GabbyM's Muddiest Point

My muddiest point for this chapter is what the neuron does when it receives an impulse. I don't understand the whole depolarization and repolarization. Thanks!

GabbyM's Muddiest Point

What is the function of a cortex in a root? Also, what is the function of a vascular cylinder? I know that if there is a vascular cylinder, it is a root, but I don't know the function of it.

Scribe 2/22

First, we handed in our homework which was lab pages UP30-31. Then, we learned about the animal of the day. Today, the animal was a narwal. It belongs to the mammalia class. A narwal is a type of white whale and it has a "unicornlike horn" on its head. Nobody knows why it does, but one theory is that it uses it to joust with other narwals. After, we took our quiz on the vertebrate chart and we were allowed to use our charts. Next, Mrs. Stein went over notes with us. Here are the notes:

Phylogenic Trees

- shows evolutionary relationships

Embryo Development

- protostomes: mouth develops first

- most invertebrates

- deuterostomes: anus develops first

- chordates, echinoderms

Body Cavity Evolution

- coelom: body cavity lined fully with mesoderm

- supports internal organs and movement

- acoelomates: no cavity

- pseudocoelomates: cavity partially lined in mesoderm

- roundworms(nematods)

- coelomates: cavity completely lined in mesoderm

- annelids, mollusks, humans

Chordate characteristics

1. Notochord- supportive rod thru the dorsal side

2. Pharyngeal gill slits- present @ some point in development

3. Dorsal hollow nerve cord

4. Tail

After we finished the notes, Mrs. Stein explained the homework and wevhad a little time to work on it.

HOMEWORK:

1. Test Monday!!!!

2. Muddiest Points due by TONIGHT!

3. Muddiest Point Comments due by Friday @ Midnight! And yes they are mandatory. They are not optional this time!!!

4. Finding Oddball UP54-55 due TOMORROW

5. TV Ad due 2/28

NEXT SCRIBE IS ANDRIJANA!

GabbyM's Muddiest Point

My muddiest point for this chapter is what is the humanistic and economic importance of invertebrates. Thanks!

GabbyM's Muddiest Point

My muddiest point for this chapter is the difference between relative and absolute dating.

1/9

In class, today we turned in 34.4 Flow Map on "Fertilization, Development, & Pregnancy" which was assigned on Friday as homework to do over the weekend. After, we took out UP 20-21 and we first went through the answers with the people sitting near us and then we went over the answers as a class. We didn't turn in UP 20-21. Next, Mrs. Stein has us work on Lab 31 with anyone we wanted. Even though, you were supposed to have it done for homework she let us talk to our partners about any questions we had trouble on. She walked around and answered questions while we worked on it. We worked on Lab 31 for about ten minutes, and then we turned it into the bin. Finally, we took notes on two slides that Mrs. Stein put up on the smart board.
Here are the notes:

Contraception
-preventing union of egg and sperm
-barrier method
- condoms, diaphragm, vasectomy
-chemical methods prevent gamete formation or kill gametes
- The pill, IUD, spermicide
-behavioral changes in sexual practices
- abstinence, rhythm, withdrawal

Fertilization and Implantation
-fertilization occurs in oviduct
- zygote- fertilized egg, diploid cell
-cell division begins
- embryo-> 1 cell
- morula-> solid ball of 64 cells
- blastocyst-> hollow ball of cells
-blastocyst takes 7 days to implant in uterine lining
-differentation begins, cells specialize

HOMEWORK: 1) Test Thurs. 2) FINALS start studying!
3) Muddiest Points->Post by Tues. Midnight
Comments by Weds. Midnight
Since there isn't going to be much homework this week make sure you don't slack off and actually start studying a little each night for the TEST ON THURSDAY!! Just because there may not be mandatory homework DOES NOT MEAN you shouldn't study. Remember studying is part of the homework so do it, and don't procrastinate until the last minute!!

Andrijana will be our next scribe!

