Final 20 Time Post

The product me and Taylor have created is a blog with various hiking posts that I am proud of. We organized a clean up and made a real tangible change in our environment so I also consider that a product of our 20 time assignment. We have worked every Monday to type up trail descriptions, hiking info, and trash awareness posts that were focused around the saratoga/Santa Cruz mountains. In our Ted talk we discussed our accomplishments and covered the major aspects of our 20 time process. We covered our setback and goals swell as our own personal stories! I'll link the Ted talk itself at the bottom of this post! It was fun me and Taylor enjoyed telling our class about we had been working on and sharing about all the fun we had. We had a lot to say, and unfortunately we went over the time limit but it's because we wanted to get all our information across. I'm hoping that we can maybe keep with the blog and update it with posts and pictures. I also hope to organize another clean up, even if it's just casual it feels good to help keep the mountains we love clean. The 20 time project taught me how much I value nature and that commitment is hard, but ends up being worth it.

https://m.youtube.com/watchlist=PLXVa0vGCksTaQxb0DUCUENbC9LuWRDKTr&v=NrPiVPu32bM

Your Brain Map

1. The frontal lobes manages your behavior.
2. Selective attention is the ability to focus on specific memories, and more selective attention is best for learning because it helps generate better memory
3. The last part of the brain to develop is the frontal lobe, to keep it healthy focus on reasoning rather than memory.
4. The neo cortex controls your senses, sense of direction, and motor skills.
5. The prefrontal cortex is what determines personality.
6. There is no such thing as multi tasking its just your brain changing tasks very quickly, seeming almost simultaneous
7. Broca's area controls communications like speech and language. If it is damaged, other parts of the brain can work to try take over the damaged areas responsibilities.
8. The somatosensory cortex responds to environmental factors like temperature.
9. The visual cortex corresponds with vision and processes images seen with the eyes. 
10. The occipital lobe manages creativity or imagination. It also understands the difference between short and long term memories.
11. Without the temporal lobe, you would have amnesia and no way to hold onto memories long term.
12. Your 'fast brain' obtains signals and info in milliseconds.
13. Omega-3 fatty acids, socializing, and healthy living (exercise) help for healthy synaptic function.
14. Patterns and memory aids like mnemonic devices help decomplexify dendritic pathways and allow your brain to work/remeber faster.
15. Big picture thinking also simplifies dendritic pathways resulting in faster brain function. 
16. Oxytocin is important because stops the body from over stressing.
17. The corpus callosum holds your left and right hemispheres together.
18. The corpus callosum is made stronger by playing music.
19. The thalamus receives the signals from senses and send them to the cortex to be processed.
Relate and Review!
This homework assignment was a great review. We have covered many of these terms in class already but there were some new ones like oxytocin and the broker's area. The brain is constantly working thats why the idea of multi tasking seems possible because the brain moves that fast. It's important to keep the brain healthy and strong especially during it's development. I learned that the frontal lobe develops last so that is one to focus on. Many of these structures were seen during our brain dissection but it is always nice to reinforce the information. 

Brain Dissection

In this dissection we observed the brain. We first looked at the exterior and identified the major structures. We saw the cerebrum which controls higher brain function, thought and action. We observed the Cerebellum which is more toward the anterior and coordinates and regulates muscular activities. And finally the brain stem, which transports information and signals too and from the brain to the rest of the nervous system. Then we cut through the Corpus callous which holds together the two hemispheres of the brain to see interior structures. We observed what we studied in the eye dissection: the optic nerve. This is the nerve that processes light and signals from the eye. We located the medulla oblongata which controls functions like breathing, swallowing and digestion. It is the center for respiration and circulation. We then found the pons which is near the medulla oblongata on the brain stem. This structure is responsible for managing things like hearing, taste and balance. The hypothalamus was harder to locate but we knew it was the structure where many hormones are created and released into the body. Lastly we saw the midbrain which is the area of the brain that controls temperature regulation, vision and the sleep cycle. These structures and more were discussed in our lectures but it was interesting to visualize all the lobes and actually see the structures we learned about. Finally we cut into the cerebellum and observed the whit and grey matter inside. The grey matter is composed mostly of nerve cell bodies that are not myelinated while white matter is myelinated. White matter affects how the brain learns and functions while the grey matter is involved with processing and cognition. Myelinated fibers in the white matter allow for faster cell/nerve communication and makes signals travel faster than unmyelinated fibers.

