Owl Pellet Disection

In this lab we worked with owl pellets and dissected them to discover the animals the owl had eaten. The purpose of the lab was to identify what type of animal our owl had eaten, weather it be a rodent or bird. To unearth the bones we had to use tweezers and a prod and slowly chip away at the vomit… gross. Once we classify as a rodent or bird, we were told to use our bone identity sheet in which we would identify key features of the bones. After identifying the key bones, we then put together as much of a skeleton as possible. For us we did not have a skull to confirm our speculations, so we had to base them off of the pelvis we found.

Claim: The animal that the owl had eaten was a shrew.

Evidence:

^ Femur joins to the target bone and the target bones parallelism of structures and the way they seem to fit together

^ bones laying flat depicts similarities. Joint location on bone above loops.

Reasoning:

We can conclude that the animal consumed by the owl was a shrew as the pelvis bones resemble that of the classification table. The bones are long and skinny, similar to that of a shrew. Another defining characteristic of the bone is the location of the loops. In the shrew the loops are very large and are composed of very little bone in comparison to the other rodents pelvis. Another defining characteristic is the # of loops found in the pelvis. The shrew only has 2 loops whereas the mole has 4. This evidence immediately eliminates a mole as the possible animal. Another defining characteristic is the smoothness of the bones. Where vole has a rigid pelvis, the shrew has a smooth one. This means that the animal that was likely consumed was a shrew.

Compare and contrast to humans:

Similarities of structures:

• Both bones serve the same function which is allowing the animal to move
• Both skeletons contain lumbar vertebrae
• Both skeletons contain ribs that protect vital organs

Differences in structures:

• elongated pelvic bone as the shrew uses all 4 limbs to move whereas humans only use our legs
• the pubis is proportionally longer
• The pelvis of humans is anatomically different as it allows the vertebrate to connect, leaving a ‘hole’ in the middle of the pelvis

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. 

Unit 3 Reflection

The most recent unit I studied was about the cardiovascular system. In the unit I learned about the heart, lungs, arteries and veins, types of blood, and the functions and dysfunctions of the heart. Most importantly I learned how all these body parts work together.

The cardiovascular system starts with the heart. The electrical signals from the SA node travels to the AV node eventually causing the ventricles to contract simultaneously. Since the heart is like a circuit, I will start with how blood flows in the body from the right atria. As the right atria contracts, the blood passes the bicuspid valve and enters the right ventricle. After the right ventricle contracts, blood flows into the pulmonary artery. From the pulmonary artery, blood travels to the lungs. In the lungs blood becomes oxygenated through venules, arterioles, and the capillaries. From the lungs blood travels to the pulmonary vein which leads to the left atria. After the right atria contracts, the blood passes the tricuspid valve into the right ventricle. After the right ventricle contracts, blood flows to through the aorta to the rest of the body. Illness and disease can occur in the heart. Cardiovascular health is defined by blood pressure as well as heart rate. Some diseases and illnesses include stroke and heart attacks. A heart attack is commonly mixed up with a stroke as they both include a clogged artery, however, they are different in their locations. A heart attack is a clogged coronary artery (located on the heart) where as a stroke is a clogged artery in the brain. (A stroke can also be caused by an aneurysm).

To promote cardiovascular health, an individual should consume healthy fat (HDL) and restrict their salt intake. Genetic make up and history also take a role in the individuals risk for heart disease. Other ways to prevent heart disease include exercise and low-stress levels. Although an individual may take all precautions to prevent heart disease, genetics may still make the individual more susceptible. A question on this matter that I had was just how important genetics are in increasing risk for heart diseases.

For me, this unit went very well. I enjoyed learning about the cardiovascular system and its functions and dysfunctions. Some success I felt I had in this unit was the ability to memorize the function and anatomy of the heart as well as where the items were located. I had unfortunately forgotten about the unit test until the day before. I felt as though I did very well for a last minute study session. What I learned from this experience is to get ALL of my work done before I allow myself to get side tracked or at the very least create a list of my homework and paste it on my desk.

Citations in order of appearance)
"The Organs of Cardiovascular System Organ System Anatomy."Wwwinvestinlibyaorg. N.p., 21 Sept. 2014. Web. 09 Nov. 2015.

Jill. "Heart Labeling Diagram." Pintrest. N.p., n.d. Web. 11 Nov. 2015.

Arzim, Zell. "Is There a Link between Heart Disease and Menopause."Linkedin. N.p., 19 Nov. 2014. Web. 9 Nov. 2015.

Blood Pressure Lab Analysis

Systole is the blood leaving the heart and entering the arteries. The arteries then carry blood to the lungs or other organs requiring oxygen. The opposite of systole is diastole which carries blood from the oxygen-requiring organs to the heart. We measure heart rate with a stethoscope or an index finger, and a clock. We use the finger or the stethoscope to find the heart rate and we count the number of beats per minute. When measuring heart rate, do not use your thumb. The reason behind not using your thumb is that it has an awkward beat of its own. We measure blood pressure with a cuff, rubber tubing, pressure gauge, and a pump as well as a stethoscope. We do this by pumping air into the cuff through the rubber tubing. The pressure gauge is to measure what the pressure inside of the cuff is. To use the cuff, place it around someones upper bicep. After doing this, add air to the cuff, inflating it to approximately 150. Then, slowly release the air from the tube by gently twisting the seal on the pump. Listen for when the blood starts to flow and when it does, record the pressure, it will be your numerator. Then as you continue to let air out, listen for when you can't hear the heart beat anymore, and the pressure when that occurs will be your denominator.

Unit 2 Review

Health is the balance of all aspects that effect an individual. These aspects include social, mental, physiological, and nutritional. In these regards, I am most certainly not healthy. I stay up way too long playing video games on the weekend, work on homework for way too long, and eat a horrible diet. My diet mainly consists of meat and carbs. This diet is extremely unhealthy I do not eat any fruits, vegetables, or milk products. If you view one of my previous posts where I track my diet for a weekend, you can see that I ate literally 0 fruit. At SHS there is a similar trend. Most of the students at SHS receive up to 6 hours a night and take 3 AP classes, making their lives extremely strenuous. Little do they know that the stress that they are causing themselves could lead to chronic illness, fatigue(which will eventually work against them when they try to stay up late) as well as affect the way they will respond to more stress.

To promote a greater wellness on campus would require a reduction in homework load. Another possible solution to deter students from taking these stress inducing classes would be to take away the grade bump given to the students for taking the AP class. If this grade bump is taken away then the students would have no desire to take the class unless they were genuinely interested.

Some essential themes and essential understandings from this unit include:
- Sleep is necessary for a balanced life
- A healthy diet keeps the body from becoming hormonally imbalanced and provides nutrients to grow up healthy
- Stress needs to be balanced otherwise you will end up hurting yourself in the long run
- One hormone imbalanced will lead to more becoming imbalanced

Some things that I do not fully understand is why I get so tired earlier and earlier in the day. I am constantly nodding off in classes and such. I believe it to be the fact that my diet is not optimal for my work load and that I changed my sleeping schedule while in Costa Rica. Academically I do not understand why our body needs sleep and why we dream.

To succeed in the next unit I will not go on a trip to Costa Rica and fall behind in all of my classes.

A profession that would match this unit would be a Nutritionist.

Health goals) Gain muscle mass, eat a healthier diet, get more sleep
Actions I will take) Sleep when my body tells me to, eat more fruit
A healthy life is important to me because I want to live as long as possible.
I will know I have reached my goals when I sleep for at least 8 hours a day and eat one fruit a day for a month.