UNIT TWO: Compendium Review #2: Digestive System and Nutrition

Table of Contents

1. Digestive System: overview

2. Obesity/Glucose and Diffusion

3. Nutrition: Classes

Most of us think of the digestive process starting when we are actually chewing and later digesting the food we ate. But, the digestive process starts before you take a bite of the scrumptious, carmel, sticky roll. As the aroma of the roll fills your senses, you are subconsciously salivating, which is the start of the digestive system. Nutrition on the other hand, is a never ending topic amongst all of us. Whether it is a new diet approach, what you are cooking for dinner, a delicious recipe you would like to try, or just your everyday meals and snacks throughout the day. This unit covers the Digestive System and Nutrition. Above I listed a brief table of contents, but below I will discuss more in depth on each sub title. Once again, by reading this section, I think about the importance of keeping my body healthy; supporting it with daily exercise and the nutrients it needs to function to its fullest.

DIGESTIVE SYSTEM: OVERVIEW

There are 5 processes the digestive system is involved in: Ingestion, Digestion(mechanical-actual cutting up of food and chemical- mouth to the small intestines), Movement, Absorption, and Elimination. The organs involved in the digestive system are found in the gastrointestinal tract (GI tract). To the right is a picture of the different layers within the tract. The first layer of the winding tract is basically a mucous substance, protective layer, known as the mucosa layer. The second layer is loosely filled with tissues containing nerves, blood, and lymphatic vessels that help carry the nutrients collected from the mucosa. The Muscularis layer is composed of 2 smooth muscles, which contract, moving the food towards the anus. The fourth layer is, Serosa, which prevents the organs from sticking to the abdominal wall. Next I will briefly touch on the parts of the Digestive Tract. To see parts I am going to discuss, look at the labeled picture to the right. When you take a bite of your carmel roll, the first part you enter is the Mouth. Saliva, as discussed in the introduction, produces "salivary amylase that begins the process of digesting starch" (Mader 146). The tongue forms a combustion of food known as a bolus which leads us to the second and third parts of the GI tract. The Pharynx and Esophagus. Once food reaches the back of the pharynx, swallowing is done without our control, leading to the esophagus which moves food to the stomach. At this point of entrance into the stomach, there are little muscles known as sphincters that act like stress balls. When they are relaxed, the sphincters allow the food to pass into the stomach. During contraction, it prevents acidic substances from entering back into the esophagus(heartburn).

"The stomach and small intestine complete the digestion of food, which begins in the mouth" (Mader 148). It's easy to think that when you eat something it goes directly to you stomach. Which happens through the process mentioned above, but the stomach is also known as the storage compartment. The well known wave-like movement, peristalsis, occurs in this organ. The Small Intestines is the coiled, orange section in the picture above, where the majority of digestion takes place.

Large Intestine: This is the last section of the digestive tract. The main functions are: absorption of excess water, stores unusable wastes, and eliminates. Most of us are aware that the large intestine is divided into 3 different sections: ascending, transverse, and descending colon. The green section in the picture above shows each section. The S shaped(near the end) is the Sigmoid colon which enters into the rectum. "The large intestine takes 12-25 hours to finish up the remaining processes of the digestive system" (Wikipedia).

Accessory Organs: The 3 parts of the accessory organs are: pancreas, liver, and gall bladder. Pancreas: secretes the hormones insulin and glucagon, digestive enzymes for all different nutrients(CHO, lipids, sugars). Liver: receives blood and many other functions(stores glucose as glycogen, regulates cholesterol, lipid, and protein metabolism, secretion, and synthesizes. Gallbladder: stores excess bile, produced from the liver.

OBESITY/GLUCOSE/DM: Most of us are aware that if you were to constantly consume lollipops, greasy double burgers and lounge around drinking Mt. Dew all day; you would most likely end up with obesity. The high intake of the sugars and fat puts an individuals health at risk for Diabetes and Cardiovascular problems. Glucose is a carbohydrate that the cell uses for energy. It comes from the Greek history; gluc"sugar" ose"carbohydrate" (wikipedia). Diabetes is a common disease that can develop from obesity(mainly type II). The liver cells are not capable of producing glucose. In turn, it causes the individuals blood sugar to rise(normal BS level is 60-100) and glucose and water are eliminated through urine. Many individuals with Type II Diabetes can control their BS with a low sugar/fat diet, exercise, and some take oral medication. Type I Diabetes is more insulin dependent. The blood sugars can either fall low-hypoglycemic(glossy eyes, weak, sweaty, confused) or high blood sugars-hyperglycemic(increased thirst, drowsy, loss of consciousness). Working in the health care field, many patients have Diabetes. Some are cognitive and are well aware of their bodies, and are able recognize signs of low/high BS. We monitor the BS levels using a glucometer which reads a prick of blood. Depending if the reading is high or not, an individual may or may not get coverage(if ordered). An interesting piece of information I came across is: During the 17th century in England; obesity was considered a, "symbol of wealth and social status in cultures prone to food shortages" (wikipedia). In the U.S. this disease is continuing to rise. "Losing 5 to 10 percent of your weight can help delay or prevent some of these diseases" (medline). Remembering to maintain a healthy nutritious diet and exercising will hopefully decrease your chances of diseases.