Black Pin: anterior 

White pin: posterior

Green pin: Cerebellum

Yellow pin: Cerebrum

Red pin; Brain Stem

Yellow: Thalamus

Green:Optic Nerve

Red: Corpus callosum

Silver: Medulla Oblongata

Black: pons

Blue: Midbrain

White: Hypothalumus 

Grey and White matter in the Cerebellum

Eye Dissection Analysis

From the outside (anterior) in!
From an anterior view of the eye you can see three main things: the cornea, the sclera, and fatty tissues. The fatty tissue supports and cushions the eye. The sclera or "the white of the eye" that acts as a tough protection from injury, and provides attachment for the  muscles that control and move the eye. The cornea is considered the eyes outer most lens and also provides protection,while controlling and focusing the entry of light. Underneath these outer structures lies the: pupil, iris, lens, vitreous humor, ciliary bodies, and suspensory ligaments. The pupil is the focal point of the eye, and the size of the pupil determines how much light is to enter the eye. The iris is the colored part of the eye and it works with the pupil to help control light entry. The lens is like the focus button on a camera, it works to create clear images of objects from various distances. The vitreous humor is the large sack attached to the lens. This gelatinous structure provides shape and size to the eye. The ciliary bodies is a structure in the eye that release  clear liquid called the aqueous humor. The suspensory muscles connect to ciliary muscle and help shape the lens and hold it in place. Then theres the retina: a thin layer of tissue on the back of the eye. The retina is where light is received and transformed into signals for the brain which creates the image. Then there is also the blindspot which is where the optic nerve reaches the inside of the eye. This tiny area does cannot be seen but humans make up for it with their other eyes. Then, finally, there is the optic nerve which is where all nerve signals are received from the retina and transmitted to the brain for imaging. Lots of terms that can be visualized below!
Looking through the back of the eye to see the thin opening in the center or the pupil

the retina and blindspot of the left and the vitreous humor on the right

the lens attached to the vitreous humor!

Clay Brain

IN this activity my lab group created two clay models of the brain. On the left it is a side view and on the right it is a view of the outside! We named various lobes and structures that can be seen on our labels and through our key!

Hole in the Brain

The article, "The Woman with a Hole in Her Brain", describes a rare condition found in a 24 year old woman where the individual was missing a part of her brain: her entire cerebellum. She never knew she was missing her cerebellum until a CAT scan made it perfectly clear. As a child she struggled with learning to walk and talk and developed these skills later than most children. The cerebellum is the known as the "little brain" and contains 50 percent of the brains total neurons and controls voluntary movement and balance, which explains the poor coordination during the woman's childhood. This woman case, though rare and slightly confusing, shows how adaptable the brain is as an organ and how people can evolve to survive. 

Missing parietal lobe?

The parietal lobe is responsible for processing many sensory details. The parietal lobe is where things like, touch, taste, and temperature are handled. The parietal lobe is also responsible for things like spacial sense and navigation. If someones parietal lobe was somehow damaged or lost all together, the individual would be lacking in many sensory areas. The individual would likely not be able to sense or feel anything in terms of touch and the person would struggles to feel temperature. I don't see how survival would be possible for an infant who couldn't process touch but the chance that the individual could live still exist. 

Unit 7 Reflection

In unit 7 we learned about the anatomy and physiology of muscles. We explored the different variations of movement that our muscles allow for, and described and demonstrated the terminology in front of the class in dance form. We learned about the different classifications for muscles, like size, shape, and function. We dived into the microscopic anatomy of muscles in our muscle contraction, stop motion skit which I will post below this very post. These different types of activities were not only fun but helpful in memorizing the information learned in class and helpful reinforcing what we learn for homework. We lectured on the affects of performance enhancers on muscles and the people who use them. We went into detail on the different types of muscle twitches and what kind of actions they help perform. One of my favorite readings was the reading no stretching, because it highlighted the importance of stretching for keeping healthy muscles and opened my eyes to the fact that I need to stretch more. We also kept up with our 20 time which has been fun because me and taylor have come across all sorts of weird and interesting creatures and plants on our hikes and are really enjoying the fitness aspect. We dissected full chickens which was interesting because a lot of the chickens anatomy is comparable to the anatomy of a human. This unit overall involves lots of details so studying for the test will probably be rigorous but the activities and labs we've done will help keep the information locked in my brain.

Link to muscle contraction stop motion skit

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fNMQfa-OCI0&feature=youtu.be

Performance Enhancing Substances Advertisement

Here me and aaron tried to be punny by using a picture of an egg yolk to describe working out to get "yolked". In the upper the upper left hand corner you see a photo of what creatine companies WANT you to think happens to your body during consumption, when in reality the disclaimer describes otherwise. Performance enhancing drugs are not only harmful to the body but many of them are illegal. Although Creatine is available for purchase at many stores, it's important to make sure the brand you buy from is regulated by the Food and Drug Administration, because if it is not, it could contain contaminates or ever toxins!

