A&P Unit 1 Reflection

Over these past four weeks, I have completed Unit 1 of my Anatomy and Physiology course and learned many things that I did not know before. Unit 1 was somewhat a review of biology that I learned during my freshman year, but also an introduction to anatomy and physiology. In this unit, I learned the basic anatomical terms and essential structures/functions in the body that are needed to learn about the other structures of the body in depth.
The themes and essential understandings in this unit were anatomical terms, types and functions of tissues, macromolecules, and the structure of a cell. Through the vodcasts, I learned about the different organelles in a eukaryotic cell and their functions, which is a review from freshman year biology. I also reviewed macromolecules and their uses in our body. The other themes that I learned were new to me: anatomical terms and the types and functions of tissues. For anatomical terms, I learned how to refer to the specific location of body parts using terminology. I also learned about the different types and functions of the body tissues (connective, epithelial, muscle, nerve), which I did not know about before.

Abstract Illustration of Cells in Mitosis or Multiplication of Cells. Digital image. Shutterstock. Fusebulb, n.d. Web. 9 Sept. 2015. <http://image.shutterstock.com/display_pic_with_logo/466870/466870,1302593488,1/stock-photo-abstract-illustration-of-cells-in-mitosis-or-multiplication-of-cells-75090052.jpg>.

Although I learned a lot in just this first unit of anatomy and physiology, I feel like I still do not understand very well the concept of an extracellular matrix and how to distinguish the different tissues by looking at a diagram. I do not really understand the purpose of having a small or large extracellular matrix or what is in the matrix that aids the cells' function. I also have still have trouble distinguishing the different tissues just by looking at a diagram, especially between epithelial and muscle tissue, since they look very similar in certain diagrams.

Light Micrograph Showing a Simple Columnar Epithelium. Digital image.Shutterstock. N.p., n.d. Web. 9 Sept. 2015. <http://thumb1.shutterstock.com/display_pic_with_logo/1350394/185476790/stock-photo-light-micrograph-showing-a-simple-columnar-epithelium-human-gallbladder-h-e-stain-185476790.jpg>.

Illustration of the Types of Muscles. Digital image. Shutterstock. BlueRingMedia, n.d. Web. 9 Sept. 2015. <http://thumb7.shutterstock.com/display_pic_with_logo/1185467/155583245/stock-vector-illustration-of-the-types-of-muscles-155583245.jpg>.

In the next unit, I hope to take more notes on what my teacher says during class and not just copy down the information in the lecture notes. I also hope to use my textbook more often as a study tool, since there is a lot of useful information in the textbook that is tested that is not covered in depth in the lecture notes. Furthermore, I want to pay attention more in class and keep track of my labs, since I did not really use my labs to study for the test this unit.
The material I learned in Unit 1 also has real world applications, such as a recent drug that could possible rejuvenate aging brain and muscle tissue. According to iflscience (http://www.iflscience.com/health-and-medicine/drug-could-rejuvenate-aging-brain-and-muscle-tissue), there is a new molecular drug that may stop the degeneration of stem cells as a person ages. From test trials on mice, this drug apparently contributes to to the tissues' ability to repair itself and to the maintenance of homestasis in the body. This recent discovery relates to the material I learned in class, such as the function of muscle tissue and how the body degenerates as it ages. By taking this drug, muscle tissue's function improves, helping the body repair itself easily. Furthermore, the article describes how the body ages and how stem cells degenerate more and more the older a person gets, as we learned during class.

Stem Cell Sphere. Digital image. Pixabay. Public Domain, n.d. Web. <https://pixabay.com/static/uploads/photo/2013/07/18/10/59/stem-cell-163711_640.jpg>.