Cell Mutation
Summary
Relevance
Information
URL: http://www.genetichealth.com/g101_changes_in_dna.shtmlAuthor: Amanda Ewart Toland
Date of Publication: October 3, 2011
Sunday, October 21, 2012
Cell Mutation
Author: Amanda Ewart Toland
Date of Publication: October 3, 2011
Cell Division and Cancer
Youtube Username of Uploader: Cheryl Van Buskirk
Published: August 4, 2012
Summary
This video explains how cancer forms. A total of three mutations are necessary. The proto-oncogenes, genes that help our cells divide, have to be jammed on, causing the cells to divide even when cell division is not necessary. Second, the tumor suppressor genes need to be turned off, allowing the cells not licensed, to divide. Thirdly, the cells have to become malignant, meaning that they can invade other tissues. Most cells stop when they meet another tissue, and cells with only the first two prerequisites are known as benign instead of malignant. In addition, if a cancer moves from one place to another, through the lymph vessels or our bloodstream, then it is considered metastatic. Because the majority of these mutations occur during our lifetime and during the growth of the tumor, early detection is incredibly important.
Relevance
Cancer is discussed in Concept 9.4 of our textbook, and the terms "benign tumor", "malignant tumor", "cancer", and "metastasis" were key words in that lesson. This video further explains how benign tumors can lead to malignant tumors, and that metastasis is not a characteristic of all cancers. In addition, it emphasizes the difference between benign and malignant tumors.
World pledges money to protect biodiversity
Summary:
The article announces that a recent United Nations conference in Hyderabad, India has come to a conclusion that funds for preserving biodiversity in developing and poor countries will be doubled. The reason for the recent increase of funding to biodiversity preservation is because of the 400 plants and animals that were added to the red list of impending extinction in one week. So far, there are 13 percent of birds, 41 percent of amphibians, 33 percent of reef-building corals, and 25 percent of mammals that are at risk of extinction, according to the International Union for Conservation of Nature. There were no exact figures that were said to be funded, but it was said from a consensus of observing groups to be around ten billion dollars annually. This funding is said to begin in 2015 and maintain until 2020. It is also agreed upon that 75 percent of fund receiving countries report back on spending by 2015. Also, they must come up with national biodiversity plans. However, the World Wildlife Fund has said that 200 billion dollars must be funded if biodiversity were to be preserved. Also, it is pointed out that there are 50 zones on the ocean, where funding will not support. This makes these potential places for damaging fishing and oil prospecting.
Relevance:
The article's relevance to our first term of biology class is that we have learned that biodiversity, "a term that encompasses the variety of life on Earth" (Campbell, Williamson, Heyden, p.805), is very important in keeping a sustainable environment. This means that the more species in an environment there are, the better chance of the environment staying. This recent funding in preserving biodiversity really shows how important and urgent it is in preserving our environment's biodiversity and the Earth itself.
Information:
Url: http://phys.org/news/2012-10-world-pledges-money-biodiversity.html
Publisher: Phys.org
Author: Mariette le Roux
Date of Publication: October, 20, 2012
The article announces that a recent United Nations conference in Hyderabad, India has come to a conclusion that funds for preserving biodiversity in developing and poor countries will be doubled. The reason for the recent increase of funding to biodiversity preservation is because of the 400 plants and animals that were added to the red list of impending extinction in one week. So far, there are 13 percent of birds, 41 percent of amphibians, 33 percent of reef-building corals, and 25 percent of mammals that are at risk of extinction, according to the International Union for Conservation of Nature. There were no exact figures that were said to be funded, but it was said from a consensus of observing groups to be around ten billion dollars annually. This funding is said to begin in 2015 and maintain until 2020. It is also agreed upon that 75 percent of fund receiving countries report back on spending by 2015. Also, they must come up with national biodiversity plans. However, the World Wildlife Fund has said that 200 billion dollars must be funded if biodiversity were to be preserved. Also, it is pointed out that there are 50 zones on the ocean, where funding will not support. This makes these potential places for damaging fishing and oil prospecting.
Relevance:
The article's relevance to our first term of biology class is that we have learned that biodiversity, "a term that encompasses the variety of life on Earth" (Campbell, Williamson, Heyden, p.805), is very important in keeping a sustainable environment. This means that the more species in an environment there are, the better chance of the environment staying. This recent funding in preserving biodiversity really shows how important and urgent it is in preserving our environment's biodiversity and the Earth itself.
