Mac Walton- June 3- 3/3 Blog #2

Overview-

-We had a super badass quiz first up on the endocrine system

-then we gained the opportunity to review sexual reproduction and human development. smart board + chinooksedge's review booklet.

-questions out of key/ reviewbook

-we ascertained a review 'guide' sheet

-bell rang

Thoughts and/or opinions

This is an especially important review class for me because i was in East Asia during the time that this unit was taught. This material, I find is most difficult because the hormones are in both males and females, and have different functions. The LH and FSH negative feedback loops are especially tricky. Throw in the menstrual cycle and this unit is like trying to have a hootenanny at a hoedown.   This class also reminded me of the field trip to Red Deer and made me think. A lady puts a rifle up her vagina and shoots her baby, how do they both survive and what important birth organ did she miss?

Bed, Bath and Beyond

To your dismay, I'm not going to answer the previously asked question but instead, use bio thirty to explain how a pregnant lady could survive running away from a bear and getting hit by a car. An innocent walk by a pregnant lady turned out to be a scary situation. A cute little bear cub started chasing Ashley Svendson, when she said her 'fight or flight response' kicked in. in lemans, this means that the hormone epinephrine was secreted from the adrenal medulla and Svendson's heart rate, and ability to escape her little friend. They little bear probably was born with the autosomal recessive curious gene and with their habitat full of people, just wanted to say hi. Unfortunately, the lady ran onto the street and a lady driving a car slowed down but chose not to stop. Being an older woman, I assume that she had Alzheimer's disease, which can be caused by the removal of acetylcholine from the synapse preventing the firing of nerves in the somatic system. After hitting Svendson, the lady drove off.  Svendson then went to the hospital and they told her that her, and the baby were ok. They told her that the baby, which was in the second trimester, having already developed all of the basis for her organs, was just fine. http://today.msnbc.msn.com/id/30476218/

Yeaheha!

Eleanor McBain- June 2, 2009- 3/3-Blog #2

Endocrine Systems Review

Tropic- affect other glands and causes the secretion of other hormones.

Nontropic-Does not other glands, just the target gland

Negative feedback control systems- resists change in normal operating conditions.The mechanisms activated will restore conditions to their normal state.

Positive feedback control systems- move the controlled variable away from a steady state.

Pituitary- Master gland and controls most of the hormones in the body but is controlled by the hypothalamus.

Anterior pituitary- makes and stores hormones -> TSH, FSH, LH,PRL, GH, ACTH, MSH.

Posterior pituitary- made in hypothalamus ->ADH, Oxytocin

Hormones affecting blood sugar

Pancreas

-> Glucagon- Alpha cells of islets of langerhan- increases blood sugar levels

->Insulin- Beta cells of islets of langerhan- decreases blood sugar levels

Adrenal Gland

->Adrenal Medulla-produces epinephrine and norepinephrine- increases levels of blood in times of stress

->Adrenal Cortex- produces glucocorticoids- cortisol, which helps the blood recover from stress, increases blood sugar levels- and mineralcorticoids- associated with sodium absorptiona and water retention.

Hormones affecting metabolism

Thyroid Gland

-> Thyroxin(T4)- increases metabolism

-> Triiodothyronine(T3)-increases metabolism

->Calcitonin- decreases blood calcium by depositing it into the bones and is also being absorbed by intestines.

Parathyroid

->Parathyroid hormone-increases blood calcium- released from bones

->Human Growth hormone- affects all cells

Hormones affecting water balance

->ADH

-> Aldosterone

Mitch Bach -- Blog #2 -- 3/3

What we did today:

• double block class
• reviewed unit 3 and unit 4 exams, looking at toughest questions on each test.
• reviewed the Nerve System
• got our Key Booklets.
• got another review booklet.
• for last 30 minutes, worked on practice wuestions on our own.

Thoughts and Opinions:

This class was quite informative because we looked at all questions that the mojority of the class got wrong. Our key books serve as a very caluable study guide, and should be used on a regular basis. Refreshing lost knowledge in the Nervous system was quite beneficial. it was amazing how fast we went through almost an entire unit, and practically relearn everything.

