Two things

I love reading about something that happens in a cell that billions of years later is imitated by human technology. The thing I learned about was an action in the mitochondria where hydrogen protons are shot through a protein (ATP synthase) in chemiosmosis to produce energy (ATP) by causing a molecular turbine-like structure to spin. Cells do this constantly to produce energy. But this process wasn't discovered until the 1960-70s. We've been using this concept to produce energy outside our bodies for centuries using wind and water power. But little did we know our cells have been doing this for billions of years, even before humans existed.

SO CRAZY.

The other thing I learned about was in my medical terms class about swelling. So, basophils (a type of white blood cell) release histamines in response to microorganisms. The histamine dilates blood vessels and increases blood flow. Here's what I think is so cool – it also changes the permeability of blood vessel wall. This causes allows large molecules like water and proteins to leak into tissues. And this is what we can see as swelling. Of course, things swell for other reasons. I just found this one so interesting because I've been learning about selective permeability in cells membranes, and so I found this concept realllllly cool, too.

There is so much going on in our body. It's like this crazy complex machine. But different from a machine because we think and feel and love. But we're also this big fleshy bag of chemicals. So crazy and cool. I love it.

Back in school

Halfway through the first quarter back of full-time school. I love it. I have wanted to do this for 5 years. Not sure what that means. I'm glad I studied design, and I love design. I'm also glad I'm back in school doing something new.

I can't get over how interesting my Bio 112 class is. Every once in a while I come across something that is SO interesting to me that I want to jump up and down. Poor Justin gets the brunt of my "enthusiasm." Probably a little annoying. Oops.

Today I was reading about the way cells get energy – cellular respiration. Before we were even people, our cells were evolving in ways to make life as we know if possible. I never really thought about it on such a small level. I think about fish to land animals to monkeys to people. But I've never thought about it like this.

But this is what blew my mind. 2.7 billion years ago, our cells, as we know them, did not exist. There were these other early cells (prokaryotes, which still exist) that were getting energy through a process we use still as the first step in making energy – glycolysis. Glycolysis produces energy but it doesn't need oxygen. So, during this time certain bacteria were creating oxygen as a by-product of photosynthesis. And it look about a billion years of this continuing process just to accumulate enough oxygen in the environment for cells to develop the ability to create energy using oxygen, like our cells do! And just think what had to happen for those cells to start evolving into more complex animals. But once there was oxygen in the environment, cells started changing in order to be able to use it. And this is all before we even evolved into anything that resembles any kind of animal. And all this is possible simply because of the electrons in chemical bonds.

This is absolutely mind blowing to me. Life is so amazing even at this small level. I might not be getting all this right...I'm a little new at the science thing, but I really love learning this stuff. I just can't believe what had to happen over billions of years in order for us to live life as we know it. So crazy.