NUTRITION: CLASSES. The nutrition lab also goes over the classes of nutrients. Food is readily availabe anywhere you go. If you're hungary while driving and don't have time to cook; many stop and eat at the fast food restaurants. For the most part they are affordable and less of a hassle than cooking yourself. We are all guilty of doing just that, but when it is an every day meal; its not healthy for our body. Our hearts are strong and muscular, but they need healthy and essential nutrients to keep them strong and beating. The unwanted fats and oils are beginners at clogging our artiries. Eating a small abundance of the "oh so easy" empty calorie foods is a good start to a healthy diet. The book starts out with the well known classes of nutritioun: Carbohydrates, Proteins, Lipids,Minerals, and Vitamins. By now most of us have been told over and over the importance of eating fruits and veggies, not to eat sweets, and exercise, exercise, exercise!! To the right is a new pyramid that was created at Harvard. It is basically the same as the classic food pyramid, but they added more varieties and note the bottom section: EXERCISE. I don't feel its necessary to go over which foods are involved in the classes, because at this point we should have a general idea of what to eat and what to limit in our diets. Now-a-days diets seem to be an important part in peoples lives. Some of them can be dangerous to your health, it's important to research any new diet plan. A familiar diet is the Atkin's Diet which limits the amount of carbs and allows the dieter to eat as much meat, butter, and eggs. A spokes person stated, "this is the most dangerous if followed for any length of time [...] You are placing your body in jeopardy" (atkins). This proves to be cautious and contact your physician with any diets or concerns. Consuming the essential vitamins and minerals, and nutrients the body needs is important for good health.

In conclusion, once again our body goes through a cycle to perform a particular activity. Chewing the last bite of the carmel roll and swallowing starts the process of digestion. Again the processes involved in the Digestive system are: ingestion, digestion, movement, absorption, and elimination. Maintaining a healthy diet will hopefully allow these processes to continue functioning. The organs nestled inside of the GI tract are also important to help keep these processes regulated. In today's world, there are many options available to try and cue you to a healthy lifestyle. But, in reality we each need to watch for what is important to our own body. Not every diet, vitamin supplement, nutrition guide, or exercise program will work for us. We all function a little different, so researching what is available is not a bad step to take. Just to add for the hundredth time, watching the foods we consume(advised in the food pyramid) and exercising will hopefully lead our bodies to a comfortable lifestyle. There are many diseases that can contribute to neglect of the body, knowing the side effects that diseases can cause is a good start at caring for your body.

Works Cited

Mader, Sylvia S. Human Biology. Boston: McGrawHill Companies, Inc. 2008

quotes

http://www.atkinsexposed.org/

quote

http://en.wikipedia.org.wiki/large_intestine and obesity

quotes, picture of organs

http://www.hlm.nih,gov/medlineplus/obesity.html

picture of scale, quote

http://www.hsph.harvard.edu/nutritionsource

quote
http://www.slurred.edu/~dking2/evg/giguide.htm

picture of digestive layers

flower pic-my picture

Unit II LAB- Blood Pressure

This Lab focused on the effects blood pressure(BP) may have on gender, age, and health factors. Such as, family history, increase salt intake, lack of exercise, and alcohol consumption. Learning to maintain a healthy lifestyle at a younger age will hopefully help decrease your chance of developing hypertension(HTN) at a later age. The photo to the left is a graph of the average systolic and diastolic BP of male and females in different age categories. The purple and blue lines represent male and the green and yellow represent females. The photo to the right is a table of the input and outputs for the graph. Below I will discuss the questions related to the lab project I performed realted to BP and age/gender.

Questions:

1. State a problem about the relationship of age and gender to BP? During this lab project, the males systolic and diastolic BPs were typically higher than the females. During the age groups of 11-17 and 18-24 both the male and females BPs were basically WNL, but family history and lack of exercise were still factors that could influence their levels as they get older. Learning to stay healthy and exercise daily are important, especially with a family history of HTN.

