Hello my little blog-weeds. I say that in a loving way, like weed from Bill and Ben, not in a "stop hanging around stealing all my soil nutrients" way. Stay and have fun!

Yesterday (Saturday) was my first exam - Biology of Disease (Pathology if you're not a pretentious Cambridge type). We did papers I and III, an hour of MCQs (275 True/false in an hour. phew!) and two hours of essays. As per last year, I'm gonna list the essays I did just so I can look back on it next year and think "what was I thinking of!", or possibly, "how clever I was to write a whole essay on atherosclerosis - now I'm a vet and don't need to know about because it doesn't affect animals I can't remember anything!".

1. What are oncogenes and tumour suppressor genes? How can changes in genes or their expression result in cancer?
2. Briefly review the cellular mechanisms involved in the development of an athersclerotic plaque. What other pathological processes can result from this?
3. Outline host defences to bacterial pathogens and discuss, with examples, how bacterial pathogens overcome them.
   

Tomorrow is CVB (Comparative Vertebrate Biology), which is pleasantly vetty, but involves me remembering lots about how frogs breathe... ooer!

In other news, it was my 20th irthday a few days ago (23rd) - didn't do too much, took that day almost all off and went into town with Alex for lunch and a spot of shopping. She got a lovely dress and I got myself some new trousers. I had loads of people round to my room for food and cake on the evening of the 24th which was fabtastic - Dave bought me a table-air-hockey thingie, which proved very popular!

See ya,
Tom
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