Blog #12

Look up Gregor Mendel and his pea plant experiments. Why does P1 look all alike and F1 looks very different?

P1 are the parents and F1 are the offspring of the parents. P1 is the "parental generation" and F1 all looked different because they represented only the dominant trait. The F1 offspring showed only one of the 2 parental traits. For example, in one of his experiments he crossed a homozygous tall plant with a homozygous short plant(P1) and the offspring(F1) were all tall plants, because "tall" was the dominant trait. The short plants all "skipped" the F1 generation and the recessive traits showed up in the F2 generation when a dominant trait was not present. Because of that, he ended up with a variety of different offspring.

 

Blog #11

Blog 11 In the movie Gattaca parents were allowed to pick the traits of their babies, should we be able to do this? Why or why not?



I don't think parents should be able to do this, because it's like making an artificial baby. I believe that no one should be created perfect; parents should allow their child to come out how they should be instead of trying to "fix them." Parents should be allowed to change traits such as genetic diseases and other things harmful to the baby's health, but should not be allowed to choose traits that will benefit their looks or personality. I think parents should be happy with the way their child is instead of wanting the opportunity to make them the "perfect" son or daughter. The parents should accept their child no matter what.

Bio Blog #10

Blog #10 Post a recipe for something made with fermentation.
Explain how fermentation helps make the food.


Homemade Sauerkraut Recipe:
Time Frame: 1 to 4 weeks
Necessary Equipment: Ceramic crock that holds one gallon or more, plate able to fit inside it,one gallon jug of water, cloth cover.
ingredients: 5 pounds of cabbage, 3 tablespoons of sea salt.


Process:
1) Chop or grate cabbage and place pieces in large bowl.
2) Sprinkle salt on the cabbage as you go, to pull the water out of the cabbage.
3) (optional) Add other vegetables, fruit, herbs or spices.
4) Mix the ingredients together and pack it into the crock bit by bit. Tamp it down to pack the kraut tight in the crock and helps force the water out of the cabbage.
5) Cover the kraut with a plate or lid and place a clean weight over it (the jug of water) and cover the entire thing with a cloth.
6) Press down on the weight periodically (every few hours) until the brine rises above the cover.
7) Leave the crock to ferment in a cool place.
8) Check it every day or two, test it when you think its ready to eat!


How does fermentation help the food?
Fermentation breaks down the foods to make it easier to digest and the nutrients easier to assimilate. Fermentation also retains the nutrients that are usually destroyed through food processing and heat. After fermentation, the nutritional value of the food goes up. The fermentation process also helps preserve the food, and is generally an important part of the process.


Info from: http://www.treelight.com/health/nutrition/Fermentation.html
and http://www.wildfermentation.com/resources.php?page=sauerkraut

Bio Blog #9

How far should the government go in isolating people with an infectious diseases? Should the army be involved?

I believe that the government should isolate people with highly infectious diseases, but not go as far as killing them all like in the movie "Outbreak" based on the book "The Hot Zone." The government should be prepared and careful in making sure that no other citizens catch the disease, especially f it is a dangerous one. They should take steps and do everything neatly and specifically to avoid danger. I think the army should only be involved if it is a case of extreme lethality to provide their service and more help to the government. They should work hard to find a cure and not be lazy and careless in helping to cure the disease and prevent it from spreading.

Bio safety level 4...ooooh scary! Just in time for halloween......Blog #8!

Blog #8 Describe in as much detail as you can the procedures and protections for enetering a hot zone bio containment facility.


Many precautions must be taken before entering a 'hot zone' (biosafety level 4) bio containment facility. This is because Bio safety level 4 is required to work with extremely dangerous infections and diseases, which have absolutely NO cure. 


Firstly, when dealing with hazardous materials a 'Hazmat' suit (HAZardous MATerials) and a self-contained oxygen supply is mandatory. Both the entrance and exit of this lab will contain many showers and both a vacuum and ultraviolet light room, which was created to destroy any traces of the hazardous materials or substances. Also, airlocks are carefully secured to make sure that both doors will not open simultaneously. On top of that, both air and water service going to and coming from a Level 4 lab go through a decontamination process to prevent an accidental release of the biological hazards. As you can see, level 4 must be handled with caution!


