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.

Reflection

I am ashamed to say that all my classes are suffering from my procrastination.
Even though i worked 24hours a week, statistically i had enough time to do all my school work and to study. But I have been very unstable in using time. At this time due to my procrastination I am swamped with late assignments. Thankfully due to the grace and mercy given by my teacher I am able to turn them in late with only a little penalty.
I know it's possible to get all my late works done and get caught up within a week. But thinking about them still gives me a big headache. Sometimes i'm so overwhelmed that i just want to quit school. Yet, I know it's not an option that i can so easily choose.
Even this blog is late but by completing this blog i know that i have one less assignment to worry about. I will try to be caught up by the end of this month andno more slacking off for me.
I don't want to be always stressed because of all the work that have accumulated.
I even cut my work hours to 8 hours a week so that i can use those times to study and not fall behind in school.
I thank God for providing for my needs and giving me another chance. I really want to be a changed man by the end of this month.

Encounter with Barry Black

I think it was four years ago, the last time i met Dr. Barry Black. He was preaching during chapel at Pioneer Memorial Church in Berrien Springs, Michigan (Andrews University). I didn't get to talk to him personally. But I read his autobiographical book and knew somewhat about him. He has been blessed with photographic memory and thus able to recite the whole bible, both old and new testaments, from memory. I thought that people with these kinds of abilities are disabled in some other way. However I could find no flaw in him. He interacted with people normally, talked, sang, walked normally. And as far as i know had no problem doing any other ordinary tasks. And so I found some articles and websites regarding people with photographic memories. Sure enough some things I didn't know before was that the original term for it is Eidetic memory. People with eidetic memory don't have to be autistic. But I was associating autism with it because the only people that are widely known to have this ability are autistic savants. I also found out that this phenomenon is still scientifically non explainable. I sure wish i had this ability as well. But only very few are fortunate of having this ability.

Dictionary

Some terms i didn't know when reading chapter 4.

ampulla - a dilated portion of a canal or duct.

equatorial region - The junction between the inner acrosomal membrane and the sperm cell membrane. Tthis is where membrane fusion between sperm and egg begins.

Axoneme - The major motor portion of the flagellum and a structure formed by microtubles emanating from the centriole at the base of the sperm nucleus.

cumulus - The mammalian egg surrounded by a layer of cells. It is made up of the ovarian follicular cells that were nurturing the egg at the time of its release from the ovary.

chemotaxis - This chemical secreted by the egg attracts sperms of their species toward the egg.

capacitation - The set of physiological changes by which sperm become competent to fertilize the egg.

Ampulla - The region of the oviduct where fertilization takes place.

Source:

1) Text book.

Developmental Biology, Ninth Edition, Scott f. Gilbert. 2010.

2) http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/ampullae