Photosynthesis and Respiration :)

Kelsea and I did this one together, so check out our awesome prezis! :)

http://prezi.com/fsaeelbu_vmt/respiration/

Respiration! on Prezi

Photosynthesis! :) on Prezi

Dry Lab!

So to be honest, it's taken me like a week to figure out what in the world a dry lab is and how to even do it.  But now after time, I figured it out, I think!  So here goes nothing!

First of all you need to get four clean test tubes, a bottle of bromothymol blue, access to water, straws, snails, and elodea (plant).

Now take one clean test tube and fill it up halfway full with water.  Place 30 drops of the bromothymol blue into the test tube and get your straw.  No you're not going to drink it.  Take the straw and blow bubbles into the mixture in the test tube.  Record your observations.

Next, grab the second test tube also filling it halfway full with water.  Just like the previous step, place 30 drops of bromothymol blue into the water.  But, instead of blowing bubbles, place a snail into the test tube.  After 3-5 minutes record observations and remove the snail.

Then, take the third test tube, fill it halfway full with water and place 30 drops of bromothymol blue into the water in the test tube.   Now, insert one elodea (plant) into the test tube mixture.  Place it in an area with sunlight. After 3-5 minutes record your observations and remove the plant.

Finally, take the last tube and fill it halfway full of water, placing 30 drops of bromothymol blue into the test tube.  After that take one snail and one elodea into the test tube.  Take the test tube into a very dark area with no sunlight whatsoever!  After 3-5 minutes record your observations.  Don't forget to take the snail and elodea out after though! 

OBSERVATIONS AND EXPLANATIONS!
In step one the mixture begins as a blue color because of the bromothymol blue.  After blowing bubbles into the mixture, it turns to a light greenish yellow color.  This is caused from carbon dioxide being in the water which produces carbonic acid. 
In step two, the water will begin to turn a light color.  It changes to a light color because the snail is constantly respiring. 
In step three, the water turns a blue-green color.  The carbon dioxide and the water yield sugar and oxygen when chlorophyll and sunlight are around. 
In step four, the water will change into a yellow color.  This is because there is no sunlight which means the plant is unable to photosynthesize.  The plant is always creating carbon dioxide, along with the snail also in the tube.  The water turns acidic because of the abundant amount of CO2, causing the yellow coloring of the mixture.

Fetal Alcohol Syndrome! :(

Imagine, going out to a party where there is alcohol involved and you see a soon to be mother picking up a beer. What would you do? Would you let her in on the potentially fatal effects it could have on her baby or would you sit back and not speak for a little child that can't voice their own opinion? Drinking alcohol while being pregnant can cause miscarriages, stillbirth or premature delivery. It can also cause fetal alcohol syndrome which affects the growth, mental and physical aspects of a baby when a mother drinks alcohol while she is pregnant. The use of alcohol during pregnancy can cause the same risks as using alcohol in general. Although, it poses more risks to the fetus. When a woman that is pregnant drinks alcohol, it smoothly passes across the placenta to the fetus. Drinking can harm the baby's development because of this. A pregnant woman who drinks any alcohol is at risk, because there is no "safe" level of alcohol use while pregnant. Larger amounts of alcohol do appear to increase the problems. Binge drinking has more severe effects to the fetus than drinking small amounts of alcohol. The timing of alcohol consumption is also very critical. Drinking any alcoholic substance appears to be the most harmful during the first three months of pregnancy.

A baby that may have fetal alcohol syndrome may have many different symptoms.  Babies could have poor growth while he or she is in the womb and after birth.  The baby could also have decreased muscle tone and poor coordination.  Another symptom would be delayed development and significant functional problems in three or more major areas such as thinking, speech, movement, or social skills for the age of the baby.  Heart defects could also occur such as ventricular septal defect or atrial septal defect.  Babies with fetal alcohol syndrome could have narrow, small eyes with large epicanthal folds, a small head, upper jaw, a smooth groove in upper lip, and a smooth and thin upper lip.

