Unit Paper 4

Referring to the following list, what is your worldview?

 Stewardship worldview: we should manage earth for our benefit with ethical responsibility to be stewards.

Environmental wisdom worldview: we are part of nature and must engage in sustainable use.

I am somewhere between the two of these; I believe that we are of the earth, and we engage in a symbiotic relationship with the earth. Any damage that is done to the earth at this point, we are responsible for, but the earth is the only habitat we have. If the earth is not working properly, we will die.

Name four causes of environmental problems:

Population growth, unsustainable resource use, poverty, excluding environmental costs from market prices.

Think about one of the “Environmental Pioneers” described in the slideshow. If you were assigned a research paper telling the story of the career or personal life of one of these, which one would you chose as your subject and why?

I would choose John Muir because he said that the earth deserves to exist regardless of its effects on the human race. I believe this as well. 

Bees: The Declining Presence and Its Ominous Implications

Helicobacter pylori

One of the most common ailments that members of modern society suffer from is peptic ulcers. It is common for people to have to avoid coffee or spicy foods because it will ‘aggravate his or her ulcer.’ However, it is common that the ulcer is not simply an irritation or hole in the stomach lining; it could be caused by bacteria.

Helicobacter pylori is an acute infection in which 80% of its affected victims show no symptoms. As the infection worsens, nausea, and stomach pains are common symptoms. The scary thing about this infection is that it is communicable. Common avenues of transference include exchanging of saliva fluids through kissing or sharing food. Individuals infected with H. pylori have an increased risk of developing peptic ulcers and also stomach cancer. (Kusters) Most people don't realize they have H. pylori infection, because they never get sick from it.

The stomach is protected from its own gastric juice by a thick layer of mucus that covers the stomach lining. Helicobacter pylori takes advantage of this protection by living in the mucus lining. (H. Pylori) The bacteria can also attach to cells of the stomach, causing stomach inflammation, and can stimulate the production of excess stomach acid; this is how the ulcers form. A defense H. pylori has is that the body's natural defenses cannot reach the bacterium in the mucus lining of the stomach. The immune system will respond to an H. pylori infection by sending infection fighting agents. However the defensive line cannot reach the infection, because they cannot get through stomach lining. If you develop signs and symptoms of a peptic ulcer, your doctor will probably test you for H. pylori infection, and it can be treated with antibiotics.

Kusters JG, van Vliet AH, Kuipers EJ (July 2006)."Pathogenesis of Helicobacter pylori Infection"






"H. Pylori: Symptoms, Causes, Treatments, and More." WebMD. WebMD, n.d. Web. 30 Apr. 2013. .


Photo courtesy of:


"The Helicobacter Foundation." The Helicobacter Foundation. The Heliobacter Foundation, n.d. Web. 30 Apr. 2013. .

Chicken Dissection Lab

1.       Describe how the connective tissue looks and feels. What type of connective tissue is this?

The connective tissue is slimy and transparent, like a spider web or saran wrap. This tissue is Adipose tissue.  

2. Describe the muscle bundles.

The tissues are closely compacted and are small.

3.a.      What sort of connective tissue are tendons composed of?

Tendons are fibrous connective tissue. 

4a.What sort of muscle tissue is represented? How do you know?

The muscle is skeletal muscle tissue because it connects the bones and muscles.

b.      Nerves are generally thin, threadlike white strands found between the muscle and the

nearest bone. Look for the nerve in your specimen. Did you find them? 

Yes. 

c.       What is the physical difference in the tendon of the insertion when compared to the origin?

The tendon gets thinner as it gets closer to the joints. 

5a.      What is the soft material inside a bone?

Bone marrow.

b.      Name three specific types of cells present here. Do not break the bone; it is sharp!

The three types of cells present are fat cells, mineral cells, and blood cells. 

c.       Name three functions of bone.

Support, protection, and movement.

6a.      What type of connective tissue composes the ligaments?

The tissue is dense connective tissue. 

Here is a great shot of the slimy connective tissue that connects the skin with the muscle:

 Here is what the muscle itself looks like, after having the skin and fat removed.

 Here is the tendon sliced. It made a snapping sound!

 Here is that small toothpick bone, or the fibula.

