Discussion Master (Ch.11-12)
(T/F) True or False. Hormone-disrupting chemicals are classical poisons or typical carcinogens.
(pg. 203) False. Hormone-disrupting chemicals are not classical poisons or typical carcinogens. They play by different rules.
Do hormone disrupting chemicals kill cells or attack DNA at levels typically found in the environment?
(pg. 203) When the hormone-disrupting chemicals are found at levels typically in the environment, they do not kills cells or do not attack or damage DNA.
Can hormone-disrupting chemicals damage fertility and development?
(pg. 209) Hormone-disrupting chemicals are capable of damaging or destroying fertility and development and can jeopardize the survival of an entire's species' population.
(T/F) True or False. Hormone-disrupting chemicals can cause mutations that persist across generations.
(pg. 211) False. Hormone-disrupting chemicals do not cause mutations that can persist or last across generations and do not attack genes.
Where are hormone-disrupting synthetic chemicals found in today's society?
(pg. 225) Hormone-disrupting synthetic chemicals are found in our food and water. They can be found in the air we breathe and in the consumer goods we buy on a daily basis.
What caused the acceleration of the evolution of bacteria and insects to become immune to our pesticides and antibiotics?
(pg. 229) The acceleration of the evolution of weeds, insects, and bacteria to become immune to our pesticide and antibiotics was caused by our overly excessive use of drugs and pesticides.
Friday, October 3, 2014
Saturday, September 27, 2014
Lit Circle (Our Stolen Future) Ch 8-10
Vocab/Word Master
1. alkylphenol (pg. 129)- (n.) a derivative of phenol having one or more alkyl groups attached to the carbon ring; a family of organic compounds obtained by the alkylation of phenols
2. nonylphenol (pg. 129)- (n.) a family of closely related organic compounds called alkylphenol, used in manufacturing antioxidants, lubricating oil additives, laundry and dish detergents, emulsifiers, and solubilizers
3. vitellogenin (pg. 132)- (n.) an egg yolk precursor protein expressed in the females of nearly all oviparous species including fish, amphibians, reptiles, birds, most invertebrates, and monotremes
4. methoxychlor (pg. 137)- (n.) a synthetic organochlorine used as an insecticide
5. epididymis (pg.145)- (n.) a tightly coiled mass of thin tubes that carries sperm from the testes to the ductus deferens in the male reproductive system
6. lymphocyte (pg. 161)- (n.) complex cells that direct the body's immune system
7. endometriosis (pg. 172)- (n.) a female health disorder that occurs when cells from the lining of the womb (uterus) grow in other areas of the body
8. chlorofluorocarbons (pg. 173)- (n.) an organic compound that contains only carbon, chlorine, and fluorine, produced as a volatile derivative of methane, ethane, and propane
9. hypospadias (pg. 176)- (n.) a birth defect in which the opening of the urethra is on the underside of the penis
10. transthyretin (pg. 187)- (n.) a serum and cerebrospinal fluid carrier of the thyroid hormone thyroxine (T4) and retinol-binding protein bound to retinol
1. alkylphenol (pg. 129)- (n.) a derivative of phenol having one or more alkyl groups attached to the carbon ring; a family of organic compounds obtained by the alkylation of phenols
2. nonylphenol (pg. 129)- (n.) a family of closely related organic compounds called alkylphenol, used in manufacturing antioxidants, lubricating oil additives, laundry and dish detergents, emulsifiers, and solubilizers
3. vitellogenin (pg. 132)- (n.) an egg yolk precursor protein expressed in the females of nearly all oviparous species including fish, amphibians, reptiles, birds, most invertebrates, and monotremes
4. methoxychlor (pg. 137)- (n.) a synthetic organochlorine used as an insecticide
5. epididymis (pg.145)- (n.) a tightly coiled mass of thin tubes that carries sperm from the testes to the ductus deferens in the male reproductive system
6. lymphocyte (pg. 161)- (n.) complex cells that direct the body's immune system
7. endometriosis (pg. 172)- (n.) a female health disorder that occurs when cells from the lining of the womb (uterus) grow in other areas of the body
8. chlorofluorocarbons (pg. 173)- (n.) an organic compound that contains only carbon, chlorine, and fluorine, produced as a volatile derivative of methane, ethane, and propane
9. hypospadias (pg. 176)- (n.) a birth defect in which the opening of the urethra is on the underside of the penis
10. transthyretin (pg. 187)- (n.) a serum and cerebrospinal fluid carrier of the thyroid hormone thyroxine (T4) and retinol-binding protein bound to retinol
Friday, September 26, 2014
Potato Mountain Graph Analysis
After my group finished gluing our potato mountains onto our shoebox, we covered the whole interior of the shoebox with plaster in order to make it look more practical and applicable to real life like a mountain range. Furthermore, the plaster enabled the potato mountain range to become more consistent in its slope and generated unevenness that more accurately symbolizes or represents a mountain range.
