Science week 4/1

MONDAY:

In science on monday, we took out Mr. Finleys cockroaches and observed them. Before we did this, he talked to us about maturity with handling the bugs. We also made a long chart of what observations really are.

Genetics variety blog

We have been doing a project recently with Reebops. Reebops are a species of bugs that we made in our class. Anyway it has to do a lot with Genetic Variety. If you don't know what genetic variety is, then it is what makes being different. If there wasn't such thing as Genetic Variety, then everybody would look exactly the same!!! If there wasn't genetic variety in our project, then everybodys bug (or reebop) would look the same. We had to label our bugs to see what generation they were. The first is P1 then F1 then F2 then F3.

Here is a picture of my F3 reebop.(sorry its not colored in perfectly)

When we mated the two bugs with each other, we were practically giving each other our chromosomes, or genes. Most of the time the genes would be mixed so your bug would have very colorful genes colored in. Once we were done mating and had all the genes written down, then we colored them on the back. We colored them according to the other persons colors.

The best way to see genetic variety in our Reebops is to look at their genotypes on the back of their card, especially the F3 generation (since so many different traits have been passed on, there is more genetic variety) All the different colors in the genotypes represent your family.

In the beginning of this project, we were given a paper which had all of our P1's genotypes on it. Mine was just pure yellow. Like I said before, when the two bugs mated then the colors would be passed down to the child. 

Heres an example...

Say I mated with someone's bug who was pink with a gray outline. I would mate with them and have their genes, and they would have mine. Then since mine was all yellow, he would have a mix between pink,gray, and yellow. And so would I. The child will have that and go with mate with someone else. The before you know it... you will have your F3 gen.. with maybe 7 colors!!!!!

A good way to overview how your mating is going on could be, look at the P1 bug. The look at your F3 bug. If there are a lot of colors and it looks funky, then your on the right path.

In conclusion, this shows how important genetic variety can be. It can change your look, the way you think, how your body works,etc. Like I said, If there were no genetic variety. then everybody would be exactly the same. This is how genetic variety is important to life and this project.

Science Week of 3/1/09

MONDAY:

On Monday, Mr. Finley said that our previous quiz had some errors on it. So we got toy cubes for our table. We started out with 6 cubes and did meisos with them. This is how we did it...

1) Double the amount of cubes

2) Pair all the cubes

3) Split the pairs

4) Split them again (you should have 4 groups of 3 cubes)


Tuesday:

On Tuesday, we did a simulation that was based on Mendals pea genetics experiment. It showed us how when you combine 2 genes, almost all the time, the outcome will be different. We also learned about recesive and dominate genes. A dominant gene is stronger than a recesive gene.

Wednesday:

We learned that each letter in a gene is an allele. If you have two alleles that are the same in your genotype or genetic code, it is a homozygous. It you have 2 different alleles than it is considered a heterozygous. We practiced a little of this through that night homework.

Thursday:

Fin was gone for Wed. and Thurs. so we had a sub. basically, we reiveived the homework and started a lab.

Friday:

Mr. Finley was back!!! We picked up the lab that we had started. We also tasted something called the PTC taster. If your taste buds were like this, you could taste a nasty bittery taste. I did taste it. If you didnt taste anything. It tasted like plain old paper.

Science blog

Monday:
On monday, we talked about mitosis which is another fancy word for cellular reproduction.

Tuesday:
On tuesday we talked more about mitosis and studied for the upcoming quiz on it on Friday.

Wed:
SNOW DAY!!!

Thurs:
On thursday I was not there since I had a band lesson. Anyway we had to make a complex map of mitosis

Fri:
QUIZ DAY!!!

Science week

MONDAY:
On monday we had off because of Martin Luther King day!

Tueday:
Tuesday we did not have class because we watched Barack Obamas Ignaguration.

Wedsnay:
On wedsday we started class again. We had our test.

Science Class

Over the week we did lots of cool and very interesting things.

Monday:

On Monday, we basically just reviewed for our upcoming important test. In my science class we did a review demonstration of DNA transcription. The way we did this was we took people in our class and had them be a nuclear membrane and the nucleus. Then we had another person in my class was the ribosome. I had trouble with Protein Synthesis earlier this week, the I looked at Camile's blog. It helped me understand it so much better!! I now realize that the messenger RNA has all the instructions, then it brings all the information to the ribosome. Then in the Ribosome, the info is translated into amino acids. Next, the messenger RNA get the transfer RNA and brings it to the ribosome. After the Amino acids are made, the disconnect themselves from the actual ribosome. Lastly, the amino acids curl and fold up which makes a protein!!!

Tuesday:

On the Tuesday we reviewed transfer RNA and messenger RNA. I didn't really understand this topic at the time. But after I went back and took a look at my notes, it was starting to get all clear for me then. I understood that the transfer RNA's job was just to take directions and orders to the ribosome.

Wednesday:

During class today, we talked about cellular reproduction. The way this happens is, the nucleus splits into 2 and goes to another cell. Then the organelles start to duplicate and double. If you start out with 1 cell it would take about 10 seconds to form about 1 billion cells.

Thursday:

On Thursday we just took some notes on DNA transferring and replication, I took about 2 pages worth of notes! My notes included a picture that the DNA was being held in the middle of it by hydrogen. Also, glucose is held together by hydrogen bonds, which are also called codons. These bonds are very very stable. But, when a hydrogen bond is broken, all the energy from it is released.  We also did a lab where we took an onion root tip and looked at the DNA and organelles frozen in time. There was a worksheet that came with it too.

Friday:

On friday, we talked about the test on Wednesday. We also finished the lab that we started on Thursday. We went over the Homework and found out on some peoples' that the sides of DNA are either the uracil,guanine,thymine, and, adenine. Those are again, connected by hydrogen bonds filled with energy. If this doesn't help you Mr. Finley will host a study session on Tuesday morning.

Week of 1/5/09

This week in science was full of many interesting things.

MONDAY: On monday we discussed RNA and DNA and how it is transferred form another being to another. Overall, we just had a class discussion on Monday

Tuesday: On tuesday, we talked about how the sun gives off energy. Then the plants have holes in them that can absorb the energy, then, as the food chain progresses, an animal eats the plant. Latly, we eat the animal(chicken,steak,etc.). So overall, we are eating the energy that came form the sun

Wendsday: Mr. Finley went to Princeton with the Science olypiad people so we had a sub. On that day we did a worksheet on how RNA is tranferred onto other beings.

Thursday: On this day we went over notes

Friday:We took a quiz on this day.