Major
Biology
Anticipated Graduation Year
2024
Access Type
Open Access
Abstract
Inner Outer Beauty
Cynthia Nguyen
American
Class of 2024
Charcoal and watercolor on paper
“Inner Outer Beauty” shows us a different type of beauty than most people are used to. Knowing that muscles contract to allow us to move our body the way we want it to move is common knowledge but knowing the process that allows our muscles to contract is a different topic. This process starts at a microscopic level, starting with action potential. In motor neurons, action potential will trigger the release of calcium ions from the sarcoplasmic reticulum. These ions will bind onto troponin, which in turn will cause tropomyosin to move. This exposes binding sites for myosin heads, which will be important in later steps. Actin filaments and these myosin heads will then form something called a cross-bridge that is broken by ATP. Myosin heads will change directions and move around because of a process called ATP hydrolysis, and those myosin heads bind onto actin filaments and revert to their original state shortly after. The myosin heads changing directions will move actin filaments towards the sarcomere center. Actin sliding along the myosin shortens the sarcomere which is what allows for muscle contraction. This process that muscles go through represents the beauty of humans and our biology. Smiles, anger, and all our emotions start at this microscopic level, contracting of our muscles allows us to express what we feel and empathize with other people. The true beauty of biology is the processes that enable us to do things that make us human and so unique.
Charcoals were used to capture the details of outer beauty and depict a human face. They were also used to depict the muscles underneath the skin, or the inner beauty. Watercolor paint added vibrancy and color to the flower crown seen on the inner beauty half of the face to emphasize the unconventional beauty that most people will look past.
Creative Commons License
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Inner Outer Beauty
Inner Outer Beauty
Cynthia Nguyen
American
Class of 2024
Charcoal and watercolor on paper
“Inner Outer Beauty” shows us a different type of beauty than most people are used to. Knowing that muscles contract to allow us to move our body the way we want it to move is common knowledge but knowing the process that allows our muscles to contract is a different topic. This process starts at a microscopic level, starting with action potential. In motor neurons, action potential will trigger the release of calcium ions from the sarcoplasmic reticulum. These ions will bind onto troponin, which in turn will cause tropomyosin to move. This exposes binding sites for myosin heads, which will be important in later steps. Actin filaments and these myosin heads will then form something called a cross-bridge that is broken by ATP. Myosin heads will change directions and move around because of a process called ATP hydrolysis, and those myosin heads bind onto actin filaments and revert to their original state shortly after. The myosin heads changing directions will move actin filaments towards the sarcomere center. Actin sliding along the myosin shortens the sarcomere which is what allows for muscle contraction. This process that muscles go through represents the beauty of humans and our biology. Smiles, anger, and all our emotions start at this microscopic level, contracting of our muscles allows us to express what we feel and empathize with other people. The true beauty of biology is the processes that enable us to do things that make us human and so unique.
Charcoals were used to capture the details of outer beauty and depict a human face. They were also used to depict the muscles underneath the skin, or the inner beauty. Watercolor paint added vibrancy and color to the flower crown seen on the inner beauty half of the face to emphasize the unconventional beauty that most people will look past.