Thursday 7 June 2012

Tortoise Lab-Survival of the Fittest Long vs. Short Neck

Analysis
Q: Why are only short-necked tortoises affected by the food shortage.
A: The reason it affects them is because they long necks can eat from the bottom and top were the short necks can’t reach everything so they run out of food.

Q:On each square, write the genotype of the child. How many squares should you have in all?
A:16

Q:How do you know which children have long necks and which have short necks?
A:By the parents genotype and by using a punnett square like a father with nn and a mother with NN would equal 100% Nn brown.

Q: How many of the grandchildren have long necks?
A:  8 tortoise


Q: Is this number more, less, or the same as the number with long necks.

A:  There are the same amount of long necks and short necks.

Conclusion

Q: What has happened to the number of long neck tortoises in the area?
A: They have risen because there are less short necks every time.

Q: What has happened to the short neck tortoises in the area?
A:  They have shrunk in population because there is less food that they can reach because there short.

Q:What do you think would happen to the species?
A:I think the short necks would die out if everything stayed the same because they could not reach all the food so the long necks would survive.

Saturday 28 April 2012

Sexual Education Essay on the Condom


Jacob Wallman
8A
Ms Medenica
4/26/12
Development of the Condom
A female condom (left) and a male condom (right)

 The condom is one if not the oldest safe sex tool to reduce the chance of un-wanted pregnancies and can prevent getting some of the STI’s. There are many different types of condoms there are male and female condoms both help the same cause.   


The oldest record we have for the first condoms was around 1000B.C by the Egyptians they were made to protect from STI’s.  In the 15th century the Chinese made glands condom which covered the top of the penis these were made of oiled silk paper or lamb intestines.  They were only none by the upper class.  Later Dutch traders later brought leather condoms into Japan these ones were different because the covered the entire penis. They were not used as much due to lack of sensation and expense, but in the 18th century it became more widely spread throughout Russia most of Europe and America.  They were pretty much only used by upper and middle class because of expense and lack of sexual education.  In the early 19th century condoms were introduced to the poor because the higher classes preferred other methods of birth control.  Condoms were first made not to control unwanted pregnancy but to stop STI’s from infecting there partner. Because In some areas it was illegal to buy or sell condoms there were articles telling you how to make them at home in newspapers and magazines.
During WWI military’s promoted the use of condoms to prevent infections from sexual intercourse so that the soldiers would stay longer in battle.  A new creation is the spray-on condom which was made in 2006 but several reasons it wasn’t been released to the market is because it takes a minute for the latex to dry. Also the device is somewhat scary and some of the volunteers were scared to put their penis into the device.  It also doesn’t make a reservoir tip because it use’s you penis as a mold which is good for a man with an unusually sized penis or with a oddly shaped penis.

              spray_on_condom.jpg

Condoms have been made of many different things over the years like animal skins/intestines and other parts, silk-paper, and latex but the a bad part about the natural ones like animal skins was that the sperm couldn’t get through but STD/I’s could because they were so much smaller and could go through the pores of the skins.  Also they would change in cold weather they would harden and become stiff instead being elastic and when it was hot they would go soft and mushy.  Now a day’s there are many different types of condoms like flavored or different textured they also have eatable ones!  They have many different sizes and you can get spray one ones which mold to the size of your penis.     


They  condom was been around for 3000 years and during this time they have improved it like by making it out of rubber and then latex also making lube so that the friction wouldn’t tear it. If they wouldn’t have made other ways to improve it we would probably still have sheep skin condoms. The only problem is now a day’s people aren’t making them safer and more reliable but more pleasurable. By adding flavors or different textures to it.  



They are not always reliable because they could rip, break or when you taking it off it could spill. The condom fail rate in preventing teen pregnancies is 17%.Condoms reduce the risk of HIV transmission by approximately 85 percent if they are used 100 percent of the time during vaginal sex. Condoms can lower the risk of HPV, if used during the entire time and if they are used correctly. This is why it is so important to teach sexually education. Condoms may also lower the risk of developing HPV-related diseases, such as genital warts and cervical cancer. But HPV can infect areas that are not covered by a condom so condoms do not fully protect against HPV. Condoms reduce the risk of the transmission of sexually transmitted infections they cannot eliminate all of the risks.





Bibliography

Sunday 25 March 2012

Dominence , Co-Dominence, Incomplete Dominance

Results for Pea Plants:
-If you bred a purebred purple pea plant and a white you got all purple offspring.
-If you had a purebred purple and a half bred purple you got 6 purple and 2 white.
-If you bred the whites you always got white every time.
Therefore purple is Dominant and the white was recessive.

Reflection:You now know that the purple plants are dominant because when you cross the white pea plants with another the offspring are going to be all white, and when you cross a purebred purple pea plant with a white you get purple pea plants and white.

Results for Snapdragons:
-If you mix red with red you got all red
-If you mix red with pink you got 4 red, and 4 pink
-If you mix red with white you got all pink.
-If you mix pink and pink you got 4 pink, 2 red, and 2 white.
-If you mix pink and white you got 4 pink, 4 white.
-If you mix white with white you got all white.
Therefore the snapdragons are incomplete dominance

Reflection:
If you crossed white with red you got pink. If you crossed white with white you got white. If you crossed red with red you got red. This is an example of incomplete dominance because none of them are fighting to be shown the are all neutral.