 And another great shot of the tendons that were found at the joint. I imagine this is like our tendons that stick out of our knee on the back of out legs.

 Here is that white tissue around the bone. It was very tender.

    Label Figure 2

Unit 3 paper: Proteins, Fats, and Muscles

The human body is a many splendorous thing.  It is almost impossible to hope to understand fully the entire gamut of functions and purposes of every organ and cell. One such example of this is muscle function. I thought that, while there were a wide array of muscle shapes and functions, that there was probably just one type of muscle, but I was wrong. I was amazed to find that were two types: smooth and skeletal.

The smooth muscles are those that we can’t flex, but that control things like our esophagus and stomach. The skeletal muscles are those that control our movements and these are the ones that we work out at the gym. Skeletal muscle mass tends to make up about 36.5% of body weight. (Cochoron)  An easy classification scheme is based on whether the muscle in an organ/blood vessel is active (contracting) only for discrete periods of time or whether it is continuously active.  (Classification) The reason why this is so amazing to me has to do with the fact that I am currently very interested in eating as well as possible and trying to eat a high protein diet to help muscle function and growth. So to find out that there are different types of muscle tissue was interesting and relevant to my own life. This is also where learning the different protein types has come in handy. The more complex, or ‘complete’ a protein is, the better our bodies utilize them. It was also relevant to learn the different types of fats and how they affect the different types of muscles that we covered in this unit. Polyunsaturated fat, however is a different story; polyunsaturated fat is also known as omega-3 fatty acid. This is a healthy fat to obtain and can be found in fish such as salmon, tuna, or herring, and also in many nuts.

While polyunsaturated fats are beneficial to your body, they are still high in calories; each gram of fat provides 9 calories. The American Heart Association recommends limiting your fat intake to 25 to 35 percent of your total calories. Based on an 1,800 calorie diet, you should have 50 to 70 g of fat each day. It was nice to be able to have a more comprehensive understanding of the subject after bringing in the information gathered in this unit.

1. What one assignment or activity you performed in this unit are you the most proud of?

I just did the chicken leg lab, and it was really interesting and fun to see the different parts of the leg and muscles.

2. Why did you enroll in this biology class?

 I enrolled in this course because, of all of the options, it seemed to provide the most application towards real life, and that’s when I learn best.

3. Did you feel prepared for this experience when you registered?

 I really didn't know what to expect, but I felt that the textbook did a pretty good job explaining things, so the course probably wouldn't be too hard.

4. How was your experience different from your expectations?

 I was excited to see the different kinds of labs and experiments that you gave us to do. I was also interested in the virtual labs, and that was a relief because I wasn't sure how we would interact with microscopes online.

5. What can I do to help you?

 You've done a great job interacting with us, and leaving your door open, so to speak. It’s nice to know I can call if I have any questions.

"Classification of Smooth Muscle." Classification of Smooth Muscle. Kansas City University of Bioscience, n.d. Web. 13 Apr. 2013. 

Cochoron, Michael P. "The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition." Skeletal Muscle Lipid Deposition and Insulin Resistance: Effect of Dietary Fatty Acids and Exercise. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 2007. Web. 13 Apr. 2013. 

Unit Paper 2: Genetics

Few things in science are for sure, or even predetermined. Many things are left to chance, and sometimes even to luck. Genetics is an interesting example of this. However, with genetics, there is a certain game of chance that is played since there is no telling what a child will look like until after it is born. Even when two parents create a map of what they think their child will look like, there is still a chance that he or she will look completely different.

Every once in awhile, something completely astounding happens in the genetics world; in 1955, a black child was born to white parents in South Africa during white rule and apartheid. The child was of course tested and determined to be the offspring of white parents, but the reality remained that she was black, and this caused the child to have to be separated from the white family. (Abagond) There also was the case of twins born to a biracial couple, in which one baby was born black and the other was born white. (James) (The link attached is very interesting; a specialist gives his take on the situation as well.) There have also been situations where a white child is born to black parents, or vice versa, with a black child born to white parents. This is obviously caused by ancestors being black, and then the children are white for a couple of generations, but the black gene still exists, or vice versa obviously. 

