Unit 5 Reflection

Unit 5 was all about mutations and how genes work. We learned how mutations could alter our genes. I felt like I understood how to translate the mRNA very well. The protein synthesis lab had helped me understand translating mRNA even more. It was fairly simple, but I did not really understand how it happened in real life. Translating the mRNA is a complicated process. Many parts are required for mRNA to be translated. Trying to label the diagram of it was quite difficult but doing so, I had learned a little more about the process of translating mRNA. We had also built a model of DNA in class. It helped me understand more of how the nitrogen bases and phosphates and sugars go together to create a functioning DNA.

When we were doing the DNA extraction lab, a lot of teamwork was required. I learned that you do not always get your way and a lot of the times, other people are right. Even so, it is okay to put in your ideas and thoughts because even if it is only a little bit, it could help a lot. Sometimes you are right, but sometimes you are not. Getting along with your teammates would also make the work go along a lot smoother.

Being a good student is about willing to learn more and trying your best to make that possible. It also means applying what you learned to your own life. Being a good student could mean many things depending on the way you view it.

Protein Synthesis Lab

A section of DNA (a gene) is copied by an enzyme. The copy that is produced is called messenger RNA (mRNA). RNA is different from DNA because uracil replaces thymine and RNA is single stranded. The mRNA leaves the nucleus and travels to the cytoplasm. Then, the mRNA bonds with a transfer RNA (tRNA), which will make protein. The ribosome reads the first three bases called a codon and it determines which amino acid corresponds with that sequence. Each amino acid that is added is determined by the codon read by the ribosome. Amino acids are bonded together, and when the mRNA is done being translated, the amino acid chain folds up and twists to become a protein.

http://2010g09r3bdnawiki.wikispaces.com/file/view/untitled.jpg/222073242/untitled.jpg

There are many different types of mutations. Deletion seemed to have the most effect on the protein. Insertion also affected the protein a lot, but not as much as deletion. Substitution had no affect of the protein at all. It does matter where the mutation occurs. It could end the protein making earlier even though there are more mRNA that needs to be translated, or it could not end at all even though there are no more mRNA to translate. If the T had been put later in the sequence, then the protein would have been longer if deletion happened. The protein might also have an end to it if insertion had happened.

http://www.darwinwasright.org/images/img19.jpg

I had chosen deletion and I deleted two of the bases. The protein ended early with plenty of mRNA left to translate. There was another deletion in the end that did not have the chance to be translated so it did not affect the protein as much. It does matter where the mutation occurs. The mutation could have happened near the end of the sequence and could have ended the translating process later.

Proteins are very important to living things. If mutation happened, then some of the proteins may not be able to function properly, causing diseases. We would also not be able to get enough protein or too much protein. The Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease is caused by defects in neuronal proteins. A person with that disease will suffer from progressive muscle and tissue loss and the loss of feeling in various parts of the body. Their feet will have a high arch and claw toes and not much muscle on it. Mutations can cause harmful and deadly diseases.

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/e/ed/Charcot-marie-tooth_foot.jpg/300px-Charcot-marie-tooth_foot.jpg

DNA Extraction Lab

In this lab, we tried to find out if it was possible to extract DNA from the cheeks to study them. We found out that it was possible. There were three basic steps: homogenization, lysis, and precipitation. To get to the DNA, the cell's membrane and other nuclear material must be broken down first. This is possible by homogenizing the cell tissue with polar liquid. Then, soap is added to lyse the cell so that all of its contents are in the mixture. Catabolic protease, an enzyme that can be found in papayas, pineapple juice, meat tenderizers, and contact lens cleaners, can be used to break down histones the DNA wraps itself around. Finally, adding alcohol, which is nonpolar, the DNA will separate from the solution and come out as a precipitate. Cold alcohol will increase the precipitation. Then, the DNA can be extracted from the solution and be used to study.

