Biology Art Piece
This art piece is meant to represent the inner components of Leonardo da Vinci's famous Vetruvian man by combining the golden ratio and anatomy.
Body System Mini Lessons
The following is a set of slides that accompanied my presentation about the digestive system.
Screen Cast Script and Essential Questions
Mitosis
Mitosis: Just like everything in life, cells grow. Us humans know this process as reproduction, but cells do not, they reproduce through something called cell division. There are two process through which cells divide. Those processes are called Mitosis and Meiosis. The process of mitosis occurs when one cell divides to create an identical cell. This is carried out through a process called I.P.M.A.T. IPMAT stands for interphase prophase metaphase anaphase and telophase. Interphase is the first and longest stage of mitosis during interphase the cell is growing and replicating its DNA.During prophase, the complex of DNA and proteins contained in the nucleus, known as chromatin, condenses. The cell will then move to metaphase, this is when the chromosomes of a eukaryotic cell further condense and align in the middle of the cell. These chromosomes are aligned by spindles which are fibers that are responsible for moving chromosomes in the cell. After this, the cell will enter anaphase in which the chromosomes move away from each other to opposite ends of the cell. Finally, the cell undergoes telophase which splits the cell in two leaving the two sets of chromosomes that were moved through anaphase to become the new nuclei. The process of mitosis can be represented through Cancer, a genetic disease. The cancer cells perform mitosis somewhat uncontrollably, creating identical copy of themselves almost sporadically. While most cells spend large amounts of time in interphase or growing, a cancer cell is constantly dividing. This leads to tumors, which are large groups of cancer cells. Even though cancer cells divide at an astronomical rate the human body cannot identify them because they are otherwise the same as many other cells. Now that we have covered mitosis we can move on to the other type of cell division meiosis
Meiosis:Meiosis still uses the previously defined PMAT system, but exclusively deals with the sperm and egg cells in humans. In meiosis, the PMAT system (Prophase, Metaphase, Anaphase, and Telophase for those who do not remember) Is repeated twice. With this duplication, a new name for each stage of meiosis is given. So then, we have Prophase 1 and prophase 2, and Metaphase 1 and metaphase two, and so on and so forth for the rest of the stages. This double division is responsible for the creation of sperm cells and egg cells.
Meiosis begins Interphase, as it did with mitosis. This is where the cell grows and creates up to 92 chromosomes. Then prophase one begins, where the chromosomes in the cell begin matching up with their homologous pairs. A homologous chromosome is basically two chromosomes that are very similar. Now when these pairs line up, they transfer information to create a variety of chromosomes. The next step is Metaphase one, where the cells begin to organize and get moved to the middle. Anaphase is the next step, where the chromosomes go to either end of the cell. The final stage for the first part we have telophase one where the two cells finally split, but into two different cells. Now prophase two begins, where the two different cells start to repeat everything that just happened except. Metaphase ii the chromosomes are in a single file line. Then Anaphase two takes away the chromatids to either side of the cell. Finally, Telophase two creates 4 different cells in total, two from each original cell. The process of meiosis is to create sperm cells in males, and egg cells in females.
Sometimes the process of meiosis doesn't always go the way it is supposed to, and this can lead to some genetic disorders. These genetic disorders are created through a process called nondisjunction. Nondisjunction is when a cell gets too many chromosomes or not enough chromosomes. When the process of meiosis does not go as planned, this can lead to a genetic mutation called down syndrome. Down syndrome occurs when there is more than one 21st chromosome in the male, this is called the trisomy 21. Every sperm and egg cell has 23 chromosomes, but in 95% of down syndrome cases, the 21st cell is present twice in one of the cells, then combined with the other cell it creates a total of three (thus the name Trisomy 21).
