Back from Unbounded! The week of Mar. 4-7

This week in Biology class, the focus was learning why calcium (Ca2+) is so important in our human body. Using this question, we began to connect protein synthesis, homeostasis, hormones, and main bodily systems to the importance of calcium. The first obvious reason calcium is so important is because it is what our bones are made out of. Bone growth is controlled by osteoblasts an osteoclasts. Osteoblast create new bone while the osteoclasts break old bone down to release more calcium in the system.

Here is what usually happens in the bone "cycle."
Insulin was also another big topic this week. Insulin targets body cells, stimulating protein and muscle to allow for glucose, fructose, or galactose uptake. These sugars plus oxygen fuel ATP synthesis.

We also talked about how the muscle system contracts and relaxes. A muscle contracts because ATP and an enzyme allow for the actin and myosin heads to form a bridge. Actin has a binding site on it, allowing the myosin head to attach. The myosin head will only attach in a high energy state. This binding causes tension and the muscle will contract. Once a phosphate and ADP are released the myosin head will detach itself from the actin binding site. It will then return to its low energy state. This whole process couldn't happen if calcium didn't first change the configuration of the binding site on actin.


Here it shows why Calcium is important in this process.

Here is the process in a little more detail.

Epinephrine Podcast

https://soundcloud.com/freshoutthebox-3/epinephrine-podcast-2014

 

 

Epinephrine, more commonly known as adrenaline, is a hormone and a neurotransmitter. It is involved in the Sympathetic nervous system, which is part of the autonomic system. This system is in control of the “fight or flight” reaction our bodies experience under stress or danger. Epinephrine is released from the adrenal gland above the kidneys. The adrenal gland is composed of two parts: the cortex and the medulla. The cortex releases the hormones needed to live such as cortisol, which regulates your metabolism. The medullas is where epinephrine is produced along with other nonessential hormones. However, the word “nonessential” doesn’t mean that epinephrine isn’t useful. When released into the blood stream and across a neuronal synapse, you can experience a boost of oxygen and glucose, suppression of digestive system, dilation of pupils, restriction of certain arteries, and increase in heart rate. The receptors that translate this reaction are mainly found in the skeletal muscle blood vessels and liver cells. Epinephrine is controlled by a positive feedback loop which means that production is increased when there is a disturbance in the system. Epinephrine is not fat – soluble but is water – soluble. This fact allows the hormone to be carried in the blood stream. This whole reaction is regulated by the central nervous system that regulates the synthesis of epinephrine.


Works Cited:
 Rehan, Kelly.An Overview of Adrenal Glands: Beyond Fight or Flight. endocrineweb. 2014. web. 22 Feb. 2014.  http://www.endocrineweb.com/endocrinology/overview-adrenal-glands

worldofmolecules.com. The Epinephrine Molecule. Wikipedia. 2014. Web. 22 Feb. 2014. http://www.worldofmolecules.com/drugs/adrenaline.htm

Wikipedia.org. Epinephrine.  Wikipedia. 2014. Web. 22 Feb. 2014. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Epinephrine

Yeast Lab

Yeast Lab

 

 

Abstract: In this experiment, we tested how different amounts of sugar will effect cell respiration in yeast when its mixed with warm water. To test the amount of change, we  placed the reaction in a closed chamber and used a syringe record how much air was produced. This experiment proved that the more sugar you have, the more oxygen is produced.

 

Introduction: Cell Respiration is a process in which mitochondria create ATP or convert food into energy for us to use. It does this through three different steps: 1.) Glycolosis 2.) Krebs Cycle

3.) Electron Transport Chain. At the very end of this processs, H2O, ATP, and CO2 are produced. In this experiment, we test how the amount of sugar changes the amount of CO2 produced.

 

 

Hypothesis: If you increase the amount of sugar in a cell respiration reaction in yeast, then the reaction will produce more CO2 because it hase more sugar to convert into energy.

