20 Time Reflection

Hayley and I did a costume collecting fundraiser at the local dance studio where I teach. We chose to focus on donating dance costumes because it’s a shared experience for both of us, as we were both in cheer and saw firsthand the costs of doing an activity you love. I grew up doing dance and have easily spent thousands of dollars on costumes alone. Some of my dance friends had to give up their dreams of becoming professional dancers because the cost is so astronomical. Dance is so important and beautiful, it would be a tragedy if any kid weren’t able to pursue this art because of rising costs.

Our goal was to promote awareness for the cause, collect costumes to donate so we could make a concrete contribution, and also work on our event planning skills as well as organizational skills. Initially, we did not have a set plan, but through a lot of careful thinking, we decided a fundraiser would be the most effective way to get the community involved while also making a difference.

We had trouble with planning the event at first. We are both pretty busy people, so planning a date that worked was very tough. We thought we had a day that worked, but we realized a couple days before that we planned it on Easter Sunday, so we had to change that. Eventually, we had a successful event. We played games, planned fun little activities, and taught a dance combo. We had around 25 girls show up and we collected a TON of costumes, which we donated to Traveling Tutus, an organization based in Florida that provides costumes to low-income communities around the world.

We learned a lot about planning, especially paying close attention to detail. We also learned about how to advertise an event, utilizing flyers and also electronic means of communication to get our voices out there. It’s not always easy to keep control of a large group of young girls. We had to seriously plan our activities so there was no downtime, as well as find fun and engaging games, clean music, and choreograph and teach a dance. If we could do this again, we would want to make the event bigger and more successful. With more time, we could have planned something in the public park and accessed more communities, such as coordinating with local elementary schools. I also would have broadened past just dance, including theater costumes or even sports uniforms for low-income communities.

Next, I plan to continue teaching dance and collecting used costumes from my students. I will make regular donations to Traveling Tutus, as they will be able to put the costumes to better use than we can.

I would give myself an A, as I am very satisfied with the way the event turned out as well as our yield in costumes. We were focused on our goals, and we pushed through any hardships we faced. I learned a lot about event-planning and the importance of organization. In our final blog post, we included pictures and a video of a few dancers from our event. You can access those here.

Ted Talk Outline:

Describe our idea and why it’s important to give back to this cause.

Talk about our process of planning.

Describe the actual event and how it went.
Our takeaway and what we learned.

Chicken Dissection

Trapezius and Latissimus Dorsi

In this lab, we dissected a standard frozen chicken. One thing to keep in mind is that these are meat chickens, bred specifically to be fat in certain places to be nice and plump for human consumption. The goal of this lab was to understand how muscles, tendons, and bones work in collaboration to exhibit movement in the body. Muscles cause movement through contraction and relaxation, and connect to our bones with tendons. While a human and a chicken are very clearly different, there are a lot of similarities to be found, especially in the chicken wing versus the human arm. The two main muscles of the wing are the biceps brachii and the triceps humeralis. When the biceps brachii contracts. the triceps humeralis relaxes, and vice versa. The biceps brachii has its origin site on the humerus. The point of origin remained fixed as an anchor even when we manipulated the rest of the muscle, as we learned previously while we studied muscles. This is just like the human arm, for when our bicep flexes and our triceps relax, our arm bends.

Pectoralis Major and Minor

Also, the trapezius and latissimus dorsi muscles worked similarly in humans. These control the motions of the shoulders. However, there are some differences between humans and chickens. Most notably, there is a difference in the pectoralis muscles. This is what we eat when we eat chicken breast. Yum. These were absolutely humongous on the chicken, and on humans, except for maybe Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson, these are proportional to the rest of our body. The pectoralis major in chickens pulls the wing ventrally and the pectoralis minor pulls the wing dorsally. These functions are different from the human body because we use our arms to do more than just fly. 

The Iliotibialis or IT band

The Deltoid

The Brachioradialis and the Flexor Carpi Ulnaris

Blue pin: Gastrocnemius
Yellow pin: Peroneus Longus
Black pin: Tibialis Anterior

Unit 8 Reflection

We ended last unit, the skeletal system, talking about joints. We had a nice transition to this unit, the muscular system, by beginning with synovial joints and their different movements, including gliding, angular, rotation, and special movements. In addition to different types of movement, there are also different types of synovial joints. These are planar, hinge, pivot, condyloid, saddle, and ball and socket joints. Examples of those would be the carpals in the wrist, the knee, the neck, the fingertips, the thumb, and the hip, respectively.

