Afew links of interest

Class,

Newsweek has a double feature for us.
 First, please read the article "can we blame extreme weather on climate change?"  It nicely explains a computer model that indicates our actions are causing problems.

Second, I'm a little more red-faced about this one.  Perhaps the As-nucleotide press conference was jumping the gun (and my test question).  Check out these criticisms.

quiz question

Here's the question from the quiz.  Choose either #1 or #2

1. Explain how a N atom in one of your stomach enzymes got there from starting as an air molecule (N2)
2. Explain how a C atom in one of your stomach enzymes got there from starting as an air molecule (CO2)

Population pyramids

Find a country example of each and describe the implications of each pattern.

Here's an amazing site from the US census.  This shows population pyramids by country (and projected populations).  Your assignment is to find four different patterns:
1.  expansive:  These pyramids have large bases and sharp points
2.  Constrictive:  Pyramids with smaller levels and larger size levels on top of them
3. Stationary:  Nearly rectangular (all levels except the top few are the same size)
4.  Asymetrical:   Too many or too few of one gender at various stages.

social network

Glass half full : You can influence people you've never met for the better.  Simply live your life well and watch people all around your community have better lives.

Glass half empty:  Other people are controlling you!

Either way:  check this TED talk out!

Neanderthal Human hybrids ? ? ?

Whatever did happen to the neanderthals, by the way.  Here's one possibility.

Walking with Cavemen

Class, here's a link to the website for walking with cavemen.  It is an excellent review of the homonid forms we need to know.

By the way, please do page 157-158 in the orange funbook for Tuesday.  Have a nice weekend.

Evolution assessment statements

Olivia Copelan found a great resource for us.  This link takes you to a class page that has extensive notes for the D assessment statements. I have not read over these all myself, but the ones I look at are pretty extensive and good!  Thanks Olivia.

One of our favorite people.

domesticated germs

Here's the link for the TED talk about germ domestication.

Carbon 14 background

Hey gang,

Here's a good site for a review of carbon dating.  Please read the first two pages on intro and how C-14 is made.  We will go over half life info tomorrow.

Class,
Today's homework is to please read the panelists' statements RE antibitic resistance at the evolution website.  See you tomorrow.

Evolutionary arms race

Hello class.  I hope you enjoyed the video.  Please be able to explain the following evolutionary relationships:

poisonous newts in oregon and ________

russian prisoners and TB (tuberculossi) 

Humans and the more mild form of cholera

Humans and HIV , big cats and FIV

Leafcutter ants and __________

the waxy body coating of leafcutter ants and ant diseases 

Humans and large animals (stable animals)  --as an aside, this is part of the reason I decided to get a family dog.

Natural selection game

Class,

Give this game a try.  Note how there are always events that happen over time for which evolution cannot prepare a population.  Good luck (it took me three tries before I got it).

Hardy WEinberg fun

Hello class,

Here's a neat calculator for HW equil.  You can just plug in the numbers you know and it will do the rest.

Book list

Class,
Here's a great list of cool science books custom made for the beach.  These are all pretty cool reads.  I hope you have enough time to check at least one of them out: (PLEASE NOTE:  THESE ARE NOT AN ASSIGNMENT.  THEY ARE JUST COOL!)

1.Omnivore’s dilemma by Michael Pollan

-this book really lets you explore your relationship with food.  How we’re putting it on the table now and how we used to do it.  (and why we need to re-examine this)

In defense of food by Michael Pollan

-a faster read about the same big subjects as Omnivore’s Dilemma.  Less science, but a message that is important (and so obvious that its hard to believe someone has to write this book)

Botany of Desire by Michael Pollan

-getting to think I’ve got a favorite science author, yet?  Its about four plants that have used humans to make themselves more successful: apples, tulips, marijuanna, and potatoes

2.  Survival of the Sickest by Sharon Moalem

-this is the book that I read to you in class.  We read about how stress caused more spontaneous abortion of males than females.  The book is filled with interesting biology questions (and only a few answers).  One of the more entertaining reads I've had in years

3.  Eve’s rib by Marianne Legato

-medicine should be different for females than males.  here’s why.

4. The Blind Watchmaker by Richard Dawkins

-an inspiring book by one of the most prolific evolutionary biology authors.  It awakens you to the beauty of evolution.

5.  Galapagos by Kurt Vonnegut

-the only fiction title on the list.  I’d read anything written by Vonnegut.  The fact that you learn a few evolutionary principals along the way is just a bonus.  