(Photo is not mine :P)

Our data was unexpected because we did not know if we did everything in the right order. We had instructions that were out of order and we had to try to figure out the correct order. Even though we were not sure, we still successfully extracted DNA. In future labs like this, I would recommend that we do some research before actually doing the lab. Another error was that some of us (namely me) were not able to extract the DNA. It was not possible because we had not gotten enough cells from our cheeks. To prevent errors like this, I suggest that we follow instructions thoroughly and read them carefully.

This lab was done to demonstrate that it was possible to extract DNA. From this lab, I learned more about DNA which helps me understand the DNA structure better and how to break it down. Based on my experiences with this lab, I could extract DNA to study and try to find other ways to extract DNA from other parts of the body and see if they are different. This lab has helped me understand many different concepts and taught me new things.

Unit 4 Reflection

During the coin sex lab, we used coins and punnet squares to find out the phenotypes of certain genotypes. First, we used the punnet square to figure out the probability of the phenotypes. We did this while looking for the phenotypes of x-linked inheritance and autosomal dominance. We then used coins as alleles and as genes to simulate meiosis. We did this multiple times, for a monohybrid cross, dihybrid cross, and many other crosses. Some coins were homozygous while others were heterozygous. For the dihybrid cross, we were expecting around a ratio of 9:3:3:1. The results we ended with were close to the expected results. The limit of using probability to predict our offsprings' traits is that recombination could happen and the results are always random. No matter how hard you try to find the exact result, you will never get it.

I learned a lot of things this unit. I learned about how chromosomes work and more about human genetics. It was difficult to remember all of the specific details, but remembering the main ideas was much more manageable. We also made an infographic about genetics. It was quite difficult at first, but after a while, it was easier to find resources and arrange the information together.

I have gained new skills and knowledge throughout this unit. I learned how to become more resourceful. I also learned about many different types of chromosomes and different traits. I hope to learn even more about human genetics, or genetics in general. This unit has taught me many things.

Unit 3 Reflection

Unit three was about cells, photosynthesis, and cellular respiration. We went in depth about the process of photosynthesis and cellular respiration. There were things that I understood immedeatly, such as photosynthesis, but there were also things that I did not quite understand as well, such as the process of cellular respiration.

I have learned many things from this unit. I learned more about photosynthesis and the different steps of cellular respiration. I also learned more about cells and how their organelles funtion. I gained more knowledge from this lesson and I can apply what I learned to my life.

I would like to learn about how the human body works and how it compares to how plants work. It would be interesting to see if we really are very different from the nature that surrounds us or not. It would also be interesting to compare how the human body works to how other animals' bodies work. This unit was extremely useful and has taught me a lot of new things.

Photo Lab

Question: How does each of the different colored lights (white, orange, green, and blue), at full intensity, affect the plant’s release of carbon dioxide?

Hypothesis: If the plant absorbs a lot of blue light, then there will be more carbon dioxide bubbles it will let out in 30 seconds and 1 minute.

Experimental parameters:

• Dependent variable: light color change
• Independent variable: amount of CO2 bubbles that appeared
• Constants: the time
• Control: no light

	No light	White light	Orange light	Green light	Blue light
30 seconds	0 bubbles	6 bubbles	5 bubbles	1 bubbles	5 bubbles
1 minute (60 sec)	0 bubbles	12 bubbles	9 bubbles	3 bubbles	11 bubbles

Conclusion:

In this lab, I asked the question: “How do different colored lights, at full intensity, affect the amount of carbon dioxide coming out from a plant?” I found out that each of the different colored lights do affect how many carbon dioxide bubbles came out in 30 seconds and 1 minute. It turns out that white light caused the most carbon dioxide to come out. Within 30 seconds, six carbon dioxide bubbles had come out and 12 in a minute, under white light. Blue light came into a close second. 5 bubbles had come out at 30 seconds and 11 at a minute. Orange light also let out 5 bubbles in 30 seconds, but only 9 in a minute. The green light had caused the least carbon dioxide bubbles to come out. Only 1 came out within 30 seconds and 3 in a minute. The data does not support my hypothesis because I thought that the blue light would cause the most bubbles to come out, but the white light had caused more instead.