All skin and eye color are controlled by pigment melanin. There are about a dozen genes that control the amount or type of melanin. Even if there had be convergence of a pale version of the parents' genes, there would have to be some form of white ancestry on both sides for the baby to look this way. Part of the beauty of creating life is knowing that every child will be completely unique from every other person on the planet, and this goes further than any parent could imagine.

11.   I am particularly proud of the child that was created in the genetics lab. Some how he looks like the little redheaded kid from The Sandlot. Not sure how that happened. 

2. After being so interested in genetics, I did a lot of outside research and learned a great deal. I suppose I'm more interested in how little I know, but nonetheless, I am a little knowledgeable. 

3. I read a lot of articles in scientific journals about anomalies in the genetics world. 

4. I felt most connected when I realized that I am an anomaly of genetics; I am blonde with green eyes and am Japanese. 

5.  I really enjoyed the NPR videos that you posted. I enjoy real world connections between the course content and things in our world. 

"Abagond." Abagond. N.p., n.d. Web. 26 Mar. 2013. .

James, Susan Donaldson. "Parents Give Birth to Ebony and Ivory Twins." ABC News. ABC News Network, 24 Feb. 2011. Web. 26 Mar. 2013.

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Genetic Cloning

     As technology in the health and science world increases, ethical dilemmas are often presented. Many of these ethical issues could be dissolved through a deeper understanding of the issues and concepts involved. One such instance is that of reproductive cloning.

     Many different things qualify as ‘reproductive cloning’; these things include genetic modification, which is not only creating new life in cases such as livestock reproduction, but also adding new genes to the animals’ existing genome. Using this process, genes that are malfunctioning or are improvable can be taken out of the mix. The next process in question is gene therapy; gene therapy uses genetic modification but goes a step further and alters the genetic material that would pass on to offspring, in addition to the initial host. Human cloning is the final concept that is associated with reproductive cloning. It’s important to remember that these two processes are separate from the controversial human cloning, and carry less controversy.

     A clone refers to one or more offspring derived from a single ancestor, whose genetic composition is identical to that of the ancestor. (Understanding) Many people understand this definition to only refer to taking one human and creating an identical human that looks the same, but may have a different personality or other identifiable differences. There are obvious ethical issues with this concept including the concern that scientists have regarding the possible sterility of the offspring produced using cloning. Human cloning is considered unethical for three main reasons: humans do not possess the capacity to understand the extent to which tampering with the human makeup can damage humanity; humans need the understanding of the value of creation, and lastly nature provides diversity that cannot be created in a lab. (Cloning) But it is important to realize that the process is not limited to humans, and presents opportunity for genetic enhancement and possibly the destruction of some diseases. 

     Another process that uses cloning is plant propagation, and has been utilized for centuries. Cloning occurs in plants when you take a leaf cutting from a plant and grow it into a new plant. You are cloning the original plant because the new plant has the same genetic makeup as the donor plant. Propagation works this way because at the end of the cut plant stem, a colony of cells forms. The colony then divides and forms specialized cells that eventually form a new plant. The same concept is applied in a lab to form new cells from organ tissue. 

     Human cloning could be used in several ways to produce cells, tissues, or organs for the treatment of human disease. On an individual basis, a patient could have his or her cells harvested and used to create new skin cells, or on a larger scale, another organ. This is beneficial on the small scale because it offers opportunity for patients to replace failing body parts.

     I think advancement of science is a benefit and asset to humanity, even if it is accompanied by weighty ethical issues. There has always been a group of people to question if the current scientific project is crossing the ethical human boundary, but if we listened to those voices, we would have never understood gravity, let alone traveled to the moon. I suppose the point is that all decisions carry ethical repercussions, and prior contemplation is needed to weigh the benefits with the cons, and the processes themselves should not necessarily be discarded simply because they present moral implications.



Also, here is a picture of Dolly. She was the first live clone subject. Not too Baa'd, huh?

"Understanding Cloning." The Hutchinson Unabridged Encyclopedia with Atlas and Weather guide. Abington: Helicon, 2010. Credo Reference. Web. 02 March 2013.


"CLONING AND BIOMEDICINE."Encyclopedia of Human Rights Issues since 1945. Santa Barbara: ABC-CLIO, 1999. Credo Reference. Web. 28 February 2013.