Our Final Goodbyes

Most of the time in class this week was spent in preparation for the final exam. We took that exam today, explaining EVERYTHING about biology. Needless to say, I did not feel confident about it. Even more, I still have to update standards and do some stuff concerning the website. 

However, at this point the deed is done. Biology Class is over. Unless Mr. Quick requires some summer work, or Fitz works with him to continue the blog, this will be my last official update post. I have to say, it's been fun, but all good things must come to an end. 

Goodnight sweet bio.

Lab Report!!!

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1w-5A2DJaeDUPAblzKSTyiRWqG9M9aaBaarH4Ak49mI/edit

Hormonal

With all the study on plants, and the lab going on, we've been stuffed full of information on those plants and their reproduction. Yay.

Auxins are a group of plant hormones that contribute to "growth and behavioral processes" in the life of a plant. There are four naturally-synthesized auxins in plants:

• Indole-3-Acetic Acid (IAA) -- Plays a role in embryo development, leaf formation, photo- and gravitropism, fruit development, and root development. At a molecular level, it assists with cell enlongation and cell division. Its most important role is that of a signaling molecule in the development of plant organs and the monitoring of growth. 
• 4-Chloroindole-3-Acetic Acid (4-CI-IAA) -- Although little is known about it, this hormone may be referred to as the "death hormone". It promotes the movement of plant nutrients to the seed, starving the plant and preparing the seed itself. 
• Phenylacetic Acid (PAA) -- This has similar effects to the other hormones, promoting plant growth and development. However, PAA is best known for its production of Phenylacetone, an active ingredient in Methamphetamine.   
• Indole-3-Butyric Acid (IBA) -- IBA is found often in leaves and seeds of maize and other plants. Little is known about it, but it may be converted into IAA via β-oxidation. 

Abscisic acid (ABA) is also used for many developmental processes in plants. It is known mostly for its affect on bud dormancy, as well as its affect on plant responses to environmental stress. ABA is a hormone that contributes to the abscission (cutting, shredding) of plant leaves, flowers, or seeds.

When there is an environmental abnormality, ABA takes effect. In the cold, it acts as an inhibitor to the "vascular cambium", meaning it slows plant growth in the cold. When there is little available water in the soil, it causes the leaves to reduce transpiration and conserve water.

Ethylene is a gaseous hormone that is associated with fruit ripening and the "triple response" of the plant, or the avoidance of damage to the seeds. In the protection process, the hormone affects the seed in three different steps:

• It prevents the seedling stem and root from elongating
• It induces the stem and root of the plant to become thicker.
• It bends the stem so that leaves grow horizontally. 

In addition, it also assists with the processes undertaken by the other hormone types, including abscission of leaves and fruit, flower production, budding, and opening, ripening of fruit, and "induction of femaleness in dioecious flowers". 

Most of this information is not from Wikipedia. It's all based on legitimate sources and prior knowledge.

La Flor del Amor

So today we did a blog on flowers.

The color involves a shade of hot pink on the outside, and darker pick and red on the inside. The reproductive anthers are clearly visible, being black on the ends. A pattern of red dots is exuded from the the center outward. It was found outside the admissions building around 1:25 pm.

The flower was two inches across and attached to a bush, that had stems branching out from the center. The bush itself was around 1.5 feet tall. Oddly enough, the flower observed was the only blooming flower on the bush, as the rest had wilted or not yet sprouted. Being in late spring, only an outside force (lack of watering, shade, etc.) could be the cause for the lack of flowers. The bush is located directly underneath a large tree, which shades the sunlight from the leaves, preventing effective photosynthesis of the bush. Also, the area in which the plant grows is not very well tended by the Webb gardeners, as it is in a hard-to-reach area.

There was no interaction with the environment during the time of observation. In fact, there was no wind, meaning no movement of the flower. After fifteen minutes of observation, I moved onto the next one.

The second was a tree flower, located on a branch just outside of the museum. The tree was probably twelve feet tall at its tallest, and the flowers showed wherever there was a branch. Unlike the first bush, the tree was covered in blooming flowers.