2. Use your knowledge about the heart and circulatory system to make a hypothesis about how the average BP for groups of people would be affected by manipulating the age and gender of group members. In order for the heart to beat strong, it needs a body that is willing to help maintain that healthy balance. If the heart has to travel through an artery built up of fatty tissues (also known as plaque) it is going to have difficulties supplying other systems of the body. One of the major diseases that is associated with this is build up is heart disease, heart attacks. Male and Females over the age of 55(in this lab experiment) are at a higher risk of developing heart disease, HTN, and other diseases; if they are unable to maintain a healthy diet and exercise. This lab shows how lack of exercise, increased intake of salt, alcohol consumption, and family history are factors of developing HTN. Taking care of your body is important starting at a young age. As mentioned earlier, the younger teenagers BP were WNL, but some already showed signs of developing HTN. Staying away from the delicious, juicy McDonald burgers everyday for lunch would be a great start keeping your arteries free from build up.

3. How will you use the investigation screen to test your hypothesis? What steps will you follow? What data will you record? I already interpreted this question into the previous question. Basically the graph shows an increase in both systolic and diastolic pressure after the age 54. Monitoring your lifestyle is an important key to prevention of diseases. A few other examples to test would be: weight, drug/smoking, exercise, ethnicity, and diet. The lab does not talk about weight, ethnic groups, or smoking, but these factors can increase the risk of HTN or cardiovascular diseases. I would record the above factors related to the different age groups. The purpose of this would be to test the relationship of these factors and their relationship to diseases.

4. Analyse the result of your experiment. Explain any patterns observed. Basically this lab experiment, is not detailed with the factors I mentioned above, but its main factors are: family history, increase salt intake, lack of exercise, and alcohol consumption. These are important factors, but with the different ethnic groups it provides, it doesn't show them at greater risk for HTN, when typically they are. As the genders aged, they did tend to develop HTN. Most of the males were due to: lack of exercise, increased salt intake, and alcohol consumption. Interesting point, was some that had increase BP did not have any of the factors listed. Therefore I would state they may have had factors that I mentioned in the previous question, such as, smoking, ethnicity, and possibly overweight. As an individual ages, their circulation decreases, which causes them to have increase BP, which is why it is important for them to realize the factors that may increase their chances of disease.

5. Did the result of your experiment support your hypothesis? why or why not? Based on your experiment what conclusion can you draw about the relationship of age and gender to group BP averages? My hypothesis was that genders over the age of 55 are at greater risk of developing diseases such as HTN and cardiovascular diseases. For the most part my experiment is supportive because as individuals age, they are more prone to diseases. My conclusion is, this lab shows how between the ages of 45-54, BPs increased and appear to continue to increase. It all depends on how the individual cares for their body. Family history also plays a role i developing diseases, but being watchful of outside factors is important.

6. During the course of your experiment, did you obtain any BP readings that were outside of normal range for a group being tested? What did you notice on the medical charts for these individuals that might explain their high readings? Yes there were quite a few BPs that were outside of normal range, but the factors listed were: family history, lack of exercise, increase salt intake, and alcohol consumption.

7. List risk factors with HTN. Based on your observation which risk factor is most closely related with HTN? This is very repetitive. Factors related to HTN: smoking, weight, diet, exercise. It all depends on the individual to draw a conclusion on what is the most closely related factor. Having a diet high in cholesterol, salts, and fats is a good start at clogging your arteries. Atherosclerosis(fatty materials, such as cholesterol) is found in individuals with HTN/ Too many lunches at Taco Bell and Sonic Burger are good places to avoid, if you are a regular customer.

8. What affect might obesity have on BP? Does obesity alone cause a person to be at risk for increase BP? What other factors, in combination with obesity, might increase the risk of increase BP? Being overweight has a great deal at developing high BP. To start off, if the individual is not active, it causes an accumulation of fat to build up within the body. Obesity is combined with out health risks, such as, Diabetes, respiratory difficulties, HTN, and Cardiovascular diseases. Learning to maintain a healthy diet and being active will hopefully lower the obesity outbreak.

In conclusion, this lab shows how important it is to learn the factors that are related to HTN. Since I work in the healthcare field, its easy for me to know that as an individual ages, BP typically increases. Lack of exercise, diet high in cholestorol, salt, and fat, family history, weight, smoking, gender, age, ethnicity all are possible factors to take into consideration. It does not mean if you have one or two of these factors, you will develop HTN. It is a possibilty you may develop HTN or cardiovascular disease. Learning to maintain a healthy lifestyle at a young age is important to help prevent these silent diseases. "Hypertension is sometimes known as the silent killer because it may not be detected until it caused a heart attack, stroke, or even kidney failure" (Mader 96). That proves to be watchful of your habits. Keeping your arteries free of fatty build up, will hopefully lower your chances of the many diseases associated with HTN.

