Cells and System PBL 2

By Moose, Brad and Sharjeel

Driving Questions

How Do I think the dawn of the 21st century has helped and/or hindered the healthy functioning of the human

body and its systems?

Driving Question

It has both helped and hindered the the healthy functioning of our body system. If we look back at Medieval Ages people would live up to 50 years. Now its not rare for people to live up to 100 years. Though this trend is changing people are starting to live shorter lives and the scientific community is afraid that we could be taking steps back. The problem in Medieval Ages was a lack of nutrition. We have the opposite problem in the 21 century. But in the 21st century we also have an abundance of new medical technologies. This means that diseases that were fatal in the 20th century can now be cured or effectively fought (ex. Cancer). This is a huge benefit that the people of the 21 century have over people of the 20th people. But you cant look past the negative effect of “junk food” on the body. The fact of the matter is that we can never stop junk food. People will always keep having it no matter how much you educate them how unhealthy it is. Though with scientific break throughs being made every year Im sure that there will be some sort of treatment that people who are obese can use to get rid o the fat. There currently are treatments to remove fat such as liposuction but they are far to dangerous to be viable to every person that is obese and definitely not for people that are overweight. So in conclusion the dawn of the 21st century has helped the healthy functioning of the human body and it’s systems. We do face some medical issues that our ancestors didn't have to face but there severity over the common population s far less.

Parts of the Digestive System

Question 1

The PartsMouth- breaks down food with chewing and chemical

action of saliva.Salivary Glands- Enzymes in the saliva break down

carbohydrates into smaller moleculesEsophagus- A long tube that uses rhythmic, wave-like muscle movements (this is called peristalsis) to force

the food from the throat into the stomachStomach- Food that is in the stomach is partially

digested and mixed with the stomach acidsLiver- Assists the small intestine in digestion. Makes bile which breaks down fats and some blood protein Gall Bladder- Stores and releases bile into the small

intestinePancreas- Enzymes from the pancreas assist in the digestion of carbohydrates, proteins and fats within

the small intestine.Small Intestine-Bile, pancreatic enzymes, and other digestive enzymes produced by the inner wall of the small intestine help in the breakdown of food. The

small intestine is where most food is absorbed.Large Intestine- Responsible for absorption of water

and excretion of solid waste material.Rectum- Feces are stored here

Anus- Where feces exit the body.

The Nervous System

Question 2

What is the Nervous System

Nervous SystemThe nervous system is one of the most complex systems in the body.

It is composed of two main different systems. There is the central nervous system and the peripheral nervous system. The central

nervous system consists of the spinal cord and the brain. The central nervous system work as sort of a command center of the body. It gets and delivers information to the body. The peripheral nervous system is

made up of all of the nerves and wiring. This system sends the messages from the brain to the rest of the body.

Central Nervous System

Brain: The Brain communicates with the rest of the body through the spinal cord and nervous system. When a message comes from the body to the brain the brain tells the body how to react. The Brain conducts so many complex tasks yet it weighs only 3 pounds. The

Brain also has folds and grooves this enables it to store more of the bodies important information.

Spinal Cord: The spinal cord is a long bundle of nerve tissue about 18 inches long and 3/4 inches thick. Nerves divide into many different parts when they separate the spinal cord. This is done to reach all parts of the body. A neuron are the specific cells that make up the

nerves. Each nerve is a bundle of hundreds or thousands of neurons.

Peripheral Nervous System: •The peripheral nervous system is basically composed of nerves and ganglian (which are a biological tissue mass composed of nerve cells) and they connect the central nervous system to limbs and organs.

The Benefits and Organization of

Multicellular Organisms

Question 3

The Benefits of Being Multicellular

There are large number of benefits that multicellular organisms have over multicellular organisms have over unicellular organisms. For one multicellular organisms are far more adaptable to different environments and other conditions. These organisms are also far more and complex and larger because they are not restricted to the limitations of a single cell. I will go into detail on two of these points in the following slides.