This certain flower is a shade of bright red, with transitions to yellow and orange along the outside. Within the center, the reproductive system of the flower can be clearly seen. They sprout from the edge of branches, which hang out three to six feet from the trunk, and only seem to appear on the outsides of those branches. Also, they are surrounded by green leaves (as seen in the picture) on all sides.

The flower itself was around an inch and a half across. The tree, being the tallest object in its vicinity, was not blocked by anything from above. This presented obvious opportunity for photosynthesis in the leaves closer to the top and sides. Other flowers were at different stages of sprouting, some larger than the one I observed and some recently sprouted.

Unlike the pink flower, there was a bit of environmental interaction. By this time, the wind had picked up to a cool breeze, allowing for the leaves to sway slightly. Also, since there were many flowers on this tree, every three flowers had a pollinating bee. These bees moved from flower to flower, and an individual never repeated a flower (as I observed). However, some bees pollinated the flowers that other bees had already pollinated. I managed to get a picture of the flower, as well as another behind it, without the presence of any stinging pollinators.

The final flower was found outside in the quad, near the ramp and stairs leading to the library . It is a blue-violet color, extending a foot from the ground on a single branch. It was around 1.5 inches across, and has leaves on the branch around the bottom, but not too low as to be blocked from sunlight.

There were multiple single-branch flowers of this type surrounding the one I chose to observe. All had a green branch one foot long, flowers of dark green at the bottom, and a single blue-violet flower with five petals. Everything was stationed fairly close to the ground, which is justified in that there was nothing blocking sunlight from above. As it is located in a high-traffic area of Webb, the flower receives regular care and watering, allowing for it and the surrounding plants to sprout fully.

There was no pollination of the flower, as there were many people walking around the area. It did, however, experience some swaying due to faster winds.

Controlling Domesticated Nature

http://www.pinterest.com/chrisj1182/the-manipulation-of-species/

SourceS:
Google Images. (Last Accessed 4/30/14). http://images.google.com/
Pollan, Michael. The Botany of Desire. (New York: Random House, 2002). Introduction.

Follow the white rabbit

So there was a lab today on predation, and the relation between predator and prey. We did a game-like activity to find trends between number of predators (wolves) and number of prey (rabbits). The lab required paper, lots of paper.

The results indicate that when the number of wolves is low, the number of rabbits increases, which in turn increases the number of wolves, decreasing the number of rabbits, and then decreases the number of wolves. This is a predator-prey cycle, which looks like two cosine curves, with one slightly to the right. 

We set up a paper ecosystem and placed paper rabbits onto it. The WOLFMASTER throws a wolf paper onto the ecosystem, and attempts to "eat" the rabbits by touching the papers. When the wolf is thrown, if it is touching three or more rabbits it can reproduce, meaning the MASTER gets to throw two the next round. If it doesn't it starves to death. Every rabbit that is not eaten gets to reproduce as well at the beginning of the next round, increasing the population by double. 

Data below: (Each number is the starting individuals at each round.)

Round (Number)	White Rabbits (Start)	Yellow Rabbits (Start)	Green Rabbits (Start)	Wolves (Start)
1	1	1	1	1
2	2	2	2	1
3	4	4	4	1
4	8	8	8	1
5	12	14	14	2
6	18	22	28	4
7	26	30	42	8
8	30	38	48	14
9	32	38	48	25
10	2	4	12	60
11	0	2	4	1
12	0	4	8	1
13	0	6	16	1
14	0	12	32	1
15	0	22	56	2

 

The Environment -- This is the color of our paper background. The color makes it easier for rabbits of darker green colors to camouflage into the background. Wolves can best see light green and white rabbits here, allowing a food source for their survival. This is a good area for nomad wolves, as the population is replaced every round.


The White Rabbit -- This species has a fur of white, which contrasts with the surrounding environment. This means that it is the most likely candidate to go extinct, due to overhunting of its stand-out colors.

 
The Green -- This species is the best suited, as its green color is the closest to that of the environment. Based on this fact, it is selected to survive.



The Light Green -- This species better blends into the environment, due to its similar green color. It is less likely to be eaten, and only by very attentive wolves. This variation is more suited to survive in our chosen environment.


