Last Blog

What was your favorite topic this semester? Why?
What was your least favorite?
What would you change about this class if you could?
What do you feel is your biggest accomplishment in biology this year?


My favorite topic was when we were learning about evolution but also when we were learning the different systems. It was something I knew a bit of because of anatomy and physiology. I thought that was interesting because the functions and processes inside the body is what really takes my interest. 

My least favorite topic was biochem. chemistry really isn't a strong point. So it did not really click in my mind. 


I would say to do a hands on dissection along with the students or to do a demonstration first so that the students have a general sense as to how to cut. However the process of learning was significant too. The online labs were a little hard to handle sometimes, but it would be nice for deadlines to be set for notebook just so that the process of procrastination does not reach its full extent.


My biggest accomplishment was dissections. It was interesting to connect and see how the actual subject compares to the diagrams. The size of each part was interesting to know as well.

Starfish

Starfishes are known as echinoderms. It is a spiny skinned marine animal. They have a central point along with 5 or more arms. It is an echinoderm mainly because they do not have backbones. They have hard plates as spines as well. Echinoderms have tiny systems inside of their bodies much like these star fishes. They have tubefeet with suction pads. They evolve from animals with bilateral symmetry. They have mesodermal skeletons. the Larvae are ciliated. Their left side of the body tends to grow pentaradically symmetric fashion. It has an, " ambulacral" system in which fluid filled canals function.
Asteroidea is the class of echinoderms that starfish belong to. It has characteristics such as regeneration and mussel feedings. Crinoids area  type of marine animal echinoderms which live in shallow water. They have a mouth on their surface along with many arms, which is a common characteristic amongst echinoderms. They have a U shaped gut and contain a five fold symmetry.

http://www.mbgnet.net/salt/animals/echinod.htm

kidney function

http://www.engin.umich.edu/~cre/web_mod/viper/kidney_function.htm

http://www.medicinenet.com/kidney_failure/article.htm

invertebrates

Arachnids:
- joint legged animals
- 8 legs
- two further pairs of appendages: adapted for feeding, defense, and sensory perception
- (pedipalps)
- (chelicerae)
- no antennae
- no wings
- two party body tamata : prosoma and opisthosoma
- carnivorous

Insects:
 - 6 legs
- three part body: head thorax abdomen
- three pairs of jointed legs
- compound eyes
- two pairs of antennae
- hatches from eggs
- 800,00 different types
wings located on thorax

Annelids:
- phyla of segmented worms
- multiple segments
- blood circulation within blood vessels
- can produce asexually
-9000 known species.
- soft bodied

http://www.ucmp.berkeley.edu/annelida/annelida.html
http://www.enchantedlearning.com/subjects/insects/printouts.shtml
http://www.everythingabout.net/articles/biology/animals/arthropods/arachnids/

AP BIO REVIEW

The test content was unexpected for some topics. Definitely believe that it would be best to go more in depth in topics of genetics as well as more review of ecology since it is a topic covered at the very beginning of the year. the biochemical portion should be gone over again just so that it would be easier to deal with. animal function and structure was definitely an interesting topic but maybe the functions or the processes could be gone over more thoroughly in terms of creating short cut ways to remember them.

species blog 10

The chapter starts off with the previous belief that, "until 1955, it was agreed that human beings had twenty- four pairs of chromosomes." (24) A group of scientists had even abandoned their experiments because of their findings of only twenty three chromosomes found in each cell. However it was in 1955, when this claim was disputed and many researchers so much as went back and had found 23 chromosomes in previously published photographs rather than the believed to be 24. In apes 24 chromosomes are found in each cell while 23 are found on the human cells. It also addresses the theory of evolution on humans and acknowledges that humans and apes are 98% alike. Evolution is believed to trend based off of natural selection. This fact occurring in that species tend to optimize the most out of their natural environment. The chapter also addresses monogamy and its role in helping the shape the new genration as such hunting and gathering tactics as well as emergence of, "sexual division of labor. " Species behavioral differences occur in the genese which do separate us from ape although we are are 98% alike. It is chromosome 2 that we are found to be most related in which religions believe that it is where the human soul is found to be the closest.

Disease Blog 9

The chapter talks about how blood variations maybe play a part in the variations of mutations. Chromsome 9 determines various blood types. Blood grouping is considered to be, " the friend of the innocent." (136) The chapter talks about the ABO system which was first discovered in the 1900s. "A and B are 'co-dominant' versions of the same gene, O being 'the recessive' form of it" (137) The chapter also mentions malaria in which type O blood types are much more resistant than other blood types. They are also less likely to develop different variations of cancer. This is because its survival instinct had gone up enough to keep it from disappearing. The issue of disease and mutations linkage is also mentioned with the example of sickle cell anemia occurring in Africa. The frequency of this disease is believed to be in relation to malaria. In the sickle cell mutation, it is recalled that, "blood cells collapse in the absence of oxygen, [and] is frequently fatal to those with two copies of it." (141) Resistants to malaria is with those who have one copy.