6.  Life at the Extremes by Frances Ashcroft

-the hottest, coldest, fastest, highest, etc... that humans can handle.  You’ll feel more impressed with yourself.

7.  Honey, Mud, maggots and other medical marvels by the Root-Bernsteins

     -the science of folk medicine.  Cool AND disgusting!

8.  Stiff by Mary Roach

     -looking for a way to use all those bodies in your garage?  Here's a few ideas.

9.  The immortal life of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca Skloot

     -in 1951 she died of cervical cancer.  scientists have kept her cell line alive ever since (her cells combined weight....more than three empire state building!!)  Shocking exploration of science's ethical failure and technological success.

Semester two assessment

here's the assessment statements from semester 2. Have fun!

PCR and Gel electrophoresis animations

Class,

Excellent virtual lab review site:

PCR is a method of making millions of copies of DNA from a tiny sample.  Please go through the animation at this website to learn about it.  you should be able to outline these steps.

Gel electrophoresis is a method of taking cut up DNA and separating it base on length.  Please go through this virtual lab, also.

GMO lab write-ups

Hello class,

here's the format for the GMO write-up.

Write up for the lab:

1.  -Purpose

2.  -Draw the plates and label them.

3.  -Explain your group’s results (suggest why it didn’t work).  Then explain the ideal results.  Explain specifically what each was meant to show.  (Think about what a negative test would mean.)

4.  -Explain what was happening in our successful plate (#4).

5.  -I had one group that plated the PGLO- bacteria on the LB/ampicillin/arabinose plate (you know who you are...).  What would you expect to see?

AlAlso, be sure you can aswer these questions.  I will give a brief quiz on lab procedure tomorrow:

1.  What do restriction enzymes do?

2.  What do ligases do?

3.  Why was ampicillin important in this lab?

4.  What role did the arabinose play?

The homework:  Read pages 325-328 in the book.  focus on the process of selection and the use of the blue or white colonies to determine genes.  We're learning this as background.

Good resources

1.  The video from Nova:  Life's greatest miracle

2.  IVF sites of value:

3.  Amniocentesis sites of value:

big things controlled by small things

Class,

We spoke of how a tiny embryo can take over an entire fully grown female.  Some questions came up about the amazing relationships between small parasites and their big hosts.  This radiolab addresses some of those amazing relationships.

A few links of interest:

Summer science internship at the research institute.  The due date for applying to this program is April 30th!!   Sorry about the late notice :-(  It is a 2 month paid internship at Children's hospital.

Time Magazine article on the pill.  Please read this by Monday.

G4 winners:  please goto uamoodle and evaluate them by Monday.  You should sign in so I can give you points for viewing the winners.

purple eggs and ham

Here are a few good sites for female reproductive:

Loyola university's website

a site called blue histology

Male reproductive

Class,

Please read pages 1068-1071 in the book, paying particular attention to the part about hormones and feedback.

You should be able to draw male anatomy including:
testes
epididymis
vas deferens
seminal vesicle
prostate gland
urethera
penis
bladder
cowper's gland

Radiolab episodes

Here's the article related to the radiolab that I played in class.  Please read this as part of your homework.

And if you are so inclined, here's the link to the radiolab episode we started to listen to.  For those of you that were absent from class today, please listen to the sections on chimeras (minutes 5:06 to 14:46).

Chi square tutorials

Here's a basic intro to chi squares.

This is a calculator.  Please use this statistic on your corn cob analysis.

Gender determintion articles

Class,
It may turn out that us massive multicellular organisms may have our gender switch deeper inside our bodies than we thought.  Check out this article.

here's an article about parthenogenesis that I thought you'd find interesting, also.

Karyotyping activity

Please run through this karyotyping activity in class today.  By the way, find out the "law" of independent assortment for the weekend.

meiosis

Please go over the Meiosis tutorial at the arizona site.  Also, I'd like you to read sections 12.1 and 12.2 in the book for tomorrow.

By the way, Here's an excellent link that shows mitosis and meiosis side by side so you can contrast them.  (Abe Lucey gets credit for finding this one!!!)

references for quiz tomorrow

Hello class,
two resources that may be helpful:
a.  the john kyrk website
b.  dnai site.

Also, I forgot to tell 7th period, but there is a person running a psych study on Tuesday after school.  You can sign up on the list in the classroom.

