Pig dissection

The pig dissection was an interesting experience. I thought the pig fetus was going to be bigger and much more mature. Looking at all of its different organs was also interesting. I was surprised to see how bug the liver was for such a small animal. The liver completely covered the stomach and I wonder why it needs such a big liver. The heart was also in a surprising location. I thought that it was going to be on the left side but it was actually right in the middle. I was so amazed at how small the heart was also. Our fetal pig was a male because it only had one hole. 

Engagement

Engagement in class can mean a lot of diffent things. For most people, being engaged means actively participating in class. That usually means asking a lot of questions and seeking help when not understanding the material. Other forms of being engaged include coming to class regularly and on time. Doing well on assignements and tests also shows that you are engaged in class because you know the things that you are beng taught. Also, asking what you missed if you were away shows initiative and care about your learning.

Circulation Quiz Review

Compare the following:

Pulmonary vs. systemic (blood vessels, function, oxygenated vs. deoxygenated)

Pulmonary Circulation: Blood is sent into the lungs. Deoxygenated blood is found in the right atrium which pumps into the right ventricle. Deoxygenated blood then goes out the pulmonary artery which becomes oxygenated in the lungs. Oxygenated blood goes to the pulmonary vein where it enters the left atrium.

Systemic Circulation: Oxygenated blood in the left atrium go to the left ventricle and is then pumped into the aorta. Then, blood travels into different arteries that branch off in our bodies, which then find themselves in the capillaries where gas exchange takes place. Deoxygenated blood then enters the right atrium via the superior or inferior vena cava.

Arteries vs. veins (structure)

Both arteries and veins have three layers, but arteries have thicker walls than veins. Arteries then shrink into smaller blood vessels called arterioles while veins turn into venules. The main difference between arteries and veins is that veins ahve valves that run along the walls to prevent blood from falling back down instead of going to the heart.

*List the structures (specific blood vessels, parts of the heart) that a blood cell would pass by within the circulatory system - moving from the carotid artery all the way back to the aorta.  Include information about where and when the blood is oxygenated and deoxygenated.

From the carotid artery, oxygenated blood would go through the artery, then its arteriole and finally to the capillaries. There, gas exchange would occur, and now deoxygenated blood would travel to the jugular vein and down to the superior vena cava. It enters the right atrium, through the AV valve and  moves to the right ventricle. The deoxygenated blood goes through the pulmonary artery where it enters the lungs to get oxygenated. The oxygenated blood goes through the pulmonary vein where it enters the left atrium, goes through the AV valve down the left ventricle and finally out the aorta.

Fetal circulation:  Describe the 3 major modifications of the fetal circulatory system.  What is the purpose of each?

Foramen ovale: Hole between right atrium and left atrium. Provides oxygen and blood flow, which bysses the lungs.

Ductus arteriosus: Hole between aorta and pulmonary trunk. This prevents blood from going to the lungs

Ductus venosus: Vein where oxygenated blood goes to the heart.

Urinary Video Question

What are kidney stones?
Kidney stones are hard crystalline minerals that are found in the urinary tract. They are clumps of calcium oxalate. They can be formed in a number of ways. When people get dehydrated the minerals in urine become more concentrated and kidney stones can start forming. Kidney stones are also hereditary and people who have had them before have a higher chance of getting them again. Kidney stones are dangerous because they can block the flow of urine and cause swelling in the kidney. The kidney can then be damaged and the kidneys could get infected. People who have kidney stones feel pain when urinating, develop fevers, and vomit. Stones usually pass by themselves in a matter of weeks, but others might need to be broken up or surgically removed. Symptoms of kidneys stones are usually treated with prescription medication and drinking lots of fluidsd.

http://chealth.canoe.ca/channel_condition_info_details.asp?disease_id=173&channel_id=2035&relation_id=20729

http://www.medicinenet.com/kidney_stone/page2.htm

Playland

Heart Rate: how does waiting in line for a ride affect your heart rate?  Did you record your heart rate before and after (any evidence)? How about riding on the ride - what affect did it have on your heart rate?
For most of the rides, my heart rate rate increased considerably, especially when the line started to get smaller and smaller. Unfortunately, I did not get any readings on my heart rate, but it was defnintely faster than normal. During the the beginning of rides, especially the atmosfear, my heart rate stayed at an increased pace, but after a few seconds of riding the ride, it went down to normal.

Why do you think your heart rate is affected?
Heart rate is affected by rides because when under a stressful situation, your sympathetic nervous system activates. Blood needs to pump faster in order to act on your fight or flight responses.

