Unit 5: Reflection

This unit was about the metabolism, digestive system, endocrine system, and lymphatic system. Continuing themes from last year, this unit stressed the importance of balance. Balance is important in the endocrine system and metabolism as they are both controlled by conscious decisions. The endocrine not so much, however it is effected by what we eat and the responses our body has. For example, if we were to become stressed, the adrenal glands would secrete adrenaline to prepare our body for the worst possible situation. This can be problematic as we often over react to the small things and rarely look at the big picture. Balance in diet effects the endocrine system as well as the metabolism. This is because certain chemicals are produced to digest and transport the nutrients found in the food we eat. We also learned that a major cause of diabetes is insulin-resistance. Insulin-resistance effectively decreases the permeability of the hormone, leading cells to either starve themselves or over consume. Things in this unit went generally well (besides having locked my keys in my car and having to go a day without my notebook). A weakness I foresee is my lack of memorization of specifics. By this I mean I understand everything on a basic level, however, I do not remember specific organs and what hormones they secrete. I have however learned from the temp check and memorized the track in which food flows in the digestive system, more specifically, the small intestine. Labs and exercises involving this unit include a mini-poster of the 3 stages of metabolism. A more memorable reading I did was from the book, "why do zebras not get ulcers," in which it explained the effects of insulin resistance and how the metabolism could be compared to a bank. Unanswered questions that I still have include what makes the metabolic rate increase and what foods do so. I was also wondering as to what dysfunctions on a genetic level would have on the metabolism. 

In regards to my New Years goals, I have begun eating a healthier diet, avoiding ice cream and other sweets. I have also begun to work out on a more regular basis. I am actually about to start a workout and diet program tomorrow (WAY too tired to start today). 

Digestive System Lab

In this lab our class constructed our alimentary track through the use of various string colors. The process we underwent included the measurement from our lips to the back of our jaw. This measurement would represent the mouth. Then we measured the distance of our jaw to the bottom of the rib cage. This measurement would represent our esophagus. We were then instructed to measure our height and that would represent our large intestine. Multiply our height by 4 and we received our measurement for our small intestine. My measurements were as follows: Mouth- 10 cm ; Esophagus- 48 cm ; Stomach - 21 cm; Small intestine- 731.52 cm ; Large intestine 182.88 cm. In comparison to my height, my digestive system is 5.5 times larger. The reason as to why it is able to fit is because it is able to fold and contort inside the body. To move through this monstrous system, I would guess that it would take 24 hours to move through and absorb all the nutrients. However, in actuality, it takes 53 hours to move through. I believe the factors involved in the time it takes to digest include the solubility of the substance, how well mashed up/chewed up the substance is. For instance, cellulose will move much faster through the system as it cannot be broken down. Digestion is different from absorption as digestion is the breaking down of a substance and absorption is the retention of nutrients from that same substance. Digestive organs include the stomach and mouth in which the substance is broken apart by enzymes and the mechanical grinding of teeth in the mouth. Organs involved in the absorption of a substance includes the small intestine and the large intestine. Some questions I had regarding the digestive system included what the internal structure of the large intestine looked like and if the gallbladder were to be removed, would the patient need to consume less in a day than someone who still had their gallbladder.

New Year New Me

This year I will improve my physical health. I will do this by either eating more fruits on a daily basis, a fairly measurable goal as I had eaten no fruits in my previous diet, or by following a workout routine. The work out routine will be measurable in the way that I will be able to compare my original ability to do certain exercises to my post-workout routine ability to do those same exercises.

This year I will study harder for all classes. This goal can be measured through tests and quizzes in the classes. To study harder, I will spend more quality time in each subject and do so without any distractions, i.e. Youtube, Facebook, and other forms of social media, including the use of my cell phone.