VDA #7

1. What is the benefit of checking feces (poop, scat, dung, droppings) for hormones versus checking the blood of the animal?

The benefit is that checking the animal's feces helps you learn about its travels, diets, and health. While checking the blood of an animal just tells you about the animal's ancestry or body. Checking the animals feces helps you learn more about the animal physically.

2. What four things can you learn from an organism's droppings?

You can learn about the animal's travels, diets, and health. You can also learn about the species that exerted the droppings.

3. What hormone is produced when some animals are stressed or starving?

The hormone is called GC, or glucocorticoid. 

4. What did the researchers conclude contributed to the higher stress in orcas and how did the scientists come to that conclusion?

The higher stress in orcas happens when the number of the orcas' favorite food, the Chinook salmon drops. They concluded this because in August, when there was an abundant amount of fish in the ocean the levels of the oracs' GC dropped. 

5. Give two reason why dung beetles climb atop the balls of dung.

The first reason is that they climb on top of the animal's dung to eat in a quiet peaceful place  The second reason is that they climb on the balls of dung to keep their feet cool when they are hot, this is because the animal's dung is moist and the want to avoid hot feet.

6. What is the relationship between the Kakapo and the Hades flower?

The relationship was that the Hades flower fed the Kakapo, and the Kakapoo benefited the Hades flower because the Kakapo has whisker-like feathers that pick up pollen when they feed on the Hades flower. When the parrots transfer that pollen from fewer to flower it would pollinate the plant. The Kakapo could help the Hades flower thrive again.

7. Why is the Hades flower called "Hades" flower?

This flower is named after the Greek god, Hades, god of the Underworld. Since this flower grows underground it is named after him.

VDA #6

1. Scientists predict that prune fingers may serve a purpose. What purpose do they suggest prune fingers serve?

The purpose scientists predict prune fingers serve are that prune fingers improve our fingers' ability to grasp wet, slippery objects.

2. Do you think that the study performed in England was a valid study? Why or why not?

I think the study in England was valid because it showed that every participant moved the wet objects faster with wrinkled fingers. However, the study also showed that wrinkled skin didn't help any of the participants move the dry objects any faster.

3. How would you design an experiment to gather more data to support the suggestion that prune fingers serve a purpose? (Be sure to include the number of people sampled, the independent and dependent variables and the duration of time for your experiment.)

I could design an experiment in several ways. One way I could do the experiment is, I could have 40 people. I would ask them to soak their fingers in warm water for five different periods of time. One period for 1 minute, one period for 5 minutes, one period for 10 minutes and one period for 15 minutes. I would then ask and time the participants to move a few wet objects from one box to another and see if the time difference or the more wrinkly your fingers are the easier and faster it is to hold and move objects. My independent variable would be the different times and my dependent variables would be the water, participants, and objects. The time for my experiment would be about 35-40 minutes long. Another experiment I could do would be similar to the first, except I could use salt water and fresh water and test the differences between the two different waters. I would have 40 participants that would test both waters for different amounts of time and see which water and time difference helps in grasping wet slippery objects. My independent variables is the salt water, fresh water, and time; my dependent variables would be the participants and objects. My time would be about the same 35-55 minutes.

4. What biological process allows for the skin on our hands and feet to turn wrinkly in the first place?
The process that allows the skin on our hand and feet to get wrinkly is because of sebum. Sebum is an oil that covers our skin. Sebum is found on the most outer most layer of skin. Sebum moistens and protects your skin. It makes your skin more waterproof. When you are in the water for a long period of time the water washes away the sebum, this causes the skin to become waterlogged and trap in water which makes our hands wrinkly. (Downshen, MD, 2010)

REDO:
2.Do you think that the study performed in England was a valid study? Why or why not?
I think the study in England was valid andbecause it had before and after data. The study also had experimental and control groups. the partcipants did the experimant twice, once with dry hand, and once with wet, wrinkly hands. The experiment also has independent and dependent variables.

3. How would you design an experiment to gather more data to support the suggestion that prune fingers serve a purpose? (Be sure to include the number of people sampled, the independent and dependent variables and the duration of time for your experiment.)
My experiment would be that I would have 40 participants. I would have the participants test two different types of water; saltwater and freshwater. I would have two groups. Twenty people would soak their hands for 30 minutes in saltwater; this is my experimental group. Twenty people would soak their hands for 30 minutes in freshwater, this is my control group. After this step, I would ask the participants to move several objects from one box to another and time which group moves the objects fastest. It would either be the fresh water or saltwater group.The time for my experiment would be about 35-40 minutes. My independent variables would be the saltwater and fresh water. My dependent variable would be the task or how fast my participants would take to move the objects from one box to the other box. 

4. What biological process allows for the skin on our hands and feet to turn wrinkly in the first place?
The biological process is called osmosis.

