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The world we live in today is too busy to acknowledge one another. I composed this piece to remember to continue to evolve and make a human connection (face to face). Music has always helped me understand what musicians are thinking about and how they feel. Another important detail is that language and music helped activate the brain to be learn, express emotions, and arouse both our left and right brain hemisphere.

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For this art project, I chose epigenetics because of how interesting it was to me reading and learning about the different influences one’s environment can have to their genes. Our textbook talks about how both nature and nurture play a hand as to how we turn out in a sense, and how it’ll affect not only us but our future kids and their future kids depending on which path we take. For this assignment, I created a drawing on my IPad of a tree, to represent the different types of things that can affect one’s epigenetics, and a sign that has different arrows, showcasing that it’s one’s decision as to where they want to go and which path they want to take for their future upcoming and their children’s upbringing. This tree and it’s branches represent the many outcomes when it comes to one’s environmental upbringing and the leaves showcase the different paths they will be lead to.

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I decided to draw the brain as if we were looking into the mirror and seeing the functions illustrated through our own reflection. Both hemispheres have their own proper functions, that many will confuse for the other. I created this image to remember what the functions of the hemispheres really are. The darker colors on the right represent the fact that the right hemisphere deals with negative emotions. The appearance on the left is colorful, depicting the positive side of the left hemisphere. This along with many other aspects I included in my artwork allow me to remember the differentiation between both sides and understand why the brain processes information the way it does.

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So I painted an image of the brain and some pinpoints of dendritic growth. I even acknowledged some “dead” end because of the use or loose it reference from chapter 1 nerves and nerve impulses. I really based it off some of the lectures where you talk about the growth and the learning you can do. Around the dendrites I put black boxes with basically symbolizes a not so great environment, even though your environment influences you and might have negative affects, it can also challenge you to be a better you. No matter the circumstances you get to decide who you are and what you represent.

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I've learned about the neurotransmitters that effect our moods and what they do for us. The neuron which is the cell that transmits information to other cells, muscles and glands. These chemicals work as a team everyday to regulate our moods. We all seek happy chemical reactions on a daily basis and every second of the day. But it really isn't hard to reach..Ive learned plan my day and keep track of my moods and my thought. I meditate a lot which calms me and boost my serotonin. I try to exercise at least 3 times a which because with that my endorphins are boosted. When I am creating and making designs I am boosting my dopamine at the same time because I get so proud of myself when Ive created something so wonderful. As well as I eat a lot of spinach that stuff always makes me feel the power mentally and physically. In my romantic relationship I love cuddling it helps my fall to sleep faster, release tension and feel so much in love my oxytocin is in overdrive. Not everyday is going be filled with a perfect 24 hours but the trick is to try and be someone disciple with your well being. Thats Key!

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I focused on this particular photo because I was very interested in how the baby brain form and what does it do while being in the whom & what I would remember is that throughout the different trimesters the baby brains forms in different like working on the nerves system where the baby can move meanwhile weeks later the tissue is forming and later on in the third trimester it teaching the baby for future learning . The brain is the main importance when developing as one because it’s controls everything that you capable of doing I will always remember that it takes time for the baby and it’s brain itself to form to receive the ability they need .

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Anxiety is stressful, just like alcoholism and drug addictions it is a daily fight. Of course, some days are better than others, it is all about your choice in positive words and actions. I learned the amygdala deals with emotions and should pass signals to the frontal cortex to process the emotions. It doesn't work that way for people with anxiety. I find myself frustrated and angry because I can't find the correct emotion for the moment. I also learned that childhood trauma can have an effect on adult anxiety. There are a lot of coping skills. I choose therapy and listening to gospel music to get me through an episode.

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I wanted to do my art project on Lateralization because our mind is truly a great machine! I tried to incorporate what each side of the brain hemisphere is used for. An example would be simple communication which is found on the left side. For the right hemisphere, you have your creativity. However, for instance, you would use both sides of your brain in let's say a debate you would use your left side to find logic for your opinion and use your right side to convey in a creative way. The adult brain is about 1200 grams but is responsible for so much in how we act, learn and interact with each other.

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I am a degenerate and I play League of Legends and these two characters from that game embody the characteristics of one side of each hemisphere. I find lateralization to be extremely interesting and personifying the way that a brain categorizes its functions was extremely entertaining. I find it fascinating how each side is responsible for such important personality traits that make us who we are. I tend to be more “right-brained” and to learn more in depth about why I am the way I am and being able to be creative about it is a great thing.

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Monica Bhusare
It is very interesting to see how each part of the brain works. People are unique and their qualities too. As I know that the right part of the brain is responsible for negative thought, it will be easy to try activating the left side brain and be positive again.

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For this Art Project, I decided to draw the Dopamine molecule with the things that give me dopamine such as Music, Traveling, and Desserts. Our textbook state that "...dopamine release is associated with reward..." (p. 54) and I always feel that listening to your fav song or being on vacation, or having a sweet treat is a reward. I choose this topic with references from the book because it helped me realize that not all dopamine is good for you. I will remember that there is nothing wrong with dopamine but you can overdo it and you need to be cautious. In my case rewarding myself with desserts can be harmful if I don't learn to restrain myself from overindulging, because having too many desserts can lead to diseases such as diabetes.

