Chemicals in Plastic and Plans for the Future

As I've researched, I've become aware that not only is it the amount of plastic floating around in our world that is a problem, it's the type of plastic as well. Now many people ask why we are so concerned with plastic bottles other than when they pollute the environment by not being thrown away. Unfortunately, plastic bottles including renewable plastic water bottles, contain chemicals harmful to human health such as BPA, PET, etc. These chemicals are known to have adverse health effects on humans since they are proven and suspected carcinogens respectively and can increase a person's potential risk for cancer, impair their immune systems, etc. In fact many reusable bottles declaring themselves to be degradable and eco-friendly, actually break down into smaller plastic pieces and spread more chemicals and pieces of plastic into the environment.


(Example of a water bottle containing BPA)

Through this experience, I have learned that I like to learn about problems and how they have grown, but sometimes I can get overwhelmed just by how big they are and how much is already on my plate as well. To deal with this minor setback, I have started to learn how to pace myself more by setting small goals for myself by the end of each week. For example, this week, my goal is to have all the questions done for my interviews that I will be having with experts on the topic of plastic pollution in the ocean. 

I have also started brainstorming more ideas for projects that I can create out of plastic items that people would normally throw away. I have recently found a video that describes how people can make bags and purses out of candy wrappers and newspaper. This looks like an easy, fun project that will help people find a useful purpose for a plastic item that may come in abundance. Especially around holidays such as Halloween.

Here's an example on what one of these bags would look like:

To apply my ideas to this community, I'm going to go around to different shops downtown over break and find out which plastic items seem most prevalent in our community. From there, I will research methods on how to reduce these types of plastics and replace them with more sustainable, eco-friendly options.

Unit 7 Reflection

In this unit, we talked about the function of the numerous muscles that we have, how they work together to create motion, and why the location of these muscles are so important for their function. To demonstrate this process we created videos of the process of motion at the intracellular level. Here is the video. This chemical process allows our muscles to flex, extend, adduct, abduct, etc.

As we studied different muscles, I learned that there are actually three main types of muscle twitch fibers. Slow twitch fibers are slow oxidative, dependent on blood for oxygen and nutrients, and generally are best suited for long duration of exercise. Fast Twitch A fibers have moderately high oxidative capacity, high glycogen stores, and are relatively fatigue-resistant. This shows us that these muscles are best suited for short-term exercises such as sprinting. Fast Twitch B fibers are also mainly used for exercises such as sprinting, but unlike the Fast Twitch A fibers, they are mostly anaerobic, have low blood flow capacity, and fatigue quickly.

Not only did our class talk about the process of muscle movement, but how external and internal forces affect these muscles in the form of performance enhancements. My group talked about aging. While most people do not consider aging a performance enhancement, when people continue to improve each year until they reach a certain limit and their body starts deteriorating. However, before that, the body is generally constantly improving. Here is a satirical ad for this particular performance enhancement:




 We did a lab where we dissected a chicken and labeled the different muscles that we saw there. This lab reminded me of a lab that we did earlier in the year when we dissected a sheep's heart. In the sheep heart dissection, we cut into the heart in order to find and understand the function of structures that pumped the heart. Both labs left me with an increased understanding of the anatomical positions of different structures within the body and a better knowledge of why the structure and location of different organs and cells in the body are so essential to their function.

New Years Goals Check-in:

I would like to modify my goals from New Years since I haven't been keeping up with them as much as I would like and instead of doing the exercises in the mornings, and running on the weekend, I would like to start jump roping everyday after school for 10 minutes. This way I will still be keeping my body in good shape and it will be easier for me to develop an exercise routine since in the morning, I am often too tired to do any exercise. I would also like to renew my plan for the second goal that I had which is to study a little bit for anatomy everyday. I haven't been keeping up with this goal as much as I would like and think it would be beneficial to my grades to continue this goal.

Preformance Satirical Advertisement: Aging

Preformance enhancements are mainly considered to be steroids or other drugs, but in truth, simple, mundane items such as coffee can be considered as performance enhancers. Performance enhancing substances are manufactured products that are meant for oral ingestion, intransal application, or the inhibition of compounds that contain a stimulant, or any substance other than an essential vitamin or mineral, and is intended to help an athlete's performance. However, performance substances like steroids are dangerous not only to one's physical health, but to one's mental health as well. It can cause "Roid Rage" where severe, aggressive behavior can result in violence; mood swings, anxiety, and paranoia among many other psychological health risks. Physically, it can also alter both female and male bodies by giving people characteristics of the opposite gender such as facial hair in females and enlarged breasts in males. Other than that, both males and females are at a higher risk for ligament and tendon injuries, high blood pressure, acne, liver damage, etc.

