Electrical Potential Lab

My sixth hour Anatomy and Physiology class performed a lab to test and record the electrical potential produced when chewing specific foods. The results were surprising and we have yet to prove our theory on what kinds of food produce the largest amount of electrical potential and why. Further experiments will have to be performed to get a definite answer, but enjoy being surprised by the results that we got!

Bone Fractures

A slideshow of the different common types of bone fractures!

~CLICK ON THE PICTURE TO VIEW THE SHOW~

Common Bone Fractures

Tissue Engineering Research

http://www.pbs.org/saf/1107/features/body.htm

The link above leads to a website on recent tissue engineering and what is yet to come from it in the future. Engineers and many researchers have come to together as a team and succeeded in many new and exciting experiments. These experiments include growing an ear on off of a genetically hairless and non-immune bred mouse, a bioreactor which cultivates cartilage, heart valves and blood vessels, and a bioreactor that keeps cells in consistent free fall which allows them to grow more developed. These experiments seem to be the beginning steps and actions towards a new and healthier future. The present and future goal for scientists is to be able to grow and create full functioning organs on demand for the thousands of lives who are on a waiting list. The fact that these experiments do not collide with any ethical issues makes the power of the tissue engineering that much greater and more promising for a greater future.

What is Tissue Engineering?

NO ETHICS INVOLVED!

Links to other new findings in tissue engineering:

http://www.fiercebiotechresearch.com/story/gene-recipe-regenerates-damaged-heart-tissue/2010-08-06

http://www.bbsrc.ac.uk/science/impact/scientific-impacts.aspx

Epithelial, Connective, Muscle, and Nervous Tissues

The following slide show consists of the four main tissues found in the body; Epithelial, Connective, Muscle, and Nervous Tissues. The pictures were taken in the sixth hour Anatomy and Physiology class using a microscope and specialized camera during a histology lab. The point of this lab was to be able to recognize how the varying tissues are different from one another visually. Each tissue was captured under two different magnifications; X10: 100 and X40: 400.

Histology: Epithelial Tissues

A basic presentation on the types of epithelial tissues in the body and their individual functions within the body. (Sixth hour Anatomy and physiology class pictures, represent the different structures of epithelial tissues)

Homeostasis Lab

We performed a lab in class to demonstrate how homeostasis works to keep the body in a balanced state while undergoing changes in the outside environment. Presentation: Homeostasis Lab

Organization of The Body

http://mywebspiration.com/view/533233a1c796

Medical Terms

A humorous reason on why you may need to know about medical terminology ;)

This is Homeostasis

I have come to find that the human body is the most complex yet, fascinating structure to be walking on this Earth. The human, and any other living creature, has unchanging basic needs of survival which include: nutrients, oxygen, water, maintaining a normal body temperature, and living in a livable atmospheric pressure. All these factors are basic needs, but how does the body deal with all the variables to keep these factors balanced? The answer is homeostasis. Homeostasis is the maintaining of the balance of the bodies internal environment while the external environment is consistently undergoing changes.

With that much being said, what exactly does the body have to balance out? One main and popular example of homeostasis that the body undergoes every day, is balancing out the glucose levels in the blood and body. This "balance" usually occurs once you eat a meal or any food that will bring up the glucose levels in your body. It's the bodies job to balance out the glucose so, it goes through a three step process to get there. The receptor, which responds to the imbalance in the body, the control center, which pin points the direct change, and the effector, which directly responds to the changes to fix the problem. The diagram above shows how the body goes through this process when the bodies temperature is too hot or too cold. This is an example of negative feedback. Negative feedback is where the body drops high levels to balanced levels and visa versa. Another type of feed back is positive feedback. This is where the body enhances the changes in the body rather than balancing it out. Positive feedback does not happen as often as negative feedback but, it usually happens when there is a deep cut and the body creates blood clots and also when a women is giving birth to a child and the contractions grow stronger and stronger to push the baby out of the body.

After learning about homeostasis I was interested what would happen if homeostasis was ineffective in the body. One situation that I found to be ineffective was that of diabetes. With diabetes, there is not enough production of insulin to lower the levels of glucose that is in the body. Since the body can't naturally lower the levels of glucose, people with diabetes have to inject an outer source of insulin into the body and homeostasis can once again take place in the body. I found this to be very interesting! I would like to know what other ineffective symptoms can effect homeostasis.