Tuesday, April 22, 2008

Unit IV Write-Up Sec. 1


16 & 17 Reproducative System













16.1 Human Life Cycle
There are about four stages to the human life cycle (depending on how you look at it). They are Infancy, Childhood, Adolescence and Adulthood. Most likely if you are in Jr. High School or High School, you are in the adolescence stage.
The four stages will be described below briefly to help you understand what the basic of the human life cycle are.
Infancy- From the age of being a newborn to the age of two years, you were an infant. Changes you may have experienced were more coordination and teeth growing rapidly. The body was also quite out of proportion . These were all part of the infancy stage.
Childhood- Childhood lasts from the age of two years to adolescence. Your bones and teeth were growing rapidly and soon changes such as teeth being replaced with permanents happen. You also develop your intellectual skills (ABC's, reading/writing) and pretty much you have quite changed from being an infant.
Adolescence- Adolescence is the age where the body becomes sexually mature. Changes you may be going through are acne, increased growth and deeper voice. Girls also gain extra weight during this time. It is sometimes a emotionally distressing time for teenagers.
Adulthood- Adulthood is the age where the body slowly slows down. Certain changes such as hair falling out and physical activity decreasing are normal as you age . If you are over forty, you are considered a older adult. This however doesn't stop someone from doing the things they enjoy.
16.2 Male Reproductive System
The purpose of the organs of the male reproductive system is to perform the following functions: To produce, maintain and transport sperm (the male reproductive cells) and protective fluid (semen), To discharge sperm within the female reproductive tract during sex, To produce and secrete male sex hormones responsible for maintaining the male reproductive system. Penis: This is the male organ used in sexual intercourse. It has 3 parts: the root, which attaches to the wall of the abdomen; the body, or shaft; and the glans, which is the cone-shaped part at the end of the penis. Scrotum: This is the loose pouch-like sac of skin that hangs behind the penis. It contains the testicles (also called testes), as well as many nerves and blood vessels. Testicles (testes):

These are oval organs about the size of large olives that lie in the scrotum, secured at either end by a structure called the spermatic cord. Most men have two testes.

16.3 Female Reproductive System
The female reproductive system contains two main parts: the vagina and uterus, which act as the receptacle for the man's sperm, and the ovaries, which produce the female's ova. All of these parts are always internal; the vagina meets the outside at the vulva, which also includes the labia, clitoris and urethra. The vagina is attached to the uterus through the cervix, while the uterus is attached to the ovaries via the Fallopian tubes. At certain intervals, the ovaries release an ovum, which passes through the fallopian tube into the uterus.If, in this transit, it meets with sperm, the sperm penetrate and merge with the egg, fertilizing it. (Wikipedia)

16.4 Femal Hormone Level








Although we tend to think of hormones kicking in at puberty, they affect our bodies even during early childhood. At puberty, hormones will begin to make major, lasting changes to a girl's body. Her breasts will get bigger and take on the shape of an adult woman's breasts. She will develop underarm and pubic hair and will get noticeably taller as a significant growth spurt occurs. Eventually her periods will start, usually as the growth spurt is beginning to slow down. Female sex hormonesThe most important hormones made by the ovaries are known as female sex hormones (sex steroids) and the two main ones are oestrogen and progesterone. If the egg released from the ovary is fertilised and a pregnancy results, a woman's hormones change dramatically. The usual fall in oestrogen and progesterone at the end of the menstrual cycle doesn't occur, so no period is seen. After childbirth, what then? Levels of oestrogen, progesterone and other hormones fall sharply, causing a number of physical changes. The womb shrinks back to its non-pregnant size, pelvic floor muscle tone improves and the volume of blood circulating round the body returns to normal. The next significant hormonal change for most women occurs around the time of the last period - the menopause. Over three to five years leading up to a woman's last period, the normal functioning of her ovaries begins to deteriorate. This can cause her menstrual cycle to become shorter or longer, and sometimes it becomes quite erratic. Periods may become heavier or lighter. Eventually, the ovaries produce so little oestrogen that the lining of the womb fails to thicken up and so periods stop altogether.

