Objective 1: Understand overall body homeostasis with specific regard given to the effects of aging and stress on each system

I had to refer way back to chapter 1 page 8 to remember the exact defination of homeostasis. The book states: homeostasis is a dynamic state of equilibrium, where every organ system plays a role in maintaining the balance of the internal enviroment. Homeostasis consists of a control center that analyzes any stimuli that the body may come across and acts accordingly to make sure the body maintains it homestatic state. The body uses negative and positive feedback mechanisms controls in response to stimuli that knocks our bodies balance off. Each organ system works closely together with its own unique functions to allow our bodies to stay in harmony. So we have this body in perfect harmony, but what effect does stress and aging have on the body?

The textbook really doesn't have an exact answer for the effects of stress and aging on each body system, so I had to take my search elsewhere. I found this site about the effects of stress on each body system on a stress relief site called sound-mind.org. I know first hand that stress can do major damage to our body systems. I take one of my older sisters for example. She's a very anxious person, which causes her to get stressed out over EVERY little thing. I'm not exaggerating, I mean everything makes her freak out. She's always worried about bills, relationship problems, money problems, and she believes that everything bad happens to her. So she stress herself out so bad that she is always constantly sick, and it's usually for weeks at a time. That can't be good for her body. But this makes complete sense because stress has an effect on lowering our immunity. This explains why she is always sick.

I found a blog called The effects of aging on the body systems which gave me some very useful information on how aging effects the body systems, just like the title of the article states. But the effects of aging on the body system is something I see first hand at work every day. I work as a C.N.A out at a new nursing home called NHC on Okatie Hwy, and I have been working as a C.N.A for almost a year now. So aging on the body system is something that I see and deal with everyday. Not to mention, I take care of an Alzheimer's resident during the day and I can see how aging and disease has affected him. When our body ages, our skin becomes thin and continence becomes a thing of the past. There may be pains in joints that were never there when you younger, and vision is not as sharp as it used to be. Everyday I help take care of people who can no longer stand up because of arthritis, or change briefs because they are no longer able to tell when they have to go. So this part of the objective is very familar to me because I am around aging and its effects on our body systems all the time.

Objective 7: Analyze factors that can affect cellular activities

To be honest, I'm not quite sure what the exact answer to this objective might be. It is such a broad objective that it could probably go in any direction. The body is an amazing, complex system! It consists of quite a number of unique systems, organs, tissues, hormones, cells and process that work together to achieve and maintain homeostasis. If even one of these systems, or even tissues for that matter, malfunctions in the slightest way our body could be thrown out of homeostasis. There are countless factors that could affect the body negatively, which could affect the body and its cellular activites. Since there is seems to be no right or wrong answer in an objective as broad as this one, I decided to list some of the factors that we've learned in our class that could throw off the bodies homeostasis. Here goes nothing!

Dehydration

Excess water in the body

Temperature

Hormonal Imbalances

Medications

Bacterial or Viral Infections

Auto-immune diseases

Hypersecretion of a hormone

Hyposecretion of a hormone

Edema

Lymphedema

High blood pressure

Organ failure

Blockage of an artery or vein

Low blood pressure

Respiratory Alkalosis/ Acidosis

Metabolic Alkalosis/ Acidosis

Carbon monoxide poisoning

Hyperventilation

Malnutrition

Stress

Cancers

Tachycardia

Bradycardia

Hormonal Imbalances

Obesity

Sexually Transmitted Diseases

Changes in pH

Urinary Retention

Changes in Osmolarity

The list of factors that can affect cellular activities of the body could go on forever. I decided to list just a few of the topics that we have covered in class that can cause the body fall out of homeostasis. I could go on for days just listing factors, but I'm sure I've hit a few key points. The body has amazing systems and process that can detect fators such as these and respond to them in their own unique way to bring the body back to homeostasis.



Objective 9: Compare and contrast bond types

I didn't realize how rusty I was on bond types until I reached this objective. I believe I learned this information awhile back when I was in middle school during physical science, came across it again during chemisty, and then brushed by it in anatomy and physiology 1. So, long story short, I had to refer to chapter 2 in our textbook to become refreshed with this old topic. The textbook does a good job of simply explaining what each bond is on pages 27, 28 and 30. There are three major types of chemical bonds: ionic, covalent, and hydrogen bonds.

Ionic bond:

An ionic bond is a chemical bond between atoms where one or more electrons is transferred from one atom to another. The atom that gains one or more electrons is the electron adapter and it obtains a negative charge (anion). The atom that loses one or more electrons is the electron donor and it obtains a positive charge (cation).

Covalent bond:

A covalent bond occurs when two atoms share electrons and the shared electrons occupy a single orbital common to both atoms. When two atoms only share one pair of electrons, a single covalent bond is formed. When two atoms share two or three electron pairs, a double or triple covalent bond is formed.