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Hello. This drawing indicates that anything influences the growth of the baby’s brain. Both soon to be mothers are exposed to different environments and different habits.  The mother on the right, reads, speaks, and surrounds herself around a positive environment, this baby has a healthier (green) brain. Compared to the mother on the left who is drinking alcohol, smoking and surrounding herself with negativity, the baby’s brain is likely to have abnormalities.
Mother on the left, drinks alcohol while being pregnant, this baby is likely to develop birth defects, hyperactivity, heart defects, or among other defects. This mother also smokes cigarettes , which may cause the baby to be born with low birth weight, ADHD, or immune system impairment.  Since the mother on the right is not exposing the baby to drugs, alcohol or negativity, this baby is likely to be born a healthy baby.

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I am trying to portray Lateralization. In my art, I have both left and right hemispheres. I chose what I Imagine in my own brain as far as functions in categories associated with each Hemisphere. Imagination, Face recognition, Art and creativity being one of many of the right Hemisphere ( My dominant side). The many useful functions from the left hemisphere, such as being left handed Language, Speech and views.

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The principles I am portraying in my drawing Wouk’s be the functions of both left and right brains, lateralization. Both left abs right hemispheres have different functions but that doesn’t mean that they work separately. Actually, they complement one another and in my option to keep a healthy brain, you must strengthen both sides. I learned that more likely the left hemisphere is bigger than the right and that the right is more creative that is why I colored it. All through the right side is more creative it actually is more capable of having negative emotions than its counterpart brain. What I plan to keep are the word “lateralization” and its function.

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For this art project, I chose the principle of epigenetics. According to our textbook, epigenetics deals with changes in gene expression. We are all born with genes that we inherit from our parents, but different life experiences decide if certain genes are turned off or on (Kalat, p.107-109). Essentially, our DNA doesn’t not control the course of our lives, our life experiences do . Epigenetics can also determine if our genes get passed down to our children and even grandchildren. This is the example of when nurture affects the nature.

A big take away for me was the fact that exercise releases neurotrophins that promote the survival and activity of neurons, which encourage dendric branching, just like education does. (Chapter 4 Lecture). I always knew that exercise is important, but never realized that it can essentially alter the brain structure and make a person more intelligent. This knowledge is important to me because I am raising a child, and I will make sure that being active will be instilled in her life habits.

Our environment, the way we choose to live our lives, affects our brain. Our diet, activity level, continuous education, music, playing an instrument, making art, meditation, reading books, can all alter our neurons and brain activity, giving us a chance of a longer and healthier life.

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Alcohol and its effects on the brain- Alexis Riviera

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Alcohol and its effects on the brain- Alexis Riviera

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Hello, the principles I am displaying is how the brain and the specific parts of the brain is affected by alcohol and how harmful it can be. I found it very fascinating learning about how the brain reacts to alcohol and how damaging it can be to our brain. I chose these particular principles because I wanted to break down each part to show why we do things when we are drunk; like slurring our speech, having difficulty walking, impaired memory, etc.

1.  I took this information from page 485, James W. Kalat- Biological Psychology. I also took this information from our lecture videos, chapter 1, and chapter 2.

2. I plan to remember that drinking alcohol interferes with the brain’s communication pathways, drinking makes it hard for our brain to control judgement, balance, memory, and will likely cause an increase in injuries and negative outcomes. As I am in my twenties, having fun and going out I want to be able to educate others who don’t think about what the brain goes through when drinking alcohol.

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The Principle I decided to choose for this art project is the cerebral cortex, specifically the four lobes of our brain. This principle is discussed in chapter 3 of our textbook, module 3.2 pages 82 to 84. I chose this because I find it fascinating how amazing it is to know why our brains have the power to control what feelings, actions, and thoughts come to us every day. With the frontal lobe responsible for movement and memory, the parietal lobe for body sensations, the occipital lobe for vision, and the temporal lobe responsible for hearing, the four lobes together are the reason we can organize everyday tasks balanced. In my art project, I drew a persona of each lobe and what they do. The brain in this picture is relaxing after a hard day of working. I hope I continue to remember that the four lobes and the cerebral cortex all together are what make me become the best version of myself!

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The reason why I chose to do this model is because now I know how the brain chemicals control many of our emotions and love for certain things.

The brain is made up of many parts with interconnected circuits that all work together as a team. Different brain circuits are responsible for coordinating and performing specific functions. Networks of neurons send signals back and forth to each other and among different parts of the brain, the spinal cord, and nerves in the rest of the body.

The feeling of pleasure is how a healthy brain identifies and reinforces beneficial behaviors, such as eating, socializing, and sex. Our brains are wired to increase the odds that we will repeat pleasurable activities.

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Rhythms of Waking and Sleeping  -Brandon Perez 

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Rhythms of Waking and Sleeping  -Brandon Perez 

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Hello everyone, I chose the topic of "Rhythms of Waking and sleeping" in module 8.1, based on Chapter 8: Wakefulness And Sleep.  This topic interests me because we learn about how our sleep cycle functions in a way. It is also something I can carry on with me into the future just for glancing back in what I learned about the topic. One of the most important things I learned from this section would be about receiving some of the elements such as daylight and setting down a schedule that comprehends your body.  Something interesting I learned states, "rhythms differ among individuals. Some people (“morning people,” or “larks”) awaken early, reach their peak of productivity early, and become less alert later in the day. Others (“evening people,” or “owls”) warm up more slowly, both literally and figuratively, reaching their peak in the late afternoon or evening." (pg.261-262). I guess I can say I'm an owl :D

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I did my best to create something beautiful that will also be connected with one of the topics we discussed and used my humble graphic design skills a little. I chose love and affection as a source of dopamine for doing my art work. We have learnt that once we are attracted to someone, dopamine is released, serotonin levels rise, and oxytocin is generated in our brain. We are  experiening a burst of good emotion as a result of this. Dopamine is released simply by thinking about the subject of our love, making us feel enthusiastic and motivated to do whatever it takes to visit them. When we see them or do something for them, our brain "rewards" us with additional dopamine, which we feel as a surge of joy.

