Step 1 in glycolysis: glucose -> (hexokinase) -> glucose 6 phosphate

Glucose is brought into a cell in ventricles (essentially endocytosis) and is soon after converted to glucose 6 phosphate via the enzyme hexokinase, and why do you ask? To trap glucose. The membrane is permeable to glucose and the cell you see, wants to use glucose as a source of energy so enzymes add a phosphate to the substrate (using ATP) and wallah, glucose can no longer pass through the membrane. Poor guy never even had the chance. Trapped forever now to undergo a series of reactions that will strip it down, carbon by carbon, until all that is left is pyruvate and eventually CO2.

Quite sad isn't it.

It sort of reminds me of people who get trapped in situations that they cannot get out of. For example, a woman buys her dream home, but she bought it at the wrong time, now the house isn't worth what it was when she bought it and she is has found herself having to foreclose because she put so much money into the house in order to spruce it up. The bank then is harvesting her $$ and she can do nothing about it. Trapped, stripped down, until all the is left is a bad credit score.

Glucose can also represent people who become morally bankrupt from putting themselves in poor situations but I think the first example is a better representation of the American climate.

The Winter quarter has begun once again. Where I thought this quarter would be easier since I am finally done with all math related classes, I was quite wrong. Multicellular biology and metabolic biochemistry are a whirlwind of memorization and concepts, while quite enjoyable to say the least, the intensity of the quarter system doesn't allow you to really enjoy and indulge in the subject matter. There is hardly enough time to make it into the deep end of the forest by venturing off of the path. The path is where you must stay because there is no time to mess around and explore, the sun is setting fast and you have to make it out before night fall. In other words, all that I have time for is to stick to the lecture material, memorize it, know it like the back of my hand, and pray for success on the HUGE exams.

For those who do not understand how fast the quarter system is, I started school Jan 3rd and I have my first mid terms in both of the classes listed about next Friday and the Monday after this coming Monday.

My other class is History of East Asia. Not really much of a challenge when it comes to material, but as I said before, no time to really understand and relay ideas over China and Japan. I must stick to the lectures, skim the reading for the important buzz concepts to regurgitate on the midterm essays. Sigh. And to think I thought I would really "learn" something at a University.

What school has become, really, is just get in and get out with your head still sewn on with a high GPA so you can get into grad school. With the way testing is, I feel like I am a robot sometimes just trying to download meaningless data into my head, just words that I don't quite understand but as long as I memorize the concept I can get A's; which is what happens. But have I learned anything really? No, but I am quite the encyclopedia. A fact giver.

But really, I do enjoy school. I wish I could be in school forever. A professional scholar. Wouldn't that be a joy?

Down to the wire.

I will always be thankful for the fact that I always plan ahead and prepare appropriately (except I am still learning that I should always ALWAYS bring a sweater just in case). I spent my entire weekend: Friday, Saturday, and Sunday studying for tomorrows Organic chemistry exam.

Why is this good you may wonder? Because I cannot will myself to even look at the material today. I've done everything but study - well other than a couple hours of shuffling through papers and reviewing a couple mechanisms; I've taken an hour and a half nap (this is a verb a rarely take part in), stopped at the farmers market to pick up berries for my morning smoothies, ran for an hour (while watching icarly/Kardashians), and of course at "the 11th hour" when I told myself that after I showered and worked out I would study, I return from my run to find two darling yet very noisy little girls in the house.

Yes, my brothers practically step-daughters are here and that sound pollution they bring. Arty, my dog cannot stop himself for even a moment to breathe from barking and monitoring their ever action. So, a chatter of paws and bare feet on wood floors the clatter climbs up the stairs, down the hall, and seeps through the cracks of my doors.

So you see, starting to study on Friday rather than Saturday and really going "balls to the walls" I would not be sitting rather pretty with all the time I have "wasted" today. I am very thankful I perilously reviewed this weekend so I needn't worry too much of my lack of reviewing today. In a moments time I will turn on some tunes to drown out the glee of elementary school and really tighten those remaining screws. 89% last exam and I am hoping to break into the 90% group this time around.

