My Pathophysiology Class

Many researchers have sought out an explanation for the mysteries hidden within our brain and how it operates. Recent studies have shown that the brain functions more as a muscle allowing it to continue to grow or contract. If these studies prove to be true, this could forever change how people interact or associate with their brains.

I read the article, “Secrets of the Brain”, found in the February 2014 issue of National Geographic written by Carl Zimmer. I chose this subject because I have been fascinated with the brain and how it works. The research of the brain has been ongoing for many centuries now. The history in this article is interesting. It explained how scientists used to understand the brain and its inner workings. For example, “in the ancient world physicians believed that the brain was made of phlegm. Aristotle looked on it as a refrigerator, cooling of the fiery heart. From his time through the Renaissance, anatomists declared with great authority that our perceptions, emotions, reasoning, and actions were all the result of “animal spirits”—mysterious, unknowable vapors that swirled through cavities in our head and traveled through our bodies.” (Zimmer, p. 38)

I have always had an interest in the human body and animal anatomy. I've studied it on my own with coloring books, online programs and thru home dissection kits. It is fascinating to learn the numerous ways our bodies function. I completed an anatomy and physiology course through our home school coop. I learned a lot of important information that will help me advance in my education and career.

The nineteenth century saw an explosion in knowledge regarding the brain unlike any before. For centuries, the brain had been considered the seat of human intelligence. However, the brain of the classics was a singular organ of

And to grasp how our systems work, I needed to have a deeper understanding of what they are made of, which is what biochemistry is all about- the chemistry of life. My interest in the human body started in fourth grade when I first learned about anatomy and the body systems. Until this day, I haven’t forgotten the names of the bones in the skeletal system. When I volunteered to translate and help out in a Medical Mission last summer in the Philippines, my interest in medicine grew. I knew I wanted to become a doctor, but this volunteer opportunity made me certain that the medical field was for me. It was fascinating to be involved in the discussion between the patient and the doctors since I was the one translating from English to Filipino and vice versa, and seeing how the doctors handle diagnoses and treatments was quite a learning experience. I’ve also taken Honors and Advanced Placement courses in Science and Math which also fueled my interest in my chosen field. Taking the AP Biology course really made me more aware and gave me a greater interest towards life and our human bodies. It’s mind-blowing to think about the complexity of our living systems and how we can be unaware of what is actually going on inside of us. This is precisely why I strive to become a doctor- I want to learn more about medicine and

In today’s society nearly every individual experiences some sort of stress, whether it is chronic stress or acute. Acute stress is the immediate response to a demanding situation, for example, managing your home life, finances and the status of ones health. According Time Magazine, a recent survey reports that the incidence of stress has declined but is still lingering over the lives of young adults. The National Stress in America survey had two thousand participants ages eighteen to thirty –three, more than half of this population reported receiving minimal to no support in coping with the stress (Sifferlin, 2013). Most of the young adults reported that a single source

In high school, I always looked forward to science class—Biology and Anatomy and Physiology the most. Life, creatures, and the science behind it fascinated me (and still does to this day). I was with classmates that did not have the greatest interests in science like I did, but it made me more motivated.

For my Health Science Exploration interview, I interviewed my mother, she is a Surgery Schedule. She went to Bryant and Stratton College for Applied Science in Medical Assisting. During this time she got her Associate's degree which took 2 years to complete with medical experience. Which means she worked in Doctors Offices, Patient First, and Hospitals to get her current job. Some of the classes she took were Medical Terminology, Anatomy and Physiology, and Medical Ethics. She told me that her favorite class was Anatomy and Physiology because she liked learning how the body works, why it works, and what each part of the body does.

Research is playing with puzzles, making sense of the nonsensical piece by piece. What’s a greater puzzle than the brain? In middle school, to procrastinate, I watched videos on why we dream, why we feel, why we forget. The more I saw, the more I wanted to know. So, in high school, I enrolled in AP psychology. When I read the syllabus, my stomach cartwheeled at knowing I would have to dissect a sheep brain. As I reluctantly walked into the lab, the fresh formaldehyde smell battered my nostrils. Little tool kits of torture were lined up on every table. While the rest of my group used them to emphatically scissor away, I simply observed, hands paralyzed to my side. Then, the teacher commanded each of us look at the hippocampus. When I picked up the grooved grey blob, I realized my slightly shaking forceps held most of that sheep’s knowledge, memories, and

After a long school day, I still enjoy going into my Anatomy class and learning about the human body. I had originally learned about the class from friends who recommended the class to others. Although I did not know originally what I was signing up for, I wanted to take another science class for senior year schedule. Now, I have Anatomy as a sixth period class with several other friends. We learn different things about joints, bones, sebaceous glands, and more. Our favorite days are the days in which we can watch videos on autopsies and on the various functions of the human body. During class, we learn, read, and fill out worksheets to turn in later during binder checks. We often take assessments throughout the week. As long as students are

Acute and chronic asthma affects individual disproportionately in the disease progression, in terms of lifestyle, treatment and health care costs. “An estimated 13.9 million visits to physician offices and hospital outpatient departments, 1.9 million emergency department visits, and 484,000 hospital admissions were attributed to asthma in 2002” (Williams, 2006, P. S3). Asthma can affect a person at any age or without risk factors. Infant or children can develop asthma due to inherited genes, especial boys, related to small airway, and possible outgrow as adolescent and adult. There are those who continue to agonize because of behavioral or environmental factors. Obesity contribute to breathing difficulty.

The omnimax film was so awesome because of the pictures and showing the inside of your body, it looked real. In the theatre, I learned that billions of sperm try and travel to the egg, but only about 100 make it. The human body is such a cool system. It is so cool that all of the organs in your body work together make you. I was very interested in the contraptions area and the body works. The science world field trip was so great,

Famous astrophysicist Neil deGrasse Tyson once said, “Everything we do, every thought we’ve ever had, is produced by the human brain. But exactly how it operates remains one of the biggest unsolved mysteries, and it seems the more we probe its secrets, the more surprises we find” (BrainyQuote). The brain is like a galaxy. There is general knowledge of the universe; however, new secrets of planets, moons, and stars are discovered on a daily basis. Similarly, scientists know the basic structure and functions of the brain, but new aspects of the brain are revealed everyday.

The human brain is a mystery that has been studied for centuries in attempt to understand how it functions. Scientists first thought that the brain was a structure that functioned a whole. It was in the early 1600’s where the first ideas of localisation of function in the brain started. At this time Rene Descartes discovered a tiny structure called the pineal

Earning an A in the class helped me build trust in my academic ability. A career in medicine, not only seemed possible, but was much more aligned with my interests and life goals. In college the challenge became more intense, but my motivation to learn about medicine never diminished. Medicine is what I am passionate about learning for the rest of my life.