strengths and weaknesses

For all of the units, I feel like I understand the content and what comes along with it. I feel like understanding the work isn’t hard when I apply myself, and when I do the work needed to succeed. When I started the semester, I believe that in the atomic theory one of my best strengths was being able to recall all of the information I forgot, but my biggest weakness was generally collaborating with other students, because I remember struggling to collaborate at the white board. For the second unit which was bonding I feel like it was one of my best units because I really studied the material and I really wanted to succeed. I would say that my weakness would be that I missed a lot of class time due to illness and events. I learned the importance of showing up and the consequences of not doing so. For the mole unit I felt like my strength was my resilience with coming back from not understanding much, to being able to do a good amount of work by myself. I think that my largest weakness in this unit was not completing my work, due to just not having time to. I had sports and work all week after school, and I wouldn’t have time to complete practice.

 

 

Personal Responsibility core competency self assessment.

 

 

 

 

Me, my sister, and my Dad

Understanding Neuron communication involves both the knowledge upon Neuron structure as well as what synopsis is, and how it works.

Neuron structure

Most neurons are structured in the same, or similar way, but in this example I will be using a motor neuron

A motor Neuron consists of six key components 

Axon 

The function of the Axon is to carry the electrochemical impulses throughout the neuron, in means to communicate to the other parts of the body.

Axon terminal 

The function of the Axon terminal is to take the electrochemical impulse, and transfer the information to another Neuron, or to it’s final destination.

Dendrite 

The purpose of a Dendrite is to receive electrochemical impulses and data from other Neuron’s. Note that not all Neurons have the same amount of dendrites.

Soma (Cell Body) 

The purpose of the cell body is to produce all the proteins, nutrients, and cells for every other part of the neuron need to function. Without the Soma, the Neuron is useless.

Nucleus 

The function of the Nucleus on a Neuron is to be the reservoir of the biological instructions needed to conduct a Neuron. The Nucleus is surrounded by the Soma.

Myelin sheath 

The purpose of Myelin Sheath within a Neuron is to allow the electrochemical impulses to travel through the body quickly and efficiently.

Shwan Cells 

The function of Shwan cells is to play the vital role in keeping maintenance within the Neuron. The Shwan Cell is comparable to toilet paper, as it is thin, and it wraps around the axon.

 

 

Neuron Function
Neuron Function represents how the electrochemical impulse travels throughout the Neuron. There are five general stages.

1. Resting, Polarized Membrane

This is also known as Resting Potential. This is when there are exclusively negative ions within the axon, which give the Neuron an overall negative charge, which is -70mV. This stage is called the Resting Potential period because the Neuron is at a resting steady state, and the Neuron has the potential to go to action.

2. Depolarization

Depolarization is the start of the Neuron Function. This is when an incoming message stimulates a section of the axon. After this channels in the membrane open, allowing Na+ to flow into the axon, causing the voltage to increase to +30mV.

3. Repolarization

Repolarization is when new channels open causing the K+ to exit the axon. Since the positive chemicals exited the axon, the overall voltage drops back to -70mV, but Repolarization causes the next section of the axon to begin Depolarization.

4. Refractory Period

The Refractory Period is when the remaining Na+ remains inside the axon, and it cannot go through the Neuron Function again because the voltage must be at a resting potential. The Refractory Period pushes the Na+ to the outside of the membrane while attracting the K+ back inside towards the starting position.

5. Flow of Depolarization

The Flow of Depolarization prompts the Repolarization to cause Depolarization in the next session, while the Refractory Period causes the electrochemical impulse to travel forward.

 

Synapse Structure

Before beginning the next section regarding the Synapse Structure, we must know the meaning of Synapse which is  junction between two 
nerve cells where a signal is sent from axon to dendrite.

The photo above displays the Synapse Structure along with labels, which also explains that the structure is simply a zoomed in version of the connection between an axon terminal and a dendrite.

Here is an explanation for each of the seven labels

1. Action Potential

The Action Potential within the model represents the entire electrochemical impulse, which contains the neurotransmitters which is the ultimate reason why Synapse is happening.

      2. Sending Neuron

The Sending Neuron in the diagram represents the Neuron which is being sent down the axon terminal.