Results for Lentils:
-If you mix the smaller seeds with the bigger seeds you get all mixed seeds.
-If you mix the smaller seeds with the smaller seeds you get all small seeds.
-If you mix the bigger seeds with the bigger seeds you get all big seeds.
-If you mix mixed seeds with mixed seeds you get 4 mixed, 2 of the smaller seeds, and 2 of the bigger seeds.
Therefore the lentils are co-dominance

Reflection: When combining the lentils unless you were crossing 2 of the same type of seeds you never got one dominant lentil shown. This is an example of co-dominance. Also when when you mix the mixed seeds and the mixed seeds you get 4 mixed seeds, 2 small seeds, and 2 big seeds. They are to stubborn so they are dominant together therefore they are co-dominant. 

http://www2.edc.org/weblabs/IncompleteDom/IncompleteDominanceMenu.html 





Thursday 15 March 2012

Gattaca Movie Reflection


Brief Description:  The film takes place in a genetically engineered “not too distant future.”  Fertilized embryos are selected and altered for intelligence, strength, resistance to disease, and physical appearance.  (The genetic counselor tells parents “It’s still you, simply the best of you.”)  Children conceived in the normal way, “faith babies,” are treated as second class citizens and relegated to menial jobs. 
“Gattaca” is a multifaceted film.  It’s a story of Vincent, a “faith baby” with strong will power who dreams of exploring space but lives in a world where only the genetically enhanced can be astronauts.  Undaunted, Vincent pursues his dream in the only way possible.  Jerome is the opposite.  Blessed with the improvements offered by genetic engineering, he is unable to cope with the disappointments of life.  “Gattaca” is also a murder mystery.  Vincent gets caught up in the investigation surrounding the killing of his superior at work, a man who opposed the mission that Vincent has been scheduled to take.  Is Vincent the murderer?  Will the investigation expose Vincent as an “in-valid” and a “de-gene-erate?” 
Objective of this movie:  To look at some of the ethical implications of a society that manipulates human genes to enhance the genetic characteristics of newborns.  Due to advances in genetic engineering, society will have to face this issue in the very near future.  Genetic engineering will be able to cure disease and also to make normal people stronger, taller, better looking etc…  What do you think about this?


Discussion Questions:
1. Compare Jerome and Vincent. What were their strengths and their weaknesses? In what ways were they the mirror image of each other? 
They both were determined and wanted to be at the top but were knocked down. Vincent had always wanted to go into space but could never join because of his heart condition but he ways determined and ends up changing himself to look like Jerome. Jerome was a swimmer who always won and during a championship game he loses and gets 3rd and walks in front of a car and was to go in a wheelchair for the rest of his life. 

2.  Was Jerome mentally ill?
I don't think Jerome was mentally ill but I think he was depressed and suicidal like when he said in the movie that he wasn't that drunk when he threw himself in front of the car. It think he was in that state because he had lost the race and felt that he ways no good at what he did anymore. 

3.  Compare Anton and Vincent, the two brothers.  How was Vincent able to beat Anton at swimming despite Vincent’s weak heart? 
I think the reason Vincent won was because he had gave all his strength into swimming the farthest and not thinking about coming back here his brother Anton had always saved half of his energy to come back and eventually he used up all his energy and his brother had to save him. 
If you wold like to watch this video here is a link http://online-movie-db.info/watch.php?vid=Gattaca

Wednesday 1 February 2012

Cracking the code of life

 Q 1. Sequencing the human genome may bring to light a number of genes that are the basis for known genetic diseases or that predispose a person to a condition such as heart disease. Yet finding a gene for an illness may not lead to immediate cure. Would you want to be tested to learn whether they had a genetic disease or predisposition if no cure was available. Why or why not?

A: I wouldn't want to be tested because yes it would be nice to know if you would have cancer or anything else like that, but if there is no cure what is the point of knowing that you have a disease but there is no way to save you.

Q 2. Consider a scenario in which a lab needs DNA samples for use in genetics testing studies.  Researchers are searching for a variant of a gene that provides resistance to specific bacterial diseases.  If the company finds this gene, it may be able to produce a drug to sell to people who have these diseases.  Would you agree to have your DNA be part of the study? Why or why not? Would you want royalties for your part in finding the gene? What if during the testing, the company discovered you had a gene that might result in a health problem later in life? Would you want to be informed?Why or why not?

A: I would because I would know that if they found the gene then I could be saving/healing people of disease and If they found nothing then it wouldn't harm me so it would be fine.  If during the testing they did find a genetic disease I wouldn't want them to tell me unless it was serious and if it wasn't around the time I should start to symptoms of whatever it was.

Q 3. As more is learned about genes, there is a risk the the information will be used to define certain members of society by their genetic makeup.  Identity the meaning if the terms genetic discrimination and genetic privacy.  What are some ways to protect against this type of genetic discrimination?

A: Make sure the people you are sending your genes to have a no name policy so that they have no name's on the tray's just numbers so nobody knows who the genes belong to other then the people that but in the numbers. 

I thought the movie was good it taught me that they can see what disease you can get from your parents genes by giving a sample of blood or saliva. I thought it was stupid that people buy bought part of the geneo and then when a sciencetist wants to find a cure and the need that peice or part of that piece they cant and  I think they could have cure for tons of disease's or conditions if they had all the pieces.
   





Saturday 19 November 2011

Lab Report

Investigation Question: What are some signs that a chemical (change) or reaction has occurred?

Hypothesis: That the chemicals we mix will cause change of color, foam, or explosive reactions.

Materials:

Na2Co3-Sodium Carbonate
HCl-Hydrochloric Acid
CaCl2-Calcium Chloride
CuSo4-Copper Sulfate (Acid)
Aluminum foil
Zinc
Baking Soda
Vinegar (Acetic Acid)
Magnesium Tablets
Starch
Iodine
Thermometer
Spatula
Graduated Cylinders
Stirrer
Candle/Lighter/Matches
Goggles
Beakers/Baby-food Jars