Secondly, the whole staff MUST be aware of how to handle hazardous and infectious agents, and are trained thoroughly in order to prepare for work around the substances. Basically, they know everything about the equipment, practices and the lab design. They are also carefully supervised by experienced professionals just in case anything were to go wrong. Furthermore, the whole lab is run by a director, who is aware of everything going on.


The facility is isolated and confined to avoid mistakes that can lead to other areas of the building. Positive pressure personnel suits are also ventilated by a life support system and are provided to staff.


Specific procedures are provided and building protocols usually use negative pressurized facilities to prevent contamination. Those facilities will contain an outbreak of pathogens, when needed.


Info from: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Biosafety_level#Biosafety_level_4

Lyk..this blog is jus rite for mee..I HAT3 TYPING LYK DIS. -_- ...Blog #7! ;D

Blog #7 Go to CYOA look at the example of an IM message Write an IM and its translation about a contagious disease.

I.M.:
Heyyyy.
Anywayyyss i am lyk soo miserable. I cot the chick pox! I was visitin myy frend wit it but i thot id be ok after i dint get it for a fw days. but then i found out ppl r infectious 1 to 5 days b4 the rash appears. and it take 10 to 21 days afta contact to get it. and LEMME tell you, the rash is lyk reeelly reely gross. D: i shoulda never went over since the pox infect some1 if they breath in da same air after the person lyk sneezes or cofs. :(So gross rite!?!? Anyyyway, im lyin in bed rite now, with little red dots all ova my body.:( on da brite side tho, at least im not an adult yet, cuz chicken pox is even worse wen u old.:D And the dots even darker and uglier in adults! ewwww. and da scars are more prominent 2. I don't wana be seen like dis! well at least i dont think i gota worry bout that, since isolation is the best way. dont want any1 else gettin infected 2 u no...anyway it prob take about a wk until its all clear! Then u can come c me!
ttyl! :D

Translation:
Hey.
Anyway, I am so miserable. I caught the chicken pox! I was visiting my friend who had it, but I thought I would be okay after I didn't get it for a few days! But then I found out that people are infectious 1 to 5 days before the rash appears, and it takes 10 to 21 days after contact to get it. And, let me tell you, the rash is really gross. I should have never visited my friend! Apparently, the a person can get infected if they breathe in the same air after the person sneezes or coughs.:( Isn't that gross? D: Anyway, I'm lying in bed right now, with little red dots all over my body. :( On the bright side though, at least I'm not an adult yet, because chicken pox is even more severe when you get old. :D And the dots are darker and the scars are more prominent too! I don't want to be seen like this! Well, at least I don't think I have to worry about that, since isolation is the best way to prevent anyone else from getting infected too. Anyway, it will probably take about a week until I'm not contagious anymore! Then you can come and visit. :)
Talk to you later! :D

info from: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chickenpox

THIS WAS SO HARD. I never type that horrible. :(

Marburg Virus kills an average of "only" one in two infected. How reassuring. (Bio Blog #6)

Blog #6 Go to Soar Higher click on Biology and then CYOA find a poetry form you like Write a poem about Marburg (the disease that killed Monet in Hot Zone) in your blog. Add a picture for extra points.

Cinquain Poem:

Marburg

Fatal, unbelievable

Aching, bleeding, dying

Destroying, attacking, overtaking, contaminating

Disease

Helpful Bacteria? Harmful Bacteria? (Bio Blog #5)

Although most people think of bad things once they hear the word 'bacteria,' not all bacteria is actually harmful to the body. One good bacteria for the human body is gut microflora. They are in the intestines and are also known as 'helpful bacteria.' After scientists studied the helpful bacteria in our gut, it led to the development of probiotics, which is a substance that encourages growth of the beneficial bacteria in our gut. Bifidobacteria and Lactobacilli are the 2 most common species of bacteria used as a probiotics. It is helpful to us because it can prevent many diseases and sicknesses such as different infections and Chron's Disease. Furthermore, it helps lower blood pressure and cholesterol. It may even relieve allergies! Info from:    http://www.buzzle.com/articles/beneficial-bacteria.html    and   http://biomedme.com/biomed-articles/gut-microflora-probiotics-and-gastrointestinal-health_3769.html   

