatigue, a rapid heart rate and weight loss are usual signs of hyperthyroidism." Surprisingly, a individual may have a faster metabolism if they smoke, as well as if your body is under stress, this could also speed up your metabolism (http://www.earlytorise.com/fast-metabolism/). I would still like to explore the causes of diabetes and why some individuals have said that it could be hereditary. 
My years goals have been difficult to keep up with, due to the amount of homework, tests, and stress during the semester. I have not been able to balance the work and receive a "healthy" amount of sleep each night; however, I am trying to learn how to balance the work load and keep my sleep debt low. 

The Digestion System Lab Questions

1. Through this activity, it allowed us to be able to visualize how small or large the size of our organs are. Being able to compare the relative size and length of the varying parts of our digestive tract allowed each individual to see how the intestines vary for each person.

DIGESTIVE ORGAN	COLOR and LENGTH (CM)
Mouth	10 centimeters  silver
Esophagus	49 centimeters  gold
Stomach	16.5 centimeters  red
Small Intestine	675 centimeters  white
Large Intestine	168.9 centimeters  green
TOTAL	919.4 centimeters

2. My height is 1.67 meters while my digestive tract is 9.194 meters. This means that my digestive tract is nine times longer than my height. The intestines are folded onto itself and has many ripples reducing its surface area and allows it to fit inside your abdomen. 

3. Depending on what an individual consumes, the time varies. If he or she eats complex proteins, it could take up to eight hours, while water or fruit go much quicker, and leafy greens should take around two to three hours. According to the Mayo Clinic, "Total transit time, from eating to elimination in stool, averaged 53 hours (although that figure is a little overstated, because the markers used by the researchers passed more slowly through the stomach than actual food). The average transit time through just the large intestine (colon) was 40 hours, with significant difference between men and women: 33 hours for men, 47 hours for women." 

4. Digestion breaks down the food that is consumed into smaller pieces, while absorption takes in needed nutrients from the food consumed. Most of the protein digestion occurs in the stomach, and most of the chemical digestion and absorption occurs in the small intestine. 

5. If one organ of the digestion tract shuts down or fails to work, is that fatal to the individual? Can an individual live without any of the digestion tract organs and live a "normal" life?

New Year's SMART Goals

1. Reviewing notes and studying during the duration of the unit, rather than the night before.
Action plan: Rather than rushing to study the night before a test or temp check, after every lecture I will make flashcards of the key questions and the vocabulary in order to start quizzing myself along the way. Being able to quiz myself earlier on and fully learning the information- instead of cramming the night before- will allow me to do improve my scores, can let me stress less, and be able to sleep more.

2. Restart gymnastics and regain my old skills before college.
Action plan: In order to tryout for college cheer there are a list of requirements that an individual needs to have to be able to make the team. After high school cheer is over in the spring, I will be returning to gymnastics in order to regain some of my old tumbling and learn newer skills that will allow me to meet all of the requirements for college cheer. Many of the schools have a tryout date, but since I will still be in school, I will need to submit a video of every requirement that school has. I hope to be able to perfect these newer skills by the earlier months of this year.

Monday Wellness Reflection

When deciding on topics, after yoga was taken, Charlotte and I looked into exercises similar to yoga and discovered that pilates has some similarities in  exercise workouts.  Pilates is a system of exercises using special apparatus, designed to improve physical strength, flexibility, and posture, and enhance mental awareness. Joseph Humbertus Pilates, was born with rickets, asthma, and rheumatic fever in the 1800’s. In 1912, Pilates was jailed as an “enemy alien” and worked as an attendant in a hospital, used bed springs and other equipment as a way to help patients perform body strengthening exercises. There are two different types of pilates: mat-based pilates, exercises that are performed on the floor using gravity and body weight to provide resistance; and equipment-based pilates, which uses specific equipment that works against spring-loaded resistance. A  study in 2004 revealed the many benefits of pilates as a group of 25 people with average blood pressure of 142mmHg (systolic) and 86mmHg (diastolic), participated in yoga for 11 weeks. By the end of the study, the average blood pressure of the group had dropped to 126mmHg (systolic) and 75mmHg (diastolic). Pilates also affects people's sleep patterns and revealed that people who regularly engage in Pilates at least one hour before going to sleep were: “56% more likely to fall asleep in 10 minutes or less; 67% more likely to stay asleep; 78% more likely to awake feeling rested and rejuvenated. The study used a testing group of 15 and a control group of 25.”   In a study by Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise, once completing 36 weeks of Pilates training, “women strengthened their rectus abdominis (the muscle responsible for six-packs) by an average of 21 percent.”

