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.

Yoga and Digestion- Unit 5 Extending Learning

http://www.returnyoga.org/listen-to-the-gut-yoga-of-digestion-and-indigestion/

The article, "Listen to the Gut", by Karin is about the benefits that yoga can bring for individuals who experience digestive problems. She describes how our health is tightly woven with our emotional state Yoga calms the nervous system through meditation and holding poses, which builds strength and flexibility. The nervous system is controlled by the endocrine system, which secretes hormones and enzymes to keep the body chemically balanced. These chemicals, like insulin and glucagon, signal the body to begin or stop digestion. I think it is incredibly interesting how something as simple as holding yoga poses can be so effective in healing. It targets every system of the body to work together, rather than exclusively digestion or muscular regions. Although this could seem controversial to those who primarily believe in pharmaceutical treatment, it is evident that those who practice yoga consistently, overall are much happier and healthier individuals.

Digestive Lab Questions

1. In this lab, I measured different parts of the digestive system relative to my own body. The small intestine is by far the longest component which was demonstrated by the amount of string needed to match its length.
2. The length of my digestive system in total is 8.7 meters, while my height is 1.6 meters. The reason this fits within the abdomen is because it is folded up.
3. I think that it takes about 5 hours to move food through the entire digestive system. In reality, it takes 6 to 8 hours for food to move, this can depend on how much food is consumed.
4. Digestion is breaking food down physically while absorption is the storage and transportation of nutrients. Digestion includes mouth, stomach and small intestine while absorption includes liver, adipose tissue and kidneys.
5. I want to learn about how different foods are absorbed by different organs.

New Years Resolution

1.  To be able to perform squats at 150 Lbs
S. My goal is to increase my squat weight from 100 Lbs to 150 Lbs to improve muscle strength which will benefit me with horseback riding as well
M. Squatting 3 reps at 150 Lbs without excessive assistance
A.  I will make sure to balance my workouts with cardio warm ups and training shoulders, core and back in addition to legs so that squatting will be safe.
R. This is a good time to achieve this goal as right now is the off season for horse back riding competitions, and I need to continue to maintain strength and well being
T. I think that I can accomplish this by beginning of May.

 S. To get 8-9 hours of sleep every night in order to be able to properly function during the day.
 M. Although I will not always get this target goal hours of sleep, I want to average at least 56 hours of sleep per week.
A. I will practice turning my phone off 30 minutes before going to sleep and avoiding all caffeinated drinks during the day. Plan to go to be in bed by 10 PM and wake up at 6:30. Maintain this sleep pattern as often as possible on weekends as well.
R. As a second semester senior, college and the future becomes very stressful and getting sleep is an important part of managing stress.
T. It takes at least 30 days to break a habit, and so by March I want to be able to consistently reach this target goal for sleep.

Unit 4 Reflection

In unit 4, we focused on the integumentary and immune system. The body has many defense and protection mechanisms, and we learned a few of them such as hair, nails, skin and the immune responses. Our skin protects the body from external damage, however with this, comes the possibility of disease and disorders. Cancers, although take long to form, are mutated cells that multiply quickly without containment. These can be deadly if not treated through things like chemotherapy or radiation. In addition, the immune system protects our bodies from foreign particles and pathogens with accessories such as saliva, mucus or the epiglottis. B and T cells divide and differentiate into many other types, and they fight antigens by producing antibodies and attacking invaders. I understand the integumentary system well because it is visible and easier to see with a naked eye. I struggled to grasp the concept of lymphocyte cells because I cannot plainly see them, so it is harder to imagine their purpose. From the debate, I learned the controversy of a legalized organ market both because of  moral conflict and technical difficulties. I had the chance to develop empathy for both sides of the argument, even though I was only debating one of them. I enjoyed working with my group to learn a lot about the different opinions and statistics of legalizing the sales of human organs because it opened my eyes to an idea that I had not previously thought at all about. I want to learn more about how this has been implemented in other countries, and whether or not it is effective to have an open market because my aunt has been on a donor list for years and I can empathize with the painful waiting time.

Preferred Learning Styles
Being a self aware individual, I was not at all surprised by my learning style scores. Scoring 10 for reading, 8 for kinesthetic, 7 for visual and 3 for aural, I have always understood things better by seeing demonstrations  and reading. As I prepare for my upcoming test, I make myself flash cards on quizlet and I also write down short sentences about concepts that I study with and include little doodles to help myself remember. Also, test taking in a quiet environment is important for me so I will utilize my academic accommodations and take the exam at the TLC.

Unit 3 Reflection

In this unit, I learned the importance of the cardiovascular system. There are so many different components that must work together to function properly. Within the sheep heart dissection, I had the chance to see in depth how a heart is constructed, and it was very useful, especially with observing and understanding chordae tendinae and valves. It is not just the heart that makes up the system, but all of the vessels that connect to form a circuit of complex pathways. It is possible to simplify systemic circulation, through models such as the box heart which helps to show the general flow of blood. Self care is very important to maintain cardiovascular health through diet, exercise, sleep, etc. To improve my cardiovascular health, I plan to be more aware of my cholesterol intake and include more cardio workouts into my schedule.

Sheep Heart Dissection Questions

1) The purpose of the pericardium is to cover and protect the heart and retain its structure. It is constructed of a superficial fibrous layer and a deep serous layer that creates a thin membrane.

2) The function of veins and arteries are different, veins carry oxygenated blood, and arteries deoxygenated blood. They are also structurally different: the walls of veins are thinner than those of arteries. Arteries have thick elastic walls that expand when the heart contracts; they cause vasodilation and vasoconstriction.

3) The auricles on either sides of the heart store blood allowing more volume inside the chambers.

4) The atria are superior to the ventricles. The ventricles are bigger chambers, specifically on the right side because it transports blood throughout the body.

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7) Anchroing of the heart valves by the chordate tendinae and papillary muscle is important because it keeps valves tight to prevent blood back flow. If they were not anchored well, the valves would not shut properly.

8) The left atrioventricular valve is held together by string like chordinae tendineae with small tissues at the ends anchoring the valve to the walls. You can see the two valve indents.

9) Semi-lunar valves separate the ventricles from the openings of the aorta.

10) a. If valve disease occurs on the right side of the heart, swelling can result because the right side of the heart transports blood throughout the body.
      b. If the disease occured on the left side of the heart, heart attack can occur because the left side of the heart pumps blood through the heart.

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 Here you can see the chordae tendinae and papillary muscles that anchor the bicuspid valve.

12) The left side of the heart has smaller chambers than the right because its main function is to transport blood through the heart and needs less volume to do so. It transports oxygenated blood and the right pumps deoxygenated.

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