20 Time Final Post

I finally did my 20 time TED talk with Justine on Thursday, June 1. I thought that it went a lot better than I thought it would go. I thought that we did a good job highlighting all of our key points that we wanted to cover. Also, I thought that we did a good job reflecting on our journey as a whole. However, after watching myself present, I have realized that I look as uncomfortable presenting as I feel. I kept fidgeting on my crutches and looking over at Justine. Instead of doing this, I should have just relaxed more and looked at the audience when I was not talking. I would have given myself an A because while I was not the best presenter, I was able to explain all the key points I wanted to say and we covered the requirements. I have grown from this experience because it was another opportunity to give a presentation in front of others. No matter how many times I practice, I am always super nervous to present. This was just another chance for me to practice my public speaking and assess myself afterwards, which is not something that I can normally do. 

Overall, I thought that the 20 time presentations were really interesting to listen to. I noticed how not one presentation was the same, each covering their own unique topic. I thought it was also interesting how some topics were briefly mentioned in others, but the process and end result was completely different. It was really cool to hear how other people's projects went as a whole, and knowing that you were not the only one who struggled. 

20 Time Reflection

When I first started this project, I was very lost. I had trouble grasping the idea of 20 time and what I could even do for the project. I ended up spending a solid chunk of my time trying to figure out what I was going to do. Eventually, I talked to Justine and we decided that we should do something together since we both did not know what we were doing for our respective projects. Just like before, we both struggled in figuring out what we should do. We started listing out different topics that we just enjoyed and would possibly want to look into. While the topics we discussed were very interesting, they were not the easiest ones to use to develop a final product with. We were cutting it down to the wire for our topic, and on the day that we had to turn our project proposal in, I had read an article on California’s water management. It talked about the usage of groundwater and how that is pumping the water out of the Earth, drying it out. After reading this article, I was fascinated with the topic and proposed it to Justine. We both agreed to it since it is relevant to us and it seemed like a good topic to choose for our project.

As we began to execute our plan, things did not go the way that we wanted it to. We overestimated our abilities to create a product that would be informative and interesting. Initially, we had this great plan to make a website that would inform people about our cause and how to help better manage water. Additionally, we had planned to include a documentary that could visually show an audience what exactly is going on, and what the public can do. Unfortunately, all of this did not go as planned so we had to completely scratch that idea. Instead, we have decided to create an infographic to present different information that we have found. This is what we have made.

This has been a really frustrating and stressful process for me. I do not think that I have had to change directions for a project so drastically before. It is definitely a different process, whether it be good or bad is still to be determined. I feel like through the constant changing of ideas has really forced me to be able to adapt to anything fast so that progress continues to be made. I have learned how to think on my feet and find a solution when things do not go as planned. This happened a lot to us unfortunately, but it did help me gain this skill. If I ever were to do this same project again, I would make sure to avoid electronics for the final product. Instead, I would look to do something that I could maybe test out or just have more concrete things.

I plan on taking all of the skills and information that I have learned from this project and apply them to my decisions in the future. I am definitely going to be more conscious about water and how I manage it from now on. Also, I plan on trying to include some of these tips I have learned at my own home.

Based off of everything that we had to deal with and what we were able to accomplish, I would give myself an A on this project. I made sure to always keep up with the blog posts with Justine, where we talked about our progress for each of the required blog posts: 1, 2, 3, and 4. Also, I would comment on other people’s posts and give my opinion and advice to others on how they could improve their project. I would always work to my best ability during class to try to improve our project and come up with creative ideas.

Ted Talk Outline:
1. Why we chose this topic

2. Specific facts regarding this topic

3. Show the infographics and elaborate more

4. How everybody can help manage water

Unit 8 Reflection

This unit was primarily about the muscular system and the movements that we make. We began this unit by learning about the different synovial joint movements. Some movements that we went over included flexion, which decreases the angle between articulating bones, and extension, which increase the angle between articulating bones. We also learned the six synovial joints: plantar, hinge, pivot, condyloid, saddle, and ball and socket. I studied the ACL in the knee in particular when completing build a better joint project. Plantar joints are flat and slightly curved joints that are commonly found in feet. Hinge joints are convex surfaces where one bone fits into the concave of another. Pivot joints are rounded or pointed surface of one bone that articulates with a ring formed partly by a ligament. Condyloid joints are convex oval-shaped projections of one bone that fit into the concave oval-shaped depression of another bone. A saddle joint is when the articular surface of one bone is saddle-shaped, while the articular surface of the other bone fits into the saddle like a rider on a horse. A ball and socket joint is when a ball like surface of one joint fits into the cup like depression of another bone.

