Friday. Dec 14

1. This week I learned that end of course exams are totally stupid. I've also learned about the heart, the anatomy and physiology. Learning about what's going to be on our finals next week was the majority of what I learned during this stressful week.
2. I've completed my Frankenstein essay, and also the majority of The Picture of Dorian Gray. Not to mention the anatomy test on Monday, which I did surprisingly well on. Completing some reviews..actually a lot of reviews were also completed during the course of pre-finals.
3. I plan on finishing this rigorous semester with doing well on these upcoming tests...and of course more reviews. And STUDYING! Ahhh. Which kind of makes me sad because this is the last Friday blog I'll ever write :( I think we are all going to miss this class! (minus the coursework)

https://blsciblogs.baruch.cuny.edu/fro12bwa/2012/11/21/post-3-baruch-life/studying-watercolor1/

Friday Dec. 7

1. This week I completed the edocrine and reproductive systems! Props to us for finishing two chapters in one week... I also finshed the outline for my Frankenstein essay. AND ended yet another chapter in Pre-calculus with a bang (exam). On top of all this, I also studied like crazy for the ACT. You could say it was a productive...stressful week!
2. This upcoming week, I plan on officially ending chapters 9 and 16 with preparing for a test on Monday. Also preparing for the next section ahead in this class as well as Pre-calculus. I also plan on finishing my essay, and reading a few chapters of our most recent novel in English, The Picture of Dorian Gray. Exciting stuff. ALSO preparing for a chemistry and English 3 end of course exam (I will not get into my opinion for these...).
3. I learned about net ionic equations and how to calculate molarity in chemisrty. I also learned about the graphic, painful process of delivering a child (never having kids). Also the anatomy of the different parts of males and females! Fun stuff.


http://www.amazon.com/The-Real-ACT-Prep-Guide/dp/B005SN50C2




http://www.chop.edu/healthinfo/overview-of-labor.html

Stress.

Junior year, in my opinion, could definitely be considered the most stressful year in high school. Tests that decide your future, rigorous schedules, and narrowing down some college decisions. Especially in society today, stress can be harmful, even deadly! According to the video we watched today, 40,000 heart attacks were recorded to have been triggered by stress. Once again.... mind blown.

Short term stress can actually help you be more efficient and productive... but to a point.  

Long term stress can cause build up in arteries, causing cardiovascular problems. The body's natural healing process is also affected by long term stress and can also cause a weak immune system. Along with being prone to sickness and risks of heart attacks, stress can cause ulcers, colitis, and problems with the reproductive system. 

So you have stress... and now even more stressed thinking about these dangerous affects. DON'T FEAR. There are multiple ways to deal:

-yoga

-meditation

-deep breathing

- focusing on certain sounds

-more sleep 

My stress reduction method involved deep breaths and stretching. This works for me because oxygen flow to the brain automatically relieves stress and clears your mind. And stretching literally makes my body feel more relaxed. The two combined would be considered yoga I guess which is ideal, and would do more often if I had the time! So breathing and stretching will be my relievers during finals. Bring it. 

Different stretching positions that can help reduce stress.

http://yogabellystudio.com/blog/?p=465

Friday. Nov. 30

1. Well I'm a little late this week because I was in Alberquerque for a cheerleading competition....we took FIRST PLACE :) I'm still quite excited about that so that was probably my biggest accomplishment this week. Along with finishing up the outline for my Frankenstein essay, and studying for that nervous system test  as well as the ACT (which took up most of my time...besides practice)!
2. I learned A LOT about the brain and nervous system in not much time. I've also learned a few test taking tips for the ACT, which I am taking Dec. 8... omg.
3. I plan on really focusing on getting all the notes and work done for this class involving this next section, chapters 9&16 I believe. Considering we have a test on FRIDAY. I also plan on getting more practice ACT tests done, and completing my Frankenstein essay. You could say I have a busy week ahead of me. Good thing we are learning how to reduce stress....

look familiar? 

http://www.intenseintestines.org/2012/01/coping-with-stress-with-an-ibd/

Friday. Nov. 23

1. Well we had two days this week...I suppose I accomplished a lot. On Monday we made a play-doh brain which was surprisngly difficult, but helped to understand the basic anatomy of the brain. But on Tuesday we actually dissected a real brain (well, a sheep brain. but still super cool). I also helped run the talent show and took a test in pre-calculus (officially ending another chapter woo!).
2. I learned what a pons was this week. And a corpus callosum. :)
3. I plan on eating some leftovers, sleeping, and learning more about the brain this week. WOO. Oh and i guess I should read more of Frankenstein.

The cerebellum and the pons are my favorite.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pons

Brain.

So, what does the brain do? There really is no simple answer. But why? Well think about it. There is no one function of the brain; there's many. It does so much it's difficult to grasp. It's complex. it's unique, it's... mysterious. Because even scientists don't know everything about it yet. Information about this complex organ is learned mainly through research of things gone wrong. That sounds strange. However knowing what's malfunctioning in the brain (resulting in diseases), helps understand normal functions. Most people conceive the brain as the "nucleus". In other words most people know that brain as the control center of the body. Perfect gray and white matter that's in charge of everything little thing you do. From blinking to running to talking to learning. It's mind blowing. 

The neurologist in the TED video intimately describes her stroke as an unreal experience. She describes it as an insight to the functions and great control of conscious. A blood clot in her brain results in a stroke that took eight years to recover from. One unexpected blood clot one unexpected morning. One abnormality in one part of the brain effects her perception, information processing, conscious, and more. Well what is actually going on in her brain is probably too complicated for non-neurologists to understand, so she describes in a way that people can connect to emotionally. An surreal experiences that makes everyone look around, and appreciate the complexities of the brain and life in general.  Once again, mind blowing.



http://www.healthcentral.com/ibd/h/stomach-hemorrhage.html


To help understand this mysterious and complex extremities of the thing that controls every movement and thought you make, this is a link to a video of "3 clues to help understand your brain". The neurologist speaking you are familiar with... He is my idol.... Dr. Ramachandran! A slight overview of the video describing diseases we watched.

Friday. Nov. 16

1. So what did I accomplish this week? Well first off, I started to read Frankenstein more intensive and actually get into it a little. I also completed the 3rd chapter in Pre-calc which I will officially finish Tuesday with a test. I also accomplished in introduction to THE BRAIN/nervous system by wacthing a couple very interesting movies and an online lab.
2. I actually learned a lot this week, especially in anatomy. The most interesting things I've learned of course have to do with the brain and what all can go wrong. Diseases such as Phantom limb, blind sight, capgras, and temporal lobe seizures seriously intrigue me. I learned that the brain is such an abstract organ that scientists learn more about it by the things that go wrong inside. I also learned how to dissect a leech.....which will come in handy one day I'm sure. And more importantly  I learned about neurons and how response to stimuli can identify the type of neuron!
3. I plan on learning a lot more about the interesting depths of the brain and all the anatomy and physiology and all that good stuff involved. And also I will learn to dissect the brain! Exciting stuff this week. Hopefully I can handle it.


Soon!
http://brainu.org/sheep-brain-dissection