Not all performance enhancers are steroids though, and with moderation, can be healthy for the body. For example, age, strength training, and massages are all healthier options than steroids and can benefit the body naturally rather than artificially. Unfortunately, old age cannot be prevented and has many health risks just like steroids such as the weakening grip of the hands, loss of neurons in the brain as they die off, difficulty walking, etc. These risks are emphasized in the ad above. However, if people are actively taking care of their bodies through exercise and eating healthy, then they can slow the effects of old age and keep away disease.

Chicken Dissection Analysis

The chicken dissection lab is a good way to compare the muscles of chickens to the muscles in humans. Both sets of muscles are similar in many ways so they are able to be easily compared. In this lab, we skinned the chicken and cut into several of the major muscles in order to both view their location and functions relative to the areas they controlled. In the muscular system, bones help provide a basic structure that muscles can attach to and move. Tendons help attach the muscles to bones so that muscles can function. For example, the quadriceps (muscles) work to move the femur bones in our legs. This movement is only possible because of the patellar tendon attaching the quadriceps muscle to the femur in the first place.
When comparing the origin and the insertion ends of tendons, one finds that the origin end of the tendon is more taunt than the insertion end since it is where the muscle is being secured to the bone. The insertion end is more flexible since it contracts along with the muscles when the origin is secure.

3 examples compare/ contrast chicken vs. human muscles
1. Quadriceps femoris: The quadriceps femoris help extend the flexors of the knee joint which in turn help humans run, jump, and squat. In chickens, the quadriceps femoris also helps to extend the thigh as well as bring the thigh backwards.
2. Gastrocnemius: This muscle is found on the dorsal and medial sides of the drumstick in chickens. It has two points of origins that are attached to the Achilles tendon that is located around the hock in chickens, and the heel in humans. In both cases, it helps extend the foot and flexes the lower leg and is used in standing on toes. In chickens, this muscle would probably be less developed since chickens, especially genetically modified ones, are often found sitting down or roosting instead of walking around.
3. Deltoid: The deltoid muscle helps move the scapulae in the shoulders in humans. In chickens, the deltoid muscle helps to move the shoulder and to rotate the chicken's wings.







(anterior side lower leg)


(posterior side leg)


(wing/ arm flexed)




(shoulder muscles, posterior side)


(wing/ arm extended)

Research and Reflections: 20 Time Blog Post #2

It's very debatable as to whom discovered the first synthetic plastic. Some say it was first discovered by Englishman Alexander Parkes while he was looking for building materials that could be easily molded. Others state that the first synthetic polymer was invented by American John Wesley Hyatt in 1869 in order to provide a substitute for ivory. Nevertheless, plastic was invented, and what at first seemed like a helpful substitute for building materials, has become a worldwide problem. At first, plastic products were limited to decorative items such as the comb and other small accessories. 

1.     http://www.cpr-savers.com/5-Plastic-Comb_p_3681.html

This was in part due to the labor-intensive process of making these items. However, by the 1940s, machines were developed that allowed business owners to mass-produce plastic-made items and made them cheaper to buy. As a result the plastic industry boomed, as did the amount of plastic waste. As the EPA reports, "In 2013, Americans generated about 254 million tons of trash and recycled and composted about 87 million tons of this material, equivalent to a 34.3 percent recycling rate. On average, we recycled and composted 1.51 pounds of our individual waste generation of 4.40 pounds per person per day" (https://www3.epa.gov/epawaste/nonhaz/municipal/). The rest of the garbage that we throw away (which is over 60% of our garbage) if placed in landfills or floats out to the ocean.

Through this process so far, I have learned that I know more about the negative effects of plastic pollution in the ocean and how it affects sea creatures, and I find myself gravitating more towards that type of research than I am knowledgable on plastic pollution on land, so I might have to do some additional research on that side of the issue to make sure I am representing both sides fairly and proportionately to the problem.

The one setback I encountered was while I was researching days to attend beach cleanups, I found a couple on days I know I cannot attend, but hopefully with more research, I will be able to attend one in the future before this project is over. It's also a little discouraging at times to see the extent of the problem of plastic pollution, and how much work has to be done, but hopefully if I put more research into the problem and educate others about it, then plastic pollution in our society will slowly start to get better.

