After reading the lecture notes on aerobic respiration, I found it very useful to see how important breathing is. We know we need oxygen to live of course, but to see the difference in ATP produced in aerobic compared to anaerobic respiration really shows it.
Obviously humans cannot rely on just anaerobic respiration or aerobic respiration. There are times when we need to hold our breath in order to perform the activity, such as swimming. You don't see Michael Phelps with a snorkeler popping out of the pool. Same thing goes for sprinters or weightlifters. By holding their breath they are able to perform better, but as soon as they are done they are taking long, deep breaths in order to make up for the air they were not able to get.
With warm-blooded and cold-blooded animals, I now see why the cold-blooded animals are so much more "lazy" than the warm-blooded ones. The warm-blooded animals definitely have to create enough ATP to keep their bodies at a healthy temperature. It is almost like when we are really cold and then we go for a jog and are then warm. The action warms up our bodies and makes us burn more.
Thursday, February 26, 2009
Saturday, February 21, 2009
Week 6- Photosynthesis and Deforestation
The world may not always think about it, but photosynthesis is occurring all the time around us. Walking around the campus to our biology class, it is happening. Energy produced by photosynthesis is the energy that Earth lives for. There hasn't been PG&E for millions of years.
We depend on plants a lot. We use them for food, decoration, even medicine. Plants have so many uses in keeping the world alive.
Deforestation has huge consequences. Without the trees, we would not have oxygen. Too many times we take for granted all that Earth does for us. If we continue to cut down large numbers of trees, we will kill different species as well as create more pollution in the air. When we cut forests down, it is usually to put in more housing complexes or malls. What will we do when we run out of trees to cut?
We depend on plants a lot. We use them for food, decoration, even medicine. Plants have so many uses in keeping the world alive.
Deforestation has huge consequences. Without the trees, we would not have oxygen. Too many times we take for granted all that Earth does for us. If we continue to cut down large numbers of trees, we will kill different species as well as create more pollution in the air. When we cut forests down, it is usually to put in more housing complexes or malls. What will we do when we run out of trees to cut?
Friday, February 13, 2009
Week 5- We are overweight America.
I think America has become so overweight for a few reasons. The first is that we are not as strict as other nations, like China. It is very regimented, especially during school. The kids all exercise together and are expected to be in sync as a group. While we have P.E. here, it is definitely not as strict as it is elsewhere.
The next reason is that we are so busy and feel like there isn't enough time in a day to do everything we need to do. The result is eating fast food or at a restaurant because of the convenience. As an example again, in China, families will sometimes spend hours eating the same meal. They take their time and pace their consumption. It is science that if you eat faster you will consume more and gain weight.
The last reason I have is that fast food and restaurants are everywhere. Turn on the TV or radio, the commercials are on all the time. We definitely fall for the ads and go get that burger.
America has definitely become dependent on companies. We expect you to feed us, clothe us, and provide for us. Families rarely use their natural resources that are available in order to make things for themselves. Why make a shirt when JC Penney already has one ready for us to buy?
To prevent weight gain in our children, we must raise them to understand and appreciate their health. Show them what can happen if they do not take care of themselves. Also, don't treat fast food and restaurants as a regular meal. Make it a special treat every once in a while if you do not want it eliminated completely. Eating out is a treat, not a lifestyle.
The next reason is that we are so busy and feel like there isn't enough time in a day to do everything we need to do. The result is eating fast food or at a restaurant because of the convenience. As an example again, in China, families will sometimes spend hours eating the same meal. They take their time and pace their consumption. It is science that if you eat faster you will consume more and gain weight.
The last reason I have is that fast food and restaurants are everywhere. Turn on the TV or radio, the commercials are on all the time. We definitely fall for the ads and go get that burger.
America has definitely become dependent on companies. We expect you to feed us, clothe us, and provide for us. Families rarely use their natural resources that are available in order to make things for themselves. Why make a shirt when JC Penney already has one ready for us to buy?
To prevent weight gain in our children, we must raise them to understand and appreciate their health. Show them what can happen if they do not take care of themselves. Also, don't treat fast food and restaurants as a regular meal. Make it a special treat every once in a while if you do not want it eliminated completely. Eating out is a treat, not a lifestyle.