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For my art project I decided to create based on the topic of epigenetics. Epigenetics very much solidified the idea that not only nurture but nature play an important role in human development. The butterflies in my drawing represent how the environment in which humans develop in eventually help shape the mind whether it’s in a good way or a bad way. “In short, even when individuals have virtually the same genes and apparently the same environment, they can turn out differently,

and the mechanism is epigenetics.” (pg. 107, ch. 4) This quote had a major impact on me and how i will take into account how people are raised. In conclusion, a person could have all the best genes and still grow up to be a less than decent human being due to the environment they are in.

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For this project, I decided to do it on dopamine and the effects on my day to day life. Dopamine is a type of neurotransmitter and it sends shocks to your brain when you enjoy something, gain satisfaction, and pleasure. For me, the thing that I enjoy is food. When I eat food, and think about when I’m going to eat next, I get happy. For this art project, I drew a brain and the stars are the shocks to my brain of dopamine being released when I see food. This neurotransmitter also has some negative aspects to it that lead to addiction. We always want to feel good and when you don’t produce enough dopamine, we look for it in other places.  I am going to use this in my life to remember that dopamine is the reason I find pleasure in certain things in my life and that its okay to not always feel satisfied with everything.

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This is the healthy brain I imagine. When the person is satisfied by the life he lives, when he understands his strengths and weaknesses, when he is ready to accept his victories and loses, he begins to "flourish" inside, and that is also noticeable to ones, who surround that person.

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I chose the topic Anorexia Nervosa from chapter 9. As a woman I feel that we can be so insecure about our body weight and how our body looks. Anorexia nervosa is the refusal to eat enough to maintain a healthy body weight. Social media promotes body types that might make many woman insecure. I believe this topic is very serious and should have more awareness to women.

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I chose dopamine because this is a topic we can all relate to. One way or another we all have a triggers to our dopamine. Once we are able to determine those triggers we are able to better understand the choices we make and what steps we can take to make either healthier or wiser choices when it comes to our dopamine.

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Ivory Doughnut Illustration Decision Tree Chart

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I chose the principle of our diet and our neurotransmitters. I focused on the first neurotransmitter acetylcholine, which activates skeletal muscles and It works with memory function. Acetylcholine is synthesized from choline, which is abundant in milk, eggs, and peanuts, and fish. Eating food rich in choline builds more acetylcholine which can improve our memory. It has also been found that Alzheimer patients have lower levels of acetylcholine. Since we get our neurotransmitters from our diet it’s extremely important we pay more attention to what we eat as it can improve or affect our brain.

I’m going to remember the principle of diet and our neurotransmitters because of the phrase “you are what you eat.” I can now understand that phrase better because I have more knowledge about how different foods play a big role in out brain’s function.

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I did my art project on Fetal Alcohol Syndrome. I chose this topic because although we are told how important it is to not drink while pregnant, I did not know how deeply it could effect a fetus. On page 123 it says, "More drinking causes greater deficits, but even moderate drinking produces a measurable effect" (Eckstrand et al., 2012) I have personally known people who chose to occasionally drink throughout their pregnancy, and after reading this chapter it is clear that it should not be done. They will be unable to know what exact amount can cause ham to their child. In my art I wrote the harmful effects that drinking can have on growing children such as heart defects, facial abnormalities, and delayed development. I hope that my art helps to highlight how awful drinking while pregnant can be on fetuses. (I'm not very artistic so my right brain was working overtime haha.)

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I did my art project on Fetal Alcohol Syndrome. I chose this topic because although we are told how important it is to not drink while pregnant, I did not know how deeply it could effect a fetus. On page 123 it says, "More drinking causes greater deficits, but even moderate drinking produces a measurable effect" (Eckstrand et al., 2012) I have personally known people who chose to occasionally drink throughout their pregnancy, and after reading this chapter it is clear that it should not be done. They will be unable to know what exact amount can cause ham to their child. In my art I wrote the harmful effects that drinking can have on growing children such as heart defects, facial abnormalities, and delayed development. I hope that my art helps to highlight how awful drinking while pregnant can be on fetuses. (I'm not very artistic so my right brain was working overtime haha.)

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Dopamine is one of if not the most important neurotransmitter. It’s the driving force behind a lot of our actions and choices. It rewards us when we do something that contributes to the sustainment of our lives or species reproduction. It unfortunately also becomes the main component in our brain that leads to addiction. This reminds me that a healthy variety of dopamine sources is important and can help reduce the likelihood of substance addiction. Balance is key!

