1. My goal for this semester is to get better grades in all of my classes. I will achieve this by studying for tests and quizzes ahead of time and not studying it on the day before the test is given. For math, I will do more practice problems and word problems so I know the material better. For English, I will read some books to help improve my writing skills. For biology, I will read the textbook more often, watch the vodcasts, and make flashcards for terms and key ideas more often when preparing for the test.
2. My goal for biology is to continue to do well on lab conclusions. I will make sure I will get all of the requirements for a good lab conclusion and I will try to type faster to get it done in a quicker manner and have more time to check it then last semester when I finished at a slow manner and did not have a lot of time to check it.
Tuesday, January 5, 2016
Thursday, December 10, 2015
Unit 5 Reflection
In unit 5, we learned about Walking the Dogma. It includes learning about our genetic code, DNA, the central dogma of biology, mutations, and gene expression and regulation. We did some labs to explain more about DNA.
We learned about our genetic code. We learned about the structure of our code which includes a double helix which is two strands twisted around each other and is made of nucleotides. Nucleotides are made up of three parts, an anitrogen base, a phosphate group and a sugar. In our genetic code, our DNA is antiparallel which is when each nucleotide bonds with another nucleotide. Also our code is made of nitrogen bases that includes purines and pyrimidines. We learned about our DNA. It includes semi conservative DNA replication. It includes many steps that includes unzipping and zipping. The result of this is getting 2 identical strands. We learned that the base pair rules are A=U, C=G, T=A.
We learned about RNA and DNA and its structural differences like being single stranded, having rbose and containing uracil. The function of RNA is that it serves as a temporary copy of a gene , delivers the copy to the ribosomes, and ribosomes would use the copy to make proteins. We learned about transcription and translation. Transcription is a process where RNA polymerase reads and copies DNA code for the messenger RNA. Translation is when the messenger RNA arrives at the ribosome and is read 3 bases at a time and turned into protein. The result of this is that a long chain of amino acids are made and chains of amino acids twist, folds and combines with other chains. We learned about the types of mutations . It includes point mutation where a change in one or two base paris of DNA, very small and are very common. It also includes frameshift mutation, Substitution , insertion and deletion. Frameshift mutation is a mutation that includes insertion and deletion. Insertion is when an extra base pair is added to the code. Deletion is when a base pair is left out of the code.
Lastly, we learned about gene expression and regulation. We learned that gene regulation is cells that don't want to waste energy or over express genes and have a variety of steps used to control the expression of a single gene. We learned about eukaryotic regulation. It's more complex that bacterial regulation and proteins will bind before a gene and are required for the gene to be expressed.
We learned about RNA and DNA and its structural differences like being single stranded, having rbose and containing uracil. The function of RNA is that it serves as a temporary copy of a gene , delivers the copy to the ribosomes, and ribosomes would use the copy to make proteins. We learned about transcription and translation. Transcription is a process where RNA polymerase reads and copies DNA code for the messenger RNA. Translation is when the messenger RNA arrives at the ribosome and is read 3 bases at a time and turned into protein. The result of this is that a long chain of amino acids are made and chains of amino acids twist, folds and combines with other chains. We learned about the types of mutations . It includes point mutation where a change in one or two base paris of DNA, very small and are very common. It also includes frameshift mutation, Substitution , insertion and deletion. Frameshift mutation is a mutation that includes insertion and deletion. Insertion is when an extra base pair is added to the code. Deletion is when a base pair is left out of the code.
Lastly, we learned about gene expression and regulation. We learned that gene regulation is cells that don't want to waste energy or over express genes and have a variety of steps used to control the expression of a single gene. We learned about eukaryotic regulation. It's more complex that bacterial regulation and proteins will bind before a gene and are required for the gene to be expressed.
Tuesday, December 8, 2015
Protein Synthesis Lab Conclusion
1. To make a protein, a section of DNA is copied by an enzyme to create messenger RNA. The messenger RNA leaves the nucleus and travels to the cytoplasm. The messenger RNA then bonds with a ribosome. The ribosomes reads a codon and determines the amino acid that corresponds with the sequence and is determined by the codon that is read by the ribosome. They are bonded together and when the messenger RNA is done translated, it is folded up to become a protein.
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/3/38/Protein_primary_structure.svg/2000px-Protein_primary_structure.svg.png
2. The mutation that had the most effect to the protein is frameshift mutation because it involves insertion and deletion that has a great effect to the amino acids. When the DNA inserted another base, the amino acids changed into different amino acids. When the DNA deleted a base, the amino acids started twice. The weakest mutation is substitution because it only substitutes a base for another and does not effect the amino acids much as most of the proteins still were the same from the original amino acid sequence.
