Bacteria & Virus Projects

VIRUS                                                                                                BACTERIA

We discussed viruses in class today- I'd like you to begin working on your virus or bacteria projects (you got your topic assignments in class today as well).

Please read p 493-504 over break. Jot down a few notes that we'll discuss when we come back.

As for your project, please come to class on Wednesday after break with at least 15 facts about your virus or bacteria, and at least two photos.

What other resources are you allowed to use to compile this presentation?
            You must get permission from me, Miss Flynn, before including these
            Appropriate YouTube videos
            On topic web links to flash games, interactive activities, etc.
            Role playing (if you and/or your classmates would like to act out your virus or bacteria in an appropriate fashion, we can discuss the presentation.

Wednesday, the day we come back from break, will be a working day for the presentations.

Please come prepared!

           

Review

Let's review!!

Your exam is in a week (3/19). The following concepts will be fair game:

Cell Growth and Division
       Stages (what is characteristic of each stage?)
                 G1, S, G2, Mitosis, Cytokinesis
                
       Mitosis
                 Prophase
                 Metaphase
                 Anaphase
                 Telophase
                 
                 What is interphase? and where does it fit in with Mitosis?

       Meiosis
                  Meiosis I, Meiosis II
                  Stages of Meiosis
                  What is the final product of meiosis? (describe and give a quantity, please)

Be prepared for questions such as:

          Humans all have 23 pairs of chromosomes (unless there is a mutation causing that particular person to have more or less). Why do we all look differently? (Because we each have different mutations is not a complete answer. Please elaborate if that is how you decide to answer).

          Draw the stages of Mitosis, labeling the major occurrences, the components of each stage that are forming or disappearing to allow for the division to occur, etc. Label or describe everything you know about these stages.

Remember, you may ask questions up until the day of the test (1 week, 3/19). You may leave them as comments here, you may email them to me, or we will have the in class review day on 3/18.

Please don't wait until the night before to study for the exam! Start now, and your exam will look like the one at the beginning of this entry!

Photosynthesis

Think back a couple years to elementary school, middle school, junior high... Remember recess? Then coming home from school, only then wanting to go back outside and play with friends? Or ride your bike around the neighborhood? More likely, you want to sit down and play video games, desiring nothing more than to forget about homework and school for another evening.

All of these activities requires something: ENERGY! We just learned about the cell making ATP, allowing us to continue what we love to do- sports, painting, reading, writing, dancing, biking, swimming, etc. But did you know that plants need energy, just like you or me?

Plants require energy to grow, to breathe, to make fruits, vegetables, and for many other reasons.

Some plants make their ATP using energy they get from the sun. These plants are called photoautotrophs.

Take a look at this YouTube video (It's the Photosynthesis song!): http://www.youtube.com/user/peterweatherall#p/a/f/0/wj8TGhcCnxs 

Let's read Chapter 8: p 175-180 (on page 180, stop at the section titled "Photosynthesis is the conversion of light energy to chemical bond energy")

DNA

DNA- it's what makes us who we are!
Watch this YouTube video about DNA: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qy8dk5iS1f0 

Look at your reflection in the mirror. Why do you have blonde, brown,black, or red hair? (Or any color in between- and don't tell me it's from a bottle!) Why are your eyes blue, brown, gray, hazel, green, etc.? Why is your face shaped as it is; your eyes the shape and size they are?

It is because your genotype (Your genes- not your jeans- are made up of DNA, and those genes come together to make up your genotype) determines your phenotype (how you look). So everything can be traced back to your DNA.

Have you ever heard of polydactyly? This is when people (or dogs or cats) have extra fingers and/or toes! There are many examples, like the six-fingered man (the count) in The Princess Bride. While that is a fictional reference, it does occur in reality as well. It happens when there is a mutation in the way DNA gets copied...



So, how do you determine your DNA? When you become a developing embryo, your cells are constantly dividing and multiplying, through cell division. You received one set of DNA from each parent cell, and it mixes from there. Each time there is a division of cells, there is the potential for mutation, although our bodies have certain ways to "proofread" the results before cementing it into our genotype.

Remember: skim chapter 11, and get ready to talk about DNA!!

Chemistry and Biology

In today's class, we discussed how Chemistry relates to Biology. (Remember- All sciences can be linked to one another!)

Think about all the ways this picture represents Biology. The fish, the coral, the processes by which those animals live, grow, and thrive... Did you know that coral is actually an animal?! The sponges on this reef are also animals...

All throughout this photo are examples of chemistry too! The water molecules joining together to form the ocean, the dissolution of salt in the water to create the salt water. Not only is salt an integral part of the sea, there are other things that have dissolved into the water.

What else is in the water? Well, Nitrogen dissolves into the water, as a waste product of the fish. Can you find any other chemistry in this photo?

We're definitely going to delve into this topic more when we get to other areas in the book, especially The Animal Kingdom!

Remember that tomorrow we're going to talk more about the chemistry of Biology, focusing on organic compounds, so please review chapter 3.

Please read at least the intro on page 43-44.

The Science Classroom

Welcome to your Biology classroom blog!


On this site, I'll post updates, anything we did in class, reminders, etc. Mostly, this will be a recap of the day and introduction to the next. Any homework I post will have been mentioned/discussed in class as well- so it is not an excuse to say that the homework must have been on the blog and not talked about in class.


This IS NOT a substitute for taking notes in class (mostly because I won't post complete notes), or even attending class... This is also a great place to ask any class related questions while working on homework or studying for an exam.

This year we're going to do many activities, projects, dissections; we'll have some fun along the way, and you'll learn quite a bit. I'd like everyone to take a look at the intro in your book, p 2-3.


We're going to have a great year- let's dust off our science learning lab coats and goggles and dive in!


~Miss Flynn