After finishing plastering the interior of our shoebox, we then sealed the shoebox with tape and swapped it with another group. We then got skewers and labeled the skewers with a black marker on intervals of 1 cm each. Moreover, we used the skewer to enable us to calculate the depth or deepness of the box. Likewise, this is very alike to measuring the altitude or elevation of the landforms or mountain ranges with a satellite.
When electromagnetic waves are released or discharges, it takes a period of time for the electromagnetic waves to come back to the satellite in which it gives an understandably accurate approximation of the satellite's distance to the surface. Furthermore, we made a data chart of the distances on a piece of line paper and later converted onto excel and generated a 3-dimensional portrayal of the potato mountains we got when we swapped with another group.
This screenshot represents another group's shoebox. It shows an approximate estimation of the potato mountain's shape or mountain range we received. The 3-D picture we generated is very similar to the topographical worksheets we did in which each different color in the 3-D representation represents a specific altitude of the mountain range.
After finishing plastering the interior of our shoebox, we then sealed the shoebox with tape and swapped it with another group. We then got skewers and labeled the skewers with a black marker on intervals of 1 cm each. Moreover, we used the skewer to enable us to calculate the depth or deepness of the box. Likewise, this is very alike to measuring the altitude or elevation of the landforms or mountain ranges with a satellite.
When electromagnetic waves are released or discharges, it takes a period of time for the electromagnetic waves to come back to the satellite in which it gives an understandably accurate approximation of the satellite's distance to the surface. Furthermore, we made a data chart of the distances on a piece of line paper and later converted onto excel and generated a 3-dimensional portrayal of the potato mountains we got when we swapped with another group.
This screenshot represents another group's shoebox. It shows an approximate estimation of the potato mountain's shape or mountain range we received. The 3-D picture we generated is very similar to the topographical worksheets we did in which each different color in the 3-D representation represents a specific altitude of the mountain range.
Sunday, September 21, 2014
Wednesday, September 17, 2014
Potato Mountain Topography
While doing the potato mountain topography, I learned that increments or intervals are used to represent landforms in topographical maps. Furthermore, this activity helped me better understand topographical maps. A mountain's topographical map would include contour lines that resemble the mountain's shape at increments of 10, 50, or 100 feet depending on the altitude of the mountain. The half potato I cut out for this activity represents a mountain range.
We first took a large potato and cut it in half, which represents my mountain. I kept one half of a potato for myself and gave the other half of my mountain to my group. Moreover, I later cut the potato into 4 horizontal layers.
I later took each horizontal layer of my potato and traced it onto a blue colored piece of paper.
I later made another identical copy of the cut-out/traced layers of potato (in order to make a double layer of the shape in cardboard) and glued it onto a piece of cardboard.
Finally, I glued the layers of cardboard together.
I later glued my potato mountain along with my other group member's potato onto the shoebox and we later plastered the interior of the shoebox.
We first took a large potato and cut it in half, which represents my mountain. I kept one half of a potato for myself and gave the other half of my mountain to my group. Moreover, I later cut the potato into 4 horizontal layers.
I later took each horizontal layer of my potato and traced it onto a blue colored piece of paper.
I later made another identical copy of the cut-out/traced layers of potato (in order to make a double layer of the shape in cardboard) and glued it onto a piece of cardboard.
Finally, I glued the layers of cardboard together.
I later glued my potato mountain along with my other group member's potato onto the shoebox and we later plastered the interior of the shoebox.
Saturday, September 13, 2014
Lit Circle (Our Stolen Future) Ch 5-6
Discussion Master (Ch.5-6)
How do plants protect or defend themselves from predators since they can't run away?
How do plants protect or defend themselves from predators since they can't run away?
(pg. 76-77) Plants make oral contraceptives to defend themselves. Some plants smell bad, taste bad, or poison those those insects that eat them. When insects attack, numerous plants fight back with a chemical arsenal that can kill insects, make them stop feeding on them, or disrupt their growth.
(T/F) True or False. Estrogenic substances always pose a hazard to human health or to the development of babies.
(pg. 79) False. Plants containing estrogen mimics may be beneficial in some instances and dangerous or hazardous in other instances.
What effects does DDE (the form of DDT that lasts the longest in the body fat of humans and animals) have?
(pg. 85) It depletes or reduces the hormone levels by accelerating their breakdown and elimination.
What is DDT usually regarded as?
(pg.85) It is usually regarded as a classic estrogen mimic that elevates or increases hormone levels.
What hazards do humans share with polar bears?
(pg.106) Along with polar bears, we humans share the hazards of feeding at the top of the food web. The persistent synthetic chemicals that invaded the polar bear's world has also invaded ours.
If we were willing to put up a couple thousand dollars for check-ups or tests in our body fat, about how many chemical contaminants would we find in our body fat?
(pg.106) Regardless of where he or she lives, anyone who would be willing to put up the money for the tests would find at least 250 chemical contaminants in his or her body fat.
Monday, September 8, 2014
Lit Circle (Our Stolen Future) Ch 3-4
Quote Master (Ch.3-4)
pg. 32, "How, for example, could a woman suffering from multiple personality disorder play with a cat for hours while she was one personality and suffer violent allergic reactions to cats when she took on another." I think this quote was significant because the answer to that question lies in the topic or subject of chemical messengers. Alterations in one part of this system and have unforeseeable effects somewhere else because the system is interconnected.
pg. 33, "If hormones are vital to maintain proper functioning in adults, they are perhaps even more important in the elaborate process of development before birth." I believe this quote is significant because this theory of Vom Saal paved the foundation for the realization how small differences or fluctuations in contaminants which imitate hormones could also change development.
pg. 41, "Before the twentieth century, it was widely assumed that the sex of the baby was determined by environmental factors such as temperature." This quote was significant because more factors that determined sex were later discovered. For instance, Edmund Beecher Wilson and Nettie Marie Stevens discovered in 1906 that the number of X chromosomes determined sex due to the fact that they found that man has an X and Y chromosome, and women had two X chromosomes.
pg. 48, "Leading researchers and gynecologists hailed the man-made estrogen, known as diethylstilbestrol or DES, as a wonder drug with a host of potential uses." I believe this quote is significant because DES did not help pregnancies, but instead caused severe harm such as having uncommon or rare cancers to people were in the womb of their mothers who were treated with DES. It was definitely not a wonder drug.
pg. 49, "When the story of the thalidomide babies broke, it caused an international sensation." I think this quote is significant because DES caused infants without any legs or arms to be born to the world and it caused bad nightmares that the parents of those infants would remember for a lifetime. This comes to show what can go bad or wrong when the development hormonal control becomes rattled or agitated.
pg. 32, "How, for example, could a woman suffering from multiple personality disorder play with a cat for hours while she was one personality and suffer violent allergic reactions to cats when she took on another." I think this quote was significant because the answer to that question lies in the topic or subject of chemical messengers. Alterations in one part of this system and have unforeseeable effects somewhere else because the system is interconnected.
pg. 33, "If hormones are vital to maintain proper functioning in adults, they are perhaps even more important in the elaborate process of development before birth." I believe this quote is significant because this theory of Vom Saal paved the foundation for the realization how small differences or fluctuations in contaminants which imitate hormones could also change development.
pg. 41, "Before the twentieth century, it was widely assumed that the sex of the baby was determined by environmental factors such as temperature." This quote was significant because more factors that determined sex were later discovered. For instance, Edmund Beecher Wilson and Nettie Marie Stevens discovered in 1906 that the number of X chromosomes determined sex due to the fact that they found that man has an X and Y chromosome, and women had two X chromosomes.
pg. 48, "Leading researchers and gynecologists hailed the man-made estrogen, known as diethylstilbestrol or DES, as a wonder drug with a host of potential uses." I believe this quote is significant because DES did not help pregnancies, but instead caused severe harm such as having uncommon or rare cancers to people were in the womb of their mothers who were treated with DES. It was definitely not a wonder drug.
pg. 49, "When the story of the thalidomide babies broke, it caused an international sensation." I think this quote is significant because DES caused infants without any legs or arms to be born to the world and it caused bad nightmares that the parents of those infants would remember for a lifetime. This comes to show what can go bad or wrong when the development hormonal control becomes rattled or agitated.
