So in anatomy lecture today, we finished our discussion of the structures and functions of the digestive organs, and began a review of glycolysis and the Krebs cycle. (It is a review because those topics were covered in the Biology 101 class which was a prerequisite for A&P.) Now, I struggled with the details of glycolysis and the Krebs cycle last Spring, when I first encountered it, so it was with great trepidation that I approached the topic again. I started viewing lectures on these processes from UC Berkeley on iTunes U, and reading the chapter on digestive processes in my Anatomy and Physiology for Dummies book over the weekend. Thankfully, I don't think I need to know the information with the same level of detail that I did before, so this test should be easier.
Monday is also a major Chemistry day for me. I am pleased that we are studying biochemistry right now, carbohydrates, and lipids, just as we are studying digestion in anatomy! The topics blend nicely together. In the 45 minutes between my chemistry lecture and lab, I dashed to the open anatomy lab for a quick review. I had just about enough time to observe some fellow students working with the digestive organs and Hepatic Portal System in the cadaver (and help them out a little) and look at a few models of the liver, spleen, stomach and associated ducts, veins and arteries before heading back to chemistry. One of the benefits of attending the community college is that my science classes are on different floors of the same building, so it doesn't take too long to get from one to another!
Back in chemistry lab, we observed the results of a carbohydrate fermentation experiment we started last week. A couple of our results were definitely off- the yeast managed to ferment when mixed with only water in one case! The rest of the lab was devoted to a few tests of lipid solubility (with seven different samples) and saturation. At the end we created lotions. Some groups were instructed to deliberately omit one vital ingredient, rendering our mixtures useless as a moisturizer. We tested the pH of our creations, as well as of several commercial moisturizing lotions. While some of our lab creations and commercial moisturizers were a bit too acidic or basic, the Lubriderm lotion that we sampled had a perfectly neutral pH of 7: nice and gentle for the skin.
After chemistry lab it was back to the open anatomy lab. This time I geared up with lab coat, goggles, and gloves to handle the cadaver myself. One of my classmates and I reviewed the wet tissue that we are responsible for knowing this week, then repeated the litany again when another student joined us. Repetition, repetition, repetition! After that I spent a few minutes examining microscopic slides of the liver, stomach, and pancreas. Finally, I reviewed a myriad of models of the relevant organs, first on my own, then with a small group of fellow students who joined me.
Tonight? I am working on my biology paper concerning the plight of the red wolf (its loss of species status has jeopardized its position as endangered), and watching UC Berkeley iTunes U lectures of Dr. Diamond teaching the digestive system.
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