Essential Questions How do we grow? (explain on a cellular level) We grow through mitosis, or one of the processes of cell division. Mitosis is the way through which cells divide in order to grow or heal the human body. Growth on a cellular level is carried out the a process called I.P.M.A.T. The I stands for interphase which is when the cell itself is growing and replicating its DNA. The P stands for prophase, which is when proteins inside the cell called chromatin condense as two “Daughter Cells”. The M stands for metaphase, which is when the chromosomes of a eukaryotic cell further condense and are brought by spindles from the middle of the cell. The A stands for anaphase, this is when the chromosomes are pulled to either side of the cell. Finally, the T stands for telophase in which the cell splits in two thus creating growth on a cellular level.
Why is it a genetic advantage for a species to be able to perform meiosis? (think biodiversity!)It is a genetic advantage for a species to perform meiosis because meiosis creates the ability to reproduce. For a species to grow, reproduction is necessary. This is where meiosis comes in handy. In order to create sperm and egg cells, the process of meiosis must be taken. During the stage of prophase 1, the homologous pairs will get together and switch information between each other to create a variety of chromosomes. This is called Crossing over. Independent assortment occurs in meiosis to create a variety of chromosomes. When the homologous chromosomes split it and reattached, this is called independent assortment because the separation and relocation is random. All in all, this is why it is a genetic advantage for a species to be able to perform meiosis.
What is the importance of mitosis and what are potential mishaps that can occur during the process?
Mitosis is critical for the growth and well being of the human body. Although mitosis assists the body in these ways, it can also become harmful because of potential mishaps that can occur during its process. In this case, cancer represents one of these mishaps. This is because cancer is the product of mitosis, and were as most cells spend the most time in interphase a cancer cell is constantly dividing through mitosis. The reason that this happens is that cancer bypasses the standard, “ Checkpoints” that regulate mitosis in other cells. This causes a hiccup in the regular process of mitosis and is a potential mishap that can occur in mitosis.
- the process requires 4 steps:
- Prophase- the first phase of mitosis, the process that separates the duplicated genetic material carried in the nucleus of a parent cell into two identical daughter cells. During prophase, the complex of DNA and proteins contained in the nucleus, known as chromatin, condenses.
- Metaphase-A stage of mitosis in the eukaryotic cell cycle in which chromosomes are at their second-most condensed and coiled stage (they are at their most condensed in anaphase.
- Anaphase-The stage of mitosis when chromosomes are split and the sister chromatids move to opposite poles of the cell. Anaphase accounts for approximately 1% of the cell cycle's duration.
- Telophase-During this phase, the sister chromatids reach opposite poles. The small nuclear vesicles in the cell begin to re-form around the group of chromosomes at each end.
- dividing chromosomes
- Chromosomes- Organized DNA
- 46 chromosomes:cell
- Identical Cells are created through mitosis
- Creation of sperm and egg cells
- Has 8 steps:
- Similar to Mitosis but repeats PMAT
- http://www.ds-health.com/trisomy.htm
Mitosis: Just like everything in life, cells grow. Us humans know this process as reproduction, but cells do not, they reproduce through something called cell division. There are two process through which cells divide. Those processes are called Mitosis and Meiosis. The process of mitosis occurs when one cell divides to create an identical cell. This is carried out through a process called I.P.M.A.T. IPMAT stands for interphase prophase metaphase anaphase and telophase. Interphase is the first and longest stage of mitosis during interphase the cell is growing and replicating its DNA.During prophase, the complex of DNA and proteins contained in the nucleus, known as chromatin, condenses. The cell will then move to metaphase, this is when the chromosomes of a eukaryotic cell further condense and align in the middle of the cell. These chromosomes are aligned by spindles which are fibers that are responsible for moving chromosomes in the cell. After this, the cell will enter anaphase in which the chromosomes move away from each other to opposite ends of the cell. Finally, the cell undergoes telophase which splits the cell in two leaving the two sets of chromosomes that were moved through anaphase to become the new nuclei. The process of mitosis can be represented through Cancer, a genetic disease. The cancer cells perform mitosis somewhat uncontrollably, creating identical copy of themselves almost sporadically. While most cells spend large amounts of time in interphase or growing, a cancer cell is constantly dividing. This leads to tumors, which are large groups of cancer cells. Even though cancer cells divide at an astronomical rate the human body cannot identify them because they are otherwise the same as many other cells. Now that we have covered mitosis we can move on to the other type of cell division meiosis
Meiosis:Meiosis still uses the previously defined PMAT system, but exclusively deals with the sperm and egg cells in humans. In meiosis, the PMAT system (Prophase, Metaphase, Anaphase, and Telophase for those who do not remember) Is repeated twice. With this duplication, a new name for each stage of meiosis is given. So then, we have Prophase 1 and prophase 2, and Metaphase 1 and metaphase two, and so on and so forth for the rest of the stages. This double division is responsible for the creation of sperm cells and egg cells.