Above and Beyond:

During our discussion about nerves, and how they travel, i wondered how fast a nerve travels. According to http://hyperphysics.phy-astr.gsu.edu/Hbase/biology/nervecell.html, different nerves travel at different speeds. However, studies suggest they travel at tens of meters per second.

Mitch Bach -- May 22 -- 3/3

What we did:

-finished Hardy-Weinberg notes on PowerPoint and sheet.
-worked more on Hardy-Weinberg calculations.
-learned and got Changes is Gene Pools (21.2) notes.
-learned about evolution and how it comes about.
-assigned worksheet, p. 730 #11b, p. 734 # 1,3,4,5, & 7.

Thoughts and Opinions:

Today's class was interesting in the fact that were using easy math to calculate what big changes in gene pools can cause. Once you get a hold of the math it comes easy with every question thrown your way. Evolution was interesting because all organisms have gone through some sort of evolution at some piont of time.

Above and Beyond:

Learning about evolution got me thinking that humans would have gone through evolution as well. I wondered what we could have looked like.... http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/evolution/humans/humankind/index.html shows a step by step introduction of how evolution of humans progressed. It says that humans first became distinguished from apes 8 million years ago!!!! Its tough to tell what we first looked like, but it must have been some kind of cross between apes and what we are now. The earliest history of our ancestors can only be traced back through fossil, making it really difficult to decipher what we actually looked like.

Cody Vewchar, May 19/09 Blog #4 3/3

What we did today:

1. Wake up pop quiz after may long. Due the next day
2. Complexity in proteins (notes)
3. Mutations case study

Thoughts and/or Opinions:

The thing about mutations was quite interesting and how mutations are actually changes in the genetic material of that species. Considering how much genetic material a human has it seems alot could go wrong with just a few errors that could cause some serious mutations to occur. This whole unit is really quite interesting and since I learned today that cancer is actually a form of mutation I was wondering what else is a mutation or causes mutations of genetic material.

Above and Beyond:

http://learn.genetics.utah.edu/archive/sloozeworm/mutationbg.html
This site can give you quite a bit of info on really what happens to cause DNA mutations.
Cocaine and Ecstasy Cause DNA mutations
http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v03/n1893/a08.html?1263

Rachel Schneider - May 11, 2009

Blog #2 - 3/3

What We Did Today:
-Finished video "One Wrong Letter" (about the kid with Tay-Sachs disease)
-Started Molecular Genetics unit (recieved handout)
Review Questions: page 666 #3, 4, 7
Read Gene Expression (20.2) on pages 667 and 668
-Reviewed DNA activity from Friday
-Discussed DNA Transcription and Translation (recieved handout)

Thoughts and Opinions:
The issue of Tay-Sachs disease is interesting, as with a lot of the genetic disorders that occur when only one base in the DNA is wrong and then the problem is spread from one cell to all cells through meiosis. It's baffling how only one letter amongst trillions and trillions of bases would cause such a problematic effect and the results could be lethal.

Above and Beyond:
I found that the disorders like Tay-Sachs disease are called Single Gene Disorders (the name is pretty self-explanitory). According to this site, these kinds of disorders affect only 1% of the population as a whole and over 10 000 human diseases are caused by single gene defects. As rare as they are, it's amazing and unfortunate that the two families in "One Wrong Letter" both had kids that developed Tay-Sachs disease.

Kaitlyn Marbeiter Monday May 3 2009

Kaitlyn Marbeiter, Monday May 3 2009 Blog # 3, 3/3

What we did today:
Mendelian Genetics
1. Tips for Pedigrees
2. Sex-linked traits
3. Gene linkage and Mapping

Thoughts and Opinions:
I think the tips for pedigrees are really helpful. Makes the big trees less confusing when you look at them. The sex linked traits are very interesting, there are sooooo many different ways of getting traits, its crazyyyy.
Here is a link for a pedigree of the royal family which once you know how to read it, it is sort of cool..
http://www.ikm.jmu.edu/Buttsjl/ISAT493/Hemophilia/europeanroyalfamily.html