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Lance Habaradas- Opiates and Stimulant Drugs' Effect on the Brain

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Lance Habaradas- Opiates and Stimulant Drugs' Effect on the Brain

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Drug abuse is a very widespread problem in every corner of the world. There are many several types of drugs, but there is a set type of drugs that affect the brain in a certain way. Opioids, or Opiate drugs, are drugs that directly affect dopamine levels in the brain. "Opiate drugs exert their effects by binding to the same receptors as endorphins." (Pg.55). The role of endorphins is to decrease pain by blocking activity of pain neurons. By binding to endorphin receptors, opiates can directly influence endorphin levels, providing a sense of pain relief. Although the effects seem positive, the brain will crave more of that same feeling and lead to addiction. In the brain, the Hindbrain consists of the medulla, the pons, and the cerebellum. More specifically, the medulla is responsible for important reflexes like breathing and heart rate. "Damage to the medulla is frequently fatal, and large doses of opiates are life-threatening because they suppress activity of the medulla." (Pg. 71). Opioid drugs aren't the only drugs that can directly affect the brains functions. Same goes for stimulant drugs. Drugs such as cocaine " inhibit the transporters for dopamine, thus decreasing reuptake and prolonging dopamine’s effects." (Pg. 55) Cocaine use is usually attempted through sniffing or injection, to create an immediate surge of euphoria. The effects that stimulant drugs give off can also cause addiction. Overconsumption from addictive drugs can eventually lead to death, which is why avoiding drugs is very important to leading a healthy life.

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Hi everyone!
I have chosen lateralization for my art project which is the division of labor between the two hemispheres. Each person has a left and a right hemisphere, each one of them has a different function. This is what I tried showing with my art. The left side is responsible for language, speech, logic, reading, writing and positive emotions. On the other side, we have the right hemisphere which is responsible for art, creativity, imagination, geometry, space and negative emotions. This information can be found in our textbook on page 424. I made this art because I can totally relate to it now that I have learned about it. I am definitely right hemisphere dominant. I have loved music since I was little such as singing and playing piano. Also, math has never been my strong side however geometry has always been easier and more understandable to me. Now that I have learned about lateralization, it makes more sense now. What I definitely will remember from this chapter is when people describe themselves as left-brained or right-brained that they are referring to themselves as either someone who is artistic or analytical.

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I made a photo collage with pictures from my life to remind myself of dendritic branching. I focused on the importance of exercise, education, and an enriched environment for increasing dendritic branching. I included photos of me running track, biking, accomplishing a half marathon, visiting new places and being in beautiful ones, learning to bake bread, learning local flower names, and being around close friends to represent those three things. I want to continue to incorporate those three things throughout my life to continue my dendritic branch growth. I also included 'take on a new challenge' to remind myself to create my own dopamine through new experiences, rather than relying on outside, unreliable sources of dopamine. Taking on new challenges also helps against depression because it boosts confidence and provides novelty. (Chapter 4, pgs. 125-126)

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I made this because it shows more of a visual aspect of where in the brain does certain drugs affect us. It made me realize that most drugs affect the frontal lobe the most. I chose to do this topic because drugs have effected my family and their mental wellbeing so, it is very personal to me. It was one of the most important lectures that I have learned from.

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Why nerve cells? The description given in our text really stood out to me. It amazes me how certain things can work the same as others. Just like they say it takes a village to raise a child, it takes cells working together so that they can function properly. I never thought about how much we actually need each other until I got older and the book showing us that out body works the same made me reflect. Like it mentioned as a child we want to grow up and be free, thinking that we won't be needing anyone. Especially in those angry moments, but reality is, we rely a lot on each other. Together we strive just like the flower, but when nerve cells are alone, they are pretty useless and dead.

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Hello class. For my art project, I chose dopamine as it interested me the most. A neurotransmitter that associates with our pleasures, I get mine mostly when it comes to food. Ever since last year, I've developed a tendency to eat late at night, even though it causes my breath to be worse than ever when I wake up. It may be pleasurable at first but it becomes a drag as it goes. I also have others ways of dopamine, as illustrated in my picture. A major principle that I absorb was just how much of a pleasure can imprint itself on the person and how they live. It could be either good or bad.

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Hi everyone, for my art project I picked Fetal Alcohol Syndrome because from everything I have learn this subject got stuck on my mind the most. From my experience when I was a teenager I would drink a lot and it happen to be that I consumed alcohol when I was pregnant without knowing it. Of course, once I knew about my pregnancy I didn’t consume any alcohol. I got really lucky my daughter didn’t come out with any problems. In the book on chapter 4 page. 124, it says children with fetal alcohol syndrome can come out with many different problems such as heart defects, motor problems, facial abnormalities. This is so dangerous and many women thinks it is okay to have a drink when they are pregnant. I know in some Latin culture our parents would say, “It’s okay drink one, look at you, you are fine and I would drink when I was pregnant of you.” They don’t understand the damage they are doing to their child’s development. Just by reaching out to our families and letting them know why this is not okay we can help one baby more be safer.
What I would remember from this is now as an adult I am trying to have a baby so I definitely stop drinking I wouldn’t want to take any chances, I want to be safe.

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The concept that has stuck out to me the most this semester was dopamine. Dopamine has such an impact on our everyday lives, and the way we obtain it can be quite addicting. The perspective I decided to do my project on was the positives and negatives of love and dopamine. For someone who is truly in love in a healthy and well-functioning relationship (the right side), there is a sense of comfort and safety. The following side of the screen (left) shows the danger of a dopamine weakness in an unhealthy relationship. This is where a partner may be abused, feel lonely, or anxious but can not leave due to the dopamine their brain releases from being with this person. I find the psychology behind love to be extremely fascinating, I can not wait to learn more!

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Multiple reason why I wanted to do lateralization. When you look at the left side it’s logic, speech, writing, language and mathematics. So people think gray not that much color because everything it straight to the point with no creativity. While you look at the right side it’s known for the art, creativity, intuition and imagination. Yet if we took a closer look at the right side it has a dark tone to it because we need our inspiration from somewhere and sometimes that comes from dark places. Which isn’t really ever talked about or is mostly overlooked. Another reason why I choose this topic is because I am good with number, I like math. Yet when it comes to my writing and language let me tell you that that is not my strong suit. Never has been and yet they are one the same hemisphere.

