CSI NDB- Up in Flames!

CSI NDB was a fun way to review the body systems. My group had the nervous system and through our presentation and research this was a great way for me to really understand how the body reacts to events around them.

Here is our intro video to the project to show you a little glimpse of what this was all about!

Our crime was about Mr. Piggie, Mrs. Piggie, and Aunt Piggie. Mr. Piggie was murdered and found in his house during a fire. The report showed he had clean lungs meaning he was not breathing during the fire this was because his wife, Mrs. Piggie, worked in a lab where she stole a drug. The crime involved botulism which is what caused his nervous system to shut down so his nerves could not react when the fire started.

We started the class out by having them in the front and watching the video above. This gave a good background to the crime. I was so excited because I could already see students starting to think of possible crimes. Next we took the class to the back. First, was my station, and it was the police station.  At my station there were written police notes about the whole crime and backgrounds of the piggies involved. There was also a police board connecting the people. I had people read through and take notes while writing out a timeline of events. This was a good way to practice collecting information and recording it. The next few stations involved fire reports, corner reports, and interviews. These all set the stage for the class to figure out the crime! After we did a review of the nervous system.

The nervous system is separated onto the central nervous system and the peripheral nervous system. The body reacts to events around them through these two systems. Afferent and efferent neurons communicate so your body can react. Afferent neurons send the signal to your central nervous system and then the reaction is sent back through efferent neurons. The picture below is a great diagram of the nervous system.

This was such a fun project because it allowed us to be so creative while learning so much about the body. I really enjoyed solving the mystery of my classmates project who also did an amazing job!!

Video featuring classmates and editing done by Davis Whalen

“Nervous System.” Wiki Images. N.p., n.d. Web. 18 May 2015. <http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:1205_Somatic_Autonomic_Enteric_StructuresN.jpg&gt;.

Two Weeks of Fun!!

 

 The past two weeks have been packed with fun and educational activities. We are 14 away from the AP test and learning our last bit of information!

Dissection.. many people cringe at the thought, but I get excited! We were lucky enough to be able to dissect fetal pigs in class! At the beginning we were put into groups and had jobs: cutting, reading or writing. I chose cutting and was super excited to get to explore the different systems of the pig. I have dissected a few times before so I was prepared for everything. The smell does not bother me, but looking at the little pigs face does make me a little sad. Once we started cutting I got over it and quickly got so into the dissection.

We went through the body systems looking at the organs and structures involved. It is one thing to read about something in a book but a totally other thing to actually touch something and see it. For example feeling the difference in the small intestine and large intestine can tell you so much about function. This was a great way to review for not only the AP test, but also our upcoming practical on the body systems.

My favorite part was looking at the heart. The heart is so interesting to me and being able to hold it in my hands was so cool and fascinating. Looking at the heart I was able to differentiate some of the different parts.

Holding the real pig heart I was able to feel the thickness of the aorta and the thinness of the atrium. We cut into the atrium slightly to see that it actually is a thin layer. Seeing characteristics like these help me understand more about heart and each of its structures and functions. To me the heart really was my favorite part and learning about the circulatory system. This system is one of my favorites to learn about.

Overall, the fetal pig dissection was a successful activity to learn more about the body systems. I loved dissection the pig and it was a great way to have fun while learning!!

“Heart Diagram.” Wikimedia. N.p., n.d. Web. 28 Apr. 2015.

Pictures taken by me and other lab members

Protozoan Lab

Check out the google slides presentation my group and I made after completing the Protozoan lab!

Vaccinations- Should people vaccinate?

Should we require vaccinations? This is a such a common debate that many people have different views and opinions on.

In the KQED article they brought up a recent outbreak of the measles in Anaheim California. Although there is no cure for the measles the vaccination is very effective and has led to a 99% reduction in measles cases. This outbreak showed that although the vaccination is available in the US many parents do not vaccinate their children. Some parents do not believe in vaccination because of religious reason or beliefs that vaccinations are not healthy. Below is a map on the stats of people who have had measles vaccinations.

Personally, I have always been vaccinated and believe in vaccinations. Vaccinations are helpful because not only are they safe, but also very effective in protecting from disease. Preventing disease is very important because although measles was not very present once the outbreak happened, the measles spread rapidly to all of those who are unvaccinated.

This is my view on getting vaccinations but there are many people who do not believe in them. From that point of view people believe they are not effective or safe. I  further looked into the reason why some people do not vaccinate and found an interesting article about why a doctor, Dr. Kurt, does not vaccinate his child. Click here to read more.

Overall I believe that we should vaccinate. This helps prevent disease and helps people remain in good health. What do you think?

Photos from:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Smallpox

The Common Cold

Cold season is back again! Every year millions of Americans catch the cold and on an average of 2-3 times! The cold can actually be very serious for young children and the elderly.

A runny nose, sneezing, coughing, sore throat or a headache is not enjoyable so  would you take certain measures to prevent it? Besides washing your hands and not sharing drink there are other ways to prevent the cold: a medical mask. A lot of people believe in wearing masks to prevent those who are sick from spreading the cold while in public. This is a good idea to prevent germs from spreading, but not very realistic. Many people would not wear the mask so this would not completely prevent the spread of the cold. I think it is a good idea, but personally when I see people wearing a medical mask I always am a little thrown off. I think this is a smart way to prevent it but hard to encourage people to do so. This should be a decision made by the person who is sick.

There are many ways to prevent the cold so stay healthy!

Works cited

Pictures:

“Defying Lupus.” Defying Lupus. N.p., n.d. Web. 26 Jan. 2015.

“Smiles ‘n’ Snuggles.” Smiles ‘n’ Snuggles. N.p., n.d. Web. 26 Jan. 2015.

Websites:

“10 Tips to Prevent the Common Cold by MedicineNet.com.” MedicineNet. N.p., n.d. Web. 26 Jan. 2015.

“Should Cold Sufferers Wear Medical Masks?” KQED Education KQED Public Media for Northern CA. N.p., n.d. Web. 26 Jan. 2015.