blog 16

Reflect on your semester and year in biology What were your successes? What were your failures?What did you learn that you will never forget?

During this semester,since I wasnt here during first semester I assumed it was an easy class because I was doing pretty well in my other biology class however was wrong. The teaching methods used in this classs was clearly different. The teacher, unlike other teachers doesnt collect projects and notebooks right away but given a due date without constant reminders, we were expected to do it and turn it in like a responsible student. Thankfully, one of the lessons I learned in this class was time management, I was able to turn in assignments on time and learned throughout the way in a different method. Such as the abiotic and biotic factors. By actually going outside the classroom and looking for those factors I was  able to remember the lesson more clearly than I would have from reading from the book. However, there were times when I wasn't able to remember to do the test or the projects, it would affect my grades. After the few times, I would remind myself to go on moodle at least once a week to look for quizes that are due, and start on them early giving me an oppurtunity to see whats on the quiz and a better grade when I take the quiz again.

blog 15

Compare two of the organisms that we have dissected Discuss at least 2 similarities and 3 differences

In class, two organisms we dissected before are the fish and the squid. One difference is that squids are related to cephlapods which don't have a skeleton structure at all while a fish does that a skeletion structure. They have an endoskeleton(bones) and have scales outside. Also on the external appeareance fish mainly have fins while squids do not.However both do have eyes ans in their interior atanomy they both similarily have gills, brain, kidney,stomach, and a heart. Both also have a marine like lifestyle and reproduce by the eggs developed in them proving that they are not mammals. Another difference that can be displayed externally are the tentacles on their arms squids use to move and the fins fishes use to swim.

Blog 14

 Write a letter to Senator Feinstein describing what alternative energy source you think we should be pursuing. Give at least three reasons why.

               I think a new alternative energy source we should pursue should be solar energy. Solar energy would help ensure our survival more efficently in an economically better way. Compared to fossil fuel or nuclear energy it doesn't really affect us as much. Solar powers are based on biomass,wind, solar,geothermal, and hydroelectic energy. The windmill, for example are good alternative for fossil fuel and are also cheaper than the new electric generation. Another commonly used power would be the solar panals.Solar panals convert light to electricity which applies to other materials using this alternative. Such as solar calculators,water heating, furnances,boilers, and more. Sloar power would also be continously spread and used for more objects.
            So, solar energy would be better to our enviroment, cost less, and is spreading to adapt to human needs

Blog 13

 What was most interesting about this week's dissections?

In the fish dissection I found the swim bladder interesting. It's dark apperance stands out and is pretty large in size. I thought it was part of the liver because the liver is pretty dark but its not. The cell membrane also well protected the eyeball. When we poked it accidently, water would come out. I alos never knew that a fish have two types of bladders: a gallblader and a swim bladder.

Blog#12

 What surprised you from the worm's dissection?

 To me, I was suprized when we dissected the head part. I was able to seee the brain and heart. I was able to dissect the worm by counting the number of lines. I first cut the part from the anus to the clitellum and used pins to stick at a 45 degreee angle to observe the blood vessels and the intestines. Then carefully cut to the mouth to observe the gizzard, heart, pharnyx, brain, ovary, nerve cord, and ect.

Blog #11

Get a picture of alternation of generations put it in your blog and explain how it relates to plants

During animal life cycle, animals are expected to give out eggs and sperms to reproduce. Likewise plants does too but is reproduced through stages, or generation. As the diagram illustrate, the adults have to produce spores, which the spores then produce sex cells. There are two generations:sporophyte ( spore producing plants) and gametophyte(sex-cell producing cells).The two generations can be differentiated by the chromosomes they carry. 

Reference: http://www.learner.org/courses/essential/life/session4/closer1.html

In the spores generation, only one parent is needed to create an offspring with the characteristics it needs to survive.  In sex parents, both give their characteristics  causing a mix. This however can be a benefit depending on their environment. For example, mosses are used as a primitive group. The sporophyte are clearly shown on the stalk representing the location, spores are caste on top. The gameotophye are on the bottom. The stalk connected to the gametophyte creates the egg. Water would be necessary to complete it.

Blog 10

Why is dissection an important part of a biology curriculum? Which animals and/or plants should be included in biological studies?

Dissection is nessecary to use one of our senses to observe. In the process of observing internal structures we can understand the functions. Different specimen parts can be used to compared to others. While dissecting , you would have to take to careful consideration on how the product functions, how it was assembled, and what materials were used. Frogs are included in biological studies to odserve the internal and external structures features of the frog's atonomy.Also, recently our class disected a flower to differeinate its gender and parts.