Unit 6 Reflection

In this unit, we learned about the skeletal system, which include joints and diseases of the skeletal system. First, we learned about the different classes of bones, which are classified according to their shape (long, irregular, flat, etc.). Next, we also learned that the main functions of the skeletal system include support, movement, and blood cell production. We also learned about osteocytes, which are mature bone cells that create the ring shape that is seen in bone under a microscope. I also learned about the role of osteoclasts and osteoblasts in the process of bone remodeling; osteoclasts break down the bone and osteoblasts rebuild the bone after an injury or physical stress. Then, we learned about the different types of skeletal diseases, such as scoliosis and rickets. Scoliosis is the most well-known out of the skeletal diseases we learned, since children are checked for it every year during their doctor's appointments. Rickets is a disease that usually occurs in children, and softens the bones so one's legs bow outward.

Lastly, we learned about joints and how there are some immovable, slightly movable, and freely movable joints called synarthroses, amphiarthroses, and diarthroses respectively.
Here is a video that we watched at the beginning of the unit to give us a general idea of bones:

I want to learn more about how a bone's shape affects its function, so more about why bones are shaped differently depending on their function and location. I also wonder more about the different bone diseases, and if there are any cures for them; can metal rods be inserted in bones to straighten them out or harden them?
Overall, I feel like this unit has been quite comprehensive and I have learned a lot. I wish we had more labs to complete that were more hands on, but the owl pellet lab (http://jhan496.blogspot.com/2016/02/owl-pellet-lab.html) that we conducted was very fun; I felt that during that lab I was more focused on completing the task, especially since we started the lab with little time left during class. Also, because I did not want to break any bones from the pellet, my partner and I separated the feathers from the bones very carefully, and that required a lot of my focus. Compared to first semester, I feel like I have to manage my time more efficiently due to 20 Time. In first semester, the Monday Wellness project was not an ongoing project all semester, but 20 Time is a project that spans across the entire semester, so I must balance my 20 Time blog work with my class blog work as well.
When I look at my New Years Resolutions, I feel that I have been slowly but gradually improving my first goal of putting my full effort into this class. I try to finish my homework the day it is assigned, and make sure that I finish it with detail so I do not have to study or write as much in preparation for the tests. Furthermore, I have also improved on my second goal, as I can fully run through my entire cello movement without stopping and can play the hard cadenza in the beginning of the piece quite well. Overall, a very satisfying and important unit!