Muddiest Point

Hi guys, I'm still confused on the way the blood flows through the heart. If someone could help me that would be great! Thanks!

Kaily

Muddiest Point

Hi guys, I am a little confused on the function of the stamen and the pistil. If someone could help me, that would be great!

Muddiest Point

Hi guys,
I am having trouble understanding the ecological, economical, and humanistic importance of invertebrates. If someone could please explain this to me that would be awesome.
Thanks!

Muddiest Point

Hi Guys,

I'm having a little trouble understanding what adaptive radiation is. If someone could explain it to me that would be great!

Scribe 1/24/12

Hi guys! Today in class we talked more about evolution and continued watching the movie we started yesterday. For homework, we have to do the double bubble map comparing/contrasting Darwin and Lamark's theories on evolution. Also, we have to read sections 16.1-16.3. Lastly, we have to start working on finding a group and a topic for the project due February 28!

Some of the important topics we discussed today were:

• Variation- many of the organisms Darwin observed were similar but differed from island to island. He concluded some organisms were similar because they all descended from a common ancestor but developed differently to suit the environment they lived in

• Natural selection- how organisms adapt to their environment in order to survive and pass their genes on to the next generation. Also, the environment determines which characteristics are beneficial to different organisms.

• The finches in the movie exhibited natural selection especially in their beaks
• there are two sizes of beaks- large and small
• during a year when there were smaller seeds, the finches with smaller beaks had a larger survival rate because their beak size was most efficient to eat the seeds.
• the next year, there would be more finches with smaller beaks because there were more finches with small beaks the year before to produce offspring with small beaks
• if during another year there were more seeds that were larger, the finches with larger beaks had a better chance of survival because their beak size best suited eating larger seeds

SYDNEY WILL BE THE NEXT SCRIBE

Muddiest Point

Hey Guys!

I am having trouble understanding how feedback works. Can someone please explain this to me? Thanks!

Muddiest Point

Hey Guys!

So I'm having a little trouble on the pedigrees determining which people you can figure out and which you cant. Also, how do you know for sure which ones are which when you don't know the genotype of their children or their parents (depending on what is given in the problem)???

Cystic Fibrosis

Genetics

• Autosomal Recessive- need 1 recessive allele from each parent or 2 copies of the mutated gene
• Cystic Fibrosis Transmembrane Regulator (CTFR) gene
• Chromosome 7

Symptoms                                                            

• Diarrhea                                                                   
• Smelly and Greasy Stool
• Frequent Pneumonia                            
• Coughing
• Salty Skin
• Poor Growth

Diagnosis

• "Sweat Test"
• test amount of salt in sweat on skin
• Can be tested to see if you are a carrier (can only pick up 80% of carriers)

What is CF?

• Gene mutation that prevents the production of a protein which allows chloride ions to pass through the cell membrane
• This is why the skin of people with CF is saltier
• This results in lung damage and digestive problems

Treatment

• Enzyme supplements- lack of digestive enzymes
• Chest percussions and other methods used to clear mucus from lungs
• Drugs that break up mucus build up in lungs
• When older, lung transplants can extend life expectancy
• All lung problems can be treated but not cured
• Gene therapies available

Prevalence and Life Expectancy

• 1 in 2,500 in the U.S.
• Equal between men and women
• Most common in Caucasions and some Native Americans
• Life Expectancy- Mid 30's 

Muddiest Point

Hi guys, what I don't understand is are there B-cells that kill infected cells or just T-cells?

Scribe November 2

Hi guys, so today in class we took notes on our tree maps and did the disease of the day as well as watched a movie in the beginning and end of class. Tonight's homework is to complete UP P. 28-31 and read 35.3. Both are due Friday. Don't forget tomorrow is a bio day so meet in the Lyceum!

This is the Tree map we filled out during class. I'm sorry if you can't read my handwriting.

We also filled out our Disease of the Day charts. Today was Pneumonia. Some facts about pneumonia are,

• can be bacterial, fungal, or viral
• causes inflammation of lungs
• fluid fills air sacks in lungs
• can be treated with vaccine, antibiotics, or anti fungal medications depending on the type of infection 

The next scribe will be... Jessica G

Muddiest Point

Hi guys, I'm still a little confused on the process when ADP turns into ATP and when the energy is used.

Muddiest Point

So after reading the section today, I'm still confused on one thing. Why does an organism have a better chance of surviving distrubances if it is more genetically diverse? If someone could help me out that would be great!

Scribe: Class of 9/15/11

Today during class, we accomplished many things. We took a quiz on chapter three and four. Our class was tested on various areas of those chapters. Although there were some tricky questions, if you studied, you probably did well.
Once everyone finished the test, we took some notes on growth of populations. Exponential growth is a rapid increase of a population that grows under ideal conditions. Some ideal conditions include climate or food supply. We also learned about the carrying capacity of species. This is a number, depending on the species, that is the limit to how many of this organism can be supported by the environment. The population of humans right now is more than double the carrying capacity for humans. Logistic growth happens after exponential growth stops or slows down.
In addition, we learned about limits to growth. A limiting factor is anything that causes a population to decrease. One of these factors is density dependent which is a factor that affects large or dense populations MORE. Some examples are food availability, disease, predation, parasitism, and competition for space, food, or mates. The other limiting factor is density independent which means it affects a population regardless of the size or density. Some examples are hurricanes, fires, or extreme temperatures.
Lastly, we discussed predator- prey relationships. These relationships are density dependent. It is also a common way to control populations. The book uses the example of deer and wolves on an island. Before the wolves arrived, the deer’s population increased exponentially because there were perfect conditions and no predators present. Once the wolves were introduced, the deer population began declining because they were sharing resources with the wolves, and the wolves were eating them. When the deer population decreased, it suddenly leaves the wolves with no food so their population decreases and the cycle repeats.
Finally, we shared our homework which was the six questions and answers and were able to get a head start on our homework. Although today wasn’t the most exciting, it turned out to be alright after all. Tomorrow, we get to go outside which will make up for it.

The next scribe will be… Chrissy!