Unit 5 Reflection

This unit was all about the digestive, endocrine and lymphatic system. These specific systems are important for regulating hormones, absorbing nutrients and protecting the body from pathogens. Maintaining wellness is important because nutrients fuel the entire body, and we depend on everything to be functioning properly.

The digestive system is composed of many different organs that work together to digest food, absorb nutrients and expel waste. This is critical for well-being because food fuels our bodies. Food follows a pathway through the body to be thoroughly digested starting at the mouth, pharynx, esophagus, stomach small intestine, large intestine, anal canal, and finally ending at the anus. As food travels, it changes to a bolus and finally chyme, as physical changes such as shape and enzymes and chemical changes like gastric juices occur. Having an unhealthy diet can slow this process and bring problems. Consuming too many trans fats increases the levels of glucagon, and glucagon is in charge of breaking down nutrients. It is very important to be aware of our nutrition, glucose levels must remain normal and too much of one thing and too little of another will upset the balance. Hydration is also very important for proper digestion.

 The goal of metabolism is to generate ATP, which fuels the working cells in the body. Through three stages, large molecules are broken down into smaller ones, which are turned into Acetyl CoA and finally oxidated to generate ATP. It is very important to keep the body fueled, because after 4-5 days without food, our muscles begin to break down adipose tissue for energy. Once this energy runs out, cells must rely on proteins which will slowly begin to break down muscle.
Disorders that can disrupt this working system include two types of Diabetes. Type 1 Diabetes is wehre an individual does not produce any insulin, forcing them to receive it externally through injections and pumps. Insulin is important for the digestive system because it stimulates glycogen synthesis. Type 2 diabetes means that cells are insulin resistant and cannot receive insulin messages. GLUT-4 transporters are dependent on this to mobilize glucose and travel to plasma membranes. I now understand how important exerciese is, because exercise breaks down glucose and allows GLUT-4 transmitters to spread further. Diabetes can be prevented/put off by eating well and exercising while managing blood glucose levels.

The endocrine system balances our bodies hormones psychologically and physiologically. Steroid hormones are lipid soluble and able to pass through cell membranes which can promote protein synthesis. These are a popular drug for athletes especially because it speeds up their metabolism and allows muscle to grow much faster. Nonsteroid hormones on the other hand can not penetrate cell walls and instead react with specific receptors outside of the cell. There are many different glands that work together to stabilize our bodies.

Finally, the lymphatic system is our immune defense barrier that keeps us healthy. It also helps us recover from injury and sickness by producing lymphocytes, specific white blood cells that attack and neutralize pathogens. These travel through lymphatic capillaries and vessels trapping foreign particles along the way. I have been sick for much of this unit, and when I went to the doctor, she examined my lymph nodes for swelling or abnormality which helped to diagnose my illness. She explained that my body is producing excess mucous and coughing to expel the bacteria that is irritating my immune system.

I have found that the importance of exercise has stood out throughout this unit. Anything and everything helps, from yoga to skiing to weight lifting. It promotes leveled hormones which in turn communicate properly with our digestive system. The key to health is balance, which means that all of our bodies systems must communicate properly.

My new years goals thus far have been to squat at 150 Lbs. So far, I have been working on slowly building up muscle with resistance training, and have achieved a squat of 120 Lbs. This is exciting for me, because it is showing how hard work pays off. Being sick, in the past few weeks, I've had to slow down and rest so that my immune system can recover with little stress. I plan on slowly reintroducing heavier weights in the next few weeks.
The second goal I made was to get 8-9 hours of sleep. Unfortunately, I have really been slacking on this one and am not doing a good job at all. I easily get distracted, and night seems to be a more active time for me, I have a difficult time trying to calm down and get ready for bed. It does not help that I am fairly busy and so some of my responsibilities have to be put off until late to accommodate my work schedules. I need to plan my days better so that I give myself a concrete window of time to wind down before bed and fit in that 8-9 hours.