We then transitioned into learning about muscles, beginning with their basic characteristics. Muscles have many different purposes, such as maintaining posture, moving bones, stabilizing joints, and generating heat. As we learned earlier in the year (It feels like just yesterday), muscles can be classified as smooth, skeletal, or cardiac. Smooth movement generally controls involuntary movement, while skeletal controls voluntary movement. Cardiac muscle is located in the heart. Muscles must have one or a combination of these characteristics: contractibility, extensibility, elasticity, and excitability. Fascia holds the muscle together by wrapping around each muscle fiber as well as bundles of fibers, and finally surrounding the entire muscle. A muscle is anchored at its origin site. It stays still and while the rest of the muscle moves so that the insertion side can contract towards the origin site. Muscles work conversely: when one muscle contracts, another must relax. The contracting muscle is called the prime mover, and the relaxing muscle is the antagonist. The English Major in me likes that name. In addition to these two muscles, a synergist muscle works to prevent unnecessary movements, while fixator muscles anchor and stabilize the site of origin of the prime mover. Muscles are characterized and classified according to their location and their function. 

In order to understand how muscles worked, we needed to examine them on a microscopic level. This is the most remarkable part about muscles. Let us go in order from larger to smaller. The whole muscle is made up of muscle fibers, also known as myofibrils, which are comprised of sarcomeres. Within each sarcomere, there are two protein filaments, actin and myosin, that are arranged to overlap. These sarcomeres contract as individual units, causing the entire muscle to contract also. The process of muscle contraction is as follows: a motor neuron sends an action potential to the muscle, which stimulates the release of Acetylcholine, which then binds to the receptors located on the muscle membrane. This activates a second action potential, which triggers the release of Ca2+, which attaches to troponin on a TT complex, changing its shape. By changing the shape, the TT complex can pull away from the myosin-binding site on the actin, and ATP attaches to the head of the myosin. When the ATP splits into ADP and P, which energizes the head and makes it swing forward in an energized state. The P detaches so that the head can reattach to the myosin-binding site on the actin. When the ADP detaches, the head returns to a resting state and swings backward. This continues until the action potential stops and CA2+ is no longer being released. 

When we exercise, our muscles utilize different types of twitch fibers. These are the slow twitch, fast twitch a, and fast twitch b. The slow twitch is dependent on oxygen and stores little glycogen, and it is red in color. It is the slowest to fatigue, which makes it effective for long exercise. Fast twitch a fibers are also oxygen dependant, but they store a lot of glycogen and are pink in color. Fast twitch b fibers require no oxygen and therefore need no blood vessels, which is why they are white in color. These are helpful for short, intense bursts of exercise. Examine the effects of stretching on muscles in this analysis of an article that I did previously, here.

My personal favorite of this unit was learning about muscles on a microscopic level. I had no idea that these sarcomeres even existed. It was pretty mindblowing to learn about. Our bodies are like little factories! In other personal news, 20 Time is coming to a close, which is a bittersweet ending to a very enjoyable project. Hayley and I had a lot of fun despite our rocky start. We are in contact with a non-profit who would be delighted to receive our donation. My heart is happy that we are raising awareness and providing help to a cause very dear to me. My New Years Goals have been going okay in regards to school, however, I am still missing the Chicken Dissection Lab, but I plan on making that up with Hayley soon. 

Works Cited
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/6/6e/Sarcomere.svg/500px-Sarcomere.svg.png
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Muscle_contraction

What Happens When You Stretch

Relate & Review:
As we learned previously through our notes and a video, muscles are comprised of segments called sarcomeres. These can contract and elongate according to whether the muscle is relaxed or engaged. When we stretch, our sarcomeres elongate until each one is fully stretched and the muscle fiber is completely relaxed, then collagen fibers in connective tissue "pick up the slack" and pull in the same direction as the stretch. The main nerve endings in muscles are proprioceptors (mechanoreceptors). Like Mr. Orre said, these tell your where you are in space. Basically, if you close your eyes and lift your arm, the proprioceptors tell you how high your arm is raised. They are present in all nerve endings of joints, muscles, and tendons. Muscle spindles are the most prevalent proprioceptors in the muscles. The muscle spindle stretches when a muscle is stretched and triggers an action called the stretch reflex, which contracts the previously stretched muscle. However, this reflex can be reduced through prolonged and frequent stretching. This article mentions dancers as some of the few humans that possess very little to no stretch reflex, as they stretch like crazy.
Quotes:
"While this type of control provides the opportunity for the greatest gains in flexibility, it also provides the greatest risk of injury if used improperly." (2)
- This quote was interesting to me as it shows the potential risks for pushing your body to the max in order to reduce your stretch reflex. I think this shows the lengths dancers are willing to go to in order to further their careers. It is sad that so much is expected of people so that they can stand out and be better.
"Just as the total strength of a contracting muscle is a result of the number of fibers contracting, the total length of a stretched muscle is a result of the number of fibers stretched -- the more fibers stretched, the more length developed by the muscle for a given stretch." (1)
- Strength and flexibility are inversely related based on sarcomere length. This unit is still blowing my mind as I never even knew sarcomeres existed beforehad, I just thought the muscle as a unit would move like pulling taffy at a candy shop. Now it makes more logical sense. 
"Another reason for holding a stretch for a prolonged period of time is to allow this lengthening reaction to occur, thus helping the stretched muscles to relax. It is easier to stretch, or lengthen, a muscle when it is not trying to contract." (3)
- I have witnessed this firsthand! It's the coolest phenomonon. I remember sitting in the splits hating life as I couldn't get all the way down, and I was clenching all my muscles, then all of a sudden, my hamstrings just relaxed and it was way easier. 

