sheep eye dissection

The sheep eye was extremely interesting when compared to the human eye. Surprisingly, my sheep eye had lots of fat surrounding it which cushions the eye and keeps it in place. There amount of fat was almost as big as the eye itself. The first thing I noticed was the cornea, which is the big black round circle; it's the transparent layer on top of the eye. It stood out to me because the cornea was like the size of a whole human eye. If you look on the side what looks like water is actually the vitreous humor which a jello-like substance that stabilizes the shape and makes sure it doesn't become deformed. Here in the 2nd picture on the bottom left, right in the middle is the lens. Although the lens is normally clear, because the sheep eye is dead, the lens becomes cloudy. Surrounding the lens is the backside of the iris and the ciliary body. The very last picture on the middle, you can see the shinny blue with black which is the choroid. It's a thin layer between the retina and sclera. The retina takes lights from the lens, and the sclera is like the armor plating for the eye. In the center lies the curled optic disc where all the neurons sensors lie and connect to the optic nerve!

 

Nolonger in the loop

Sadly, I have fallen out of the loop. I've had a history of hamstring pulls, tears, strain, you name it, and a little more than a week ago I suffered yet another hamstring tear running in my 300 hurdles event at track. Its devastating because it honestly ruined any hopes of getting running or getting faster. That might sound silly or obvious, but for me I've been battling these injuries for a few years now on and off. I'm not sure if I will or can even continue jumproping; it's a pretty big setback not only physically, but also mentally because I love running. I am seeing a physical therapist (PT), who I hope can be my key to recovery.

I'm a really active person and love moving around; to be unable to use my lower body is like sitting around in jail rotting. Rehab is truely a patience test, but just know, if your life ever hits a bumpy patch, every setback is a set up for a comeback

No Brain No Gain?

Article here

A woman lived her life until the age of 24 no knowing that she didn't have a cerebellum. Growing up, she was unable to talk until the age of 6, and unable to walk until the age of 7. This is because the cerebellum controls voluntary movements and also balance is After doctors used a CAT scan to see, the doctors noticed that the area where a cerebrum should be was filled with cerebrospinal fluid, something the brain uses to fight against diseases. Although she doesn't have a cerebellum, the rest of her brain took over the cerebellum's functions through brain plasticity. Because of this she was able to eventually walk, talk and be like anyone else.

In my own research, I looked deeper into another part of the brain, the pons. The pons are used in controlling breathing, and using our senses, such as hearing, touch, and balance. It also deals with one of the five pillars of health, sleep. Pons are crucial in REM sleep. If damage were to be done to our pons, chances of survival are low because they are linked to key functions such as respiration that all humans need to perform in order to survive. That being said, it's unlikely for other parts of the brain to takeover its function because without pons we would have a low chance of survival.

Brain review

In anatomy today, our table groups created clay models of the brain. we color coded each section to represent the different parts along with their functions. Mapping the brain out gives us a better understanding of how the brain works with the nervous system.