We also learned about the different properties of muscles and their functions. Muscles have four main functions: movement of bones and fluid, body posture and position, stabilizing joints, and heat generation. The properties of muscles are contractility, which is the ability to shorten when stimulated; excitability, which is the ability to receive and respond to stimuli; extensibility, which is the ability to be stretched; and elasticity, which is the ability to recoil to resting length. All muscles have at least one origin, which is the immovable end of a muscle, and one insertion, which is the end of the muscle that moves towards the origin. Muscles are classified by their function. The prime mover causes a desired action, while the anatagonist relaxes when the prime mover contracts. The synergist helps the prime mover by reducing unnecessary movements. Fixators help stabilize the origin of the prime mover. We also went over some commonly known muscles such as the biceps brachii, which flexes the elbow joint, and the triceps brachii, which extends the elbow joint. We were able to examine many of these muscles for ourselves when we did our chicken dissection.

Each muscle fiber is composed of myofibrils and sarcomeres. Muscles contract with the sliding filament theory. To signal a muscle contraction, nerves send impulses to the muscle fibers, resulting in Ca+ being released. The Ca+ binds to the receptors on the fiber, causing the myosin-binding sites to be open. The opening of these binding sites allows the myosin to slide the muscle into contraction, with the help of ATP. There are three different types of muscle fibers: Slow twitch, fast twitch a, and fast twitch b. Slow twitch fibers are generally found in long distance runners since they contract at a slower rate and can last longer. They are dependent on blood for oxygen and nutrients so they are red. Fast twitch a fibers contract at a much faster rate and are relatively fatigue resistant due to their relatively high blood flow capacity. On the other hand, fast twitch b fibers fatigue quickly because of their low blood flow capacity. When an individual exercises, their muscles can either go through hypertrophy, where cells increase in size/volume due to myofibrils, or hyperplasia, where cells remain the same size, but increase in number.

Muscle contractions are classified into four different groups. In concentric contractions, the muscle is actively shortening, while in eccentric contractions, the muscle is actively lengthening. Isometric contractions are when the muscle is actively held at a fixed length. An example of an isometric contraction is holding a plank. Lastly, passive stretching is when the muscle passively lengthens.

I want to learn more about what happens during a muscle cramp or twitch. I know that cramps have something to do with calcium, so maybe they occur due to low levels of calcium during a muscle contraction, causing the whole muscle to get stuck in a contraction. I have grown as a student through the different activities and labs that we do in class. For example, through the chicken dissection, I was able to identify different muscles on an actual chicken that I eat on a regular basis. It really showed me the complexities of something that seems so simple. I have been doing a good job in one half on my new years goal in that I have really been relating what I am learning to my everyday life. This whole unit has helped me understand my own body better and the reasons behind some of my physical therapy exercises. I am also doing pretty well on the eating healthier part of my goal. I think that will be very important for me as I continue recovering from my knee surgery. And of course I am still unable to move around well so the exercising part of my goal will probably have to be taken out.

What happens when you stretch

This article discussed the importance of stretching and how the muscles are affected when they are stretched. Stretching is vital to the health of muscles because when the muscles stretch, the muscles lengthen. The two types of muscle fibers are intrafusal muscle fibers and extrafusal muscle fibers. Intrafusal muscle fibers lie parallel the the extrafusal muscle fibers, which are the ones that contain myofibrils. Proprioceptors are nerve endings that relay information about the muscles to the central nervous system. They are used in stretching to send messages about the muscles lengthening too much or too suddenly. The stretch reflex is the reflex where the muscle attempts to resist muscle lengthening by contracting. Over time this reflex can be slowly reduced by a continuation of stretching it so that the signal is ignored by the body. Dynamic stretching relates to movements that only have sudden increases in muscle lengths, while static stretching involves long lengths of the muscle being stretched. Nuclear chain fibers are responsible for static stretching, while nuclear bag fibers are responsible for the dynamic portion. When one muscle contracts, it causes another muscle to relax and lengthen. This is known as reciprocal inhibition. 