16.5 Control Of Reproduction

There are several types of control now such as birth control pill, diaphragm, and condom. Also assistantce in trying to have a baby, invitro fertilization, and GIFT.


16.6 Sexualy Transmitted Diseases
A sexually transmitted disease (STD) or venereal disease (VD), is an illness that has a significant probability of transmission between humans or animals by means of sexual contact, including vaginal intercourse, oral sex, and anal sex. Increasingly, the term sexually transmitted infection (STI) is used, as it has a broader range of meaning; a person may be infected, and may potentially infect others, without showing signs of disease. Some STIs can also be transmitted via kissing, use of an IV drug needle after its use by an infected person, as well as through childbirth or breastfeeding. Sexually transmitted infections have been well known for hundreds of years.



CHAPTER 17

17.1 Fertilization

Human fertilization is the union of a human egg and sperm, usually occurring in the ampulla of the fallopian tube. It is also the initiation of prenatal development.
Fertilization constitutes the penetration of the oocyte which the sperm performs, fusion of the sperm and oocyte, succeeded by fusion of their genetic material.



17.2 Pre-Embryonic an Embryonic Development

Fertilization occurs about 24 hours before the egg is laid. A sperm cell, actually a number of sperm cells, penetrates the blastodisc on the yolk, and a new life begins. When the egg is laid, the blastoderm contains several hundred cells. When the egg cools, embryonic development stops. Embryonic development starts again when the temperature is increased. If the temperature is then decreased to room temperature a second time, the embryo will die.
Prior to incubation, all cells in the embryo look the same and have the same function. That changes, however, during the first 4 days of incubation. As cell division continues, the cells receive messages that cause them to become different types of tissues and organs. Some cells will develop into the circulatory system, others into the brain, and still others into muscles. The process in which similar cells are instructed to take on different functions is called differentiation. The first 4 days are a time of dramatic change. Mistakes sometimes occur in this process. If it is a serious mistake, the defect is lethal and the embryo dies. In the incubation process, these mistakes cause "early deads." If the biological mistake is not as serious, the embryo may develop longer before dying, or it may survive with a congenital defect.
While the embryo is developing, temporary structures are formed to support life. They are called extra-embryonic, because they do not become a part of the embryo. The one that is visible at the earliest stage of development is the amnion. It looks like a small pool in which the embryo is floating. Its purpose is to protect the embryo. The allantois is a structure that collects the waste that the embryo produces before it hatches. Many of the nutrients that the embryo needs are removed from the yolk by the yolk sac. Its blood vessels can carry nutrients from the yolk to the embryo. The last structure is the chorion, which lies between the embryo and the shell. An important function is for it to exchange the carbon dioxide produced by the embryo and bring oxygen to the embryo. The chorion also is important for dissolving mineral from the shell and making it available to the chick for forming bones.


17.3 Fetal Development

Day 1 - conception takes place.
7 days - tiny human implants in mother’s uterus.
10 days - mother’s menses stop.
18 days - heart begins to beat.
21 days - pumps own blood through separate closed circulatory system with own blood type.
28 days - eye, ear and respiratory system begin to form.
42 days - brain waves recorded, skeleton complete, reflexes present.
7 weeks - photo of thumbsucking.
8 weeks - all body systems present.
9 weeks - squints, swallows, moves tongue, makes fist.
11 weeks - spontaneous breathing movements, has fingernails, all body systems working.
12 weeks - weighs one ounce.
16 weeks - genital organs clearly differentiated, grasps with hands, swims, kicks, turns, somersaults, (still not felt by the mother.)
18 weeks - vocal cords work – can cry.
20 weeks - has hair on head, weighs one pound, 12 inches long.
23 weeks - 15% chance of viability outside of womb if birth premature.*
24 weeks - 56% of babies survive premature birth.*
25 weeks - 79% of babies survive premature birth.*