Pilates emphasizes the use of: abdominal, lower back, hips, as well as thigh muscles, it increases lung capacity and circulation through deep breathing; strength and flexibility, especially in the abdomen and back muscles; coordination; balance, core strength and  posture are all increased in addition, and bone density and joint health improve. The exercises performed in class- deep breathing, which encourages full oxygen exchange, slows heartbeat, and can lower blood pressure; standing rotation, that improve movement involving bending forward and backward. The benefits of torso rotational exercises include increased mobility and strengthened obliques; seated knee tucks, works and improves core strength, this improvement to your core helps protect your back from injuries and improves your posture; and superman,targets the glutes and quads, as it lengthens and tones muscles. Our topic was important to health and wellness because this form of exercise improves more than one aspect of the body as it works on multiple mental and physical parts of the body. As well, it does not require a lot of equipment, so it is an easy form of exercise that can be performed. On a scale from 1 to 10, I would rate myself a 9 because I went very in depth with the topic by providing its history and the various ways it improves an individual's health, as well as the exercises themselves were easy to perform in the classroom setting.

Work Cited:

1. http://www.pilatesmethodalliance.org/i4a/pages/index.cfm?pageid=3277
2. http://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/fitness/in-depth/pilates-for-beginners/art-20047673?pg=1
3. http://www.fitnessmagazine.com/workout/pilates/benefits-of-pilates/?page=0
4. http://www.fitnesshealth101.com/fitness/pilates/life
5. http://iml.jou.ufl.edu/projects/Fall04/Hodgkiss/history.html
6. http://hollowlikemysoul.tumblr.com/Exercise
7. https://www.betterhealth.vic.gov.au/health/conditionsandtreatments/pilates-and-yoga-health-benefits
8. http://www.spotebi.com/exercise-guide/seated-knee-tucks/
9. http://www.health.harvard.edu/mind-and-mood/relaxation-techniques-breath-control-helps-quell-errant-stress-response

http://woman.thenest.com/benefits-torso-rotation-exercise-10015.html

Heart Dissection Lab Questions

1. The purpose of the pericardium is that it secretes a fluid that helps lubricate the heart therefore reducing friction.

2. Arteries differ from veins in that veins have thinner walls than arteries because arteries need thicker walls in order to deliver blood to the entire body.

3. The function that the auricle serves is that is increases the capacity of the atrium, which allows the blood it can hold to increase.

4. The auricle, which is an extension of the atrium, is visible on the outside of the heart while the ventricles are not visible until an individual looks inside the heart. Both the left atrium and ventricle has more muscle surrounding it than the right side because it requires more power to pump the blood throughout the entire body. While the right atria receives oxygenated blood, the right ventricle discharges the blood. On the other hand, the left atria receives oxygen rich blood, and the ventricle discharges the blood.

6.  When you cut into cross sections, an individual is able to see the biscuspid valve.

7. The importance of "anchoring" the heart valves by the chordae tendinae and the papillary muscles is that it prevents the back flow of blood within the heart. Both the chordae tendinae and the papillary muscles contract to close the valves and with out either being attached, the valves would not be able to close.

8.  We are seeing inside of the left atrium and then the bicuspid valve, which is held to the walls by the chordinae tendinae and the papillary muscles.

9. The function of the semilunar valves is that it prevents arterial blood from re-entering the heart. It has two different types: the pulmonary semilunar valve and the aortic semilunar valve.

10.
a. There would be swelling in the feet and ankles because the blood that comes from the body enters through the superior and inferior vena cava, and since there is a regurgitation of the blood within the heart, the blood then leaks back into the body and causes swelling.

b. If the problem occurred in the left side, there would be serious complications due to the fact that the individual does not have sufficient oxygen in their blood.

11. We found an opening in the left ventricle, and it was mostly obscured from our view however it has a similar structure to the tricuspid.

12. In the heart, the left and right side differ in that the left side has more muscle because it requires a greater strength to pump the blood to the entire body. While on the right side, it only pumps blood to the lungs making it significantly smaller than the left side of the heart.

13.

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yfhTsnHHMEA