Based on the color, the rabbit variation with darker green fur is more likely to survive. This will cause the whites to die out first, as seen by our data. The wolf population will increase slightly behind the rabbit population, due to the abundance of food in the area. When the predator species then increases enough to dominate the prey population, the rabbits decrease to near-extinction levels. With the lack of food, the predators then die off as well. And when there are no more predators, the remaining prey species individuals reproduce to the high levels, and the cycle starts again.

Another!

Then in the Savanna, there was a massive meteor strike that KILLED EVERYTHING!
Or so one would think...

https://sites.google.com/site/savannatraveljournal/emg_meteor-strikes-zambia

Savanna Journal -- So we went on this trip...

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

Week 5 -- We're Back, Baby.

Break has come to and end, and now begins the final quarter of Honors Bio!

Below is my awesome Lab Report for the Isopod Lab that we did before break. 

DOWNLOAD - Easy download in *.doc format. 

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Chris Jung

Mr. Quick

April 15, 2014

Behavior of Isopods in Changes in Environment Temperature, Color, and Moisture

Abstract:

Pillbugs react either according to the stimuli (taxis behavior) or disregarding them (kinesis behavior). This lab placed the pillbugs in different temperatures, colors, and moisture, and determined their type of reaction to the environment. Based on the random movement in the different moisture amounts, it was discovered that their moving behavior disregarded moisture. On the other hand, it was discovered that there was movement towards a greener color and a colder environment, showing that these two factors are influential stimuli in the behavioral patterns of pillbugs.

Introduction:

Armadillidiidium vulgare, or land-dwelling isopods that are commonly known as “pillbugs, are the only member of the woodlouse family with the ability to roll into a defensive ball. They average a length of 10mm long in adulthood, but may reach up to 18mm at the largest. They are crustaceans from the order Isopoda and suborder Oniscidea that, like other crustaceans, breathe using gills.

Requiring the moisture for respiration, they often live in darker and colder environments, such as under rocks and leaves. As this environment is native to the armadillidiidae, should it be changed, the animals may respond with two types of behaviors: taxis and kinesis. When the pillbugs are placed in a dual environment, with sides of light and darkness, a response of taxis would indicate movement away from the light side. On the other hand, a response of kinesis would indicate random movement, and no response to the light.

(For more information, see “Questions” below.)

This lab will deal with ethology, or the study of animal behavior, via the determination of the type of behavior from the pillbugs with environmental changes. We will organize their reaction based on environmental changes in moisture, temperature, and color. Our question: when the environment in which pillbugs are placed offers a choice between moistures, colors, and temperatures, will the pillbugs respond with behavior of taxis or kinesis?

Hypotheses:

Moisture – If the pillbugs are exposed to the wet and dry environment choice, then their movement will appear random, but will ultimately result in more movement towards the wetter side. (Taxis)

Color – Due to the lack of adequate lighting in their native environment, if the pillbugs are exposed to environments of differing colors, then they will move randomly, and not favor one side. (Kinesis)

Temperature – Because their natural environment involves cold, damp areas, if the pillbugs are exposed to colder and normal environments, then they will move towards the colder side of the environment. (Taxis)

Procedure:

Basic Setup

1. Obtain ten pillbugs from the surrounding environment. (They are commonly found under rocks or piles of leaves.)
2. Obtain a double petri dish, one with two sides that the pillbugs may move between.
3. Place some “bedding material” (cloth, etc.) on both sides of the dish, and add moisture.

Moisture Test

1. (Follow steps 1-2 under “Basic Setup”.)
2. Place the bedding material on both sides of the dish.
3. Add moisture to one side of the dish, leaving the other as is.
4. Observe the movements of the pillbugs. Write down the amount of pillbugs on each side every thirty seconds. Determine whether they follow a behavioral pattern of taxis or kinesis.

Temperature Test

1. (Follow the steps under “Basic Setup”.)
2. Cover both sides of the double petri dish using a non-transparent object, to simulate a dark environment.
3. Place ice packs on the top and bottom of one side of the dish, making one environment colder than the other.
4. Observe the movement of the pillbugs. Write down the amount of pillbugs on each side every thirty seconds, quickly removing the cold packs and cover to do so. Determine their behavioral pattern based on the results.