Many tests and exams can be taken to reveal if a newborn has fetal alcohol syndrome.  A physical exam of the baby could possibly show a heart murmur or other problems relating to the heart.  As the baby begins to develop there might be signs of delayed mental development.  There is also the possibility of facial or skeleton damages.  Tests that can be taken are the blood alcohol level in soon to be mothers who show signs of being under the influence.  Brain imaging studies such as a CT or MRI can be taken to show abnormal brain development.  An ultrasound shows slowed growth of the fetus also.  Women who are pregnant or trying to be should avoid drinking any alcoholic substance.  Pregnant women that suffer from alcoholism should join an alcohol abuse rehabilitation group and be monitored closely by a health care provider throughout her pregnancy.

Now back to the question, would you voice your opinion about the pregnant women drinking alcohol at the party and speak up for the little baby inside of her with no chance?  All I can say after reading this is that women who are pregnant please don't drink or do drugs including smoking, your baby doesn't want to have to go through the problems you will press upon them.  Let them have a fair chance at living. 

Here are some photos of fetal alcohol syndrome....

 

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premature baby with FAS



6 month old baby's brain (left)
6 month old baby's brain, suffering from FAS (right)

here is my link to all the info I got! :)

http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/000911.htm

PHENYLKETONURIA

What in the world is phenylketonuria?! First of all, I don't even know how to pronounce that gigantic complicated word and second of all I honestly have no clue what it is, but I was able to find out by doing a little research.  Well, phenylketonuria also known as PKU is a disease that is caused by a inherited disorder in the way our bodies process proteins.  The main villain in this disease is in the enzyme phenylalanine hydroxylase(PAH).  This enzyme is found in the liver and its job is to convert phenylalanine into another amino acid, tyrosine.  The phenylalanine builds up in the body to explicitly high levels.  This causes the body to go into a state called hyperphenylalaninaemia (may i mention that's a HUMONGOUS word!)  Anyways this state can be caused by other diseases besides PKU!  This can cause damage to your brain tissue.
Back in the day, before the smart people figured out what PKU was, children with the disease were generally placed in an institutional care place as a result of their severe mental retardation and many convulsions.  The better news about this is that if they were diagnosed early the effects of PKU can be reduced tremendously by removing phenylalanine from the diet of newborn babies.  This has lead to the bringing about of extensive screening programs in the UK and other countries.  The number of people suffering from the effects of PKU has lowered by a very large amount.  There has also been evidence spotted that hyperphenylalaninaemia in pregnant women with PKU may cause maternal phenylketonuria which results in symptoms in the child alike to those in PKU irrespective of the child's PKU status.

Children that may have PKU can have symptoms such as a smaller sized head, epilepsy, and mental retardation.  The abundant amount of phenylalanine creates a musty odor and the tyrosine deficiency causes lighter hair and skin.

Doctors diagnose patients by carrying out the Guthrie test.  The Guthrie test detects high levels of pheynylpyruvic acid in the blood during the first week of life.  Blood is taken from a small needle prick in the heel and dried on filter paper so that phenylalanine concentration can be measured.  Now pre-natal diagnosis is available and carried out by chorionic villus sampling, although it is not requested often as families tend not to view a positive test as cause for abortion.  PKU must be spotted fast so that treatment can begin within the first 20 days of life.  When carrying out the diagnosis it can also help to calculate the amount of protein ingested and a measure of plasma amino acids.  If there is a defect in biopterin metabolism the treatment will be different as a low phenylalanine diet is not helpful.

Treatments for PKU is usually a diet of low phenylalanine.  Newborns should be started on this diet if their blood phenylalanine levels are greater than 600 micro moles/liter.  They should also begin treatment if concentrations are between 400 and 600 micro moles/liter for their first few days of life.

