Reflection

This picture was taken from the following website:
http://www.photoshopessentials.com/images/type/
effects/text-reflection/photoshop-text-reflection.jpg

I still believe this class is helping me learn information that is relevant to my career goals of becoming a pediatrician. Because I am learning about how development takes place, I will have a better understanding of how to aid those with developmental malfunctions. The information in this course most closely relates to the information I am learning in Genetics, but this week, it related to Organic Chemistry as well. In chemistry this week, we were learning about step-wise reactions, which related to the signal transduction cascades in the major pathways. I usually learn best by writing information down as I hear it -- taking notes in a sense. Since the beginning of this class, however, I have now incorporated visual learning into my learning style. It helps me a lot now to be able to see a diagram or a figure of what we are discussing in class. Sometimes, it's hard for me to understand what is really being talked about unless I am able to see these picture references. I am proud that I am able to alter my learning style after so many years of getting into specific habits. I feel this will help me, both in future classes, as well as outside of the education field as it shows that I can adapt to the environment around me...given enough time. One of the most important things I have learned during the course of this class has been the development process, from fertilization to fully developed organism. Everything in this class relates to the process, and it helps to know it backwards and forwards for reference purposes. The other thing I'm glad I learned has to do with lab. Never before, in any of my science classes, have I had such involved labs. I am glad I am learning the entire lab process from setting up the experiment, performing it, recording data, and writing the lab report. It makes the process seem fuller and more meaningful. Again, I feel this will help me, not only further in my education, but after I am out of school as well. One of the things that is most confusing to me is the difference between induction and specification. These seem like one in the same process to me, and I still need to clarify the minute differences between the two terms. This is the topic we are currently discussing, however, so I am sure more discussion will help my understanding. Taking this class has really opened my eyes as to how such a small thing, like a small mutation, can affect the quality of someone's life for the rest of their life. It's unbelievable to me that so many of us turn out "normal" when there are so many things that  can go wrong during the development process. The information I've learned in class has impacted my life in a positive way. I am definitely more aware and considerate when I notice people with diseases or malformations. I feel like I am a better person for this.

Horseshoe Crabs

This picture was taken from the following website:
http://www-tc.pbs.org/wnet/nature/files/2008/06/590_crash_blood.jpg

This past Sunday, October 17, 2010, I watched a Nature documentary on WETA's PBS from 6-7 pm called "Crash: A Tale of Two Species." This program was interesting to me because it directly addressed my interest in biomedical advantages and using animals to our (the human) advantage. I feel like animals have a lot of unknown benefits, and they are able to survive in much harsher climates, yet for some reason, humans have not exhausted this resource. The dilemma comes when these animals are potentially harmed for our use. I struggle with this in the fact humans should not cause harm to animals, while I see no harm in using them to our benefit. After all, with as many dysfunctions as humans have, we could use all the help we can get. The problem, however, is that there is often a fine line that comes between those two areas.

This documentary described the function of the horseshoe crab in biomedical advantages such as drug testing and treating burns, while it also serves to be part of the red knot's diet through the source of its eggs. Basically, horseshoe crabs have a compound in their blood called LAL that clots to viruses and bacteria by binding to it. This substance is a natural compound in the crab that helps it fight off the many infections of the ocean environment. LAL is harvested, and is now required to test bacterial contamination by the FDA in pacemakers, IV solutions, and any other device implanted inside the human body. This spiked my interest because of how the LAL is harvested. The horseshoe crabs are harvested and bled. About one third of their blood is harvested and used to test human devices. After being "bled," the crabs are released into their natural environment, where they supposedly regain their blood volume in a week. LAL manufacturers claim that there is no long-term injury to the animals, and animals are not killed to harvest their blood, which accounts for a wealthy $15,000 for every quart harvested. The process brings concerns, however, because recent studies have found that about 10-15% of the crabs do not survive the bleeding procedure, while the LAL manufacturers claim that less than 3% of the crabs are lost to mortality. It has also been proposed that it takes a few months, as opposed to just 1 week, for the crabs to regain their original amount of blood cells. This procedure could take a bigger toll on the crabs than we realize. By potentially harming so many crabs for our benefit, it also poses a potential threat to our ecosystem. The red knot, a small bird common to the seaside, depends on the horseshoe crab for its eggs as food. An increase in bleeding of the crabs leads to less crabs, which produces less eggs for the birds to consume, which then leads to less birds being able to "bulk up" during their optimal seasons and fly south for survival. Perhaps the biggest use of horseshoe crabs is as bait in the commercial fishing industry. This is where this process sparked my interest. I didn't realize that the FDA required almost every product to be be tested because they realize how useful the substance is, and yet it poses such a large threat to these animals, and yet even a larger threat to the ecosystem that I'm not sure it's really worth it.

