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.

 .

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.

Unit Paper One

       Earlier this semester, I was gifted the opportunity to study the vaccination process, and its evolution throughout the years. This was particularly interesting to me because I recently worked in a profession where I had to demand that all of the clients I dealt with had had his or her immunizations. I often heard people tell me that he or she had abstained from doing so due to either paranoia, or rationalized health concerns. For a long time, I thought that these people were rolling the dice with an issue that did not need to be tampered with. After doing some research, I realized that are substantiated fears.

        While much of the issue that was presented was based on the fear of autism being caused by the MMR vaccine, there was not much evidence to substantiate this fear. I did however, find that there is still a lot of mercury in vaccines and immunizations that we use regularly, despite the FDA’s mandate that it be removed. (Goldstein) The issue quickly changed from the autism threat to the mercury content. The biggest worry for me was that it was in the Influenza vaccine that many people get every year. (O’meara)Another issue for me was that the people giving the immunizations and the people in charge of these organizations are both claiming the possibility that the inserts that give information about the ingredients in each vaccination may be incorrect. (Goldstein)  So if there are even trace amounts of mercury in the vaccines, this is a very bad thing considering the number of vaccines that we use is increasing.  In the last 20 years, we've gone from giving children 23 doses of seven vaccines to 38 doses of 12 vaccines. (O’meara) The very notion that the consumers and health care practitioners cannot count on the integrity of the information makes me wonder: what would be the point of having them to begin with?

        While it is unwise to cease all vaccines and immunizations, it would be very good for people to understand all of the issues attached to these vaccines. The autism one was hard for me to get behind, despite some doctors saying that children with autism have a higher content of mercury in their brains. There is simply no conclusive evidence to link the two things. Many vaccinations do not have mercury content and are necessary for international travel; I would encourage parents and adults without children to be aware of the issues before getting vaccinated.

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

a.       I feel confident in my thoroughness during the lab that we just did. It was nice to be able to collect all data and present it in a cohesive manner.

2.    What do you now understand best about the information in this unit?

a.       I understand the basic structure of cells the best out of all that has been covered thus far. Partially due to the fact that I have learned it before.

3.    What actions did you take for yourself to enhance learning or enjoyment of the material?

a.       I did a lot of outside research to better my understanding.

4.    When did you feel most “connected” with the course? Most distanced?

a.       I really connected with the vaccination and autism paper. Most distanced was probably the cube lab that we did the first week.

5.     What could I offer you to help your understanding or enjoyment of the material?

a.       Sometimes the material is hard to retain and therefore it is difficult to complete the assignments or quizzes; I’m not sure there is anything that can be done on the end of the professor.

Citations:

Goldstein, Lisa. "Link Between Autism and Vaccines Is Debated." Education Week. Editorial Projects in Education, Inc., 8 Feb. 2004. Web. 16 Feb. 2013.

O'meara, Katie. "Vaccines May Fuel Autism Epidemic." Insight on The News 24 June 2003: 24-27. Proquest.com. Web. 16 Feb. 2013. .

Milk, Juice, and Carrot Lab

Hello all, 
Here are the pictures and details from the milk, juice, and carrot lab.



Here are the before pictures of the juice lab. I labeled the cups using post-it notes rather than masking tape. I found it to be easier. 

Hypothesis: I believe the juice poured into the boiling water will be a lighter color because I think the hot water will burst the cells that give the juice its color. I think the normal water will be in the middle in regards to the color; it will be darker than the hot water but lighter than the ice water. I think the color of the boiled water and juice combination will be truer to the original color of the juice because there are no impurities in the water to disrupt the juice’s color or content.

Although it was not in the instructions, I decided to wait ten minutes to see if the mixtures changed at all. Here are the pictures: 

Outcome:  The difference in color between the ice water and room temperature was not very vast, surprisingly. The boiling water affected the juice in a manner supportive of what I theorized. 

Milk:

I put the milk in this coffee mug and left in the closet on a shelf and closed the door. 

(for some reason, the website keeps turning this picture. I don't secretly have a gravity defying closet.)

Hypothesis: I think the milk will get a yellow tint to it and get chunky.