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For my art project I decided to cover dopamine. I chose this topic because it was the topic I first completely understood. As mentioned in chapter 3 of our book, dopamine is a neurotransmitter associated with pleasure. For example, I get my dopamine when shopping. Whenever I am stressed, sad, or just bored shopping has always made me feel better. Since there are many ways to get dopamine, I tried to include as many that came to mind in my illustration. The principle that stuck with me is the high one feels and the big question of how long it will last. Another principle that will stick with me is how much of an impact dopamine has on someone. Not only the feeling of pleasure part but what can happen if one has too high or too low of a level of dopamine.

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Hello everyone, what I am going to remember from this class is two specific parts of the brain. The Broca’s area and the wernicke’s area. Both are located on the left side of the brain with broca’s being on the left frontal lobe, and the wernicke’s being located on the left temporal lobe. They both deal with speech and being able to communicate with words is very important.

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Lynee Matthews- Substance P For this assignment I decided to portray Substance P which is for pain. If we do not have Substance P then we do not feel the warning signs that we are injured or hurt. A person with Substance P can bite their tongue and will not bite it twice because of the pain a person without  Substance P will bite their tongues off because they don't feel any pain. I drew a picture of the Tongue being bit but had trouble uploading the paper here so I added it to the discussion. I enjoyed this topic the most.

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Maria D. Hernandez     Benefits of meditation in the brain 

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Maria D. Hernandez     Benefits of meditation in the brain 

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Meditation and the Benefits of Yoga in the brain

-           Yoga is transformation and transcendental; it not only changes how one sees things, but it also changes the one whom he is seeing.  B.K.S Iyengar

This art- work represents the understanding of the brain which was chapters one through five. The pictures contains the different parts of the body and how the thoughts are created through the synapses process. I personally would like to highlight that I used chapter five pages to 151 to 156 where it explains the color processing, the cones and how we see the colors and the color theory.

The brain controls every aspect of our lives, this weighs 1,36kl, and it takes 20% of our combustible of our body's energy.

The brain stems from the Reptilian brain,  Encephalic talus, (root chakra).

1.       First floor (lower part of the brain). The limbic system is responsible for our emotions >. Inside there is the amygdala (explain them). The amygdala controls and processes, and storage our emotional responses. Afraid and mad rage.

2.       Second floor: The cerebral cortex is divided into four lobes.

·         The frontal lobe, verify reality, and it filters and organized the external world. Connection and the synapses

o   All of our plans, ideas, and thoughts originate in this cortex made of neural cells. New experiences increase branching of axons, while secreting neurotrophins, they also create and store new memories.

v  The neurons create and conserve new ramifications (line of communications) to connect and communicate messages via chemical and electrical signals impulses.

-          .

·         Neurons, districts, and connecting during an action potential creating a beautiful complex neuronal forest

v  The Synapses, separating the ramifications; in this process, the neurons seem to be touching each other. However, during an exchange of messages, a connection among neurons is sending and receiving messages coming and going back and forth from our nervous system, but in that small gap happens the magic.

·         Neurons transmitters are carrying chemical molecules. When properly stimulated, it crosses the cellular membrane and arrives in the synaptic space through an electric impulse.

·         The receptor neurons have a unique welcoming space for the upcoming molecules which opens particular doors.

·          Through these doors, waves carried particles and ions of sodium and potassium flow, creating a new electric signal followed by a chemical exchange and another electric impulse and other never-ending exchange of chemicals.  This is the base of all cerebral activity and neuron communication.

·         In this complex process of the brain, there is the clue of all this brain complexity.

v  One hundred thousand million neurons connect and communicate messages. Like an ant contributing to the anthill and its colony, each of those neurons processes their information and reconnect or connects and tangles with other 50 thousand neurons to sent and receive messages.

v  One hundred thousand neurons per 50 thousand million connections to repeat the same communications process all over again. Seed, plant seed.

·         This what allows us to use our imagination and think critically. The billions of neuronal nets are like a never-ending orchestra that is improvising and creating new ideas that connect and different associate thoughts, sometimes are inspiring, and other times are stubborn stubbornness.

3.       Third floor: The brain is made to mutate, change, and associate all the new behaviors in which we respond to all of those unique experiences.

During research was discovered that in the brain, neuroplasticity is stimulated when meditating or doing yoga.

o   Neuroplasticity is affected and changed by neurons and their communication process.

a.       It was found that a mass increase in the

v  hippocampus (meaningful: learning, memory, and regulation of emotions)

v  Temporoparietal lobe (associated with compassion, perfective, and empathy)

b.       Decreased mass of the Amygdala

o   Less stress means a decrease in the amygdala.

o   When there is an increase in the frontal lobe, this is the best moment of the brain. This could occur when one focuses on pure love and compassion in the universal now and nowhere or anything in particular.

v  Frontal lobe's mass increments when thoughts, words, and actions are alienated and associated with happiness.

v  Higher and supernatural positivism levels could be reached through meditation when focusing on pure love, compassion, and positive emotions towards nobody, nowhere, or no one.

v  An increase in the Left-brain hemisphere is associated with positive emotion. Meanwhile, in the right brain hemisphere of the prefrontal cortex associated with depression decreased. It could mean that compassion and love is the most excellent medicine for depression

v  A decreased activity in the Amygdala associated with fear and hate was found in individuals who meditate and practice yoga, meaning that those who practice yoga, meditation, and mind their own business could reach and maintain high levels of positive emotions (happiness) in the prefrontal cortex of the brain. – D.R RICHARD DAVISON.

