CELL TOUR LINK

http://prezi.com/txkbdt1ymrc2/cell-structure-adventure/

Day 26 -- Y's and y's

Crosses consist of a single trait that, when combined with another subject of the same trait, output four possible offspring from the parents. The trait is represented by two letters: both capital, one capital and one lowercase, or both lowercase. Because the capital letters represent the dominant trait, the recessive trait cannot show unless both letters are lowercase. (If there is an uppercase present, the trait shown is the dominant. This only applies for now....)

Take, for example, the cross of a yellow heterozygous (one dominant and one recessive) and a green homozygous (both recessive) pea. When crossed, a method called the Punnett Square will show all possible offspring from the two parents. In this case, the offspring could be either yellow or green. However, if any offspring do turn out to be yellow, they will always carry the ability to give the recessive trait. (From this example, a child cannot be pure dominant YY because both parents must have the dominant allele.) 

This is a simple cross, meaning there are two letters in each. For dihybrid crosses, we have, basically, the same concept. However, this time, there are four letters (two of two different letters) instead of two! 

These types of crosses are still relatively easy to accomplish. Since we have two different letters in each one, we need to take each possibility and place it up against all possibilities from the second. The hypothetical combination SsYy has four possibilities:

SsYy -- SY // Sy // sY // sy

Now we do the same to the second dihybrid, and we make a slightly larger Punnett square (as seen above). This one, because it is 4 x 4, may have 16 different possible outcomes. However, on the chance that the crosses are exactly the same (e.g. AACC x AACC), there may only be 1 possible outcome (AACC). 

Day 25 -- A Pair of Jeanetics

This guy named Mendel did some experiments with pea plants. 

He observed the traits of the plants while breeding: tall, short, purple, white, to find out which of the traits were shown in later generations. The traits that were passed down, in today's genetic terms, determine which are "Dominant" and "recessive". Mendel's contributions through experimentation changed the world's knowledge of inheritance, and his findings are implemented today. 

These genetics models determine everything about humans as well. The height and color of pea plants are just the beginning: they translate to the height, skin color, and overall genetics of each human being and their offspring. 

(Unit 3 Test) Day 24 -- in HELL

Our test went AWFULLY. 
Well, it went relitively well for some of the smarter people, but most of the information in my brain was cast out by lack of sleep and bad studying habits the night before. My grade turned out to be a low B, one of the worst in the history of Mr. Quick's Honors Biology course. BUT THAT'S OK!!! I'm sure my next test will allow me to make up for one-or-two bad grades. 

 We start our unit on genetics next class. Since Mrs. Blomberg exposed us to the concepts back in 7th grade, I'm sure it will be easy and the test will go well.

Day 23 -- Tonight we dine...

So there's a test coming up....
(Or there was, assuming this blog post was made in the FUTURE on December 18, 2013!!!!)

This was mainly a review day, so there's not much to write. Our Unit 3 Test shall include information from the labs, as well as the process of DNA replication. I am not so keen when it comes to the steps of DNA replication in order: I got a 3 on that quiz. Hopefully, Mr. Quick will allow me to make up the grade. 

We went over the results of the pGlo lab, along with what it meant. Most of the information, as well as some irrelevant information, can be found on my awesome NEW website. 

Wish me LUCK.

https://sites.google.com/site/chrishbiology/

Day 22 -- Protein Shake Synthesis

Today we learned how to synthesize proteins!!!!!!

There are two important steps to the synthesis of proteins....

• TRANSCRIPTION: The DNA is changed to mRNA, which is readable by the ribosomes that later create the proteins. The new mRNA contains all the codes necessary for each chains of polypeptides, which form Proteins in large amounts.

• TRANSLATION: The mRNA is changed into the Amino Acid. The mRNA has its introns removed, which are empty space and do not provide anything of value to the coding process. Caps (A and G) are placed on both ends to prevent antibodies from reading the mRNA as a hostile intruder and attacking it. 

• Once the DNA has been changed, the RNA goes through small pockets in the nuclear envelope out into the cell. Small tRNA link to Amino Acids, and the Ribosomes attach onto a strand of mRNA. 

