Owl Pellet Lab

For the Owl Pellet Dissection we basically measured and weight it before start doing anything, after that we started to separate carefully all the different part and taking out the bones for after create the skeleton. After separating all the different types of bones we organize them and analyzing them for start identifying what type of animal could be, after taking pictures and finding the correct type of animal we finished the lab cleaning.
In our pellet we found the bones of a vole:

If you compare the bones of the picture and the ones in the packet you will see that they match, so this show us that it should be it. Also we found the fibula and the tibia who match with the picture, the vertebral column show us that this animal walk because it needed it for support the body. We found smaller bones that could be part of the tail and the scapula bone show us more evidence for finally determinate that it's a vole.

The similarities with the human skeleton are visible in were both skeletons are slightly similar in structure, both have femur, tibia, fibula or humerus. Another similarity is the amount of bones in the extremities like the legs. And the last similarity is that the vertebral column is formed by vertebrae.

The differences are in the size because as is appreciable  the vole is smaller. Other difference is the hardness of the bones, the human are harder because we are bigger than the voles. And the last difference is the fact that the voles have tail bones.

Unit 6 Reflection

This unit was about the nervous system, its organs like the brain and it parts, and the ones related like the eyes. We studied more about the parts of the brain, we did the dissection and see all the specific brain parts, also we read about the functions of the brain and cases where the people was born without some parts, so we learned how their brains need to adjust to work as good as it can. We learned how works the neurons that process the information and create a answer, and the receptors that take the sensations and send them to the brain by the nerves, like in the reading of the training we learned that if you exercise your body and brain, in the future all will work better. Other lab that we did and was connected to the nervous receptors was the "Reflex Lab" where we tested our reactions in front of different situations. Also we learned about the senses and the different types of receptors that each one has like the eye and the photoreceptors, and we did the dissection for see all the parts inside the eye.

During this unit we had about 5 reading where we learned more about the information that we had in our notes and vodcasts. The first was"The Woman with a Whole in the Brain"where we learned about a woman that life 20 years without knowing that she was missing¡g a part of her brain, but her brain adjust to make all the basic functions. After "A woman perpetually falling" where I learned more about the bad connections between learned in the brain and the parts of the body, after this one came " How to became a Superager" where I learned more about the fact that if old people have an active their brains are more active too so their functions continuing working. "Fit Body, Fit Brain and Other Fitness Tends" talks about the importance of exercise for the good functioning of the brain. And lastly "How we get addicted" talks about the problems that some people have when they get addicted to some substances and they can't stop consuming it. 

This unit was more hard that I really thought that it will be but the fact that the brain is connected to a lot of different parts of the body makes it a long and hard unit. Maybe I should have done the readings with more attention because I only got the basic information of each one. And the fact that a lot of new vocabulary appeared for me made it harder.

I would like to expand more information inside each of the diseases and also watch more videos than read, because in my personal opinion when you hear a video you understand the information better than when you are reading.

During this unit I didn't really make my goals because in the other subject the time of working started to be longer so I leave the daily review.

Reflexes Lab

In this Lab we were testing the reactions of our body in different situations. During the readings I was learning a lot but when you really experience it you realize easier how our body works. A reflex is the reaction that our body does for try to decrease our danger, your pupil dilates depending the light that you need in each moment or the eyes closed when something is going to go into them.

The Photopupillary Reflex  help to control the amount of light that our eyes need, so when you are in a dark place and a light comes to your eye, the pupil change so you receive the right amount of light.

The Knee Jerk Reflex is controlled by mechanoreceptors that help us when we need to react to some situation by moving our body and the muscles fast.

The Blink Reflex help us to avoid getting anything into our eyes.

Babe, what's your sign? is the test of the foot from the sole of it to the heel helps to check the working of the nervous system and to detect any future disease.

How Fast are You? is a test where you need to catch a ruler and depending the distance it tells you how fast does your body react in current situations, after we made the same test while texting and this tries to show that our brain works slower when it needs to send several information at the same time. When I was waiting for the ruler my reaction was of 0.2 seconds but while I was texting it almost duplicate, this show as why they say that we should not drive while been distracted with the phone.

Brain Dissection Analisys

1.

2.
Cerebrum: Integration, sorts data
Cerebellum: Body control, motion memory
Brainstem: Breathing, circulation, digestion

3.
The myelin is a buffle of electrical signals, and it protects the brain

4.

5.

Thalamus: Sorts data
Optic Nerve: Send light signals from the eye to the brain
Medulla Oblongata: Controls digestion
Pons: Blood circulation
Midbrain: Digestion
Corpus Callosum: Sends information between both hemispheres
Hypothalamus: Homeostasis

6.

RELATE & REVIEW

The Brain dissection was easy to perform because the cuts where simple and the instructions were very clear. At the first when I saw the specimen it looked like a piece of flesh, beige in color with ridges and depressions. I could clearly identify and see the cerebrum because is a major part, below it was the cerebellum that was also clear, the posterior end was the brainstem.
Inside the brain upon cutting the flesh looked clear and clean.
I learned that the biggest part of the brain is the Cerebrum which is so important in higher brain functions like thought and action.

Sheep Eye Dissection Analysis

The light goes through the eye in the following order: Cornea, Aqueous Humor, Pupil, Lens, Vitreous Humus, Retina, Optic Nerve and finally the Brain.

Cornea, first layer of the eye and bends the light, after goes by the Aqueous Humor; the Pupil ,opening in the Iris where the light goes into the eye; the Lens,that change shape to focus light on the retina; the Vitreous Humor, this extra component helps to give shape to the eye; the Retina,where are found the photoreceptors for vision and the Optic Nerve finally send this information to the brain where is transform to images.

A Woman Perpetually Falling ...

"Cheryl's problem is that her vestibular apparatus, the sensory organ for the balance system isn't working"
       - This woman can't stay stand because the part four of our body that is responsible for the balance of our body is not working.

"We are now working on getting this device small enough so that it is hidden in the mouth" 
       - They created a device that send the movement to your brain so it can react sending movements for prevent falling.

"How is it that Cheryl can dance and has returned to normal functioning without the machine?"
      - The machine helps to reinforce the signals from the healthy tissues, so her brain is starting to work again slowly.

* A woman that lost her vestibular apparatus that gives us the balance, is subjected to a new experiment that maybe improve or change her life, a helmet that sends to the brain the signals that our vestibular apparatus would do, so she can stay up strong without feeling dizzy and having balance.*