"The proprioceptors detect any changes in physical displacement (movement or position) and any changes in tension, or force, within the body."

I found this quote really interesting because I never knew about proprioceptors before. I had always assumed that there were just average neurons and nerves in the body that sense these things. Do malfunctions of proprioceptors contribute to muscle cramps or twitches?

"This triggers the stretch reflex (also called the myotatic reflex) which attempts to resist the change in muscle length by causing the stretched muscle to contract. The more sudden the change in muscle length, the stronger the muscle contractions will be" 

I found this interesting as well because I have experienced this myself many times. This reflex happens when I try to stretch, showing me that I am not flexible and have to go slower. It helps me realize my limits.

"When this tension exceeds a certain threshold, it triggers the lengthening reaction which inhibits the muscles from contracting and causes them to relax" 

I still find this phenomenon really interesting. I also experienced this first hand with the hamstring stretch and saw how much farther my leg went after flexing my quadricep. How can the line between healthy and excessive be drawn for stretching? 

Designing a More Effective Joint: The Knee

In this project I researched the anterior cruciate ligament to figure out how to make it better. The knee is a complex joint of the human body that can easily be hurt. The anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) is one of the most common serious knee injuries. It can easily be hurt through sports and the recovery time is a long one. I researched key ways the ACL is damaged and came to the conclusion that it should be modified by increasing the thickness of it, adding more muscle tissue, and adding more motor neurons. These theoretical additions will decrease the chance of injury and improve the joint. In reality, the knee cannot be redesigned, so ways to protect this ligament include keeping the thigh muscle strong, warming up before exercise, and maintaining flexibility.

The knee is one of the most complex joints in the human body and it can easily be damaged. One part of the knee that is commonly injured is the Anterior Cruciate Ligament, or ACL. Of all serious knee injuries, the ACL is damaged 70% of the time. The ACL is an essential ligament in the knee, as its job is to stabilize the knee. It extends posteriorly and laterally from the tibia and femur. By being in this location, it prevents the tibia from sliding in front of the femur. It also provides rotational stability. While people can live their daily lives without this ligament, life goes a lot smoother with it since it prevents the knee from ‘giving out.’ There are many ways in which the ACL can be torn. It is most commonly injured from playing sports. Ways to injure it include changing direction rapidly, stopping suddenly, slowing down while running, landing from a jump incorrectly, or direct contact. All of these display the how easy it is to hurt the ACL. Studies have shown that girls are 8 times more likely have to have an ACL injury than boys. Factors that contribute to this include how women have more flexible muscles, wider hips that put more pressure on the knees, weaker hamstrings, and smaller ACLs. The ACL is such a commonly hurt ligament because it is in control of keeping the knee stable from such common movements. It is at the center and its job is crucial for knee functionality. Ironically, I currently have a torn ACL at this moment. I hurt my ACL while playing soccer, but still am unsure about how I hurt it. I think that it was from either stopping suddenly, changing direction, or landing awkwardly. Unlike some other injuries, the ACL will not heal on its own if it is torn or stretched. If full use is desired, surgery is needed to reconstruct the ligament. In the surgery, it is common to take some tissue from either the hamstring muscle or patellar tendon and place it where the ACL should be.

My knee 2 days after the injury occurred

My new redesign of the ACL could theoretically reduce likelihood of injury in the first place. In the new design of the knee, the ACL, which is usually about 10 mm thick on average, would be 2 mm thicker right and left, which a total addition of 4 mm of ligament. The addition of this extra ligament could hopefully reduce the likelihood of the ligament tearing and over stretching. The new knee would also have a larger muscle mass. The muscle of the hamstring in particular would be increased by about 6 cm in diameter. This would allow the hamstring to naturally be stronger and help allow it to absorb more of the shock placed on the knee. The quadricep would also be increased by about 4 cm in diameter. Like the hamstring, the quadricep would help protect the ACL from injury by being able to absorb more shock and have more strength to make safe movements. The hamstring is increased more than the quadricep because many people naturally have weaker hamstrings, so more muscle should be added. I would also increase the number of motor neurons so that individuals would have a quicker reaction time if they were in a situation that could lead to injury. These neurons would allow an individual to have a better sense of their own body, reducing the chance of injury.