• The mRNA's "codons", or every three letters in its coding, link up with the Anti-codons in the AA/tRNA combination, and in the middle slot of the three in the ribosome, a chain of polypeptides are formed from that information. (Sides include the entrance, or side A, the processing side P, and the exit side E.)

• When the stop codon "AUG" is broadcast, the process will stop, the tRNA combinations will float away, and the polypeptide chains will be released. 

• These polypeptide chains form the proteins when they come together in large amounts. 

This process repeats for eternity until we die. As we will always need protein production, these steps never stop. 

Day 21 -- Beautiful Flowers and Deformed Limbs

In this picture, the flower has experienced an inherited mutation of its cells. As we learned in the previous chapter of "Your Inner Fish", these types of mutations can be caused by environmental effects (radiation, UV, etc.). However, this effect was caused by a mutation that caused the streaks of purple and white at the same time. This effect (as well as others) may or may not affect its ability to survive in the climate. (While this is a flower, it is probably not affected.)


In the second picture, the extra fingers on the hand are also caused by a genetic mutation, one most commonly associated with the Sonic Hedgehog gene (see last post). This one is the result of excess ZPA gene, which contains finger-development instructions. Containing more of the gene will cause finger production to increase, causing more fingers than usual. (As similar to the Sonic Hedgehog, there are similar types of the gene for production of other limbs.) 

Day 20 -- pGLO

Last night the discussion in "Your Inner Fish" was all about the Sonic Hedgehog gene. Once present, it can be altered with the presence of Vitamin A, with which it causes the development of extra limbs on an animal or person. Viruses inject their own DNA into that of their host, causing changes (that may be used for cancer and disease research in the future.). 

So with DNA at hand, our plan was to add a protein to an E-Coli bacteria culture. 

Our lab is as follows:  
Our goal is to change the DNA of a culture of E-Coli so that it produces a protein that glows in the dark, making each of the bacteria have the glowing effect. We will do so via heat shock, bringing the temperature to a constant heat, then cooling it off for a few seconds, then heating it again. 

We wiped the bacteria, which were added to the small tubes before the heat shock, to each of the petri dishes. One of them was unmodified, which was to produce no change. One of them received no protein for ampacillin, and that one was killed off by the addition of ampacillin. But the other two, which had the resistance, produced much different results. The bacteria culture modified with the resistance to ampacillin thrived even in the harsher conditions. Finally, the bacteria with resistance to ampacillin and the glowing protein activator continued to grow until visible to the human eye, and glowed when exposed to UV light. 

After a few days, the cultures would not continue growing. This is due to the lack of food source (the broth added to the petri dishes), on which the bacteria feast. When there is no food, the process of mitosis stops, and the bacteria can no longer reproduce. 

Day 19 -- Visual DNA

Mr. Quick's plan was to show us DNA replication through paper cutting and taping, etc. It worked incredibly well, and I think it will definitely increase my knowledge of the subject in the future.

We were given the menial task of cutting out small Guanines, Thymines, Adenines, and Cytosines from paper, and taping them together with their pairs. When they had finally been completed, we started the process of DNA replication by making an incision in one of the strands to represent the starting point. We acted out the processes of Helicase, DNA Polymerase III and I, Ligase, and Primase to create a brand new double-strand of DNA, which me and John hung on the glass cabinet. 

Most of the discussion revolved around the structure of DNA. We discussed the the phosphates and sugars, along with the phosphodiester bonds, and their connections during the process of DNA replication. During the replication process, the hydrogen bonds between the left and rights strands are detached by the Helicase instead of the PH bonds. (With the attachment of RNA to prime it, PH bonds are attached.)


(Chapter 6 Summary Here)

Day 18 -- Online Questions Placeholder

Day 17 -- Placeholder for Homework

(Unit 2 Test) Day 16 -- And then there was the...

UNIT 2 TEST!!!!!
Obviously, I did extremely well. No need to comment here. 
Our next unit will involve DNA and actual biology other really cool genetics-linked stuff, so stay tuned!

Day 15 -- Hatchlings

There was a grand total of 1-2 living brine shrimp. I was greatly disappointed, but after thinking about it, the lack of living shrimp was probably my fault one way or another. Daniel and my data were the only ones that were inconsistent with the remainder of the class.

