Podcast on FSH (Follicle Stimulating Hormone)

FSH podcast (via Sound Cloud)

Transcript

Today’s podcast is on the the Follicle Stimulating Hormone or FSH. FSH is produced in the anterior pituitary gland. The hormone’s job is to help produce estrogen and regulate the ovulation process of the menstrual cycle. The FSH is a neuroendocrine hormone which means that the hormone is formed from a part of the brain and then used in a different organ. The chemical pathway for FSH starts in the pituitary gland. FSH is produced to send a message to the ovaries to produce estrogen. When there is too much estrogen in the body (usually right before the start of menstruation), the body stops producing FSH until more estrogen is needed. This means that FSH is a positive feedback loop, meaning that it will produce the hormone until it is no longer needed. FSH is regulated by the the level of FSH hormones. If the level of FSH in the body is too much, then the brain will send a message via the pituitary gland to stop producing FSH until it is needed. The FSH cellular receptor is found in the transmembrane/plasmamebrane area. This hormone is lipid soluble. FSH is vital for the female reproductive system in preparing the reproductive organs for menstruation.

Bibliography

Follicle Stimulating Hormone And Luteinizing Hormone (Intramuscular Route, Subcutaneous Route). (n.d.). Mayo Clinic. Retrieved February 23, 2014, from http://www.mayoclinic.org/drugs-supplements/follicle-stimulating-hormone-and-luteinizing-hormone-intramuscular-route-subcutaneous-route/description/drg-20062932 


Dr. Geeta Patel M.D., personal interview, February 23, 2014





 Luteinizing and Follicle Stimulating Hormones. (n.d.). Luteinizing and Follicle Stimulating Hormones. Retrieved February 23, 2014, from http://arbl.cvmbs.colostate.edu/hbooks/path

Days 40-45: I need to keep up with my blog…

Hey guys. Sorry things have been really crazy outside of the classroom, and inside the classroom too. So here's a brief overview of the last five classes.

Day 40: The Systems

We did stuff about different organ systems. I don't really remember much, but I think we also did a little thing on enzymes.

Day 41: Jello!!!

We did a lab with jello. Unfortunately, we couldn't eat the jello because we added inedible things to it. I definitely didn't want to digest HCl. My fabulous lab partner Michelle and I tested the effects of pH on the enzyme bromeliad which we added to the jello (pineapple juice). Bromelain, when active, breaks down gelatin. We were testing which pH levels bromeliad was active in. For more information, here's the link to my lab report.

http://bewarethebiology.blogspot.com/2014/02/the-effects-of-ph-on-enzyme-bromelain.html

Day 42: The Life of a Bagel

We went through the digestive system, somewhat literally. The class basically role-played the digestive system starting from the mouth and ending at the rectum. There was a bagel involved and it kind of got squishier and squishier as the day went on. I honestly don't know how to describe this without making it sound weird so I'm just going to leave it at that. 

So yeah, we learned about the digestive system.

Day 43: Cell Respiration

If I was a cell, I wouldn't know how to breathe because cell respiration is the most complicated thing I've ever had to learn. There are three parts to it: glycolysis, Krebs cycle, and chemiosmosis. And somehow, lots of ATP forms from all that. All of this happens in the mitochondria. 

Actually, glycolysis happens near the mitochondria in the cytoplasm of the cell. It's the getting ready step where a six carbon molecule joins with two phosphates and then splits into 2 three carbon molecules with one phosphate. Those go into the mitochondria and something happens with CoA that's like the misstep. It loses a carbon and releases CO2. 

Then the Krebs cycle happens and it's all a blur from there. Lot's of hydrogens. At some point there's six carbons again. CO2 pops up in some places. In the end, there's a 4 carbon molecule that goes back to the 2 carbon molecule entering the mitochondria and the whole thing happens over again. 

Chemiosmosis is when most of the ATP is made. It's kind of like a bouncy house where the electrons bounce through the protein of the inner membrane of the matrix. There's a lot of ATPs and a lot of hydrogens outside the matrix, which causes chemiosomosis to occur making the hydrogens equal in the matrix and inter membrane space. 

