HBS

nervous tissue

main tissue of the two parts of the nervous system

tissue

makes up organs and other body parts

tendons

muscle to bone

How do you measure/calculate each of the following: nasal index, sub-pubic angle, pubis body width, greater sciatic notch, maximum epiphyseal breadth of proximal and distal tibia, transverse and vertical diameter of humeral head, epicondylar width

nasal- inside of widest portion pubic- angle from two rami of ischium bones pubis width- middle to lateral edge sciatic notch- draw on paper, measure angle epiphyseal- between lateral and medial condyle transverse and vertical- down and across epicondylar- lateral portion of codyle to lateral

describe three body processes or functions that all humans have in common

1. all humans excrete liquid through the urinary system , which filters out waste products from the body 2. all humans heart muscle contracts, which moves blood throughout the body via arteries and veins. 3. all humans have muscle contractions that produce movement. these contractions are caused by the electrical signals from the NS.

Explain the role human body systems, tissues, and cells play in identity?

Cells contain the DNA that codes for proteins. These proteins help determine your physical appearance, and they also determine other characteristics that make you who you are. Cells with similar function group together to make tissues. These tissues can form connective bone tissue, adipose connective tissue, and muscle tissue. Nervous tissue can help to determine reaction time, which can differ greatly depending on the individual. Body systems are collections of tissues that work together. The muscular and skeletal systems help to determine identity together, as does the nervous system's interaction with every other system in the body.

Forensic anthropologists take into account a persons age when calculating stature. Why do you think most forensic anthropology textbooks also describe adjustments to height calculations for persons over 45?

Certain things contribute most to the loss of height for people over 45, including the compression of the discs between the vertebrae in the spine and the loss of arch in the foot. Since height is typically determined using the long bones (which are not usually the reason for height loss in older adults), then the formula has to be adjusted to take into account the height loss resulting from things other than the long bones (like spinal compression).

Explain how the structure of epithelium and the structure of CT, specifically bone, relate to the function of the tissue

ET forms protective layers in the body, so obviously their cells are closely packed together. BT cells are more spread out with blood vessels attached to the tissue- this is because bones need more support while also remaining lightweight.

Write a paragraph explaining what you would say to the other family to convince them that the science techniques used prove the bones do or do not belong to their loved one

Everyone has different DNA, with the exception of identical twins. I took the DNA of the found bones, isolated it, and used PCR, polymerase chain reaction, to make copies of it. I then took the DNA of the found bones and mixed it with two different restriction enzymes. Restriction enzymes are used to cut the DNA. I also mixed the enzymes with the DNA of your loved one. The DNA fragments were then separated after I performed a gel electrophoresis, the process used to separate them with gel and an electrical current. When compared, your loved one's DNA did not match the DNA of the bones found.

In sherlock bones you were able to analyze skeletal remains to determine four particular traits of an individual. In a real life situation scientists could provide a more detailed description of the individual based on addition information that can be acquired from the bones of this person. Describe at least two other piece of information you could possibly learn from bone. Provide a specific example for each piece of information.

Examples could include: finding evidence of fractures or cracks in bones that can be related back to childhood injuries, which could help with identification; looking for specific injuries to bone that could indicate foul play; DNA evidence extracted from bone; minerals in bone could give clues as to recent whereabouts of the person or general level of health or nutrition

What role could your DNA play in biometrics of the future?

In the future DNA will be able to be analyzed in seconds, so a saliva sample or a hair sample will be able to be taken for incredible accuracy

The developmental occurrences you used to determine age stopped at age 25. What are other clues a forensic anthropologist may be able to use to determine age if the bones belong to a person over the age 25?

Microscopic observations of bone can show bone remodeling that has taken place in older adults (this is useful because bone remodeling continues even after normal bone growth stops). To some extent, wear and tear on the spine and joints can show age (although these observations are not as likely to pinpoint exact age). Examination of the rib ends and cartilage that joins them to the sternum is also used for age determination.

How will the age of the sample population affect your results? Suggest a reasons why the equations generated for males in the classroom my not be as accurate as they would be if we took these measurements 10 years from now

Most high school males are not finished growing by their high school years. This growth may not be completely symmetrical either, which could mean that a high school boy's humerus is longer than would be predicted by his height simply because his humerus grew larger before some of the rest of his body. If we took the measurements ten years from now, then their bodies would be finished growing, and presumably full growth has happened in all parts of the skeleton at this point.

Reflect on your own identity, what do you think helps make you.. you?

My bone tissue makes me shorter, muscle tissue gives me a figure that doesnt make me look like all skin and bone, and my fat tissue gives me a fat head (cheeks).

Explain how the code in your DNA relates to your physical appearance as well as the functioning of your body. How might a change in this code impact the body?

The code in your DNA determines what protein is made. And proteins create many of our physical characteristics. Proteins also help to start or speed up chemical reactions in the body, so they are essential for the body to function. A change in this code could cause an error in the protein that is produced, which could cause it to become misshapen, which could decrease the function of the protein which means the function that the protein served would not be carried out correctly

what are the benefits of using universal terms and anatomical position to refer to location on the human body? How do they help identify all humans?