Adaptability There are 2 features that multicellular organisms contain that enable them to adapt to different environments:

Evolution is the change in the characteristics that an organism acquires from a previous generation. What evolution basically states is that all organisms have a common ancestor but over time the diversity of characteristics between said species and our species was so different that we became a completely different species. A big benefit of evolution is that allows different organisms to change depending on there environment. There are different types of evolution for example there is micro evolution which is like a species of fish that inhabit places with no light usually adapt so that the the future generation will have no eyes since it is not needed, but the next generation of fish is still the same species but with a different characteristic. Then there is the main type of evolution in which one species evolves to such an extent that it can be classified as a different species.

Natural selection basically is the process by which certain features become more common or less common. These features usually occur because of random mutation but as the environment changes if these features make it far more beneficial for you to live in your environment natural selection occurs making this feature more common throughout the entire population. Natural selection may also occur if a certain organism is born without a certain feature. If the organism is hindered by the loss of a certain feature than the organism just has an abnormality in there genetic make up. But if this organisms survival is assisted or not affected than natural selection will cause this random mutation to become more common through out the general population over a period of time. It is important to note that Natural Selection happens over a gradual period of time so a a random mutation will take a long time for it to become a norm throughout the overall population of a species.

ComplexityMulticellular organisms are far more complex then unicellular organisms:

Multicellular organisms contain specialized cells these specialized cells are designed for specific functions. Ex. Nerve cells. These specialized cells create specialized organs which thus enable the organism to perform a variety of functions.

Since multicellular organisms contain specialized cell, that work to create tissue, organs and systems inside the body that perform a variety of functions, they aren't restricted to the size limitations of a multicellular organism

Another reason the internal functions of multicellular organisms are so complex is because they house there genetic information inside DNA. DNA is a self replicating material that houses genetic information that determine an organisms structure and function

Organization of Multicellular Organisms

1. Cell

2. Tissue

3. Organ

4. System

5. Organism

Question 4

Components of Blood

Components of BloodNormally, 7-8% of a human’s weight is blood. So what’s in that blood? Red blood cells are the cells that take up 40-50% of the blood volume. They transport oxygen from the lungs to all the living tissues of the body and they carry Carbon Dioxide away from the blood. The reason blood is red is because there is so much oxygen in the red blood cell it turns the blood red. White blood cells only take up of about 1% of the total volume of blood in a healthy human. They occur all over the body but more noticeably in the spleen, liver, lymph glands. They are mostly produced in the bone marrow where the red blood cells are produced. Some of these white cells are the first responders for when our immune system is in danger. Some of the white blood cells seek out and identify and bind to alien protein on bacteria, viruses, and fungi. The other white blood cells then come and destroy the alien virus. They also have the function of getting rid of dead or dying blood cells. Platelets are the cell fragments that don’t have nuclei and work with other blood-clotting chemicals at the site of wounds. They do this by sticking to the walls of blood vessels, thereby they plug the wound. Platelets are not always working throughout the whole day. Due to the strange ways of the body’s “biological clock” causes the platelets activation in the morning. That’s why most heart attacks and strokes occur in the morning. Platelets are 1/3 the size of red blood cells. They usually last 9-10 days. Plasma is the part of blood that carries red cells, white cells, and platelets. Normally 55% of the volume of blood is plasma. Plasma also nourishes the cells and removes waste products of metabolism. Plasma also contains blood clotting factors such as: sugars, lipids, vitamins, minerals, hormones, enzymes, antibodies, and other proteins.

