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

A&P II

Well, I hope that everyone had a nice week off...I know I did! I spent a lot of time catching up on my life...but now it's time to get back to business.

I am quite interested in the immune system, as I have always been plagued with a tendency to catch most germs out there. As a child, I got an ear infection with every new tooth that came in, therefore was on antibiotics frequently. As a result, certain antibiotics are ineffective for me now, because I was on them for so long as a kid. I understand that bacteria mutates and therefore certain bacteria are resistant to that medication, but how after years and years of not taking certain antibiotics, could my body know? I know that there is 'acquired' immunity within our bodies, which help us from being struck with the same virus, such as the chicken pox, is there something similar with bacteria/antibiotics?

I am also interested in the autoimmune disorders, such as lupus, diabetes, and rheumatoid arthritis. I think it's interesting how women tend to be more afflicted with lupus and rheumatoid arthritis. Why would that be? In my research the only explanation I could find was that testosterone seems to be a immunosuppressor...where as female sex hormones are stimulators. But why? And how?

How do these diseases occur? Is the problem similar with the AIDS virus, in that it disrupts the communication between the Helper T cells and the Killer T cells, or is it completely different? I know several people that are afflicted with rheumatoid arthritis in particular, and it is a debilitating disorder, with a lot of pain and depression wrapped in. As we get closer to being able to cure people from the AIDS virus (Magic Johnson), it should open up several doors to understanding other autoimmune disorders and find relief for those who suffer.

Well, it's off the study for me. I have a lot of questions here...I hope Dana gets to some of them in lecture. See you all on Tuesday...hope your having fun with the project!!! Aimee

A&P II

So I thought I would write two blogs today, to make up for the last couple of weeks. I'm not even sure that is allowed, but I thought it was worth a try.

Moving onto the heart, which is a fascinating organ to me, especially since I studied psychology for so long, and up until the 1900's, psychologists thought that the heart was actually the commanding organ...crazy I know! But it is in direct connection to the ability for our body to function, without it, nothing else works...so I guess it makes sense why the elders thought this for so long. Still, with all that we know about the heart and the circulatory system, it's crazy that we don't know very much about the developing heart in utero.

It is unknown how blood in the embryo circulates for the first 21 days in the absence of a functioning heart, although some have hypothesized that the heart is not so much a pump, as a Hydraulic Ram -- an organ built-up from cumulative peripheral activity.

When the embryonic heart begins beating -- around 21 days after conception, the human heart begins beating at a rate near the mother’s, about 75-80 beats per minute (BPM). The embryonic heart rate then accelerates linearly for the first month of beating, peaking at 165-185 BPM during the early 7th week. After peaking at about 9.2 weeks, it decelerates to about 152 BPM during the 15th week. After the 15th week the deceleration slows reaching an average rate of about 145 BPM at birth. Little is known about why it changes, how it changes, and the effect of it's changes on the baby itself. The heart is vital however to the growth and development of the child, obviously, and as it is one of the first organs to develop and function, you would think that we would have better knowledge of it's formation, and thus it's malfunctions in the womb.

I know three women who have had still born babies in the last 5 years. All three of them were told that the deaths were a direct result of the baby's heart rate fluctuating and eventually stopping. Scientists should focus energy on this subject, as the death of a child, regardless of age, is something that no one should have to bare, but especially while it's still growing inside you.

On that happy note, I hope all of you are enjoying your holiday weekend. I will see you all on Tuesday! Aimee

A&P II

While reading everyone's blogs, I noticed that almost every single person commented on the super organ, the liver. Since I missed the last two classes due to the horrible flu (I hope you are all staying healthy, cause trust me it sucks) I thought I would do a little research into what all the fuss is about. I was amazed at what I found, as it seems all of you were too.

I knew that the liver had the ability to regenerate itself, but I didn't know it could do it with as little as 25% of it left. This is predominantly due to the hepatocytes acting as unipotential stem cells. There is also some evidence of bipotential stem cells, called ovalocyte which exist in the Canals of Hering. These cells can differentiate into either hepatocytes or cholangiocytes (cells that line the bile ducts).

So with all of this regeneration ability, I was amazed that there could be so many pathologies involved with the liver itself. It seems if the crazy liver can mend itself, that it would be able to out-smart any malady it might encounter, but that's false.

Hepatitis, Cirrhosis, Haemochromatosis (a hereditary disease causing the accumulation of iron leading to liver damage), Wilson's disease (a hereditary disease which causes the body to retain copper), Primary sclerosing cholangitis, Primary biliary cirrhosis, Budd-Chiari syndrome (obstruction of the hepatic vein), Gilbert's syndrome (a genetic disorder of bilirubin metabolism), and Glycogen storage disease type II are just a few. I suppose that with the aid of surgery, the regeneration would be helpful in the recovery of any of these diseases, but even if they cut out 75% of the liver, does that mean they are cured, or will the new liver possess the same disease as before? And if so, is it really worth the surgery to begin with? I'm sure the regeneration process is slow...and the body probably does not function as well with a smaller liver...it must be a dangerous option.

A&P II

So wow, it had been awhile since I was in the A&P mode, it took a bit of time to get back in the swing of things. I have to say that I am happy to be moving forward. I think that the optional take home was a good compromise.