After three days: 

I tilted the cup and the milk didn't move at all.

Here you can see that it looks chunky under the surface. Eww.

Outcome: The milk was chunky below the surface and had a smooth film on top. It smelled really bad. 

Carrot:

Hypothesis: I predict that the carrot in the salt water will shrivel more due to the salt emulsion and I think the carrot in normal water will start to grow a little bit of root because ginger in a bag after a couple of days does this. Also, the carrot in the salt water floated a little.

Initial length and width of carrot pieces:

Piece 1: 4 inches long, 1 inch wide

Piece 2: 4 inches long, 1 inch wide

Outcome:

After-experiment length and width of carrot pieces:

Piece 1: 4 inches long and 1 inch wide

Piece 2: 4 inches long and 1 inch wide.

While both pieces didn't change enough to be measured, I did notice that the salt water carrot was squishy.  

Also, the string seemed to loosen a bit around the knot but seemed just as tight around the carrot. It was obviously soggy from being wet as well. 

This was fun!!

Thimerosal: Friend or Foe?

Many issues exist today that present ethical questions regarding healthcare. One issue that is a hot topic for parents is that of immunizations and their content of thimerosal. Thimerosal is a mercury based ingredient that was originally included to kill all traces of a number of contaminants in the vaccine itself. A vaccine can be contaminated after being used more than once, for more than one patient; newer developments have delivered single-dose packaging that precludes the need for thimerosal. In 1999, the FDA mandated that all thimerosal be removed from immunizations, after postulating that the ingredient could be to blame, or at least a contributing factor in the rising number of children with autism. Despite the mandate, The 2003 Physicians’ Desk Reference still shows childhood vaccines containing thimerosal, including the diphtheria, tetanus and pertussis vaccine, the Hib vaccine, and the Hepatitis B vaccine.

Parents of children with autism are struggling to find a cause of this terrible disease, and have found links between the presence of mercury and autism, and have begun blaming thimerosal. This theory has developed, because children experience the onset of symptoms of autism around age 2, which coincides with their receiving the vaccines and so has led some parents to suspect a connection. One toxicologist, H. Vasken Aposhian, a professor of molecular and cellular biology at the University of Arizona, said thimerosal enters the developing brain of young children, adding to their overall mercury-exposure level. He hypothesized that autism will one day prove to be related to a child's inability to effectively rid his or her systems of mercury.

Due to the relative newness of the onset of autism, and lack of information about its causes and subsequent cures, scientists are urging parents to not name the vaccines as the cause of autism, and to also not cease the immunizations. The scientists claim that there is not enough data to confirm that the thimerosal is to blame. The Center for Disease Control, and the Food and Drug Administration are both urging parents to continue with the recommendations given to them by their doctors regarding the immunizations. The Food and Drug Administration also has claimed to have removed thimerosal from vaccines, though signs show that the drugs still include the ingredient. Despite the alleged removal of the ingredient, autism occurrence is still on the rise.

The thimerosal is still present in three of the vaccinations that are required for children to go to public school, and is also present in the flu vaccination that many adults voluntarily accept every year. Much of the fear related to these two instances, in relation to autism is decreased, since doctors believe autism to form in our formative years, long before this. Doctors are still not sure what causes autism, and it would appear that parents are scrambling to explain what is causing the debilitating disease, and in this case blaming thimerosal. The original evidence that the autism scare is based on was seemingly a fluke because scientists tried to replicate it and were unable. Also, the vaccine that was the subject of said allegations was the MMR vaccine, which has been proven to no longer contain thimerosal.

I obviously am not a doctor, nor do I have any kind of experience or knowledge to even begin to analyze the information about what each vaccine does, and the effects of such things. I do, however feel that the simple fact that there is mercury present in some of these vaccines, makes its usage ethically questionable in my mind. My only concern is that many parents don't vaccinate for ignorant reasons and don't know or understand the research. I'm not arguing that all vaccines are unwarranted or unsafe. We, as consenting adults are gifted the right to decide for ourselves, but it is our responsibility to be informed about what we put in our bodies, and our children's as well.