This lab was done to demonstrate that different colored lights do affect how much carbon dioxide comes out of a plant. From this lab, I learned even more about how plants work, which helps me understand the concept of photosynthesis and cellular respiration better. Based on my experience from this lab, I can predict when the plants might be letting out oxygen or carbon dioxide. This lab has been very helpful.

Microscope Organism Lab

Skeletal Muscle Tissue

Organelles found:

1. Nucleus

Ligustrum

Organelles found:

1. Nucleus

2. Chloroplasts

3. Vein

4. Guard Cells

5. Upper and Lower Epidermal Cells

6. Intercellular Spaces

Spirogyra

Organelles found:

1. Nucleus

2. Chloroplast

Bacteria Cells

Types of Cells Found:

1. Spirillum

2. Bacillus

3. Coccus

4.Diplo-

5. Staphylo-

6. Strepho-

Cyanobacteria (Blue-green algae)

Organelles found:

1. None

Euglena

Organelles found:

1. Nucleus

Amoeba

Organelles found:

1. Nucleus

2. Pseudopods

3. Food Vacuole

4. Cytoplasm

5. Cell Membrane

For this lab, we looked at different types of cells and tried to identify each of their organelles. Some organelles were difficult to find in some cells because they were so small. We also learned how to use a microscope properly. We also learned more about the different types of cells, such as autotrophs, heterotrophs, prokaryotes, eukaryotes, and protists.

Autotrophs are all plant cells, algae, and some protists. All autotrophs contain chloroplasts and performs photosynthesis.

Heterotrophs are all animal cells. All heterotrophs contain mitochondria and get energy from consuming other organisms.

Eukaryotes are multicellular. They tend to be larger than prokaryotes. All animal and plant cells are eukaryotes. All eukaryotes have nuclei.

Prokaryotes are single cellular. They tend to be smaller than eukaryotes. Algae and bacteria are examples of prokaryotes. All prokaryotes don't have nuclei.

Glencoe Photosynthesis Lab

Analysis Questions

1. Make a hypothesis about which color in the visible spectrum causes the most plant growth and which color in the visible spectrum causes the least plant growth?

If a plant is put under red or blue light, the plant will grow a lot more than it would under green or yellow light.

Red light and blue light would cause the most plant growth because plants absorb a lot of red and blue light. Green light and yellow light would cause the least plant growth because  green and yellow light are reflected off the plant.

2. How did you test your hypothesis? Which variables did you control in your experiment and which variable did you change in order to compare your growth results?

I tested my hypothesis by putting three different seeds underneath different colored lights. The types of seeds remained the same, but each time, I changed the color of the light to see how each of the different colored light affected the plant’s growth.

Results:

Filter Color	Spinach Avg. Height (cm)	Radish Avg. Height (cm)	Lettuce Avg. Height (cm)
Red	18 cm	13 cm	11 cm
Orange	15 cm	8 cm	6.67 cm
Green	2 cm	1.167 cm	3 cm
Blue	19 cm	14.67 cm	13 cm
Violet	16.167 cm	9.33 cm	7.83 cm

3. Analyze the results of your experiment. Did your data support your hypothesis? Explain. If you conducted tests with more than one type of seed, explain any differences or similarities you found among types of seeds.

The data did support the hypothesis. While the plants were underneath the red and blue light, they grew the most. While the plants were under the green light, the plants grew the least. For all three seeds, each plant grew the most under red and blue light.

4. What conclusions can you draw about which color in the visible spectrum causes the most plant growth?

Red, blue, and violet light will cause the most plant growth. Violet light contains red light and blue light so it will also be effective when growing plants.

5. Given that white light contains all colors of the spectrum, what growth results would you expect under white light?

White light would lead to even more growth than just having one colored lights. Even though green light does not cause much plant growth, the plant will still grow a little. The green light will add a little more growth when combined with the other lights.


