Sheep Brain!!!

Oh Mr. Ludwig! Don't we all just love dissecting sheep brains during PINK WEEK! YAY! Go Tigers!

Anatomy of the Brain:

The human brain along with other mammals brains are very detailed and intricate do to the fact that it is so complex. The brain is truly an amazing organ and it acts basically as a control center for the body. The brain receives, interprets, and directs sensory information to the parts of the body that require the information. I have just recently learned that there are three major divisions of the brain. These regions are the fore brain, mid brain, and hind brain.

The brain carries out many important functions. With the brains abilities, it seemingly gives the explanations to the questions we all ask about the world around us. Our five senses play a major roll in these explanations as well. Sight, smell, hearing, touching, and taste all play a roll in how the brain receives messages. The messages your senses send to the brain occur constantly with multiple messages at the same time. Our brains are constantly working and analyzing information and with the help from our senses these messages are put together in a way that we understand what is happening. The brain receives many messages at one time. The brain although analyzes everything it selects only those that are important to the situation at hand. Our brain controls our thoughts, memory and speech, the movements of our arms and legs and the function of many organs within our body. It also determines how we respond to stressful situations, by regulating our heart and breathing rate. The brain is an organized structure that although is divided into many parts, learns to work together as one to function properly.

Brain Divisions
The Fore brain:

     This particular region of the brain is responsible for many different functions, such as receiving and processing sensory information, thinking, perceiving, producing and understanding language. Although there are 3 divisions of the brain there are two divisions that make up the fore brain, They are the the diencephalon and the telencephalon.

The diencephalon: This part of the fore brain is made up of structures that are responsible for functions of the body like motor control, relaying sensory information, and controlling autonomic functions.

The telencephalon: This part of the fore brain contains the largest part of the brain in general. The cerebral cortex resides in the telencephalon. Most of the actual information processing in the brain takes place in the cerebral cortex. And for those who aren't familiar about what the cerebral cortex is, its the outer layer that covers the cerebrum and the cerebral. This area is also divided into two, the left and right hemispheres.

The Mid Brain:

     Together both the mid brain and hind brain make up the brainstem. The mid brain is a portion of the brainstem that connects the hind brain and the fore brain. The mid brain is involved in auditory and visual reactions.
The Hind Brain:     This particular part of the brain stretches from the spinal cord. It is composed of two elements, metencephalon and myelencephalon.

Mentencephalon: This structure in the hind brain is a type of shelter for the parts it contains, which are the pons and cerebellum. These regions lend a helping hand in balance and equilibrium, movement coordination, and the conduction of sensory information.

Myelencephalon: This structure is made up of the medulla oblangata which controls autonomic functions like breathing, heart rate, and digestion.

Oh the LOBES!

-The parietial lobe is a structure within the brain that is involved in the reception and processing of sensory information in the body.

-The frontal lobe is a structure that is involved with decision making, problem solving, and planning.
-The occipital lobe participates in vision particularly.
-The temporal lobe is involved with memory, emotion, hearing, and language

Brain Fun Fact!

-The average Brain weighs 3 pounds!

Oh the Beautiful Sheep Brain, Logan and I dissected! The Slice and Dice of the BRAIN!!! MUAH HA HA HA!

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EKG Lab

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Oh How We Love Our EKG Readings!

     In a normal heart beat the PQRS and T waves follow a similar pattern over a period of time where the pattern is continuous and consistent. However in an irregular heart beat, it is seemingly the upside down version of a normal one. The PQRS and T change and vary and are inconsistent. An irregular heartbeat is an arrhythmia, also known as dysrhythmia. Heart rates can also be irregular. A normal heart rate is 50 to 100 beats per minute. Arrhythmias and abnormal heart rates don't always conincide with one another in all cases. Arrhythmias can occur with a normal heart rate, or with heart rates that are slow. Heart rates that are less than 50 beats per minute are called bradyarrhythmias.  Arrhythmias can also occur with rapid heart rates. Rapid heart rates are known as tachyarrhythmias, they average more than 100 beats per minute.
Fun Fact!
In the United States, more than 850,000 people are hospitalized for an arrhythmia each year

There are different ways of measuring the heart as well as different types of Arrhythmias.

Heart Measuring Techniques:
Echocardiography: 
     A technique that uses ultrasound to visualize the various areas of the heart
Electrocardiography (EKG): 
     A visual representation of the heart's electrical activity over a period of time
Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI): 
     A technique to obtain high-resolution images of organs within the human body. This is done by mapping the distribution of hydrogen nuclei.
Auscultation: 
     The act of using a stethoscope to listen to sounds made by the heart, blood, and lungs.

