Monday, June 11, 2012
Genome Blog #10 Instinct
Ridley talks about how the determinist thinks about human behavior. Ridley suggest that genetic determination of human instinct is much more
probable.The gene in
Chromosome 7 has been linked to a disorder called Specific
Language Impairment. Recent study of English family with a
history of the inherited disorder, Canadian Myrna Gopnik suggest that Specific
Language Impairment interfere with the physical act of speaking, but instead interfere with the
ability to learn the rules of grammar. Patients with Specific
Language Impairment can communicate with others but
must have a much larger vocabulary because of the lack of internalized grammar.
Genome Blog #9 Stress
Ridley says that this gene is located in the chromosome number 7. The brain, the body, and the gene are locked in
constant. The gene CYP17 is located in chromosome number 10 is
responsible for the synthesis of an enzyme that enables the body to
convert cholesterol to cortisol,to testosterone, and to oestradiol. Cortisol, is released when the brain signals stress
and sets off a long chain triggers, switching genes
on and off thus causing other genes to be switched on or off constantly. Ridley compares the world to the human body,
which is full of intricate interconnected systems with no control what so ever. Ridley concludes that there are no logical
explanation for the correlation between steroids and immune system
suppressions.
Genome Blog #8 Personality
Ridley explains that in chromosome number 11, the gene D4DR is a blueprint for a
dopamine receptor, and the gene is switched on in only in certain parts of the
brain. Dopamine is a emotional chemical, which lacking of this chemical will make an individual lethargic or
immobile. Dean Hamer's result of studying D4DR relates with "novelty-seeking" behavior. 36
percent is heritable, and the rest is environmental. Meaning that there are over 500 heritable genes that control behavior. Therapists
found out that depathologizing people's personalities and telling them
that their personality is innate instead of some who learned flaw helped
them to improve their self-esteem. Personality and behavior can also be
influenced by diet, such as cholesterol intake. Antisocial and
depressed people resulted in lower cholesterol levels.
Genome Blog #7 CURES
Ridley talks about the genetic manipulation, he uses the example of an event that occurred in 1972. Paul Berg in 1972 created the first artificial
"recombinant" DNA by mixing and arranging restriction enzymes and ligase. Ever since that experiment, several other labs have used recombinant DNA where a
retrovirus would be lose its infectious genes then get replaced with a
desired gene and finally get injected into the body directly trying to cure various diseases
through gene therapy such as hemophilia, cystic fibrosis, and
cancer. Ridley ends the chpter with the possibilities of
human cloning with genetic improvement through the use of embryonic
stem cells and recombinant DNA is possible.
Tuesday, May 29, 2012
Free Will
In the final chapter of Genome, Ridley explains the conflict between free will and genetic determinism. Free will is the mind of an individual that controls all of their action through the conscious, experience, and knowledge from their mind. However in genetic
determinism, all actions made by organisms are planned and predetermined by
the genes that are coded in their chromosome. Ridley uses the example if using child abusers. Ridley notes that
children often caused troubles and the penalty is that the parents punish them, thus making them learn to never do that ever again. Free will may not be able to control everything but it is a major part in the events that occur in the lives of each and every individual.
Post Biology AP Exam Comments
I was totally not ready for the AP exam on May the 14th. I had too much school work and had to fill out worksheets for the notebook. My view of studying was completing my online work and working on my lab journal. I spent more time on working on my class works and/or homework for biology then studying from my notes and book. I decided to sign up for AP Biology in the beginning of the year because I wanted to be a marine biologist, but I had a problem debating over my career as a marine biologist and a U.S. History teacher. I took AP U.S. History on my junior year and I had enjoyed the subject more then I had expected. I took AP bio and I learned that I am not very good dealing with molecules, ions, chains of sugar, and phases. I had trouble remembering the phases of the Calvin Cycle, reading molecule chains, and Photosynthesis. I feel like that the online labs are not as good for learning both visually and by reading the steps. I prefer doings labs that are in front of me because it is much easier to handle and if I get stuck I could get help right away. What I do seem to have learned a lot from are the study packets that has bold words and diagrams that have labels. I really liked you going over the power points and doing notes along the way. Subjects I did enjoy learning about is evolution and the diversity of plants. Those chapters are the best for me to understand because there were many pictures and diagrams.