4.       Search for and on Dr. Davison academically and scientifically demonstrated the effects of meditation and yoga, which reduce the suitable brain hemisphere activity and increase the left-brain hemisphere, which increases positive sensations such as love and compassion.

o   After three months of meditation, many changes were located in meditation and yoga experts; when practicing yoga, they could change neuron activities from right to left hemispheres.

v  A decrease in the right hemisphere activity and increased left activity levels in the brain hemispheres were reported leading to an explanation about the heart being the key to compassion

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hello, for this project I chose to do it on Fetal Alcohol Syndrome because I think its really important for people to understand that alcohol should not be consumed during pregnancy. when I was pregnant many told me that drinking small amounts of alcohol would not harm my baby and I never felt safe doing so and I'm glad I didn't because after reading chapter 4 pg. 124 I realized that alcohol can have long term effects for a baby. A baby's developing brain is really vulnerable and can easily be damaged. Alcohol kills neurons and now that I know this information I will make sure to inform others of the risks of alcohol consumption during pregnancy.

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Brain lateralization:

My art project is a collage based on the brain lateralization, the specialization of the functions of the two hemispheres, and an extra factor about charismatic people.

The left side represents the left hemisphere and its specialization with the reminder that the positive emotions are processed there. The right side represents the right hemisphere with its specialization and the remark that the negative emotions are processed there. Both hemispheres are specialized but they also work together and complement each other. Charismatic people keep people engaged, they move a lot, they engaged your imagination and they also change facial patterning, they stimulate both hemispheres! Martin Luther King Jr. was a minister and activist who became the most visible spokesperson and leader in the civil rights movement. Tony Robbins is an American author, coach, speaker, and philanthropist, his life coaching has changed my life. Jim Carrey is a Canadian American actor, comedian, writer, producer, and artist; he is known for his energetic performances, but he is also a great dramatic actor. Demosthenes was a Greek statesman and orator of ancient Athens who suffered from a speech impediment, he designed a series of exercises for himself to improve his speech. These people are not only great speakers, but they are also inspiring.

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Jiaxuan Qu--alcohol consumption during pregnancy. Hello everyone! My focus for this project is to develop a healthy brain. Our brain is extremely vulnerable especially during early stages. In other words, during women'r pregnancy, fetal brain develops at a fast speed that we can hardly imagine but on the other hand, they are easily affected by the outside circumstances. For example, toxic chemicals, infections, fevers that mother had, low blood glucose (Chapter 4, pg. 123). According to the book, the infant brain can be significantly affected by alcohol. Alcohol can interferes with neuron proliferation, migration, differentiation, and synaptic transmission (Chapter 4, pg. 124). My project is to advocate pregnant women, trying not to take alcohol during pregnancy. It will affect fetus brain negatively and the results can be irreversible.  

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Jiaxuan Qu--alcohol consumption during pregnancy. Hello everyone! My focus for this project is to develop a healthy brain. Our brain is extremely vulnerable especially during early stages. In other words, during women'r pregnancy, fetal brain develops at a fast speed that we can hardly imagine but on the other hand, they are easily affected by the outside circumstances. For example, toxic chemicals, infections, fevers that mother had, low blood glucose (Chapter 4, pg. 123). According to the book, the infant brain can be significantly affected by alcohol. Alcohol can interferes with neuron proliferation, migration, differentiation, and synaptic transmission (Chapter 4, pg. 124). My project is to advocate pregnant women, trying not to take alcohol during pregnancy. It will affect fetus brain negatively and the results can be irreversible.  

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I chose dendritic branching because it's proof that you can continue to learn and reach your goals no matter what age you are.

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Hello class, for this project, I wanted to focus on an artistic approach for dopamine. Some may portray it in the symbolism of a drug addiction like in Chapter 7 of the book. But ultimately, there are many ways dopamine affects the brain and based on that, it also affects the choices we make. I wanted to portray dopamine in a more colorful way. Things such as spending time with people I love, listening to music, and even drawing give me higher levels of dopamine, which is the portrayed rainbow color in the picture, While everything around us at times may be extremely stressful, doing hobbies or doing things we love truly wash away the negative thoughts we may believe will never away. This picture describes it in a way as the girl symbolizes any individual living in what may seem like a hazy, stressed environment. But thinking about the things we love overshadows that colorless environment and brings the brain higher levels of pleasure, which is what dopamine essentially does for me in stressed times.

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Sherilyn Segura
My art project is based on Lateralization through the visual representation of each hemisphere’s cognitive functions.  I found this to be most exciting to learn as it helped me to better understand biological and behavioral influences. In my art piece, I used images on the left side that represented logic, books, writing, reading, math, and language. On the right, I selected images to express creativity, art, geometry, storytelling, facial expressions, music, and “THE WHOLE PICTURE”. In Chapter 13 of our book, we learned about split brain people which allowed researchers to discover the role of each hemisphere and their importance (Kalat, pg. 426-429). I think this chapter has provided me with a stronger desire to lean more towards a career in Neuropsychology rather than Clinical Psychology. The mind, brain, and behavior are all connected but I believe who we are originates with the brain.