The nap arose because I was given some heavy news concerning my health that can lead either nowhere or some serious medical problems. Again, had I not studied before this news would have blundered any attempt to cram as I am sure my fellow students are doing we I write this. Until further tests are administered regarding this complication I have to sit patiently and await the next appointment and analysis. Oh to be young and have such a large monkey on my back concerning health which I never though I would be worrying about : /. Due time though, it may be perfectly all right and it is just a slight scare.

Two things: I would like to stop time to review as well as speed it up to my medical test results.


TIME to study

Turn into

How collected does this woman look?

She doesn't look a day over 25 yet she screams maturity. On the way to the office is she? Maybe she just appears to be a classy lawyer but is really on her way to lunch, but who cares; she looks like she knows what she is doing in life. At this moment I feel the opposite. More like this:

Hah
Naked and in a nook.

I think my emotions right now stem from the fact that I don't imagine that my life is ever going to be that of a supermodel, the fashion writer, or the artistic/romantic that I tend to see in many of the blogs that I follow. The people who are dressing for vogue and partying with the models, or ARE models. My life, as I must accept will consist as it has for the past two years of quiet Saturday nights in and days in the Library. But it isn't just that my routine has become blah it's just I find myself not getting very excited over things that I used to. Like surfing for example. I went yesterday, the day was beautiful, but I felt as though I was going through the motions and nothing seemed new. Usually when I catch a wave where I execute a nose ride, hang five, and smooth groovy turns perfectly I become elated and think how amazing I really am and when I did that yesterday I smiled yes, but it wasn't like it used to be. Maybe these emotions are just stemming from the fact that I am nearing the end of my birth control pack but I am sure in a day or so these blues will play out their tune and I'll be more chipper.

Like every other Friday night, last night I volunteered at the hospital with Nadiya. We were both discussing our anxiety right now with school and the future and we are very much on the same emotional page even through our stories are a bit different. We also had a heart-wrenching run in with an older woman who appeared to be on her death bed, dry skin, scabs in random places, her eyes lashes had flakes on them, she really needed to be loved and in a tub. But what was the saddest of all is that she seemed to have dimensia and/or alzheimers. She kept asking for Luther and if he was on his way to pick her up. Now yes there may have been a real-live Luther coming to get her but it wouldn't make any sense that he would be coming at night since they don't usually discharge people at night. She kept telling me how he should pull into the drive way and we needed to let her know when he got there. She also tried to get out of her bed which we could not allow her to do. Mind you this was a woman who looked as if her bones would break trying to hold her. She looked so frail. I wish not to work with the elderly when I am a M.D ; I find it more sad then working with sick children. The elderly are full of regrets, mistakes, and broken dreams, you can really see it in their eyes. Where as children are always hopeful and the dreams are still there being carried in their warm little bodies.

Well - I must finish this lab report and start the next one. The driest thing to write is a lab report. True to the last sentence.

Psychology. . .?

Hows that for motivation to work out?

We had our first exam in psychology today and boy was I not prepared. I know I probably did a decent job (80%-85%) but that is going to put me in a position where I need to earn 95% + on the next exam. It's not that this class is particularly difficult, it's just that I do not prioritize the class what so ever. My studying for the exam consisted of about 7 hours total where one of those hours was spent cramming in the library right before the test. I under estimated the subject. 7 hours is not enough time to fully comprehend 4 chapters or two months of school. Oh well there is always next time.

I am relaxing at this moment before I lace up my knew sneaks (and sports bra!) and head out on a run. It has been 2 and a half days since I last got in a good cardio! It drives me mad to not get out doors and only hear the wind in my ears and the pounding of my feet. Even if I choose the treadmill it is a mental escape. It is just you pushing your body and nothing else matters. Oh my goodness I cannot wait!

