ScribePost: March 22

hey girls! ... and Mr. Macaraeg

So today we actually did a few interesting things in class! We took that test, which gave us the chance to see if we were right or left brained. We later learned how this impacted our way of learning, and we were given tips on how to improve our studying using that information.

Left Brained: more orderly, literal, articulate and to the point.

-They are good at understanding directions and anything that is explicit and logical. They can have trouble comprehending emotions and abstract concepts, they can feel lost when things are not clear, doubting anything that is not stated and proven.

Right Brained: more visual and intuitive.

- They are better at summarizing multiple points, picking up on what's not said, visualizing things, and making things up. They can lack attention to detail, directness, organization and the ability to explain their ideas verbally, leaving them unable to communicate effectively.

if you missed class today, you can take a similar test at http://similarminds.com/brain.html

Today in class we also took notes on special senses. This included sensory receptors, and sensations.

Sensory receptors are specialized cells that detect certain types of stimuli.

There are two types:

1. Interoceptors - receives stimuli from inside the body and are directly involved in homeostasis. (e.g. blood pressure, pH levels in blood etc.)

2. Exteroceptors - detect stimuli from the outside of the body and sends messages to the CNS to report changes in the environmental conditions. (e.g. taste, smell, hearing etc)

These 2 types can be further classified into:

1. Chemoreceptors - tongue (e.g. taste)

2. Photoreceptors - eyes (e.g. rods and cones in eyes for vision)

3. Mechanoreceptors - skin and ears (e.g. sound waves -> pressure of air)

4. Thermoreceptors - skin, temperature (e.g. heat, cold)

here are two websites that give a more visual representation for our senses.

1. http://www.mediaspin.com/fivesenses/

2. http://junior.edumedia-sciences.com/en/n119-the-5-senses-and-the-nervous-system

it really goes back to things we learned of as kids, however we can now learn more in depth of how these sensory receptors in our bodies work, and be able to further understand them.

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ScribePost: March 15

heyo, so today we didn't really cover too much, so I'll explain what stuck out to me best.

sort of quick review...
Nerves are bundles of axons
Ganglia are swellings associated with nerves that contain cell bodies

now there are two kinds of nerves, Cranial Nerves and Spinal Nerves. at this point mr. mac explained one of my life long questions- how exactly does brain freeze occur? the secret is in the Cranial Nerves, which are attached to the brain and are either sensory or motor. when we drink a freezing cold beverage, these nerves send crazy little messages up to the brain. and since they are related to the face, neck and head as well, we experience discomfort.

some other stuff that I organized nicely in my notes came out looking like this:

Peripheral Nervous System
......./ ...............................\
.Somatic................ Autonomic
(reflexes) ...........((homeostatic)
............................/.......................\
..................sympathetic .......parasympathetic
.................((fight/flight) .........(rest and digest)


for me I just find that it's easier to understand the divisions and subdivisions of things when they're organized like this- hope it helps you guys also!

ok. so all of this is great and all but the thing that I think I will most likely remember from today's lesson is that something as beautitful as this (http://2aday.files.wordpress.com/2007/05/slurpee.jpg) could cause me such pain, and that the answer to this lies in the Cranial Nerves.

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ScribePost: March 12

okay so last class we covered/cleared up a couple things:

1. that the cerebellum makes the body movements NOT JERKY but smoooth, and recieves sensory and motor input
and that the brain stem has 3 MAIN parts to it
1. Midbrain: which is the relay center for the cerebrum, celebellum, and breathing/relfex movements of the head
2. Medulla Oblangotta : which is the autonomic (which is described as occuring involuntary) control center, changing the heart beat outside of the heart
3. Pons (mr.mac had fun saying that word) which is the piece of the connective tissue, the bridge of the white matter at the base of the brain

2. that LEARNING is the ability to retain and apply past memories
and that MEMORY is the ability to hold on to or recall a piece of information
there are 3 types of memory
1. Short term - had the information for a short period of time. ex: phone number you look up
2. Long term (more "hands on") has had the info for a LONG period of time/life (semantic memory)
3. skill memory- a combo of motor activities, like swimming/using scissors

3.Broca and Wernicke's areas are only in the left hemisphere of the brain
BROCA- ability to speak ( broca = blah blah blah)
WERNICKE - ability to comprehend speech/understand it

DURING class we were told the story of the man who dealt with explosives and got that metal rod through his head and still managed to survive. well, his name was PHINEAS GAGE.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phineas_Gage
--> here's a link about him, more info about this metal rod thing. if you noticed, he was standing proud with the rod that got him in the head!

http://web.me.com/mmacaraeg/09-10/Biology_11_Downloads_files/Picture%201_1.png
ALSO, heres the link to mr.macs site for the image of the brain, incase nobody got it.

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ScribePost: March 11

okay so important that the slides from March 11ths class are from about slide 22 to 32. Remember the cerebral lobes are very important, and do the maccerena to remember those! Know what they do and where they are located.

this was just kinda an interesting article about shots to the head in the Winnipeg Free Press:

http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/sports/hockey/onsequences-alone-will-stop-head-shots--87454842.html

Also important is the processing centers as well as remembering the Wernicke's area located on the dorsal area of the left temporal lobe. As well as the Broca's area located on the left frontal lobe.

Happy studying :)

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ScribePost: March 4

Alrightyyy so nervous tissue is hard to understand, i found this animation

http://highered.mcgraw-hill.com/sites/0072495855/student_view0/chapter14/animation__transmission_across_a_synapse.html

so theres two parts of the nervous system brain ad spinal cord. figure 17.7 is really helpful.
spinal cord: extends from base of rain to verteral canal. vertabraes act as cushions and protect it. gray matter= inside white matter= outside
KNOWWW THE FUNCTIONSSS OF THE SPINAL CORD
communication b/w brain and body, center for many reflex arcs
brain: cerebrum, the two hemispheres. divided by longitudial fissue( like on a map)
sulci= the grooves
4 LOBES: frontal lobe, parietal lobe, occipital lobe, temporal lobe
KNOW THEM WELL

this might help

http://www.bayareapainmedical.com/spinecrd.html

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