GabbyM's Muddiest Point

My muddiest point for this chapter is the difference between estrogen and progesterone because it seems to me that they both cause the uterine lining to thicken. That is a similarity and I was wondering what is a difference. Thanks!

Beta Thalassemia

Beta Thalassemia is a blood disorder. It reduces the amount of hemoglobin you produce, which is a protein that contains iron. Hemoglobin in red blood cells is what carries oxygen to cells throughout your body.

Beta Thalassemia is caused by mutations on the HBB gene which can be found on the short arm of chromosome 11. HBB is a gene that holds instructions for making the protein beta-globin, which is a component in hemoglobin. It is inherited from an autosomal recessive pattern. You can inherit this disorder from your parents even though they don't show symptoms and signs from the condition.

Beta Thalassemia is classified into two types depending on how severe your symptoms are. There is Thalassemia intermedia and the most severe is Thalassemia Major. Those with thalassemia major will experience symptoms or signs of this disorder in the first two years of their lives. Children with thalassemia major will experience delayed puberty, yellowing of the skin and eyes, not being able to gain weight, enlarged liver, spleen, and heart, and their bones maybe misshaped. Those with thalassemia major may experience such severe symptoms that they may need to frequently get blood tranfusions to restore their red blood cell supply. Those with thalassemia intermedia usually only experience anemia. Anemia is a condition in which your body doesn't have enough healthy red blood cells.

You're diagnosed with beta thalassemia depending on how severe your anemia is and by taking a blood test to check for any red blood cell or hemoglobin abnormalities. If your results come back abnormal for either, genetic testing for mutations on the HBB gene will be taken.

Treatment that is available for thalassemia major is having regular transfuctions to help increase the production of iron and correct anemia. The only existing cure is to have a bone marrow transplant from either an identical sibling or a donor. For thalassemia intermedia, treatment consists of having frequent therapy that involves having red blood cell tranfusions.

This is a common blood disorder worldwide. The chances of inheriting this disorder is 1 in 3,600 individuals. It occurs most often in people from North Africa, the Middle East, Central and Southeast Asia, India, and Mediterranean countries.

The life expectancy for someone that isn't treated will die in their early 30's and those that are treated can live a normal lifespan.

GabbyM's Muddiest Point

My muddiest point for this chapter is what kind of errors can happen during meiosis.

11/16

Today in class we went over our homework from last night which was the Double Bubble Map for DNA vs. RNA.

Then for the rest of the period we went over protein synthesis. We took notes on this during class and Mrs. Stein put up the notes on Moodle. We only took notes on the first two slides in the powerpoint. If you are a person that likes having organized notes, then read through the rest of the slides in the powerpoint. These are the two slides we took notes on:

There are two parts to protein synthesis: transcription and translation. Mrs. Stein had us draw this picture. It represents the whole process of protein synthesis. As you can see transcription happens in the nucleus and translation happens in the cytoplasm on a ribosome.

Here is a picture that represents what happens in the translation process more clearly. In translation, mRNA attaches to a ribosome. A tRNA carries only ONE amino acid. In the picture, the cloves shape is the tRNA and the little circle that it is holding represents the amino acid. The anticodon on the tRNA matches with the codon on the mRNA. Once the tRna has finished, it LEAVES the ribosome. All the amino acids join into a long chain called a polypeptide. This long polypeptide is what makes PROTEIN. Remember: Amino acids MAKE UP protein.

HOMEWORK: 1) 13.1 & 13.2 Flow Map of Protein Synthesis is due TOMORROW! If you need help use Moodle because Mrs. Stein put up some animations that are very helpful.


2) Tribune Article due Monday 11/21


3) There will be a test on Tuesday 11/22 on everything that we have covered in this chapter. Use your objectives to help you study!


The next scribe will be Andrijana.

GabbyM's Muddiest Point

I have already posted a muddiest point but while I was reviewing for the test right now I found that I don't understand the difference between a phagocyte and a macrophage. Is there a difference or are they the same thing. Help is appreciated!!