VDA #5

Mercury is the 80th element in the periodic table (GreenFacts, 2002). It is a heavy metal that occurs naturally in the environment in different chemical forms (GreenFacts, 2002). It is also a potent neurotoxin pollutant that leads to many health problems when it is in our food (EPA, 2012).  An organism that contains mercury is fish. When pregnant women have fish in their diet it can affect their unborn child's development by letting the child possibly have deficit/hyperactivity disorder, or ADHD (EPA, 2012). The child can also have severe disabilities and problems in their nervous system (EPA, 2012). Pregnant women or any kinds of people are exposed to mercury by touching it, breathing it through the air, or by eating of drinking food or water contaminated with mercury in it. Ways pregnant women can stay away from mercury during pregnancy are by not eating high amounts of mercury, especially fish and seafood. Studies show that people should have about 1 to 2 servings of seafood a week (EPA, 2012). Pregnant women should also throw away any broken thermometers or florescent light bulbs, which may contain mercury (EPA, 2012). Pregnant women should also avoid changing cat litter, lead exposure from old pipes and faucets, and pesticides or other certain chemicals, which also may contain mercury (EPA, 2012).

VDA #4

VDA #4

1. An embolism as it pertains to humans is a blockage that plugs up an artery in the body and slows or even stops blood flow to the area of body supplied by the artery. People might not be able to get the sufficient oxygen in their blood. It can cause blockages in blood vessels which disables blood to pass freely. They also may cause tissue to die if they prevent blood flow in a certain area. If it continues it leads to thirst, starvation, and eventually death. 
http://www.humanillnesses.com/original/E-Ga/Embolism.html#b

2. An embolism as it pertains to plant/trees is when they have more and more gas accumulating in their bodies and they can't get enough water to their leaves when they pump or suck for it in their roots. It results in reducing photosynthesis and eventually leads to death. Also, when there is dry soil, the tree has to suck harder for water which increases the risk of drawing air bubbles into the tree's plumbing.

3. The implication this discovery has on global concern is that droughts temperatures are rising around the globe, which is making droughts more likely and intense. This can harm and effect plants by lack of water, too many air bubbles in their plumbing or embolism.

Extra Credit

1. DNA is an acronym. What is DNA's "real" name?

DNA's "real" name is Deoxyribonucleic Acid. http://wiki.answers.com/Q/What_is_the_full_form_of_DNA

 

2. What function does DNA serve?

DNA contains information about the characteristics of an organism and directs its cell's activities. http://wiki.answers.com/Q/What_function_does_DNA_serve

 

3. How was DNA's shape discovered? Give me the name of three scientists who played a role in this discovery? (Hint: I'm looking for the names of two men and one woman).

Francis Crick and James Watson found out DNA's shape, Rosalind Franklin had a large part in their discovery with her  x-ray crystallography images. http://wiki.answers.com/Q/Which_scientist_discovered_the_shape_of_the_DNA_molecule

 

4. DNA has nucleotide bases, what are the four bases? (Hint: C, G, T, A... what does each letter represent?)

The four nucleotide bases of DNA are Thymine, Guanine, Cytosine, Adenine.

Science Notebook

5. In DNA, the four base nucleotides always pair up in a certain way; which letters bond with which?

Cytosine always pairs up with Guanine. Adenine always pairs up with Thymine.

Science Notebook

VDA #3

1. What is algae? (Specifically, what kingdom does it belong to and where is it found?)

Algae is classified in Kingdom Protista. http://www.biology-online.org/dictionary/Algae
Algae can be found in damp, moist places. It is also found in bodies of water. http://answers.ask.com/Science/Biology/where_is_algae_found

 

2. What is another form of biofuel that the article mentions? (Hint! "There's more than _______ in Indiana! Indiana Beach!")

Another source of biofuel is corn.

 

3. When comparing algal biofuel to the biofuel mentioned in your answer to number 2, which one allegedly produces fewer polluntants?

The algae produces fewer pollutants.

4. How does the algae produce biofuel?

When fed on certain sugars the algae produces fammable oils that can be used as fuel addictives.

Then, watch Solazyme's video on biofuel production and answer the following questions, according to what the video presented:

1. How long does nature take to produce fuel?

Nature takes millions of years to produce petroleum from fossilized algae.

2. How long does it take Solazyme to produce fuel?

Solazyme shortened this process to a matter of days.

3. Where is Solazyme currently located?

Solazyme was founded in Peoria, Illinois, and is expanding all over the world.

VDA #2
1. a) The scientists research contributes to the greater good by learning how different animals communicate. I think this is important because it shows people the different ways organisms can communicate other than the ways humans do. It also shows us the ways that animals use their minds to warn one another about danger.
 
    b) The questions the scientist posed to the research he did was that he first focused on how different species of birds styled their songs. Then the question he asked himself  was, when birds varied their calls did that mean that they were giving a different meaning to each message?

    c) The field of science that this experiment falls into is biology.


2.  Dear Dr. Chris Templeton,
   
      I read about your amazing experiment on how you tested the different calls and warnings of the chickadee to see what meanings they had. I was really interested in your experiment when you tested different kinds of predators and saw what calls the chickadee made to each one. When you recorded and studied the chickadee's sound and pitches, I was found out that your results were that the chickadees' calls reflected the degree of danger each one one had experienced. It was incredible to learn how clever and smart these birds are and how they can communicate with many different species of birds too. Are the warnings and calls of the chickadee different based on the experience of danger they had with the animal? Your experiment was very informative, interesting, and fun to read. Thank you!

                                                                       Sincerely,

                                                                         Jenna