UNIT TWO: Compendium Review #1: Oxygen, Microbes, Immunity

Table of Contents

1. Cardiovascular System and Blood Vessels: heart,capillaries

2. Cardiovascular System and Blood: RBC/WBC

3. Microbes and Immunity

4. AIDS/HIV

It's typical to live each day, and not even realize the work load each system, cell, vessel, or organ performs to keep our bodies homeostatic and functioning. Above is a broad table of contents that I will do my best to describe and bring out the main points. The heart is a valuable part of our body, with each "lubdub" is a new flow of blood entering our systems. There is an abundant amount of cells flowing throughout our bodies, bringing oxygen and nutrients in and riding of wastes. Thankfully, we have WBCs that help fight off unwanted pathogens, they resemble an eagle when it hunts for food, it quickly swoops down and gathers its prey. We definitely need to appreciate the workload these cells do. The earth is full of organisms, microbes, that we need to be watchful for and appreciate the screening they do to our environment. Studying these chapters brings up the importance to keep our bodies healthy; doing our best to prevent the infectious diseases lingering around us each day.

CARDIOVASCULAR SYSTEM AND BLOOD VESSELS: The Cardiovascular system is like the ocean constantly full of swimmers. The swimmers (blood) move throughout the ocean(body) and the fish(other systems in the body) help keep the ocean functioning properly. A swimmer(blood) takes a break on the shoreline; brushes off seaweed (excess wastes), takes a sip of Gatorade(nutrients and oxygen) and dives back into the ocean. This scenario describes the process of the removal of carbon dioxide and the entrance of oxygen in the body. There are three types of blood vessels the book refers to. The picture to the right is of an artery(red) and vein(blue). 1) Arteries: a blood vessel that carries blood away from the heart toward a capillary. The walls are strong, which gives extra support when blood moves around. 2) Capillaries: a small, microscopic blood vessel with thin walls composed of an endothelium layer, gas and nutrient exchange takes place. 3) Veins: a blood vessel that carries blood from a capillary towards the heart. Veins have a valve(similar to a plug) which helps prevent back flow of blood. The walls are thin compared to arteries, meaning when blood enters at high pressures; it causes expansion.

The next main focus is the function of the heart: The heart is found between the lungs, behind the breastbone, about the size of your fist, and has 3 muscular layers surrounding it. The outer layer is the myocardium (cardiac muscle), pericardium(supports and protects), and the epicardium(outer layer). To describe the heart, look at the picture to the right. You will notice that there are four main chambers: Right atrium, right ventricle, left ventricle and left atrium. Also note the valves located between the chambers: their main function is to prevent blood back flow. Next I will discuss the passage of blood. Beginning the flow, blood enters the superior/inferior vena cava to the right atrium. The right atrium to the tricuspid valve-right ventricle-pulmonary valve-pulmonary trunk-divides into two pulmonary arteries(blood travels to the lungs/deoxygenated or poor blood). Oxygenated(rich blood) enters through the pulmonary veins-left atrium-bicuspid valve-left ventricle- aortic valve- aorta- different parts of body. The picture to the right is color coded, showing the entrance/exit of blood via the veins and arteries. "The human heart beats more than 3.5 billion times in an average lifetime" (wikipedia). These beats are more than "lub dub." Each of those beats is known as a cardiac cycle. During a beat, the atrias squeeze shut(systole) at the same time, and then the ventricles squeeze shut at the same time. Then it goes through a relaxation phase(diastole). When listening to a rhythmic heart through a stethoscope you will notice a "lub" sound, which is the increase pressure of blood, forcing the tricuspid valve to close. This in turn, causes the pulmonary and aortic valves to bounce open. The "dub" is the closing of these valves. "The SA node is called the pacemaker because it usually keeps the heartbeat regular" (Mader 90). A slow functioning SA node is usually fixed by placing an artificial pacemaker. ECG and EKGs can be used to view the heart rhythm for any possible signs of abnormalities. The pulse and blood pressure will be discussed in the lab portion.

Cardiovascular Pathway: The right side of the heart pumps blood to the pulmonary circuit( carbon dioxide is dumped off, and oxygen is the traveling partner). The left side of the heart pumps blood in to the systemic circuit(blood delivers oxygen and nutrients to tissues and discards wastes).

