Submitted by Anonymous on Thu, 12/01/2011 - 10:04
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Human Impacts in Antarctica 2011

Hello,

We are studying the human body system in 7th Grade Science. My class had some great questions for the team about the human body.

  1. How much melatonin do you think your body is creating? - Russ

  2. Do you sweat less when you excercise in Antartica, since sweat keeps you cool? -Daniel

  3. How does the cold affect your blood? -Graham

  4. I think that at really low temperatures the body uses more energy to heat up the blood so I think you would be tired more often if it were really cold. Is this true? -Honus

  5. What happens to your respiratory system when you go to Antartica? -Ben

  6. Does the temperature affect the way your brain functions? -Jorge

  7. What do you think happens to your pineal gland since the amount of light is different in Antartica? -Savannah

  8. Will waste from humans in rivers and lakes feeding into the ocean become a problem in Antartica? -Jessica

Thanks, Mrs. Hibler's 8th Period Class

Thu, 12/01/2011 - 21:54

Michelle Brown

Hello Ms. Hibler's Class!I am so happy to know you have checked in and read some of my journals!
Hi Russ! I am not sure how much melatonin my body is creating. I
typically cover up pretty well, but yesterday it was warm and I got a
sunburn on my face.
Hello Daniel! We don't sweat less here in Antarctica, but it does
evaporate quicker. That is, if you are wearing the correct fabrics. You
are strongly discourages from wearing cotton when you are out exercising
or doing research, because it will keep your sweat close to your body
and cool you down. Instead, we wear synthetic fabrics and wool, which
wics away the sweat.
Hello Graham! When you get colder, your body initially shivers. When you
exercise and move your muscles, it circulates blood throughout your body
more. Shivering is another way to do that. If you are still exposed to
extreme cold temperatures and shivering does not work, your body
eventually shuts down. Blood stops flowing to your extremities and if
you do not do something to warm them up quickly, the cell tissues die!
This is related to hypothermia and frostbite and is a serious danger here.
Hi Honus! You are right--really low temperatures require your body to
use more energy. I am not very tired here, but I am more hungry! I am
constantly snacking and hydrating when I'm working out in the field to
make sure my body has what it needs to warm me up. Luckily it hasn't
been too cold here, but when I get to the South Pole I will really need
to stay on top of this!
Hello Ben! Your respiratory system still acts the same way here as it
does in Texas. The higher elevations does make it more difficult to
breath, but I am at sea level right now. When I fly to the South Pole,
I may experience shortness of breath, headaches and other problems
(called altitude sickness) because my body isn't getting enough oxygen.
Luckily there is medication for this!
Hi Jorge! The temperature doesn't affect the way my brain functions
here, but like I mentioned in my response to Ben, lack of oxygen can
cause damage to your brain.
Wow Savannah--what an amazing question! For those of you who don't
know, the Pineal Gland is a small gland that regulates sleep. Although
there is 24 hours of daylight here, I still get myself into a dark room
in the evening, which allows me to sleep. I cannot say for sure if my
pineal gland is changing, but I can say that I am still able to sleep
every night. However, there are some interesting studies that show
Antarctica animals, like penguins and seals, secrete different amounts
of seratonin (from their Pineal gland) during different hours of the
day. It seems like they have found a way to solve the problem!
Jessica--I'm glad you asked about this. Luckily, in 2003, McMurdo
station built a waste-water treatment center here which takes all the
waste (including sewage) and treats it. I am going to take a tour of the
facility soon and can tell you more about it, but for right now, I know
that the sewage does not seep out into the ocean like it used to. The
research group I'm working with is concerned about the detrimental
effects from when this did used to happen though.
Thank you all for your superb questions! Keep them coming!
Sincerely,
Ms. Brown