Explain how Blood is the Transportation of the System of

the Body

Question 5

The Transportation System of the Body

To explain how blood really helps the body system we need to know what blood is and what blood does. Blood is a bodily fluid that transports oxygen to your cells. So what is Oxygen? Well oxygen is a chemical element (O) that provides energy for all organs and cells in your body. As well blood carries food and wastes away from your cells. Blood also carries white blood cells that fight diseases throughout your body. As well it helps maintain a normal body temperature. Humans have four chambered heart that is extremely important. Without one, blood could not be transported. The process begins with the heart, where in the heart there are two champers. The right side of the heart’s role is to pump oxygen rich blood to the lungs. The left side of the heart’s role is to transport blood to the body. There is a barrier from the two sides that helps from mixing into each other. On each side there is a lower and upper chamber. The upper chamber is called the atria that helps retrieve blood. The lower chamber is called the ventricles is what pumps blood back into the body. After the blood leaves the heart it is transported with arteries and veins. William Harvey was the first human to demonstrate the functions of the heart. He was an English physician who demonstrated the function of the heart and even wrote a book about it.

Question 6

Choose three systems of the body then name and describe at least two common disorders of that

system are caused.Be sure to explain how doctors think those disorders are caused.

The Brain:

(Alzheimer’s disease or AD) is one of the most common diseases of the brain and the worst part is there is no cure and that it worsens as the brain ages within the patient until the patient dies. It was first discovered by a German psychiatrist Alois Alzheimer in 1906 and was later named after him. AD is most commonly noticed in the elderly aged 65 and above. By 2050, AD will have affected 1 in 85 people globally. Sometimes the early symptoms are commonly mistaken for age-related problems that most elderly experience. At first difficulty of movement occurs and later as it progresses the patient will likely lose memory. As the AD develops and the patient has reached AD’s peak the person will be relying full-time on a care-giver. Sometimes they’ll stop talking in sentences and will be reduced to just simple phrases. Also they could reach the point where they stop talking completely. The cause essentially for AD is unknown. Although there are some hypothesis that are trying to explain the cause. The oldest known theory is one which we now have drugs for and that slows down the effect of AD, the theory is called cholinergic hypotheses. The theory states that AD reduces the effect of neurotransmitters and acetylcholine (which is a type of neurotransmitter). We know that a neurotransmitter is chemical which the neuron has sent to a target cell to deliver a signal or message. So the body won’t react to what the neuron wants it to do fast enough because of AD. The theory also states as the AD continues the neurotransmitter may just stop completely.

(Parkinson’s disease or PD) is a disorder for the central nervous system. The cause for PD is when the mid-brain stops working because of insufficient amount of dopamine in the brain. Early stages of the disease include when the patient is always shaking his or her hand and there is rigidity in the joints and there is slowness of movement. Later PD can cause behavioral problems. PD occurs in the elderly usually above the age of 50. Sometimes when someone is near more toxins they may be more likely to get PD. In fact pages within the Bible talk about symptoms resembling those of PD. James Parkinson was the man who truly discovered and made it known as it is today. April 11th is James Parkinson’s birthday and National Parkinson Day.

Disorders of the Nervous System

Disorders of the Circulatory System

(Heart Disease) is a combination of many diseases and for us to know what causes Heart Disease we must know what the heart disease does to the heart. Since the heart gets energy from blood carrying oxygen and nutrients. So when fatty materials, calcium, and scar tissues (a.k.a plaque) builds up in your arteries which supply blood to your heart. The plaque build-up on your arteries then narrows the arteries which doesn’t let enough blood to your heart. This kind of Heart Disease is called Coronary artery disease.

(Cardiomyopathy) is when the heart muscle stops working properly and that usually leads to heart failure. Some common symptoms are breathlessness and swelling of the legs. Some patients with Cardiomyopathy are in a risk of irregular heart beat and sudden cardiac death. The treatment for Cardiomyopathy is dependent on the type of Cardiomyopathy. Sometimes medication is enough to slow down the disease and sometimes (in severe cases) pacemakers are required to speed up and regulate the pace of the heart.