Capillaries: The layer of a capillary is an endothelial lining, meaning only small particles/molecules are capable of moving through. When blood enters the arteriole end(red section) water and molecules small enough to exit, move out of the lining due to an increase in blood pressure. By the time blood reaches the venule(blue section) water moves in by osmosis. In the middle of the capillary, there is no movement; therefore, oxygen and nutrients exit, carbon dioxide and wastes enter, and RBC/proteins remain inside. Cardiovascular disease continues to be the leading cause of death. HTN, atherosclerosis, stroke, and heart attack are a few examples.

CARDIOVASCULAR SYSTEM AND BLOOD: "The human body contains about 5 liters of blood, and the heart pumps this amount of blood with every beat!" (Mader 106). There are 3 main activities of blood: transportation(running oxygen and nutrients and supplying to other cells), defense(fighting foreign objects/preventing clots), and regulation(temperature and fluid/electrolyte). Blood travels everywhere throughout our bodies making sure we are ready to face our next big challenge. Whether the challenge is just getting out of bed in the morning, jogging around the block, replenishing our thirst, fighting a cold, or sleeping after a hard days work. During any of these examples, blood continues to flow to all of the systems within us. Their are two compostions of blood to discuss. The test tube picture to the right, shows the separation of the cell fragments. 1) formed elements: RBC(most abundant: delivers oxygen), WBC(work in the tissues: engulf/ defend against foreign objects), and platelets(stick together to form a plug: during a sudden blood loss). 2. Plasma: 90% of this water. Its main function is to transport nutrients and wastes throughout the system .

RBC: This is the most common blood cell that delivers oxygen to the lungs. Inside this cell are numerous copies of hemoglobin, which gives the cell its distinct, color and contains protein(globin) and iron(heme) chains. The Iron chain Each of these chains bind differently to oxygen. Notice in the picture to the right the RBC has an indented(bio concave) center, this helps move gases in and out of the cell "RBC's produce ATP anaerobically, and they do not consume any of the oxygen they transport" (Mader 108). Erythropoesis refers to the production of RBCs. The life span of a RBC is 120 days. An interesting amount of RBCs are destroyed each second, "2 million" (Mader 109). That shows how hard these little cells work to keep up with the demand of transporting oxygen and nutrients to different cells. A couple common RBC disorders are anemia, sickle-cell, hemolysis.

WBC: These cells were briefly touched on above, but are important in the immune system; fighting against infections. The two different types of WBC's are granular and agranular leukocytes. Granular are: Neutrophils( most abundant, quick at responding and remove the foreign particles), Eosinophils(help during allergic reactions), and Basophils(releases the chemical histamine). Agranular are: Lymphocytes(help defend the body, consist of 2 types: Natural killer cells(NK cells), Tcells, and B-cells which produce antibodies to help destroy the particles). Monocytes(important function is phagocytosis(eats away/ingests), and it responds quickly to the endangered site). WBC work at making sure the cell is not attacked by the unwanted particle.

MICROBES. Picture the rocks at the bottom of a fish tank, rocks beneath the soil, and rocks on the bed of a river. Flowing through these waters, are microscopic organisms known as microbes(bacteria, fungi). Not only are they found in water, but scattered everywhere on the earth. These microbes are both helpful and a threat to our lives. They help by acting as "decomposers" and are a threat since most microbes( bacteria) are the main source of the many diseases that kill humans. The picture to the right is bacteria, magnified many times over.


All of us have heard the phrase over and over that the number one thing to help stop the spread of infection is: HANDWASHING. Think about the last thing you touched. Was it shaking someones hand, touching your steering wheel, removing your shoe, or opening a door? Think of all the microscopic particles crawling around on that object!!! Bacteria multiply when the environment is suitable for them to grow.


Viruses are most commonly referred to when talking about the flu or cold. They infect cells and replicate when they infect a host cell. An interesting thing about viruses is that they carry genetic information, and protect it with a protein coat! To help stop the spread of a virus, is done be immunization. That is why it is important to be up-to-date on immunization. Scientists have studied this background for many centuries, viewing and trying to culture a viral organism. "In the late 19th century, Charles Chamberland, developed a porcelain filter with pores small enough to filter viruses, yet retain all viable bacteria" (Wikipedia). Research obviously has blossomed since then.