Color Test

1. (Follow the steps under “Basic Setup”.)
2. Cover the bottom surface of one side of the dish with green beads. Do the same with clear beads on the other side.
3. Cover both sides with a non-transparent object to simulate darkness.
4. Observe the movement of the pillbugs. Write down the amount of pillbugs on each side every thirty seconds. Determine their behavioral pattern based on the results. (Note that it may be difficult to count the pillbugs on the green side. Instead, count those on the clear side and subtract the result from ten.)

Results:

Time (Min)	Number in Dry Chamber	Number in Wet Chamber	Number in Green Chamber	Number in Clear Chamber	Number in Cold Chamber	Number in Room Temp Chamber
0	5	5	0	10	4	6
0.5	3	7	2	8	5	5
1	3	7	2	8	5	5
1.5	4	6	2	8	5	5
2	5	5	2	8	6	4
2.5	6	4	2	8	6	4
3	5	5	2	8	6	4
3.5	5	5	2	8	6	4
4	7	3	2	8	6	4
4.5	6	4	2	8	6	4
5	6	4	3	7	6	4
5.5	6	4			6	4
6	6	4			6	4
6.5	6	4			6	4
7	6	4			6	4

Observations:

Dry/Wet – With five starting out in each chamber, the pillbugs seemed to initially move towards the wet chamber. However, there seemed to be random movement later on, as the number fluctuated. At the end, the number of pillbugs in the dry chamber was greater.

Green/Clear – We started ten in the clear chamber to see if the pillbugs preferred to move to the green chamber. By the end of the observation window, three had moved to the green chamber. However, there was no mass movement from the clear side.

Cold/Room – There were four in the cold chamber and six in the room temperature chamber to start. At the end, two had moved to the cold environment.

Questions and Definitions:

Behavior – The way in which animals react with the surrounding environment and other organisms. It may relate to the methods obtaining of food, fleeing or fighting of predators, and mating. Related to this lab, it is the taxis or kinesis response to environmental changes.

A proximate cause is the immediate trigger for a behavior, while the ultimate cause is the true reason for that behavior. While the proximate questions ask about the mechanics of an action, the ultimate questions ask the evolutionary advantages of the action.

How does the bird's air sacs, along with the flow of air through its system, produce the distinct sound each bird makes? (Proximate)

How does a bird's unique song attract a mate? (Ultimate)

A fixed action pattern (FAP) is a behavior that is instinctive for a certain animal. They are the actions that are “hard-wired” into the brain, and are produced by the innate releasing mechanism. An example would be the mating dances carried out by birds, which are not passed down, but still carried out through instinct.

Imprinting involves the learning of a behavioral pattern, usually from a young age. It includes a “critical period”, in which the animal is susceptible to have a behavior “imprinted”. When a young goose is imprinted to recognize another goose as its mother, the proximate cause would be her pattern of calling and movement. However, the ultimate cause would be that they have a better chance from following their mother, and have been imprinted with that recognition due to feeding and care from her.

Kinesis, as explained above, is random movement disregarding any stimuli. This can be seen in the dry/wet experiment with the pillbugs, as the moisture was disregarded and movement was random. Taxis is movement towards or away a stimulus, regarding it entirely. This can be seen with the phototaxis of the pillbugs, as they respond positively to darkness and negatively to light environments.

Classical conditioning involves the creation of an association between any previous stimuli and a neutral stimulus. This can be seen in dogs, when the sound of a bell is associated with food, and causes a salivary response when rung.

Operant conditioning involves punishments to create associations between behaviors and those punishments. This kind of conditioning can be seen with captive orca whales, with their food being taken away as a result of rebellious behavior. They learn to associate the behavior with a lack of food.

Conclusion:

In this lab, we observed the behavior of pillbugs in different environmental options. To do this, we placed ten pillbugs in environments of moisture and dryness, cold and normal, and differing colors, and observed their reactions. When placed in the moist and dry environments, the pillbugs initially moved towards the wet side, but then moved randomly. We determined this reaction to be a kinesis behavior, one disregarding the stimuli, as pillbugs did not show favor of either side. When placed in the green and clear environments, there was a slow movement to the green side, possibly showing taxis behavior. Finally, when placed in the environment containing cold and room temperatures, there was a movement towards the cold side, also revealing taxis behavior. When considering that the initial environment of the pillbugs is a moist, dark, and cold area, taxis behavior is expected towards a cold environment. However, the hypothesis was incorrect with the moisture, as there was no correlation with either side. Also, the green environment seemed to be favored, although our data may be the result of random movement.