17.4 Pregancy at Birth
is the culmination of a human pregnancy or gestation period with the delivery of one or more newborn infants from a woman's uterus. The process of human childbirth is categorized in 3 stages of labour. The first stage accomplishes the shortening and then the dilation of the cervix. It is deemed to have started when the cervix is 3 cm dilated, and ends with full dilation. Contractions begin in the first stage of labour although they may be irregular and sporadic at first. The second stage, often called the pushing stage, starts when the cervix is fully dilated and ends with the expulsion of the fetus. In the third stage, the placenta detaches from the uterine wall and is expelled through the birth canal.Preceding the onset of labour is a period called the latent phase. This phase may last many days, and the contractions are an intensification of the Braxton Hicks contractions that start around 26 weeks gestation. Latent phase ends with the onset of active first stage labour.
17.5 Development after Birth
For nine months the placenta feeds and nourishes the foetus while also disposing of toxic waste. Without it the foetus would not survive. After the baby is born, the placenta, while thought by most to no longer serve a function, actually has two. If not severed, it supplies the symbiote foetus with oxygenated blood cells as it makes the transition to become an air-breathing infant and it contains all the nutrients and ingredients needed by the mother to replenish those excreted during the birth process and thus help her body recover.





Tuesday, April 15, 2008

Exercise

Exercis, Is the Concpet working?
As you know every night when you turn on the tv you constantly see advertisments for exercise programs, diets, or even surgery options. However if you take a look at the statistics below you can see that obvisouly we are not paying attention to the adds. Ex: Between 1962 and the year 2000, the number of obese Americans grew from 13% to an alarming 31% of the population.-- 63% of Americans are overweight with a Body Mass Index (BMI) in excess of 25.0.-- 31% are obese with a BMI in excess of 30.0.-- Childhood obesity in the United States has more than tripled in the past two decades.-- According to the U.S. Surgeon General report obesity is responsible for 300,000 deaths every year.) These results here show that anymore americans are getting more and more lazy. This is not good for anyone kids, adults or even elders. Because when adults are obese, there kids see the size and habits that their parents have and figure that it is okay, when clearly it is very dangerous. We can always keep touching base on this subject but no matter what we say, read or write its all going to come down to what Americans do. It takes will power to want to get into shape. Drugs are not going to help, or surgery in the long run. The only answer to being helathy and in shape is proper diet and exercise. I hope that as the years pass this subject will keep coming up until it starts to show in society.

Monday, April 14, 2008

Course Eval

Which Unit did you like best and why? Unit 3 because the labs were very fun and interesting

Which Unit did you like least and why? Unit 1 honestly, because it was so much work:)

Is there some major area of Human Biology that you feel was neglected and should be included in the course? Honestly i loved taking this class, i felt that the instuctor did an awesome job covering every section there was.

MAJOR TOPICS
-Cells
-Genetics
-Oxygen/Blood/Immunity
-Food and Nutrition
-Nervous Function
-Movement
-Reproduction
-Human Ecology
Which two Major Topics stand out as particularly well presented?Cells and Genetics Why? Because the labs helped individuals to learn them better.

Which two Major Topics stand out as having been confusing or difficult to understand? Food and Nutrition and genetics. Why? Because the subjects were not as detailed as others.

Other comments regarding course content: AWESOME TEACHER AND CLASS!


REGARDING COURSE DELIVERY AND INTERACTION WITH WEBSITE AND INSTRUCTOR
Have you taken an online course before? Just this semester

How would you describe your "digital nativeness" or ease of using the computer and internet? Very easy

For the following aspects of the course, please how effective each one was for you (very, somewhat, not much):
-Overall Course Welcome and Orientation Video: GREAT
-Unit Introduction Videos: GREAT
-PowerPoint presentations (please indicate if you listened to the narrations):YES ALL OF THEM
-Online Weblinks: GREAT HELP
-Online Labs: VERY FUN
-Lab Projects: FUN TO DO WITH FAMILY
-Ethical Issues: GOOD TO SEE OTHERS VIEWS
-Textbook: GOOD TO KEEP AND LOOK BACK ON
-Blogs for presenting assignments: VERY EASY AND SIMPLE
-E-mail or other interactions with instructor: ALWAYS QUICK RESPONSE AND EASY TO DEAL WITH

Which two aspects of the course delivery and evaluation from the above list most helped you to learn? Why? The online power point pres. because it felt like you were in class.

