Saturday, June 6, 2015

The Cove

2. The dolphin slaughter took place in Taiji Japan

4. Ric O-Barry's turning point that completely changed and "turn his Porches in for this crusade" is when he experienced the suicide of Flipper, his dolphin, because she was suffering from being held captive.

6. The country that indirectly runs the International Whaling Commission is Japan

8. Fishermen trap the dolphins in the cove by banging metal rods which scares the dolphins away from the noise and towards the cove. Then the cove is blocked so that thousands of dolphins are captured. 

10. 23,000 every year. 

12. The toxic substance is mercury.

14. Japanese people continue to eat dolphin meat because they are unaware of the mercury content and dolphin meat is marketed as whale meat.

16.The number of fish are declining due to over fishing. IWC blame dolphins and whales for the declining rate. 

18. The form of propaganda to "sell" dolphin meat to people by selling it to schools to tell people that it is healthy and safe. 

20. The main character goes to IWC conference room carrying monitors to display the reality of the dolphins. 

22. Whaling was banned in 1986

Monday, June 1, 2015

Photosynthesis vs. Cellular Respiration

Photosynthesis: process where plants and other organisms use sunlight to synthesize food from carbon dioxide and water
                   
Light Dependent Reaction and Light Independent Reaction (Calvin Cycle)


Cellular Respiration: process to produce energy in the form of adenosine triphosphate (ATP) through oxidation of food molecules


1. Glycolysis (Does not require O2)

2. Pyruvate Oxidation
3. Kreb's Cycle
4. Electron Transport Chain/ Chemiosmosis




Cellular Respiration
Photosynthesis
In what
 Plants, some bacteria, and animals
 Plants and some bacteria
Location
Glycolysis: Cytoplasm
Krebs Cycle: Mitochondria Matrix
ETC: Inner mitochondrial membrane
Chloroplast
ATP, NADH, FADH2 - Produced
Glycolysis:  4 ATP (2 net ATP)
                    2 NADH
Pyruvate Oxidation: 2 NADH
Kreb's Cycle: 2 ATP
                      6 NADH
                      2 FADH2
                      CO2
Overall: 36-38 ATP
18 ATP
12 NADP
When it can occur
When glucose and oxygen is available
When sunlight, water, and carbon dioxide is available
Function
Break down of food. Energy released
Production of food. Energy captured
 Equation
6O2 + C6H12O6 ------> 6CO2 +6H2O + ATP (energy)
                            light
6CO2 + 12H2O ---------> C6H12O6 + 6O2 + 6H20




Sunday, May 10, 2015

Photosynthesis: Light-dependent reaction vs. Light-independent reaction

Light-dependent reactions: reaction that traps sunlight and produces ATP and NADPH

- Photosystem II is 'excited' because it absorbs a light photon (P680 wavelength) and pulls electrons from H2O (causing hydrogens to break apart from oxygen) and PSII gains electrons. Process of breaking water apart is called photolysis.
Oxidation: element gains an electron
Reduction: element loses an electron

- electrons transferred to PQ, then b6-f and forms a bridge to allow hydrogen atoms to enter the leaf, then electrons transfer to PC

- PSI gets 'excited' with light photon (P700 wavelength) and then becomes oxidized, then electrons pass through Fd, FNA, and NADP

- Once NADP becomes oxidized, hydrogen pair (H2) breaks apart and bonds with NADP+ and becomes NADPH

- ADP synthase bonds with Adenine and 2 phosphate molecules to form ADP; they spin quickly allowing excess hydrogen to exit the leaf.
Then 3rd phosphate atom bonds with ADP, forming ATP (process called Chemiosmosis)

                       

Light-independent reaction: reaction that assimilates CO2 to produce an organic molecule

- carbon dioxide fixation - carbon dioxide chemically bonds with RuBP (ribulose 1,5-biphosphate) breaks into 2 stable PGA's (3-phosphoglycerate). Ribisco helps catalyze this reaction
CO2 + RuBP -> unstable C6 -> PGA

- PGA's are activated by ATP (add phosphate group) and then reduced by NADPH (removes phosphate group). NADPH loses its hydrogen. New compound formed, G3P. G3P may be used to make glucose and carbohydrates.