Breathing Rate:  Was your breathing rate affected by the rides?  Which ones?
Again, when waiting for rides, my breathing was fast and short, and got shorter and shorter during the wait, especially for the wooden roller coaster and the atmosfear. Rides like the breakdance and the scrambler didn't affect me too much because the rides werent't focused on height.

What other physiological effects (on your body) did you experience?  Can you explain any of them?
Other physiological effects I experienced were feeling nauseous, sweating, along with the shortness of breath and increased heart rate. All of these symptoms are part of our sympathetic nervous system responses to help us deal with the stressors that were applied.

Heart Dissection w/ Thomas

 Answer the following questions about the structures and functions of the heart & post to your blog:

1. Compare the structure of the atria and ventricles - how are they different?  Why is that?
    The right atria is only 2 mm thick, but the right ventricle is 4-5 mm thick. The left atria is 3 mm thick, while the left ventricle is 8-15 mm thick. The atrias are about one third the size of ventricles.

      2. Did you notice a difference between the veins and arteries entering and leaving the heart?  How is their structure different?

Both the arteries and veins have 3 layers in them, but the arterial walls are much thicker than the veins. 

3. Describe the valves that you found in the heart - what are their functions?

The valves that we found were small tissues near the pulmonary arteries, veins, and between the atrias and ventricles. Their functions are to prevent backflow of blood into the aorta. 

4. What surprised you about dissecting the heart? Why?

Thomas and I were surprised at how big the heart was, and how strong the chordae tendinae were. I was also surprised on how small the atria were compared to the ventricles. 

Arrythmia

What causes irregular heartbeats, and why is it so dangerous?

First of all, heartbeats are caused by electrical impulses that happen in the atria. Cells called sino-atrial nodes (SA nodes) generate the first pulse. The signal travels to another node called the AV node that causes the heart to contract and make a heartbeat. These electrical impulses stimulates the atria, contracts the muscles and allow blood to be pumped. Irregular heartbeats are called arrythmia. Tachycardia is an irregularly fast heartbeat. Ventricular fibrilation occurs when the heart doesnt beat properly. Instead of sending out thr electrical impulses, the heart just jiggles in place, doing nothing. This is caused by disordered electrical impulses. Although the heart moves, there isn't enough impulse to move blood through the heart, failing to circulate blood throughout the body. Symptoms include rapid heartbeats, chest pain, nausea, and dizziness. Medicine can be used to control the heart, and if it gets serious, an external defibrillator can be used to change the heartbeat back to its normal rhythm.

Links:

http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/188837.php

http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/007200.htm

Heart video

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qj7NtrnBZ0U&feature=youtu.be

What is Emphysema, and why is it so dangerous?

Emphysema is a long term lung disease that is caused by smoking, and long term exposure to air pollution. Some people also get by having a rare decease where they are missing an enzyme that protects their lungs. Some symptoms include, wheezing, shortness of breath, and feeling tired all the time. What emphysema actually does, is that it destroys tissues that are needed to protect the lungs. The alveoli are destroyed, lose thier elasticity and they can't take their regular shape when a person exhales. When exhaling, the alveoli do not expand and shrink properly, making it harder for oxygen to travel, and thus making it harder to breathe. The capillaries also break and do not completely surround the alveoli anymore because of the alveoli being bigger.  Currently, there is no cure for emphysema and medications are the only way to treat the disease.

Links:
http://www.lung.ca/diseases-maladies/a-z/emphysema-emphyseme/index_e.php

http://chealth.canoe.ca/channel_condition_info_details.asp?disease_id=51&channel_id=2022&relation_id=16451

Pictures:

Vital Capacity

1. How does your vital capacity compare to others in the class? Describe some reasons why you think your vital capacity is what it is. Why are the highest and lowest vital capacities the way they are?
Compared to others in the class, my vital capacityis above average. I believe this is due to my size. I am bigger than most of the people in the class. I think the smaller you are, the less vital capacity you will have.


2. How much air is in a usual breath? Why are our breaths the volume that they are?
For guys that are around 18 years old, their usual breath is on average, 4 litres and for girls, it is 2.75 litres. A breath's volume depends on health, age and how big or small the person is.

3. How is the mechanism of exhaling forcefully different than a usual exhalation? Why would practice at this via exercise/instrument playing/singing make you better at it?
Usual exhalation and forceful exhalation is different because during forceful exhalation, the diaphragm does not relax, but instead strains the diaphragm and thoracic cavity. The dipahragm is a muscle, and iwth any muscle, it gets stronger with use. By exercising, playing an instrument, or singing, it strengthens your diaphragm and increases your vital capacity.

