A&P II

So I think this is my last one...if we only have to have 40 points, and each blog is worth 5, then I hope I'm right....

I remember in my high school A&P class, we had to complete a project and presentation on diseases of certain body systems. I still remember one presentation clearly. It was regarding kidney stones. I remember my classmate stating that kidney stones were crystallized calcium deposits, which you could get from many different things, but also from ingesting too much calcium. I was concerned about this, because I drink a lot of milk and am often encouraged to do so, in light of osteoporosis running in my family. I did a little research...

Renal calculi (stones) can vary in size from as small as grains of sand to as large as a golf ball. Kidney stones typically leave the body by passage in the urine stream, and many stones are formed and passed without causing symptoms. If stones grow to sufficient size before passage they can cause obstruction of the ureter, resulting in severe pain. The most common type of kidney stone is composed of calcium oxalate crystals, occurring in about 80% of cases.

Common sense has long held that consumption of too much calcium could promote the development of calcium kidney stones. However, current evidence suggests that the consumption of low-calcium diets is actually associated with a higher overall risk for the development of kidney stones. This is could be related to the role of calcium in binding ingested oxalate in the gastrointestinal tract. As the amount of calcium intake decreases, the amount of oxalate available for absorption into the bloodstream increases; this oxalate is then excreted in greater amounts into the urine by the kidneys. In the urine, oxalate is a very strong promoter of calcium oxalate precipitation, about 15 times stronger than calcium. Isn't it amazing what's changed in just a few years?

I hope you all have a great summer! See you in the fall.
AImee

A&P II

So, I'm sorry I missed you all on our last class...I hope it was fun. I had a mandatory meeting for work, and it ran much later than I had anticipated. Anyhow...I decided to complete the projects for the final, simply because of my stress level. Knowing that I don't have to study and agonize over whether I know enough, I'm going to sacrifice the time, for the peace of mind.

So the urinary system immediately brought me to kidney transplants, due to some personal experience. he first documented kidney transplant in the United States was performed in 1950, on a 44-year-old woman with poly-cystic kidney disease. Even without immunosuppressive therapy, Tucker lived another 5 years before dying of an unrelated illness.

I have a family friend who donated her kidney to her late husband, who eventually passed away due to complications of Diabetes. I spent a great deal of time with her while she was preparing for the operation, and there were a lot of requirements for her to be able to undergo the risk of it. She had to go to the doctor's weekly, to be evaluated. She lost weight, changed her diet completely, and was on a slew of medications to prepare her body for the surgery. In the end it was all successful and Ken lived an extra 10 years. It is a truly remarkable sacrifice to give your organ to another, especially when it doesn't buy you forever...

Have a good one...
Aimee

A&P II

Well, I have to say I couldn't have been happier to leave early Tuesday night. I have been completely overwhelmed by my life and to have a few extra minutes to myself was priceless...I hope you all felt the same.

Further, I was happy with the last 'quiz' overall. I was glad to be able to collaborate, but felt like I didn't study as well as I could have, knowing that there would be collaboration...it was rather disappointing that we couldn't refer to our notes, but I think it turned out alright anyways.

I am currently struggling with the final options. I know that the smartest thing to do would be to complete the activities and ensure my grade. But time wise, it may be smarter to take the final as it was supposed to be. I mean she's given us all of the questions, so that seems as though it should be a easy one. The only test I did poorly on, was the one that everyone did poorly on...the endocrine system. I'm not sure if it was due to the material itself, or if I had just been so sick and missed too much. I'm still divided. Anyone have any suggestions?

See you all on Tuesday! Aimee

A&P II

So lab this week really inspired me in a way. I know that we all have different labs, and I'm not even sure if we all do the same things, but we did a lab on metabolism, where we factored our own caloric intake and output. My body only needs 1100 calories to carry out it's most basic functions. When I was in high school I was an athlete and a dancer. I was able to eat anything I wanted and it didn't matter. Now, after this lab I realized I have become rather sedentary. Not intentionally mind you, I enjoy going for hikes and being outside, but somewhere between 18 and 26 I became 'too busy' to do those things. Isn't that absurd?

So after this lab, I decided to take the reins again and get active, so that I can keep my body healthy and my heart strong. I was really glad that we got to do that lab. I think we all get 'too busy' at times and as Mainers, we all tend to hibernate a little. It was time for something to jolt me back to reality and take charge again. AHHH...the power of information!

A&P II

Sorry that I had to run out of class (work thing), and didn't have the opportunity to play any games. I'm sure that they were all awesome! I am glad that Dana gave us the current state of our grades though. I am feeling a lot better about things, and knowing that we have a few minutes to collaborate over the more detail oriented questions on the test helps relieve a lot of the stress I was felling. So thank goodness for that!

In reviewing metabolism, I found one thing that really stuck out in my mind. Dana said that metabolism is the strongest argument for evolution. A striking feature of metabolism is the similarity of the basic metabolic pathways between even vastly different species. For example, the set of carboxylic acids that are best known as the intermediates in the citric acid cycle are present in all organisms, being found in species as diverse as the unicellular bacteria Escherichia coli and huge multicellular organisms like elephants. These striking similarities in metabolism are most likely the result of the high efficiency of these pathways, and of their early appearance in evolutionary history. That's awesome!

Well, that's all. See you all Tuesday! Aimee

A&P II

That was a large amount of information we absorbed Tuesday. I like having just one class a week, but by the 2 and a half hour mark, I just can't take in anymore. I hope she reviews the ending information again on Tuesday!

So I understand that the digestive system uses a combination of enzymes and pH in order to break down large items into their most simplest form, so that they may be absorbed. The pH is really important, as I found in my reading...I don't know if it just wasn't emphasized or if I was in the "TOO MUCH INFORMATION" mode during lecture.

In the mouth, pharynx, and esophagus, pH is typically about 6.8, very weakly acidic. Saliva controls pH in this region of the digestive tract. Most digestive enzymes are sensitive to pH and will not function in a low-pH environment like the stomach. Low pH (below 5) indicates a strong acid, while a high pH (above 8) indicates a strong base; the concentration of the acid or base, however, does also play a role.

In the small intestines, the duodenum provides critical pH balancing to activate digestive enzymes. The mucosal tissue of the small intestines is alkaline, creating a pH of about 8.5, thus enabling absorption in a mild alkaline in the environment.

So, those are my thoughts for the day...see you all Tuesday! Aimee

A&P II

So it seems that my blogs are getting longer and longer...I'm going to try to keep this one short. I was happy that we had some time to collaborate after the quiz on Tuesday...although I worried about it for some reason.

So, the digestive system. I am particularly interested in the new 'craze' of colonics that claim to enhance immunity and overall health. I did a little research into the matter...

Enemas in alternative medicine are referred to as colon hydrotherapy or colonic irrigation and involve the use of substances added or mixed with water in order to 'detoxify' the body. Practitioners believe the accumulation of fecal matter in the large intestine leads to ill health, and false urban legends about fecal accumulation circulate the internet. This use is not supported by mainstream medical practitioners and governing bodies, who recommend the use of enemas only in cases of constipation, though its use to treat a variety of ailments has persisted in popular use despite lacking scientific support.

So, in otherwards, despite the fact that the rich and famous swear by colonics for maintaining health, don't do it. There must be a reason why the health professionals and FDA vote against it. Instead, stand by the tried and true exercise, healthy diet, and lots of rest! See you all Tuesday! Aimee