Saturday, February 7, 2009
Week 4-Pseudoscience
The first obvious example of pseudoscience is Bigfoot. There have been so many "sightings" yet most have been proven false. They even caught those two men who bought the gorilla suit and acted like they saw Bigfoot. I think people created the story a long time ago because they wanted to scare the kids from wandering too far in the woods. A lot of stories originate that way. I don't doubt that people have seen a large hairy animal in the woods, but a large ape-like creature that is part man? Here is a link to a Bigfoot research website:
http://www.bfro.net/
An example of possible pseudoscience is the Bermuda Triangle. I think that there could be numerous explanations for the amount of accidents and disappearances, but at the same time it seems so odd that they would occur so often in that small area. Reasons for the accidents could be the weather or high volumes of traffic in that area of the ocean. There could also be some weird vortex thing going on in that area that we are not yet capable of finding using the technology we have. So many explanations, but none can be proved. Here is a website for the Bermuda Triangle:
http://www.bermuda-triangle.org/
Pseudoscience makes people think which can actually help us in some ways. It can get our brains moving and wanting to learn more to separate the fact from the fiction. At the same time, pseudoscience has become such a huge part of our popular culture. You can see it on the Discovery Channel, Travel Channel, magazines, and even books. We are surrounding with pseudoscience every day. We just have to be smart enough to distinguish the difference between the proven science and the questionable science.
http://www.bfro.net/
An example of possible pseudoscience is the Bermuda Triangle. I think that there could be numerous explanations for the amount of accidents and disappearances, but at the same time it seems so odd that they would occur so often in that small area. Reasons for the accidents could be the weather or high volumes of traffic in that area of the ocean. There could also be some weird vortex thing going on in that area that we are not yet capable of finding using the technology we have. So many explanations, but none can be proved. Here is a website for the Bermuda Triangle:
http://www.bermuda-triangle.org/
Pseudoscience makes people think which can actually help us in some ways. It can get our brains moving and wanting to learn more to separate the fact from the fiction. At the same time, pseudoscience has become such a huge part of our popular culture. You can see it on the Discovery Channel, Travel Channel, magazines, and even books. We are surrounding with pseudoscience every day. We just have to be smart enough to distinguish the difference between the proven science and the questionable science.
Sunday, February 1, 2009
Week 3- Trans Fat and your diet
Trans fat can be very unhealthy when it is ingested frequently. I found a website that discusses the problems with trans fat: www.bantransfats.com
Trans fats are mainly used to increase shelf life.
While I agree that trans fats are bad for you, I do not believe that a small amount of trans fat here and there will kill me. The odd thing is now that we are required to label things more, obesity has actually continued to become a larger problem. It seems that people are so concerned with weight that it makes it worse for them or harder to stay healthy.
I pulled a Quaker Chewy Low Fat Chocolate Chunk Granola Bar and looked at the ingredients. There were a lot of natural ingredients like sugar, whole grain, salt, chocolate chunks, soy, and some others. There was also a handful of chemicals like TBHQ acid, sodium bicarbonate, caramel color, glycerin, sorbitol, and BHT. I didn't realize how much there would be in it. Even though there are some chemicals, I still do not think the granola bar will devastate my life. I care about my health but do not feel the need to pick apart and add the stress of eating a small snack every once in a while that may not be perfect.
I want to be healthy, but by worrying about every little thing I put in my body will make it harder for me to be healthy. I would rather live my life like I have the past 20 years. I do need to make some changes in my diet, such as limiting how much fast food and restaurant food I consume, but otherwise as long as I am eating my fruits and veggies like I should, I believe I will be a generally healthy individual.
Trans fats are mainly used to increase shelf life.
While I agree that trans fats are bad for you, I do not believe that a small amount of trans fat here and there will kill me. The odd thing is now that we are required to label things more, obesity has actually continued to become a larger problem. It seems that people are so concerned with weight that it makes it worse for them or harder to stay healthy.
I pulled a Quaker Chewy Low Fat Chocolate Chunk Granola Bar and looked at the ingredients. There were a lot of natural ingredients like sugar, whole grain, salt, chocolate chunks, soy, and some others. There was also a handful of chemicals like TBHQ acid, sodium bicarbonate, caramel color, glycerin, sorbitol, and BHT. I didn't realize how much there would be in it. Even though there are some chemicals, I still do not think the granola bar will devastate my life. I care about my health but do not feel the need to pick apart and add the stress of eating a small snack every once in a while that may not be perfect.
I want to be healthy, but by worrying about every little thing I put in my body will make it harder for me to be healthy. I would rather live my life like I have the past 20 years. I do need to make some changes in my diet, such as limiting how much fast food and restaurant food I consume, but otherwise as long as I am eating my fruits and veggies like I should, I believe I will be a generally healthy individual.
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