Meiosis begins Interphase, as it did with mitosis. This is where the cell grows and creates up to 92 chromosomes. Then prophase one begins, where the chromosomes in the cell begin matching up with their homologous pairs. A homologous chromosome is basically two chromosomes that are very similar. Now when these pairs line up, they transfer information to create a variety of chromosomes. The next step is Metaphase one, where the cells begin to organize and get moved to the middle. Anaphase is the next step, where the chromosomes go to either end of the cell. The final stage for the first part we have telophase one where the two cells finally split, but into two different cells. Now prophase two begins, where the two different cells start to repeat everything that just happened except. Metaphase ii the chromosomes are in a single file line. Then Anaphase two takes away the chromatids to either side of the cell. Finally, Telophase two creates 4 different cells in total, two from each original cell. The process of meiosis is to create sperm cells in males, and egg cells in females.
Sometimes the process of meiosis doesn't always go the way it is supposed to, and this can lead to some genetic disorders. These genetic disorders are created through a process called nondisjunction. Nondisjunction is when a cell gets too many chromosomes or not enough chromosomes. When the process of meiosis does not go as planned, this can lead to a genetic mutation called down syndrome. Down syndrome occurs when there is more than one 21st chromosome in the male, this is called the trisomy 21. Every sperm and egg cell has 23 chromosomes, but in 95% of down syndrome cases, the 21st cell is present twice in one of the cells, then combined with the other cell it creates a total of three (thus the name Trisomy 21).
Essential Questions How do we grow? (explain on a cellular level) We grow through mitosis, or one of the processes of cell division. Mitosis is the way through which cells divide in order to grow or heal the human body. Growth on a cellular level is carried out the a process called I.P.M.A.T. The I stands for interphase which is when the cell itself is growing and replicating its DNA. The P stands for prophase, which is when proteins inside the cell called chromatin condense as two “Daughter Cells”. The M stands for metaphase, which is when the chromosomes of a eukaryotic cell further condense and are brought by spindles from the middle of the cell. The A stands for anaphase, this is when the chromosomes are pulled to either side of the cell. Finally, the T stands for telophase in which the cell splits in two thus creating growth on a cellular level.
Why is it a genetic advantage for a species to be able to perform meiosis? (think biodiversity!)It is a genetic advantage for a species to perform meiosis because meiosis creates the ability to reproduce. For a species to grow, reproduction is necessary. This is where meiosis comes in handy. In order to create sperm and egg cells, the process of meiosis must be taken. During the stage of prophase 1, the homologous pairs will get together and switch information between each other to create a variety of chromosomes. This is called Crossing over. Independent assortment occurs in meiosis to create a variety of chromosomes. When the homologous chromosomes split it and reattached, this is called independent assortment because the separation and relocation is random. All in all, this is why it is a genetic advantage for a species to be able to perform meiosis.
What is the importance of mitosis and what are potential mishaps that can occur during the process?