The next step for me is to gain more information by researching some more on line and by crafting questions for interviews. That way I can see how aware people in this community are aware of the plastic problem and what they are doing to fix it or decrease the amount of plastic they use. I could also maybe create a poll online and see what the most common plastic items people are using in their households that they throw away and try to address the issue of reducing those items first. At school, I can educate the people in our class by showing them the interviews and statistics on plastic abuse in both the community, the US, and the world.

"What Happens When You Stretch" Reading Notes

"What Happens When You Stretch", by Bradford D. Appleton, 3/13/16


Quotes:

1) "This basic function of the golgi tendon organ helps to protect the muscles, tendons, and ligaments from injury. The lengthening reaction is possible only because the signaling of golgi tendon organ to the spinal cord is powerful enough to overcome the signaling of the muscle spindles telling the muscle to contract."

I chose this quote because I though it was interesting to figure out the function of the golgi tendon organ and that it can overcome other signals in the nervous system. I also chose this quote because I believe it is important to understand the reason behind why we can extend our limbs and why our muscles, ligaments, and tendons do not wear down faster than they do.

2) "It is easier to stretch, or lengthen, a muscle when it is not trying to contract."

This quote serves to remind the reader of a basic principle that muscles generally must follow the motions that they were signaled to do through before other motions can occur. It also makes the reader appreciate the golgi tendon (mentioned in the first quote) even more since it is powerful enough to overcome the signaling of spindles that tell muscles to contract.

3) "The more sudden the change in muscle length, the stronger the muscle contractions will be (plyometric, or "jump", training is based on this fact). This basic function of the muscle spindle helps to maintain muscle tone and to protect the body from injury."

I found it fascinating to hear about a part of the cause and effect chain that occurs when the muscle moves and how it effects the motion of the body. This quote also helps inform the reader about the flexing motion a muscle can produce in contrast to the first quote above.

Relate & Review:

When stretching, there are many types of proprioceptors that are used by the muscles. Proprioceptors help with the perception of one's own body position and movement; they can detect changes in physical displacement, tension, or force within the body. Intrafusal muscle fibers, or muscle spindles are the primary proprioceptors in the muscle. Another proprioceptor is the golgi tendon organ. It helps record the rate of tension in the muscles and triggers the lengthening reaction which prevents muscles from contracting. In the stretch reflex, the muscle spindles record the change in length of the muscles while they're being stretched, and then they try to resist the change in muscle length by trying to contract. If you hold a stretch for a long period of time, then the muscle spindles will gradually become accustomed to the new length and reduce their signaling.

20 Time: First Blog Post

Plastic Pollution: 20 Time Project 2016

                             
(http://science.howstuffworks.com/environmental/earth/oceanography/great-pacific-garbage-patch2.htm)

20% Time is an allotment of time that is given out in the classroom so that students can have a chance to explore their passions and creativity in a single project. 

For my 20 Time question I have asked how plastic effects both humans and the environment and how we can take practical measures to reduce the amount of plastic we use.

I chose this question to ask because ever since I was little, I have been concerned with the environment and wanted to help it in some way. Plastic and the chemicals within it, is a big factor in environmental health ever since scientists have discovered the garbage islands in our oceans and how marine animals and birds were and are getting sick from it. By exploring the main reasons why plastic is both beneficial and harmful to humans and the environment, I can hopefully find out what the root of our problem is and ways to address it.

I have two main goals for this project:
1) To spread awareness on how plastic is harmful towards both animals, the environment, and humans.
2) To discover new ways of reducing plastic use locally and to encourage others to use these methods for reducing their own plastic consumption such as using reusable bags when shopping instead of putting purchases in the plastic bags at the store.

I will measure my progress by setting goals for myself each time I post on my blog so I will have a clear idea on what I should be able to accomplish at the end of each week such as discovering new methods each week for reducing and reusing trash that would normally be thrown away at home. With these goals in mind, I can establish a realistic goal on the amount of work I can do each week.

Plan:
My plan for the next two weeks is to research as much as I can about the health effects of plastics on humans, animals, and the environment because in order for me to prioritize what the most important problems in plastic pollution so I can start to spread awareness to them and hopefully come up with ways to reduce the usage of some of the most common types of plastic products.