IMMUNITY. This defense mechanism helps ward off diseases from entering the body. It builds blockades, and send the WBCs to help engulf the unwanted particles. Antigens are referred to as: "molecules the immune system recognizes as foreign to the body" (Mader 130). The B cells and T cells are like sensors, they recognize antigens and bind to them with their receptors. Antibody-Mediated Immunity is the defense process of a B cell and its receptor making copies, which turn into plasma cells and memory B cells. Cell- Mediated Immunity is when T cells find help from others and then attack the diseased/cancerous cell(note the blue and red T cells below: found each other, and are now forming a plan to attack the green, infected blob to the right). Again, the cells work together to help cure, in this case, an infected cell. Cytotoxic T cells are like sticky glue, settling into a piece of foam: they bind to the infected cell, settle onto the membrane, puncture little pores, and suffocate the infectious cell. Helper T cells give out directions to cytokines(chemicals used for communication). A memory T cell stores information of a previous antigen occurring in the body, if it resembles the same antigen again, it will alarm other cells to activate. Fighting against these antigens can be a lot of work, but the cells manage to alarm those needed to help destroy the infectious antigen.

There are two types of acquired immunity to briefly touch on. Active immunity: Vaccines are used to help expose our bodies to a specific antigen. (Earlier I discussed the purpose of memory T cells, this is where they function) Children are recommended to receive immunizations to help prevent diseases (chicken pox, tetanus). Passive Immunity: This is a temporary immunity passed on from individual to individual.

AIDS/HIV. This disease, acquired immunodeficiency syndrome, was first discovered in 1981. Killing more than 25 million since its recognition in 1981(wikipedia). AIDS damages and weakens the immune system, caused by the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). It is believed that HIV "originated from chimpanzees," in sub-Saharan Africa. The transmission is also thought to come from the blood of the chimpanzee transferring into the wound of a human (Biology). There is not a cure for this deadly disease, but some drugs are used for treatment and learning to be safe and use precaution measures help stop the spread of AIDS/HIV. Transmission of HIV is by direct contact of mucous, blood, and bodily fluids (semen,blood, vaginal fluid, and breast milk), contaminated needles, sexual intercourse, and blood transfusions. HIV destroys the T cells which are manditory to help keep the immune system functioning properly. When there is less than 200 microliters of these cells, it destroys the cell mediated immunity that helps recognize antigens(as mentioned earlier); leading to the well known condition: AIDS. A few symptoms related to AIDS are: fevers, night sweats, swollen glands, weakness, weight loss, and chills (wikipedia). Antiretroviral therapy is being used to help lengthen the life span of an individual infected with AIDS. Education continues to be an important concept to pass on to help stop the spread of this struggling disease.


In conclusion, I will tie what I stated in the beginning; studying these chapters definately makes me think more of what is happening inside my body as I move on each day. The cadiovascular system pumps blood through the heart and systems continuously, through its specific pathway. The blood is helpful in transporting, regulating, and fighting to keep our bodies functioning. Microbes live everywhere around us, and keep a balanced environment, but also causes diseases. Immunity keeps our bodies out of harms way, with the help of WBC and immunizations. AIDS is an unfortunate disease that destroys the T cells in the body, weakining the immune system. Keeping a healthy, productive lifestyle will hopefully keep my body strong and ward off any stray pathogens!


WORKS CITED:

Mader, Sylvia S. Human Biology. Boston: McGrawHill Companies, Inc. 2008.
Quotes

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/heart and RBC
pictures of heart, arteries, RBC

www.mhe.com/biosci/es[/2001_saladin/folder_structure/tr/rr3/slo.index.htm
picture of capillary

http://training.seer.cancer.gov/
picture of blood composition(plasma and formed elements)

http://www.biology.arizona.edu/immunology/tutorials/AIDS/impacts.html
pciture infected cell/helper T cell

UNIT TWO: The Body

SELF and UNIT EVALUATION

1. What were the 3 aspects of the assignments I've submitted that I am most proud of? For the most part I feel that for both of the unit compendium reviews, I put in a lot of time, effort, and researching to try and get my understanding across. I also feel that the cell model was a piece of work in itself, this project was time consuming, and I tried to condense all the information together to make it a solid project. The 3rd assignment, would be the labs. Figuring out how to maneuver around the website and finally arriving with an end result was a relief! The genetics, fly and microscope labs.

2. What two aspects of my submitted assignments do I believe could have used improvement? Improvement could probably be found in both the Unit reviews: adding more detail and summarizing those ideas. If I had more time to work on the cell model, I probably could have integrated more information.

3. What do I believe my overall grade should be for this unit? I'm not sure how you grade, or how precise or accurate our labs need to be. For the hours, days, struggle, frustration, and relief of finishing in time I would hope to see an A on this unit. Its a focus factor to help get me through this condensed course, knowing I can do this :)

4. How could I perform better in the next unit? Now that I am aware of all the information that is involved in each unit, and approximately how long it takes me to complete something; time management is my main goal to work on. Setting more time, so I don't feel rushed or aggravated.