Nevertheless, the lab was still a success! We established that, because the shrimp only hatched in the 0.5 salinity solution, that is the ideal salt content for brine shrimp hatching. In the other groups, there was a much lower rate in the hatching of other salinity solutions. Since our data partially reflected everyone else's data, we could say, without a doubt, that we found the perfect brine shrimp conditions.

Mr. Quick explained the effect that the rainy seasons and dry seasons had on the hatching of brine shrimp. While at times the rain is heavy, the salinity of the water in the Great Salt Lake in Utah lowers. With the lower salt content comes a lack of brine shrimp, for the conditions around them are not ideal for hatching. On the other hand, other types of shrimp that prefer the lower salinity will hatch, and thrive until the dry season. When less rain falls in the summer, the water levels will go down and the salinity will rise. Between the super-high salinity and the average salinity lies the perfect conditions for the brine shrimp to hatch. They thrive until the rainy season, and the process repeats itself.

Then there was widespread reproduction. 
We placed 25 red beads and 25 green beads into a bag to represent gene selection. The red was a tiger's dominant gene for fur, and the green the recessive gene for no fur. Those with the double recessive showed the trait, and were killed off by nature. Once we discovered which lived, we placed all the remaining beads in the bag again and repeated for 10 generations. 

The first generation killed of at least 10 tigers, while the number of killed decreased steadily until there were 5 possible combinations in later generations, all that carried the trait. When some only some carry the trait, it is extremely difficult for them to die out, because the probability of selecting two green (and no red) was very low. 

Had the experiment continued indefinitely, some of the tigers would have survived, for the number of recessive genes was odd, and therefore one would carry forever without dying. 

This is a close representation of our experiment, except we used 25 red and 25 green.

Day 14 -- Brine Shrimp Introduction

Bear with me: this is cool. 

We began a lab today involving brine shrimp. We added the shrimp into different conditions and watched them grow. Since they grow only in a specific salinity, and we had tests in multiple salt levels, it was obvious to tell in which of the conditions they were able to grow. 

We took a few of the shrimp eggs on a paintbrush and attempted to move them to a glass plate with tape. Needless to say, my shaky hands caused us to collect uneven amounts of the eggs. We were told that the exact amounts did not matter, but as we had to count the eggs individually and record the number for reference, it seemed to matter. While one plate had eggs in the twenties (thanks to Daniel's precise movements), my others ranged from 15 to 60+ eggs. 


We prepared water conditions in which the eggs were to grow, consisting of different salinity levels: 0, 0.5, 1.0, 1.5, and 2. Calculating the volume of the water and the necessary salt content to achieve each salinity, we combined the two to form barely-surfacing pools of salt-water. 

Placing each of the trays in their specified water tray, we could now rest assured that the shrimp eggs would do the work. We could determine the perfect salinity for brine shrimp habitation by the amount of shrimp that hatched in each condition.

Only time will tell.

Día de los Padres

Since most of the concepts were explained in the last blog post, this one will be relatively short. 

Parents were invited into the class to discuss a lab on Natural Selection. My mother, being a Biology Major, had some useful information to add to the conversation, making me feel like an idiot on the subject. We were shown two pictures of average faces side-by-side and told to write down which was the better. (Some had slight changes in width, etc.) The results revealed the personal preferences in choices for mates. Many of us preferred the female-looking face while only one or two preferred masculine traits. 

There was a discussion about the articles read the night prior. Often people prefer faces with more symmetry and masculine features than others, which promotes the process of natural selection. Unwanted traits die out with the people due to them being unwanted as a mating partner.

Day 13 -- Chris Jung and the Terrible Horrible No Good Very Bad Paleo Project

So...

Just to make matters worse, we have started the Unit 2 Paleo Project!

Daniel and I decided to do the project on a transitional fossil similar to the Archaeopteryx. As the 
"Early bird gets the worm," it is obvious that our research and development on the subject will result in the greatest website yet.

The assignment included researching a creature from prehistoric times, and "finding" a transitional
fossil between it and a close ancestor. Since we chose bird-related fossils, our task was to create a new missing link between Archaeopteryx and its close ancestor. We named the new fossil 
"Protoavis," and got started on our website. Our fake identities were Dr. John Murray and Dr. William Emerson, founding Daily Paleontology in 2013.