Thursday, March 29, 2012
Genome 6th Entry
"Disease"
The chapter begins with Ridley talking about using your DNA fingerprinting and blood sample to solve crimes. Then he started talking about blood transfusion and how transferring the wrong type of blood could be fatal. Blood types we first discovered in the 1900s, the first three types are A,O, and B. It was in the 1920s that blood type groups were organized and in the 1990s that genes had to do with the blood. Ridley gave examples about sickle cell disease and malaria diseases. He told the reader that the disease have been inherited to the newer generations and the code for that disease can either be dormant or active.
The chapter begins with Ridley talking about using your DNA fingerprinting and blood sample to solve crimes. Then he started talking about blood transfusion and how transferring the wrong type of blood could be fatal. Blood types we first discovered in the 1900s, the first three types are A,O, and B. It was in the 1920s that blood type groups were organized and in the 1990s that genes had to do with the blood. Ridley gave examples about sickle cell disease and malaria diseases. He told the reader that the disease have been inherited to the newer generations and the code for that disease can either be dormant or active.
Genome 5th Entry
"Sex"
Ridley begins the chapter with describing a portrait of an obese five year old child named Eugenia Martinez Vallejo. He says that the child is 'enormous for her age' he tells the reader that she has tiny hands and feet, followed by strange looking eyes and mouth. He later reveals that the child is diagnosed with Prader-Willi syndrome, a patient when young would lack appetite but when grows older, he/she would eat almost everything that is edible. Doctors notice that these syndromes are related to family and are being inherited. In Prader and Angelman's syndrome, they both have a missing piece in chromosome number 15. Prader syndrome is cause by a missing chunk of information from the father chromosome, while for the Angelman syndrome is caused by a missing chunk of genes from the mother's side of the chromosome. Then Ridley moves on to talk about the cloning of a sheep named Dolly. It seems that cloning would erase all imprints from the brain, but the organism itself can still survive. The mother's genes control the development of the cerebral cortex, which is the thinking part and the father's genes control the development of the hypothalamus, the mood of the father.
Ridley begins the chapter with describing a portrait of an obese five year old child named Eugenia Martinez Vallejo. He says that the child is 'enormous for her age' he tells the reader that she has tiny hands and feet, followed by strange looking eyes and mouth. He later reveals that the child is diagnosed with Prader-Willi syndrome, a patient when young would lack appetite but when grows older, he/she would eat almost everything that is edible. Doctors notice that these syndromes are related to family and are being inherited. In Prader and Angelman's syndrome, they both have a missing piece in chromosome number 15. Prader syndrome is cause by a missing chunk of information from the father chromosome, while for the Angelman syndrome is caused by a missing chunk of genes from the mother's side of the chromosome. Then Ridley moves on to talk about the cloning of a sheep named Dolly. It seems that cloning would erase all imprints from the brain, but the organism itself can still survive. The mother's genes control the development of the cerebral cortex, which is the thinking part and the father's genes control the development of the hypothalamus, the mood of the father.
Genome 4th Entry
"Death"
Ridley explains to the reader that death is caused by the abnormal function of the gene TP53. The gene TP53 has the power to control the production of cells, but if it becomes or is unable to function normally, it would lead to the buildup of large groups of compacted cells called tumors. The tumors build up until it could no longer hold the stress so some may deposit into the blood stream. Once in the blood stream the cancerous blob of cells take root else where in the body and the out of control TP53 continues to make more cells. These tumors sometimes black passage ways and can damage or kill tissues, not only that but it could also be visible on the outside if the tumor is grown large enough, or close to the skin. If the tumor is left untreated, death would occur for sure.