They help identification because all these terms can be applied to any human, and ensure greater detail and understanding since this is ideally common knowledge in the medical field. It is helpful for people especially in the medical field because these terms can accurately pin point a spot or area in less time than explaining or guessing.

An anthropologist finds a 29cm humerus in a remote site at a mountain resort. There was a missing persons report for a woman (approx. 5´5 tall) placed just about a week ago. Could this bone possibly belong to her? Why or why not?

When this value for the MLH is plugged into the white female equation, the height range is 150.96 cm - 159.86 cm. This converts to 4.95 - 5.24 ft (there are 2.54 cm in an inch, so you simply divide the number of centimeters by 2.54 to convert). (although it could, since we found that the humerus is not the best indicator of height).

System

a group of body organs or structures that together perform one or more vital functions

restriction enzymes

an enzyme produced by certain bacteria, having the property of splitting DNA molecules at or near a specific sequence of bases

Why do you think the pelvis is often the first bone forensic anthropologists look to in determining sex from skeletal remains?

because it is most accurate. wider for females, narrower for males

Blood

body fluid that delivers necessary substances such as nutrients and oxygen to the cells and transports metabolic waste products away from those same cells blood cells suspended in blood plasma

Biometrics

body measurements and calculations

How does the distribution of tissues contribute to our appearance and to our identity?

bone tissue shapes us (our skeleton), muscle tissue gives us either a lesser or fuller figure, and fat tissue determines shape of face characteristics (cheeks, eyes)

Axial Skeleton

bones of the head and trunk

Identity

condition as to who/what someone/something is

Appendicular Skeleton

consisting of the bones that support the appendages.

Describe the careers of a DNA Analyst and a Forensic Anthropologist

dna- obtaining biological info from DNA antrho- analyze bones for info

Other than information from bone and from DNA analysis, what other characteristics/identifiers can be used to identify the skeleton?

examining any clothing that has not deteriorated (and anything in the clothing that could be used to identify the skeleton), looking at the soil around the body to see if the body has been moved since death (if there is a different kind of bug in the soil around the body than anywhere else in the area), looking at teeth and examining dental records could help identify a body (although this may be cheating since teeth are technically part of the skeletal system even though they are not classified as bone).

List the equations used to determine height from each of the following long bones. Femur, humerus, tibia, radius

femur 2.47 x MLF + 54.10 +/- 3.72 Humerus: 3.14 x MLH + 65 +/- 3.72 Tibia: 2.7292x + 65.356 Radius: 2.9 x MLR + 73.41 +/- 3.72

DNA fingerprint

fingerprint compared with crime scene print or suspect database. Unique except identical twins

List several types of biometrics and the limitations/accuracy of each.

fingerprint- 95% accurate, identical twins have same facial- 90%, lighting and position voice- 80-90%, background noises iris- most accurate, doesnt work with cataracts

Cartilage

firm flexible CT found in various forms in the larynx and respiratory tract

gel electrophoresis

laboratory method used to separate mixtures of DNA, RNA, or proteins according to molecular size

Epithelial tissue

lines outer surfaces of organs and blood vessels throughout the body

Think about the structure and function of your backbone. Why do you think there are discs of cartilage between the bones in the vertebral column?

our backbone protects our spine, but it also needs a way to move and flex. The segments of this bone allow for such movement (side to side, bending over) a lot better than a singular solid bone. The discs serve in many ways: They help connect each segment and prevent dislocation. They prevent the grinding of the bone segments, which would happen without the discs there.

Be able to calculate approx height of individuals from a long bone

paper

What characteristics are used to determine the gender of a skeleton?

pelvis- wider for females

PCR

polymerase chain reaction technique used to amplify a single copy or a few copies of a specific segment of DNA to generate thousands to millions copies of that specific sequence of DNA

What skeletal characteristics indicate the age of a person at their death?

pubis bone and ischium united, segements of sacrum united greater trochanter appears, condyles join shaft lower epiphysis joins shaft, upper joins head and tuberosities join, upper epiphysis unites shaft

RFLPs

restriction length fragment polymorphism technique that exploits variations in homologous DNA sequences

Ligaments

short band of tough, flexible, fibrous CT that connects two bones

What characteristics will help determine the ethnicity of a skeleton?

skull- shape of eyes, width of noses, cheekbones femur- height

Cells

smallest unit of life cytoplasm enclosed within a membrane, which contains many biomolecules such as proteins and nucleic acids

Muscle tissue

soft tissues that compose muscles, gives muscles ability to contract

neurons

specialized cells able to react to stimuli by sending a signal down a long strand of cells, the axon makes up nervous tissue

Connective Tissue

tissue that connects, binds, supports tissues or organs

your friend assures you that anterior and posterior can always be used interchangeably with ventral and dorsal. Politely explain to him/her that this statement is not always true.

while they are interchangeable for humans, they are not for 4 legged creatures. anterior means front or closer to the head, while ventral specifies front abdominal. So when talking about a 4 legged animal, ventral and anterior would not be in the same place since their stomach is parallel to the ground. Also, posterior is back and behind, while dorsal is the upper side or back. So, an animals dorsal side would be their spine, while the posterior would be towards their behind. These terms work for humans, but not 4 legged species.