Homemade Lungs

The process of inspiration occurs when the intercostal muscles receive nerve impulses that causes them and the diaphragm to contract. The diaphragm goes down and increases the size of the thoracic cavity. The lung inflates because the thoracic cavity and the lungs are attached. The lungs deflate when the diaphragm relaxes and goes back up into its original position. The volume of the thoracic cavity decreases and this compresses the lungs. The process of the diaphragm contracting only happens during inspiration.

Interim Report

1.  Provide an example of a experience (or more than one) where you felt successful in class.
An example of where I felt successful in class was when Thomas and I were doing the lab about lipids, sugars, and starches. Although at first we messed up in our sugar lab, our mistake gave us insight about sugars, and the failure turned into a success. 

2.  Write about your work habits in class - if you look through your binder is there a lot of unfinished work?

 Have you handed in all your assignments?  If not, why not?  Provide evidence if possible.

From looking through my binder, all of my question sheets have been answered and I have finished all of the colouring worksheets as well. Ive also handed everything that was assigned to me.

3.  Have you had a chance to work collaboratively with other students in the class?  How has that enhanced your learning?  Or not?

I have had a chance to work with a partner. Working with a partner gave me a new perspective on the different questions that I had, and it helped me understand some of the things that I couldn't grasp. 

4.  What goals do you have for Biology 12?  What do you need to do to get there?  If your goal is about a mark, please reframe that into the work/learning that you hope to achieve. 

My goal for Bio 12 is to learn everything there is  to learn about this course and to be able to apply it to all the situations that they are applicable to. I hope that what I will learn can help what I'm going into after high school. I plan to do well by doing all of my work, studying after school, and listening attentively in class. 

Life of Pie (Digestive System Project)

This is the incredible story of how the digestive system works. It's an amazing feat that the human body can do. We will discover how food gets broken down into small microscopic pieces and is then absorbed by the body. Without the digestive system, all of the food we eat wouldn't have a place to get stored, have no way of leaving our body, and will have no way to give us the nourishment we need to get through the day. Now, let's dive into the deep and wonderful world that is the digestive system.

For this example, we will be looking into how our digestive system takes in and absorbs a piece of pie. When a person takes their bite out of the pie, their teeth grind and chew the food into smaller, more manageable pieces. The tongue on the other hand moves the pieces of food around the mouth and towards the areas of the teeth that will best break down the food. This is called physical digestion. Chemical digestion happens when salivary glands secrete salivary amylase, and enzyme that breaks down the starch in the pie into smaller polymers called maltose. Polymers are molecules that are too big to be absorbed in our body and need to be broken down into their smallest components called monomers. Salivary amylase is one of the many enzymes that break down complex food. After the food has been physically and chemically digested, the food (now called a bolus) goes through the pharynx and down the esophagus. A small flap called the epiglottis stops the bolus from going to the respiratory system.

The bolus goes down the esophagus via peristalsis. These are involuntary muscle contractions that move the food along our digestive tract. The food finishes its way down the esophagus and enters the stomach through the cardiac sphincter, a muscular valve that opens and closes. After going through the cardiac sphincter, it goes to everyone's favorite and well known organ, the stomach. The stomach is the place where we store all of our food. The bolus sits inside the stomach's gastric juice, which is made up of three components: HCl, mucus, and an enzyme called pepsin. Mucus protects the stomach from getting burned by the acidic HCl, and pepsin breaks down any protein molecules that might have been in the pie into polymers called polypeptides. The bolus stays in the bolus and gets turned into a more liquid mixture called chyme. Finally, the chyme travels to the pyloric sphincter, another muscular valve that separates from the stomach from the small intestine.

Now the chyme travels to the small intestine, the place where the food's nutrients are absorbed. The first 25 cm of the small intestine is called the duodenum. Here, pancreatic juice is released and food starts breaking down into even smaller pieces. Lipase breaks down lipids into glycerol and fatty acids, and nuclease breaks down RNA and DNA into nucleotides. Trypsin breaks polypeptides into peptides, and pancreatic amylase breaks down starch into maltose. Although food doesn't pass through the pancreas, it is an essential organ to our digestive system, as with two other organs, the liver and the gall bladder. The liver produces bile and is stored in the gall bladder, which then squirts the bile in the duodenum along with pancreatic juice. Bile emulsifies large fat globs into small droplets. The food travels deeper into the small intestine where the polymers finally break down into their building blocks. Maltose turns into glucose, a sugar that can be absorbed. Peptides break into amino acids that can also be absorbed. Now that everything has been broken down, the small intestine can now absorb the nutrients. Small bumps called villi are contained in the small intestine where they have even smaller bumps on them called microvilli. These bumps increase surface area so more nutrients can be absorbed. Monomers glucose and amino acids go straight to the bloodstream while glycerol and fatty acids go up into the lacteal. When all of the nutrients are absorbed, the waste product goes into the large intestine, and so ends the life of the once beautiful and delicious pie.