EDIT: This site is live, and looks incredibly professional! Follow the link here.

In class today we discussed our fates as well as Fava Beans. As they are widely used in the Eastern Hemisphere, some people have a defect at the genetic level called Glucose-6 Phosphate Dehydrogenase Deficiency (G6PD), which causes bad symptoms if the beans are consumed.

There are some possible positive effects from the deficiency, however, including resistance to malaria. As malaria is common throughout the area, there is constant discussion over weather to eat the beans due to its possible negative side effects, or to do so based on the positive effects.

Day 12 -- A QUIZ!!!

And then there was a QUIZ!!!! 
Evolutionary Evidence Quiz to be exact.

1. 
The transitional animals between the Mesonychid and the Basilosaurus, which existed within a 15 million year period, give evidence for the necessary evolution from a land-dwelling animal to a sea-dwelling creature. (Such as food, over-powerful predators, etc.) Between 55 and 52 mya, there was a necessity that forced the Mesonychid to adapt into a streamlined form, sprouting a webbing between its fingers and gills to breathe in water. Within several more million years, the animal had grown to live in water, its tail taking a more effective shape for water movement. Over time, there was even more adaptation for an already-accustomed-to-water animal into its final form, most effective for hunting prey or escaping predators.

2. Marsupials originated from the continent of North America 65 million years ago. Over time, the majority migrated to Africa and Australia. The correct answer is: E.  

3. In the development of birds, bats, and butterflies, the wings are a distinct homologous structure. The birds and bats have the same bone structure descended from a common ancestor, with "gradual modifications in development" based on environmental needs. The butterfly's wing is considered an analogous structure, as it serves a similar function (providing flight) but is completely different (containing no bone). 


4. The Common Decent lab shows the genetic relations of certain animals to others with similar DNA and Cytochrome-C structures. When a species exhibits a structure consistent to that of another species, it suggests that the two are distantly related by a common ancestor. (On the other hand, when there are many genetic differences in the Cytochrome-C, there is a much farther-distanced relationship between the two species.) For example, primates have a similar structure of Cytochrome-C as humans, with only a few exceptions in the last few strings of the composition. Yeast and humans have many genetic differences, showing they are further separated genetically. 

5. Homology is the relationship of similar structures in different animals. They are brought about as a result of shared ancestry. There is modification of the structures due to basic needs (food, survival, etc.), which causes differences in different species. However, like the arm structure (containing a single bone, two bones, and a blob/digits), each retains its basic structure. 

Day 11 -- The Evolution Investigation -- (EVIDENCE??)

DISCLAIMER: This post is not from the correct day. I have been very far behind on my blog posts, so everything after this post is from November-December.

The homework from the night before brought up the evidence for evolution, and we spring into the second Paleontology unit. 

Evolution is a theory, meaning it is not completely proven true, per say. However, due to the observable data, it is considered much more than a scientific "hunch." Charles Darwin interpreted the data around him to determine that all creatures originated from a common ancestor. The fossil record, all the fossils in age-related layers buried in the ground, and similarities in genes all support Darwin's inference, which is widely accepted to be "true" today. But it is not written in stone because of human inability to prove it to be correct. 

Then there was a lab with small beads, which naturally got all over the classroom. The purpose was to prove some of Darwin's principles, including that humans, chimpanzees, and gorillas evolved from a common ancestor. To do so, we assigned bead colors to each of the amino acids in the DNA strand. 

• Green for Guanine (appropriate)
• White for Thymine
• Red for Cytosine 
• Black for Adenine 

From there we lined up the beads to form a strand, then compared the two. We could see a few trends, a came up with a cladogram. (Since I don't have the original, here is a copy: )

Day 10 -- Post-Doomsday and Paleontology

Got the test back, and the grade was much better than expected! Turns out that Mr. Quick's grading system has come through for me. At this point, I'm very lucky to have a good grade in this class.

