Prokaryote: Cells

In this picture are millions and millions of bacteria. No matter how much I clean the countertops, once an object or hand is placed on it, more bacteria live there. Bacteria is a prokaryote which are cells that do not have a nucleus or membrane bound organelles. Prokaryotic cells are way smaller compared to eukaryotic cells, which are the cells in our body not on our body. Bacteria is on our skin every day, and although the term has a negative connotation, some bacteria are actually good for us. After all, it is believed that the earth started from a speck of dust that was a prokaryotic bacteria.

Pollen: Evolution

 

In this picture is pollen that got stuck to the ground because of juice or water. Pollen has been flying around because plants and flowers are blooming and they are ready to fertilize. Pollen is like a tiny grain inside id a seed plant which usually looks like dust. Each pollen grain is different, they very in shape and structure. Pollen is synthesized in the anther, in seed-bearing plants which is transported to another plant (flower) by wind water or insects (bees/birds) to the pistol where fertilization occurs.

Genetically modified organism: Genetics

In this picture is an egg carton full of "Jumbo Eggs". What are the size of normal eggs then? Today we live in a fast pace technology dependent civilization where people want the next big thing now. Our large corporations that feed our large demand are able to supply us with this due to the use of lipids. Millions of organisms are injected with steroids to make them bigger so that more of it can be used to sell to more than one person and profits can be made. Tomatoes, corn, apples, and livestock are injected to be genetically modified. It is sad because we are mutating the genes in these animals and food which has detrimental effects on us today. Each year the US is the home of more and more obese people, the USDA is the one to blame.

Detritivore: Ecology

In this picture is a snail! Snails are detritivores because they eat decaying food. A detritivore is a heterotrophic animal that feeds on dead material. You can see that the snail is near dead leaves that he may be munching on. This snail feeds on plant remains or the remains of small organisms. Snails contribute to the decomposition and nutrient cycle since detritivore is the same as a decomposer. Snails can live in any type of soil as well as marine environments.

AP Course

As an eleventh grader, this was my first year taking an advanced placement class. Taking an AP science course was not too bad because I enjoy science and am an inquisitive learner. Although the work got hectic sometimes with deadlines interfering with other classes, I managed to pull through. Taking AP biology impacted me as a learner because it made me become more of a risk taker. I am not afraid or hesitant about the pace or work load of next year, because I feel prepared, I just know that the content will be different and denser. I feel as though I am not afraid to challenge myself academically because I am familiar with college work the style of a class; so it all feels like beneficial preparation for the fall of 2014. For next year my goals in AP courses are to start my homework earlier and sit in front of the class, away from distractions. Sitting in front of you allowed me to block out the back of the class, and really have nothing to look at except you and the board - since I am a visual learner. What I will do differently next year is not give the teacher attitude, and I will seek more help.

Dominant vs Recessive: Genetics

This is a picture of my moms eye. She has green eyes which are a recessive trait. Eye color is a linked trait, so she might have gotten eye color and height together on one chromosome as a single gene. This picture relates to genetics because most people pass on the dominant eye color brown, to their offspring but my mother got green. I think she got green from her father, he had hazel eyes. My father has brown eyes and my brother and I got a mixture of these traits. My phenotype resembles the dominant trait: dark brown eyes. My little brothers eye color is light brown due to the green eye color trait.

Cellular Respiration: Evolution

This is a picture of a tree at night. This photo represents cellular respiration because there is no light. During the day, when the sun is out plants do photosynthesis to create their own energy to eat and give oxygen back to the earth, win the use of the suns energy. The suns energy helps them make glucose, but what happens when the sun  goes down? Trees and plants do cellular respiration to keep themselves alive and us too! During the night this tree cellular respiration happens in three main steps: glycolysis, the citric acid cycle, and electron transport. These three stages are evolutionary that a tree or anything as small as a four leaf clover can break dow sugars, go through fermentation, release CO2, ATP, and ultimately this energy is provided for themselves and oxygen for us.

Population: Ecology

This picture was taken at the Arnold Arboretum. Here is a large plot of land where many different shrubs and trees grow for display. All of these plants in one area are their own population. A population consists of organisms that can successfully reproduce with enough mates, food, and shelter. The barriers that this population has to prove it lives in its own environment a part from the city where a population of people live, are the streets. Once one leaves the premises of plots of land with trees and goes out into the street, there is a new population - filled with cars. Each population lives in a certain environment that has its own carrying capacity. I don't know if the arboretum is at its peak of trees, under, or just right, but there is a certain amount of trees this environment can sustain until the population has "overflowed". The arboretum also displays a variety of plants that demonstrate that it could be in Hardy Weinberg equilibrium. It is a large population, with random mating, and mutation. But I don't think this population is in equilibrium because there is no genetic drift or gene flow.