This new diagram of the ACL displays how it is approximately 4 mm larger than it was originally. The thinness of the original ligament plays a role in how it tears and stretches easily. The new thickness allows the ligament to be tougher.

Before

After

This diagram displays the difference in structure in the additional muscles added to the improved knee. The increase of the muscle mass makes the leg stronger than it was before so that the ACL will not be as traumatized in different situations.

Before

After

I arrived at this design through my prior knowledge of the ACL and additional research that I did. Ideally, I would have decreased the width of women’s hips, but that would simply not work out since they are that way so that they can give birth to children. A problem that I ran into was trying to figure out reasonable sizes of the muscles and ligaments. I could not find any source that explicitly stated the size of the hamstring or quadriceps muscle, so I had to use common sense. A problem with increasing the width of the ACL is that it may reduce the mobility of the knee if the thickness reduced movement; every part of the body is made how it is for a reason. The increase in motor neurons may also be a problem if it creates too much information for the brain to process, which could possibly lead to seizures if it gets too much. This relates to what we have learned in class because we have learned about what ligaments are and how muscles always have another one to work inversely with it. The increase in size of the hamstring and quadriceps is an example since when the hamstring flexes, the quadricep relaxes. Because we are unable to actually redesign different joints, different things can be done to prevent this injury. One way to prevent injury is to keep the thigh muscles strong. The strengthening of these muscles allows legs to stay strong and add extra protection to the ACL. Another way to stay healthy is to warm up before doing strenuous exercise. This will allow muscles to get moving so that they are able to support sudden movements. Maintaining flexibility will also help so that an individual’s body is able to have full range of motion without straining it.

Works Cited

"Anterior Cruciate Ligament (ACL) Injuries - Topic Overview." WebMD. WebMD, n.d. Web. 09 May 2017.

"Anterior Cruciate Ligament (ACL) Injuries." Anterior Cruciate Ligament (ACL) Injuries-OrthoInfo - AAOS. N.p., 01 Mar. 2014. Web. 09 May 2017.

Hindawi. "Adequacy of Semitendinosus Tendon Alone for Anterior Cruciate Ligament Reconstruction Graft and Prediction of Hamstring Graft Size by Evaluating Simple Anthropometric Parameters." Anatomy Research International. Hindawi Publishing Corporation, 29 July 2012. Web. 09 May 2017.

Horwitz, D.C. Steven. "ACL Injuries: Female Athletes At Increased Risk." MomsTeam. N.p., n.d. Web. 09 May 2017.

"KneeAnatomy Side." Wikipedia Commons. Wikipedia Commons, n.d. Web. 8 May 2017.

Mysid. "Knee Diagram." File:Knee Diagram.svg - Wikimedia Commons. Wikipedia Commons, n.d. Web. 09 May 2017.

Tortora, Gerard J., and Bryan Derrickson. Introduction to the Human Body: The Essentials of Anatomy and Physiology. New York: Wiley, 2007. Print.

"What Are Knee Ligament Injuries?" WebMD. WebMD, n.d. Web. 09 May 2017.

Chicken Dissection Lab Analysis

In this lab we dissected a whole chicken. The goal of our dissection was to identify the different muscles on the chicken and to observe how the tendons and bones interact with the muscles. Through this lab, we were able to better learn the function and location of the primary muscles on the body. While chickens and humans, are very different organisms, they share key muscles, while still varying in proportions. Because the chicken we dissected were meat chicken, the muscles on their bodies were disproportional in comparison to an egg laying chicken. In our chicken, the breasts and thighs were much larger. 

We began the dissection by opening up the chicken's chest and identifying the pectoralis major, pectoralis minor, and the sternum. The pectoralis major is in charge of pulling the wing ventrally to power the flapping of wings for flight. This muscle works with the pectoralis minor, which lifts the wing dorsally. The sternum is in the middle of the bird, connecting the muscles on both sides of the body can work together in unison to enable the act of flight. The sternum is very long and curved, which gives support to the large pectoral muscles and allows them to be the size that they are. The tendons connect the muscles to the sternum, acting as the glue to make everything work. 

