FLOATING IN THE FLOOD: Comparative Chordate Anatomy
FLOATING IN THE FLOOD: a guffaw and a-ha walk down memory lane.
We had a flood in our basement that caused the rapid evacuation of accumulated random life bits. As I sort and purge the flotsam, some items I will share. This could be considered evidence that I’m a packkat (Get it? Pack…Kat? Packkat? Not packet.)
Comparative Chordate Anatomy: This is a mid-term exam I endured during my final year of university earning a degree in Science. You know how they say that every 7 years all your cells are completely new and you’re a totally different person? I think it’s especially true in the brain sector! I know I passed this course and part of that process included answering 3 out of these 5 questions in less than an hour and 15 minutes. Right now I can’t even decipher what these questions are asking! A sure sign that this is indeed my exam paper, however, is that I was using a purple pen. I’m comforted to consider that not all things change so radically. And I can still tell you whether a fruit fly (Drosophila melanogaster) is female or male and if it’s female whether or not it’s a virgin. Not as popular a party trick as you’d think. I could also look at a cross-section of a cell and tell you what organ tissue it came from. That trick’s even less popular so I haven’t preserved the skill. I can still touch my tongue to my nose, though. I cultured that dexterity during—oh, I shant retell the procuring of that knack online lest my regenerated-amalgamation-of-cells self 7 years hence shuns me!
Please enjoy this mid-term exam, especially if you can answer 3 out of 5!
As always,
Kat Leonard, BSc.
www.KatLeonard.com