3. Vesicle Containing Neurotransmitter

The Vesicles Containing Neurotransmitters represent what is holding the electrochemical impulse, which connect to the Receptor Sites where the Dendrite connects with the axon terminal.

4. Synaptic Gap

This is a small gap between the axon terminal and the Dendrite. It is important to know that the axon terminal and the dendrite don’t touch during Synapsis, with the Synaptic Gap being the main representative.

5. Receptor Sites

The Receptor Sites job is to catch the Neurotransmitters and send them into the Dendrite in which it is passing them on to.

6. Neurotransmitter

The Neurotransmitter is the electrochemical impulse which is being carried throughout the Neuron, in which it’s job is to move across the Axon and Axon Terminal correctly so that it may reach the Receptor Site of the desired Dendrite.

7. Axon Terminal

The Axon Terminal is the whole miniature project which runs the Synapsis, where it’s job is to successfully connect to the desired Dendrite and transfer the Neurotransmitters in which it is carrying

 

 

Synapse Function

The ultimate function of the Synapse is to transfer the Neurotransmitter to the next Dendrite, but it is much more complicated than that.

Here is some information upon Synapse Function

 

In the axon terminal bulb, what happens?

NT, or neurotransmitter, is generated

Synaptic vesicles contain NT.

NT components are repurposed.

 

How is the signal transmitted?

The action potential (AP) descends and arrives to the axon terminal bulb.

Synaptic vesicles travel to the presynaptic membrane due to AP, whereupon they release NT into the synaptic gap.

By diffusing through the opening, NT attaches itself to the receiving neuron’s postsynaptic membrane receptors.

 

When the NT attaches itself to the receptor, what happens?

An NT message is either obtained either stimulating or inhibiting

Excitatory: causes AP stimulation after obtaining a neuron

An AP is repressed by an inhibitory after obtaining a neuron

 

Will an AP be produced by the receiving neuron?

Indeed, excitation signals outweigh inhibition signals.

No, excitatory do not outweigh inhibitory signals

 

What becomes of the remaining NT?

The gap in synapses has an NT recycler

Connects to NT

Dissects it

Returns the components to Axon terminal light source

 

 

 

My goal

I intend to improve on my vocabulary and semicolon and colon usage. To do this I will continue to regularly use heightened vocabulary and colons/semicolons within my writing, in hopes of improvement through repetition.

 

For this week’s blog post we will be taking a look at the 4 different ways of solving systems.

Our first way to solve is using graphs

The first step to solving a system with a graph is to get two slopes and of course have it on a graph

ex

The next thing to do is just look at our graph and just see where the two slopes cross through each other, and mark down the point where it goes through the points.

The next method is to use inspection

If we have two equations that are in simple form

ex:

x + y = 9

x – y = 1

we can just look at the equation, and inspect on what two numbers add to seven, and subtract to 1

in this case, the answer would be (5,4)

The next way to solve an equation is inspection, which mainly focuses on isolating a variable.

The first step is to have an x y equation

ex: 6x + y = 8  and 2x + y = 4

(note that this example is made to be an easy format to solve, and most equations will not be formatted this simple)

The first step, is to isolate a variable, and since we are given two equations where y does not have a coefficient, so we will isolate.

y= -6x + 8 and y= -2x + 4

since we have both variables isolated, and the statement is y=, we can an equation into y

for example y= -6x + 8 and y= -2x + 4 will now be turned into -6x + 8 = -2x + 4

Now what we need to do is to add like variables together, so we will move the x variables to the same side, as well as the constants to each side.

ex -6x + 2x = -8 + 4

now to add each variable together

-4x = -4

now to isolate x, we will divide -4 by -4

this will give us x=1

after this, plug x into the original equation, add like variables, and isolate y to get the final answer.

The last way to solve a system is elimination.

8x + y = 5

4x + 2y =10

first step is to make a zero pair, by multiplying a equation to make two numbers = 0

we will multiply 4x + 2y =10 by -2, because it will make a 0 pair with 8x + y = 5’s 8x

our equation now will be

8x + y = 5

-8x + -4y = -20

Now just add each like variable together

-3y = -15

now to isolate -3y just divide each side by -3 giving us

y = 5

now we would just go back to the original equation and plug 5 into y and solve for x to get our system point.

 

I chose this topic for my blog post, because I needed to review on the topic and display my understanding to myself.