Where does Identity come from? Scientific Article Reflection

The Article I chose is called: "Where Does Identity Come From?" This article is about your genes and if they truly regulate who you are. The author of this article writes about an experiment someone conducted with mice. In the experiment, about 40 interbred mice were in an enriched environment for 3 months. The environment had connecting tubes, tiers, and nesting sites. The purpose for such accommodations for the mice was to test how much their experiences influenced their true identity. For instance, they placed 20 wires on these mice to check their every move and location. Roaming entropy was calculated, which is how much one "explores". Someone who goes from work straight home has a low entropy and one who can be anywhere at any time has a high roaming entropy. The amount that they explored proved that the more exploratory mice showed proliferation in their neuron cells. This proved to the scientists and author that identity has to do with ones behavior. Although the experiment is not entirely accurate due to the fact that the mice were very closely related and taking into account epigenetic changes, makes the experiment all the more intriguing to find out more answers. This article connects to Genetics, what we learned in class was that each of our parents combined chromosomes would make who we are. Not only our parents but the choices and diets of their ancestors could also determine our fate. I chose this article because I thought it would go in depth about the content we learned in class about protein synthesis and the correlation between each of our parents. After reading it I realized that I may not be so much of a unique person. My roaming entropy is probably medium. I function better on a strict routine where I must do and be somewhere at a certain time so that I don't get lazy. I am also in favor of wandering. Routine also tends to bore me and I enjoy trying new things and going new places.

http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=where-does-identity-come-from&page=2

Exoskeleton: Anatomy and Physiology

In the far right corner is an ant. This little guy is as hard as rock, so if you were to step on him you would hear a crunch. This is due to his structure, ants have their skeleton on the outside, hence exo. This outer cover protects their body which an an evolutionary advantage because they are so small and vulnerable to danger. Having an exoskeleton means they are an invertebrate thereforethey don't   have lungs and organs. Ants oxygen transports through their exoskeleton through spiracles.

ATP: Cells

This is a picture of the sun :) The sun is the greatest form of energy for living organisms on earth. The sun gives of heat energy which is a form of ATP. Plants convert this energy for photosynthesis, the light is used to produce food for itself. The heat of the sun is what allows plants to grow because they are able to create their own source of energy. The sun is also essential in giving its energy to water and the ocean. There are many sea critters that live in shallow waters that need the suns heat energy to live in warm waters.

Hydrophobic: Cells

This is a picture of oil and water. In this picture you could see that when mixed the two substances do not become homogenous. This is because oil is a hydrophobic substance, this means that it is made of large molecules that repel water. Cells have membranes that are made of phospholipids. One part is hydrophilic and one is hydrophobic, not all substances can enter the membrane because the hydrophobic part. Therefore protein channels are used to allow entry.

Heterotroph: Ecology

This is a picture of my pet turtle, Carlisle. Here he is eating his daily meal: lettuce. Carlisle fortunately has a nice owner who feeds him everyday. This means that he depends on me to feed him and he is a heterotroph. As a heterotroph, Carlisle is a consumer that does not make his own food. In a natural environment, he would not be categorized with plants, whom produce their own food. He contributes to diversity in a population.

Genetic variation in a population: Genetics

This a picture of a garden of flowers and plants. Within this garden the plants are not homogenous, they each have their own unique genetic make up. Independent and unique genes contributes to their phenotype and why they all look different. The DNA of these organisms account for the variation in the population. Although flowers reproduce asexually resulting in identical offspring, this population does not only consist of the parent and offspring- many other types are present.

AP Biology Exam Preparartion

As the day of the AP Biology exam approached I worried and panicked more and more. I did not feel ashamed because I would bomb the test due to lack of participation and comprehension but because of my poor studying skills and inability to memorize things. Over the course of the year I feel as though I learned each concept thoroughly, but as we began to review I could not take anymore information. Although it was regurgitated knowledge, I did not engage in each class lecture in order to refresh my memory for the exam. I failed to prepare myself for the exam and I did not allow myself to receive help either. I remember the day before the exam was the first time I opened the AP Biology guide book on my own to learn. I do not feel I did poorly on the test but I am not too confident in my performance. If I had not crammed the day before I may have had more time to complete the multiple choice and get to the dang grid-ins! LOL

Enzyme: Cells

This is a picture of my saliva. After a person eats a lot of saliva builds up in the mouth. This is due to the enzyme salivary amylase. The enzyme breaks down carbohydrates into smaller chains of sugars. An enzyme could serve the function of being a catalyst or break down substances. The salivary glands produce a lot of salivary amylase after you eat because left over food is left in the mouth that was not digested so the enzyme breaks it down. The work inside of the cells in your mouth is being done by enzymes at any given time.

Asexual Reproduction: Evolution

It is the spring season and flowers are blooming. When flowers bloom they release pollen into the air to create more flowers! Pollen is essentially the sperm of the flower and as it travels through the air it will eventually reach another flower on the ovary to fertilize a new flower. Flowers are evolutionary because they create more flowers asexually. This means that they do not actually have physical intercourse to reproduce but instead they put out their sperm into the air to create offspring. Asexual reproduction is evolutionary because it allows organisms to reproduce independently.

Role at New Misson

My name is Perla Lara, I am a 17 year old junior at New Mission High School. My role at New Mission is a dedicated student athelete who pushes herself. I take 3 AP classes and play soccer and track. At New Mission, people see me as a friendly outgoing girl that people could come to for help in school and advice for anything.