Mitosis & Meiosis

Meiosis is the process of cellular division necessary for sexual reproduction in eukaryotes. The number of sets of chromosomes in the cell undergoing meiosis is reduced to half the original number. The cells produced by meiosis are either gametes (the usual case in animals) or otherwise usually spores from which gametes are ultimately produced (the case in land plants).

Mitosis is the process of cellular division. The cycle starts when a cell has previously replicated each of its chromosomes, separates the chromosomes in its cell nucleus, into two identical sets of chromosomes, each set with its own nucleus. It is followed immediately by cytokinesis. 

 

Plant & Animal Cells

In class, we observed dog fleas and plant cells with a microscope. We also created our own slides and observed cheek cell samples taken from our fellow students.

Plant cells viewed from the perspective of a microscope

Cluster of cheek cells observed from perspective of microscope

flee observed from perspective of microscope

DiHybrid Cross

A dihybrid cross is a cross between two parents that breed true for different versions of two traits.

The Punnett Square allows you to be able to look at all the possibilities of traits in the offspring.

Compelling Escherichia Coli Bacteria to Glow (For Halloween)

(Sorry for the awkward spacing of the pictures Mr. Quick. I'm not really technologically competent/still cannot figure out how to use google docs)

Protein Synthesis

Holy Cow
We learned wayyyyy too much about protein synthesis Mr. Quick. My head's gonna explode.

DNA -> RNA = transcription

RNA -> PROTEIN = translation


RNA

• mRNA
• made from one strand of DNA in nucleus - > leaves through a pore to find RIBOSOME in cytoplasm
• rRNA
• part of ribosome
• tRNA
• attached to amino acid
• pairs with 3 letter codons on mRNA strand 
• code for an amino acid

PROTEIN

• made up of repeats of molecule called amino acid 

Parent's Day (16 Oct, 2013)

Before parent's day, we studied three articles about natural selection in humans physical appearance wise. On parent's day, our parents observed pairs of faces with us and marked which face we consider the more attractive out of the pair. The type of face a person is attracted to (masculine or feminine) determines what type of person he or she wants to be around him or her (dominant, competitive, etc).

Shells (1 Oct, 2013)

We observed a variety of tiny shells collected from the same area. We were tasked to differentiate the shells into groups by characteristics we noticed. Lucy and I first divided the shells into cone shaped and clam shaped. Then we divided them according to the patterning.

Mr. Quick prompted us to look closer at the shells. We noticed that most of the shells had small holes in them. These holes indicate the cause of death to the organisms that once lived inside the shell. Each organism was attacked by a predator who used its tongue to drill through the shell to eat the organism inside the shell.

Since shells of  all variations of shell shape, size, and characteristics were attacked, this shows that evolution did not come into play. The variation of the shells was merely mutation.

Does Race Exist? (Prompt 1) (Sorry Mr. Quick, the margins are really off)

Does Race Exist?

The Does Race Exist? article highlights that people emphasize on aesthetics to define race while scientists emphasize on genetic structure.  Race is widely categorized by physical features and characteristics. Scientists categorize race by using genetics. For instance, two people of the same race may have completely contradicting genetic makeup, but two people of the completely opposite race may share more genetic similarity than two individuals of the same race. The outward signs of which race are based on are only dictated by a handful of genes. Scientists can use genetics to sort populations and trace their ancestral geographic origin.

Scientists can sequence human genome to identify polymorphisms across population that reflects the history of those populations and the effects of natural selection. The ideal genetic polymorphism would be present in all members of one group and absent in all members of another group. Nowadays, major racial groups have mixed together too much for these polymorphism differences to exist. However, since polymorphisms occur at different frequencies around the world, people can be roughly sorted into groups. If two people have the same of a certain polymorphism sequence, they are descendants from a common ancestor. By comparing polymorphism sequences, scientists can see how closely related or how far apart a group (particularly a race) is related to each other. 

Survival of the Sickest

Favism

• GGPD deficiency
• Ingest fava beans -> breaks down red blood cells
• XX chromosome (women) are more likely to survive

Free Radicals from sugars

• robbers which are deficient in energy
• unpaired electrons
• destroy
• snatch energy

Hydrogen peroxide

• produced by vicine & covince

Men (prevention from malaria)

• sickle cell anemia
• hairy (can detect mosquito)
• GGPD mutation

Casava

• cynide (kills you)

Nightshade

• capsasen (irritating neurons: pain signal in mouth)

Jimson weed

• hallucinogen

Supertaster

• Can detect poison (bitter) 

Quiz

1. The fossil records as well as the features of each organism provides evidence for evolution from the Mesoychid (55mya) to the Ambulocctus (52mya) to the Rodhocetus(46mya) and eventually to the Basilosaurus(42mya). Each organism shows different transitional features from one era to the next. In this case the organism went from being a land animal to aquatic animal. The physical features clearly show the homology (4 limbs: 1 bone, 2 bone, a lot of blobs. & tail) in each stage of evolution.