With the first unit behind us, the time has come to move onto the next unit. With great involvement in the development of fossils, it seems that the once-Biology class has turned into a Paleontology review course. There was discussion about evolution on a basis involving the earliest of life forms. There was quite a bit of talk, also, about a "common ancestor" from which many animals evolved. It is possible, considering that the homology stands for itself. Some animals have the same arm structures that humans do, differing only by a webbed hand than one with distinct digits. Through some of the images that were shown in the book "Your Inner Fish", it seems like a very plausible solution. 

We discussed the Tiktaalik and its role as a transition between sea-dwelling creatures and land dwelling creatures. As seen during the amazing field trip to the Raymond M. Alf Museum of Paleontology, the fossil of this ancient creature has structures matching those of fish (scales, fins, etc.) and those of amphibians (flat head, wrists, etc.). It is shown transitioning onto land in the museum exhibit, suggesting that it was able to traverse both.

(Unit 1 Test) Day 9 -- Doomsday

There was a test today. Self-explanatory.

Day 8 -- Preparation

This was the review day. Sooner or later, there has to be that one depressing Unit Test. On the day before, everyone crams in as much information as they can. (The B Block Honors Biology class is no exception.)

There was a quiz to prepare us for the test. I didn't do as well as expected, and only received a 2 on both subjects. (Even though it's not good to place grades here, I feel it's for the best.) And then the fire alarm went out in the middle of it, meaning we didn't finish the class. 

There's only to hope and pray. 

Day 7 -- All Out Attack

So, who took Jerell's Ipod?
This class period was consumed by a massive evidence analysis experiment to figure out who took an Ipod, based on samples left at the imaginary crime scene. The tests involved the finding of starch, glucose, lipids, and proteins. Using the same methods we have in the past, we figured out the results. 

We began by predicting the foods that belong to groups of organic compounds. (For example, fish and steak would belong to the protein category, and bread and rice to the carbohydrates.) There were then tests of vegetable oil, glucose, potato starch, egg whites, and water to place them in the categories previously mentioned. 

Brown bag tests of the original substances to find lipids.

To find evidence of lipids, we placed each of the foods on pieces of brown paper bag. Those that left an obvious mark, or bled through leaving a transparent surface, contained lipid. The oil, which was predicted to contain lipid, tested positive. All others tested negative. 

Then, we tested for carbohydrates, or glucose in this experiment. As we are known to do, we altered the experiment by testing via Benedict's solution. It was revealed that there was glucose present in the glucose. (This sentence is completely unnecessary and redundant, but I thought it should be included anyway. Any logical thought process would reveal this.) But there were negative tests for all the others. 

• Starch test (Iodine) - Present in starch
• Protein test (Biuret) - Present in Egg whites
• Lipid test (Bag) - Present in Vegetable Oil
• Glucose Test (Benedict's) - Present in Glucose

We then were to test certain foods for the presence of these four, which included a pretzel, butter, jelly, fat-free yogurt, and beans. The tests for the five resulted as predicted, with the butter containing lipids, the jelly containing glucose, etc. Once we received outcomes for each, we could associate the foods with the different categories based on their positive test results.

Results from the food and evidence tests.

The evidence, which was clearly the most important part of the experiment, came last. We tested liquid and solid parts of the evidence, each producing a different result. The dry contained carbohydrates, while the liquid contained proteins and lipids. Since not many drinks are known for containing lipids besides dairy products, it pointed us in the right direction in solving the crime. 

Taking a look at the suspected suspects, the closest match to the contents of the evidence was Jose, who was eating a bean and cheese burrito at the time. Since it contained both protein and lipid (but lacked starch, which was found in the evidence), the burrito somewhat matched the evidence. We accused Jose, and found that he was the culprit.

Note to Experiment Composer:

I find the fact that Jose is eating a bean burrito in the experiment to be slightly racist. In addition, he was found as the culprit, which backs up my point. Next time, there should be fewer accusations of culture, and more of thieves. 

Day 6 -- Normal Routine

With a lack of experiments to do and an abundance of written works to be started, we didn't do anything noteworthy today.