Build a Better Hip Joint

Abstract:

A common problem for athletes, especially athletes like dancers and gymnasts who place major stress on their hip joints, is Snapping Hip Syndrome, or the snapping movement of a muscle or tendon across a bone. I propose a solution in order to reduce this condition: laterally running tendons connected to these muscles and tendons that help alleviate the stiff movement and support them as they move across the bone as well as bigger bursa to reduce friction.

Main Body:

The Hip Joint:

The hip joint is arguably one of the most important joints in the body. Without it, humans would be confined to sedentary lifestyles, as we would be unable run, walk, jump, or bend the knees. It is an extremely movable and flexible joint, which is especially evident when dancers perform kicks such as battements. The hip is a ball-and-socket synovial joint. The two bones connected in the joint are the hip bone, also known as the pelvis or the scientific name os coxa, and the thighbone, or femur. On the ischium, or lower bone of the pelvis, there is a cup-shaped socket known as the acetabulum. The femur’s rounded epiphysis is the ball part of the joint. The joint is lined by hyaline cartilage, which covers both the acetabulum and the epiphysis of the femur. The hyaline cartilage is vital in providing a smooth surface for the bones and also in absorbing shock. The hip joint also has another layer of protection in the bursa, a sac filled with synovial fluid and lined by a synovial membrane to further lubricate the joint. The hip joint is surrounded by dense ligaments to prevent dislocation, such as the iliofemoral ligament and the pubofemoral ligament. The iliotibial band, or IT band, runs on the outside of the hip joint all the way down to the knee. The iliopsoas tendon connects to the inner thigh. Near the ball of the femur is the femoris tendon. The hip joint allows for an extraordinary amount of movement, allowing for 360 degree circumduction and an almost 90 degree lateral axis. It is also extremely tough, as it endures multiplied force during activities such as running.

The Problem:

A common condition that occurs with athletes such as dancers and gymnasts who put repeated intense stresses on their hips is Snapping Hip Syndrome, also known as Dancer’s Hip. This is a medical condition in which a muscle or tendon incorrectly and rapidly moves across a part of the hip bone or the top of the femur, causing a popping or snapping sound and sensation. This is what you hear when a ballerina lifts her leg, and commonly sounds like a “crack.” This condition is difficult to prevent, as it occurs in most athletes that must keep up the demand on their bodies. While usually painless, prolonged cases of Snapping Hip Syndrome can lead to bursitis, or inflammation of the bursa.

The Redesign:

The main problem with snapping hip syndrome is that the movement across the bone by the muscle or tendon is too sudden and uncontrolled. To combat this, I propose the addition of two tendons that run horizontally across the muscles and tendons. This way, the moving muscles and tendons will have extra support running in the direction of their movement that will prevent the erratic snapping. These new tendons will share the blood and nutrient supply of the muscles and tendons they support, although the number of capillaries may need to be increased to keep up with increased blood demand. I also believe the size of the bursa should be increased in order to prevent friction.

Discussion:

Growing up as a dancer, I am all too familiar with Snapping Hip Syndrome. Almost every class during plies, at least three girls’ hips would loudly “pop,” sending the rest of us into a fit of giggles. Dance places a lot of pressure on your hips, as you’re expected to be able to lift your leg past your head and turn out your feet past a natural level. While at the time the condition seems harmless, more annoying than anything else, after time it can cause pain and inflammation that may not go away for a while. I know two people already who have needed hip surgery before the age of 20 from dance. This is worrisome as they will have to deal with repercussions from this condition for the rest of their lives. My proposed design was intended to help make the movement across the bone more natural. Because the snapping movement is erratic and rapid, the two tendons that run laterally will help smooth the movement out and control its speed. A problem may be how those tendons get nutrients from the body. While right now I believe that these tendons could share entry points and capillaries with the existing muscles as they could just be very small in comparison, this may not be enough to nourish the tendons. This assignment was semi-difficult to make plausible. The human body is complex already, so trying to make a complex joint even more specialized was a challenge. While there currently is no way to prevent Snapping Hip Syndrome other than not participating in certain sports, there are some ways to prevent further damage. Some ways include reducing the intensity of activity, icing the affected areas, or taking pain relievers to reduce inflammation.

Works Cited:

Biel, Andrew. Trail Guide to the Body: How to Locate Muscles, Bones and More. Boulder, Colo: of Discovery, 2008. Print.

Taylor, Tim. "Hip Joint." InnerBody. Innerbody.com, n.d. Web. 09 May 2017.

Zelman, David. "Snapping Hip Syndrome." WebMD. WebMD, 21 Apr. 2017. Web. 09 May 2017.