Some sources of error may include the lack of proper cooling on the cold dish side. Also, the number of beads on each side was not kept constant, adding another variable. Thirdly, there wet dish may not have been thoroughly moisturized, or may have dried up during waiting times. 

Quiz at Home

It's been a while since I've updated everything, but since I plan to dedicate the entirety of my weekend to the cause, I shouldn't have to worry. (Right?)

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There are two main responses provided by the immune system in a non-specific situation: a physical barrier and an inflammatory response.When an area of the skin breaks and exposes blood, a barrier of thick skin and mucus membranes are formed to keep parasites and other malicious cells from entering the sterile environment within the body. (A layer of dead skin protects the layers of living cells underneath.) In a situation involving a harmful food entering the body, it reacts by inducing vomiting or diarrhea to cleanse the digestive system. Within this step, there are also many types of chemical barriers that impede bacterial progress, including a change in PH or salt level, or increase in antimicrobial agents in order to kill off bacteria.

The second response is an inflammatory response: blood vessels begin their process of vasodilation (to bring more blood to the area), and redness and heat are produced. When the body detects the pain, more white blood cells are sent to the area, and increased "coagulation" (blood clotting) occurs. Then phagocytes clean up after healing and consume bacteria and waste left from cells. 

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Originally, when a pathogen enters the body, Macrophages (a specific type of cell) display the antigens (identifiers) on their surface. When a T-cell finds and binds to that antigen, an immune response that releases a chemical alarm called Interleukin-I triggers the T-cell to release Interleukin-II. This release causes the "proliferation" of B-cells and Cytotoxic-T cell. When the B-cells become activated by the Interleukin-II signal, they become plasma cells, which produce antibodies. Those antibodies bind to antigens found on the pathogens, and tell the Macrophages to kill the pathogen.

If a unwanted foreign pathogen enters the body, the antibodies will attach to their antigens via the antigen-binding site, and mark them for their destruction. During this process, some B-cells will instead become Memory-B cells, which remember the antibody necessary to kill the pathogen. (This is the reasoning behind vaccinations: the Memory-B cells make a "memory" of the pathogen, and can swiftly produce antibodies against it.) In the case of a new bacteria with new antigens, the plasma cells are not yet equipped with the proper antibody, and must find the correct antigen binder to defeat it.
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When the same "infectious agent" enters the body, the Memory-B cells have already established their "memory" of the antigens, and when one binds to the already-recognized infectious antigen, the responding production of antibodies is quicker and to a greater extent. Since a new fitting antibody does not have to be found and created, this "second immune response" produces the already-known antibodies necessary to mark the pathogen again. The main antibody produced is the Immunoglobin-G (still secreted by plasma cells), as opposed to the Immunoglobin-M produced upon first contact. This explains why, once an illness is contracted (e.g. chicken pox), it rarely appears in the same system again, as the Memory-B cells can survive for many years. 
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In order to identify itself to antibodies, each cell has a specific molecule to differentiate it from others. One type is the Major Histocompatibility Complex (MHC), coded by a group of genes called the Human Leukocyte Antigen (HLA), which identifies the good cells to the antibodies as a non-threat. T-cell receptors (TCR) are familiar with the antigenic peptides, and when these peptides pass the test, it keeps the antibodies from identifying these cells as bad.

When the antibodies come across a cell that does not contain the proper MHC to identify it as friendly, they mark it for destruction and follow the Memory-B cell process above. Although this is beneficial to us, in many cases, it does make many factors more difficult. Often when organs are transplanted from another human, the TCR's identify the new organ's cells as malicious, for they are not familiar and don't have a similar-enough MHC.

The whole process can be overthrown in the case of Molecular Mimicry, in which foreign entities can mimic the MHC of the body cells to the point where they are not attacked by the antibodies, making them immune to the immune system. Also, the harmful in the cases of autoimmune diseases. Autoimmunity, which is the inability of the MHC to be recognized as a friendly cell, is the cause for many diseases, including Multiple Sclerosis. (In which the immune system attacks the insulating covers of the spinal chord as well as nerve cells in the brain.)

