Thursday, February 7, 2008
Thurs-Day 2
Bio- we discussed AUTOIMMUNE diseases, which occur when your immune system attacks your own body cells because the white blood cells cannot distinguish between self and "non-self" antigens on cell surfaces. The failure to maintain homeostasis is a severe malfunction of the human immune system, which operates based on its ability to distinguish between human cells and pathogens, can result in death or organ failure depending on the strength of the attack by the immune system.
We also discussed the HIV virus and how it attacks/binds to helper T-cells of the immune system thus decreasing the immune system's ability to fight off other pathogens. An HIV infection may ultimately cause such a weakened immune system that a person won't be able to fight off other infections (opportunistic infections) and die not from the HIV virus but from the other infection (pneumonia, flu, cancer).
We discussed the general difficulty in developing vaccines against viruses that rapidly mutate into new strains (their DNA or RNA replicates with lots of "errors"). That is why a different flu vaccine is synthesized for each new flu season.
Chem 7/8: we discussed and went over specific examples of each major type of ORGANIC chemical reaction. We reviewed substitution, addition, combustion, polymerization, and saponification. We have already done esterification so you now have seen all of the major organic reactions.
We then did a lab activity in which you used your knowledge of organic functional groups and names.
Chem 9: we looked at three of the six major organic reaction types and focused on the features and the differences among these reactions.
Look at the worksheets and tutorials on Blackboard for additional practice with these reaction types.
We also discussed the HIV virus and how it attacks/binds to helper T-cells of the immune system thus decreasing the immune system's ability to fight off other pathogens. An HIV infection may ultimately cause such a weakened immune system that a person won't be able to fight off other infections (opportunistic infections) and die not from the HIV virus but from the other infection (pneumonia, flu, cancer).
We discussed the general difficulty in developing vaccines against viruses that rapidly mutate into new strains (their DNA or RNA replicates with lots of "errors"). That is why a different flu vaccine is synthesized for each new flu season.
Chem 7/8: we discussed and went over specific examples of each major type of ORGANIC chemical reaction. We reviewed substitution, addition, combustion, polymerization, and saponification. We have already done esterification so you now have seen all of the major organic reactions.
We then did a lab activity in which you used your knowledge of organic functional groups and names.
Chem 9: we looked at three of the six major organic reaction types and focused on the features and the differences among these reactions.
Look at the worksheets and tutorials on Blackboard for additional practice with these reaction types.
# posted by C @ 11:31 AM 