Hydrogen bond:

A hydrogen bond is more like an attraction than a true bond. Hydrogen bonds form when a hydrogen atom, already covalently linked to one electronegative atom, is attracted by another electron- hungry atom (greedy-grabby) and a "bridge" is formed between them.


These two photos from our textbook is are examples of ionic and covalent bonds.

(ionic bond)

(covalent bond)



While I was surfing the web, I came across this Youtube video describing ionic and covalent bonds and I just had to add it to this objective. It not only is informative, but it is a very cute video that really made this information stick. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did. When I started viewing it, it made me laugh. But be careful, its quite catchy!

Objective 10: Identify classes of hormones

I really thought that this objective would be a piece of cake, but when I tried looking up the classes of hormones online I got a bunch of different answers. So I decided to refer back to the old trusted textbook and chapter 15 lecture outline to find my answer. Hormones are classified into two main classes, which are amino acid-based hormones and steriod hormones. This information is like common sense now after reviewing the slides and textbook, and it makes me laugh that I tried to make this objective harder than it really was. Both classes of hormones are chemical substances that regulate the metabolic function of other cells in the body.

Objective 2 & 6: Thinking and communication skills

Objective 2: Apply critical and integrated thinking skills
Objective 6: Use written and oral communication skills to explain scientific concepts

This Anatomy and Physiology II class as a whole allowed me to use both these objectives every day. In the beginning of each lecture, our class had to complete recitation questions that allowed us to apply our critical and integrated thinking skills on the section that we were learning. We not only had to use the information from the section that we were learning in lecture, but we had to think back and remember information from previous sections and classes. Once we had the questions, we had to write answers down and discuss the questions with our classmates so we could figure out an answer and make sure that we understood the concept correctly. This method was very helpful because I had to use the textbook and use the information I learned from previous body systems and relate them to the question being asked. Being able to discuss with my class allowed me to use my oral communication skill, and also helped me understand some topics at time when I had no idea what the question was asking. Our lab time also assisted me with thinking and communication skills. I worked together and communicated with my group to understand and get our labs done. We discussed the lab questions together and relied on each other to figure out the answers. This e-portfolio is also another example of me having to use my thinking and communication skills. All of these objectives allow me to use my critical and integrated thinking skill and I am able to use my written communication when I report how I learned the information. I used oral skill in the process of this e-portfolio because I discussed with my classmates certain objectives that I was having trouble with and was able to get their input.

Objective 3: Solve for unknowns by manipulating variables

This objective became clear to me when I had to do an experiment in lab that was testing for the presence of maltose. I actually can not locate the actual results that I had wrote down from the experiment, and we couldn't write on the papers that we had at our stations. But I had to do the experiment that determined how a solution reacted if there was a presence of maltose. This experiment allowed one of the test tubes to act as the control with just water and the Benedict's solution. The other test tube contained water, Benedict's solution, and a sugar solution. The two tubes were then placed in a beaker of boiling water for about 5-10 minutes. The control solution stayed the same, but the sugar solution tube began to change into a red-orange color which proved that there was a presence of maltose. This experiment helped me understand this objective because I had to manipulate the other test tube by adding the sugar solution to it, and then added that tube and the control tube into the beaker of boiling water. The boiling water manipulation is what helped me figure out the unknown information of whether the solution tested positive for maltose. I've completed numerious experiments in the past during my Chemisty course that involved having to manipulate variables to solve for unknown information. The manipulation was either adding a certain solution, placing tubes in boiling baths, using the bunsen burner, and the list could probably go on and on. This experiment reminded me of the experiments that I used to do in Chemisty. So this experiment was able to click that old lightbulb on.

Objective 8: Demonstrate correct care and safe use of instruments, equipment, and living organisms

The lab portion of our class is what really helped me understand how to correctly and safely use instruments and equipment, even though I've had previous experience in lab from Anatomy and Physiology 1 at U.S.C.B.. We didn't use any living organisms during time in lab this semester, but if we did I'm sure that we would have handled them respectfully and with care so that we would not harm them in any way. In Anatomy and Physiology 1, I was taught how to correctly and safely use the microscope, instruments, and other equipment that was required to perform the labs. Our professor made sure that our class not only used the instruments and equipment right, but that we used gloves, goggles and aprons when they were needed. For the cat dissection, I made sure that I followed our lab manual step by step so I was able to complete each portion correctly and observe the veins, arteries and organs that the lab manual told me to locate. After each lab was completed, I took the instruments and dissecting tray to the sink and made sure that each one was cleaned very good with soap and water and dried them very well. Then I made sure that my work station was wiped down with bleach before I left lab.