- reduced G3P make more RuBP - energy (ATP) is required to break and reform the bonds to make 5 carbon RuBP from G3P

- Calvin cycle must be completed 6 times to synthesize 1 molecule of glucose
- 12 G3P that are produced in the 6 cycles, 10 are used to generate RuBP, and 2 are used to make 1 glucose.

6CO2 + 18 ATP + 12 NADPH + water -> 2 G3P + 16 Pi + 18 ADP + 12 NADP+



Sunday, May 3, 2015

Pig Dissection

On April 27 & 28, our grade 12 biology class performed a fetal pig dissection. This dissection was a hands- on opportunity for students to further understand the various systems working in our body; specifically urinary, endocrine, and nervous system. 

 
 
Liver: cleans toxins                                         Gallbladder: behind liver; stores bile

  
               Intestines: digest & absorb food         Stomach: digests & absorbs food;
                                                            inside: bile,amniotic fluid, etc.
  
Spleen: blood cells produced/formed                Kidneys: reabsorb water and nutrients, produce urine,                                    filter toxins

Testicles: produce sperm and testosterone                  Abdominal Cavity   

  
Lungs: bring oxygen into blood and remove carbon dioxide    
Trachea: tube to transfer air                Heart: pumps blood through circulatory system

  
Skull: bone to protect brain

Brain: motor control, emotional response, memory, speech, senses, etc.
  
When the brain is removed                                   Eye 
Eye                                                  Pupil



Monday, April 6, 2015

Nervous System

Textbook page 351-353
 Structure of neurons
- has cell membrane, cytoplasm, mitochondria, nucleus
- transmits nerve impulses
- different neurons = different shapes and sizes
                4 common features = dendrites, cell body, axon, branching ends
Dendrites - receive nerve impulses from neurons/sensory receptors and passes the impulse to cell body
Cell Body - contains nucleus; site of metabolic reactions; processes input of dendrites (if large enough, passes to axon)
Axon - conducts impulse away from body
                Myelin sheath = insulating layer around axon of some neurons
                                        protects neurons and speeds rate of nerve impulse transmission
                Schwann cells = type of glial cell, form myelin by wrapping around axon

Classifying Neurons
1.  Structure - 3 types: multipolar, bipolar, unipolar neurons
2.  Function -3 types: sensory neurons, interneurons, motor neurons

The Reflect Arc
Reflexes - involuntary responses to certain stimuli
Reflex arcs -  connections of neurons explaining reflexive behaviour
- 3 neurons to transmit messages = fast reflexes
(from brain to spinal cord)                                                                                       
1. stimulus (cactus needle) - receptors in skin sense pressure
2. initiates impulse in sensory neuron
3. activates interneuron in spinal cord
4. signals motor neuron to withdraw hand



Sunday, March 29, 2015

Biotechnology DNA Cloning


Compare/Contrast: PCR , Vector Cloning, & Sanger's DNA sequencing



PCR (Polymerase Chain Reaction) Steps

Vector Cloning 

Sanger's DNA Sequencing



Sunday, March 1, 2015

Translation

1) Initiation

  • mRNA transferred to the ribosomes
  • Initiation factors (protein) assemble 
    • Small ribosomal sub-unit - attaches to mRNA near start codon (AUG)
    • Initiator tRNA - first to bind with codon (carrying methionine amino acid)
    • mRNA
    • Large ribosomal sub-unit - to form active ribosome
  • 3 binding sites for tRNA 
    • P (peptide) - contains tRNA with polypeptide attached
    • A (amino acid) - contains tRNA with next amino acid added to polypeptide chain
    • E (exit) - uncharged tRNA with no amino acid attached exits
  • Moves from 5' to 3'

2) Elongation

  • tRNA anticodons bind to mRNA codons in the 'A' site of the ribosome
  • Initiating transfer RNA binds to the 'P' site
  • tRNA recognizes the next codon and second amino acid moves to 'A' site
  • Amino acid from tRNA joins amino acid by the tRNA that just entered 'A' site
  • First transfer RNA is released
  • Next transfer RNA moves to 'A' site and ribosome moves down one codon
  • Second amino acid on tRNA in 'P' site transfers to third amino acid
  • And Continues: Ribosome to move along mRNA and new amino acids are added to the growing polypeptide chain

3) Termination

  • Terminates when mRNA reaches stop codon
    • Stop Codons: UAA, UAG, UGA 
  • Release factor (protein) cuts the polypeptide from last tRNA