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