"The important thing is not to stop questioning. Curiosity has its own reason for existing. One cannot help but be in awe when he contemplates the mysteries of eternity, of life, of the marvelous structure of reality. It is enough if one tries merely to comprehend a little of this mystery every day." - Albert Einstein

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I chose my project theme regarding lateralization of the left brain and right brain. When I was young, I did well on maths and I have great interest in physics. I do not have much talent on music or art. My mother always say that I am left-brained and I don't know what that means. During studies in this class, I have a deeper understanding towards how brain functions. My art project i based on chapter 13. Left brains are more linked to logical, reasoning, maths, sciences while right brains are more likely to be linked with creativities, music, art, imaginations, visualizations.

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I chose to write about Lateralization because it is a very interesting topic for me. The Lateralization refers to a dominance of one hemisphere of the brain over the other. The dominant hemisphere is more responsible or entirely responsible for control of a function in comparison to the other. The left side of the brain is responsible for language, number skills, analysis, scientific skills, logic and right-hand control. The right side of the brain is responsible for the emotions, intuition, creativity, art, music, and left-hand control. I drew representation of the left and right hemispheres of the brain. On the left side (in black and white) you can see a lot of thing related to learning, study, education, games the require analysis and strategy. On the right side (colorful) you can see things related to imagination and creativity, art, music, inspiration, and ideas. I like how this have an affect in how every single person in this world. Everyone is so different and good in different things because one side of the brain affects than more than the other side in different situation in their lives. Some people is really good at math, for example, and some people can even remember the periodic table, but can draw a picture better than many people. That is really interesting!

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I chose Dendritic Branching because I think knowing about it is very important and also very fascinating, especially since it is about learned behaviors. What I am going to remember is that the more you keep on practicing the habit/behavior the stronger the connection is. For instance in my art project I focus on sadness and the stronger or the more you "feed into it" the harder it will be to "get out of it" so its best to not focus so much on the negative. (pg 125-126)

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I chose to write about this principle because it has really helped me understand that my morbid obesity was not all quite my fault. Growing up having an older sister (she is the one next to me in the bottom right pictures) who was always extra slim, made me seem bigger. I hated how that was a talking subject whenever we visited someone or someone visited us. They use to make comments like "Stop taking Claudia's food away" or "Look at your sister, she looks so young and beautiful and you even look like if you were her mom". After reading chapter nine from my textbook (pg. 318) I have brought some peace between my 298lb self and my current 196lb self. I have learned that there are various reasons for being obese for example genes and differences in digestion systems. On November 2nd 2020 I had the gastric sleeve surgery and that has become a valuable tool which has helped me go from morbid obesity to obese. This whole chapter really hit home for me because I definitely can relate to how your weight and lack of exercise or poor food choices can also lead to depression and anxiety. I plan on continuing my journey with my weight loss surgery and to always remember that although my sister and I were once in our mother's womb, we still all have different mechanisms in our body.

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This is a silly illustration of Osmotic Thirst, specifically when caused by eating salty foods as described on page 302. Given that I have a frequent salt craving and tend to drink a lot water, this is partly to remind me that salty foods aren't such a great idea on a long car trip if I'm trying to avoid bathroom breaks.

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I love everything we learn in this class, but this principle is something I have already shared with so many people because I am fascinated with this part of our neurons. In Ch 1(p. 18) we learn about the cells of the nervous system and are introduced to dendrites, then in Ch 4(p. 125) we learn more about dendritic branching and how our brain does this fascinating task. Our experiences are what guide the neuronal change in our brains and essentially shape the branching of our dendrites. Before studying psychology I always heard people say “you are what you think” or “you are your thoughts, be positive” but seeing the actual neural process really puts it into perspective, quite literally. The branches of our dendrites are all of our positive and negative thoughts so I created a painting of a neuron and placed positive thoughts on the dendritic branching to show that it is possible to overcome our negative self talk and replace those words with encouragement and uplifting phrases.

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I chose lateralization because it stuck out most to me. It is fascinating how people are more dominant on one side of the brain compared to the other. I am going to remember this topic because it’ll help me understand students better and how I can cater to different learning styles and different brain strengths.

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I chose to do epigenetics as my topic as it fascinated me to learn that your genes are influenced by your experiences and past experiences from your parents. According to Kalat, epigenetics refers to the change in gene expression through histones that occurs through experiences (pg. 108). I created a painting with my limited art skills to not only try expressing myself through painting, but to also try and be creative with it. I decided to draw a DNA-like tree attached to a brain to show how the branches (histones) can affect your life through various expressions within your genes. The DNA strands build up the tree brain and the histone branches referring to epigenetics give the tree brain some color and expressiveness to make what the brain is today. I also wanted to draw a tree to refer to the family tree, as I learned that a parent's gene expression can also be passed down to their children.

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One of things that I found very interesting from chapter 13 was the concept of lateralization. In school growing up I would hear the term being thrown around that we are either right or left brained. I only really understood it as you are either creative or good at math. However, from the lectures regarding this chapter I learned there is a lot more to this idea. The left side is the more positive side compared to the right which is negative. Imagination and creativity are associated with the right side. Being logical, reading, and writing would be on the left side. The images for the right side of the brain reflect the activities that I can express myself such as music and taking pictures. In my drawing I tried using activities I find myself doing and finding whether they would be suited for the right or left side of the brain.

