Organ System of the Human Body

Organ System of the Human Body The human body is composed of different organs with each performing a specific function. These organs do not work alone, but combine their functionality to work as systems. An organ system is usually composed of different organs which perform closely related functions and work collectively to perform a common purpose (Anatomy 1). The human body is composed of ten major organ systems. The endocrine system is among these ten major organ systems. Its main role is to relay chemical messages, known as hormones, throughout the body. It is usually integrated with the nervous system and together distributes these hormones which regulate growth, nutrient absorption, water re absorption among other processes. The endocrine system is composed of many glands which secrete different endocrine hormones. These glands include the pituitary gland, hypothalamus, adrenal gland, pineal body, thyroid gland, pancreas, lay-dig cells in the testes and the ovaries. The hypothalamus acts as the major link between the endocrine system and the nervous system (Hoskins 15). The pituitary gland located at the base of the brain is commonly referred to as the master gland, due to its secretions of many hormones which regulate the activities of the other glands (Nussey and Whitehead 41). These glands are ductless and they secrete hormones into the blood system where they are transported to their target tissues (endocrinology). Although we may not always think about them, these glands and the hormones they produce influence nearly all the functions of the body, and control almost all the cells, organs and organ systems. This systems controls metabolism, tissue function, growth, regulates the mood and reproduction processes (Nussey and Whitehead 39). The system regulates its self mainly through negative feedback mechanism where production of a specific hormone acts as the check mechanism to avoid over production. The pancreas which is one of the glands of the endocrine system produces two major hormones (among others) which are glucagon and insulin. These two hormones work in conjunction to regulate the glucose levels in the body at appreciable levels. The secretion is specifically done by special cells called the islets of Langerhans (islets of Langerhans). Islets of Langerhans are divided into alpha and beta cells. The beta cells produce insulin while the alpha cells produce glucagon. Like all the other organ systems of the body, the endocrine system can also be affected by different diseases. One of these diseases is diabetes mellitus. Diabetes mellitus is a common endocrine disorder directly related to the dysfunction of the pancreas. This disease is caused by the decreased secretion of insulin by the islets of Langerhans leading to diabetes mellitus type I closely associated with young individuals or decreased responsiveness of the target cells to the action of insulin leading to diabetes mellitus type II, closely associated with the aged (McDowell, Matthews and Brown 97). Diabetes type one is mostly autoimmune where the body marks its beta cells for destruction. It is also thought to be caused by a certain virus which destroys the beta cells. There has been mounting evidence that diabetes is caused by a form of genetic predisposition, leading to some degree of heredity. Diabetes symptoms are; excessive thirst leading to increased water or fluid intake, production of excess urine, weight loss, fatigue and lethargy. Excessive urination is caused by the presence of glucose in the urine after the amounts of glucose in the blood exceeds the renal threshold, a condition known as glycosuria (Colwell 85). This disease is wide spread in the US, with almost eight per cent of the whole population being affected. The most prevalent type of diabetes is type two and its evident in about ninety per cent of all diabetes cases. Diabetes is a life style disease mostly affecting the obese, people who dont exercise frequently and people with the tendency of eating junk food. It is also a hereditary disease, polygenic in nature, and only expressed by a specific combination of genes. Diabetes not only affects the endocrine system but the whole body at large. It deprives all the body cells of the required energy leading to weight loss and lethargy. Some cells of the body like brain cells utilize only glucose for energy purposes and suffer a lot in the event of untreated diabetes. The whole endocrine system is affected especially the mechanisms dealing with osmoregulation. The body has to strain to maintain a steady body pressure regardless of the increased out put of fluids (McDowell, Matthews and Brown 67). The pituitary gland which is responsible for maintaining a constant body pressure through the production of vasopressin hormone has to work against these challenges and ensure constant re-absorption of water. As mentioned earlier on, all endocrine glands suffer loss of energy leading to slowing of their functions. Among the other organ systems affected by this disease, the excretory system is the most affected as it is charged with the duties of filtering the excess glucose out of the body. Kidneys and ureters are overworked till they can reach their maximum rates (threshold) where they can no longer handle the amount of glucose (MedicineNet 4). Economically, this disease affects not only the victim, but also the family. It is expensive to treat, and one does not cease medication once affected. The patients take insulin shots or tablets most part of their remaining life. Some of other therapies available are also very expensive to conduct and will affect the patients finance. When the condition is extreme or is not diagnosed early enough, the victim may be required to quit or suspend some his/her economically rewarding activities to concentrate on treatment. Hospitalization also causes withdrawal from normal daily activities. This disease impacts negatively on the social activities of the affected individuals. One is forced to quite some social habits like drinking which may even cause him some friends. Some social events such as meetings, parties, family outings may be affected especially in the event of hospitalization. Works cited Anatomy. Microsoft ® Student 2007 [DVD]. .Redmond, WA: Microsoft Corporation, 2006. Endocrinology. Encyclopedia Britannica. Encyclopedia Britannica 2007 Deluxe Edition. Chicago: Encyclop?dia Britannica, 2009. Islets of Langerhans. Encyclopedia Britannica. 2009. Encyclopedia Britannica Online. 28 Jul. 2009 http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/329670/islets-of-Langerhans Colwell, John. Diabetes. Gulf Professional Publishing, 2003 Hoskins, Graham. Endocrinology: the glands and their functions. Taylor Francis, 1944 McDowell, Joan, Matthews, David and Brown, Florence. Diabetes: a handbook for the primary care healthcare team. Elsevier Health Sciences, 2007 MedicineNet. Diabetes Mellitus. Retrieved on 28th July, 2009 from http://www.medicinenet.com/diabetes_mellitus/discussion-17.htm Nussey, Stephen and Whitehead, Saffron. Endocrinology: an integrated approach. Taylor Francis, 2001