Happy studying,

Mr. O

Children's Hospital program

Class,

Here's the link to the program a children's hospital that I told you about in class.  Let me know if you are thinking of doing this, just so I can keep track.

Remember, I'm asking you to read section 15.4 for class tomorrow (2-24).

See you tomorrow!

This DNAi site has a lot of useful information, from replication to translation.  Check these out to review whichever process where you need help.  Go to the section on code.

DNA origami

Some people needed additional copies of the DNA model.  It is on this site (in the box on the right).  You cna show me a finished copy of the DNA molecule by Friday.

DNA animations!

Here's the site for the DNA animations that I used in class.  Although this is linked to the replication animation, the section on DNA structure is also useful.

DNA MODEL

Here's the DNA model requirements for Tuesday's class project.

“Watson and Crick were using a different way to discern DNA’s structure:  ...
...Modeling.”
Neccessary
1.  representation of nitrogen bases, sugar, phosphate
2.  proper connection patterns
2.  Recognition of antiparallel strands.
4.  ability to show unzipping of molecule

not necessary (but optional)
    -twisting pattern
    -3D shape
    -hydrogen bonding

Should not be included
-atomic pattern

Model Makers __________, _______________
Evaluators: _______________, ____________

1.  In this molecule,
    the sugars were _____
    the phosphates were _______
    the nitrogen bases were ________
2.  Nitrogen bases were paired properly. Y / N

3.  Strengths of this model were:

4.  Problems with this model were:

Creativity 1(boring)-10 (awesome)  _____

stem cell

Hello class,

I hope you enjoyed your trip through the caves.  Those videos should be watched on a large screen like in class.  By the way, about a year after this video came out, they discovered this cave in mexico.  Kinda puts teh chandelier room to shame, huh?

We'll be learning about how DNA is used by the cells next.  Please read section 3.3 from the book for friday.
 
Here is an excellent stem cell article that Adrienne Jenq found.  I think you'll enjoy it.  Please read this article for Friday's class.

Also, here's the intriguing idea that cancer tumors may have their own stem cells!  Check it out :-)

mitosis

The plan for class today:

Go to this university of Arizona website and go through the online onion root tip lab.  Please make the data table as they describe, then do the calculations that they ask. I will collect your data tomorrow.

The website also has some excellent review material that you can look over.  It will help youto understand the stages.

Cell division rules!

Period 8 Group Us (sans y chromosomes)

All units are in grams.

Control (100% water):

Original                                    after

0.0875                                                3.70

3 M:

0.0830                                                1.89

5 M:

0.0825                                                1.90

8 M:

0.0840            `                                    1.66

allies groups data

concentration                        grams before                        grams after                        percent

0 percent                        .56                                    .71 g                                    127.9%

1 percent                        .58                                    .72                                    124.1%

1.5 percent                        .58                                    .70                                    122.4%

2 percent                        .61                                    .73                                    119.7%

2.5 percent                         .63                                    .73                                    115.9%

3 percent                        .54                                    .60                                    111.1%

3.5 percent                        .52                                    .65                                    125%

4 percent                        .57                                    .66                                    115.8%

4.5 percent                        .57                                    .64                                    112.3%

5 percent                        .59                                    .62                                    105.1%

1st period data group 1

Control                   Before                        After                         Difference 

Control                     2.1g                         2.83g                 +.73g

2.5%                           2.1g                        2.7g                        +.57g

5%                               2.1g                        2.57g                        +.47g

7.5%                                1.8g                        2.22g                        +.42g

10%                               2.0g                        2.32g                        +.32g

1%                               1.8g                        2.36g                        +.56g            


1st Period Data Group 2

Control            1%            2%            4%            5%            7%           

T1            1.84                        1.85            1.89            1.82            1.76            1.81

T2            1.89                        1.81            1.84            1.87            1.72            1.71

All lengths at 3.5 cm

Final:

T1            3.95cm            3.93            3.65            3.94            4.21            4.11

            2.16 g                        2.13            2.10            2.03            1.97            2.07

T2            3.95 cm            4.00            3.89            3.73            4.30            3.84

            2.34 g                        2.43            2.41            2.40            2.29            2.28

Group four project

Attention all:

The newest lists are available on the moodle.  Periods 7 and 8 have seen this already but if you are in period one, please check the list.  Included on the list is the proper meeting time.  See you tomorrow!