Objective 10: Identifying classes of Hormones

Not too much to discuss about this topic because there are only two classes of hormones and they are amino acid based and steroid hormones. I learned about this in BIO 100.  Hormones seems to be just about amino acid based except for the gonadal hormones.  Also if I am not mistaken the adrenal cortex produces some steroid hormones like aldosterone and cortisol.  To get a better understanding of steroid hormones I went to this website http://themedicalbiochemistrypage.org/steroid-hormones.html.  The pictures below gave a good understanding of how both deals with the plasma membrane.

Objective 22: Blood Clotting Process

To understand the blood clotting process I had to use my book.  The book seems like it was the only source that spelled out the process the best to me.  There are three steps to the blood clotting process aka hemostasis.  First I learned about vascular spasm, which is the immediate response to a blood vessel injury.  What it does is start constricting.  The constriction of the artery can significantly reduce blood loss for up to 30 minutes, allowing the platelets to do what they need to do and then the blood clot aka coagulation to occur.  This figure in the book really helped me out.  I jumped ahead to the other steps which are platelet plug formation and then coagulation.

Objective 17,18,&19: Functions, Components and Physical characteristics of Blooooooood

I knew of possibly just the distribution functions of blood.  Which are delivering O2 from the lungs and nutrients from the digestive tract to the rest of the body's cells.  Also moving metabolic waste products from cells to elimination sites. Last but not least moving hormones through the bloodstream to their target organs.  Now I am being honest about not knowing the regulating functions which are maintaining the right body temp by absorbing and distributing heat all through the body.  Maintaining normal pH in body tissues, well I actually knew this function also. Maintaining good fluid volume in the circulatory system.  I also did not know or even think to know that blood had protective functions/qualities which are preventing blood loss and preventing infection.



Concerning the major components of blood I knew blood had alot of plasma and of course a good bit of erythrocytes(red blood cells) because blood is red. But for some reason I was shock to learn that leukocytes and platelets was so miniscule in blood.  Plasma makes up 55%, Erythrocytes 45%, and Leukocytes and platelets makes up less than 1% of blood.  Here is a pic detailing the components of blood that really helped.

If a person on this earth told me they have never bled a day in their life I would slap the hell out of them.  So for me making that statement everyone who has every lived on this earth should of bled out at least one time in their life and should know how blood looks and possibly tastes.  I have learned that oxygen has alot to do with how dark or light blood looks.  Scarlet colored blood means you have oxygen rich blood and dark red colored blood means you have oxygen poor blood.  Physical characteristics of blood is that it is sticky and much more dense than water.