Lady Scientists taking Tall Paul apart! Ouch!
Couldn't pull Hannah away, even for a picture!
Emma was riveted by the bones under the stereomicroscope!
|
In Week #7 we'll learn there's three types of muscles
Updated October 11th, 2020
If skeletal muscles - those responsible for moving your joints enabling you to dance, draw, and eat - were not fascinating enough, there are two other groups of muscles in your body that are equally interesting and oh-so-necessary! Cardiac muscle, the muscle tissue making up your very heart, powerfully pushes blood through four different chambers inside your heart. Smooth muscle lines your blood vessels, stomach, intestines, and bladder and work so efficiently you don't even have to give them any thought! You literally do not have to even think about them to have them working because they are under involuntary control. Summary of Week #6
During Week #6, the ladies took a look at their chicken arms and compared the ones soaked in water with those soaked in vinegar. They hopefully remember that the ones soaked in water remained very brittle and stiff, whereas those soaked in vinegar were a little rubbery - especially at the ends! This is because the vinegar dissolved and removed the calcium salts, responsible for making bones sturdy and strong.
Try This! How Much do Your Muscles Weigh? (p. 56)
I brought a doctor's scale to class and the students each weighed themselves, multiplying their mass by 0.40 in order to estimate how much their muscle tissue in their bodies weighs. Good job with the math, ladies! For the few students who weighed 86 pounds, they discovered that their bodies are made up of a little more than 34 pounds of muscle. Try This! Muscles, Nerves, and the Reflex Arc (p. 58) To test their reflexes, the students sat with one leg crossed over another, and with a tool I tapped the tendon just below their knee cap in an effort to test their reflexes. Fortunately moms, your daughters all have very sound reflexes. What to expect in Week #7Try This! Dissection of Muscle Fibers (p. 61)
Since we did not get the chance to dissect the beef muscle fibers from last week, I'll bring some pork shoulder fibers this week to examine under the dissecting microscopes. When you look at these fibers, I want you to ask yourselves these questions:
Try This! Smooth Muscle Simulation (p. 66) Skeletal muscles fall under voluntary control - that means we are usually pretty intentional whenever we move our muscles to run, hold kitty cats, and eat. Smooth muscles - such as those that line your intestines - are involuntary. They do their work pretty much without your awareness. Food moving through your intestines is a great example of smooth muscle activity. We're going to simulate this movement this week - I'll bring the materials for this activity. Microscopy Lab - Muscle Tissues This week, you will all get a chance to see what muscle tissue looks like under a microscope. There are pictures of the three types of muscles viewed under a microscope in your textbook on page 66. Be prepared to be amazed! I seem to remember Hannah and Emma had a microscope; ladies can you bring it this week? I have two microscopes to use as well. Experiment - Growing Muscle (pp. 67, 68) Did you know that your muscles grow? As your muscles perceive an increased load or demand for strength, you body seemingly miraculously generates more fibers within a given muscle. With increased muscle size, comes increased ability. We are going to test this idea this week, and have you continue the investigation over the next two weeks as outlined in your textbook. Before class on Monday, October 12th, please complete the following:
|
Image Credits:
Banner: Cover of Apologia Exploring Creation with Human Anatomy and Physiology
Buttons: Stomach cartoon from Shutterstock.com; brain, lungs, and heart from Vectorstock.com.
Banner: Cover of Apologia Exploring Creation with Human Anatomy and Physiology
Buttons: Stomach cartoon from Shutterstock.com; brain, lungs, and heart from Vectorstock.com.
