We began this unit by learning about the brain. In the "Brain Vodcast", we learned about the basic anatomy and physiology of the brain. Specifically, we talked about parts such as the frontal lobe, which is the executive function or the "boss" of the brain, and the occipital lobe, which is responsible for vision. In our first lecture, we talked more about the brain and how it a specialized and adaptable organ. The brain divides the labor as the left side is controlled by the right side of the brain and the right side is controlled by the left. In order to better understand the anatomy and physiology of the brain, we did a brain dissection lab where we were able to dissect and identify the different parts of the brain. http://hayleysanatomyblog.blogspot.com/2017/03/brain-dissection.html
Next, we talked about the different senses we have. We talked about sensation and perception. While the two are related, they are not the same. Sensation is the process by which the brain interprets and organizes the sensory information while perception is the process by which the central nervous system receives input from the environment via sensory neurons. Next, in the lecture, we talked about the receptors that are involved in all the different senses. Thermoreceptors for temperature, photoreceptors for vision, and so on. Finally, we talked about some of the sensory organs and how they function. These included the eyes, ear, nose, and mouth. Additionally, we also did a dissection of a sheep eye to better understand the complicated anatomy and physiology of the eye. I found this dissection, in particular, to be very beneficial in understanding the path of light and all the different structures of the eye. http://hayleysanatomyblog.blogspot.com/2017/03/sheep-eye-dissection-analysis.html The next lecture we had was all about neurons. We discussed the difference between the central and peripheral nervous system. The central nervous system is made up of the brain and the spinal cord and acts as a command center to interpret sensory information, as well as to provide "instructions". The peripheral nervous system, on the other hand, has two parts. The sensory division, which carries nerve impulses from the body to the brain or spinal cord, and the motor division, which carries nerve impulses from the brain or spinal cord to the muscles and glands. We then talked about the different types of neurons, such as the proprioceptors which send messages to your muscles and tendons. Finally, we discussed reflexes and some of the different ones that we have. To see each of our reflexes, we did a lab testing a multitude of different reflexes.
http://hayleysanatomyblog.blogspot.com/2017/03/reflex-lab.html
Finally, we finished off this unit by talking about disorders that can occur in our Central or Peripheral Nervous Systems. One CNS disorder that we talked about was epilepsy, which is a condition of the brain that causes seizures. This disorder can be brought about by a serious infection or stroke, although you can also be born with this disorder as it depends on genetics as well. One PNS disorder that we talked about was shingles. Shingles is often seen in adults who had the chicken pox when they were young as it is a reactivation of the virus. This virus attacks your dematotomes and causes a painful rash.
Supplemental Readings
The first reading that we were assigned in the unit was "How to Become a 'Superager'". This reading talked about people older than 65 who were able to remain mentally sharp and were mentally on par with healthy 25 year olds. Essentially, these people were able to become like this due to frequent use of their brain and by working hard at something, whether is was physical or mental. In summary, "All brain tissue gets thinner from disuse. If you don't use it, you lose it". This can be related back to our lectures talking about the brain. It shows how physical and mental exercise is what keeps the anatomy and physiology working right in our brain. The next article that we read was "Fit Body, Fit Brain and Other Fitness Trends". This article was very similar to the superager article in that it stressed the importance of mental and physical exercise and how that all can help the brain to function properly. One quote that really stood out to me from this article was "... the aerobically fit older men's brains used fewer resources during thinking than the brains of out-of-shapte men of the same age, much as a fit body ca use less energy to perform the same physical task as one that is less fit". This reading can be related back to the same idea as the superager article, taking proper care of your brain is key to getting it to function properly. The last reading that we did was on "How We Get Addicted". This article talked all about addiction and how chemically, some people are more likely to become addicted than others. This entire reading can be related back to the last lecture we did on CNS and PNS disorders. At the end of that lecture, we talked all about the addiction cycle and how essentially an addiciton is a disease and should be treated as such.
Strengths and Weaknesses
I believe that this unit had gone very well for me. If I had to choose one strenth from this unit, it would be the eye dissection. Since it was a partner dissection, I was really able to be hands on in the dissection which, although was a little gross at first, helped me to better under the different structures and functions of the eye. One weakness of mine was learning about the different neurons. Upon first watching the vodcast and taking notes, I was slightly confused as their were many concepts to grasp, but after reading over my notes and having an in class disscussion, I was able to better understand what was going on.
An Update on My New Years Goals
It is now the middle of March and believe that I am still working hard towards my New Year's resolutions. I am constantly focusing on living a healthy lifestyle, both mentally and physically. As my time in high school is coming to an end, things have gotten less stressful and I have been able to get more sleep, which is definetly a bonus. Additionally, I do feel like I have been keeping focused on my school work and not slacking off too much, despite the senioritis that I and all my classmates have seem to have been getting.
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