Mitosis is critical for the growth and well being of the human body. Although mitosis assists the body in these ways, it can also become harmful because of potential mishaps that can occur during its process. In this case, cancer represents one of these mishaps. This is because cancer is the product of mitosis, and were as most cells spend the most time in interphase a cancer cell is constantly dividing through mitosis. The reason that this happens is that cancer bypasses the standard, “ Checkpoints” that regulate mitosis in other cells. This causes a hiccup in the regular process of mitosis and is a potential mishap that can occur in mitosis.
Can Water Kill
By Dylan King
Introduction:
Students at Animas High School are testing if too much water can kill a person. After studying certain cases in which people have died due to water intoxication, we dove into this experiment. An example of one of these cases was the death of a 21 year old in California forced to drink, “excessive amounts of water” for fraternity hazing. Situations similar to these occur eerily often exemplifying the dangers of hyponatremia also known as insufficient salt in the blood. In this context salt would be defined as a solute or what is dissolved by water on a cellular level. Water would be the solvent or dissolver of solutes. Osmosis is similar in the fact that it is the diffusion of water across a selectively permeable membrane. This happens through a process called diffusion in which molecules move from a high concentration to a low concentration. Our experiment focuses on diffusion and osmosis using eggs that were de-shelled in vinegar.
Hypotheses:
The mass of a de-shelled egg will expand when partnered with 100 ml of soda. This occurs because diffusion will send the sugar as a solute through the semipermeable membrane of the de shelled egg and into the hypotonic inner workings of the egg. This will cause the egg to slowly expand as a cell would when exposed to a large amount of water.
Because soda contains water and so does the inside of an egg. When the egg is submerged, the water that it contains will exit the semipermeable membrane and join the sugars that soda contains. This process is the diffusion of water across a semipermeable membrane and is called osmosis. Osmosis will heavily impact the results of this hypothesis.
Materials:
Distilled Water
4 Eggs
Coca Cola
Cups
Procedure:
- Four eggs were massed.
- The de shelled eggs were placed at the bottom of their own plastic cups.
- 90 ml of soda and 10 ml of water was poured into a cup.
- 80 ml of soda and 20 ml of water was poured into another cup.
- 70 ml of soda and 30 ml of water was poured into another cup.
- Each cup and its content was weighed.
- The eggs were left for twenty four hours.
- Each cup and its content was weighed.
- The solution was removed from the cup
Results:
Raw Data:
Solution Concentration:
Percent Mass Change (g)
90ml of Soda 10ml of Water
90ml soda: 3.6% increase
80ml of Soda 20ml of Water
80ml soda: 3.9% increase
70ml of Soda 30ml of Water
70ml soda: 3.8% increase
This change in mass mean that the egg with 90 ml of soda and 10ml of water increased in mass by 3.6% or 173.7 grams to 179.94 grams. The egg with 80ml of soda and 20ml of water increased in mass 3.9% from 171.17 grams to 177.9 grams. Finally, the egg with 70ml of soda and 30ml of water saw a 3.8% increase in mass or from 170.96 grams to 177.6 grams. Using the test on 90ml of soda and 10ml of water one would calculate the percent of mass change as shown in the table of data above, by taking the final recorded weight(179.94 grams) and subtracting the first recorded weight (173.7 grams) this would give us 6.24 which we will then divide by the first recorded number then multiply by one hundred giving us a final percent mass change of 3.6%. This whole process would provide one with the percent of mass change for any experiment of this nature.
