Semester 3, Week 2, Day 7

I have an essay due today and this day is RACING by. I have gotten through breakfast, lunch is cooking for the kids, I have strained my California poppy tincture and have laundry going. Today was burdock's turn to be checked but it wasn't ready yet. My son seemed interested in smelling things so I just grabbed a random jar (California poppy) and it was ready. It was almost ready a few days ago so I wasn't surprised. My cat that's been having eating problems has been using my daughter's bed as a litter box and it has really gotten me upset. Apparently the store being out of the litter I normally buy is what caused it since she used it this morning.  Glad I got 2 bags of it (it was all they had). I guess I need to stock up on it to keep her using the box instead of the bed.  I'm just glad I have that mattress cover on there that keeps liquid from steeping through so the mattress isn't ruined.  She is getting very particular in her old age!  I also noticed my older cat is starting to lose weight as well.  I think when he comes out of hiding tonight, I'll take a look at his teeth.  I know he's been eating some of her soft food and that is NOT like him.  He normally only eats the hard stuff and thinks "people food" is beneath him. Thankfully my younger cat is still going strong though he looks pregnant...  LOL  I got all but 2 pages of that one chapter read and I want to read the 5 pages today but I don't know if I'll get to it given how much of the day has already raced by. Oh, I also have my Nat 503 lecture this morning.  I don't know if Chemistry is going to do them or not. It does seem kind of boring that the 2 lectures I get each week are with the same teacher.  He does have GREAT information though.  He sees clients and is teaching at least 2 classes so hats off to him for working so hard!  Well, I just served them lunch and should go get my lunch made and eat. Then I need to do a small bit of research and write another essay. This is on apoptosis which is very important.  I leave you today with a discussion post on muscles. I didn't get too detailed on this one but I did enjoy the opportunity to look into this information.  It looks like I only have 2 more discussion posts to share after today and we will get into herbs again. Have a great day!

In this module you will learn about different muscles in the body, where are they located, and what is their specific function.  Many muscles are typically grouped into different muscle groups, depending on where are they located.  Therefore, they may have similar functions, however, their specific function may vary slightly.  For example, the soleus and gastrocnemius muscles are very similar in their function, but yet they have small differences.  Can you discuss the differences between these two muscles?  Make sure you include their origin/insertion, and how this may affect their function. You can choose any two muscles that may be a bit similar, just make sure you discuss them in good detail :)

For the gastrocnemius and soleus, they are controlled by the same nerve, the tibial nerve. While these muscles are considered a pair, the soleus is deep of the gastrocnemius (calf muscle). The gastrocnemius flexes the foot while the soleus provides the movement of walking, dancing, etc. These muscles have to work together to enable these functions. The gastrocnemius provides flexion at the knee while the soleus provides it at the ankle. The soleus is the primary mover for these functions though. I can attest that “too much running” can make the gastrocnemius bigger.  I have a pair of boots that no longer fit! Kocturk et al (2008) (because I was curious about why) explained the gastrocnemius had a high rate of apoptosis in mice measured before and after exercise while the soleus did not.

I decided to do a bit more digging on this topic so I went to the library. I found an interesting study that compared the physiological differences in this muscle set between males and females. While the results didn’t really surprise me, it confirmed that gender is more than hormones and genitalia. Chow et al (2000) determined “Males tend to have larger muscles and greater absolute strength than females, even when corrections are made for age.”
 
Chow, R. S., Medri, M. K., Martin, D. C., Leekam, R. N., Agur, A. M., and McKee, N. H. (2000) Sonographic studies of human soleus and gastrocnemius muscle architecture: gender
variability. Eur J Appl Physiol (2000) 82: 236±2
 
Kocturk, S., Kayatekin, B. M., Resmi, H., Acikgoz, O., Kaynak, C., and Ozer, E. (2008) The apoptotic response to strenuous exercise of the gastrocnemius and soleus muscle fibers in rats. Eur J Appl Physiol 102:515–524