Thumb Lab HomeworkBind your opposable thumb to your hand using a
cloth to tie it to your hand, or you can just tape it.Try the following activities at home:Use the remote controlOpen a door by turning a knobDrink from a cupTie your shoeWrite using a pen or pencilFor each activity, write a few sentences describing
your observations and experienceHumans are one of the few animals that have this
opposable thumb. Explain if this is a benefit or a disadvantage.
FunctionsIt protects our vital organs such as the
brain, heart, and lungsIt gives us the shape that we have, without
it we would be a blob of blood and tissue on the floor
It provides us with movement. Because our muscles are attached to bones, when muscles moves, they move bones, and we move
It is responsible for the production of blood cells
It stores the minerals calcium and phosphorus
You have 206 bones in your body as adultAs a baby, you mostly are made up of
cartilage, a soft and flexible tissue, but as you grow the cartilage is replaced by bone
Also, a baby’s skeleton still has bone that is not completely fused together, so they have 275 bones
The tips of the nose, outer ear, and parts of the ribs remain cartilage our entire lives, which is a flexible tissue (softer than bone, tough bendable tissue)
Cartilage also cushions our joints.
JointsMovable- move
freely, like the hinge joint,
ball and socket and gliding joints
Fixed or Immovable-these joints are not movable; the joints in your skull are immovable
OsteoblastsBone may seem lifeless, but it is actually
alive with blood vessels It is made of connective tissue and
mineralsOsteoblasts are bone forming cells
Compact Bone
The part of bone that does not have any visible openings is called compact bone
It is rigid and dense
Bone MarrowThe center of the bone is
made of a spongy material called marrow
Blood stem cells are blood cells at their earliest stage of development; the blood cells form in the red marrow
When stem cells mature into blood cells, they are released into the blood stream
Yellow marrow stores fat
So deep in the bones, in the marrow, blood cells are formed. You will learn in the heart unit coming up, that red blood cells only live 120 days, after which they must be replaced
Mature Stem Cells and CancerThe mature stem cells associated with those that
form blood cells in the bone marrow are the most common type used to treat human diseases today
Bone marrow stem cells have been used to treat cancer patients with leukemia and lymphoma
Chemotherapy kills most of the patient’s leukemia cells, as well as some of their bone marrow stem cells
If stem cells in bone marrow are removed before the chemotherapy, and then re-injected after treatment, the stem cells in the marrow are able to produce large amounts of red blood and white blood cells, to keep the body healthy and to help fight off infections
People who are double-jointed don’t have two joints as the name implies…they just are able to naturally stretch more than others
This could be because…They have extra stretchy ligamentsOr they may have more shallow sockets
where the bone fits in a joint (Shallow sockets allow a greater range of
motion than a deep one)Or the ends of the bone are smoother than
normal
Sprain- an injury which occurs to ligaments caused by them being over stretched beyond their normal capacity, and possible torn
ArthritisDisease in which the joints become
inflamed, or damaged due to wear and tear, causes pain, redness, swelling, and possibly loss of function
Two types: Osteoarthritis (most common type)- caused by wear and tear of the joints over time, common in older adults
Rheumatoid arthritis- caused by inflammation of the joints
In this knee, arthritis will cause joint problems because of the loss of cartilage shown. This results in inflammation, swelling and pain,
Can Cracking Knuckles Lead to Arthritis?Possibly osteoarthritis, because it can lead
to wear and tear of the joints, but not very likely
The knuckles are the joints in the fingers and toes. They are bathed in a liquid called synovial fluid which lubricates the joints. Some times bubbles of gas form in this fluid and when the joint is manipulated in a certain way, it can cause the bubbles to burst, resulting in a popping sound.
Osteoporosis Osteoporosis is a bone
disease best described as “porous or brittle bones”
Bones are living tissue that are constantly being built
Bone cells are called osteocytes
With this disease, the rate of bone loss is greater than the rate of bone building, resulting in thin, brittle bones that can fracture easily
Osteoporosis FactsMore than 28 million Americans have
osteoporosis or are at risk of developing itFrom birth to adolescence new bone is
built faster than old bone is removedDuring adolescence bone grows even
faster and strongerBone mass peaks between the ages of 20-
30, after that bone loss can outpace bone formation
After menopause in women, bone loss speeds up because of the loss of the hormone, estrogen, that helps to protect bones
How can you help prevent osteoporosis and keep bones healthy?
Eating a well-balanced diet rich in calcium
Regularly doing weight- bearing activities (anaerobic exercises)
Avoiding excess alcoholAvoid tobacco smoke Building healthy bones at any
age can help prevent osteoporosis later in life!
BONE Building Minerals
Calcium rich foodsPhosphorus rich foods
Dairy foods-Milk, cheese, yogurt
Soy MilkDark leafy
vegetables, like spinach and kale
AlmondsOrange juice and
other products that have calcium added to them
Dairy foods-Milk, yogurt, cheese
Meat and FishAlmondsEggsPeanutsLentilsBreadWheat bran
ScoliosisScoliosis is an unhealthy curvature of a
normally straight spineA rotation of the vertebrae and rib cage
usually accompanies this unhealthy curveIf untreated it can lead to disfigurement,
respiratory problems, digestive problems, and pain
It may be caused by an injury or trauma, or poor neurological or muscular control of the spine, but for most cases the cause is unknown
ScoliosisScoliosis is sometimes caused be
injuries or trauma, but the cause for most cases is unknown
Treatment can include wearing a brace, but some cases might require surgical correction of curve
But many cases are mild and will never require treatment
Scoliosis is more common among girls, can be genetic, and is usually diagnosed during adolescence