The other source I found on this issue is from the Fish and Wildlife Service. It talks about the many threats posed to horseshoe crabs, mainly due to humans. Most of these include basic reasons such as beach development, recreational vehicle traffic, and oil spills. Lucky for these animals though, their biomedical and ecological advantages have been noted for their great importance, and measures have been taken to protect them before their untimely demise. These measures, however, have not recently increased the crab population as much as previously estimated. Again, this spiked my interest because I'm not sure if we should still be using these crabs so much to our advantage if we are also causing them so much harm.

The documentary listed above is from a peer-reviewed source. The WETA and PBS services have qualified reporters with ample education and knowledge to have produced such a program. It directly involved science correspondents through the use of interviews. The documentary was published in 2008, although it was aired in 2010 on our local network. The documentary was only biased in the medical sense. It proved all the uses and advances these animals have in the medical world without adequately addressing the harm caused to the animals themselves. It did talk about some of the bias felt by the LAL manufacturers, but those details would have been easily glossed over unless they were being paid careful attention. As anyone trying to prove a point, no, it did not admit this bias. The citation for the documentary is as follows: "Crash: A Tale of Two Species -- The Benefits of Blue Blood -- Horseshoe Crabs." Nature. PBS. WETA, Washington, DC, 17 Oct. 2010. Television. Later on, I was able to find a synopsis of the documentary on the following website: http://www.pbs.org/wnet/nature/episodes/crash-a-tale-of-two-species/the-benefits-of-blue-blood/595/.

The website I cited from is also a credible source because it is national association. The government would only allow people with ample education and knowledge on a specific subject to report on these issues. The website was published in August of 2006, but was again, written by science correspondents. The United States Fish and Wildlife Association sponsored and published the site. This article was biased as well, seeking to prove the disastrous effects humans have on horseshoe crabs. It never admitted this bias, and depicted this information as fact. The full citation for the website is as follows: "The Horseshoe Crab -- Limulus Polyphemus -- A Living Fossil." FWS.gov. United States Fish & Wildlife Service, Aug. 2006. Web. 18 Oct. 2010. <http://www.fws.gov/northeast/pdf/horseshoe.fs.pdf>.

Lifelong Effects

This picture was taken from the following website:
http://www.lucinafoundation.org/assets/hydrocephalus.jpg

This past Sunday, October 10th, 2010, I watched a movie with my mom and sister at home on the Hallmark Channel called "Follow the Stars Home." It was produced in 2001 and starred Kimberly Williams-Paisley. It was aired from 4:45 - 7:00 pm. Essentially, the movie started out with a romantic love story between a couple who got together after meeting when the lady did some work for her future groom's brother. Before they knew it, they found out the wife (played by Williams-Paisley) was pregnant. After one of the sonograms, they received some bad news from the doctor. The baby was discovered to have genetic defects. The bad news was, unfortunately, only confirmed when the couple got a second opinion. Upon the wife's decision to keep the baby, her husband promptly left her, claiming he didn't want to have anything less than a perfect child. He wanted her to get an abortion as soon as they found out, but she decided to continue with the pregnancy. Before the child was born, the wife's brother-in-law (who introduced the couple and was also a doctor) did a further examination on the baby still in utero. He found the baby girl, if carried to full-term, would have fluid on the brain, also known as hydrocephalus (and pictured above), in addition to spinal cord and central nervous system damage, as well as poor development of the heart and lungs. Several surgeries would be needed to induce the development necessary for the baby's correct growth. She would not be able to walk, talk, and she would have a hard time breathing. Worst of all, though, her predicted life span was a mere six years. The movie went on to show the baby and her struggle throughout her life, as well as the constant and tedious way her mother and grandmother cared for her. Eventually, the drama re-entered the movie to add to the storyline, but a synopsis of the scientific part of the movie is given above.