Information:
Url: http://phys.org/news/2012-10-world-pledges-money-biodiversity.html
Publisher: Phys.org
Author: Mariette le Roux
Date of Publication: October, 20, 2012
Organelles in a cell and what they do
Summary
This video, titled "A Tour of a Cell", is just what it sounds like, a tour of a cell. At the beginning of the video he explains why cells are small and says that its because that if a cell is smaller then when material is going in and leaving the cell it takes significantly less energy than say if the cell was the size of someone's hand. However, its not infinitely small because the organelles in the cell have to fit in their. The video creator then goes through the different types of microscopes, optical (light), scanning electron microscopes (SEM), and transmission electron microscopes (TEM) and explains how they work (1:50). Then he explains how prokaryotic and eukaryotic cells differ (4:03). After that he starts to go through the parts of a eukaryotic cell (5:30). He explains what and how the nucleolus (5:35), nucleus (6:35), ribosomes (7:28), vesicles (7:58), rough ER (8:17), golgi body (8:56), cytoskeleton (9:33), smooth ER (10:36), mitochondria (11:00), vacuoles (11:33), cytosol (12:03) (we didn't learn this), lysosomes (12:19) and centrioles (13:00) work.
Relevance to Class
This video is relevant to our biology class because in class we have had a discussion about how a cell works and the parts of a eukaryotic cell and how they work. We had an outline for homework in the textbook and there were several chapters detailing what every organelle in a cell was and what they did. In class we went over the differences between a eukaryotic and a prokaryotic cell. Also, we recently had a microscope lab and we learned about the parts of a light microscope.
Video Information
URL: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1Z9pqST72is
Creator's Youtube Username: bozemanbiology
Date of Publication: February 24, 2012
Stem Cells
Sunday, October 21
Stem Cells
Url: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2-3J6JGN-_Y
Author: EuroStemCells
Published: Feb, 1, 2012
Summary: Stem Cells are fairly new to the world of biology. The discovery has helpped improve our knowledge of the body and helpped improve treatments for many injuries and diseses. Stem cells are cells that dont have a spesific function. When they divide, the cell can choose to divide into a pair of stem cells, or a other specialized cells. They do this because specialized cells reach a point when the dont reproduce. So when they die, a stem cell can take their place. For examle, when a skin cell dies, a stem cell could take its place. Most stem cells can only choose between 2 or 3 specialized cells to divide into. Embriotic stem cells are a different story. As a baby in the womb, your embyriotic stem cells can choose to divide into many diferent specialized cells. They choose which one by the conditions they were grown in. Stem cells can treat injuries like burns. The surgeon takes skin stem cells from a different part of your body. He then grows more of them. After they have been grown, the cells are transplanted into the burned part of your body. The skin will soon regrow. The flaw with this is the technology to replace sweat glands has not been discovered. So the patient will not sweat in the effected area. That is a summary of this video.
Relavance To Our Class: Stem Cells are cells, which is the unit we are doing right now. Also, the cells divide. In our class we are talking about mitosis and the different stages of it. If stem cells even do use mitosis, there must be a change in either metaphase or anaphase because the cell must change its DNA to become a specialized cell. That is also a connection to our class. We are also are talking about DNA and RNA in this unit.
The Dividing of Cells Leading to Our Death
URL: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jqCo-McgHLw
Date of Publication: October 21, 2012
Youtube Username: scischow
Summary:
Hank talks about death with aging and how no one actually dies of just old age, death always has a reason. Some animals can live for a very long time and Hank tells us why we age and might we extend that process not just by exercise or eating healthy. A process which humans and animals go through is called senescence happens after humans reach sexual maturity and after that we lose able to combat disease and many other things. However some animals exhibit negligible senescence where they dont lose ability to reproduce with time and basically stay at same level of fitness until their death which might be disease or an accident. The reason why some animals/humans start to die as soon as they reproduce is because our cells have their own deaths programed into them. Our cells are constantly dividing and making copies of themselves and a scientist Leonard Hayflick discovered that human cells just stop dividing and die after a certain limit. The Hayflick Limit is the number of times a cell can divide and this number can be less or more for some animals. So, as humans live on and their cells divide, we reach closer to that limit and that is when we die. Then Hank goes on to describe why there is a limit in the first place and it is because of its chromosomes and the cell quits dividing after not being able to completely copy its telomeres which are DNA at the ends of the chromosome. Each time it is copied the telomere gets a bit shorter than the parent and it reaches the limit to not be able to replicate again when the telomere gets too short to copy. This is why we have the Hayflick Limit. The reason why we dont just add telomeres to us to be able to have our cells to keep on dividing forever is because of the risk of cancer. Cancer cells can sometimes create their own telomerase causing them to divide like crazy without their chromosomes getting damaged which results in tumors. Hank continues to talk about how our genes and calories are also part of the process of aging. A gene call DAF-2 discovered in a worm was the only reason why the worm was aging and if frozen it made the worm live twice as long. Also a gene called DAF-16 that keeps the worm up and going and "spunky" and when the DAF-2 gene is damaged the DAF-16 gene takes over. However, this is not yet tested on people because something that works on mice may not work on people. Calorie intake stimulate IGF-1 which is a growth hormone, basically calorie intake stimulates the aging process. Also IGF-1's main job to direct food energy towards growth and fewer calorie intake shifts your metabolism gears to maintaing existing cells instead of growing which means a high resistance of stress and disease. However, people should not go on an insane diet because things that work on mice may not necessarily work on people.
