Mac Walton, Wed, Feb 25th Blog #1 (3/3)

What we did!

1) Quiz on the Eye, Ear, and Brain and people did not do good.
2) Initial lesson on the endocrine system.

3) Mr. Challoner Asked us about what we knew and didn't know about the ES. 

(we didn't know either)

4) We read some articles on stem cell research

5) We learned the main organs of the ES ( I saw a gross picture of a goiter in the textbook)

Thoughts and/or opinions

I felt that the endocrine system was going to be more challenging 'rotha' than as straight forward as the Nervous system. I thought that it was funny how daniel didn't know what he didn't know. I found it interesting to learn that when adrenaline is released from the adrenal gland it is to maintain homeostasis although when it is pumping you seem to be at a heightened alertness and focus.  It makes me wonder what exactly happens to your body when adrenaline is released into the blood stream? 

Bed, Bath and Beyond

Adrenaline looks like that. no joke. go get a microscope. i'm super seriall.

According to wikipedia, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Epinephrine, Epinephrine (Adrenaline) is triggered as a "fight or flight" response from ATCH. It causes a wackload of stuff meaning there are a lot of cells with receptors to this hormone. It boosts the supply of oxygen and glucose in the brain and muscles but suppresses non-emergency systems like the digestive system. It causes the breakdown of fats and glycogen to produce more glucose for even more cellular respiration in the brain and muscles. Your pupils dilate and gives your skeletal muscles more blood flow. A downside of this is that it takes away from your immune system to allow you to fight or flight. most bad ass blog ever.

Hayley Tarnasky, February 25th, 2009, Blog #1, 3/3

What we did today(the rundown):

i) Quiz on the Eye, Ear, and Brain (It was out of 13)

ii) Todays lesson was all about the enodcrine system

iii) We learned a quick acronym- HOTFF( Hormone, Organ, Target, Function, Feedback)

iv) As a class discussed what information we know about the endocrine
What We Knew What We Didn’t Know
Study of Hormones Is the brain involved and if it is, then how?
Maintain homeostasis How does it maintain homeostasis?

Which part of the kidney is used?
What exactly is a hormone?

v) Read article "sex creates brain cells"

vi) Were posed the question: What is prolactin?

vii) Were asked to distinguish between nervous and endocrine system

viii) Went over the learning objectives for the endocrine system( as a side note they are super exciting!!)

ix) Discussed what stem cell research is

x) Were reminded of the nervous system on Friday

xi) What are the types of hormones?

xii) many organs produce more than one hormone

xiii) Main Organs involved in the endocrine system:

• hypothalamus


• pituitary


• thyroid


• parathyroid


• pancreas


• female ovary


• male testes


• adrenal gland

xiv) At that moment the bell rang, and we all rushed into the hallway like fish swimming upstream

Thoughts and Opinions (AKA What really matters):

It was truly amazing how little the overall class knew about the enodrine system, yet we all knew that we had indeed learned about it before. We hadn't necessarily been taught the exact meaning or any of the specifics of the system itself. This suprised me because of the fact that when we looked at a picture of the endocrine system, it is spread throughout our body, and for the majority of the class to not really know what its all about really baffles me. So, the class was very informative in which it not only introduced us to the fact that yes, it is about hormones, but its much more complex and important to our everyday body functions than we truly realize.

So, my question for the day of endocrining is simply this: Which hormone is primarily associated with the adrenal gland?

REACH FOR THE SKY!!!!!!!

Answer: According to the following site, http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/271826/hormone/72735/Hormones-of-the-adrenal-glands, the adrenal gland is primarily associated with the hormone adrenaline which is also commonly known as epinephrine. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adrenaline

Eye Dissection

Febuary 18th 2009
Bio 30
-Blog
-Dissection
-Ns exam next friday
-Brain/Eye/Ear test wed.
-Brian quiz
-intro senses
-Eye

• During this class we reviewed/named the eye parts and did a little review of what we were going to look at while dissecting.
• We talked about the sclera, how tough the outter surface was going to be and what tool we should use while trying to look on the inside, so we chose the scissors because they were the safest choice for what we were going to be doing.
• Then we got all the material out put safety glasses and gloves on and receved our eye.
• Our eye was covered with fat and muscles that had to be taken off before we could try to open up the eye.
• After all the fat and muscles are removed being careful not to cut off the optic nerve we attempted to try and cut into the sclera with our scissors.
• after both of us trying and no success we were told to carefully poke the eye and try and put out scissors into that hole that was created.
• It didn't work the first time but after the second time we finally got the scissors into the small hole that was created.
• We had a work sheet (investigation 46- The eye) that guided us through the dissection and made use think about the eye.
• now looking at both sides of the eye we found the vitreous homour was gell like yet clear. We even turned one of the sides over and found that it didn't come out by it's self.
• then we took the vitreous homour out and found that the lens is extremely hard and quite cloudy, but also we found a greenish blue color around where the retina should have been.
• We all thought that the colored part was the retina but it infact wasn't. we were shown where the retina was, which was bunched up in a ball by the optic nerve/ blind spot.
• we investigate more looking at all the parts of the eye and trying to figure it out. I don't think that we saw the fovea centralis though.
• so after we looked at the eye we had to clean up everything and put the eye's back into the bucket.

Now after everything was cleaned up one of my class mates asked if contact lenses help your eye's, so I did a little research and found that contact lenses are good but also bad for the eye's. In dusty conditions like driving a motor cycle or a bike contact lenses can actually damage your eye's or the contact lenses making it harder to see. long term use of contact lenses can cause an infection. If contacts are used for short periods of time they are good for your eyes if they are cared for properly. (School, marriage, party etc.) This person stated that glasses are better for you if you intend to use then all the time.

Mr. C, Wed, Feb11th Blog #1 (3/3)

What we did today (double block):

• reviewed key points of action potentials and synapses
• Quiz 2 (action potential and synapse)
• discussed organization of PNS (know difference between sympathetic/parasymp nerves of autonomic NS)
• overview of structure CNS
• intro to brain (parts/functions)

Thoughts/Opinions on material:
I find it hard to believe there are billions of neurons in my body all transmitting "messages" in the form of depolarization and neurotransmitter chemicals. Imagining, memories, movement are all due simply to depolarization of neural membranes? Also, it seems like a system that could screw up very easily. M.S., Huntington's disease, Alzheimers are all due to screwups of the NS. I wonder why they're not more common than they are. Neurilema might be the reason: aids in repair of damaged neurons. Finally, I wonder how drugs like crack affect my NS.

Above and Beyond:

This website: http://www.cocaine.org/hardstuf.html claims crack's effects are mainly on the PNS, specifically the sympathetic system ("a rush"). Specifically it affects dopamine (neurotransmitter). It signals release of dopamine, then inhibits reuptake of dopamine into synaptic vessicles, so dopamine remains in the synapses far longer than normal and extends euphoric feelings.