Ridley explains to the reader that death is caused by the abnormal function of the gene TP53. The gene TP53 has the power to control the production of cells, but if it becomes or is unable to function normally, it would lead to the buildup of large groups of compacted cells called tumors. The tumors build up until it could no longer hold the stress so some may deposit into the blood stream. Once in the blood stream the cancerous blob of cells take root else where in the body and the out of control TP53 continues to make more cells. These tumors sometimes black passage ways and can damage or kill tissues, not only that but it could also be visible on the outside if the tumor is grown large enough, or close to the skin. If the tumor is left untreated, death would occur for sure.
Nephron
Objective: Describe how a nephron works. How is this similar to counter currents or hydrostatic skeletons.
The nephron is a system of blood vessels in the kidney that runs through the Bowman's Capsule, Convoluted Tubes, Collecting Duct, and the Loop Of Henle. Through those areas, all foreign unwanted waste materials are gathered together and removed from the body, healthy and other recognizable cells and proteins are allowed to continue to circulate through the cells. The Proximinal Tubeule slowly absorbs and recycle materials needed for the body such as calcium, the other unwanted materials such as salt would be concentrated and then flushed to the ureter with water and travels to the bladder.
The Hydrostatic Skeletons are structures surrounded by muscles and are founded in cold-blooded organisms and soft bodied animals such as; clams, mollusk,and mussels that have a fluid-field cavity called the Coelom.
The nephron is a system of blood vessels in the kidney that runs through the Bowman's Capsule, Convoluted Tubes, Collecting Duct, and the Loop Of Henle. Through those areas, all foreign unwanted waste materials are gathered together and removed from the body, healthy and other recognizable cells and proteins are allowed to continue to circulate through the cells. The Proximinal Tubeule slowly absorbs and recycle materials needed for the body such as calcium, the other unwanted materials such as salt would be concentrated and then flushed to the ureter with water and travels to the bladder.
The Counter Current System is the forming of highly concentrated urine known as dilute urine. It is the process of exchanging solutes between the renal medullary capillaries.
The Hydrostatic Skeletons are structures surrounded by muscles and are founded in cold-blooded organisms and soft bodied animals such as; clams, mollusk,and mussels that have a fluid-field cavity called the Coelom.
Comparing Invertibrates
Objective: Pick three invertebrates. Compare them in terms of physical features and systems. Identify at least three similarities and differences.
Mole Crab (Emerita)
Physical Characteristics:
- five pairs of legs
- move backwards
-no pincher
-the strongest pair of legs would be on it's back, allow it to paddle backwards in the sand
-can grow up to 35 mm long and 25 mm wide
-female have a larger carapace(head), 14-35 mm while males have 10-22 mm
- eggs on female would be under the telson, would be bright orange
System:
-have two pairs of antenna; one for sensing danger, another for feeding
-have eye stalks that reaches above the sand
-crab is divided into two sections, the carapace and abdomen
-carapace contains the head, eye stalks, and the two antennas
- the abdomen includes the telson (tail) and the pleopods (section between tail and head.)