Which two aspects of the course delivery (course activities and assignments) would you recommend changing or eliminating? Why? none

Was there any part of the course website that you found confusing or difficult to navigate? no

Other comments regarding course delivery and interaction with website/instructor: Great teacher, highly recomended unlike my other teacher i have right now!

Muscle Lab Write Up



Figure 1: Effect of Temperature on Muscle Action

Temperature
Number of Fists
Normal 32
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Ice Water 41
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Effect of Fatigue on Muscle Action

1. Count how many times you can tightly squeeze a rubber ball in your hand
in 20 seconds. Record in Figure 2.

2. Repeat the squeezing nine more times and record results. Do not rest
between trials.

(An alternative procedure which works well is to open and close a
clothespin with the thumb and index finger while the other fingers are held
out straight.)

Figure 2: Effect of Fatigue on muscle action

Trial
# of Squeezes in 20 seconds
9 More X's
1 50
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2 44
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3 44
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4 37
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5 37
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6 41
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7 41
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8 35
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9 32
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10 30
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ANALYSIS OF DATA:

1. What are the three changes you observed in a muscle while it is working (contracted)? While doing this muscle lab i noticed; the bicep brachii muscle contracted and became shorter as my uper arm moved upward so my fist was close to my deltoid muscle. The bicep muscle gets shorter because the actin is moving across the myosin until the sarcomeres are fully contracted making the bicep muscle the shortest it can become. Secondly, the total circumference of my bicep brachii increased as I flexed the arm muscle. And lastly when I flex the bicep muscle as I bring the forearm up to meet my shoulder muscle the bicep muscle is not the only muscle at work.

2. What effect did the cold temperature have on the action of your hand muscles? Explain.

At times i thought that me and my husband were doing the lab wrong because at times his number of fists would be less than before but then the next time they would be higher. The cold effect made your muslces tighten up which then did not allow you to keep a consistant number.

3. In Figure 3, make a line graph of your results of the fatigue experiment. Be sure to fill in the values on the vertical axis.


4. What effect did fatigue have on the action of your hand muscles? When your hands becime fatigued they effect your whole body because they contorl alot of the mucles that are in the upper arm. After we soaked our hands in a bucket of ice cold water and tried to clip the close pin it became relativly harder, and actually felt like the hand muscles were causing your arm muscles to freeze up. Overall it actually was a very fun project along with this whole chapter.

Unit III Photos





























Ch. 11&12 Write Up

Chapter 11 & 12 Review


Chapter 11 Review
11.1 Overview of the Skeletal System:
Skeletal system is the biological system providing support in living organisms. Skin, muscle and bones allow movement. Skin - pliable covering. Muscles do actual moving. Bones give anchor to move against. The skeleton functions not only as the support for the body but also in haematopoiesis, the manufacture of blood cells that takes place in bone marrow. This is why people who have cancer of the bone marrow almost always die. It is also necessary for protection of vital organs and is needed by the muscles for movement. Skeletal system - the hard structure (bones and cartilages) that provides a frame for the body of an animal. System - a group of physiologically or anatomically related organs or parts; "the body has a system of organs for digestion."Musculoskeletal system - the system of muscles and tendons and ligaments and bones and joints and associated tissues that move the body and maintain its form. Skeletal structure - any structure created by the skeleton of an organism. Endoskeleton - the internal skeleton; bony and cartilaginous structure (especially of vertebrates). Exoskeleton - the exterior protective or supporting structure or shell of many animals (especially invertebrates) including bony or horny parts such as nails or scales or hoofs.