The class started by diagramming the cell membrane, explaining the parts of it, and learning the functions. There were a number of facts thrown at us all at once, but the main gist was as follows:

• The Cell Membrane is a semi-permeable membrane that all living organisms contain (except for viruses). 
• The structure consists of a Phospholipid Bilayer, or layers of hydrophilic phosphates with attached hydrophobic lipids, as the "wall."
• Proteins are considered "gatekeepers" and do many tasks, including transport, signal transduction, cell-to-cell recognition, and operation of enzymatic activity.
• Diffusion is carried out through carrier proteins (change in shape to allow particles through) and channel proteins (a gateway for particles that requires ATP).
• Osmosis is carried out because polar molecules (as Mr. Quick put it) "love" proteins. (See picture)

The class is bound to have another large quiz or test, it's just a matter of time. Hopefully, this won't be on it. 

Day 5 -- Back to Square One

We continued the experiment today. It's very odd to finish parts 2-4 before finishing part 1 or 5, even more to add in a sixth and seventh step. There's probably a plausible reason for the skipping around. 

This dialysis tubing contained a solution of 15% Glucose and 15% Starch. After adding 8mL to the tube, we tested it with a Glucose Strip. (There was not much to expect: it detected glucose.) We then tested the 50mL of water with the same glucose strip and, receiving a negative response, continued with the experiment. 

Then there was some confusion. Mr. Quick had apparently told us to add the 1mL of iodine after waiting 15 minutes. However, the instructions instructed us to add it immediately. It is doubtful that this mistake negatively affected the results, but it is a notable step.

The cubes of KI sitting around. The color went from white
to black rather quickly.

While that sat around, we started the second part. Daniel and I were given a block of Potassium Iodide (KI). We measured the surface area and volume of the cubes and placed it in an indicator. The brownish-red liquid seeped into the sides of the KI, simulating a cell's diffusion of substances through the cell wall. Different sized slices of the KI required a different amount of indicator. When they were removed, we observed the distance that the indicator had leaked into the "walls" of the cube. 

We mercilessly sliced the cubes lengthwise, revealing the layer of black that had seeped through. That black was measured and calculated, based on the size of the cubes originally. 

KI cube 2, after being sliced

The cubes were representative of cells, the experiment showing the effects of surrounding liquids on a cell wall and the wall's reactions.

Removing the solution of Glucose and Starch from its watery prison, we placed a few drops of the surrounding water in an indicator. It positively detected glucose in the surrounding water. Why is this? Because the membrane of the dialysis tubing is semi-permeable, it allows the smaller glucose molecules to pass freely through, while disallowing the larger starch molecules any access to the outside.

More information soon...

Day 4 -- A Starchy Situation

Daniel and I tried our hands at explaining diffusion and osmosis, only this time, there were no words allowed. (Besides "diffusion" and "osmosis") I decided to take the mature path, while Daniel attempted to explain diffusion through a different... type of expression.

We jumped right into the first experiment today. Daniel and I attempted to identify the concentration within six liquids of different colors. We placed 8mL of each liquid into a permeable membrane, tied them off, and dropped them into 30mL of distilled water. You can see the initial sizes, as well as the results after 30 minutes, in the pictures below.

Initial dialysis tubing size

Size after 30 minutes

The results, as well as the approximate molarity of each of the liquids, were easily interpreted after the experiment. The red and green liquids showed a massive amount of change in comparison to the others. Through the newly-learned process of osmosis, the water diffused through many of the membranes into the area of fewer water molecules. (As shown on the board.)

Then we split the group up. While our group attempted to do a similar problem using slices of potatoes, our lab partners tested the best molarity of sports drinks. We obtained some sliced potatoes and surgically cut them into roughly-equal pieces. After massing the potatoes and placing them in colored liquids, we allowed nature to take its course.

I came to the lab late last night to measure the potatoes in the liquid. Although it seems that our data was acceptable (in both experiments) it was still relatively off. Some of the potatoes that I predicted to shrink ended up growing, and vice versa. (I guess it isn't about being correct, it's about the final result.) The results can be explained through the processes of osmosis and diffusion. As water tends to move from high water concentration to lower concentrated areas (places with more solution and less water), we can predict the molarity changes by the mass changes...

