Meeting people with the same passion

It is not easy meeting people that have the same interest and passion as I do. But I was surprised that Dr. V. was just as excited to continue growing the sea urchin larvaes. She didn't seem agitated not even a bit by my frequent visits regarding the sea urchins. I was very impressed to see how readily she offered me her help and support to raise the sea urchin larvaes. I really hope that we can get full grown sea urchins out of them. Today when i wasn't even thinking about the larvaes she brought down their food, phytoplanctons, from upstairs and thus surprised me again. I really have a passion to tend to the sea urchin larvaes and keep observing them so that they can grow into their adulthood. I wonder how much it will take for them to finally undergo metamorphosis and become miniature sea urchins. I can't wait to see them get bigger. I would like to document their metamorphosis on camera. It would be a really neat thing to capture on a camera. I thank God for making it possible for me to have an instructor who has the same passion as I do.

Reflection on preparing for the 2nd test

I wasn't as productive as i wished this week. In my head i was thinking about studying for the 2nd test but i was wasting my time doing other stuff. However yesterday when i was studying with Steeve, Freddy, and Joanna for the test in the last minute, i realized something very valuable. I noticed that we can have a lot of fun while studying. While Freddy was reciting one of the pathways for apoptosis I randomly held up three fingers to signify CED-3, and everybody busted out laughing. They thought i was imitating a rapper. And so it began. We added dances rhymes and hand motions to help us memorize and learn the pathway. I was amazed how fast we were able to memorize the pathway that way. I want to have a study group times for the future as well. In fact i'm going to post a note on D2L asking people to study together.

Invastigating Steroid use in pregnant women

A recent study on pregnant women with the risk of giving birth prematurely. Researchers have injected steroids into the fetuses in hopes to stimulate maturity of the lungs and to prevent resipiratory distress syndrome. This treatment is supposedly to help prevent premature birth. But it is not yet clear what long term effects this treatment may have on the children who had undergone this treatment. The study showed slight increase in kids with cerebral palsy.

I think the study had gone overboard. I would never let my wife (if i were to have one) go through such treatment. Even though my child would die after a week of birth i would treasure the moments with it. If it is God's will for the baby to survive then it will survive. God can make anything happen without any human intervention. I would leave the life of the child in God's hands.

Source: http://www.medpagetoday.com/Pediatrics/GrowthDisorders/22780

Dictionary

Imaginal rudiment - formation through an invagination from the ectoderm that fuses with the middle sac. This rudiment develops a fivefold symmetry, and skeletogenic mesenchyme cells enter the rudiment to synthesize the first skeletal plates of the shell.

Cetrosome-attracting body (CAB) - a macroscopic subcellular structure that positions the centrosomes asymmetrically in the cell.

Energids - nuclei and their associated cytoplasmic islands.

Notochord - a transient mesodermal rod that plays an important role in inducing and patterning the nervous system.

SKN-1 protein - a maternally expressed polypeptide that may control the fate of the EMS blastomere, which is the cell that generates the posterios pharnx.

P-granules - ribonucleoprotein complexes that specify the germ cells.

Invagination - The infolding of a region of cells, much like the indenting of a soft rubber ball when it is poked.

Involution - The inturning or inward movement of an expanding outer layer so that it spreads over the internal surface of the remaining external cells.

Ingression - The mirgration of individual cells from the surface layer into the interior of the embryo. The cells become mesenchymal and migrate independently.

Delamination - The splitting of one cellular sheet into two more or less parallel sheets. While on a cellular basis it resembles ingession, the result is the formation of a new sheet of cells.

Epiboly - The movement of epithelial sheets that spread as a unit to enclose the deeper layers of the embryo. Epiboly ca occur by the cells dividing, by the cells changing their shape, or by several layers of cells intercalating into fewer layers. Often, all three mechanisms are used.