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I have chosen epigenetics for my artwork as it is a topic that I found to be the most interesting and memorable. Gene expression is an area that has always interested me so I decided to base my artwork on that factor. While all cells within the body carry the same DNA they can be expressed differently due to a variety of factors. I found this topic to be exciting as well since it showcases how our decisions in life can also influence our offspring. As it was discussed on pages 107-108 epigenetics is still a growing field and learning how certain experiences can turn genes on or off was one of the aspects that really caught my attention. From my artwork, I plan to remember how important life choices are in regards to our offspring as the activities we partake in today may have an effect in the future on our offspring.

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I choose to do my artwork on lateralization because this is something that really applies to my life. I have a child who had adhd and before taking this class I didn’t realize that he has a dominant side. I always knew that he had an unbalance in brain activity, but I didn’t quite understand what that meant or how that contributed to his adhd. After learning about lateralization, I realize that my child probably has more activity in the right side of the brain because they are extremely creative and artistic. They also love music and storytelling. Building creations out of legos is one of their amazing skills and this all has to do with having more activity on the right side of the brain. I think this very useful information because to the contrary I would consider myself to have more activity on the left side of the brain. I love math and I am a high achiever in verbal and written communication. I also thought it was interesting that people with right brain damage have certain emotional issues and I relayed this to my mom’s case. My mom had a brain aneurysm and she definitely does not understand jokes or sarcasm. “Perhaps because of its tendency to focus on overall pat terns, the right hemisphere is more responsive to emotional stimuli than the left. The right hemisphere is better than the left at perceiving the emotions in people’s gestures and tone of voice, such as happiness or sadness (Adolphs, Damasio, & Tranel, 2002). People with damage to the right hemisphere speak in a monotone voice, do not recognize other people’s emotional expressions, and usually fail to understand humor and sarcasm”. Pg 449 Kalat, James. This is information I will always keep in mind because it applies to helping me understand some behaviors of my own family.

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Lynette Medina- Substance Abuse and Addiction and Dopamine

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Lynette Medina- Substance Abuse and Addiction and Dopamine

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I choose Substance Abuse and Addiction and how Dopamine is the cause of addiction, Nearly all abused drugs and a variety of of other highly reinforcing or addictive activities increase dopamine release in the nucleus accumbens.( page 466) I found this very interesting to learn that the reward center in our brains releases dopamine in response to pleasurable experiences. This made. me think about myself personally and realized I had my own personal addiction to shopping online and didn't think about is because I thought of the a more focused and known categories, which are Alcohol and Gambling . I did not realize that by blocking dopamine receptors with neuroleptic drugs impaired the reinforcing effects of stimulants. Drugs are commonly abused by us, and drugs create a neurochemical reaction that will increase significantly the amount of dopamine that will be released by neurons  in our brain's reward center. This made so much sense to me. I would buy something new. Get a high from the release of the dopamine and then once I received my order, I wanted to buy something, anything right away. I can Imagine that is what if feels like for someone who is addicted to alcohol and drugs. Addiction can be more than just drugs, it can be an addictive activity. Switching bad activities for healthier ones can change your bad habits. Turn a negative into a positive.

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Epigenetics is one of the most fascinating topics I have ever learned about. This science directly correlates with the notion of nurture versus nature. We now know that our choices can have a direct affect on our biology. This provides us a deeper insight on the development and progression of the human species especially in regards to various cultures. In my art below, I showed different environmental factors that can affect our epigenetics. I can refer to this diagram, in the future, to remind me to be aware of the choices I make and the long-term consequences that can come from them.

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One of the most interesting concepts, although it has been proven to be insufficient and false, is Phrenology. In the 1800s, a German physiologist named Franz Gall came up with a theory called phrenology that related skull anatomy to behavior (Kalat, pg. 96). According to Gall, bulges and depressions to one's skull corresponded to the brain areas below them. This theory has since been categorized as a pseudoscience, and one main problem was that the indentations of a skull had nothing to do with brain anatomy. One can have a protrusion on his/her skull and it did not equal to a certain trait of one's brain activity.

Below is the cover of The Roots' fifth album, "Phrenology". The group's lead vocalist Black Thought read that in the 19th century, the concept of skull and brain shapes was used to back up racist claims against African Americans. Although phrenology has been proven to be pseudoscience, it initiated the conversation that lead to the research of other principles and concepts like lateralization. The image below will allow me to remember what phrenology is because it's the cover of one of my favorite albums.

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Hello Ms. Sweetman and class,
For my art project, I chose to do a small yet concise handbook to help you remember what is a stroke, the signs of someone having a stroke, and what to do when it happens.
I chose to do this for my art project because as I was learning it in this class, reading the facts and hearing the lectures really helped me understand what a stroke actually is and how it happens. Before taking this class, I didn’t know there were two types of stroke, now I know that there are 2, ischemic and hemorrhage. Another one of the reasons why I chose to do my art project on this topic is because it really hit home. When I was little I was going to meet my great grandmother who was flying in from El Salvador. Sadly, it never happened. Once she landed, she had a stroke and was rushed to the hospital, soon she was pronounced dead. Learning about stroke warning signs along this course helped me understand what it could look like and what to do if someone was ever in that situation. I’m glad I now know this helpful information, and can now spread it with my handy dandy handbook!

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For my art project, I chose what interested me the most, Serotonin! Serotonin is something we all as humans need to help us feel better! Its a neurotransmitter, your body makes it and sends messages! On a easier note, its something you take  or do to make you feel good! Serotonin is a key to our happiness, it stabilizes our moods and feelings! Coffee, is an example of my serotonin! Caffeine, I need it, and it helps me start my day! Once I have my cup of Serotonin, I'm ready College students, love the daily dose of Dopamine with coffee, it helps us with assignments!