11.2 Bone Growth, Remodeling, & Repair:
Growth takes place at the epiphyseal growth plate of long bones by a finely balanced cycle of cartilage growth, matrix formation and calcification of cartilage that acts as a scaffold for bone formation. This sequence of cellular events constitutes endochondral ossification. Another feature of bone growth is a process of modeling, where bone is being continuously resorbed and replaced by new bone. Modeling is most active during childhood and adolescence, and enables long bones to increase in diameter, to change shape and develop a marrow cavity. Modeling continues throughout adult life with bone restoration equally balanced by bone formation in a healthy skeleton, although in the adult the process is referred to as remodeling. An individual's skeletal growth rate and adult limb bone length have an important genetic determinant, but are influenced by many factors including circulating hormones, nutritional intake, mechanical influences and disease. Growth disturbances result when there is disruption of the normal cellular activity of growth plate chondrocytes and/or the cells of bone. Bone remodeling is a dynamic, lifelong process in which old bone is removed from the skeleton and new bone is added. It consists of two distinct stages – resorption and formation – that involve the activity of special cells called osteoclasts and osteoblasts. Usually, the removal and formation of bone are in balance and maintain skeletal strength and integrity.

11.3 Bones of Axial System:
A multi-axial bone fixation implant includes an elongated member, one or more bone anchor assemblies, and stabilizer members which are fitted within the elongated member. A bone bolt having cancellous threads on one end and machine threads at the opposing end and an enlarged portion between these sections is also provided. The bone bolt is anchored into a bone via the cancellous thread end. The machine threaded end passes through an opening of the elongated member and the stabilizer, and is engaged by a coupled washer and nut. The washer includes an undercut within its oblong aperture, and the nut includes a projecting sleeve. The sleeve is inserted into the washer aperture and expanded, so that the undercut retains the sleeve within the washer without impairing the rotatability or translatability of the nut and washer with respect to each other. When locked by the nut and washer atop the elongated member, the enlarged portion of the bolt is forced against an inside wall of the stabilizer, which is in turn locked against the elongated member. Accordingly, the elongated member is fixed with respect to the bone anchor at one of an infinite number of multi-axial angles. The bones of the Axial System are: The bones of the skull, the bones of the Thorax, &The bones of the Vertebral Column.

11.4 Bones of the Appendicular Skeleton
The appendicular skeleton consists of the girdles and the skeleton of the limbs. The upper (anterior) limbs are attached to the pectoral (shoulder) girdle and the lower (posterior) limbs are attached to the pelvic (hip) girdle. The Pectoral (Shoulder) Girdle. The Pectoral girdle consists of two shoulder blades (scapulae) and two collar bones (clavicles). These bones articulate with one another, allowing some degree of movement. Shoulder Blades (Scapulae) The shoulder blade is a flat triangular bone which stretches from the shoulder to the vertebral column at the back. On the back side it has a bony ridge for the attachment of the muscles. The bony ridge forms a prominent projection, the acromion, above the shoulder joint. Beneath the collar bone and just on the inside of the shoulder joint, is another bony projection of the shoulder blade, the coracoids process, which also serves for the attachment of muscles. The upper outer corner of the shoulder blade ends in the glenoid cavity into which fits the head of the upper arm bone, forming a ball and socket joint. Collar Bones (Clavicles) each collar bone is rod-shaped and roughly S-shaped. It lies horizontally and articulates with the upper end of the breastbone, right in the middle and front, just above the first rib. The lateral end articulates with the acromium. Collar bones serve as a support for the shoulder blades in front and keep the shoulder blades back so that the arms can hang freely at the sides of the body. They prevent the pectoral girdles from getting out of joint easily and ample movement of the shoulders.