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/b1/Point_Mutation.jpg
3. In step 7, I chose insertion because it's a harmful mutation. Insertion is more effective to the amino acids than deletion and substitution because more amino acids turn into different amino acids than deletion and substitution. It matters where the mutation occurs because has to occur between the codons.
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/06/Insertion-genetics.png
4. Mutations can affect our life by causing proteins to not work properly and can cause disorders in the body.
Conditional Mutations:
A type of mutation that affects the phenotype by temperature.
http://www.nature.com/scitable/content/5140/10[1].1038_ncb437-f2_full.jpg
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/3/38/Protein_primary_structure.svg/2000px-Protein_primary_structure.svg.png
2. The mutation that had the most effect to the protein is frameshift mutation because it involves insertion and deletion that has a great effect to the amino acids. When the DNA inserted another base, the amino acids changed into different amino acids. When the DNA deleted a base, the amino acids started twice. The weakest mutation is substitution because it only substitutes a base for another and does not effect the amino acids much as most of the proteins still were the same from the original amino acid sequence.
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/b1/Point_Mutation.jpg
3. In step 7, I chose insertion because it's a harmful mutation. Insertion is more effective to the amino acids than deletion and substitution because more amino acids turn into different amino acids than deletion and substitution. It matters where the mutation occurs because has to occur between the codons.
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/06/Insertion-genetics.png
4. Mutations can affect our life by causing proteins to not work properly and can cause disorders in the body.
Conditional Mutations:
A type of mutation that affects the phenotype by temperature.
http://www.nature.com/scitable/content/5140/10[1].1038_ncb437-f2_full.jpg
Sunday, December 6, 2015
DNA Extraction Lab
In this lab, our question was how can DNA be separated from cheek cells in order to study it? Our result was alcohol, a non polar mixture and DNA, a polar mixture separated into layers and the DNA precipitated to the interphase of the mixture and DNA went to the alcohol layer. During this experiment, we used our teeth to scratch our cheek cells and got a bit of Gatorade and swished it in our mouth for 30 seconds which is an example of homogenization. We then added salt, pineapple juice, a catabolic proteases, and detergent to lyse the cell membranes. We then added alcohol tocreate 2 layers. The DNA then rose to the alcohol layer and could be picked up with a transfer pipette. This supports the claim by showing that DNA can be separated by nonpolar and polar liquids.
Even though the results we got from the lab was the right result, there was some errors that occurred during this experiment. One error is this lab was the time. In this lab, we did not count exactly 5 minutes before checking the Gatorade mixture. This affected how some of the DNA did not wrap around. Another error was the amount of Gatorade added to the test tube. We may have added too much in the test tube which affected how much alcohol we added. We may not have added enough for more DNA to precipitate to the surface. In order for these errors to not occur, we should be more careful and follow instructions better.
In conclusion, the purpose of this lab was to determine how to extract your own DNA. This lab relates to what we learned about DNA. We learned that it can be found in the nucleus and organisms and what is in the DNA. This can be applied to other concepts relating to observing DNA in human and living organisms with your own eyes and learning how to remove DNA from humans and living organisms to make observations.
Even though the results we got from the lab was the right result, there was some errors that occurred during this experiment. One error is this lab was the time. In this lab, we did not count exactly 5 minutes before checking the Gatorade mixture. This affected how some of the DNA did not wrap around. Another error was the amount of Gatorade added to the test tube. We may have added too much in the test tube which affected how much alcohol we added. We may not have added enough for more DNA to precipitate to the surface. In order for these errors to not occur, we should be more careful and follow instructions better.
In conclusion, the purpose of this lab was to determine how to extract your own DNA. This lab relates to what we learned about DNA. We learned that it can be found in the nucleus and organisms and what is in the DNA. This can be applied to other concepts relating to observing DNA in human and living organisms with your own eyes and learning how to remove DNA from humans and living organisms to make observations.
Wednesday, November 25, 2015
Unit 4 Reflection
This unit was about Sex in Genetics. We learned about the cell cycle and its reasons which includes Reproduction, Growth and Development, and Cell tissue and repair. The steps of the cell cycle is Interphase, mitosis and cytokinesis. In interphase, cell grows, copies itself and prepares for division. In mitosis, it consists of prophase, metaphase, anaphase, and telophase. In prophase, DNA becomes visible. In metaphase, chromosomes line up at the equator. In anaphase, spindle fibers pull the chromosomes apart and in telophase, new nuclear membranes form and spindle fibers disappear. In cytokinesis, the cells split into two identical cells, the rest of organelles are divided and the cell membranes pinch apart. We learned about the reason why sex is great because of asexual and sexual reproduction and its cost and benefits. Sex can create sex cells which can create offspring. Sex chromosomes can create sex and can be determined by autosomes. It also includes Meiosis which is the process of making gametes. The steps of meiosis is the same as mitosis but but meiosis divides twice. There is Meiosis I and Meiosis II and Meiosis I splits homologous chromosomes and Meiosis II splits sister chromatids. It also involves crossing over.
We learned about Mendel's laws which are the law of segregation and the law of independent assortment. The law of segregation states that gene pairs for a trait separate when gametes are formed and the law of independent assortment is when gene pairs separate independently. We learned about his discoveries of sex by crossing purebred purple and white together. That when he discovered that traits are determined by two copies of a gene. He later realized that sex is great because he could predict the phenotype of an offspring if he knew the genotype of the parents. We learned about calculating the chances of a certain offspring by using punnett squares.
Lastly, we learned about the different types of crosses. The types of crosses we learned was the monohybrid cross, the dihybrid cross, and the test cross. The monohybrid cross crosses homozygous dominant with homozygous recessive, dihybrid cross crosses double homozygous dominant with double homozygous recessive and test cross crosses unknown individuals with known homozygous recessive individuals. We also made an infographic about genetics and it helped me learn more about it.
In this unit, I learned a lot about genetics and sex. I never knew that sex was so useful in life and I though it was something that was inappropriate to talk about. This unit helped me build up on more genetics that I had learned in 7th grade. From the infographic, I learned more about the background of genetics and how to make infographics.
We learned about Mendel's laws which are the law of segregation and the law of independent assortment. The law of segregation states that gene pairs for a trait separate when gametes are formed and the law of independent assortment is when gene pairs separate independently. We learned about his discoveries of sex by crossing purebred purple and white together. That when he discovered that traits are determined by two copies of a gene. He later realized that sex is great because he could predict the phenotype of an offspring if he knew the genotype of the parents. We learned about calculating the chances of a certain offspring by using punnett squares.
Lastly, we learned about the different types of crosses. The types of crosses we learned was the monohybrid cross, the dihybrid cross, and the test cross. The monohybrid cross crosses homozygous dominant with homozygous recessive, dihybrid cross crosses double homozygous dominant with double homozygous recessive and test cross crosses unknown individuals with known homozygous recessive individuals. We also made an infographic about genetics and it helped me learn more about it.
In this unit, I learned a lot about genetics and sex. I never knew that sex was so useful in life and I though it was something that was inappropriate to talk about. This unit helped me build up on more genetics that I had learned in 7th grade. From the infographic, I learned more about the background of genetics and how to make infographics.
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| https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/8/8b/Independent_assortment_%26_segregation.svg/2000px-Independent_assortment_%26_segregation.svg.png |
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| https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/d3/Gregor_Mendel.png |
Thursday, November 19, 2015
Coin Sex Lab Relate and Review
In this lab, we flipped some coins to determine the traits that a child could have by probability. We tested for sex of offspring that included getting heterozygous and homozygous combinations, autosomal dominance, x linked recessive to find x linked inheritance, and dihybrid crosses to find possibilities for traits that can be made from each genotype. The coins served as a model for genetics by the way it was demonstrated. The coins are the Genes and the coin flipping in the air is meiosis or gene segregation to create alleles. Meiosis from the coin flip created recombinations of crosses of genes to create phenotypes. In the dihybrid cross simulation, the expected results for this simulation was that out of 16 individuals, 4 individuals would have brown hair, brown eyes, 4 individuals would have brown hair blue eyes, 4 individuals would have blonde hair, brown eyes, and 4 individual would have blonde hair. As a result, 12 people would have brown hair, brown eyes, 2 people have brown hair, blue eyes, 1 will have blonde hair, brown eyes and 1 will have blonde hair, blue eyes. These results reflect on how probability can be affected. The results that can be obtained using probability is that probability is mostly not accurate comparing to results that should be expected to get. The limits of using probability for predicting our offspring's traits is that we would not know what kind of possibilities to expect when genotypes cross to form phenotypes. It also would affect our knowledge of punnett squares and how they are used for predicting offsprings. This helps me understand how sex works when it comes to predicting offsprings and traits. With this knowledge, I can use it to tell what kind of person I am. I can figure out what kind of traits I would have right now and tell what kind of offspring I got these traits from.
Tuesday, November 17, 2015
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