I learned a lot from watching this movie. First, life is never easy. My eyes were opened to the role of parents when children are at such a young age. Even working with newborn babies at the hospital has not revealed this to me. It really made me think because, as a girl, I may be in that position one day, and it caused me to ponder about what I would do if this situation occurred later in my life. The last decision is ultimately left up to me because the baby would be growing in my body, but should my opinion on this sort of issue interfere with my marriage? If so, what is the cut-off point where things should only get my opinion as compared to my husband's? If not, where do you draw the line as to what really should be considered fairly in a marriage, concerning the birth of the first child? This relates to our class, of course, because it is a genetic disease, although it was never named specifically, that affected the physical and mental development of the child. A mutation somewhere in the process of fertilization and cleavage caused a child's life to end significantly earlier than her peers. Previously in class, we also discussed some of the ethical issues that come with certain diseases -- an issue that was brought up by the viewing of this movie. I'm really glad I watched this movie, and it was nice for me to see that the things we are learning in class really do relate to life outside the classroom.

Cytoplasmic Bridges

The picture above was taken from the following website:
http://www.mc.vanderbilt.edu/histology/word/2004/
Cell%20Junctions%2004.htm

One term in our textbook that was unfamiliar to me is "cytoplasmic bridges." This term is defined as the "continuity between adjacent cells that results from incomplete cytokinesis during gametogenesis." There are cytoplasmic connections between the dividing cells during meiosis. Cytoplasmic bridges, however, are the product of meiotic cell divisions that help daughter cells remain connected. Above is a picture detailing exactly where cytoplasmic bridges can be found, connecting actin filaments.

The information referenced above was taken from the following reference: Gilbert, Scott F. "The Saga of the Germ Line - Meiosis." Developmental Biology. Vol. 9. Sunderland, MA: Sinauer Associates, 2010. 599. Print.

Reflection



This picture was taken from the website: http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_tqy4jJBa2DM/
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 I love being in this class for the sole reason that I feel like I am finally learning something useful. This is the point at which we have enough foundational knowledge from core concepts to apply it what we encounter in the everyday world. My future career goal is to be a pediatrician, so it is very important to me to learn about developmental diseases, how the develop, why they occur, and how they can be treated. What better class to cover all these topics? Learning about gametogenesis and the difference between mitosis and meiosis in males and females has also helped me in my Genetics class. I am able to understand, now, why mutations occur, as well as the effect they have on an individual. It is nice to learn about an entire concept, especially through the use of two classes. I learn best by writing things down, which includes both visual and audio learning. Taking notes and doing the various assignments for this class, especially since they have been in paper format up to this point, have been very helpful for me. I am working on incorporating other learning styles into my learning, but this has worked for me so far because this is what I have encountered. The two most important things I have learned about so far are spermatogenesis and oogenesis. Understanding how, when, and why these processes take place is key to understanding the development of some diseases, as well as the seeing the large number of mutations that can occur along the way. The ethical side of these processes becomes confusing for me, especially concerning genotypes of individuals. If there is a mutation somewhere in development and an individual ends up with three alleles instead of two, I am still confused as to how society should treat this person, mainly with isues concerning their personal rights. I need to study this more on my own to decide on these issues and take a clear stance on them. This class has opened my eyes to the world around me. Individuals with physical disabilities now peak my interest rather than scare me because of the nature of their disease and how it developed. It automatically becomes a new research project. This has opened my eyes to my future as well. A lot of individual research time will benefit me because I will no longer be ignorant to these issues. I will, instead, be aware and informed of them.