Discussion:
The results from this experiment are equivalent with what was predicted in the hypotheses which leads me to accept my initial hypothesis. The use of soda to act on the egg as water would act on a cell gave a clear understanding and conclusion to the hypotheses. An egg would act like a cell in the fact that it allows diffusion and osmosis or a change in solute concentration like a cell would. It also possesses solutes inside it’s semipermeable membrane which causes more water to enter the egg in similar fashion of a cell. Keeping in mind that all solutes would have to possess lipids to passively move through a semipermeable membrane. Returning to the problem, I am confident that the increase in percent mass unmistakably represents success in our hypotheses. Which answers the overall question that too much water can kill a person. The significance of these results are that we have a better understanding of the inner workings of the cell and the danger of excess liquid around cells. The reason that this test was conducted in the first place is to observe what occurs when liquid is introduced to a semipermeable membrane. In addition, this experiment was also meant to show how a cell in the human body would react when a large amount of liquids are taken in. For example, if you wanted to have a competition to see how much water you would intake you would reduce the amount of solvents in water. Our hypotheses were predicting that when liquid was partnered with a de-shelled egg it would increase in mass, and that osmosis, or the diffusion of water over a semi permeable membrane, would be the cause of this. Our data supports the hypotheses as shown in the results section with an average increase of mass between 3.6% to 3.9% that is exemplified in our graph and overall data. I accept that our hypotheses were right based on our experiment’s results. The independent variable of keeping the same solvent had measurably impacted the dependant variable or the amount of the liquid. The significance of these results back up our hypotheses and have given is a better understanding of the inner workings of the cell. I am confident in our results because of the similarity present in them and the slim chance of error in our procedure. Nevertheless, the likelihood of error in our solvents is possible, this may have altered our results. Further experimentation related to this investigation is to repeat the experiment on a larger scale with many other variables to understand any situation in which the mass of the egg would not expand. It is important to understand how solvents and solutes move in and out of cells not only to realize the dangers of overhydration, but to discover their impact on medical conditions such as type one diabetes. This occurs because of a lack insulin therefore there are less solutes(sugars) present in the cells of the human body.
Organelle Mini Project
This project tasked students with independently researching a certain organelle of the cell and funneling their findings into a wanted poster that represented it.
Mini Project Reflection-9/7/15
At the beginning of this mini project I decided that staying within the predetermined scientific method would serve my purposes. Since I did not adapt or alter any elements of the scientific method I do not have my own version of the scientific method to display. Throughout this project my vision of the scientific method has changed significantly. Specifically the idea that the scientific method is not a list but a cycle. After years of studying these elements in a strict list I am relieved that we are now conducting experiments through a cycle. I am looking forward to using this cycle more as the year progresses. Although I use the scientific method in school I can imagine many occasions in the past in which I’ve used the scientific method. An example would be my seven year old self trying to convince my parents to purchase a bunk bed for my brother and I. First, I formed a question, “ Can I have a bunk bed?” then I carried out background research on the types of bunk beds available. I preceded to hypothesize the outcome and oversaw an experiment using what I thought was my mother's yearly income ($1,000,000) as an independent variable and the brand of bunk bed as the dependant variable. In the end, I came to the conclusion that the most expensive bunk bed on the face of the earth would do just fine. When It came time to share my results I was unsurprisingly struck down and had to live within the shackles of a normal mattress. Even though that seems insignificant it was my first memory of using a process similar to the scientific method to come to a conclusion although I misused it. I believe that there are infinite ways to apply the flowchart method of science to biology for the rest of the year. Knowing this all I can do is approach each project with an open mind and positive attitude. But a specific case in which we could apply the flowchart concept would be during our dissections. By taking advantage of the opportunities created by the flowchart style, writing a project conclusion would become easier as referencing the previous steps of the cycle is less tedious. In my opinion this project was phenomenal, I enjoyed the incorporation of creativity with the subject of the scientific method. A part I specifically enjoyed was the project introduction of the mini project. By introducing the scientific method in new and fresh way and giving us creative freedom in choosing how we will express this material the introduction became one of my favorite parts about this mini project. In addition, the critique session was fabulous and gave me a list of things to accomplish the next day in class rather than sit around being mind numbingly bored There was no part that I disliked about this project other than the fact that it had to end so soon.
Weaselskin Equestrian Center Dead Zone Project
In this project the class focused on ecology( the interactions between organisms and their environment.) After we performed a belt transect test at the dead zone we were asked to create a graph displaying the data we collected. Sterling Gates and myself took it a step further and created this: