- To get credit for this week's entry, tell me what your favorite post was over the summer, and what you are most looking forward to learning more about this year.
- If you are registered for Dr. H's class, please visit this website and request access. If you have used PB Works before, you can use your previous account information and will not have to confirm your email. If you are new to PB Works, you DO NOT need to use your school email account to request access. After I accept you, you will receive a confirmation email.
- If you are registered for Miss Drust's class, she will provide you with the course website.
- Once you have access to the wiki, feel free to have a look around. It is still a work in progress, so there is not too much there yet. There are some things on the front page for you to do.
That's it. See you all next week.
67 comments:
One of my favorite articles this summer was about CTVT, the transmissible cancer. Of the many new biological concepts I learned from this summer assignment, the existence of a contagious cancer was the one that stood out the most. In class, we learn about cancer as a disease which originates and dies with the victim. CTVT, or canine transmissible venereal tumor, defies that basic understanding of what cancer is. The cancer cells within CTVT are free-living organisms which can move from the genitals of one dog to another through sexual contact. Although the cancer is transmitted in a manner similar to a STI, once it has infiltrated an organism, it takes on the characteristics of any other cancerous tumor. The cancer cells rapidly divide and form a cancerous mass, which can then metastasize and spread to the remaining tissues of the body. What was interesting about CTVT was its unique evolutionary behavior. Although most cancers evolve to become more problematic over time, as cells accumulate mutations which allow them to divide faster, and form more new mutations, CTVT is different. In recent years, scientists have found that CTVT has not evolved defenses against treatments used to fight the cancer, and is slowly being eliminated. Perhaps this is because the original CTVT cells were so efficient in infecting and proliferating that even the less problematic forms were able to persist. Now that medicine has advanced, the CTVT cells which are being targeted are unable to rapidly divide or mutate. Evolution has played an important role in the origins, and ultimately the end of CTVT. Evolution is a concept I am interested to delve further into this year. Evolution is a uniting concept for biology because it is the explanation for every characteristic or behavior of a living organism. In any given organism, there is a complex history of mutation, natural selection, and evolution behind every characteristic. I am looking forward to gaining a deeper understanding and appreciation for how life has changed as a result of the demands of the environment. An understanding of evolution is not only the key to determining the history of life, but a tool that can be used to predict how life will change in the future.
My favorite post from this summer was “Why Does Mint Make Your Mouth Feel Cool?” I like eating mints, but never questioned why mint cools your mouth. When I read the article I felt like it was pretty interesting to see how much mint can do. This year I am looking most forward on how different organisms have a different role in society. I would like to learn how all living organisms help the environment, and why they’re important. To me it’s pretty cool how there are so many living creatures on this planet, and even though we might not know all of them, they all have some kind of role on the environment.
There were two posts this summer that I found most interesting: "4 Parasites Too Creepy to Exist," and "CTVT, the Tumor That Broke All the Rules." I liked the video of the parasites because the graphics and narration made the post more enjoyable than just reading an article with minimal, if any, pictures. The article about the transmissible tumor interested me because I want to be a vet and I enjoy reading articles that center around animals of any kind. This year, I am most looking forward to learning more about evolution and how it effects an ecosystem.
My favorite article was the one about CRISPR three weeks ago. Gene-editing intrigued me as soon as I learned what it was and it’s possible applications. The idea that humans could edit an organism’s DNA sequence so easily is amazing. CRISPR’s potential to treat / cure genetic diseases gets me excited for the future to come. I was surprised to see that human trials were actually taking place since CRISPR is a somewhat controversial topic. It’s understandable that people would be concerned about other applications for CRISPR, like designer babies, but I don’t believe fear of the unknown should prevent humans from innovation. That article demonstrated the good work that CRISPR can do and how vital it is to keep progressing along. Regarding this school year, I look forward to learning more about heredity. In biology during freshman year, I always liked completing Punnett squares and learning about genetic diseases. I’m also looking forward to learning more about evolution and natural selection. In addition to learning about new things, I also want expand on everything I already know about biology.
The most interesting post over the course of these weeks was the video about parasites. The video, "4 Parasites Too Creepy to Exist," was presented by Hank Green on SciShow. Although the video was gross at certain points, it was also very informative. We learn exactly what a parasite is and the relationship it holds with its host. We learn about 4 different kinds of parasites: cymothoid, Riberoia, Rhizocephala, and Rafflesia. Each parasite has its own life stages in which changes take place between itself and its host. As a result the host is always affected negatively and harmed. The most interesting parasite to learn about was "Rafflesia" or the giant corpse flower. It was especially intriguing to find out that it doesn't photosynthesize yet classifies as a flower. I also got to learn a little about host manipulation.
I look forward to learning more about photosynthesis/cell respiration and genetics. I found these topics to be the most challenging but most informative in the year I took Honors Biology. It is very interesting to me how there is such a complicated process involved within plants and animals on a day to day basis (photosynthesis and cell respiration). Genetics was a very challenging topic for me due to the complexity behind DNA replication and the other processes involved. I also want to learn about anatomy since I find it very fascinating to learn about the systems that we use every day and how they work so smoothly. Overall I'm looking forward to learning more about a subject I have great interest in.
During the summer, out of all the articles I read, my favorite was “The Disturbing Sound of a Human Voice.” It was just so crazy to find out that humans are fearful of most animals that won’t harm us, especially if were loud. It was so sad to realize that humans can cause an entire ecosystem to fail. This discovery doesn’t help, especially with what’s going on present day with pollution. So now, not only are we destroying ecosystems because were too lazy to recycle, but also because we talk too loud. This year, I am looking forward to learning about heredity and gene expression. I have always been very intrigued by how traits and genes are passed down from generation to generation. It always very cool to look at a family tree and see where someone got a certain trait from.
My favorite article was actually the article titled, "Taking out the protein garbage becomes more difficult as neurons age." I really enjoyed reading this article because the concept of autophagy is just fascinating to me. I like how our cells are built in such a way that they already know everything that they have to do to keep us alive. This is another reason for why exactly I find the human body amazing. The fact that this huge mass that we lug around every day is actually alive is just fascinating. Along with that, I'm very excited to learn about different cellular processes this year and especially genetically related biological processes.
Overall, during this summer, I enjoyed the A.P. Biology assignments. The comments weren’t the traditional type of summer assignment like a long packet full of questions. These assignments allowed me to think about relevant scientific issues and topics while reading articles, which I normally don’t do as much as I like to. My favorite post over the summer was regarding the article titled “The Disturbing Sound of a Human Voice”. I enjoyed this article especially because it is relevant to the issues of today. Humans have a large influence over the environment, especially habitats belonging to certain animals. For example, deforestation and overpopulation are issues that are consuming the environment. When humans barge into habitats, they don’t realize how significant their impact is on the animals. I found this article particularly surprising because it showed how much humans have an influence over animals. This article discussed how the sound of a human voice can disrupt a whole ecosystem. Ecologists such as Justin Soraci saw that as he read poetry to his team, the mountain lions which resides in the area, were disturbed. The mountain lions fled at the sound of the humans’ voices, and some even stopped eating. This was particularly interesting to me because it showed how the relationship between humans and animals is changing constantly, which is effecting the environments in which we live in. This article was my favorite because it was most relevant to today’s ecosystems and allowed me to wonder about the future of our planet.
Going into this summer assignment, I thought responding to these articles would be tedious and boring. But as the weeks went by and I began to read the articles assigned, I developed a bigger appreciation for the scientific community and understanding that scientific advancement and discovery happens very often. As I'm typing out this comment, a group of scholars could be figuring out how to manipulate cells to do this or discover how humans effect that, and so on. The one article that really interested me was the one discussing human voices and their effect on ecosystems, specifically in the mountainous regions of California. The fact that animals would leave an area if they spot or hear humans speaks volumes to humans' manipulation of Earth and its environments. Human activity is so influential in shaping the Earth today that species are constantly displaced. which may lead to a more lethal relationship between surrounding species. Although all the articles had something of interest, this one really resonated with me. Going into AP Biology, I don't have any specific topic or study that excites me the most. I'm generally intrigued to learn just about anything. Biology has always been an easy topic for me to grasp and I would like to see how this will pan out during the school year.
My favorite article that I read over the summer was “The Disturbing Sound of A Human Voice.” I loved this article because I found the title interesting and the information throughout the passage was presented in an intriguing way. The study or experiment explained in the text gave me a better understanding of the Behavior of animals upon hearing human speech. Using specific animals like mountain animals, croaking frogs, bobcats, skunks, and opossums proved the validity of the experiment and the scientists’ hypothesis. From reading this article, I learned that the sound of human voices can instill fear in wild animals making them cautious. The mere presence of a person can impact wildlife and reshape ecosystems. This year I hope to learn more about ecology and evolution. I find these two topics in biology fascinating because I love learning about our environment, food chains, food webs, predator vs. prey relationships, and much more. I also look forward to learning more about genetics and the traits that make people different from each other.
My favorite post of this summer was the Mint Ice Cream one. Well, the article wasn’t exclusively about mint ice cream that’s just the part I remember. Looking back at the post, the mint plant produces a chemical called menthol that triggers a chemical reaction in the mouth, making it feel cold. However, this post isn’t my favorite solely because of mint ice cream. What fascinates me is how menthol doesn’t actually lower the temperature in the mouth. Instead, it stimulates a chilly feeling. I look forward to learning more about chemicals and how they trigger reactions in the body. The topic I am most looking forward to learning In AP bio this year is action potentials. In the previous semester, I did a project describing the ins and outs of the nervous system. Due to the curriculum of honors bio, we glossed over action potentials. The nervous system is the coolest organ system in my opinion, and understanding action potentials will allow me to appreciate it even more. In addition, my brother has studied biology at the college level so I’d enjoy conversing about it with him. Although this year will be a challenging endeavor (since I am taking chemistry and bio simultaneously), I will no doubt finish with a greater understanding of science!
My favorite post over the summer was the cool/ creepy video about parasites. This was my favorite post because before watching the video, I only knew about a few parasites like tapeworm and the one mentioned in the video: tongue- biting isopods. The video opened my eyes to how parasites make up much of the life on Earth and how we still do not know how many exist, making way for further research and discovery with these types of organisms. In addition, it made me realize how prevalent they are in the environment around us even though we may not be able to see them due to them being inside other animals or their hosts. Some of these parasites can do incredible things, as well, such as controlling its host, known as host manipulation, or utilize horizontal gene transfer where genes can jump from two species without the genes being inherited. This year, I am looking forward to learning more about CRISPR gene-editing technology. I have always been interested in biotechnology and its use in improving human lives, especially curing various illnesses that were not curable before such as blindness. Additionally, I would like to see how much how CRISPR gene-editing technology has improved or developed from when I first heard about it in 9th grade. I am also looking forward to learning more about how the complex functions and lobes of the human brain play a role in other biological processes so that I can connect what I learned in psychology to the vast field of biology.
My favorite post over the summer was the one regarding CRISPR being tested on people with blindness. I found the large age gap between the subjects to be particularly interesting as the last use of CRISPR on humans was highly controversial, yet the United States is going forth with these experiments. They also claim that the genes altered by CRISPR will not be able to be passed down to the subjects’ offspring since they are no longer embryos. I can see this as a step forward. Additionally, the thought that this experimentation on the human genome can cure blindness is able to fascinate me at times.
Personally, I am most interested in learning about nerves and how they are able to send signals to the brain through the spinal cord in AP biology since these signals are what is used by the brain to tell the body to move in certain ways. Additionally, I would like to know what these signals are actually made up of because these signals are what is processed by the brain and used to react to stimuli in one’s environment. Additionally, I would like to learn more about the origin of life as a whole, even if we do not fully understand it since it would enable us to see how cells evolved from protocells to modern-day cells. Overall, I am fairly excited for the knowledge that AP biology has to offer.
Of the numerous articles that I have read throughout the summer, the one that I found the most interesting was from the week of 8-5-19. I read the article regarding CRISPR technology and how scientists discovered that this gene editing technology will be able to treat an eye disorder that often times results in blindness. This was my favorite article because it really helps display how much science can help numerous people. Because of this new technology children and adults who were once blind or were supposed to be will be able to see normally. All around the globe this technology can be used by numerous people. This article was really interesting because it taught me about another experiment that was done by another scientist using CRISPR technology, however this Chinese scientist had edited the genome of twin babies. By editing the genome, the scientist made it possible for the edit done to the babies to be passed on to further generations. On the other hand the editing done to cure the blind children and adults will not be passed down to their offspring. I learned a lot about how CRISPR technology works through this article and the benefits it can provide for others. For the school year I am looking forward to learning more about how all the numerous parts of our cells and body are able to work together without causing conflicts amongst each other. I have always wondered how humans are able to function so efficiently with the simple nutrients it receives and I believe the answers to my questions can be found in science.
My favorite post this summer would have to be "Why do mint-flavored foods make your mouth feel cold?" because it truly impresses me how our brains work- how neurotransmitters can alter what we actually feel and how it gets displayed out and all. This year I'm excited to learn more about cells in general and the specifics of DNA/RNA because that creates who we are and I find that fascinating.
My favorite post was the article “Thousands of Years Ago, a Dog Gave Rise to an Immortal Entity” from the week of August 5th. I was already intrigued when I saw it was about a transmissible cancer, which I didn’t know existed, but when I saw it was also about dogs, I just knew I had to read it. The article was very interesting, teaching me a lot of new things, such as not only the existence of transmissible cancer, but the fact that there are multiple different kinds too. I look forward to biochemistry and evolution this year. In biology last year, I found it incredibly interesting that molecules that are so small they operate inside microscopic cells, are so important to the life of the cell and can even cause the death of an organism. I’m also excited to learn more about different types of proteins and the 20 amino acids, going more in depth about their structure and function in the cell. Evolution is always a topic I was fascinated with. There are so many unknowns in the how’s, why’s, and when’s of evolution that I really hope one day we can definitively figure out the first organisms to originate and what organisms evolved from them and when.
My favorite article that I read all summer would have to be “The Disturbing Sound of a Human Voice.” I think I just found this article fascinating because the idea that huge animals like bobcats and mountain lions could be scared of us hadn’t registered in my head. The article was very interesting and explained how us humans disrupt so many other species. I’m looking forward to learning evolution this sophomore year. In honors biology last year, I deeply enjoyed learning about evolution and how all animals coexist with one another. It’s such an interesting subject because there is a lot still left in the unknown.
The article that I enjoyed most this summer was the most recent one on a new clue on how life originated. I liked this article since it explained how a protocell was able to stay in one piece just by having proteins attached to the phospholipids. This gives further evidence to the theory of unicellular organisms rising first, and gradually multicellular organisms grew into what we have today. The three fundamental parts of a cell, which are the nucleic acids, the proteins, and the phospholipid bilayer is basically the three parts that scientists look for in older cells, to see where ours have originated from. In all, I liked most of the articles that I commented on over the summer, but I felt like this article seemed very unique in how they have progressed one more step to finding the origin of life.
My favorite post of the summer was the one about how human voices affected animals’ behavior. I found it interesting how small events can have a huge ripple effect throughout an ecosystem. As someone who likes spending time in National Parks and the outdoors, the article showed the importance of keeping animals’ habitats protected. The article also showed how expansive biology is as a subject. Not only does it study cells at a molecular level but also the environment as a whole. I am looking forward to learning more about the future applications of biology, like biotechnology. Science is a subject where people can never run out of information to study. Not only do scientists study how things came to be, but they also study where we can go from here. I’m excited to learn about the current research being done in the field and how it can affect us 10 or even 100 years from now.
Over the summer, my favorite post was the one on CRISPR because I am very fascinated by genome editing. I find it really cool that scientists have the capability to eradicate diseases by altering certain nucleotides in the DNA sequence. I am curious to see if this trial is successful, ensuring that this eye disorder will no longer be passed down through the patient's future generations. CRISPR definitely has lots of potential and I hope that scientists take caution while exploring its capabilities. I am eager to witness how this technology can reshape our future and I hope it can treat many genetic causes of disease. While reading the article, I started to take sides on the debate and began to formulate an opinion that the world is still not ready for CRISPR to be used on embryos. Although it brings along many complications, I believe that CRISPR can create a huge difference if it is used properly and safely. One thing I know for sure is that I’m excited to see what awaits for us regarding this new technology and its uses in society. This year, I am most looking forward to learning about evolution because it holds the answers to our past, present, and future. I am interested to see how all organisms have branched out from their origins. This will help us better understand the world around us. I want to learn how species have evolved such complex systems over time. I find human evolution very interesting as well and I hope to know more about how early humans have specialized through natural selection over millions of years. While studying evolution, I want to explore how the first organisms came to life. I anticipate having my all my questions regarding this topic answered this year.
My favorite article this summer was “Taking out the protein garbage becomes more difficult as neurons age.” After reading the article I further researched the topic because I was so fascinated as to how the function of single protein can affect such an important process in the body. Defects in the autophagy process due to aging can cause fatal neurodegenerative diseases. Research has proven that the WIPI2B protein has been effective in restoring autophagosome biogenesis in aged neurons and this one protein could be an important therapeutic target for age-associated neurodegeneration. I was very intrigued by the fact that this could be a very important discovery to eventually cure diseases such as Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s. This year, I’m looking forward to learning about more about DNA and genetics and putting the two topics together. I like making connections between different topics and figuring out how one thing relates to another and I think that DNA and genetics are two similar topics that build upon each other. I am interested in expanding my knowledge on the topics and better understanding how they work together.
The post that I found most mind boggling was the video about parasites. It intrigued me to know about the different parasites that got energy from their hosts in different ways. I also really enjoyed reading the article about CTVT in dogs. Transmissible cancer sounds really scary, but it is very treatable, which is good. I hope that cancer doesn’t eventually evolve to be transmissible in humans as well, since that could be very detrimental, especially if it’s less treatable in humans. I’m looking forward to learning more about cell reproduction (mitosis and meiosis), since that was my favorite topic to learn about last year.
Out of the many articles I’ve read this summer, my favorite would have to be “Why Does Mint Make Your Mouth Feel Cool?”. This article in particular interested me the first time I read the title, and it was fascinating to learn the science behind why mint made our mouths feel cool. I never thought that there was scientific reasoning as to why mint has a certain cooling factor. It was due to the compound methanol, which affects the somatosensory system, which is a complex system of neurons and pathways that are responsible for taste and smell. A protein called TRPM8 is also responsible for the cooling sensation caused my mint. One of the main reasons methanol molecules in mint makes your mouth feel cold is because the methanol molecules cause the receptors of TRPM8 to open their ion channels and send an action potential to the brain, which in turn causes us to think that out tongue is cold when it is just a tiny pulse of electricity. The cooling sensation can also be interpreted as cold, but in fact is a slight rise in temperature because high concentrations of methanol can cause inflammation. This year, I am interested in expanding my knowledge on the structure and function of the cell. The fact that a molecule invisible to the naked eye can do so much for the human body, and even make up an entire living organism, fascinates me and I am looking forward to learning more about it. Additionally, I am interested in learning about evolution more in depth.
My favorite post of the summer was the article, “Why does Mint Make your Mouth Feel Cool”, because I was very curious and surprised about this discovery on mint. I learned that in the mint leaves the plant produces capsaicin in chillies and menthol in the mint. The menthol that is produced by the mint tricks the body that it is cold even though in reality it isn’t. The protein that is responsible for making the coldness into a sensation is the TRPM8 receptors which open ion channels in the membrane and send an electrical signal to the brain. Additionally, I also love mint because it is my favorite flavor for almost anything like chocolate, ice cream, or gum, and I always notice how my mouth feels instantly colder than before. After reading the informational article, I understand what is occurring in my body when I feel the cold sensation in my mouth. What I am looking forward to this coming year in AP Biology is learning deeper information about biology that is similar to this topic, and understanding more about how my body works. I want to gain knowledge in how cells work together to perform important functions, and how our body reacts when it comes in contact with other things. I always love learning in a challenging atmosphere, and I am excited for what AP Biology offers me.
Over the past months of completing summer assignments, I have read a plethora of articles regarding various facets of biology. Despite the multitude of enticing reads, the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine’s article discussing the process of autophagy and its effects on neurodegenerative diseases sparked my interest. This subject focussed on the WIPI2B affecting the essential process of autophagy. Scientists, moreover, correlated the lack of expressing this protein comes with aging highlighting elderly people being predisposed to neurodegenerative diseases. As the new school year approaches, I hope to gain more knowledge relating to various subjects in biology. This class gives me an opportunity to learn challenging material and further my academic career in the sciences. Specifically, this upcoming year I am most anticipated for learning more about genetics.
My favorite post was the article, “Caterpillars of the peppered moth perceive color...," as I found it the most interesting. This is because I was very surprised as I wasn't aware that caterpillars had the ability to mimic the form and even color to match the background. That is truly very fascinating to me. When I had gone and revisited the article, I was surprised by the fact that researches had found genes needed for vision not only in the eyes but the skin as well. This year, I am excited to learn more about how different animals adapt to different environments, different isotopes. I have always found this topic very interesting, and would like to go more in depth. I also am excited to learn more in detail about DNA/RNA and the different processes that occur to finally produce a protein. Which all in the end contributes to the being we are.
My favorite post from this summer was about the article that discussed the decreased rate of autophagy as neurons age. During autophagy, or the process of discarding waste from cells, an autophagosome physically encompasses the waste and works with a lysosome and its enzymes to break down the waste. Part of the discovery included the fact that this waste could collect at the synapses of neurons if not rid of properly. Such clogging could eventually cause neurodegenerative disease as communication between neurons is inhibited. I found it intriguing to understand one of the causes of neurodegenerative diseases, especially because such diseases are extremely relevant among the elderly community today. It was also appealing to me that the article mentioned WIPI2B, a protein that could become a potential key player in neurodegeneration treatment since I understand the magnitude of these diseases that affect much of the elderly population. This year, I am most looking forward to learning about the heart. I take an interest in cardiology and consider it as a subject I want to pursue in my future education. Also, my family has had a history of heart issues; learning about the function and processes of the heart could assist me in more fully understanding previous heart complications that family members of mine have dealt with.
My favorite post over the summer was the article titled "Why Does Mint Make Your Mouth Feel Cool?" because I found it to be the most interesting article out of all the ones I read. I was immediately intrigued when I saw the title because this question was one that I had always wanted to know the answer to. The article explained that menthol in mint makes people's mouths feel cold even though they are not. By activating receptor proteins (specifically TRPM8), menthol molecules cause signals to be sent to the brain that indicate that the tongue is cold. This is very fascinating to me because I have always thought that the tongue really was cooled when you eat something that is mint-flavored. This was one of the most eye-opening articles that I read and I enjoyed learning the science behind the cooling effect of mint. I am most looking forward to learning about genetics and evolution this year. I want to expand my knowledge on how traits are passed down and how this is currently changing in modern society due to new technology such as CRISPR. Evolution is also a very interesting topic that I want to learn more about so that I can understand why certain organisms are the way that they are today. Overall, I have learned a great deal of information by reading these articles throughout the summer and hope to continue to increase my knowledge on different topics in biology throughout the school year.
I found the AP Biology weekly summer assignment posts very interesting. It allowed me to learn more about biology in the summer in a very nice way. My favorite article was "CRISPR Gene Editing Will Be Used Inside Humans For the First Time in Treatment for Blindness," by Rachael Rettner. This article discussed how people suffering from an inherited eye disorder that causes blindness. Researchers found a treatment that will correct the mutation using CRISPR, a tool that allows researchers to precisely edit DNA in a particular area. An injection will be used to give the treatment to the light-sensitive cells. The trial will be done to a total of 18 patients that include children and adults. This is truly fascinating to me, especially because I want to be a doctor when I am older and treat patients as well. Just knowing that people are trying to help out with such a significant disorder makes me so happy, especially since I will be doing so one day.
My favorite post over the summer was the very first post. The article I read highlighted the importance of iodine and how Bonobos have helped to give scientists a few answers to the questions they had about this important element. Not only did this article do a great job of combining historical facts about the lifestyle of Bonobos with scientific facts to explain the importance of iodine, but it also listed the different ways in which iodine can affect the human body. I found this article to be very interesting because I learned about the characteristics of iodine and the way these characteristics improve the development of the human body. I believe I learned the most from this post which is why the first week is my favorite post of the summer.
I am looking forward to learning more about genetic variation. I would like to learn more about genetic mutations and genetic diseases that can form due to these mutation. I am also interested in learning more about DNA replication and gene expression.
The post that I found to be the most intriguing was the video “4 Parasites Too Creepy to Exist.” The interesting relationships I learned about, such as how parasites affect their hosts and how they alter the overall environment we live in, absolutely amazed me. Moreover, it shocked me at just how lethal these small creatures can be; from being able to affect the size to the entire body, it reminds me how big the world we live in is and the dangers that we as human beings are yet to face. In AP biology this year, I’m looking forward to learning more about parasite-host relationships and how these relationships cause hereditary mutations in gene pools of different species of animals.
Though all the articles that were presented this summer where interesting, there was one that snagged my attention more than the others. The article, “A New Clue to How Life Originated”—from assignment 8/19/19—describes just how scientifically miraculous something as simple as cell formation is, which is a very appealing topic to me. One of the major things that attracts me to biology and other related sciences is how beautiful it is—life is formed from countless phenomenons that occur by the second. There’s reason behind the happenings of all these behind-the-scenes occurrences, and that’s where chemistry comes into play. This article opened my eyes to just exactly how the cell is formed from the basic components of DNA, RNA, proteins, and lipids. The relationships between these molecules—for example how amino acids allow lipids to form the plasma membrane near essential molecules (like salt and magnesium) without falling apart (in the absence of amino acids, the membrane cannot form when nearby those essential particles)—is awe-inspiring to me... to imagine the how’s and why’s of topics that would otherwise seem uncomplicated blows my mind, but that’s why we learn this stuff—so we can have a better understanding of the world surrounding us and the world inside us. This is what I’m aiming to comprehend this year. Chemistry and AP Biology will unlock a deeper look into life, will allow us to go beyond the surface that we barely scraped in 9th grade biology.
Throughout the summer I enjoyed many of the articles I read, though, my favorite article this summer was “humans disrupting the ecosystem”. This article was shocking. Once I had read it, I thought about unintended consequences. Even if humans are simply walking in the woods, they are indirectly disrupting an ecosystem. While reading this article, I also thought about how humans do not understand how afraid other animals are of them. Humans are afraid of almost everything, ranging from small bugs to large predators, but they have never understood how afraid those creatures might be of them. I personally never thought that humans could change the lives of bobcats living in the wild simply by walking near it. I was shocked to read how communities overlap and how that affects various species.
This year, I'm excited to learn more about ecosystems. Last year, I learned a little bit about ecosystems but now I am intrigued to learn about them in depth. I would love to have a better understanding of how external factors affect the ecosystem as a whole as well as the effects it has on a single species.
Over the summer I read many articles that had a lot of new and interesting facts. My favorite article that I read this summer was about CTVT. It is a contagious cancer that spreads from one dog to another through sexual interaction. CTVT stands for canine transmissible venereal tumor. This article had many new facts and information that I never knew before. I never knew that there was a cancer that can spread from one organism to another. I always thought that cancer was not contagious. I learned that this cancer was like a parasite and it would not die with its host, instead it would spread to another dog and create a tumor. As years passed by it became very different from the cancer that was originally formed in the first dog. It went through many mutations and it became really different from the original one. This was my favorite article because animals are one of my favorite things in the world and I love learning new and interesting facts about almost anything that has to do with them. I also like learning about diseases and their cures. I read a little more about this disease and learned that dogs are treated with chemotherapy and usually fully recover. This is a dangerous type of cancer and the worst part about it is that it spreads. I learned a lot reading this article and I really enjoyed it. This year I look forward to learning more about genetics, mutations, and evolution. These topics really interested me last year and I would like to learn more about them.
I think my favorite post was "Bonobos Get Their Iodine From Swampy Plants — Ancient Humans Might Have As Well". I find the topic of evolution interesting, so it intrigued me how scientists think that our ancestors possibly used aquatic plants to acquire iodine like bonobos do now. Bonobos are genetically very similar to humans, so I find it interesting how their current habits may be identical to the ones our ancestors used for brain development.
While doing the summer assignment my favorite article was “A Battle Is Raging in the Tree of Life”. I really enjoyed reading this article because I found the debate between the scientists on which organism came first in the line of evolution. I found this article to be very enjoyable since I have always been interested in the debates that take place about evolution, reading this article gave me more insight on the topic of what organism came first. Another article that I enjoyed reading was “The Disturbing Sound of a Human Voice”. I really enjoyed reading this article because of how making a sound can disturb a whole ecosystem. I found the article to be eye opening about how much humans actually disturb the many ecosystems on this planet. During the year I am excited to learn more about evolution and what scientists are doing to discover the first organism and how evolution still affects humans today.
My favorite post this summer was “The Disturbing Sound of a Human Voice.” I really enjoyed reading this article because it was very shocking how animals get scared by hearing only a little bit sound of a human. Us humans are scared of animals and the experiment in this article showed that in reality they get scared and never come back to that same destination and starve even if they get their food from there. The CRISPR gene-editions technology caught my attention because it kept people’s ethic as a main focus of the technology. This year in AP Biology I want to learn more about biotechnology and any new technology that has been invented over the past few years. It’s very interesting how humans can prevent diseases and other mutations due to gene-editing.
My two favorite posts over the summer were the “4 Parasites Too Creepy to Exist” video and the “A Battle Is Raging in the Tree of Life” article. I liked the parasite video because it completely shocked me that 1⁄3 to 1⁄2 of all life on earth is parasitic, yet these life forms are not greatly understood. The four parasites that the video showed were so interesting to me because they have traits that are unheard of in any other organism like the “corpse flower,” which steals not just nutrients, but DNA from grape vines. The “Tree of Life” article detailed on the debate of whether the first organisms originated from sponges or comb jellies and it was so interesting to me because it left even me further questioning how much we know or have learnt about natural selection and evolution. I also wondered if we did evolve from comb jellies, would it be possible to lose certain traits that may be favorable for survival? Overall though, I learned something new or interesting from all the articles but my favorite articles were the ones which detailed on an idea that is unknown or ones that left me questioning more about the topic. This year in AP Biology, I am excited to learn new things but am most excited to learn about genetics and how they manifest as different traits and how they make each individual unique.
I particularly enjoyed the article about genetic engineering, and how they will begin to start tests to try and work towards finding a treatment for blindness. I have always thought that the politics and controversies surrounding the topic to be interesting to learn about. I am especially excited to learn about genetics and everything related to that. I have always found that topic, and area of science to be very interesting. Additionally, I think that genetics could entirely alter the future of the world.
My favorite article that I read this summer was “Why Does Mint Make Your Mouth Feel Cool?” I find it so interesting that our bodies can dictate the sensations that we feel. I have always associated mint with a cool feeling, but I never realized that it’s not the mint itself, rather a protein in our bodies that causes this perception. This article made me realize that there must be a multitude of other things that our nervous system anticipates and controls whether it be as simple as the taste of food or as complex as anxiety. The body and its processes are very complex and there is still so much to learn about. I’m excited to deepen my understanding of the body systems in AP Biology this year. I hope to become a dermatologist in the future, so learning more about the skin, its functions, and the many diseases associated with it intrigues me. I look forward to taking this class, for it will help me take my first steps towards my future goals.
My favorite article was the one regarding CRISPR. This was my favorite article due to the large amount of possibilities and uses that this technology could have. It’s astonishing to see how we will soon be able to eradicate genetic diseases, if the technology is implemented correctly. I believe that this technology will be soon regarded as the penicillin of this decade.
My favorite post this summer was the “cool/creepy parasites”, this is because the idea of parasitism always interested me and I was glad to learn about some of the parasites that live amongst us. The video creeped me out as said in the article but I like to know that the world we live in isn’t as mundane as it seems. I am looking forward to learn about new topics and learn more about old topics such as parasitism. I look forward to going deeper in biology. Specifically I hope to learn more about the anatomy of Humans and be able to describe the human body starting at a cellular level.
My favorite articles that I read this summer is “The Disturbing Sound of a Human Voice.” because it is very interesting how humans are disturbing ecosystems by just talking. It makes me amazed to see how many animals even our osme that we assume are our predators can become scared of our voices. Also, I like this article because it brings to light another way that we are disturbing ecosystems that many people have never heard of. This year I am excited to learn about biotechnology and it's uses.
My favorite post over this summer was the one about CRiSPER tech. Going in to this article I had a basic understanding of CRISPER technology as I knew that this was regarding gene editing. I liked this one in particular as I had a general knowledge and was intrigued to dig deeper. This also had the 'mad scientsi' vibe as the Chinese scientist that conducted these experiments did so illegaly and without any regard to the rules about gene editing as he proceded to do so on new borns. When I look at the upcoming year I am particulary excited about disections on pig in class as I had heard about this from a peer. I particulary enjoyed last year's frog disection, seeing the inner organs of a species that shares some homologous traits to a human. I am also looking forward to the topics on orgasmal biology as the seem to intreg me. I liked the summers articles as coming in to this I had the feeling that this would be boring but some of the things turned out to be fun, like the video on parisites.
My favorite post that I did this summer was on the video “4 Parasites Too Creepy Too Exist”. Like the title explains, it explained different parasites that had certain adaptations that allowed it to benefit even more form its host. Parasites are organisms that live off of a host, which many times have a negative affect on the host. The first parasite I learned about was Tongue-biting isopod. This crustacean latches on the basihyal (a tongue like structure within the fish’s mouth). The mouth of the fish has limited space, so other parasites wishing to latch onto the fish must take refuge within the fish’s gills. This in turn has been seen to affect the growth of the fish. Because the parasites block the flow of water through the fish’s gills. The other parasite is called the parasite barnacle. This parasite attaches to the underside of a crustacean such as a crab. What is special about it is that it has a complex system within the host that is used to acquire food for the eggs. It is also specially adapted in preventing the crab from destroying it. The root like system connects to the nervous system of the host which release chemicals that make the crustacean have a maternal instinct for the barnacle. In other words it is tricked into thinking that the barnacle is its own offspring, making it protect and not harm it. This was very intriguing to me when I first read about it, because it shows how certain parasites have adaptations that make them benefit even more form a host. This year in AP Biology, I’m overall just excited to learn more about every topic. Of course, there are certain topics that I look forward to more than others. One being learning more about photosynthesis. The whole complexity of how all the steps from the light reactions to the Calvin cycle were very interesting to me and I am eager to learn more during the new school year.
Out of all the articles posted this summer, my favorite was the one about the cooling sensation that mint creates in a person’s mouth. The article, “Why does mint make your mouth feel cool?” is very informative and includes comparison to capascin found in chillies that makes a similar feeling in one’s mouth. This post, out of all the others I have read, was the most attention grabbing when I first saw it. It still is intriguing that the menthol in the mint plant entices a reaction, to make it feel cold, but it doesn’t actually lower the temperature in the mouth. What happens is that the compound sends an action potential to the brain, which is interpreted as a cold feeling on our tongue, very similar to eating a popsicle. I find that part the most interesting because essentially the chemical tricks the brain into thinking something that is actually not due to the reaction it triggers. Chemical reactions are a generally interesting topic, I like to learn more about them in the upcoming year, especially ones that occur in the human body. These reactions are related to the nervous system, and I want to know more about how neurons transmit information, what kind of chemical signaling is involved, and how the environment triggers reactions in the human body. I look forward to simply learning and understanding more about living things as a whole.
My favorite article that I read was “Why Does Mint Make Your Mouth Feel Cool?”. Mint is something that's a part of daily life and liked how it discussed the science behind the cool feeling everyone experiences. It caught my attention because I knew of it already and was able to learn something else about it. To be so familiar with something and to learn how it tricks the brain and creates a sensation was truly interesting. This year, I am excited to learn more about biology. Freshman year was very broad and I am looking forward to getting a more in depth understanding. I really liked learning about DNA and genes so I'm excited to learn more.
My favorite post was the cool creepy parasite because it provided with all of insight and knowledge about what parasites are and what types they are. I also liked the fact that it was a video and since i am a visual learner the knowledge of those parasites is stuck with me till now. I was also intrigued by how small the video was but it was straight5t to the point and was very understandable and easy to follow. It kind of creeped me out too how some parasites exist that feed of human hosts or pets that are kept in our homes and houses, so it made them aware to us.
My favorite post over the summer was “A Battle Is Raging in the Tree of Life” by Cara Giaimo. I was absolutely mesmerized by this article because it discusses an ongoing debate about the first-ever animal, the sponges and comb jellies. According to the reading, every scientist had a contrasting theory either supporting natural selection as a result of loss of traits or the gradual increase in complexity as our ancestors evolved. It is interesting how the study of evolution has been around for many ages yet we still don’t know who our ancestors were. This year I hope to learn more about evolution and natural selection. I also look forward to learning about genetics and the variation of genetic traits that make us unique.
I found the summer posts to be very interesting. Specifically, I really enjoyed reading "Thousands of Years Ago, a Dog Gave Rise to an Immortal Entity". I found it pleasurable reading about dogs, and I had never heard of a cancer being transferable through sexual contact. Canine transmissible venereal tumor, CTVT, was studied on a global scale to reveal where is spread throughout history and the carcinogens that may cause it. As scientists studied patterns of mutations found in the DNA of cancerous cells, they were left unsure about what caused the changes, and they were surprised to discover that many of the mutations did not benefit the tumor. The article also ties in the concept of evolution, by pointing out that CTVT may not longer be adapting, something I did not think occurs in nature. In class, the cell cycle and how mutations arise are things I am really looking forward to studying this year. After all, diseased cells are studied regularly to learn more about diseases and cures to them. I am also so excited to cover photosynthesis and cellular respiration. I loved learning about them in honors bio, and the processes really fascinate me.
During the summer, out of all the articles I read, my favorite was “The Disturbing Sound of a Human Voice.” This article was the most intriguing by far because I have always been interested in animals and how they fit into this ecosystem with us. It was alarming to find out that humans can cause a lot of chaos and damage without intending to. It was depressing to find out that we were causing harm to these innocent species, who have not done anything wrong. We should take more measures and put a tremendous amount of effort now and in the future to stay out of these species’ way to make sure they live a healthy life without any disturbance. I am looking forward to learning about evolution because evolution has always been an intriguing topic for me since middle school. I always wanted to know if animals evolved or not and I am certainly looking forward to learning more about this topic this upcoming year.
My favorite post was the one regarding how scientists have yet to know how cells work. This article was posted as first article that was assigned and it had intrigued me about the fact that even through decades of research, we have yet to fully understand the inner workings of a cell.The researchers haven’t discovered how a cell changes into the different variations that exist within the human body. They have also yet to understand the different variations that a cell has, as this only makes it harder for them to categorize the different cells. Another thing that has puzzled scientists is how these cells formed. I had anticipated that we would discover and already know how a cell works and its process of replication, but due to the various complicated nature of cell biology, it is still unknown. This year I am looking forward to our studies in cell biology, organ systems and the various experiments that we will be conducting. I am personally a hands on learner, so having experiments will only enrich my understanding of a topic.
My favorite post was the article “Thousands of Years Ago, a Dog Gave Rise to an Immortal Entity”. I found it intriguing that the cancer adapted to coexist with the organism it was inhabiting. Unlike other cancers, where they feel the need to constantly adapt in order to outdo its host’s immune system. CTVT, instead, behaves and evolves as if it were an organism making it one of the most curable cancers. I hope that this discovery will help in research of adaptive therapy. Scientists can treat the tumor enough, so they can control it, but not so aggressively where it feels the need to resist. I am most looking forward to learning about ecology this year and seeing how human interference in the environment has contributed to issues, such as climate change. I would also like to learn what could be done to potentially save certain biomes that are under “attack” at the moment.
My favorite post this year was most definitely the one based on mint giving ones mouth a cool feeling. It really fascinated me how certain chemicals can trigger responses from our sensory organs to make our mouth feel cool, and trick our nervous system. When the receptor protein detects the stimulus from methanol, ion channels open and trigger a tiny electric signal which neurons relay to the brain (also known as an action potential). This is honestly one of the most phenomenal parts of biology, on how the human brain can be manipulated to change our senses in certain parts of our body. In this case TRPM8 is main protein to deliver the stimulus of cold, which activates action potential and affects our senses. This topic of action potential is part of what i want to learn this year, but mainly it is how chemical signals affect our body systems in various ways, whether it provides benefits or tricks certain parts. This article definitely intrigued me into such a mind-boggling topic, which I hope to learn about more in the future.
My favorite post this summer is the article "Caterpillars of the peppered moth perceive color through their skin to match their body color to the background". After trying to figure out how the caterpillars were doing this, researchers discovered genes related to vision in the caterpillars' skin. As I explained in a previous comment, this is unusual but doesn't explain why the blindfolded caterpillars can perceive color because those genes are supposedly useless without eyes. This leads into the topic of genetics which is what I am most looking forward to learning about this year. I would like to find out how the body makes such few mistakes when duplicating so much data.
Although multitudes of the articles I read this summer were interesting and intriguing, my favorite article was “The Disturbing Sound of the Human Voice”. This article highlighted multiple points that brings awareness in the society. Additionally, this article educated my understanding of the impact of the human voice on innocent animals and nature in general. Also, this article bestowed experiments that assisted in increasing the understanding of the readers. From reading this article, I learned that even the simplest of human voices instills fear in animals forcing them to become more cautious. Humans also terrify animals and are the reason for the loss of the animals’ habitats. Overall, this distinguished article was brilliant and brought awareness into the society, therefore, becoming my favorite article.
Moving on, this year I desire to learn more about evolution. evolution to me, is actually one of the most fascinating topics of biology. In addition, in my previous course of biology, I heavily enjoyed this topic and actually did numerous research on it. In addition, this topic is very significant and is also a topic one must learn about as understanding evolution helps people solve biological problems, that impact our lives.
My favorite article out of all of the articles throughout the summer was the one about the human microbiome and how it is churning out several thousands of new proteins. I was interested in this article for two reasons. One, because I am interested in the human microbiome and its many mysteries, and two, how even today there are discoveries being made in the human body which scientists have studied for centuries. In AP Biology I hope to learn more about the human body, but more specifically the nervous system and how it is able to control all the parts of our body. I would like to go more in depth on the nervous system and how it is able to control the beating of our heart, breathing, and several other involuntary actions that our bodies perform. However even though I am most interested in this topic I am also looking forward to learning new things in AP biology this year.
My favorite post over this summer was the video about parasites. It was visually entertaining and different from the articles. In addition the way the information was given made it more interesting. Another post I found interesting was the “The Disturbing Sound of a Human Voice.” It really puts our actions on a much larger scale. A few things I look forward to this school year is learning more about cancer and the ecosystem.
Many of the articles presented to us were very interesting. I personally enjoyed reading all of them. It was hard to come to a conclusion, but my most favorite was "Why Does Mint Make Your Mouth Feel Cool?" This article was about the different chemicals inside of different foods, which gives a false impression of temperature in your mouth. Capsaicin, for example, is a chemical found in chilies that does the opposite of the TRPM8 protein found in mint. It makes your tongue feel like it's on fire! I really liked this article because it was very interesting to learn how different chemicals in different types of foods can make your body falsely interpret internal body temperatures. A few things I look forward to learning this school year is exactly how DNA splicing really works, what exactly made humans more advanced than any other animal on the planet, and whether high school is hard or not :)
First of all, I really enjoyed reading these articles over the summer. As time went on, I started to look forward to them. But my favorite article out of all was “The Disturbing Sound of A Human Voice”. I was so shocked when I read this article. I had always thought that humans were scared of large animals. I had never imagined it would be the other way around. But after reading the article it made sense because we are destroying the animals habitats which could have caused the fear in their mind. In AP biology this year, I look forward to learning more about the anatomy of humans and the body systems. I really want to learn about them in dept to gain a better understanding of how all of them work together. Also in Honors biology my most favorite topics were genetics and evolution. So, I want to learn more about them too. I also hope to learn about topics that I hadn’t learnt in Honors Biology at all.
After trying to recall all of the past assignments over the summer, the video about parasites was the most memorable to me and my favorite post. Specifically, the part of the video where it talks about a DNA stealing parasite. It was the first time I learned of a parasite thriving with the use of it’s host’s DNA. The video also gave a fun fact that the dna stealing parasite was used to influence the design a Pokémon because of its popularity. This made realize how linked biology can be with a video game franchise and can be present anywhere. Furthermore, I enjoyed and understood the topic more easily because of the video format which is more helpful to me compared to other formats such as articles. Overall, the format of these assignments were the most interactive and intriguing. Going into this school year I am looking most forward to learning about DNA. DNA is very complex and is important in biology so it is the topic I look forward in tackling this year and seeing how it goes.
My favorite article that I read this summer was “Why does mint makes your mouth feel cold”. This is because it is such a small thing to think about, it seems silly, but in reality, there is a true scientific reason why this happens. It is also very relatable to me, I love the feeling of chewing mint gum, and the refreshing feeling in your mouth after you brush your teeth. Now I know why this happens and it fascinates me.
I look forward to learning about the human processes this year. I have taken an anatomy course prior to this class and I enjoyed learning about how our bodies functions. As this is something I want to pursue in my future, I am excited to take one step closer to college.
My favorite article to read was about how mints make your mouth cold. i have always wondered why mints felt cold and i finally know. I also just love mint chocolate chip ice-cream. Over the next year, I'm looking forward to learning more about how organisms affect the environment and also how recent technology and discoveries could affect lives of humans and also treat diseases such as cancer.
My favorite article was about CRSPER. The reason for this is because I remember when the video of the Chinese scientist went viral after he revealed to the world about his experimentation on two embryos. This sparked debate around ethics,legal issues, and just plain old opinions. However, this new article showed that these were willing participants as well as the traits that will be edited in will not be transferable to their offspring. One thing i would love to learn about this year is about DNA and editing the genome. This is because DNA has always limited us to our base characteristic we get from outr parent and the occasional mutation.
One of my favorite blog posts that I found the most interesting was the video about creepy parasites. I learned so many things about parasites, including the fact that parasites make up ⅓ to ½ of all life on Earth, which is crazy to think of. The different types of parasites also are disgusting to think about, but it’s fascinating to learn how they survive and to realize that they live on their host and it is a major part of what they do. Their purpose seems to only damage other organisms and gain life, which makes me question some aspects of life. I really enjoyed the video because it gave visuals in which I was able to see the explanations come to life. As for what I am looking forward to learning this year, it definitely has to be evolution. Since I was small, I always wondered where we originated from, and how everything came to be. Hopefully, the science behind the theory of evolution can give me some answers and make me understand a little bit of how organisms were created. I really look forward to this class this year!
Personally, my favorite post was the cool/creepy video about parasites. I have always found parasites to be one of my favorite organisms from their crazy parasitic relationship. I always enjoy learning more about parasites and their unique, crazy relationships with their hosts. Overall, I am most interested to learn about the chemistry of life and I am excited to start the class.
Overall my favourite assignment was the one about CRISPER. Gene editing is a very interesting and controversial topic. Because it's a topic that can be brought up a lot to talk about due to it's controversiality I think it's also good to know information about this topic. Though it's still in its early stags, I believe over time we will come to perfect gene editing. This process can actually save lives and make a huge change in peoples lives, so I believe it's important to improve upon. DNA is a subject that I'm interested in so I look forward to it to see how it is throughout the year. DNA is so complex with so many lines of information, it's amazing how the human body can not only make this but eead through all of these trends of DNA to replicate. This is a very interesting topic and I look forward to what it has throughout the year.
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