Day 44: T'was the day after February Break

It was one of those days. Do I remember what happened exactly? No. This might have been the day of the yeast lab, which went horribly because nothing came out right, but we were testing cel respiration in different pH levels and we did not get the predicted results because everything went to poop. And we had a test the next class!

Day 45: Hello, I am dead. Nice to meet you. 

As the title says, I'm dead. You're speaking with me from the abyss of all those who have failed their biology test. It was awful. I couldn't remember everything that I understood and I the amount of stuff I understood about cell respiration, even after the review sessions, PowerPoints, and many Google searches and animations, I did not get it. Well, life goes on I guess. 

So those were the past few class days. I'll be better at posting things more frequently. 

Until next time. 

The Effects of pH on the Enzyme Bromelain (lab report)

The Effects of pH on the Enzyme Bromelain

Abstract

In this lab, we tested the effects of pH on the enzyme bromelain by altering the pH of liquid jello samples and then added fresh pineapple juice for the bromelain. If the jello set, the enzyme was inactive. If the jello was still liquid, the enzyme was active, breaking down the gelatin in the jello and preventing it from setting. Our results concluded that bromelain does not function in very acidic or basic conditions and functions in more neutral pH levels.

Introduction

This lab focused on how pH levels affect the function of enzymes. To test this, we used the enzyme bromelain in fresh pineapple juice. An enzyme is activated by a substrate, which fits into a small part of the enzyme. In pineapples, bromelain affects the collagen in the small intestine and prevents the intestine from absorbing the nutrients of the pineapple seed. (Scheve, 2008)  Bromelain also affects gelatin, which is in the jello we used in the lab. If added to the jello, the bromelain in pineapples will prevent the jello from setting. However, different circumstances can prevent the enzyme from catalyzing. Acids and bases can prevent the enzyme from performing its function. If the pH level of the jello is too acidic or too basic, then the enzyme will not function.

Materials

• 4 petri plates
• some graduated cylinders
• 4 beakers
• 6.67g of jello powder
• 39 ml of cold water
• 39 ml of warm water
• 4 ml of pineapple juice
• pH tester strips
• one pipet (for the pineapple juice)
• HCl
• NaOH

Procedure

1. Pour 6.67g of jello powder into the beaker
2. Add 39 ml of hot water to the jello powder
3. Stir until dissolved (approximately 2 minutes)
4. Add 39 ml of cold water to the jello
5. Stir the jello
6. Split the total amount of jello liquid into equal portions in four beakers. Use the graduated cylinders to help measure equal amounts.
7. Pour each individual beaker into its respective petri dish.
8. Test the pH of the jello without any added acid or base. This is the control.
9. Change three of the petri dishes to your desired pH level by adding either HCl or NaOH
10. Measure pH level
11. Add 1ml of fresh pineapple juice to each petri dish.
12. Wait for results.

Results

pH level of jello	Results
pH 8	didn’t set
pH 12	set
pH 1	didn’t set
pH 4 (control)	didn’t set

According to our results, the more neutral and acidic pH levels do not inhibit bromelain from breaking down gelatin while basic pH levels inhibit bromelain function.

Conclusion

If our results were accurate, that would mean our initial hypothesis is false. However, bromelain does not function in conditions that are too acidic or too basic and due to errors such as misinterpretation of directions, pH 1 did not set when it should have. (Quick) The bromelain prevented pH 8 and pH 4 (control) to set because the pH levels were still suitable for enzyme function. So the original hypothesis stands true. Bromelain does not function in conditions that are too acidic or too basic.  Some errors performed during the lab was when we added cold water before stirring the jello. Some spilling of the jello occurred also. Two constants in the lab were the amount of pineapple juice added to the jello and the amount of water in the jello.  In conclusion, bromelain function is inhibited when conditions are too acidic or basic. The enzyme performs its function in more neutral pH conditions.

Bibliography

Scheve, Tom. "Why do pineapple enzymes tenderize steak -- and your tongue?." HowStuffWorks. HowStuffWorks.com, 4 Aug. 2008. Web. 16 Feb. 2014. <http://science.howstuffworks.com/innovation/edible-innovations/pineapple-enzyme-tenderize-steak1.htm>.