Chicken Dissection

In this dissection, we examined a whole chicken carcass, to observe the mechanics and placement of various muscles. We started by skinning the chicken and cut through the breasts to view the pectoralis majors and minor. In comparison to humans, the chickens had much bigger pectoralis majors because of their genetic engineering that makes them prime for consumption. These muscles pull the chicken's wings up and down . There were also shiny white tissues at the ends of these muscles, which were tendons, and connect the muscle to the bone. After that we dissected the wings which consisted of many muscles and had a surprising amount of yellow tissue, or fat. We saw some similarity between the chickens anatomy and human anatomy here, for example: the deltoid muscle on both humans and chickens is on the top center of the shoulder and helps raise the arm in humans and the wing of a bird. We then located the flexor carpi ulnaris and the brachioradialis, which are the largest muscles on the birds lower wings. These muscles control movement of the thumb and hand. Finally we moved to the legs and thighs of the chicken. The thighs were very large compared to humans and had lots of muscle tissue. We identified the gluts, quads, and other muscles like the gastrocnemius, which is the primary of the dorsal side of the "drumstick". this muscle attaches to the Achilles tendon than wraps around the foot and helps extend the foot and flex the leg. Throughout the lab we were identifying each and every muscle assigned and pinning them with label as you can see in my photos. We then cleaned up and took notes of our findings which I've transferred onto this post!

What happens When You Stretch?

"Another reason for holding a stretch for a prolonged period of time is to allow this lengthening reaction to occur,"

This quote demonstrate how, in order to get the most out of your stretches, the positions need to be held for extended periods. If a person does not hold a stretch long enough it does not allow for the lengthening action to occur and the muscle will not be stretched to it's full potential. This quote stood out to me because often time holding stretches can be challenging or uncomfortable but it is important to power through to get the best results. 

"Hence when you stretch, the muscle fiber is pulled out to its full length sarcomere by sarcomere, and then the connective tissue takes up the remaining slack. When this occurs, it helps to realign any disorganized fibers"

When stretching, muscle fibers extend and realigns to maximized postions. Each sarcomere is lengthened which call for increased blood flow to the muscle tissues and can help prevent tears or injuries in sed muscle. Stretching is important down to a microscopic level in order to prime muscles and get them in the best working condition and positions they can be in. 

"When the muscle is stretched, so is the muscle spindle (see section Proprioceptors). The muscle spindle records the change in length (and how fast) and sends signals to the spine which convey this information."

This information is stored and remembered as to help trigger more accurate relax response in the future. The muscle spindle notices the change in the newly stretched muscle and logs this information into the spine, which helps the body update and understand it's limitations. Without this response the body would probably be unaware of the benefits of a stretched muscle. This quote is amazing because it shows how intricate and complex ever microscopic part of the human anatomy is. 

Relate and Review

When a muscle is being stretched, every tiny part is involved. Each individual sarcomere is stretched and its surrounding connective tissue has to pick up the lost slack. The body is rapidly sending signals through the muscle spindle to the spinal cord to help the body have better response to it's new limitations. Stretching is vital for healthy, well circulated muscles and proper stretching technique should be executed. Soft yet tension evoking stretches should be held for extended periods of time to help optimize results and to help avoid muscle related injuries. Stretch reflexes are the bodies reaction to stretches that appear to be harmful or too jarring, and they cause muscles to contract when the body believes its reached its limit. All these tiny reactions are implemented so that the body can function safely and so each muscle isn't over stretched or or extended. 

Unit 6 Reflection

This unit was all about bones: the skeletal system, joints, remodeling and repair. We discussed all the different types of bones and how they are categorized or grouped. We learned about the different types of bones, the different classifications and functionalities. We took the things we learned through podcasts and lectures and applied them to a lab we preformed with owl pellets. We compared the animal bones found in the pellet to the human bones we studied. The lab showed us how such different organism can have similar fundamentals which encourages the idea of evolution. We got into groups and focus in on particular group of bones that form a joint. I had the shoulder and got to investigate on how its function and form is different from other joints. We learned about bone remodeling and how it relates to the various bone disorders like osteoporosis and scoliosis. Once again women seem to have been handed the shorter stick in the health arena by have "naturally less bone mass/density" which is irritating because a common trend I'm seeing develop in this class is that somehow women are just wired to be weaker and more susceptible to certain things than men, which is something that confuses me quite often. Im did well with temp checks and homework this unit and managed to incorporate the new load of 20 Time work that has been impressed on me which is good and relates to my new years resolution of staying on top of my work and staying progressive. This unit was hard because its often difficult to memorize all the bones and all the different names for different aspects but it was overall a very interesting and work filled unit.