Saturday, September 6, 2014
Mercator Map Distortion
I used an orange to draw a map of the Earth. I later peeled the orange and put it flat on a table to observe the distortions. After peeling the orange, I notice that it is distorted on the north and south poles. The area near the poles seem bigger and the area near the equator seems smaller. Areas away from the equator seems much larger than they actually are.
Before Peeling After Peeling
Before Peeling After Peeling
Wednesday, September 3, 2014
Ecological Footprint Blog
My footprint was 2.2 planets, which is above the World Average (1.3 planets) and below the North American Average (3.8 planets).
I can improve my footprint results by buying local produce, eat seasonal vegetables, eat fresh food, support local farms, try vegetarian meals, don't cool empty rooms, switch off the AC, use your thermostats, close blinds when sunny, close doors, use weather strips, insulate hot water pipes, take a shorter shower, save water in the shower, get a pressure cooker, use lids when cooking, buy a thermos, use energy saving lights, use cooling fans, wash economically, dry naturally, check insulation strips, pull the plug, use recycled paper, cut my water, cut down on my bags, say no to junk mail, walk or bike, take train/bus to work, reduce my trips, drive economically, use travel alternatives, go on a bike rid, and stay closer to home during the holiday.
I can improve my footprint results by buying local produce, eat seasonal vegetables, eat fresh food, support local farms, try vegetarian meals, don't cool empty rooms, switch off the AC, use your thermostats, close blinds when sunny, close doors, use weather strips, insulate hot water pipes, take a shorter shower, save water in the shower, get a pressure cooker, use lids when cooking, buy a thermos, use energy saving lights, use cooling fans, wash economically, dry naturally, check insulation strips, pull the plug, use recycled paper, cut my water, cut down on my bags, say no to junk mail, walk or bike, take train/bus to work, reduce my trips, drive economically, use travel alternatives, go on a bike rid, and stay closer to home during the holiday.
Wednesday, August 27, 2014
All About Me Blog
Hello! My name is Douglas. (Nickname: Doug)
Hobbies: I enjoy drawing, painting, playing tennis, basketball, badminton, and swimming.
Career Goals: Engineer, Pharmaceutical Scientist, or Physician
College Goals: I would like to go to a 4 year university offers an undergraduate Chemical Engineering, Biomedical Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Chemistry, or Biochemistry major.
Favorite subjects: Biology, Chemistry, Psychology, and Calculus
Personal Traits: Determined, hard working, out going, ambitious, and team spirited
Favorite colors: blue, black, green, teal
Favorite foods: All kinds of seafood and red meat (I enjoy eating hot-pot and Korean Barbecue), spicy food, ramen, dumplings, vegetables, dim sum
Favorite Seasons: Summer and Winter
Favorite Artist: Vincent Van Gogh
Music that I listen to: Pop, R&B, Hip-Hop, Rap, Classical Music, Kpop
Favorite types of candy: M&Ms, Hershey Chocolate Bars, Kit-Kat, Three Musketeers, and Skittles
Favorite types of fruits to eat: Apples, Bananas, Oranges, Grapes, Blueberries, Strawberries, and Tangerines
Favorite types of books: Science-Fiction, Non-fiction, Realistic Fiction, Historical Fiction, and books related biology, chemistry, physics, and psychology
Hobbies: I enjoy drawing, painting, playing tennis, basketball, badminton, and swimming.
Career Goals: Engineer, Pharmaceutical Scientist, or Physician
College Goals: I would like to go to a 4 year university offers an undergraduate Chemical Engineering, Biomedical Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Chemistry, or Biochemistry major.