Link to virtual lab: http://www.glencoe.com/sites/common_assets/science/virtual_labs/LS12/LS12.html

Egg Diffusion Lab

In this lab, we put two eggs that had been soaked in vinegar and then water, into deionized water and sugar water (corn syrup). We left the eggs in the two liquids for a couple of days. We were testing to see how the egg would do in a hypertonic and hypotonic solution. We were asking how and why does a cell's internal environment change, as it's external environments changed.

The eggs that were in the water had changed 9.52% in mass on average and 16.85% in circumference on average. The eggs that were in the corn syrup had changed -44% in mass on average and -26.68% in circumference on average. The eggs in the water had expanded because of diffusion. The eggs in the water had too much solvent (water) in the solution so it tried to balance themselves out. The solvent from the water had diffused into the egg. The eggs in the water shrunk because there was too much solute (corn syrup) in the solution. The solvent from the egg had diffused into the water to balance out the solute in the corn syrup.

The cell's internal environment changes as its external environment changes because it needs to maintain homeostasis or keep themselves balanced. The molecules moving from high concentration to low concentration (moving from outside the cell into the cell through the membrane) is called passive diffusion, which requires no effort at all. The molecules moving from low concentration to high concentration (moving from in the cell to the outside of the cell) is called active transport because it requires a lot of energy and effort by the cell.

In class, we learned a lot about diffusion and solvents and solutes. This lab helps demonstrate exactly what each of them are. The solvent in the egg or water diffuses into the other. It shows what diffusion actually looks like.

Vegetables at markets are sprinkled with water to prevent the water that is in the vegetables from diffusing out. Also, the salt that people put on the road to melt the ice can affect the plants nearby. Salt absorbs water and the water in the plants will diffuse out of the plant because of the salt.

Based on this experiment, I would like to see how the eggs will do in other solutions. It would be fun to see multiple solutions instead of just water and sugar water. Also, I would like to see what would happen with some plants or even meats instead of just an egg. I wonder how those would turn out.

Egg Cell Macromolecules Lab

In this lab we asked: "Can macromolecules be identified in an egg cell?" We found out that it is possible to identify macromolecules in egg cells. We used a series of different methods to identify macromolecules. To find monosaccharides used Benedict's Solution where we mixed copper sulfate with the egg parts. If there are monosaccharides, then it will turn from blue to green or orange. We mixed iodine with egg parts to see if there are polysaccharides. If there are polysaccharides, it will turn from brown to black. For the lipid test, we mixed the egg parts with Sudan III/IV. If lipid is present, it will turn from red to orange. Finally, to identify the protein, we mixed the egg parts with sodium hydroxide. If protein is present, it will turn from blue to purple. The egg membrane should contain proteins in it to help protect the insides. The egg yolk should contain monosaccharides, polysaccharides, and proteins because it keeps the chick healthy if the egg is fertilized. The egg white should contain lipids to produce energy for the chick.

While our hypothesis supported our data, there could have been errors due to using the same pipette for multiple things. The pipette could have had other things that mixed into the egg parts or solution and affected the results. Also, the membrane of the egg and the yolk might of had some egg white on it, which might have affected the results. The egg white might have had some macromolecules in it that is not in the egg membrane or the yolk. Due to the error, in future experiments I would check and make sure that I do not use a used material and be more careful. I would also try my best to keep each part of the experiment away from the other parts and make them as clean as possible.

This lab was done to demonstrate how to identify macromolecules in an egg cell and to see what kinds of macromolecules are in each part of the cell. From this lab, I learned about the different types of macromolecules which helps me understand the concept of what each of the macromolecules actually do. Based on my experience on this lab, I can now choose healthier foods to eat and understand how the macromolecules work inside my body. This lab has helped me choose healthier foods to eat.

Unit 2 Reflection

Unit two was about the smaller things in life. We learned about molecules, proteins, enzymes, and much more. We learned about how the structure of some things tend to affect the way they work. We also learned how some things are greatly influenced and affected by some of their factors. We extended our knowledge and applied what we already knew into the labs we did. We had tested out which curdling agents worked best for cheese under certain conditions and we also tested to see which carbohydrates tasted sweet. From both labs, we learned even more about carbohydrates and enzymes.