Unit ?
1. At what moment during this unit did you feel most engaged with the course? Working hands on with the cell model, and transferring my image into words. This gave me a better understanding of the cell life, DNA, and mitosis.
2. At what moment did you feel most distanced from the course? It took me a few tries to learn the microscope lab. For some reason my sound didn't work, and I found it easier to follow along with the computers narration.
3. What action that anyone(teacher or student) took during this unit that find most affirming and helpful? Having guidelines to follow were a big benefit. It gave me a general idea what to focus on.
4. What action was most puzzling or confusing? This is still frustrating to me: When working on a write-up, and inputting pictures, if I accidentally pressed the backspace one to many times my picture disappeared!!! I haven't found a undo button, therefore, I have to go through and re-arrange my photo!
5. What about this unit surprised you the most? Being able to finish all of the course context in a matter of 2 weeks on top of working, and other classes!! Its amazing what a person can do.

The Endless Tunnel- Ethical Issue Essay

ETHICAL ISSUE ESSAY


Picture a mouse scurrying along the tall, white walls of a maze. His speedy action gets him to the end of the maze, and is now able to rest. Even though this mouse appears to be like any other mouse, it happens to be a cloned mouse. Mice are commonly used for research. Unfortunately, these little, cloned, creatures live a short unhealthy life. I personally do not agree with all the technology researchers/scientists work and experiment with. While reading these articles, I still firmly disagree with cloning. Life is not made to be sandwiched in a test tube, in hopes to survive a healthy, prolonged life! Three different types of cloning are Recombinant DNA Technology, Reproductive Cloning, and Therapeutic Cloning. The unknown question lingering is, cloning humans the next step?!

Since the 1970's, Recombinant DNA Technology(DNA cloning) has been known as the common practice in molecular biology labs. DNA cloning is when a piece of DNA is transferred to another organism(plasmid, virus, bacteria) that is a self replica of the gene. This study is used to create identical information, to study off of. An example is, DNA cloning of insulin. This process was done by injecting an insulin gene into a vector, E.coli cell, that produces a chemically identical form of insulin. It is said to be reliable for those individuals struggling with high blood glucose levels in Diabetes. This form of insulin is actually used in majority of insulin dependent individuals. There will always be an individual who will have a adverse reaction to this type of insulin, and researchers continue watching for these kinds of risks. There is a dangerous part, which involves a possible contamination during the purification process. I give insulin to a lot of my diabetic dependent patients, but I'm not sure what the insulin is made of. Therefore I'm not sure what my point to make is. The article states many diabetics are currently using this insulin, therefore it has been tested and is effective.

Reproductive Cloning to me is a controversial subject in itself. The well known sheep, Dolly, was cloned in 1997, but it actually took 276 attempts. This type of cloning is mainly focused on animals. To repopulate endangered animals, those that have difficulties breeding, or for research purposes. I don't see this as being useful. There is obviously a reason for endangered animals, possibly because there are plenty in the world. The wild ox, an endangered animal, was cloned but died, 18 hours after birth due to an infection. Is there a reason it died? Was there an error, or was it meant to be? God miraculously gives, but He also takes away. And what is the purpose of trying to re-create another species? This type of cloning is not identical, but has similar DNA structures. Reproductive Cloning has egregious errors to take into account. A few are programming issues, high death rates, deformities, and disabilities. I don't see why you would want to take the chance and watch an animal suffer through these endless possibilities. Animals aren't capable of expressing their feelings, and what if that part of the brain was a deformity? What if they suffered their short life in pain due to a scientific error?

Therapeutic Cloning is an "embryo cloning." Bio-medical researchers find this cloning important to them. It is a process of storing stem cells in order to study development or attempt to treat diseases. The future focuses are to treat: Alzheimer's, Cancer, and Heart disease. It would be a miracle to find a cure for these diseases; since they have always been an issue and are the top leading causes of death. We are born, we live and we die. If we had a cure for everything in this world, life would seem endless. Don't misjudge me, I think it would be a blessing to find a cure for these diseases, but it almost seems impossible. Embryo cloning is a process that destroys the original embryo, after a specific cell is placed. Which raises a question, why would you destroy and original work of art only to create a new piece of art? An amazing percentage while reading this article on cloning is, 90% of cloning attempts FAIL! It also stated that many of the cloned animals do not live long enough to generate data. We all have personal beliefs and ideas pertaining to our lives and that of animals surrounding the world, but is it possible to stop recreating?

