Monday, November 12, 2012

Friday. Nov. 9

1. So this week was very hectic, but somehow I managed to complete the balancing chemical reactions chapter in chemistry with acing test. Finishing my Macbeth essay in English, AND complete the rigorous muscle system ended with the dreaded test.
2. Learning...I did learn this week. I learned the sliding filament theory in detail, MH disease, and how exactly the feeling of "soreness" is created. I also learned how, and all the rules involved in, balancing equations. FUN. Not to mention all the fun facts involved in the physiology of generating ATP for contraction.
3. I plan to learn more about the book we are reading in English, Frankenstein. I also plan to learn a little bit about our next system: the nervous system! (I believe). I really can't wait to learn about the brain and all it's intriguing functions and anatomy. The brain fascinates me :) So yes you can say I am excited for the nervous system.



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



Click to learn more about this book if you are interested...
http://www.amazon.com/Frankenstein-Dover-Thrift-Editions-Shelley/dp/0486282112

Sunday, November 4, 2012

Friday. Nov 2.

1. This week I completed a classification chemical reaction lab in chemistry, all the notes for chapter 6, and also the outline for my Macbeth essay in English! So I guess you could say it was a productive week :)
2. I've learned the anatomy and some physiology of how the muscles move and contract. ALSO that Armstrong was just naturally born with perfectly engineered muscles... efficient ATP use and low lactic acid build up. I had no idea some one could just born as the perfect athlete! Seriously though. I love when we watch those interesting movies in class though.... just saying.
3. This week I plan to focus on understanding the physiology of muscle contraction and finishing "The Book".  Study group for sure. Also to finish the rough draft of my Macbeth essay. AND TO BEAT CRUCES ON FRIDAY!




Inside look of a sacromere showing the protiens myosin and actin involved in contraction.


Anti-dawg day is on Thursday...



citations

Thursday, November 1, 2012

Skeletal muscle.

In reality, no one really knows how complicated the process of simply moving your arm up and down. Garenteed anybody's first time learning about the anatomy of our muscles and the microscopic structures will be mind blown. Imagine we are in the "Magic School Bus" (I always do), and we are in any skeletal muscle in your body. We "ride" from the bone to the tendon (made of epi-, peri- and endomysiums). Then we suddenly come across a new surface: a little less strong. The epimysium! Feeling adventurous, we venture deeper into the muscle. We come across the perimysium, the connective tissue that surrounds the fascicles. Deeper, we enter a fascicle (bundle of muscle fibers). The last of the mysiums, endomysium, surrounds each muscle fiber. In each muscle fiber, the myofibrils contain sacromeres. We are traveling to see the infamous actin and myosin in action! Entering the sacromere, we see layers and layers and layers of what we know as the thick and thin filaments. Specially designed to overlap, the thick filaments (myosin) bind to the thin (actin) and "slide" all the actin simultaneously, creating CONTRACTION!

After we leave the body, we notice the skeletal muscle contains all the mysiums (epi-,peri- and endo-). Why? After seeing how much work a simple movement takes, we realize that the muscle is responsible for movement of an entire bone! SOO therefore, the muscle needs to have all three mysiums for strength to make movement possible without tearing. Yeah. Our body is amazing.

Blast from the past.






Rap about muscles! Its not bad haha.




citations
http://blog.scienceinsociety.northwestern.edu/tag/the-magic-school-bus/
http://www.infobarrel.com/Media/Microscopic_Anatomy_of_Upper_Arm_Muscles

Sunday, October 28, 2012

Friday. (oct.26)

1. So this past week I have completed chapter 2 in pre calculus, became more familiar with the gross anatomy of the muscles, and the play Macbeth in English!
2. This week I've learned that you only use 1/3 of your muscle fibers, bone is stronger than concrete, and that it is possible to actually rip muscle from your bone! The video we watched in class informed us that in times of crisis or life threatening situations, our brain actually triggers super human powers/strength that we didn't even know we had! What we know as adrenaline rushes is actually a biochemical reaction in glands just above the kidneys, and it can provide us with Olympic speed running and unrealistic strength. I've learned that our body is pretty much amazing!
3. This week I plan to learn more about insertion, origin, and action of our amazing muscles. I also plan to work more on "the book" and to real my actual book. :)




Illu adrenal gland.jpg
location of the biochemical reaction that causes adrenaline rushes...


we all have the potentual to run like Usain Bolt! 



citations
http://www.enstarz.com/articles/5207/20120811/mens-4x100m-relay-video-usain-bolt-says-its-been-amazing-of-london-2012-olympics-watch-race.htm

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

Monday, October 22, 2012

Literacy.

Sooo yes, my book is pretty much everything I'd hoped it would be (not to brag or anything). However I can't seem to find motivation to make time to read it. When I start to read it, I can get into pretty easy. It's the starting to read is what's hard! BUT besides the point. I have learned that America is actually prepared for a biological weapon attack. I have also learned how the very first vaccines were experimented with!
insight: Smallpox was such a big threat to the human population, that now they is only TWO places it is held in containment: one locked freezer in Russia and on in America. Not only are they locked, but there is a decoy freezer in case someone tries to steal the virus! Crazy right? (HENCE THE NAME "DEMON IN THE FREEZER" LOL) This book is obviously teaching me some history as well as science. I like the science part better though, of course :) I am about half way done with Richard Preston's novel, and more than likely going to learn more about the history of the biological threat to the human race in 1979. WOO!


map of smallpox in the 1900s


picture of a case of smallpox from CDC files



True story! click below



citations

Friday, October 19, 2012

Friday.(oct.19)

Friday. October 19, 2012

1. Recently, I have completed learning the anatomy and physiology of the skeletal system (woo!). I have also just completed chapter 6 in pre-calculus.
2. I have learned how to name covalent and ionic compounds, that one muscle cell can be as long as your thigh!, that we shrink during the day, and that you can train your lungs to hold a higher capacity of air.
3. I plan to begin to get more into the muscle system, learning and memorizing the gross anatomy first and to get started on "the book" (packets for this section). I also plan on reading and watching more of Shakespeare's Macbeth in English. YAY.


Brief view of what I'm expected to know. 



citations

Monday, October 15, 2012

Egil.

Fact or fiction?

When I first read this article I questioned if it was even real haha. But really, this story is mind blowing. MIND BLOWING. The picture above shows the priest about to crack Egil's skull in half to examine the exact thickness. Little did he know that the 150 year old skull would withstand the blow. How is this even possible? Egil the viking suffered from Paget's disease. This is a chronic disorder that results in englarged and misshaped bones. To be simple, the remodeling of bone is disturbed, not synchronized. Excessive bone growth causes bone pain, deformity  fracture, and arthitis... poor Egil :( Ultimately, the excessive bone growth is due to the osteoblasts in the bones creating an uncontrolled amount of osetocytes due to lack of osteoclasts. The cause of Paget's disease is unknown, but have recently discovered that the seqeustrome on chromosome 5 may be associated and that virus may be necessary to trigger this disease. Another fun fact: Paget's disease is common in approximately only 1% of the American population! This is my guess as to why there is little research and information on this chronic disorder. BUT for more information, click here ---> http://www.medicinenet.com/pagets_disease/article.htm



Portrait by Quentin Matsys of a duchess suffering from Pagets... 
Poor lady :(


citations