The waste ( now called feces) is moved through the large intestine where the water is being absorbed from the feces. The HCl from the gastric juice doesn't affect the large intestine because of sodium bicarbonate that was part of the pancreatic juice. When food is ready to be disposed of, the feces is stored into the rectum, where it goes through the anal sphincter and out the anus. Thus ends the mystifying adventure of how food is broken down, absorbed, and gotten rid off. The once complex and big pie was turned into small microscopic pieces of molecules that gave us fuel and nutrients extremely important to our body. This wouldn't have been accomplished without the help of the digestive system.

Starches, Lipids, and Sugars Lab

On Friday we completed a lab testing different food samples for the presence of lipids, starch and simple sugars.  You can post your observation pictures and results chart(s) to your blog and then work on the following lab questions to post as well.
QUESTIONS
1.  Describe a positive result for each of the tests that you performed in the lab.

For a positive test on lipids, we looked for smuding on the paper. If the smudge was see through, then the result was positive for lipids. To find a positive result for starch, the food had to turn black after putting a few drops on iodide on the food. For the simple sugar, the food tested postitive if the test tube changed from a clear, blue liquid, to a yellow/orange opaque liquid. 

2.  Starch molecules are large carbohydrate polymers.  Find and post an image of the molecular structure of starch.  What are the building blocks that starch molecules are made of?

Starch molecules are made up of glucose.

3.  Thomas and Josh had interesting results to their simple sugar test - if you are following either of their blogs, look at their picture of their test tubes after they took them out of the hot water bath.
After 2 minutes, only 2 of the test tubes were yellow/orange, and the rest remained blue.  They took the two positive test tubes out of the hot water bath and left the others in the hot water bath for 2 more minutes.  At the end of the two extra minutes all the test tubes indicated a positive result.  Based on your knowledge of carbohydrate molecules, why do you think they got these results? 

Due to the heat of the hot water, the food slowly got broken down. Since carbohydrates are made up of glucose, eventually the were broken and became positive for glucose.

4.  Making connections - Describe the passage of one of your food items through the digestive system, starting with the mouth & ending at the anus.  Include the specific enzymes, accessory organ secretions & internal conditions the food/chyme would pass through from start to finish.

After taking a bit out of an bread, your teeth start breaking down the chunk into tiny pieces while the tongue moves the food into the appropriate teeth. Salivary glands also start to produce salivary amylase, and chemically break down the bread. The salivary amylase breaks down the starch in the bread, to maltose. The food, or bolus, which is it now called, goes down the esophagus via peristaltic contractions. From the esophagus, the bolus goes through the cardiac sphincter and enters the stomach. the food is stored there, and the hydrochloric acid turns the bolus into chyme. After that, peristalsis moves it from the stomach, through the pyloric sphincter and enters the duodenum. In the duodenum, the maltose breaks down into the monomer glucose. The small intestine is structured in finger like projections called villi, which maximize the surface area for absorbing the nutrients from the food. The food then goes through the large intestine, where it is stored and water is absorbed. The food (now called feces) is stored in the large intestine until it is ready to be passed through through the rectum, and out the anus, using the anal sphincter. 

RESULTS
        Positive for:     Starch.                           Lipids.                      Simple Sugars

1. Bread.            Yes.                               No.                                 Yes
2. Tomato.          No.                                No.                            Not used
3. Lettuce.          No.                               No.                                   No
4. Orange.         No.                                No.                              Not used
5. Pancake.        Yes.                              No.                                  Yes 
6. Cheese.         No.                                 No.                                  No 
7. Butter.            No.                               Yes.                             Not used
8. Apple            No.                                No.                                 Yes
9. Cupcake.       Yes.                               Yes.                               No

OBSERVATIONS

Simple Sugars Result

FAKE!

After watching the video that Ms.Phillips posted on her Biology blogspot, Thomas and myself have come to the conclusion that the video was fake. First of all, because it is a liquid, gravity would not allow the water to create that shape because liquids flow and gravity would push it down. And although water has hydrogen bonds to allow it to be cohesive, they are not strong enough to allow it to form a solid shape instead of flowing like liquids do. That is why we believe that video is fake.

Biology Intro

Why did you take biology this year?
I took biology because I'm interested to learn about the human body and all of its functions. I hope to help people with the knowledge that I get from this class.

What are you most excited to learn about?
I am most excited to learn about the immune system and the microscopic things of biology.

One question that I want answered: Why are some people born with mental retardation and what are some ways we can help them, and lessen the rate of mental retardation.