Different Arrhythmias:
Atrial Flutter: Atrial flutter is similar to AF, but instead of the electrical signals spreading through the atria in a fast and irregular rhythm, they travel in a fast and regular rhythm. Atrial flutter is much less common than AF, but it has similar symptoms.
Ventricular Fibrillation: This occurs when disorganized electrical signals make the ventricles quiver instead of pump normally. Without the ventricles pumping blood out to the body, you'll lose consciousness within seconds and die within minutes if not treated.
Atrial Fibrillation: This is the most common type of heart arrhythmia, along with one of the most serious. It results in very fast and irregular contraction of the Atria. In AF the heart's electric signal doesn't start at the SA Node, the signal begins in another part of the Atria or in pulmonary veins that are closely linked.

MY EKG

This picture is of my own EKG, that Logan and I tested. As you can see not everyone's heart beat is the same and they vary with each person. And in my case my QRS is a little higher then most ventricularr reactions, but overall I have a pretty normal heart rythem!

 

Lab Procedure!
In this lab our first step was the connecting of the EKG Monitor to the computer, through the USB plug in. We then opened up Mr. Ludwig's hard to find file of "12 Analyzing Heart EKG" in the Logger Pro Program. After that we attached three electrode tabs to our arms. On your right arm two tabs were placed on the upper forearm and the other was placed on the middle of your wrist. Then on the left arm another tab was place, on the inner part of the forearm. From there we connected the EKG clips to the electrode tabs, and tested each other in sitting relaxed positions with the arms rested on the legs. After everything was set up we began to test and record data.

-The P Wave in this diagram represents the Atrial Contraction

-The QRS Wave represents Ventricular Reaction

-The T Wave represents Ventricular Re-polarization, which is also the resting period of the heart

-The QT Interval represents the time for both the ventricular deploarization and repolarization to occur, which is roughly an estimate of the duration of an average ventricular action.

-The RR Interval represents the time the impulse takes to reach the ventricles.

Special Thanks To Nicole's Blog For Helping Me Find My Way Around Writing This Post! Thank You!

Pig Heart!

Piggy Heart!

The dissection of any heart never seems to be quite as appealing as one may think, however this one was pretty dang snazzy!!! The smell was unbelievable strong, but after the initial shock its easy to ignore as you start to slice through the ventricles and atriums it all became an exciting new adventure. In this lab we had the choice to choose between a sheep, pig, or cow heart. Logan and I decided to choose a pig heart, the reason being that it wasn't to small like the sheep and wasn't terribly large like the cow heart either. But boy were we wrong our pig heart must have been one large mass of pig. Our heart was larger in diameter then the cow heart! I suppose that is just one of the things that made this heart all the more interesting!

Data Table

These three images are those of the pig heart that Logan and I dissected. As you can see the interior structure is as complex as one may think. As blood flows through the heart it enters the right atrium of your heart from the superior and inferior vena cava. From the right atrium, blood is pumped into the right ventricle. From the right ventricle, blood is pumped to your lungs through the pulmonary artery. Oxygen-rich blood comes in from your lungs through the pulmonary veins into your heart's left atrium. From the left atrium, the blood is pumped into the left ventricle. The left ventricle pumps the blood to the rest of your body through the aorta. For the heart to work properly, your blood must flow in only one direction. Your heart's valves make this possible. Both of your heart's ventricles have an "in" valve from the atria and an "out" valve leading to your arteries. Healthy valves open and close in coordination with the pumping action of your heart's atria and ventricles. Each valve has a set of flaps that seal or open the valves. This allows pumped blood to pass through the chambers and into your arteries without backing up or flowing backward.

Anatomy of the Heart!
Your heart is placed just under your ribcage in the center of your chest. Your heart rests just between your left and right lungs, which is why there function are so intertwined with one another. The heart beats against its surrounding components and thus, pumps blood thorughout your body. The size of your heart can vary depending on your age, size, and the condition of your heart. A normal, healthy, adult heart most often is the size of a clenched fist. Some diseases of the heart can cause it to become larger. Just recently we watched a movie about enlarged hearts being REDUCED! Enlarged heart procedures are difficlut, but can be done! The major parts of the heart are the left and right atrium and left and right ventricles. Some of the main blood vessels arteries and veins that make up your blood circulatory system are directly connected to your heart.

Reflex Lab- Jillian's Results

Jillian's Data Analysis

Voluntary v.s. Involuntary
     When doing this study regarding reflexes it was soon apparent that involuntary reactions are faster and more consistent rather then voluntary reflex reactions. Voluntary reactions have a slight delay or hesitation. This hesitation is the act of the nervous system sending the message to the brain about what is to happen. Whereas with the involuntary you are anticipating what is to come and your body's reflexes react faster and are more consistent.

Reinforcement v.s. No Reinforcement
     This graph shows the average of both a reinforcement and non reinforcement reflex reaction. No reflex is with the hands linked together by the chest, but in a relaxed state. Where as the reinforcement reaction is where the hands are linked and pulling against one another. It is very apparent that with the tension caused from the reinforcement reflex data the elapsed time is greater because the body has been tensed and starts to pulsate and work harder. However, the non reinforcement reflex is lower due to the fact that the body is calm and relaxed without the tension in the muscles. This allows the reflex reaction to travel faster and occur sooner rather then hesitate like it does with the reinforcement reaction.