Anterior view of chicken
Blue: Sternum- connects to pectorals
Red: Pectoralis Minor-triangularly shaped, pulls wing dorsally
White: Pectoralis Major- triangularly shaped, pulls wing ventrally

Green: Deltoid- triangular, raises upper arm or wing
Black: Bicep brachii- has two origins, flexes wing or arm
Yellow: Tricep humeralis- has three origins, flexes wing or arm

We also dissected the chicken wing, where we were able to observe the different roles that the tendon's origin and insertion play. The origin of a tendon is the immovable end of the muscle. The point of insertion is the movable end of the muscle. In the wing, the triceps humeralis, biceps brachii, and deltoids came into play. The biceps contract the muscle, which brings the point of insertion closer to the origin. The tendons connect the muscles together at the joints, allowing them to flex and straighten. The action of these muscles allows for the flapping of wings. 

Yellow: Flexor carpi ulnaris- The largest muscle on the
posterior side of the lower wing away from the ulna.
It flexes the hand.

Blue: Brachioradialis- largest muscle on the superior side of the lower wing closest to the alua. It pulls the hand back

Humans and chicken have similar, yet different muscles. Just like a chicken, humans have pectorals; however, the pectorals of humans are not as large as they are on a chicken. Birds, unlike humans, require strong pectoral muscles so that they can flap their wings at a constant rate. On the other hand, humans do not raise their arms that much in their day-to-day activities. Both humans and chicken have a trapezius, which is located on the upper back. In the chicken, the muscle runs from the backbone to the shoulder, and the shoulder to the back. On the other hand, in humans, the trapezius is split into two separate parts. In humans, the trapezius shrugs the shoulders and pulls the shoulders back. On the other hand, because the muscle is one main part in the chicken, I believe that the trapezius primarily helps pull up the arms. 

Posterior View of Chicken
Green: Trapezius- trapezoidal, pull shoulders back
Yellow: Latissimus dorsi- help extend or pull the wing or arm

Another similar muscle between humans and chicken is the peroneus longus. The main difference between these muscles in humans and chickens is the relative size of the muscle in comparison to chicken. Chicken calves are completely round, unlike a human's. While I am unsure why chicken calves are so large, it may have to do with the fact that they walk in a squatted-like position and need the muscle, or they are bred that way so that consumers get more meat per bone. 

Calf
Blue: Peroneus longus- longest muscle in calf,
extends the foot
Yellow: Gastrocnemius- extends foot and
flexes the lower leg
Green: Tibialis anterior- flexes the foot

Anterior view of thigh
Yellow: Quadriceps femoris- four origins, flexes thigh and extends the lower leg
Blue: Sartorius- flexes thigh and allows crossing of the legs
Green: Semitendinosus- extends the thigh 

Posterior view of thigh
White: Biceps femoris- has two origins, flexes the leg
Black: Iliotibialsi- extends the thigh and flexes the leg
Red: Semimembranosus- extends the thigh

Unit 7 Reflection

In this unit we learned about the skeletal system and different disorders that can occur. Bones are divided into the axial system, which is composed of the skull, spine, and ribcage, and the appendicular skeleton, which is composed of all the other bones. With in the two different divisions, bones are classified in different ways. There are short bones, which are shorter than they are wide; long bones, which are longer than they are wide; flat bones, which are thin and flattened; and irregular bones, which have an irregular shape and do not fit into any of the other categories. In our Owl Pellet Lab we were able to dissect an actual owl pellet and identify the organism that it had eaten based off of what the bones looked like. Two types of bone tissue are compact and spongy bones. Compact bones are strong, while spongy bones are full of small spaces and are more flexible. There are different types of bone cells within the bones themselves. Osteocytes are mature bone cells. Osteoblasts are bone-forming cells, while osteoclasts are bone destroying cells. The balance of all of these cells allows the bones to grow and stay healthy and strong. Bones receive nutrients from blood vessels that run through them. The Haversian canal contains at least one blood capillary which is the source of nutrients and means of waste disposal.

