Unit 5 Reflection

In this unit, we learned the difference between digestion and absorption. Digestion the chemical and physical breakdown of foods into smaller pieces, which takes place in the mouth, pharynx, esophagus, stomach, and small intestine. Absorption is when your body takes in needed nutrients such as water. This takes place in the small and large intestine.
The digestive system starts in the mouth. The food moves down the esophagus through the process of peristalsis. Accessory Organs such as the liver, gallbladder, and pancreas also help in the breakdown of food. The stomach chemically breaks down the food. Waste products leave the body through the large intestine to the rectum and anal canal.
The body uses certain molecules and biochemical pathways to meet its energy demand through the 3 stages of extraction. During the FED state, the body begins to store glucose as glycogen, break down proteins into amino acids, and lipids into fatty acids. The main source of energy during the absorption state glucose and fatty acids. During the starvation state your body begins to dip into the protein reserves stored in muscles.
The endocrine system controls the process involved in movement and physiological equilibrium through hormones secretes by specific organs. Hormones are categorized as steroid hormones and non steroid hormones. Steroid hormones can go into cells directly and change the function of  the cell whereas the non steroid need the help of cAMP to get to the message to the DNA located in the nucleus.
There are two types of diabetes. In Type I the body does not make insulin at all and in Type II the body is insulin resistant.
The major functions of the lymphatic system is immunity, lipid absorption, and fluid recovery. Organs in the lymphatic system include lymph nodes, thymus, lymph vessels and capillaries, tonsils, and spleen.
One of the greatest functions of this unit were the two temp checks which allowed me to stay on top of studying for the test. Another great activity we did for this unit was the digestive tract lab, which allowed me to understand the length of my small and large intestine in a very visceral perspective. One reading that greatly enhanced my understanding of diabetes, metabolism, and the endocrine system was "Stress, Metabolism, and Liquidating your Assets." I especially learned something new about pear-shaped abdominal fat vs apple-shaped abdominal fat.
As for my New Year's Goals, I have not been able to finish a great deal of homework over the weekend but I have been running twice a week which I am proud of. 

How long is your digestive system?

In this lab I made a model of my own digestive system by measuring and cutting  yarn to represent lengths of different parts of the system, and tapping the pieces of yarn together to form one long string.

Digestive Organ	Color and Length (CM)
Mouth	12 cm
Esophagus	22 cm
Stomach	16 cm
Small Intestine	648 cm
Large Intestine	162 cm
Total	860 cm

My digestive system is almost 5.3 times my height but my it is able to fit inside my body because the small and large intestine is folded to increase surface area, which increases the number of reactions needed to break down food. 

I guess it takes 6-8 hours on average for food to move through your entire digestive system. According to MayoClinic, my guess is right in that it does take 6-8 hours on average for food to move through your entire digestive system. There are many factors that influence the time it takes. The complexity of foods, such as the structure and the components of the food, affect the time it takes. For example a juice will digest faster than a salad. Fat takes the longest to digest from of all the possible food macronutrients, because the liver can only produce a certain amount of bile to break down the fats per hour. 

Digestion is the mechanical and chemical breaking down of food into smaller components that can be absorbed into a blood stream. The mouth, pharynx, esophagus, liver , gallbladder, pancreas, and stomach help in the digestive process. 

Absorption takes place in the small intestine where most of the nutrients from ingested food are absorbed. The small and large intestine are responsible for most of the absorption. 

What are some disorders/diseases related to the digestive system other than diabetes? What happens if one of the organs fails to function? What are the chemical components of the fluids (enzymes, such as in bile and amylase) that help breakdown the macromolecules in food?

New Year's Goals

For the last two years I neglected to take care of my physical health. I haven't worked out diligently since my 10th grade P.E. class. Now because I am a second semester senior and I am done with college apps, I will get back into shape. I will do this by running every Friday afterschool at the minimum. If I don't feel like going outside I will do a at home cardio dance routine for 30 minutes minimum. By two months I want to increase it for an hour to two hours. I will also find one other day in the week to workout and by the end of two months I will increase it three days a week, and in three months I will increase it to four days.
Additionally I will try to sleep by 10 to 11 pm everyday and wake up by 5-7 am. 

My second goal would be to finish all written homework on the Sunday before the week starts or Monday. I will watch any podcasts or take notes for Anatomy and Physiology a week ahead so I have a lot of knowledge about the subject when I head into class the day of the lecture. This will allow me to study for upcoming tests/ap tests during the week. Because I don't have any college apps to do anymore I will focus more on school work and scholarships. I will work on finding scholarships on either Thursday or Friday and write any essays on Friday after my workout or Saturday morning.