2. E) NORTH AMERICA

3. The dragonfly, the bird, and the bat all have the ability to fly. The structure for of the limbs for the bird and the bat are homologous, proving both to have evolved from a common ancestor. The dragonfly does not share this homologous structure, proving it descended from a different ancestral lineage. All three organisms are lightweight and are able to take flight.

4. By comparing the similarities and differences between the genetic code of different organisms, we were able to examine how closely related each organism was to one another. Comparing the amino acids, we were able to decipher the evolutionary similarities and concluding that many organisms may have evolved from the same ancestor.

5. Homology is a similar structure with a similar purpose (such as the limb). Homology can be used to trace evolution. Dr. Shubin proved the Tiktaalik was the missing link between aquatic and terrestrial beings. He was able to to look at the homology of the Tiktaalik and compare it to land and aquatic animals.

Your Inner Fish

The Tiktaalik was a crucial discovery to the theory of how water animals evolved into land animals. It is the transitional phase/intermediate for when water animals slowly evolved to become land animals. The Tiktaalik had features that would help it survive in both land and water.
Land features: limbs that allowed it to do push ups, eyes on the top of the head instead of the side, flat head instead of vertical head of fsih.
Water features: scales, fins

Homology: similar bone structure for similar functions. For example: 1 bone, 2 bones, a lot of blobs. <---this structure is the base (for the limb) throughout many different animals as they evolved.

Conditions best suited to find fossils:
-deserts
-sedimentary rocks
-correct exposure to the surface

Jarell's Ipod was Stolen by Jose

To find out who stole Jarell's iPod, we did a series of tests on different samples of foods taken from the scene of the crime and tested it to see if it matched up with any of Jarell's co-worker's lunches. We tested each food for glucose, starch, protein, and lipid. Turns out Jose's food samples matched the ones take from dry & liquid part of Jarell's evidence.

lipid test

using benedict to look for traces of glucose

lipid test: positive

biuret test for protein. lavender is positive

iodine test for starch. black is positive

Isomers

Some stuff :p

HI MR. QUICK !

Hydroxyl
             -OH (alcohols)
             Polar (electronegative O)
             Attracts water & dissolve organic compounds
Carbonyl
             C & O
Amino
             N & H
Sulfhydryl
             S & H
Phosphate
            O & P

Macromolecules

Macromolecules
-------------------


Condensation Reaction
   monomers join to make polymer
   -OH & -H join to make water

Depolymerization
   water molecules react with polymer to release monomer
   H2O split into -OH & -H

Dehydration: Water leaves
Hydrolysis: Water comes

Disaccharides
   Sucrose: Plants make by joining glucose & fructose. Fuel
   Lactose: Diary. Broken down into glucose & galactose
   Maltose: Beer. Broken down from starch (malthing). Yeast can break it down into glucose

Polysaccharides
   Storage
      Plants - Starch: found in choloroplast. compact grains w/energy. where plants make sugar by         photosynthesis
      Anmals - Glycogen: cells between other cell parts. compact grains w/energy.
   Structural
      Plant - Cellulose: cell wall. stiffens wall.
      Animal - chitin

Lipids: Energy storing. 2x as much storage as carb
Saturated Fats: solid. no double bonds
               

House Case #1

We learned how to analyze medical cases which was very interesting. :).

House Case #1:

Symptons: vomit, headache, confusion
Allergies: UNKNOWN
Medicine Taken: N/A
Past History of Similar Events: N/A
Last Meal: Lunch. 3 gallons of water
Events Leading Up: cross country practice

18 year old male
cross country runner

My Guess/Diagnosis:
dehydration
heat stroke
exhaustion
migraine
over hydration
heat exhaustion
sleep deprivation

I did not realize how complex the procedures are for doctors to make a diagnosis. Many symptoms point to a wide variety of different diagnoses. A doctor must be careful, observant, and attentive in order to pin point the problem and give the most efficient tests.

Cube Lab & Glucose Lab

Sodium goes pink :) & Glucose goes wa-bam!