When I return I have to prepare for tomorrows organic chemistry lab and take a gander at my physics take home exam. It is 85% complete. I have three questions to figure out still, an essay question, and I shall take another stab at the bonus question. I really want to finish working on my test by 8 p.m so I can cuddle up in bed with my e-reader and snuggy to read (hopefully finish) Ender's Game.

-Lea

Supplementary Materials

My very dusty and very affectionate cat. An old man who followed me around my favorite place on my parents property.



You know those showers that you take that are not necessary but you hop in the shower because the weather has changed from summer to fall and you aren't quite physically ready to adapt so you hop into a steamy shower and end up lingering too long for it to be economically correct?
Well I did that in ended up standing/spinning underneath my rain-impostor-shower head for nearly forty minutes and these were my thoughts:

- Dust may just be the most offensive and lonely matter to exist. It is an ever yielding reminder that time is simply slipping away and the more time goes on the less you have to participate in the actions you love. For instance the dust that collects on an unused piano. A piano that you used to play with every passing but now one is simply too busy to take a seat and relinquish your favorite chords.
Or the dust that collects on top of the book on my night stand. A book that whenever I do raid I take out 100 pages but cannot find the time to consistently pillage.
As dust collects with certainty as it does on every surface it reminds one that they do not even have the time to clean (nor do they want to IF they have time) and they are not fiscally prepared to hire a professional cleaner to dust for them.
Dust can even be offensive to the object it collects upon. That poor object has to be reminded that it is unused as the particles slowly form their film across the top.
Dust can be assumed to be lonely itself, its the reject of all particles hated by many. Seen as a plague bringer, a statement subject to judgment.
Or dust is boastful of its renegade status. Maybe there is one specific dust particle, that one to first lay its statement on the surface that calls the other dust particles to arms for assistance in its crusade. Maybe the dust particles are trying to help us, screaming at us with their collective, non discrete layer to get up and DO what we want to and take the extra time to pick up that book, slap those bass strings, take a picture, or to finish that project.
It is too hard to tell but it may just be that dust is either our sorry reminder of the time we have lost or our herald reminder of the things we love going unused.





I have to work on o-chem all this week in order to catch up before the big test and manage to write a lab report for fridays o-chem lab and create my pre-lab/prepare myself for tomorrows cellular lab (a continuation of last week). Furthermore I am so far and deep into a physics black hole of not doing any of my homework that I just pray there is not an exam next week so I can focus on catching up in O-chem. I would really rather climb back into my warm bed or lie outside on the hot cement next to my dog Arty who is really selling the moment. Also, I need new peddle for my road bike.

Alas Fall is most definitely here and I am too cold.

So much to do, I guess this is why dust collects.



Nothing cozier than a cat on your chest.

Splicesomes and other important enzymes

This weekend has been a mental marathon. My first exam for Cellular and Molecular Biology is tomorrow at 2:00pm. Yesterday was a renaissance of proteins and enzymes dancing around my head as they organized themselves for such processes as DNA synthesis, transcription, and translation. I am a rather tedious learner. I will spend up to and even more than an hour learning every single aspect of a topic that others may spend approximately ten minutes on. I have this deep insecurity surrounding my intelligence. I am the student who even though has kept themselves two steps ahead of their professors lectures and raises their hand to answer every question proposed will still cram all weekend even though I practically have all of the subjects down and have seen them three times prior to the study grind.
I just really want my professor to think I am smart. I want my parents to think I am smart.I want my friends to think I am smart. I think this deep needle in my spine is rooted from my parents always boasting about my older brothers "intelligence". They still say "oh Ryan is so smart" and go on about it even though he is 25 and still hasn't finished college because he could never make up his mind on a major. Here I am, incredibly studious and a biology/pre-med major and Ryan still gets all of the credit.

Often when I am home, studying all day. I like to dress up in incredibly theatrical outfits that I wouldn't dare wear in public because they are such period pieces. I find these numbers in thrift stores. The one I am wearing now is a cream colored tunic dress that is fit for a 1940's safari. By wearing these outfits my mental endeavors do not seem so ordinary.

Saturday: