Unit 4 Reflection

      In Unit 4, we focused on Integumentary system, how our physical levels of defense in our body help us to protect and fight against our everyday needs. The skin, is made up of 3 layers: epidermis, dermis, and hypodermis. Our epidermis is composed of stratified squamous epithelium and contains melanin that gives our skin pigment and color. The dermis is the second deepest layer of skin and contains collagen and elastic fibers that keep our skin looking young. As we get older, these fibers decrease causing wrinkles to form. The hypodermis is the deepest layer of our skin and is made of adipose tissue. It makes up our appendages: glands, hair, nails. In our skin, we have 3 cutaneous glands that help maintain the surface of skin. The sebaceous gland kills bacteria and keeps our skin moisturized through it´s production of sebum. The sudoriferous sweat glands produce sweat for thermoregulation and aprocrine that is often found in our genital and armpit area. The ceruminous glands secrete cerumen, the wax that is found in our ears/ ear hair that traps foreign particles. 

      There are various forms of skin damage including burns, cancer, and moles. Burns are classified into levels (first, second, third) with the first being the lowest damage only to the epithelium and the third resulting in destruction of entire epithelium, numbing all pain receptors. If a mole is malignant, you can test it through the ABCD rule (Asymmetry, Border Irregularity, Color, Diameter). 

      In our second unit we learned about our bodies' defense against diseases with our non-specific defenses like our skin, mucus membrane, the chemical methods/secretions from our body. Our skin is a physical barrier against bacterial enzymes, and sweat, tears, urine all help flush out invaders or bacteria. Fevers increase our body temperature so that microbes can no longer survive. Our bodies also have specific resistance such as specific immunity which is used to defend one single pathogen. There are 4 types of immunity: Naturally Acquired Active Immunity- antibodies produced through daily life; Naturally Acquired Passive Immunity- often transferred from mother to child; Artificially Acquired Active Immunity- vaccines; Artificially Passive Immunity- received from outside source. In addition, we have T and B cells that respond and attack antigens where our T cells directly attack infections and our B cells multiply themselves in response to antigens.

      In our last unit, we learned about cancer and how it is treated. There are two different types of cancers: benign and malignant tumors. Benign tumors are noncancerous and cannot spread, causing them to be easily removed and non recurrent. Malignant Tumors are cancerous and deadly as they send our projections to other tissue that causes spreading of the tumor to other parts of the body. Metastasis is the most dangerous stage of cancer because the cancer cells spread through the lymphatic/circulatory system, harming the rest of the body. 

Current treatments for cancer include radiation to destroy tumor cells and chemotherapy which destroys both tumor cells and good cells causing the patient to grow very weak and frail.  

   

The most challenging section from this unit was regarding our body's ways of invading and destroying antigens. The various roles of T cells versus B cells are still confusing and I need to study and clarify their differences. In terms of managing my time, I found in preporation for the debate, I needed time to further research and develop ideas on my own outside of class so that I could present my group and the opposing side with adequate information. I did not really know too much about the organ market before this debate, so I had to first inform myself of the current system. During the actual debate, we argued the side against the position which I partially agreed with, but I didn't ind harder to argue than the side for the motion. Due to the formatting of the debate, I found it hard to fit in some of the points I would have said as a rebuttal to the opposing side's arguments. 
      I want to learn more about our body's stages of inflammation and how medicines like tylenol and advil reduce our body's reaction. I'm curious about which parts of our body is signaled during that process. 
These are my results from The VARK Questionaire: 

Visual: 9
Aural: 12
Read/Write: 6
Kinesthetic: 12

I was suprised at how low my visual score is because I usually have a tendency to do better with visual diagrams and watching people demonstrate activities for me. I was also suprised with my aural score as I didn't realize how much aural and kinesthetic were correlated for me. When someone tells instructions and shows me how to do something, I find myself most successful. I do agree with my high Kinesthetic score because I find it very helpful to try things on my own and being able to do it myself and figure it out on my own. In preparation for my test, I hope to try my best and see what things I remember on my own without having to look at the notes so I can understand what information I already remember and focus on the terms or concepts I don't recall.