Disorders of the Respiratory System

(Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease or COPD) is a pair of co-existing diseases within the lungs in which the airways within the lungs become narrowed and not enough air is provided. If compared to asthma (since these two are so alike) there are no medications that will heal the lungs and usually COPD will get worse as it grows. COPD can occur due to smoking and this triggers an abnormal response in the lung. In Canada of this year 25,600 people will be diagnosed with COPD and 20,100 will die of it.

(Atelectasis) is the collapse of the lungs resulting in reduced or absent gas exchange. It may affect only one lung. Some symptoms are cough, chest pain, breathing difficulties, and low-grade fever. The most common type of Atelectasis is post- surgery in which there is restricted breathing after an abdominal surgery. Smokers and the elderly are at more of a risk. Some ways to check if you have Atelectasis is by having a chest x-ray done.

Question 7

How to Keep the Systems we described healthy

How to Keep the Systems we described healthy

Ways we can prevent asthma, which is a respiratory condition causing difficulty in breathing that is usually caused by an allergic reaction or another form of hypersensitivity, is to stay hydrated with clean water, staying away from allergens and eating healthy foods containing magnesium, since helps clear your airways making breathing easier and also eating food containing omega 3. Other ways are drinking teas, like green tea and chamomile, which boost your immune system and increase your body to protect itself against cold and flus and allergens, ask your doctor for advice, and stay away from bugs and insects because they may strangely cause asthma problems. Some ways we can prevent another disease of the lungs, tuberculosis (TB) is to try to maintain a healthy life style by getting adequate exercise, enough sleep, a balanced diet, avoid smoking and alcohol, breathing good air and having good personal hygiene.

Ways to keep the heart healthy. Eating mixed nuts will help bring down cholesterol levels and are rich in proteins. Also eating foods rich in protein, like fish since fatty acids in fish help prevent clot formation. Another way is to avoid extreme weather since in cold weather blood pressure soars harming blood vessels and thereby inducing heart attacks. Starting the day with a spoon full of honey reduces the cholesterol in the arteries and helps prevents heart attacks. Walking restores a sense of balance and brings an inner calm, making it good for the heart. Listening to soft music actually helps lower blood pressure which keeps the heart healthy.

Ways to prevent a heart attack. Don’t smoke or use tobacco, get 30 minutes of exercise on most days of the week. Eat a healthy diet, make sure your maintaing a healthy weight and get regular health screenings.

Group Response to the Obesity Epidemic

Question 8

The Obesity Epidemic

Moose- I feel this statistic is startling but can only be expected considering how cheap junk food is and yet also tasty. I think we should continue to try to educate people to lead a healthier life style though I think sooner or later we will realize that this method is futile and people will continue to east unhealthy food and thus the obesity rate will rise. I think it is more startling though how that there are no viable treatments. For people that are obese there only options that they should either eat healthy and exercise, get liposuction, or continue to be obese. Notice how the most practical solution that uses 21st century technology is liposuction. I think that the scientific community should examine this issue closely and try to solve this problem and with the plethora of technologies available to use now this issue could be solved in no time

Sharjeel- I think the cause has been because of our worldview that junk food is such a normal thing in this day and age and that businesses are marketing the youth to increase their own sales, and buying cheap supplies to make the unhealthy food affordable to anyone. I think that here in Canada we have to opportunity to have natural fitness better than anywhere else in the world, which is really sad.

Brad- I feel this is not at all how it should be, but now it’s so much easier for a mother, father, or guardian figure to just round up all the kids and drive them to a fast food restaurant for a meal, rather than taking the time to cook something healthy or more amounts of money for organic and healthy food.

Bibliography

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nervous_system

http://faculty.washington.edu/chudler/introb.html

http://www.getbodysmart.com/ap/nervoussystem/menu/menu.html

http://www.news-medical.net/health/What-is-the-Nervous-System.aspx

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Multicellular_organism

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Natural_selection

http://kilby.sac.on.ca/faculty/rohare/Grade%208%20Science/advantages%20of%20multicell.pdf

THANK YOU FOR WATCHING

BY

MOOSE

Brad

Sharjeel