Cell Structure

After looking at many diagrams of cells I learned some specific parts of the cell.  If you follow the link you can see my Glog about cell structure! (click the word Glog) :)

Cystic Fibrosis :/

Many people don't even know what Cystic Fibrosis is, but at the same time, many people of all ages are being diagnosed every year.  Cystic fibrosis is a long-term disease that takes a toll on the lungs and digestive system of about 30,000 children and adults in the United States alone.  Overall there are around 70,000 diagnosed around the world.  In CF, a defective gene and its protein product cause the body to make unusually thick, sticky mucus that plugs up the lungs and can lead to fatal lung infections, and it also obstructs the pancreas and prohibits natural enzymes from assisting the body in breaking down and absorbing food.  In the 1950s, very few children lived to go to elementary school if they had cystic fibrosis.  Advances in research and medical treatments have further enhanced and extended life for children and adults that had CF.  Many people who are diagnosed with this deadly disease can now live into their 30s, 40s or older.  About 1,000 new cases of CF are diagnosed every year, and more than 70% of patients are diagnosed by the time they turn two.  However, more than 45% of the cystic fibrosis patients are 18 or older.  Unfortunately, the predicted median age of survival for a person suffering from cystic fibrosis is in the mid-30s.  People that have cystic fibrosis can have many different symptoms which may or may not include: very salty-tasting skin; persistent coughing, with phlegm; many lung infections; wheezing or shortness of breath; little growth/weight gain in spite of a healthy appetite; and other symptoms.
In the early 1980s, researchers found that the outer membranes of cells from people with the disease are poorly permeable to chloride ions, but biochemical analysis failed to identify the defective protein.  In 1985, they pinpointed the mutation to a small region located on chromosome 7.  The final breakthrough came in 1989, when the gene responsible for cystic fibrosis was finally isolated.  This is known as one of the most significant discoveries in the history of human genetics.  It led to improving the diagnosis of the disorder and improved the genetic counseling offered to affected families.  However, CF is a very complicated disease.  Not all of the the cystic fibrosis cases are caused by the same genetic defect.  About 800 different mutations have been identified in the CF gene, which affects the proper functioning of the CFTR, which is the Cystic Fibrosis transmembrane regulator protein.  The CFTR controls the flow of chloride ions from the cell.   The picture below shows the section through the cell membrane of an epithelial cell.  The CF transmembrane regulator channel is open in the image.

Cystic fibrosis generally happens in white people of northern European ancestry, occurring in about 1 out of 3,000 child births.  In the earlier days, people with this deadly disease died in their teens.  Improved screening and treatments now allow many people with cystic fibrosis to live into their 50s or older.

Tests that can be done in a lab are newborn screening tests, sweat tests, genetic testing, sputum tests, and organ function tests.  Imaging tests can be done by x-rays, computerized tomography, and magnetic resonance imaging.  There is also a lung function test which measures the size of your lungs, how much air you can breathe in and out, how fast you can inhale and exhale, and how well your lungs deliver oxygen to your blood.

Overall, Cystic Fibrosis is a very fatal and costly disease to patients and their families.  I learned that people with cystic fibrosis have a very tough life and it makes me realize that I take many things for granted that I never even thought about, such as breathing.  People suffering from CF have a hard time doing sports and even the small things like, walking.  Cystic Fibrosis attacks your lungs and makes you hack up gross mucus and keeps young kids from doing the things that I enjoyed while I was young.  After reading about this fatal disease, I am thankful for having good health and my heart goes out to those suffering from it.

Cell Membranes in a Fluid Mosaic Model :)

Lately in Biology we have been learning about the cell membrane and what exactly is in the cell membrane!  The cell membrane is a phospholipid bilayer.  The phospholipid bilayer has hydrophobic tails, which means they are attracted to water.  The phospholipid bilayer also has hydrophilic heads, making them scared of water.  Inside the phospholipid bilayer there are glycoprotein, proteins, cholesterol, glycolipids, carbohydrates, and many others.  In the cell membrane there is a protein channel.  After reading the word protein channel, using common knowledge, I just thought it was a type of system that carried along proteins throughout the membrane.  Well, in scientific terms, the protein channel are cells that create and install their own protein channels which are also called membrane structure, because cells need a way to move useful substances into themselves and pump the waste outside.  The proteins act like little machines moving around other molecules.  I also learned that carbohydrate chains serve as recognition makers.  We created cell membrane posters and labeled everything that was in a cell membrane.