Podcast

Cortisol Podcast

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

Transcript:
Today, I will be explaining the hormone Cortisol in as little time as possible. I'm Chris, and this is Jugo's Podcast. (Intro Music: Happy Families - Sam Fonteyn)

Cortisol is widely considered the "stress hormone." It regulates glucose levels, blood pressure, blood vessel tone and contraction, and nervous system activation. Also, it prevents the release of substances that cause inflammation and acts as an anti-inflammatory. However, the main function is to stimulate gluconeogenesis, or the formation of glucose from amino acids, glycerol, lactate, and propionate. This formation of glucose keeps the body alive during times of stress, ergo, the "stress hormone."

When Cortisol is released at normal levels, the body functions just fine. However, an over or under release of Cortisol can cause negative effects. High levels of Cortisol can lead to many symptoms, including blood sugar imbalance, disruption of sleep, lowered immune system function, impaired cognitive function, decreased bone function, decreased muscle mass, elevated blood pressure, slow wound healing, and increased abdominal fat. On the other hand, low levels of Cortisol can cause blood sugar imbalance, disruption of sleep, lowered immune system function, brain foggy or light-headedness, mild depression, low thyroid function, lowered blood pressure, fatigue, and increased inflammation. So, on that note, it's pretty important to have normal levels of Cortisol.

Cortisol, or C21H30O5, is a steroid hormone that is synthesized from cholesterol. This type of hormone is made from cholesterol, as opposed to the amino acid derivates or other peptide hormones which are made of amino acids. Steroid hormones are also soluble in water and lipids.

Production and regulation of this hormone is accomplished via the Hypothalamic-Pituitary-Adrenal Axis, or HPA Axis. Production begins in the Hypothalamus, or a small gland within the brain that is part of the endocrine system. When the body experiences increased stress, physical activity, illness, high blood levels of Cortisol, or a differentiated sleep/wake cycle*, the Hypothalamus releases "Corticotropin-releasing Hormone", or CRH.

This CRH is then transferred to the Anterior Pituitary Gland, another small part of the brain that is part of the endocrine system. The CRH then stimulates the secretion of "Adrenocorticotropic Hormone", or ACTH, into the vascular system.

This ACTH is then carried via the blood to the Adrenal Cortex, where most (all) of the Cortisol production occurs. The Adrenal Cortex is responsible for the rapid biosynthesis of Cortisol and other corticosteroids from cholesterol, and produces Cortisol in response to the ATCH stimulation. It then acts back on the Hypothalamus and Pituitary Glands to suppress the production of CRH and ACTH via a negative feedback system. The Adrenal Cortex is located along the perimeter of the Adrenal Gland, which rests atop the kidneys.

Being a steroid hormone, Cortisol is soluble in many substances, including water, lipids, ethanol, methanol, and acetone. The cellular receptor for Cortisol is a Glucocorticoid Receptor, or NR3C1 or GCR. It is a receptor to which Cortisol and other Glucocorticoids bind. GCR's are found in almost every cell, and regulate genes controlling the development, metabolism, and immune response. These unbound receptors reside in the cytosol. Once bound, they either upregulate the anti-inflammatory proteins, or they suppress the pro-inflammatory proteins.

Thank you for listening, please tune in next week for more hormone discussion. (Outro Music: Blues in a Hurry- Cecil Norman)

Weak 4 (Days 39-40) -- A Quiz and some Jello?

So there was this man in his twenties that was found dead on the Thompson Creek Trail the other day. He had been shot (which is not likely due to California's strict gun regulations) in on the left lateral side 1 cm above the third rib (seen in red). The bullet exited 5 cm above the belly button.

This is a sketchy case, mostly due to the angle of attack by which the victim was killed. The cause of death could have been an assassination from a long-range marksman positioned in the hills behind the man's path on the trail, due to the lack of additional bullet holes. In addition, the angle at which the victim was shot is incredibly steep, suggesting that the shooter was positioned perfectly for the bullet to enter at a 45 degree angle from behind him. However, this theory does not take into consideration the supine position in which the victim was found. This could be explained by the use of a high-caliber round. The force from a powerful round (possibly from a .50 caliber or 7mm Magnum) may have twisted the victim's body clockwise to a supine position in a spinning motion.