Photo from Owl Pellet Lab

Owl Pellet Lab

During the owl pellet lab, my partner and I took apart and owl pellet to try and figure out what animal the owl had ingested according to the bones we would identify. We started by taking it apart and extracting all bones. We proceeded to sort them into piles: long, small, vertebrae, and we separated the skull and mandible. We then measure the bongs and compared our measurement with the measurements given to us in our lab handout. Based on the evidence we collected, my partner and I came to the conclusion that the animal in our owl pellet was a vole. Evidence supporting our claim came from the owl packet which stated that the the average length of a vole's skull was 25 mm and the average width was 20 mm. Our data showed that the skull we possessed had a length of 26 mm and a width of 19 mm, which supports my claim. Also the skull we had possessed eye socket that were deep and had complete circles of bone around them which was identical to the picture of the vole skull in our owl pellet. These similarities in skull size and eye socket shapes show that the animal in our pellet was likely a vole because our data matches up with the average data provided in our owl packet. Differences between vole skeletons and human skeletons include the fact that voles have tails, and therefore have special bones suited to create that appendage that humans don't have. The voles tibia's also seemed to be larger than that of a humans when u compare it to the size of the voles fibula, maybe due to the positioning of their bodies when they move. Another difference is in the skull of the vole, where the head is longer horizontally than that of a humans and has a single large tooth at the front of the head followed by other teeth further back in the mouth, humans teeth are all close and don't have this same kind of separation. Similarities include the varying sizes of vertebrae which are seen in both voles and humans, and the similar make up of hands and feet (carpals, then metacarpals etc). Another similarity is in the number of ribs which was equal in both voles and humans.

Unit 5 Reflection

In this unit we studied the digestive, endocrine and lymphatic systems as well as fuel metabolism and diabetes. We started with the digestive system and learned abut how all the various organs function to maximize absorption to get optimal energy from the food we ingest. We did a lab that highlighted the length of our digestive systems and showed us that they stretched nearly all the way across the classroom. We then had a lecture on fuel metabolism which described the phases that occur before and after eating: the fed, the fasting, and the starvation phases. This was particularly interesting for me because it really applies to the everyday feelings we experience everyday, like hunger, and explains the science behind why we feel that way. We had an entire lecture on diabetes to emphasize how detrimental it can be to a persons health and how important it is to take steps in preventing it. The endocrine and lymphatic systems relate to hormones and how they are formed and what it is that they do. The section on lymph stood out to me because it shows that there is much more than simply blood following in the body. Even though I was absent a few times I'm happy I kept up with my work and notes and am happy I prepared well for the temp checks because I was proud of my scores which makes me feel confident for the upcoming test. All in all, it was a successful unit.

Digestion Lab Questions

In this lab, we measured and represented our digestive systems with ribbon and string, to understand just how long each part is. Once the activity was over we saw how our mock digestive tracts stretched all the way across the classroom, giving us a better sense of its size. After I compared the my height in meters, 1.75, and the length of my digestive system in meters, 9.4, I realized my digestive system was nearly five and a half time longer then the length of my 5'9 body. I think that the system is able to fit in the body by folding itself over and over again. My guess for how long it takes for food to move throughout the entire system is completely random cause I have nothing to reference my answer off of, so I'd say, one day. After I did some research to find the real answer I found it takes from around 24 to 72 hours. Activity levels and types of food influence the digestion time. Digestion is the mechanical and chemical breakdown of food throughout the ailmentary canal while absorption is the process of intaking nutrients and water to help support the body. The small and large intestine is used during absorption and the stomach, mouth and liver are involved in digestion. I question what factors alter digestion in what way? I also wonder what parts of foods are digested and what are absorbed? I want to learn more about the liver and what types of functions it has.
Data Table

Goals

New Semester Goals

My two goals for this semester are quite simple. My first one, which applies to all classes but anatomy in particular, is to construct study guides early in the unit. That way that when it comes time for the test I’m more prepared and don’t have to cram. By doing that I’ll be able to hopefully do better on exams and my grade will improve. My other goal is to balance school and sports in a way that allows me to excel in both fields. With spring training and the SAT coming up there will be lots of things to stay on top of. But I want to be sure that I get lots of sleep and manage both my academics and athletics so I don’t become stressed or overwhelmed.