This week’s Blog post will be about how to solve a system using elimination.

What is elimination?

Elimination is simply a way to solve a system, where the key is a word called zero pairs, which means two numbers which make each other ultimately equal zero. We usually get a zero pair by using multiplication to mold a number into a desired zero pair, but at times we are given equations that are pre-set with a zero pair.

So our first step for using elimination to solve a system, is to of course have our 2 systems preferably in standard form.

Ex:

2x + 3y = 18

4x + 4y =20

The next step is to make a zero pair, and to do this we need to use multiplication to make two numbers a zero pair. In this case, we could multiply the first equation and the second equation to make 3y and 4y a zero pair, but that would be a lot of multiplication and unnecessary work. Instead, we can easily just multiply the first system by -2 to make a zero pair with 4x in the second system.

-2 plugged into 2x+3y=18

=

-4x -6y = -36

4x + 4y = 20

As you can see, -4x and 4x make a zero pair, which is the ultimate goal in using elimination. So after those two numbers eliminate each other, we just add up both equations with their like variabes.

So, we will add

-6y + 4y and -36+20

this will give us

-2y = -16

Now we use division to isolate y, so we will divde both sides by 2

-2y/-2 = -16/-2

this will give us

y=8

Now that we found our base answer, we need to plug in 8 into one of our previous systems

We will use

2x + 3(8) = 18

So the first step is to plug in 8 into y

2x + 3(8) = 18

2x + 24 = 18

after this we want to rearrange the system to add like terms.

2x = 18 -24

2x = -6

Now just like before isolate and divide

2x/2=-6/2

x=-3

This gives us our solved system of (-3, 8) where our two slopes will cross each other.

I chose elimination for this weeks blog post because it is my favorited way to solve a system, and I believed that I could make a well demonstrated blog post on the topic.

In the novel “1984” by George Orwell, there is many different instances where mood and setting are both illustrated in different manners. The two types of setting is physical and emotional, where physical setting is when the actual facts, such as location, time, date, and weather are stated to help ignite the mood in a story. Emotional setting is when the literature is setting a whole atmosphere which may provoke different emotions in the reader. An example of well illustrated setting in the novel, “The weather was baking hot. In the labyrinthine Ministry the windowless, air-conditioned rooms kept their normal
temperature, but outside the pavements scorched one’s feet
and the stench of the Tubes at the rush hours was a horror.” (Orwell 186). This quotation gives us a direct idea of what is going on in the story because it provides concrete facts like the temperature and how the pavement was “scorching” as well as the Tubes being a horrible stench, which sets the mood to being uncomfortable and unenjoyable. Here is an example of emotional setting in the novel, ” As soon as they arrived they would sprinkle everything with pepper bought on the black market, tear off their clothes, and make love with sweating
bodies, then fall asleep and wake to find that the bugs had
rallied and were massing for the counter-attack.” (Orwell 189). This is a emotional mood setting example because it does not state what the environment is like, but we can take the fact that they are making love with a sense of urgency that the mood may be something of a romantic and frantic but comfortable mood as we see routine like behavior from both Winston and Julia. Although it may be challenging to uncover at times, being able to tell what kind of mood is being set and used is very useful and a fun skill to have.

For this weeks blog post, I will be using the general form equation, to get my x and y intercepts.

To get our x and y intercepts, we must first understand what general form is using an example.

12x -y +6 = 0

In general form, both x and y are on the same side of the equation, with x never being a negative, or a fraction if we are using general form.  General form is regarded to be the most useless out of the three equations of slope, because it does not tell us anything about our slope, unless we convert it into either point slope, or y intercept.

Our next step, using the same example, will be to pull out an old trick and do the x or y = 0.

So if our equation is 12x -y +6 = 0

12x -y +6 = 0 if x = 0 will give us something like this.

y int = (0,6)

Because if we make x 0 we still have two variables on one side of the equation. but if we take the y and put it on the other side of the equation, it gives us the answer, 6=y

To find the x intercept we will do something  like this.

12x -y +6 = 0

y=0

6=-12x

Here, we need to use some division.

6/-12 = -0.5

So this makes our x intercept.

x=-0.5

Here is a photo of our general form equation on a graph for those visual learners.

I chose this topic for my week 15 blog post because I believed that I understood it well, and was able to make it into a informative and understanding post.