Muddiest Point

My muddiest point is which neurons do which functions

Muddiest Point

The thing that i am most confused about is the difference between Darwin and Lamark's theories.

SCRIBE 2/1

Today in class we started off by taking notes on genetic variation, genetic drift, and speciation. genetic drift is changes in the gene pool of a small population due to chance.

We then learned about variation in Grasshopper legs by working on Lab 40. With our lab groups, we were asked to measure the length of 5 grasshoppers' femurs. This data was then used to find the average femur length from all the grasshoppers. The different lengths of femurs represent variation-a change in gene frequency.

The homework for tonight is to finish lab 40, read 19.2, and the T.V. ad that is due on feb. 28.

Spinal Muscular Atrophy

Spinal Muscular Atrophy is an autosomal recessive genetic disorder that is inherited by having both parents carriers of the gene. The chances of the child of two carriers is 25% or 1 out of 4. Someone who has Spinal Muscular Atrophy have either a missing or mutated SM1 gene. This gene produces a protein called Survival Motor Neuron. Motor neurons are nerve cells in the spinal cord which send out nerve fibers to muscles throughout the body. Because this protein is necessary for survival, without it, nerve cells will stink and die over time and this causes muscle weakness. As children with SMA grow, their bodies become weak, fragile and stressed.

SMA can be diagnosed through a blood test, specifically looking for the presence or absence of the SM1 gene. Doctors may also request a muscle biopsy.

Currently there are no drugs to treat Spinal Muscular Atrophy but there has been over $17million invested into SMA drug development.

Muddiest Point 11/5

My muddiest point are the haploid and diploid. I don't really understand what they are.

Scribe 11/14

At the start of class today our UP pages 7 and 8 were checked. They will be turned in tomorrow along with pages 9-14. Tonight you will also read 12.3 in the textbook. Due on monday is the Tribune article and tuesday will be our unit test.

Today in class we did a lab that can be found on UP pages 13 and 14. We were instructed to create a strand of DNA based on the code it gave us for the left strand. When we completed the 9 rung ladder of DNA it should look like this:

Then you were to duplicate the DNA strand and should come out with two identical DNA ladders.

Muddiest Point

My muddiest point is what the different types of T cells do

My Muddiest Point

My muddiest point is visualizing each step of mitosis.

Class Thursday, 9/22

Today in class we took notes on 6-3 Biodiversity, Global Climate Change, Ozone Depletion, and Pollution and Biological Magnification. We also talked more about Greenhouse gasses and how they trap some heat that reaches the earth's surface from sunlight. We learned that CFC's were used in aerosol cans and were banned in 1987 because of its negative effect on the environment. We talked about how the ozone layer acts as sunscreen for the Earth because it filters harmful UV rays. After taking notes, we met with out Duckweed project groups to clarify what is needed for tomorrow's presentations! We have an Ecology test on Monday! There will be a review session at 7am Monday Morning in room 374.

The next scribe will be: Patryk S!

BrooklynC- Unit 1 Reflection

The first unit of Biology was a great way to start off the year because it was a good review of the things I could not remember from last year. It was a bit confusing just trying to get back into the swing of doing work, but I feel like it will be better now that we are past our first unit. I refreshed my memory on how to use a microscope and how to write a correct hypothesis during this unit and am now more comfortable performing experiments. I learned to take better and more detailed observations because they are important when it comes to writing the final lab report. I think that I will learn a lot more new information this year and even though this will be a challenging class, it will still be fun and interesting.

Brooklyn C's First Post-Johnny Weir

Although he may be an unusual person, Johnny Weir has always been my idol. Born in a small town in Pennsylvania, it wasn't until johnny was 12 did he experience the wonderful world of figure skating. Only four years after teaching himself how to skate on a frozen pond in his backyard did he win the gold medal at the 2001 World Junior Championships. Johnny Weir won his first senior US national championship in 2004 and defended that title until 2006 earning him a spot on the US Olympic team. In his first Olympic appearance he placed second on his short program and landed in an overall place of fifth! Johnny has been extremely successful since then even going to the 2010 Olympics in Vancouver. Johnny Weir has won many more titles and has been awarded the Reader's Choice Award for Skater of the Year twice, the only other skater to win this more than once aside from Michelle Kwan. Figure skating has been a huge part of my life since I was seven and Johnny Weir has become my favorite skater of them all. I love how he becomes a character when he is performing and is his own unique person. My favorite performance of Johnny's was his short program skate at the 2010 US Championship. Here is the video of his performance: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mJ4atQjCSHI

Something that I am excited about for this school year: having the opportunity to meet new people and make new friends.

Something that I am not excited about for this school year: the amount of time I will spend on homework.