Platos Symposium :: essays research papers

Throughout history Love has been a topic of conversation. As the topic to the Symposium Socrates and his intellectual partners discuss what Love is and twist it’s meaning in every possible way. Each attendee of the dinner is given an opportunity to express his feelings and ideas about Love. Love can be molded to fit many styles, shapes, and types. Of those who were attending the Symposium, the majority of the men were homosexual or like Socrates bi-sexual. In this era, men commonly befriended young boys and taught them about Love. In exchange for sharing their knowledge, the older men gained sexual satisfaction. This started a cycle, when the young boys grew old they passed their knowledge on. The young boys in which were taught showed their appreciation by performing sexual acts. Love occurred in several ways. Physical and emotional attractions were the two main sources of Love. Love based on a single physical feature is just as possible as love of a person’s entire body and physical beauty. As talked about in the class discussion, Love of a person can be based on the Love of a physical feature. An individual can fall in Love with another even if he or she is not attracted to the other person’s mind. Opposite personalities can fall in Love with each other and do not need to base their Love on compatibility. Others base their Love on an emotional connection. This type of Love is the type thought to be most accepted by society, especially by women. In the class discussion, the females seemed to accept Love based on emotion and not based on physical beauty. It is hard to believe that Love can be formed solely on physical attraction and not on a spiritual connection. Emotional Love differs from physical Love due to the reason that no matter how much the person being loved changes physically, he or she will still be accepted and loved. Emotionally based Love can change according to the personality change of the loved one. If the person being loved no longer acts in a manner that is attracting to the person doing the loving then it is possible to fall out of Love that is emotionally based. Those who attended the symposium believed that there were two types of Love, Common Love and Heavenly Love. Heavenly Love is represented through the older man giving knowledge to the young boy in exchange for sexual gratification.