Strip turns brown when glucose is detected 

diffusion and cell size

glucose diffused into cell

before the action

Part 4: Vitamin Water = HYPERTONIC ACTION YO

HYPERTONIC ACTION YO!
     The water concentration is greater on the inside of the vitamin water cell, while the color solution concentration is higer on the outside. The cell is hypertonic and the color solution is hypotonic. The vitamin water diffuses out of the cell.

preparing vitamin water cells :)

after the cells have been sitting in the colored solutions. they're all crinkly now

Lucy :)

Part 2 & Part 4 of diffusion & osmosis lab

Yay! so pretty :)

Diffusion and Osmosis Labs

Diffusion
     -Molecules from higher concentration to lower concentration
     -Movement by molecular motion
     -Trying to get equality
Osmosis
     -A type of diffusion
     -Transport of water
     -Selectively allows passage of certain types of molecules while restricting movement of other.

Part 2:
     Lucy and I created 6 "cells" from dialysis tubing, filled them with color solution of different molars, and let them sit in distilled water in order to test the movement of water from a higher concentration to lower concentration.
     We were able to observe osmosis through the percent of change of the mass of each cell.

 

H2O

Water

Water is continuously recycled on Earth. In the water cycle, water evaporates/escapes from the Earth's surface, forms clouds, and fall back to the surface as precipitation

Water is:
    tasteless
    odorless
    transparent
         -sunlight can pass through -> life is able to be sustained in water
   
Water molecules:
    consists of 1 atom of oxygen & 2 of hydrogen (H2O)
    polar
         -Nucleus of oxygen atom attracts electrons much more strongly than the hydrogen nuclei. This              creates a negative electrical charge near the oxygen atom and a positive electrical charge near the            hydrogen atoms.
    can form hydrogen bonds
        -cohesion: ability of water molecules to be able to bond with each other
        -adhesion: ability of water molecules to attach to a surface

Properties that facilitate an environment for life
         -cohesive behavior
         -ability to moderate temperature
         -expansion upon freezing
         -versatility as a solvent

Ice
    lower density than water
         -expands upon freezing
         -floats in water
         -hydrogen bonds line up less efficiently in ice than liquid water
       
Solutions
    effective solvent because it readily forms hydrogen bonds
   
Acids and Bases
     water is the solvent in solution called acids and bases
     solution has higher concentration of hydronium and lower pH than pure water = acid
     solution has lower concentration of hydronium ions and higher pH than pure water = base
     acid turns blue litmus paper red
     base = hydrogen ion acceptor
            accepts hydrogen ions from hydronium ions
     base turns red litmus paper blue
     acid - sour. stings/burns to touch
     base - bitter. slimy to touch. may also burn skin.

Pure water
    neutral
    dissociation of pure water into ions = 2H2O -> H30+    +   OH-
    hydronium ion and hydroxide ion

Liquid water
     hydrogen bonds constantly break & reform

Water
     essential part of most metabolic processes within organism.
     anabolic reaction  -  build up of molecules
     catabolic reaction   -  break down of molecule

Dish Soap Makes Colors Go Cray Cray Like Fireworks On The Fourth Of July

The first experiment our class conducted in A Block Honors Biology was with milk, food coloring, and dish soap. Lucy Huang and I developed a hypothesis based on the Dancing Milk video. We both noticed that at home, after washing the dishes without gloves on, our hands would feel slimy or burn and become dry. We decided that the cause for the swirling food coloring in the milk after dish soap was added, was because the degreaser in dish soap broke down the fat in milk. The digesting action of the degreaser can be visually seen with the aid of food coloring. 

Procedures for the experiment:

1. Grab two petri dishes. Fill one of them with whole milk, and the other with 2% milk.
2. Put a few drops of food coloring in each dish. 
3. Take two toothpicks and dab them in the same kind of dish soap. 
4. Take each tooth pick and poke the center of the milk filled petri dish with the end that is coated  in dish soap.
5. Watch the colors dance.

We repeated the experiment three times to be sure that our results were consistent each time. Lucy and I concluded that our hypothesis was correct. The food coloring in the 2% milk mixed faster and more thoroughly than the food coloring in the whole milk. 2% milk contains less fat than whole milk, therefore, dish soap would be able to break down the fat in the 2% milk faster, causing the food coloring to mix faster. Also, since the 2% milk is less dense than whole milk due to less concentration of fat, the surface tension in the 2% milk allows the food coloring to flow more freely. 

In the following three pictures, whole milk is the dish on the left and 2% milk is the dish on the right.

First 

Second

Third

results :)

Lights. Camera. Action.