There are many different disorders that can occur in the skeletal system. Arthritis is the inflammation of the joints, which is caused by age, infection of the joints, and trauma from the joints. Unlike what many people believe, cracking one's knuckles does not lead to arthritis. Osteoporosis is the condition in which bones have lost minerals and the holes become too large, allowing the bones to become brittle. Scoliosis is when there is an abnormal curvature of the spine. This is more common in girls than boys. Kyphosis is when the spine may develop a hump, affecting people of all ages. Lordosis is the excessive curvature of the lumbar spine and forward pelvic tilt. This is common in gymnasts and dancers. Rickets is the softening and weakening of bones, which is common in children with vitamin D deficiency.

Ossification is the process by which a bone forms. This process usually continues until the individual is 25 years of age. Epiphyseal Disks are responsible for longitudinal growth. The calcium that is stored inside bones helps maintain the blood pH levels and body fluids, heart function, muscle contractions, nerve function, and blood clotting. The osteoblasts in the bones produce osteocalcin, which is a calcium binding cell. The osteoclasts secrete enzymes that help function in reabsorption. The hormone Parathyroid hormone increases the number of active osteoclasts, which will increase the amount of calcium. Calcitonin is secreted to lower the level of calcium by inhibiting the osteoclasts. While calcium is necessary for bones, it cannot be absorbed without the help of vitamin D. An excess amount of sodium and protein can lead to an increase of calcium excretion because of the build up of amino acids in the blood. Overall, it is vital to keep your bones healthy through exercise and a well balanced diet. Bone fractures may occur if a more force is put on a bone than it can hold. There are different types of bone fractures. A complete fracture is when the bone is broken completely through. An incomplete or greenstick fracture is when the fracture does not extend through the bone. A closed fracture is when the bone does not tear through the skin. A compound fracture is when skin is pierced. A comminuted fracture is when the bone is fragmented into three or more pieces. An oblique fracture occurs when the bone breaks at an angle. Once the bone breaks, it bleeding and inflammation occurs, producing a blood clot. The clot then softens after about 48 hours, producing a procallus. Then, fibroblasts arrive and secrete dense connective tissue that replaces the procallus. Chrondroblasts and osteoblasts are next to arrive. After the first week cartilage and bone appear throughout the site. An osseous callus acts as an internal splint for the site. Once the osseous callus has undergone remodeling to restore the bone, it is healed.

A joint is the point of connection between two bones or elements. There are three classifications of levers for joints: First-class lever, which have a fulcrum in the middle between effort and resistance; second-class lever, which has resistance between fulcrum and effort; and third-class lever, which have effort between resistance and fulcrum. In terms of movement, joints can be synarthroses, immovable; amphiarthroses, or slightly movable; diarthroses, or freely movable. Structurally, bones can be fibrous, which are generally immovable; cartilagenous, which are immovable or slightly movable; or synovial, which are freely movable. A joint that is fibrous and synarthroses is an immovable fibrous joint. An example of this would be the skull. A fibrous and amphiarthoses joint would be bones that are only connected to ligaments. a cartilagenous and synarthroses joint would be bones that are joined by the hyaline cartilage. These are generally immovable. A cartilagenous and amphiarthoses joint is bound by the fibrocartilage and is slightly movable. a synovial and diarthroses joint is a joint between two tones separated by a space called a joint cavity. A bursar is a small fluid-filled sac that is linked by synovial membrane with inner capillary layer of slimy fluid. This provides a cushion between the bone and tendons and reduces the friction.

I want to learn more about topics that are relevant to me. For example, I want to know about what a stress fracture would be. Also I'm curious about common injuries in the joints, such as torn ACLs menisci. I still struggle in distinguishing between the different joints and the combinations of them together. Also, I'm curious about how the different ligaments in the knee helps keep it stable.

I think I have grown throughout this whole unit as a student. During the Owl Pellet Lab, I learned the importance of patience and considering many different options because the bones were scrambled and there could have been more than one organism in the pellet. I also have more of an appreciation for what we are learning because I hurt my knee and we learned about the different joints in this unit. Also, the fractures section relates to me because I fractured one of my fingers when I was in elementary school. The swelling of the finger makes much more sense now since before I never really knew the reason behind it. I can make sure to keep my bones healthy by making sure I go outside enough and get vitamin D so that the calcium that I take in can be absorbed into bones. My goal of running is going to be difficult for the next 6ish months since I am unable to run with my bad knee. I could just work on strengthening my legs instead.