King Crab (Paralithodes Camtschaticus)
Physical Characteristics:
-carapace can measure up to 11 inches
-legs can grow up to 6 feet
-can weight up to 18 pounds
-because of their shell, they are though to have been from the ancestors of the hermit crab
-only crab to have 6 legs instead of 8 legs
- red, blue, brown, and golden is one of the most common crabs caught and sold
System:
- the organs for the digestive tract, respiratory, reproductive and circulatory system are all located in the carapace
-the mouth is located underneath the eyes and antenna
-they have spiny plates that are positioned laterally to grind up the food
- after the food have been processed by the digestive system, they come out as feces called 'bile'
-the liver is the largest organ in the crab
Cockroach (Blattaria)
Physical Characteristics:
-world's heaviest cockroach would be around 30 grams called the giant burrowing cockroach
-they have large compound eyes
- two ocelli
-long flexible antenna
- first pair of wings are hard and act like a shield for the hid wings
-the abdomen have 10 segments
-each leg have five tiny claws
- all four wings have branching longitudinal veins, and multiple cross-veins
System:
-breath through the treacheae
- the treacheae are attached to the spiracles, meaning that the insect does not depend on the mouth to breath
-treacheae brings air directly to the cells
-uses pheromones to attract mate
-phermones are released from their feces that can lead other roaches to food and water sources
- they carry their young in a capsule called the Ootheca, which is exposed halfway out of their body when the female is matured
- roaches have a incomplete metamorphases
Mole Crab (Emerita)
Physical Characteristics:
- five pairs of legs
- move backwards
-no pincher
-the strongest pair of legs would be on it's back, allow it to paddle backwards in the sand
-can grow up to 35 mm long and 25 mm wide
-female have a larger carapace(head), 14-35 mm while males have 10-22 mm
- eggs on female would be under the telson, would be bright orange
System:
-have two pairs of antenna; one for sensing danger, another for feeding
-have eye stalks that reaches above the sand
-crab is divided into two sections, the carapace and abdomen
-carapace contains the head, eye stalks, and the two antennas
- the abdomen includes the telson (tail) and the pleopods (section between tail and head.)
King Crab (Paralithodes Camtschaticus)
Physical Characteristics:
-carapace can measure up to 11 inches
-legs can grow up to 6 feet
-can weight up to 18 pounds
-because of their shell, they are though to have been from the ancestors of the hermit crab
-only crab to have 6 legs instead of 8 legs
- red, blue, brown, and golden is one of the most common crabs caught and sold
System:
- the organs for the digestive tract, respiratory, reproductive and circulatory system are all located in the carapace
-the mouth is located underneath the eyes and antenna
-they have spiny plates that are positioned laterally to grind up the food
- after the food have been processed by the digestive system, they come out as feces called 'bile'
-the liver is the largest organ in the crab
Cockroach (Blattaria)
Physical Characteristics:
-world's heaviest cockroach would be around 30 grams called the giant burrowing cockroach
-they have large compound eyes
- two ocelli
-long flexible antenna
- first pair of wings are hard and act like a shield for the hid wings
-the abdomen have 10 segments
-each leg have five tiny claws
- all four wings have branching longitudinal veins, and multiple cross-veins
System:
-breath through the treacheae
- the treacheae are attached to the spiracles, meaning that the insect does not depend on the mouth to breath
-treacheae brings air directly to the cells
-uses pheromones to attract mate
-phermones are released from their feces that can lead other roaches to food and water sources
- they carry their young in a capsule called the Ootheca, which is exposed halfway out of their body when the female is matured
- roaches have a incomplete metamorphases
Tuesday, March 27, 2012
Starfish
Objective: On your blog, describe a starfish in terms of symmetry, germ cell layers, coelem, Circulatory system, reproduction, feeding, excretion and nervous system. Find picture examples of each living class Crinoidea, Ophiocistioidea, Astroidea, Echinoiudea and Holothuidea.
Starfish have a radial symmetry because of their five arms. Their exoskeleton are composed of a double cell layered. Their coelem have an open circulatory system because they are water vascular. Water flow through their mouth and through all five of it's arms. Starfish keep their eggs in their arms and fertilize them externally. Starfish can also reproduce asexually from broken limbs. They prey open mollusks, eat vegetation, and debris. They lack excretory systems so they release their waste through pores on their skins. They have a circum-oesophageal ring that acts as their nervous system.