This unit had its ups and downs. There were things that I easily understood, but there were things that I could not really understand as well. While I easily grasped the concept of carbohydrates and how their structure affects their function and taste, I could not really understand how proteins and nucleic acids work. While we did our labs, I learned that if you have a question, you should just ask someone for help. The other person may know the answer to your questions and vice versa.

I learned many things from unit two. I had learned about many of the topics we learned in previous years, but this time, the lessons were more in depth. Some of it were like reviews and others were like a whole new and strange topic. Through the labs, I also learned how to work with others better and how to communicate. It is really important to communicate while doing a lab because something may go wrong and if you do not know how to communicate properly, you may not be able to get the help you need.

There are many other things that I would not mind learning about, such as how genetics work and how it affects us. It is always interesting and fun to learn about new things about ourselves and our kind. I also would not mind learning about some interesting facts about the human bodies and how I can take care of myself better. I cannot wait until we learn more new things next unit.

Sweetness Lab

In this lab we tried to find out which carbohydrates tasted sweet or not. We asked: "How does the structure of a carbohydrate affect its taste (sweetness)?" We found out that monosaccharides and disaccharides were sweeter than polysaccharides. Sucrose (disaccharide), glucose (monosaccharide), fructose (monosaccharide), galactose (monosaccharide), maltose (disaccharide), and lactose (disaccharide) are all at least a little bit sweet. Meanwhile starch (polysaccharide) and cellulose (polysaccharide) do not taste sweet at all. This data answers the question perfectly. It turns out that the structure of the carbohydrate does affect the taste of it.

Our data contradicts our results because there were a few monosaccharides and disaccharides that close to being tasteless. I had not cleaned my mouth out before tasting each new carbohydrate. That might have also affected the results of this lab.There are many things that we could have done better in this lab. Also, we did not clean the spoon in between every time we added a new carbohydrate. We had made some mistakes here and there.

This lab was done to demonstrate that the structure of carbohydrates do affect the taste of the carbohydrate. From this lab I learned that the structure of the carbohydrates can and will affect its taste. I did not know that before I did the lab. Based on my experiences from this lab, I learned that we should be careful of what we eat. Some things may be really sweet or not sweet at all. It all depends on what carbohydrate is in it. This lab was a very fun and tasteful lab.

Lab Start: September 16, 2016

Lab End: September 19,2016

Biology (Characteristics of Life)

Jean Lab

In this lab, we were trying to find out if bleach could lighten jeans and give it the perfect faded look. So we asked: "What concentration of bleach is best to fade the color out of new denim material in 10 minutes without visible damage to the fabric?" Our hypothesis was: "If bleach breaks down stain pigments, then it can break down color pigments and make jeans lighter." We found out that 100% bleach did the best at removing color, but 12.5% bleach had the least fabric damage out of all the solutions with bleach. 50% bleach was the best overall. With 50% bleach, the amount of color removed was close to 100% bleach, but it had less fabric damage than 100% bleach. The 50% bleach solution had an average of 5.3% (out of 10) color removal and 1.6% (out of 10) of visible damage.

While our hypothesis supported our data, there could have been errors due to lack of proper timing. Our times were not exact. Some of the denim squares from the jeans had stayed in the bleach longer than others. Some of them also was soaked in the water longer. Some of them were even taken out of the bleach too early. The ones that stayed in the bleach longer could have become lighter than the ones that were taken out at the right time. The ones that were taken out earlier might not have as much color removed as the ones that were taken out at the right time. Due to these errors, in future experiments I would recommend multiple people taking out the denim squares at the right time instead of just one person taking all the squares out of the bleach/water.

This lab was done so that we could find out if bleach could lighten jeans. From this lab, I learned that bleach can lighten jeans, but it could also damage the jeans during the bleaching process. Based on my experience with this lab, I now know that I can bleach my jeans with 50% bleach and get a great result with minimal fabric damage. I could also try bleaching denim jackets or other denim products, not just jeans. This lab has taught me many new things.

Lab start: August 29, 2016
Lab end: September 2, 2016