So in studying and reading about the Endocrine System, I feel like I have a good grasp on the concepts, so I went looking for ways that the Endocrine System screws up, cause that is what I really like...pathology. These are some of the Endocrine System disorders: diabetes mellitus (a diminished ability to create new RBC during chronic renal failure), cancer, thyroid disease, and obesity.

Endocrinopathies are classified as primary, secondary, or tertiary. Primary endocrine disease inhibits the action of downstream glands. Tertiary endocrine disease is associated with dysfunction of the hypothalamus and its releasing hormones. I couldn't find what the secondary classification was...anyone have a guess?

Cancer can occur in endocrine glands, such as the thyroid, and hormones have been implicated in signalling distant tissues to proliferate, for example the Estrogen receptor has been shown to be involved in certain breast cancers. Endocrine, Paracrine, and Autocrine signalling have all been implicated in proliferation, one of the required steps of oncogenesis. It just amazes me that with one small change in one small cell anywhere in the body, can create such chaos, such as cancer. It is especially frightening within the Endocrine System, especially because the system itself is designed to travel throughout the body, reaching every cell, so if cancer is present, it is virtually all over your body all at once...

Well, that's all for now...moving on to the blood. See you all on Tuesday! Aimee

A&P II

So I suppose it's time to start getting back into the swing of things...how quickly a week can fly by! OK, so in a continuation of the special senses, I have to repeat that I find the fact that senses are based on perceptions very unscientific. It's sorta funny how everything else we learn about has some sort of accepted theory or is agreed upon for the most part, yet senses are not.

I remember when I was in middle school we were taught about the taste map, where in the back of the tongue were the sour/bitter receptors, the sweet were in the front and the salty were on the edges. I just now found out that that is a bunch of malarkey. All of these taste sensations arise from all regions of the oral cavity. The "mouth map" is a myth, generally attributed to the poor translation of a German text, and has been taught in North American schools since the early twentieth century. Actually, very slight regional differences in sensitivity to compounds exist, though these regional differences are subtle and do not conform exactly to the mythical tongue map. Individual taste buds (which contain approximately 100 taste receptor cells), in fact, typically respond to compounds evoking each of the four basic tastes.

Taste and smell are combined to mean flavor. Other factors include the food's smell, its texture, detected by mechanoreceptors, and its temperature, detected by thermoreceptors are all inputs to our brains to sort and merge to form the flavor we taste.

In Western culture, the concept of basic tastes can be traced back at least to Aristotle, who cited sweet, bitter, succulent, salt, pungent, harsh, astringent, and acid as tastes. The ancient Chinese Five Elements philosophy lists slightly different five basic tastes: bitter, salty, sour, sweet, and spicy. Japanese and Indian cultures each have their own sixth taste in addition to the basic five.

The receptors for all known basic tastes have been identified. The receptors for sour and salty are ion channels (H+ and Na+ respectively), while the receptors for sweet, bitter, and umami belong to the class of G protein second messenger systems (sounds familiar doesn't it).

Well, that's what I learned today...see you all Tuesday!

A & P II

So let me start by saying that I didn't think that "quiz" was easy, and the take home took way longer than I had anticipated. The information available on the internet is sadly disorganized. I found it very difficult to find the information regarding the neurotransmitter questions. I realize that neurotransmitters are a realitively new topic, however with the massive amounts of antipsychotic medications being perscribed, the information should be made more accessible to the general public.

I did find the prevelence of strokes and brain tumors astounding though. I did not know that brain tumors account for 1.4 % of all cancers, 2.4 % of all cancer deaths, and 20–25 % of pediatric cancers. There are 13,000 dealths a year that are attributed to brain tumors. Why is it that tumors are commonly found in the posterior cranial fossa in children and the cerebral hemispheres in adults. What would cause that?

I have been a CPR/First Aid trainer for years now, and I was taught to use F.A.S.T. (face, arm, speech, time) when detecting symptoms of a stroke. Time being the most important...to denote the time you started to see symptoms. This helps the doctors determine how severe the damage may be.

Well, see you all on Tuesday.
Aimee

A&P II

OK, so this is the third time I've rewritten this so, I think that means that I am over thinking this. Let me start by saying that I am glad that we are starting with the Nervous System this semester, one, because the brain is the reason that I studied psychology and work with children, and two, because I was sick of memorizing bones and muscles. I know it's necessary, but memorization is more about regurgitation and less about absorption...if that makes sense.

So I think that the classes are going well. Dana's always good at keeping it fun and moving, but making sure that you understand the concept well. So in reviewing Post Synaptic Potential, I get that difference between temporal summation and spatial summation. Temporal summation is like a little squirt gun. It gives multiple short bursts of Na+ in a short amount of time that builds up enough to create an action potential. Where as spatial summation is like five little squirt guns all giving a burst of Na+ which is instantly enough to create an action potential. What I want to know is with the k+/Na+ pump always going, how much Ca+ is wasted in these interactions. If we have a built in regulator that requires 1/3 of the calories we need a day and we are flooding it just to regulate all the other things we have going on, isn't that counterproductive? Do we just recycle the left over? I don't know. The body is fascinating in that it has natural checks and balances...but is it necessarily efficient? See you all Tuesday! Aimee