In conclusion, for the most part I do not agree with cloning. I mentioned numerous times, but it does not seem ethical to re-create a new life, whether it be a human or an animal. DNA is full of options, but with many unkown consequences. Cloning humans has and always will be a debate to try and sort through. But, the article states that the U.S. Congress is leaning towards banning human cloning. There are too many unknown questions and concerns that linger the idea of a human replica. Would they have mental dysfunctional problems: cognitive, motor,speach? Cloned animals have already proved to have problems, what makes us certain a human would not? Scientists also feel it is an irresponsible, dangerous attempt. Cloning is a topic of discussion, but with the techonology in today's world, is an endless process of possibilities.

CELL MODEL- DNA/CELL GENETICS

The Role of DNA: As mentioned numerous times, DNA is full of genetic information. It is found in the chromosomes which are located inside of the nucleus. The pictures below will show chromosomes, DNA helix with its base pairs( double stranded molecule), process of mitosis, and DNA transcription to mRNA. Inside the nucleus is a busy part of cell, I will do my best to try and show the above scenarios.



Inside of the nucleus are numerous chromosomes, which would be represented as the black pipe cleaners, the yellow ball is the centromere that holds the two chromosomes together: forming sister chromatids(the two small pieces of pipe cleaner). The sisters are identical, in that they have the exact genes. Each chromosome had a DNA double helix. Which is discussed below.

The picture above shows a structure of a DNA double helix, which is two stranded molecule full of nucleotides. Each side of the DNA, nucleotide, is made up of 3 units: phosphate, pentose sugar, and a nitrogen-containing base. Notice in the picture the red and white balls represent the sides of the ladder, which are composed of phosphate and sugar. The hydrogen consists of 4 different bases: Adenine(A), Guanine (G), Thymine(T), and Cytosine (C). Again notice in the picture that the steps to the ladder are composed of the bases just mentioned. Orange(A), Yellow(T), Green(G), and Blue(C). In between each ball is a small piece of black pipe cleaner (which represents the hydrogen bond). If this ladder were twisted the following pairs would occur: A-T, G-C.

During DNA replication: one side of the ladder remains as it is, while the other is away being formed as a new strand. Just remove one side of the ladder, the other side is getting ready to begin a new replica. The final DNA molecule consists of the original and new strand.

mRNA is one type of messenger used to help DNA with protein synthesis. mRNA is made inside of the nucleus(pink balls/yarn in above photo), it hauls genetic information collected from the DNA to the ribosomes(the green structures on the endoplasmic reticulum) to the cytoplasm. Where the process of protein synthesis is to take place.



During transcription, a strand of mRNA, per the book, forms that is "complimentary to a portion of DNA." If you were to take a picture, as noted above, the two strands are a copy of each other. While clicking the camera, the strand of mRNA sneaks in and develops into a complementary base joined with the DNA bases. Although the DNA is a double strand and mRNA is a single strand. On the other hands, translation refers to the information in a different code. The green beads represent an enlarged ribosome, where tRNA molecules carry amino acids to the site during translation. During this process, polypeptide(black pipe cleaner) synthesis occurs. The messengers bind to the ribosomes, forming an anticodon(3 complementary bases).

The process of Mitosis:

Picture 1 :

Picture 2:

Picture 3:

Picture 4:




Picture 1: The beginning phase of Prophase: At this point there is no nucleolus, and the cell is in the process to divide. The yellow balls(centromeres) are starting to move towards opposite sides of the cell. The black pipe cleaners are the chromosomes (sister chromatids) the pink yarn are spindle fibers.

Picture 2: Metaphase: The chromosomes are lined up at the equator of the cell, and the spindle fibers have attached to the centromere.

Picture 3: Anaphase: The centromeres split from the sister chromatids(forming daughter chromosomes), and push away to opposite ends of the spindle. This process enables that each cell will receive the same gene.


Picture 4: Telophase: The chromsomes eventually end up at opposite sides of the cell. The spindles begin to disappear. The nucleolus appears, and there are two cells at opposite ends with DNA.

In conclusion, this model has helped me better understand different parts/functions inside of the cell. Although, with the compendium review having to explain different parts and processes, I feel like I was repetative, or may not have included some parts since I discussed them prior. DNA is a very in depth concept to learn. It may seem easy to say its purpose is to pass on genetic information, but that doesn't seem to justify all the work it actually does. All of the living parts inside of the cell work to together to complete their daily chores. Similar to the daily process of learning.