11.5 Articulations:
A joint is the location at which two or more bones make contact. They are constructed to allow movement and provide mechanical support, and are classified structurally and functionally. Joints are mainly classified structurally and functionally. Structural classification is determined by how the bones connect to each other, while functional classification is determined by the degree of movement between the articulating bones. In practice, there is significant overlap between the two types of classifications. Terms ending in the suffix -sis are singular and refer to just one joint, while -ses is the suffix for pluralization.

Chapter 12
12.1 Overview of Muscular System:

The human body contains more than 650 individual muscles which are attached to the skeleton, which provides the pulling power for us to move around. The main job of the muscular system is to provide movement for the body. The muscular system consist of three different types of muscle tissues: skeletal, cardiac, smooth. Each of these different tissues has the ability to contract, which then allows body movements and functions. There are two types of muscles in the system and they are the involuntary muscles, and the voluntary muscles. The muscle in which we are allow to control by ourselves are called the voluntary muscles and the ones we can? Controls are the involuntary muscles. The heart, or the cardiac muscle, is an example of involuntary muscle. (http://library.thinkquest.org/10348/find/content/muscular.html)
12.2 Skeletal Muscle Fiber Contraction:

Skeletal muscle is a type of striated muscle, usually attached to the skeleton. Skeletal muscles are used to create movement, by applying force to bones and joints; via contraction. They generally contract voluntarily (via somatic nerve stimulation), although they can contract involuntarily through reflexes. The whole muscle is wrapped in a special type of connective tissue, epimysium. Calcium ions bind to troponin, exposing myosin binding sites.
12.3 Whole Muscle Contraction:

When we think of a muscle contracting normally, we tend to think of the muscle shortening as it generates force. While it's true that this is a way of muscle contracting, there are many different ways that a muscle can generate force. When a muscle is activated and required to lift a load which is less than the maximum tetanic tension it can generate, the muscle begins to shorten. Contractions that permit the muscle to shorten are referred to as concentric contractions. An example of a concentric contraction in the raising of a weight during a bicep curl.
In concentric contractions, the force generated by the muscle is always less than the muscle's maximum (Po). As the load the muscle is required to lift decreases, contraction velocity increases. This occurs until the muscle finally reaches its maximum contraction velocity, Vmax. By performing a series of constant velocity shortening contractions, a force-velocity relationship can be determined.
During normal activity, muscles are often active while they are lengthening. Classic examples of this are walking, when the quadriceps (knee extensors) are active just after heel strike while the knee flexes, or setting an object down gently (the arm flexors must be active to control the fall of the object).
As the load on the muscle increases, it finally reaches a point where the external force on the muscle is greater than the force that the muscle can generate. Thus even though the muscle may be fully activated, it is forced to lengthen due to the high external load. This is referred to as an eccentric contraction (please remember that contraction in this context does not necessarily imply shortening). There are two main features to note regarding eccentric contractions. First, the absolute tensions achieved are very high relative to the muscle's maximum tetanic tension generating capacity (you can set down a much heavier object than you can lift). Second, the absolute tension is relatively independent of lengthening velocity. This suggests that skeletal muscles are very resistant to lengthening. The basic mechanics of eccentric contractions are still a source of debate since the cross-bridge theory that so nicely describes concentric contractions is not as successful in describing eccentric contractions.
A third type of muscle contraction, isometric contraction, is one in which the muscle is activated, but instead of being allowed to lengthen or shorten, it is held at a constant length. An example of an isometric contraction would be carrying an object in front of you. The weight of the object would be pulling downward, but your hands and arms would be opposing the motion with equal force going upwards. Since your arms are neither raising nor lowering, your biceps will be isometrically contracting.
12.4 Muscular Disorder:

These include spasms and injuries, as well as diseases such as muscular dystrophy and myasthenia gravis.

12.5 Homeostasis:
The property of either an open system or a closed system, especially a living organism, that regulates its internal environment so as to maintain a stable, constant condition. Multiple dynamic equilibrium adjustments and regulation mechanisms make homeostasis possible. The concept was created by Claude Bernard, often considered as the father of physiology, and published in 1865.

