January 7, 2011 - Frederik Meijer Garden Reflection

Sight - Pre-Class Assignment

1) There are 20 Carbons in the molecule, and the shape is planar.

2) If the channel were stuck in the open position then then the signal would fail. There would be miscommunication. If the channel could not open then there would be a problem with the electrical properties of the cell. They would not change and thus there could be no communication with the brain.

3)

• Boat = Cell
• Leak = Channel with ions coming through
• Bucket = Pump

Trip to Frederik Meijer Gardens

In my visit to the Frederik Meijer Gardens I experienced many different scents in the different places I went, such as the arid room, which was dry and warm and most plants lacked a significant aroma, or the tropical room, which was moist and warm, and almost all the plants had a particular smell to them. As I walked around things began to smell differently than when I first smelled them. From comparing to other plants and smelling a lot of things in general, my understanding of these scents was changing. There were three plants I noted in particular:

1. Natal Plum - Located in the tropical room, just past the bamboo shoots at the entrance. Source of smell: Leaves. I can smell it from about 5 feet away, as it is pretty strong. It's not a scent that's immediately pleasing to the nostrils, but if you let it grow on you an appreciation comes. It's a little spicy like cinnamon, or some other similar spice. Close up it's pretty powerful. It's a spicy one. My second time around it reminded me of allspice a little bit. I had to break the leaf up a little bit to smell it this time. I hardly remembered the smell.
2. Orchid (Brassocattleya Maikai) - Located in the tropical room on the orchid wall. Source of smell: Flower. It has a unique scent. I can only smell it when I'm up close, but it's quite pungent. It reminds me of some sort of baked goods, like bread rolls, or maybe even Fritos. I'm not a big fan of this particular scent. It's not spicy or minty. It's pretty neutral. My second visit to the orchid was similar to the first. It still had that strange scent. Perhaps it was even smellier the second time, or perhaps I was overcompensating and sniffing too hard since I knew I might have become desensitized.
3. Allspice - Located in the tropical room on the orchid wall. Source of smell: Leaves. It's a very strong and spicy scent. It almost tickles the back of my nose when you smell it from close enough and take a big whiff. It's a familiar smell. The second time around it had a little weaker of a scent, but it was still pretty strong.

That little vial of cinnamon reminded me of my mom making apple pie, especially the step where she cuts the apples up on the counter and collects them in a big bowl. It's pretty amazing that this time of year is special to just about every culture around the world, whether they celebrate Christmas or not.