The path of the bullet shows the greatest effect to the LIVER, which was directly in the path of the bullet as it exited the body. As the eighth rib was fractured, which is closest to the liver, it is possible that the bullet itself punctured the liver directly or the fragments of the bullet broke the eighth rib, which in turn punctured the liver. Regardless of any other diagnosis, the most likely cause of death was internal bleeding, albeit from the liver, heart, or lungs.

Another possible cause of death, as the path of the bullet passes through the area containing the lungs and heart, is direct penetration of either of those internal organs, which would result in internal bleeding or inability to breathe. However, harm to the liver seems more likely, as it is the closest organ of the three to the exit location of the bullet and the extra punctured rib.

Also, the shock of a high-caliber bullet may have missed the internal organs and exited cleanly, leaving the victim to pass due to shock and external blood loss. However, as fragmentation spread around the body enough to break the eighth rib, this is not very likely.

Week 3 (Days 37-38) -- The Island of Uncertainty

As a grand reward for finishing the cancer research paper, Mr. Quick brought in the controversy of The Island, or the ethics behind human cloning for organ replacement (or stem cell implementation). We thought about it for a few seconds before it became an area of doubt in the back of our minds. It was difficult to answer explicitly, for some reasons (and in some cases) it is ethical, but in others it violates the laws of nature and morals. Just as our cancerous careers ended, another thought-provoking subject was thrust upon us. 

So there was this one character played by Ewan McGregor who was the genetic replica of this other rich guy, and his sole purpose was to be used for organ transplant and the benefit of his "sponsor". However, this guy starts questioning his true existence, which was carefully covered up by a lack of connection to the outside world (except through the easily-accessible engineers who worked there and spread their outside-influence around like a disease), and the withholding of information and brainwashing. So he escapes with the most attractive girl he can find and fights against millions of dollars worth of bounty hunters, police officers, national security, and an African guy. They go to the house of the real Ewan McGregor and expect him to be alright with two illegals staying in his house. When he's not alright with it, the fake guy bites him in a car and tricks the African guy into shooting him. He goes back to the weird cylinder of cloned people and sets them free by disconnecting a pipe in a back room. When the crazy leader guy (who wanted to dispose of millions of dollars of clones) played by the death-prone Sean Bean shoots him in the back with a future crossbow, he hangs Bean from the rail of an exploding facility. The clones are released to the world with the help of the African guy's change-of-heart, and they go out and destroy the world with their inconsistency. Also, there is an island. 

Deeper down, this story has a lot to do about the ethics discussed earlier. Mr. Quick then led us to discovery of the use of stem cells in the correction of major problems. We also discovered that taking the stem cells from an older person would result in higher risks of cancer because the cells are already old and prone to mutation. 

We posted some questions on the new blog page that was added for our classes. The questions, which involved some interesting topics and other average ones, sparked some amazing conversations within the class. 

Expert's Note:
To see The Island for free, click here. (Don't tell anybody.)

Week 2 (Days 34-36) -- Long Nights and Computers

This week in its entirety consisted of research without end. There was so much information about Glioblastoma Multiforme being crammed into my brain that I can no longer retain new information. Kudos to my mother, who has a Masters in Biology, and the Internet. 

On Monday, I had my computer ready and available. Although I am still restricted from any access to the network, my handy hotspot on my phone allowed me to accomplish all kinds of research. I found several more articles pertaining to the subject (mostly reiterating the failure of RT and traditional therapies), that I will definitely implement into the paper. Failures are one step closer to success, and are worth noting somewhere along the way. 

Wednesday was no different: same computer, same research. I learned, however, that it is incredibly difficult to get good work done under classroom-like conditions. With the distractions of others talking across the classroom, the screens of my friends on both sides, and Mr. Quick constantly judging my every action, it was hard to accomplish anything. It's easier to look aimlessly around the room or search something irrelevant online.

On Friday, we were all basically done. The last few finishing touches needed to go into the paper before it was turned in, which obviously could not have been accomplished during the class. My lack of ability made that night a very long one. 

Week 1 (Days 33-34) -- Contracting Cancer

Welcome back to the new semester of Honors Bio! Already I am incredibly behind, and am posting most of my information right now. But it's okay, for most of everything will go well in the future.