Education Relating to Minority Students Essay

Should an educator remain indifferent to the institutional bias that exists in our educational system? Should an educator address the academic needs of every student who comes under his or her care and make sure that equal opportunities for learning is given to all students irrespective of their status in society? Clause 6B-1. 006, in the Code of Ethics prescribed by the Principles of Professional Conduct for the Education Profession in Florida, states that an educator â€Å"shall not harass or discriminate against any student on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, age, national or ethnic origin, political beliefs, marital status, handicapping condition, sexual orientation, or social and family background and shall make reasonable effort to assure that each student is protected from harassment or discrimination. † But, is this being implemented and to what extent? During my years as an educator I have been deeply concerned with the issue of inadequately educating our minority students. This is a sensitive issue that has often been discussed, but not adequately addressed. Our education agencies, government, and parents have to understand that various remedies should be implemented to secure the future of minority students. 2. T-Think Through the Options Here are some actions that instructors can take to resolve ethical issues educational institutions. 1. The instructor could first give importance to the ethical issue of freedom of thought and expression to minority students. They should not have any biased opinion about such students and they should offer equal opportunities to all students. 2. The instructor can ensure that poverty doesn’t come in the way of students quitting education mid-way. Instructors are the ones who are constantly in touch with the students and they should be able to discern if a child were to quit studies because of lack of funds. They can guide such students appropriately. 3. The instructor should be sensitive to the issues related to minority children. Learning disabilities, if any, should be identified and resources to address such problems should be made sufficiently available to schools. They should equip themselves to cater to the diverse needs of diverse student populations. 4. The instructor should understand that the reason for low academic performance in minority students cannot merely be attributed to their families. The school, classroom, and instructional factors play a major role. They can act as coordinators and initiate programs that include the participation of community members and cultural organizations to bridge the gap that might exist between families and schools. 5. The instructor could involve the family members of the students in the overall development of the students. 3. H-Highlight the Stakeholders 1. Government: Both the federal and the state governments should take steps to strictly impose the bias test and No Child Left Behind Act. It can conduct awareness programs to educate people on stereotypes associated with minority students. 2. Educators: They must do a good job of teaching minority students about their own heritage through student-centered teaching models that encourage them to have pride in what and who they are. 3. Parents: They often face the brunt of struggling students. They can get involved in the decision-making process and in their own way can serve to inspire and encourage students. 4. Students: They are people affected by the decisions and actions of all the above. There is a possibility of students becoming dropouts. They need to make optimum use of resources available to them in pursuing their education. 4. I-Identify and Apply Relevant Ethical Principles As an educator, it often upsets me when I see children being moved up and released from high school with second and third grade reading skills. The red tape to get help is so long that some frustrated parents are forced to look outside the school system for help. Others are at a loss as to how to help children whom they know â€Å"can do it† if only they could get some help. As educators it is our moral duty to give them the opportunity no matter what race, gender, or ethnicity they belong to. We are responsible for making sure that students have strong educational programs and required resources. Lack of resources and poor teacher preparation largely account for the inadequate achievement of minority students. Clause 6B-1. 001 of Code of Ethics of the Education Profession in Florida states that â€Å"the educator’s primary professional concern will always be for the student and for the development of the student’s potential. The educator will therefore strive for professional growth and will seek to exercise the best professional judgment and integrity. † Immanuel Kant’s Theory echoes a similar view: â€Å"Do the right thing† (160). His theory emphasizes that ethical issues are based on the standards of rationality and that â€Å"ethics should begin with analysis, and that analysis is or should be an entirely a priori undertaking. † This theory will more so apply to educators since they deal with young and naive minds. They must be rational in their approach to students and they must not underestimate the intelligence of â€Å"minority† students. They must understand that there are certain basic skills every child must have if they are to achieve success in life. Clause 6B-1. 001 of Code of Ethics of the Education Profession in Florida states that â€Å"The educator values the worth and dignity of every person, the pursuit of truth, devotion to excellence, acquisition of knowledge, and the nurture of democratic citizenship. Essential to the achievement of these standards are the freedom to learn and to teach and the guarantee of equal opportunity for all. † Herbert Kohl argues that the objective of every classroom instructor and every school board in this nation should be to create a classroom environment that fosters a mutual respect from both student and the teacher. Kohl states that â€Å"looking at a child and understanding something of who she or he is or might become, is not a simple neutral act or a matter of finding the right objective test of experimental situation. Central to what you see in someone is what you are looking for. If you want to find a child’s weaknesses, failures, personal problems, or inadequacies, you’ll discover them. If you look at a child through the filter of his or her environment or economic status, and make judgments through the filter of your own culture, gender and racial biases, you’ll find the characteristics that you except. You’ll also find yourself well placed to reproduce failure, and develop resistance in some children, a false sense of superiority in others. On the other hand, if you look for strengths and filter the world through the prism of hope, you will see and encourage, the unexpected flowering of child life in the most unlikely places. (p. 89) As a citizen of this country I have come to understand that justice is