Red potato data (Left) vs. Molarity (Right)

Graph of potato molarity (Not the Red potato data)

The average mass changes for the blue and clear were positive, meaning water seeped out the system. For the others, however, there was a negative mass change, suggesting that the water went into the system. Because the isotonic point fell between 0.2M (Clear) and 0.4M (Green) in the results, we the isotonic point of the potato is between the two. 

When we graphed the results, we discovered that it was a bit more than 0.2M for the red potato. The graph that Daniel and I made for the solution doesn't reflect the data above, but the different type of potato. (Seen above)

Similarly, an experiment was done to test the solute percentage of energy drinks. Just like the original dialysis tube experiment, four different energy drinks were placed in dialysis tubing. The six tubes were then placed in six cups, just like the potato experiment (shown above). 

Now, the doctor is called in for a case. An 18-year-old teenager 

Day 3 -- Water, Sweat, and Cabbage

In class on Thursday, we were met with the challenge of explaining the cause for coastal areas being cooler than inland areas. Daniel and I did the best we could with the few words we were allowed:

We were able to relate the heat capacity of water to that of air and land, showing the smaller heat increase in the ocean. Despite Mr. Quick's questioning, we successfully drew our way to an accurate explanation.

Even more, we were asked to explain the process of sweating in humans and dogs. As humans have pores to release heat, dogs use their tongues to release the same heat due to their lack of pores.

In humid weather, the water on the surface of skin cannot evaporate quickly due to the large amount of water already in the surrounding air. In windy weather, the air around is constantly moving around, so the sweat can evaporate rather quickly.

----

In other news, how can we use red cabbage as a PH indicator?

• Red cabbage contains a "pigment molecule" called "flavin", which is an anthocyanin, that changes color based on the PH. 
• When presented with an acid, the flavin will turn the cabbage red.
• When presented with a neutral solution, the flavin will turn the cabbage purple. 
• When presented with a base, the flavin will turn the cabbage green or yellow. 

It changes in response to hydrogen ion concentration. (Acids donate hydrogen ions while Bases accept them.)

• If acid rain were to fall on the cabbage during development, the flavin within would react to the rain and change the cabbage a red color. This may be the reason for the name "red" cabbage. 
• Soils in acid rain have a resistance to acid, known as buffering capacity. The capacity of absorption of acid depends on location. 

 

Day 2 -- Misinformation

There's been quite a bit going on the last few days. I missed the second class, so I don't have any information about it, besides the quizzes. It's difficult to write blog posts.

As I receive more information on that class, I will update this post. 

Day 1 -- Milk, Food coloring, and Fats (A Belated Post)

I understand this post is very late, but it was best to get it in anyway. Even before Day 1, classes were quite eventful. But I'll try my best to stay on track and keep up with the class. 

--

John and I were paired for a lab analysis experiment on the 22nd. 

Objective: We were challenged to find why the milk reacts to the soap the way it does.

Procedure: (Every test was repeated to solidify results.) Our thought process caused us to lean towards fat content as a factor. Therefore, the first test involved milk with different fat contents. 

• Test 2% (10ml) and 4% milk (10ml) with food coloring and the same soap. (Soap drop constant- tip of toothpick)

Results 1:  Both types of milk reacted in similar manners, but the 4% milk (containing a higher percentage of fat) reacted much more quickly.

The process then was to find if the milk was the cause for the reaction, and not the fat contained within. 

• Test coffee (10ml) with a mixture of coffee (8ml) and 4% milk (2ml). The food coloring and soap remain consistent.

Results 2: The coffee produces the opposite reaction. While milk seemed to instantly repel the food coloring and soap, the coffee caused the food coloring to collect around the soap. The milk combined with the coffee produced an extraordinary effect: some of the food coloring was attracted and some repelled. 

Results, Analysis, and Conclusion: From the few tests we accomplished in the allotted time, we proved two important concepts. First, something inside the milk itself was causing the soap and food coloring to react the way they did. (As coffee did not react similarly. More tests with different liquids would have clarified this point.) Second, the fat content in the milk was the determining factor in the reaction. (The reaction was amplified with an increased fat content.)

Why exactly? A combination of animal fat, plant fat, the bipolarity of fat, and surface tension answer the question. Obviously, the plant fat in coffee produces a different result than the animal fat.

Expect future posts to be on the specified date.