As of this point, all of the blogs will be on a weekly basis. Most of the stuff I covered in the two or three classes during the week will be present on a single post titled with the week number (since the first week of the semester). I love the process: it allows me more time to focus on the fundamentals of biology, and can assist in the addition of more information in each post. 

This week was the transition into the Cancer Paper. Our task was to research a certain cancer and aspect of it, and write a paper explaining our topic. In class today, the main goal was the research of the cancer. As I am usually forgetful, I had to resort to researching via my Iphone. 

Glioblastoma Multiforme is one of the deadliest brain tumors in the world. Everyone who contracts any form of the cancer is doomed to die, usually within the first 15 weeks. There is no cure, and patients can only count down the potential days that remain.  So, naturally, it was the first one towards which I was leaning. I researched several possible cures for it, including the application of Radiation Therapy and Chemotherapy, but did not find a close-to-successful cure. However, a promising study that combined Targeted Radiation Therapy and Drug-Loaded Nanocarriers produced a favorable result. Although it is very juvenile, this study will most likely be the basis for the paper. 

A link to the paper can be found here. 
(This site is pure gold, 10/10 would recommend to future researchers.) 

Wish me luck, and hope my tendency to procrastinate doesn't get the best of me. 

(Unit 5 Test) Day 32 -- That was Quick

And then there was a test, and the semester ended! 

For the fun stuff that happened:
Cell Tour Project: http://prezi.com/txkbdt1ymrc2/cell-structure-adventure/
Website: https://sites.google.com/site/chrishbiology/

(Not sure where this was, it was posted a while ago.)

Day 31 -- Meh?

I don't remember what happened this day. There was probably research or study time for the upcoming collaborative test. Sweet.

Day 30 -- My-"osis" and My-"toe"-sis

Cells have this weird method of reproduction called Mitosis (which is spelled incorrectly in the title for comedic effect). And just to be fair to those who thought it wasn't complicated enough, the cell has a cycle of life (During which it is active only a small portion of the time, and the rest replicating. See below.) and cool stages for reproduction.

• Interphase -- Not much cool stuff happens during this stage. Mostly the cell is preparing for its great process of reproduction.
• Prophase -- The number of chromosomes in the cell double, and the center of the cell becomes darker and more expressed. 
• Prometaphase -- The nucleus dissolves, and the microtubes attach to the centromeres. (See picture)
• Metaphase -- At this point, the cell is much larger and the nucleus has dissolved. The chromosomes align at the middle of the cell, ready to be split out to each side.
• Anaphase -- The chromosomes are split apart , and start being pulled to each end of the cell. At times the outward movement of the chromosomes is visible to microscopes. 
• Telophase -- The microtubles disappear at this stage, and the cell begins to form a gap inwards at the top and bottom, showing that the outside is starting to divide as well.
• Cytokinesis -- This is where the cells visibly divide. The new "daughter" cells each have the original amount of chromosomes as the starting cell.

The cell cycle involves the G1 stage, during which everything happens (normal function), the S phase, the G2 phase, and then the phases listed above during actual division. 

Meiosis is a much different process. The final cells that result from this process do not have the original amount of chromosomes, but half. The resulting cells must meet with another cell similar to its own (sperm to egg) to create a full functioning cell. This is often seen in conception of humans.

Day 29 -- And then there were cells...

With genetics behind us, we now start our Cell Unit!

Since many people (apparently) did not know how to use a microscope, we spent most of the day today looking at some weird things: fleas, cheek cells, plant cells, etc. We observed the differences between the plant and animal cells (animal cells are rounder, while plants are larger with exposed darker middles), along with some other cool determining factors. 

Think I have a few pictures here...

The size of plant cells from a low zoom.

Ditto. (Just LOOK at it.)

With our new-found knowledge of both the optical and digital microscopes, we could now move on to bigger and better things! Like the Cell Project! As I obviously started the project on Day 1 (and learned most of the cell parts back in grade school), I could determine which parts of the plant cell that the animal cell did not have (chloroplasts, large vacuole, etc.) and vice-versa. (Now the bacteria cell, on the other hand, has many differences. But it will also be discussed later.