Favorite subjects: Biology, Chemistry, Psychology, and Calculus
Personal Traits: Determined, hard working, out going, ambitious, and team spirited
Favorite colors: blue, black, green, teal
Favorite foods: All kinds of seafood and red meat (I enjoy eating hot-pot and Korean Barbecue), spicy food, ramen, dumplings, vegetables, dim sum
Favorite Seasons: Summer and Winter
Favorite Artist: Vincent Van Gogh
Music that I listen to: Pop, R&B, Hip-Hop, Rap, Classical Music, Kpop
Favorite types of candy: M&Ms, Hershey Chocolate Bars, Kit-Kat, Three Musketeers, and Skittles
Favorite types of fruits to eat: Apples, Bananas, Oranges, Grapes, Blueberries, Strawberries, and Tangerines
Favorite types of books: Science-Fiction, Non-fiction, Realistic Fiction, Historical Fiction, and books related biology, chemistry, physics, and psychology
Friday, August 22, 2014
Lit Circle (Our Stolen Future) Ch 1-2
Word/Vocab Master (Ch.1-2)
1. pg. 1, ornithology (n.) - the scientific study of birds
2. pg. 3, dieldrin (n.) - a light tan, crystalline, water-insoluble, poisonous solid, used as an pesticide
3. pg. 4, edema (n.) - a condition characterized by an excess of watery fluid collecting in the cavities or tissues of the body
4. pg. 4, grotesque (adj.) - odd or unnatural in shape, appearance, or character
5. pg. 6, dicofol (n.) - a pesticide containing a small percentage of DDT and used primarily to control mites on crops
6. pg. 8, cetacean (n.) - a marine animal of the order Cetacea; a whale, dolphin, or porpoise
7. pg. 18, toxicologist (n.) - a scientist who specializes in the study of symptoms, mechanisms, treatments, and detection of venoms and toxins
8. pg. 23, organochlorine (n.) - an organic compound that contains one or more chlorine atoms
9. pg. 26, cormorant (n.) - a large diving bird with a long neck, long hooked bill, short legs, and mainly dark plumage
10. pg. 27, zooplankton (n.) - the aggregate of animal or animal-like organisms in plankton; a plankton consisting of small animals and the immature stages of larger animals
1. pg. 1, ornithology (n.) - the scientific study of birds
2. pg. 3, dieldrin (n.) - a light tan, crystalline, water-insoluble, poisonous solid, used as an pesticide
3. pg. 4, edema (n.) - a condition characterized by an excess of watery fluid collecting in the cavities or tissues of the body
4. pg. 4, grotesque (adj.) - odd or unnatural in shape, appearance, or character
5. pg. 6, dicofol (n.) - a pesticide containing a small percentage of DDT and used primarily to control mites on crops
6. pg. 8, cetacean (n.) - a marine animal of the order Cetacea; a whale, dolphin, or porpoise
7. pg. 18, toxicologist (n.) - a scientist who specializes in the study of symptoms, mechanisms, treatments, and detection of venoms and toxins
8. pg. 23, organochlorine (n.) - an organic compound that contains one or more chlorine atoms
9. pg. 26, cormorant (n.) - a large diving bird with a long neck, long hooked bill, short legs, and mainly dark plumage
10. pg. 27, zooplankton (n.) - the aggregate of animal or animal-like organisms in plankton; a plankton consisting of small animals and the immature stages of larger animals
Thursday, May 31, 2012
BOW 12 (LAST Blog of the Week for Semester 2)
-What was your favorite topic this semester? Why?
My favorite topic of this semester is the dissections because exploring the animal's internal and external body parts in a whole new way that I had never experienced before.
-What was your least favorite?
My least favorite topic is the human body because I do not like exploring my own body parts.
-What would you change about this class if you could?
The one thing I would change about this class this year is to have at least one field trip to a museum or a place related to biology.
- What do you feel is your biggest accomplishment in biology this year?
My biggest accomplishment this year would be dissecting a frog because I never dissected or ate a frog in my life.
Source of image: http://www.dreamstime.com/stock-photo-stock-photo-light-bulb-idea-image10088600
My favorite topic of this semester is the dissections because exploring the animal's internal and external body parts in a whole new way that I had never experienced before.
-What was your least favorite?
My least favorite topic is the human body because I do not like exploring my own body parts.
-What would you change about this class if you could?
The one thing I would change about this class this year is to have at least one field trip to a museum or a place related to biology.
- What do you feel is your biggest accomplishment in biology this year?
My biggest accomplishment this year would be dissecting a frog because I never dissected or ate a frog in my life.
Source of image: http://www.dreamstime.com/stock-photo-stock-photo-light-bulb-idea-image10088600
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