Crinoidea -1st picture, sea fan
Ophiocistioidea-4th picture, 6+ armed starfish
Astroidea-3rd picture, regular 5 armed starfish
Echinoiudea-2nd picture, Sea Urchin
Holothuidea-5th picture, Sea Cucumber
Starfish have a radial symmetry because of their five arms. Their exoskeleton are composed of a double cell layered. Their coelem have an open circulatory system because they are water vascular. Water flow through their mouth and through all five of it's arms. Starfish keep their eggs in their arms and fertilize them externally. Starfish can also reproduce asexually from broken limbs. They prey open mollusks, eat vegetation, and debris. They lack excretory systems so they release their waste through pores on their skins. They have a circum-oesophageal ring that acts as their nervous system.
Ophiocistioidea-4th picture, 6+ armed starfish
Astroidea-3rd picture, regular 5 armed starfish
Echinoiudea-2nd picture, Sea Urchin
Holothuidea-5th picture, Sea Cucumber
Intelligence
Objective: Why is it important to define and debate our understanding of intelligence and its origins? How does this relate to you?
It is important to know what intelligence is because there are various answers to this question. One can be skills necessary for survival, another could be about wisdom and knowing more then just survival. Many people today believed that intelligence today is defined as smartness, wisdom, and knowing much more then others do. Then less well known definition of intelligence would be about skills needed for survival, this could be learned behavior, learned from cause and effect or watching from others in their life. Another intelligence could be imprinted behavior, in which learning is in a limited amount of time.
This relates to me because I am a visual learner. I need to see diagrams and pictures with labels to help me develop a picture in my mind. I also enjoy working in groups because it increases the amount of ideals, that is... assuming that everyone in the group is working hard. Some other times I enjoy working alone because I wanted to express my ideals thoroughly the way I wanted it to be. The intelligence I'm using right now is the second definition, absorbing as much materials as possible. But when I go to college I would need survival skills, I would need to look after my expenses and time.
It is important to know what intelligence is because there are various answers to this question. One can be skills necessary for survival, another could be about wisdom and knowing more then just survival. Many people today believed that intelligence today is defined as smartness, wisdom, and knowing much more then others do. Then less well known definition of intelligence would be about skills needed for survival, this could be learned behavior, learned from cause and effect or watching from others in their life. Another intelligence could be imprinted behavior, in which learning is in a limited amount of time.
This relates to me because I am a visual learner. I need to see diagrams and pictures with labels to help me develop a picture in my mind. I also enjoy working in groups because it increases the amount of ideals, that is... assuming that everyone in the group is working hard. Some other times I enjoy working alone because I wanted to express my ideals thoroughly the way I wanted it to be. The intelligence I'm using right now is the second definition, absorbing as much materials as possible. But when I go to college I would need survival skills, I would need to look after my expenses and time.
Friday, March 2, 2012
Genome 3rd entry
" Life "
Ridley talked about the Biblical book of Genesis, he mentions about the 'word'. As I read on I discovered that 'words' actually are the protein sequence in the RNA that makes up genes. He tells the reader that DNA is a pattern in written words. Ridley also talks about the history of life, beginning with RNA, which creates DNA. RNA is the protein recipe to create DNA. LUCA was mentioned, the Last Universal Common Ancestor, was believed to be a bacterium living in a hot marine environment. Erasmus Darwin, a poet and physician concluded that genes are fragments of our life. Francis Crick, worked on designs of naval mines near Portsmouth, and James Watson, aged 15 is enrolled at the University of Chicago.... both the future inverters of the DNA model. Maurice Wilkins helped design the atomic bomb for the United States in WW2. Rosalind Franklin is studying the structure of the coal for the British government. Osward Avery identified DNA as the chemical manifestation of heredity. RNA came before proteins.