Bad bacteria of course, also exists. It is known as pathogenic bacteria and it can be so harmful that it can cause death. 'Pathogenic' means 'disease carrying' which, as you can tell, is NOT good. They are usually called germs and there are 3 different categories of germs called coccus, bacillus, and spirillium. Coccus produces pus and boils on the skin which can lead to infections of a wound. Bacilli causes much more horrible diseases, the most common being tuberculosis and influenza. Lastly, spirilla causes diseases also such as syphilis, a sexually transmitted disease that can produce skin ulcers, weakness and skeletal damage. Info from: http://www.wisegeek.com/what-are-harmful-bacteria.htm 

I'm going to take that cigarette and stomp on it. (Bio Blog #4)

Blog #4 go to one of the following:
     NPR science
    Science News
    BBC Science
Read an article of your choice. Summarize it 5-8 sentences
Explain why you think it is important and put a link to the article

This is the article I chose:http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/07/100713165057.htm?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed:+sciencedaily+(ScienceDaily:+Latest+Science+News)

This article was all about smoking and how it effects gene function. The Southwest Foundation of Biomedical Research launched a study and found that all those exposed to cigarette smoke had changes in the structures and functions of their cells. Smoking also had a horrible influence on the immune system and those changes in cells even appeared to have many processes involved with cancer, cell death and metabolism. There was an increased risk of different types of cancers throughout the body and also increases in human diseases. Based on this article, I'm sure it is safe to say that smoking will make you live a shorter life. I chose to write about this article, because I think there are way to many smokers in this world who smoke out of habit and are not really addicted. On top of that, I greatly dislike the smell of smoke and the negative effects on the human body are extremely horrible. I don't understand why people MUST have cigarettes, and how they could possibly avoid the fact that smoking can kill.

"...not only individual genes but entire networks of gene interaction are influenced by cigarette smoking."


In my opinion, I think all smokers should really open their eyes and see how smoking effects their bodies and how secondhand smoke effects everyone around them. They are inconsiderate. Think of all the non smokers who have to breathe it in every day; how do you think they feel about the fact that cigarette smoke effects them as much as it effects the smokers? They should genuinely try their hardest to quite. I know willpower is a large factor in quitting for many smokers, but I think that if they tried hard enough, they could quite smoking, help the world, and ultimately help themselves.


  

Blog #3

Are non-carbon based life forms possible? Why or why not? Give at least 2 reason to support your answer.

I don't believe non carbon based life forms are possible because carbon has certain characteristics that no other elements have, such as 4 valence electrons, which allows it to bond with other elements such as oxygen, nitrogen and hydrogen. Also, proteins, nucleic acids, carbohydrates, and fats are all carbon based molecules that are necessary in life. On top of that, carbon is the only element that can form long chains and rings that are the base for organic compounds, which after a certain level can replicate by itself, unlike all other elements. Many people (scientists) believe that if there will ever be life somewhere besides earth, it will be carbon based. Silicon has been considered to be the next element that could possibly support life, but it still lacks many characteristics that are needed for life processes.

And (in MY opinion) if there are ever non carbon based life forms somewhere it will be a VERY VERY long time from now. (Do aliens exist? Possibly, but we might never know...)


info from:
-http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carbon-based_life
-http://imagine.gsfc.nasa.gov/docs/ask_astro/answers/980221b.html

Bio Blog #2

I think the U.S, should switch to the metric system because:
-It will be less confusing if it followed the system of measurement everyone else uses.
-it can avoid problems like the one NASA had, where their rocket failed because scientists were not using the same measurement for the parts.
-there will be less measurement mistakes.
-it has been a topic of discussion for many years and I think it would benefit the U.S. if they switched to the metric system (because of the reasons listed above).

My goals for 2010-2011 school year::
-Get straight A's
-Make some new friends
-Meet lots of new people
-Join lots of clubs/activities
-Learn new things
-Find things I'm interested in
-Have fun :)