GabbyM's Muddiest Point

My muddiest point for this chapter is the difference between bacteriophage and prophage.

GabbyM's Muddiest Point

My muddiest point is how does pH affect the cell? Also, I'm still a bit confused about what the difference is between ADP and ATP. Thanks for the help!

Class Wednesday, 9/21

Today we didn't have a normal class day. Instead of being in Mrs. Stein's room, we were in the auditorium with all of the other biology classes during Period 3 and we watched Planet Earth. Mrs. Stein and the other science teachers weren't there with us because they were having a meeting, so we had substitutes. Even though Mrs. Stein wasn't there, we weren't allowed to sit with the other classes. We had an assigned area in the auditorium where we were supposed to sit. It was obvious if you didn't sit with your class because during the video we had to fill out a worksheet. At the end of the period, the substitute teacher, assigned to YOUR class, collected your worksheet so if you were sitting in the wrong place, she didn't get your sheet.
The only homework we have for biology is to READ 6.3 by TOMORROW and to work on your Duckweed presentation which will be on FRIDAY. There was NO NEW HOMEWORK assigned.

The next scribe will be BROOKLYN.

GabbyM's Muddiest Point

My muddiest point is food webs and food chains. What I mean by this is I don't understand the difference between food webs and food chains. Also, I am having some trouble with the biomass pyramid. I don't understand how the greatest biomass is located at the bottom of the pyramid and not the top.

GabbyM- Reflections on First Unit

I think that this first unit was a good way to start off biology for this upcoming year. This unit wasn't very hard because most of the information we covered was a review from last year. I enjoyed studying this first unit because we didn't spend it all just taking notes or watching movies the whole time during class. We actually got to get out of our seats and we were able to start doing experiments right away. Unlike last year during science, we spent at least half of the year just taking notes and watching either Mythbusters or Bill Nye the Science Guy episodes. Occasionally we did experiments, but not as often as I would have wanted.
The first unit was very interesting for me because I got to learn about something that I had never seen or heard of before and that was the cydia deshasisiana moth. I was stunned when we were told that the mystery object was holding a larvae. I thought that the mystery object was some sort of plant that moved when it was exposed to our type of environment and I wasn't expecting it to be holding something living inside. Overall I found the first unit very interesting and I hope that the second unit will be as fascinating.

GabbyM's First Post- Kopalnia Soli Wielicka

Over the summer, I visited Poland with my family and we stayed with my grandparents in Wieliczka. While we were there my mom decided to take my brothers and me to the Kopalina Soli, or Salt Mine, since it was only a couple blocks away from where we were staying.
This particular Salt Mine was discovered during the 13 century. The mine contains 5 levels, but turists can only visit the first 3 because the lower levels are dangerous if you aren't wearing the right equipment. While we were on the tour through the mine, we saw many chapels and sculptures created by the miners that had worked there.
One thing that stood out to me the most during the tour was Saint Kinga's Chapel. This chapel is located on Level 2 and it took over a hundred years to be created. It took so long because only 3 self taught miners created this chapel. Everything in this chapel is made of salt, starting from the floor to the walls and the ceiling. Also, the alter at the front of the chapel, cross, and the stairs leading into the chapel are all sculpted from salt. Even the chandeliers are made with small salt crystals. The chapel walls are decorated with beautiful sculptures that show New Testament scenes. All I can say is that this chapel is more gorgeous in real life. If you get offered an opportunity to visit this Salt Mine take it. It is such a unique experience and you learn a lot of interesting things that you may not have know before.

To learn more about Saint Kinga's Chapel visit the Salt Mine's official website here: www.kopalnia.pl/site.php?action=site&urlMain=2,185,1,853,,&&idsite=185&level=853



What I am Most Excited About?
getting to meet new freshmen


What I am Least Excited About?
doing homework, getting up early, and studying for tests/quizzes