something that many worry about. Be it for the reason of never having your side of the case judged or never having your side heard. Justice in education can only come when there is justice in the country. When Ronald Regan was running for President he made a statement: â€Å"Vote for me and I will turn the clock back forty years. † In a sense, this is what we need to do with our educational system. There was a time when students could learn drafting, auto mechanics, home economics, aeronautics, plumbing, painting, etc. This no longer exists today because someone in authority decided that it would be more beneficial for those in power if they abolished these programs from regular schools, have them in specialty schools, and charge for those services. More time is now spent on standardized tests. Florida has the FCAT test. Teachers understand that the students’ careers depend on a pass or fail result in the test; so, they are forced to teach to the test. This leads to the rule-utilitarian theory, which is the theory of morality. This theory does not look at the consequences of a particular act. Instead, it looks at the value of abiding by a particular rule to establish what is right. I believe that all minority students are not college material. However, they possess other special skills that need to be nurtured and we as educators need to support those talents and watch them grow. As per the rule-utilitarian theory educators can decide upon the best method of educational practice and defend it on utilitarian grounds. This theory propagates that educators can give complete recognition to individual rights and freedom of students since that takes precedence over utility. For example, the every student has an equal right to a particular facility in the school. To deprive a student of this facility based on his or her â€Å"minority† status will be unlawful. 5. CS –Choose the Wisest Option and State Your Justification Where do we begin to combat the issues toward minority students? One way to go forward will be to craft standardized tests that are as free as possible from cultural biases and from language that might be construed, because of its idiomatic feature and nuances, as favoring some students who have grown up familiar with those idioms over students who have not. Next is an equitable education system. Sometimes I am convinced that this country is not really interested in integration. I say this because I think our country wants to make sure that we will always have a segment of the population that is operating as second-class citizens. Anytime we have schools that are failing, underfunded, and populated by students of color, whether they are Hispanic or African-American, we know good and well that as adults, they’re not going to be amply equipped to accomplish and achieve the way others do, and they will remain in that second-class loop. It’s been a continuous process and we are led to wonder if it’s not somewhat purposeful. Third is racial stereotyping. Issues regarding race and ethnicity negatively affect â€Å"minority† student achievement. Just because a student’s name is Myeshia or Tyrone doesn’t mean they have no fluency in language. The last issue is money and culturally-sensitive teaching. The U. S. Department of Education has initiated teachers’ training programs to solve some of these issues. The Teacher Quality Enhancement Grants initiative consists of three separate programs: Partnership Grants for Improving Teacher Preparation, State Grants, and Teacher Recruitment Grants. Partnership Grants for Improving Teacher Preparation will provide funds to partnerships among teacher preparation institutions, schools of arts and sciences, and local school districts in high-need areas. The partners will work to strengthen teacher education through activities such as: implementing reforms that hold teacher education programs accountable, improving prospective teachers’ knowledge of academic content, ensuring that teachers are well-prepared for the realities of the classroom, and preparing prospective teachers to use technology and work effectively with diverse students. 6. Identifying Logical Fallacies A. Fallacy of Ignorance: Racial issues will not exist if the VP of AT&T is an African-American and the Secretary of State is Hispanic. B. Fallacy of Inconsistency If no child should be left behind, then why is the government closing schools to African-Americans, Hispanics, and Native Americans? C. Fallacy of Hasty Generalization Lucy lives to the south of Chicago and does not pass the language test; Mike is from the Bronx and fails in the math test; therefore, people from low income areas cannot pass tests. On researching this topic in detail, the issues of the past still seem to haunt our current efforts to create a more equitable education and living system for all within the United States. The physical, mental, social, and economic hindrances encountered by minorities in the past are still being encountered on a higher level today. There is still the lack of understanding of minority student culture and poor teacher preparation in predominantly minority school districts. Herbert Kohn offers insight into overcoming the cultural barriers in our classrooms. The main solution he offers is that of educators becoming better trained to work with minority students, their families, and their communities. The U. S. Department of Education has begun to combat this problem with Title I and by instilling highly qualified teachers in our classrooms. However, until all students are on a level playing field, we will have a separate and unequal system that can only be overcome by seeing education as a human right, which only the Constitution of the United States can guarantee. References 1. Florida Department of Education, Office of Professional Practices, http://www. fldoe. org/edstandards/code_of_ethics. asp. 2. Kohn, Herbert R, I Won’t Learn from You: And Other Thought on Creative Maladjustment, 1994. 3. U. S. Department of Education, www. ed. gov.

What I Think About My Cultural Identity - 1561 Words

When someone asks me what is my cultural identity, there are a lot of things that come to my mind. For example, one of the first things that come to my mind is the how people see me which is by being hispanic. In the same way, I also think about the fact that in addition to being hispanic I am also Salvadorean which sets me apart from the idea that every hispanic is mexican and they are all the same. In the first few seconds after I am asked about my cultural identity, I think about who I am and what makes me me. I think about how I was raised and how different I might be compared to everyone around me. I am a straight male who does not have any disabilities. I do not have a high socioeconomic status, but I have sufficient. Being catholic, I have no problem exercising my religion as I please and that really sets me apart from many because not everyone identifies with the same cultural identity as I do. 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