List of Items used for Lab

*Axon w/ Schwan Cells: Gummy worms, sour worms, and corn holders
* Bony Element- Metal Rods
*Sarcomere- 2 straws tied together with one pulled out.
* Actin- myosin Sliding Filaments: 4 colored straws
* Action Potential- 1 gummy worm
*Propagned Action potential- corn holders w/ jelly beans
*Neurons carrying Action Potential- Raisins
* Sarcolema- 2 straws bound together
* Myosin Cross Bridges- Necklace, with bracelets wrapped around
* Muscle- Pineapple
* Muscle Belly- Multi colored Straw
* Calcium binding to myosin- Straw w/ raisin
* Skin- loaf of French bread

Sunday, April 13, 2008

Lab Description

LAB WRITE - UP
This model represents a movable, flexible limb. This model also shows the knee joint, and how it makes the leg move. Neurons and muscle cells are also depicted in this model, as well as their specific function in the leg. The essential elements presented in this model include neurons carrying action potentials that trigger muscle (neurotransmitter), actin-myosin sliding filaments, a bony element that muscle attaches to and moves, and a joint that allows for movement.The neurons presented in this model include axon with schwann cells, movements of charged sodium and potassium ions across the membrane (action potential), and the propagation of action potential along the axon. There are also several aspects of the muscle cells included in this model, such as sarcolemma and T-tubule membranes, a sarcomere, the release of calcium from the Sarcoplasmic reticulum, calcium binding to myosin, and myosin cross-bridges that bring actin filaments together. All of these things put together make a simple limb movement.Knee Cap joint – This joint is considered a hinge joint in the body, in which this joint only moves in one direction. Neurotransmitters – These chemicals are used in order to amplify and relay electrical signals between a neuron and another cell. Within the cell, small neurotransmitter molecules are usually found in vesicles. When action potential occurs, and travels to the synapse, depolarization causes the calcium ion channels to open, which leads to the process of exocytosis.Actin-myosin sliding filaments – These filaments are responsible for many types of movement in the muscle. Myosin is the prototype of a protein that converts chemical energy in the form of ATP to mechanical energy, in order to create enough force to make the arm move.Bony element that muscle attaches to – The two ends of the muscle belly are attached to a bone by a muscle tendon. The bone that remains stable during movement is known as the origin, and the bone that moves when the muscle belly contracts in known as insertion. A muscle can make a leg move when insertion occurs, and moves toward the origin, as the muscle belly shortens.Axon with Schwann cells – Schwann cells speed up and save energy for the processes of action potentials. This variety of neuroglia mainly provides myelin insulation to axons in the peripheral nervous system of our bodies.Action potential – This process of electrical discharge is very important in order to carry information within and between tissues. This charge travels along the membrane of a cell, and essential in animal and some plant life.Propagation of action potential – Propagation is the interaction between membrane depolarization and sodium channels. Action potential will propagate in unmyelinated axons, and let sodium ions enter the cell by facilitated diffusion.Sarcolemma – This is the cell membrane of a muscle cell which receives and conducts stimuli. This membrane is extendable, and encloses different substances from muscle fiber.Sarcomere – This is the basic unit of a muscle’s myofibril. Sarcomeres are multi-protein complexes which are composed of three different filament systems. The different bands in the sarcomeres allow muscle contraction to occur, and expand and contract in order make the muscle move.Release of Calcium – This process is important because it lets ATP hydrolysis occur, which supplies energy in the actin-myosin complex. When the action potential triggers a myocyte to contract, calcium ions are able to enter. This calcium actually triggers the release of more calcium ions that are stored in the sarcoplasmic reticulum.Calcium binding to myosin – This calcium is then able to bind to myosin, after the energy is supplied in the actin-myosin complex. This is needed in order to trigger a contraction of the muscle.Myosin cross-bridges – During this cycle, actin combines with myosin, and ATP is used to produce force. This ATP first disconnects the actin from the myosin, and is then hydrolyzed by the myosin in order to produce the energy needed for muscle contraction.