[Excretion] Video Links! To help when you learn

The Urinary System: The Nephron




The Kidney and Nephron by the Khan Academy





The Function of the Nephron



Once upon a time: Life (The Kidneys) - A very funny cartoon series Part 1



Once upon a time: Life (The Kidneys) - A very funny cartoon series Part 2





Once upon a time: Life (The Kidneys) - A very funny cartoon series Part 3

[Excretion] Links for Extra Reading ** =)

My Dear Students,


As we begin anew to look into another new topic, here are some links you may want to look at, to help stir your interest and guide your curiousity. =)


Links Part 1: History of Kidney Science
Here are some links you may want to look into about how we obtained our current scientific knowledge with regards to Excretion and Kidneys in particular. 


1) Friedrich Gustav Jakob Henle: a very important Kidney scientist
2) The Loop of Henle: A turning point in the history of kidney physiology
3) The Kidney Through the Ages 
4) Dialysis in the Kidneys 


For points 2 and 3, I will upload the pdf files for you to read onto AsknLearn.


Links Part 2: Knowledge of Kidney Science


*Listed not in order of anything...
1) How do your kidneys work? (How Stuff Works Website)
2) WebMD's Kidney Page
3) US Department of Health and Human Services (Kidney Page) - This link answers questions related to these topics:

What do the kidneys do?

What is renal function?

Why do kidneys fail?

How do kidneys fail?

What are the signs of chronic kidney disease (CKD)?

What medical tests detect kidney disease?

What are the stages of CKD?

What can be done about CKD?

What happens if the kidneys fail completely?

4) Kidneys on (KidsHealth.org)
5) Kidney Patient Guide (Kidney Patient Guide.org.uk)
6) National Kidney Foundation Singapore (NKF Website)
7) Dialysis Information (virtualmedicalcentre.com)
8) Kidney Dialysis (Ivy Rose Hollistic) - They have a good diagram for you to use


***Disclaimer:
Some of the information found on this site might not be in accordance to our Syllabus ... nevertheless, one should always read deeper into the things we study ... =)

[Respiration] Extra* Reading on Smoking

*Disclaimer:
Some of the information found on this site might not be in accordance to our Syllabus ... nevertheless, one should always read deeper into the things we study ... =)


Smoking and its effect on health


(Link to BBC's page on Smoking & Health) 

Revision! for End-Of-Year Examinations

My dear students,


The time for revision has begun! 


I have put up several quizzes for topics that will be tested in the End-of-Year examinations on AsknLearn, to help you in your revision. Try them, and please clarify any doubts with me before your examination.


How do you access these quizzes? =)


A: Login to AsknLearn > Click on Workspace > Click on Quiz > Click on the particular Quiz Chapter you want to revise (you can only access the topics that are tested for EOY)


Our Biology Paper will be held on 13th October 2011, Thursday, from 11am to 1pm. 


Topics tested for the EOY Exam:

• Cells (Cellular Organization & Structure)
• Movement of Substances (Diffusion, Osmosis & Active Transport
• Biological Molecules (Carbohydrates, Proteins, Fats & Properties of water)
• Enzymes
• Digestion in Humans
• Transport in Humans
• Nutrition in Plants
• Transport in Plants
• Respiration

After the EOYs, we will continue on with the following topics, until the end of the year:

• Excretion
• Homeostasis
• The Nervous System
• The Human Eye
• Hormones

Also, we will have several practicals planned out for you. The detailed schedule will be printed out for you and given to you at the end of your EOYs. =)

See how exciting Biology is? :D Have a good revision, rest well, have enough sleep and most importantly, NEVER GIVE UP! Persevere and you will reap the fruits of your hard-work.

Yours,

Mrs Lehming

[The Cardiac Cycle]: New Video Links!

How does your heart work?






How does blood flow in your heart?








The Cardiac Cycle: What is it? - Explained







Myocardial Infarction (MI) or Heart Attack: How does it happen?

The link between the lymphatic system and the circulatory system

To make it simple for you, here is a picture that shows you the link between the lymphatic system and the circulatory system:

The Heart & The Cardiac Cycle

The heart is a pump

The Circulatory System comprises of 3 main parts:
1) Medium: Blood
2) Pump: Heart
3) Tubes: Blood Vessels


We have already learnt about blood (medium) and its various components (there are 4 if you remember) and we have learnt about blood vessels (tubes) and why each of the 3 different blood vessels: arteries, veins and capillaries have different structures so that they can serve different functions. (*Remember this link between Structure & Function)


Now, let us focus on the ***HEART***.


We have learnt about the structure of the heart: the 4 chambers, which blood vessel goes into the heart at which specific location of the heart, the direction of blood flow in the heart, the septum: and why do we need the septum, the valves located in the heart and vessels leaving the heart (you have learnt about 4 valves in total: can you name them and place them at their exact positions in the heart?), what is the function of these valves, how to distinguish between the right side of the heart and the left side and the reason as to why it is so, you have seen the coronary arteries that bring oxygen and food to the heart  ...


Remember that Biology is a very logical science. There is a reason for everything under the sun, that one of the main principles underlying Biology is the link between STRUCTURE and FUNCTION. And after all our lessons so far, I hope that I have been able to show you that, that for *everything, there is a reason why it is structured as such. (*in Biology, there are always exceptions... thus, for almost everything!) So, always try to see this link when you learn. 


In our next lesson, we will study, in greater detail, the Cardiac Cycle. I will introduce you to the various diagrams that people draw to interpret the Cardiac Cycle and I will explain to you in greater detail how exactly our heart contracts and relaxes to pump blood around our body, very efficiently, from when we were in our mother's womb as a foetus, till the last day of our lives. Our heart, never stops pumping. 


That is why learning about the heart and how it works is no doubt interesting AND important.