Death Blog 8

"The brain is born with far too many connections between cells; many are lost as it develops." ( 231). This chapter mainly focuses on the topic of cancer and of how cells tend to replicate. One such case is with the mouse which have CED - 9. The genes fail to develop and the cells not needed, " commit mass suicide." (232) Cancer develops as a result in which cells tend to reproduce and reproduce again in which it results in, "dividing for a whole generation." ( 233) When the cell cannot be stopped in reproducing it self, it becomes cancer. It is believed to be an, "excessive growth of tissue" as well as , " a collection of diverse disorders induced by a multiplicity of causes." (233)It also comments on the importance of catching cancer early in that it may aid in the prevention of more reproducing cells which would result in  mutation development. With this mutation accumulation, the diseases worsen with time. Later on the chapter begins to mention information regarding TP53.

Memory Blog 7

Chromosome 16 is considered to be "genes that allow learning and memory". This chapter talks about how genomes extract, "useful information from the world by natural selection and embodies that information in it's design." ( 220). It talks about how the brain is the one to help with the body such as with supplies or in the realization of danger. The author brings up the issue of knowledge versus instinct. In that instinct is by genetics whereas knowledge must be acquired through experience. He suggests, " learning gradually gives way to instinct," in that in order to learn something we use instinct to make it easier to modify that knowledge into experience. Later he moves on to explore the topic of learning versus heritability. Eric Kandel, preformed a series of experiments in which to answer the question of what makes learning possible. He wanted to learn the mechanisms in which learning occurs and involved his focus on synapses between neurons. His experiments resulted in the discovery of cylic AMP in which its high activity in brain regions.

SEX blog 6

The chapter starts off talking about a five year old girl with  Prader- WIlli syndrome. She shows symptoms such as being extremely obese with tiny hands and feet. It is a rare inherited disease in which children are born floppy and pale skinned. They refuse to feed off their mother's breast but later they eat as much as they can. People with this condition, tend to have small hands and feet as well as underdeveloped sex organs. They also suffer a case of being, "mildly mentally retarded."
They also mention another syndrome, Angelman's. It is when they are, " thin, hyperactive,insomniac, small headed, long jawed, and often stick their tongues out." In men, the inherited disease is carried out as Prader- Willi whereas in Women it is Angelman's.
It later moves on to point out that the gene also remember's history of its origin from the paternal and maternal instinct. In cell's where the gene is active, it often switches off between imprinted versions of the gene.

Self Interest Blog 5

The chapter starts with the statement, " genes [are] far more complicated than it needs to be." It also says that chromosome 8 is the relatively neglected and least mapped chromosome. "Reverse transcriptase is a gene that serves no purpose at all "in that if it were removed from a human at the point of conception, it is more likely that it will not be damaged but will benefit. It also brings the idea that people are made up of viruses in which, " viral genome drop .. the virus's genes and keep just the reverse transcriptase gene." In that the reverse transcriptase is responsible for the replication of many genes, which then causes mutations in proper genes. Methlyation is the process that helps to freeze these mutations but is the first in the development of cancer. It also talks about DNA finger printing which has helped in the field of forensic science as well as others such as paternity.

Environment Blog 4

 The chapter of Chromosome 4 mentions pleiotropy and pluralism. It talks about how single genes do not affect a person's look but rather by other factors.The author comments on how the world is not as simple as one might think but is affected by many different factors such as fashion or nongenetic. A problem mentioned in the chapter involves "asthma," which has a direct involvement with allergies. The chapter talks about pollution and its affect on asthma and allergy. There is a theory that those whom stay away from germs and bacteria as a child are more likely to develop asthmatic systems. It is because another theory states that the bacteria found in dirt is found to trigger a part of the immune system. It also mentions why Asthma is believed to be a genetic disease in that histamines trigger the constriction of air ways which are released by mast cells.

Instinct Genome Blog 3

Many people associate "instinct" with animals. It is because in chromosome 7 there is a gene that determines a person's automatic response in any given situation. Animals live upon these instincts to survive whereas humans improvise. The chapter also mentions how many languages have underlying similarities. Those similarities is what helps to create a universal language. However this realization brings up a great fact in which humans have many skills already acquired but do not act on it because they simply do not know that it has been there. According to chapter 6, the chromosome has been affected. Due to two genetic occurrences, it had seemed that instinct is not an acquired behavior.

Intelligence Genome blog 2

The purpose of the Intelligence chapter is to note that environmental stimulus is important in the ability for intelligence genes to work. Scientist Robert Plommin preformed an experiment on a group of children in which they found IGF2R laying in the middle of the gene. Another experiment was preformed in which Thomas Bouchard, "collected pairs separated twins," and reunited them. In his experiment, he tested their personalities and discovered a connection between heritability, intelligence, and personality. In his studies, he also found that, "being in the same family has no discernible effect on IQ at all." He also concludes to reasoning  that Twins are highly and similarly intelligent because of the womb in which they shared together. Chapter 6 calls upon the Nature and Nurture concept in which events occurring in the womb are the effect of many results when outside of the womb.