 

 

Materials:

- Syringe

- Yeast

- Sugar

- Salt

- Beaker

- Graduated Cylinder

- Warm Water

- Tube

- Test Tube

- Plug with hole for tube

 

Procedure:

1.) carefully measure salt, and yeast

2.) place in test tube

3.) decide what amounts of sugar you want in each test tube

4.) add to other dry materials

5.) Lable

6.) add warm water and led it sit without a plug for five minutes

7.) put plug on

8.) record data every minute for five minutes

9.) record data and observe

10.) clean up

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Conclusion: 

In this experiment, we tested the how the amount of sugar placed in a cell respiration reaction in yeast. The data we collected supports my hypothesis. Just like in my hypothesis, the larger amount of sugar that was in the system, the more CO2 is produced. An explanation for this is that multiple enzyme driven reactions in the three different steps of cell respiration produces CO2. Thus, the more sugar you have to react with, the more CO2 you will produce. Eventually, the yeast system will run out of sugar and cell respiration will stop. Some sources of error are that some people might measure out the wrong amount of sugar or yeast. One might also forget to heat up the water to allow the reaction to become more active before they start to record their data. also, people might have added water to certian test tubes before the others, allowing them to start cell respiration before the others. this will corrupt the data because the time they all start the process was not controlled.

 

 

 

 

 

Forensics and body organs week one!!!

Last week was a lot of fun because we got to become "crime scene investigators" and list cause of death, the organs affected, and scenario.  This helped me get a sense of what it is like to apply science to real-life situations. Also, it helped me remember where organs were in the body because it used vocabulary from the PowerPoints and the worksheet. 

Recently, I found an article that gives background on forensics and the scientific methods used (particularly molecular technologies) . It also gives controversial problems such as how DNA samples could be easily contaminated due to the small sample size and where they are found. Even with these problems, developing of technologies to aid this science should continue because the smallest hair from a dog or a slight trace of fruits or plants can tie a suspect to a crime and provide sufficient enough evidence for true justice.

Here is the article : http://www.jstor.org/stable/10.1641/b580604?Search=yes&resultItemClick=true&searchText=Forensics&searchUri=%2Faction%2FdoBasicResults%3FQuery%3DForensics%26amp%3Bwc%3Don%26amp%3Bfc%3Doff%26amp%3Bacc%3Don

Who died?

Diagnosis: The man on the Thomson Creek Trail was an Olympic athlete, staying in shape by running on the trail when he had time. The man who shot him was a rival from Switzerland. The bullet entered the mans body above the third rib and then left the body near the eighth rib. By following the  bullets path, I determined that the bullet must have damaged the lung, aorta, heart, diaphragm, and liver. The athlete most likely died due to internal bleeding and lack of oxygen. Additionally, the ruptured liver released toxins into his system, causing other  internal complications.

Stem cells week two!!!

This week we started watching a move called "The Island", where "mad" scientists begin to create humans only for the use of harvesting their organs. This brings up the ethical questions related to stem cell research. Do humans have the right to play god? Some scientists argue that humans are already playing god by destroying habitat with pollution and construction.


Just like in the book Frankenstein, humans are warned time after time not to try to play god.--- Emily Hansen  However, there are people that see stem cell research in different light:

How far will stem cell research go? No one really knows, but research will continue. I learned to day in class that Obama Care has lightened some of the limits on stem cell research and given more funding to its cause. The UK has already developed many organs from pig organs so why can't the US?

Stem Cell Research and "The Island"

To be honest, stem cell research (especially the current research being done) is a very intimidating concept. The idea that humans can take over the role and the power that one usually considers to be in the hands of god is a scary thing. "The Island" clearly depicts this fact on a much larger scale than currently possible; however, their is always the possibility that their are some "mad' scientists out there.



 My question(s):

1.)Is it worth to put human morals and ethics aside in order to advance in stem cell research, or is it better to leave the option of human creation to the natural world?
If you think we should continue stem cell research, give  some reasons why the benefits outweigh  the moral problems. If you disagree, explain some disadvantages that stem cell research could or has brought up.

2.) Do you believe there are any real or current "mad" scientists in the world today? If so, give an example. Also, are any of the examples you have found supported by stem cell research?