Ridley talked about the Biblical book of Genesis, he mentions about the 'word'. As I read on I discovered that 'words' actually are the protein sequence in the RNA that makes up genes. He tells the reader that DNA is a pattern in written words. Ridley also talks about the history of life, beginning with RNA, which creates DNA. RNA is the protein recipe to create DNA. LUCA was mentioned, the Last Universal Common Ancestor, was believed to be a bacterium living in a hot marine environment. Erasmus Darwin, a poet and physician concluded that genes are fragments of our life. Francis Crick, worked on designs of naval mines near Portsmouth, and James Watson, aged 15 is enrolled at the University of Chicago.... both the future inverters of the DNA model. Maurice Wilkins helped design the atomic bomb for the United States in WW2. Rosalind Franklin is studying the structure of the coal for the British government. Osward Avery identified DNA as the chemical manifestation of heredity. RNA came before proteins.
Genome 2nd entry
" Fate "
The gene is more positive then negative to us. But syndromes such as the Wolf-Hirschhorn syndrome is caused by repeating genes, such as ACG, ACG, ACG. It would be fine if the gene is repeated up to 35 times, but if more, you will die young. There are more then a billion words in your genes, but yet one mistake of repeating word may change if we are normal of have down syndrome. Huntingtin's disease first to be identified was in 1872. The doctor noticed that the syndromes are being passed down from generations. Milton Wexler's daughter was on the edge of having the mutation. Wexler began her research by collecting blood from 500 patients, she then sent them to Jim Gusella's lab in Boston. He tested the genetic markers in search of the Huntingtin syndrome. He finally found out the area of the problem, located on the tip of the short arm of chromosome 4. The genes are the formula for creating syndromes and thus giving it;s name.
The gene is more positive then negative to us. But syndromes such as the Wolf-Hirschhorn syndrome is caused by repeating genes, such as ACG, ACG, ACG. It would be fine if the gene is repeated up to 35 times, but if more, you will die young. There are more then a billion words in your genes, but yet one mistake of repeating word may change if we are normal of have down syndrome. Huntingtin's disease first to be identified was in 1872. The doctor noticed that the syndromes are being passed down from generations. Milton Wexler's daughter was on the edge of having the mutation. Wexler began her research by collecting blood from 500 patients, she then sent them to Jim Gusella's lab in Boston. He tested the genetic markers in search of the Huntingtin syndrome. He finally found out the area of the problem, located on the tip of the short arm of chromosome 4. The genes are the formula for creating syndromes and thus giving it;s name.
Genome 1st entry
" Intelligence "
Robert Plomin and his colleagues have did an experiment with a group of specially gifted children. They are the top students in their school, they are the top 1%. They are around the age of 12 to 14 years old and have the IQ of about 160. He did blood test with the specially gifted students and studied the chromosome 6. He found out that in the IGF2R gene's pattern is different from an ordinary human gene. Robert Sternberg claims that there are three different kinds of intelligence; analytic, creative, and practical. Charles Spearman in 1904 noticed that when a child does well in one subject, tends to do well on the other subjects as well. He names this the general intelligence, aka 'G'. Thomas Bouchard did experiments on twins by changing their environment. Towards the end of the experiment, he noticed that their personality are the same.
Robert Plomin and his colleagues have did an experiment with a group of specially gifted children. They are the top students in their school, they are the top 1%. They are around the age of 12 to 14 years old and have the IQ of about 160. He did blood test with the specially gifted students and studied the chromosome 6. He found out that in the IGF2R gene's pattern is different from an ordinary human gene. Robert Sternberg claims that there are three different kinds of intelligence; analytic, creative, and practical. Charles Spearman in 1904 noticed that when a child does well in one subject, tends to do well on the other subjects as well. He names this the general intelligence, aka 'G'. Thomas Bouchard did experiments on twins by changing their environment. Towards the end of the experiment, he noticed that their personality are the same.
Double fertilization only occurs in angiosperms. This only occurs when a pollen grain attaches to the stigma for the flower. The pollen grain them falls down the style and lands towards the egg. Once that has happen, one sperm will fertilize the egg, causing the development of diploid zygote (creates the embryo). The other sperm goes and fertilizes the endosperm which contains the nutrients and water for the young embryo when ripen.
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