Unit 6 Reflection

     In this unit, we learned about the brain and the nervous system, beginning with the structures of  our brain and how each part controls a specific function--yet each sector works together and contains the ability to change if needed. The nervous system is made up of the brain and spinal cord and responds to changes both internally and externally. Each part of the brain is in charge of a specific function, however the parts work together like a puzzle. For example, within the brainstem, there is the medulla oblongata/pons/midbrain. They control body coordination, balance/digestion, and involuntary functions (breathing) respectively. Altogether, they sort information from sensory and motor neurons and connect to the spinal cord to deliver these messages to the rest of the body. Our sensory areas recieve sensory info while the motor areas control muscle movement. The brain also has the ability to reorganize itself and heal from injuries or damage to certain areas. In the "Women Perpetually Falling" article, neuroscientists discovered that the brain has the capability to redirect and change the path of a sensory nueron is the normal location is damaged. Check out my blog post detailing the article: Women Perpetually Falling 

     

The left and right hemispheres are connected by the corpus callosum, showing people are not solely "left brain" or "right brain", but a blend between both. While the left hemispher is primarily responsible for interpreting literal meaning and detail, and the right hemisphere understands overall picture and metaphors, the corpus callosum is how the sides are connected to communicate with each other. To view an indepth look at the internal parts of the brain, check out my sheep brain dissection: Sheep Brain Dissection.  To gain better understanding of our seneses, we dissected a sheep's eyeball and looked at the various structures that are very similar to the human eye. We noticed the path of light it took through the eye, and how we contain vision. Overall, it was fascinating to see how the brain responds to the special senses in our eyes, nose, mouth, ears and to the somatic senses of touch receptors. 

Below is a folder chart of the 5 special senses: 

We also studied how neurons communicate with each other through their structure and location within the body. Because of their branch-like dendrites, axon terminals, and myelin, information is able to travel faster from our brains to the rest of our body. In our Reflex Lab, we performed various tasks that tested our somatic reflexes, knee-jerk reflexes and withdrawal reflexes by understanding how the sensory arc provides a path for nerve impulses. We concluded with a look into disorders of the CNS, diseases within the brain that affect the body, and PNS diseases which are specific to the structure in the body that is affected. 

"How to Become a Superager" by Lisa Feldman Barnett explained that people who live the longest are those with the greatest emotional parts in the brain. Our energy levels depend on the activeness of our brains and the consistent use of each function. If you don't use it, you'll lose it. 

"Women Perpetually Falling" detailed the findings of Paul Bach-y-Rita who discovered that brains had high plasticity and the ability to for neural impulses to naturally redirect themselves. A patient who had suffered a stroke, was gradually able to regain the parts of their body that was lost through practice and training of the brain to respond differently yet effectively through re-channeled neurons. 

"Fit Body, Fit Brain, Other Fitness Trends" highlighted the connections between physical exercise, longer health of our brains, and ultimately a better life span. Gretchen Reynolds explains that men and women who pushed themselves in consistent exercise throughout their lives were shown to contain more active brains with less empty space. Exercise also helps prevent the fraying of our aging indicator: telomeres. 

"How We Get Addicted" explained that humans have the inate tendency to strive for pleasure, and even if something causes problems or consequences, our brains can become chemically programmed to expect a result. When the brain is stimulated by a drug, such as dopamine, the brain is fixated on it's effect from the dosage and expects a similar or greater satisfaction. The brain however is able to go through re-engaging and recover from addiction through time and various treatments. 

Some of my strengths this unit were seen through the labs, as they helped we visualize and further understand the concepts learned in the lecture. The chart study guide also forced me to synthesize the senses information well and helped me organize each section to better prepare for the exam. The most difficult lecture was the Neuron section because of the large dose of information through one sitting. I find myself most successful through engaging myself in the material, whether through labs or creating study guides that are specialized for my own personal learning skills. 

I want to learn more about the lack of a sense and how one is able to function without it. I plan to research and look into what methods have newly been discovered to assist those with loss of smell/taste/touch and even vision/hearing. I wonder how the brain redirects those neural impulses and how you can manipulate those re-directions to help the person still live properly without the sense.

My main New Year Goal was to spend less time distracted on my devices and transform time procrastinated to time spent studying or being productive. I have found better methods for self studying and changed the approach with tackling studying for the exams. However, I have not done well in procrastinating less as I find myself struggling to manage my free time well. While I have found more efficient studying methods, I hope to use my planner more carefully and plan out my week in more detail so I can increase in sleep and energy levels throughout the day.