Relevance:
This video talks about the aging process and why we age. The Hayflick Limit being the number of times a cell can divide and once it reaches that limit the cell dies, which is one of the main reasons we age. The video also explains why we have this limit in the first place. This is related because we are currently learning about mitosis and how that cell actually does its dividing. We are also learning about how cancer cells divide out of control and the video also talks about how because of why the Hayflick Limit exists is also how some cancer cells divide like crazy and form tumors.
The History of Cell Theory
The Wacky History of Cell Theory
Taught and Narrated by Lauren-Royal Woods
Animated by Augenblick Studios
Published on June 4th, 2012 by TEDEducation
Summary:
The cell theory has a very interesting history of how it came into being. So, here are the three parts.
1. All organisms are composed of one or more cells.
2. The cell is the basic unit of structure and organization in organisms.
3. All cells come from preexisiting cells.
It all started with the invention of the compound microscope. As the microscope became very popular, scientists rushed to buy it. Anton von Leeuwenhoek built his own, and by looking at everything and anything under it, he eventually found bacteria, which he called "animacules" in his own teeth plaque. Meanwhile, he was sending his findings to Robert Hooke, who was interested in all sciences. Hooke also used the microscope. He is responsible for the name "cell". When he was looking at a piece of cork (which essentially is part of a dead plant) he noticed all the tiny compartments in it, which he called "cells". Later on, in the 1800s, two German scientists were simultaneously discovering that all organisms were made up of cells. Matthias Schleiden was one of them. He was a botanist, and one day he realized that all the various plants that he looked at under his microscope were composed of cells. At the same time, Theodore Schwann was looking at animal cells, and realized that all animals were made up of cells too. The two started working together to start composing this cell theory, but had a dispute over the last part. While Schwann thought that all cells came from preexisting cells, Schleiden proposed the idea of "free cell formation" where cells crystallized into being. Finally, as scientist named Rudolph Virchow came along with evidence showing that all cells did come from preexisting cells, proving that Schwann was right.
Relevance:
The relevance of this video comes from what we learned in class. This video is about the origins of the cell theory. In class we had a discussion about the cell theory and it's three parts. We also talked about how various scientists proved the last part of the cell theory, that all cells came from preexisting cells, specifically Pasteur's expiriment. We also had to read about the cell theory in our textbook. This video gives us some background information about what we learned in class.
Disproving Spontaneous Generation
Disproving Spontaneous Generation using the experiments of Pasteur and Spallanzani
Summary:
This video summarizes the experiments performed by Lazzaro Spallanzani and Louis Pasteur and their attempts to disprove the theory of spontaneous generation using Legos as visual aid. Spontaneous generation is when life forms from any type of non-life. Lazzaro Spallanzani performed an experiment in which he boiled broth to kill al the microorganisms and then sealed the flask. Then, he waited and re-examined the flask to find no microorganisms present. This experiment however only proved that spontaneous generation cannot occur without oxygen. Louis Pasteur performed a similar experiment. However, instead of sealing the flask, he designed one with a curved opening. This way, oxygen could get in but microorganisms couldn't. This disapproved spontaneous generation because it proved that even in the presence of oxygen, life couldn't be created from non-life.
Relevance:
This video is relevant to unit three because we started of the unit discussing the cell theory and how people in early times thought spontaneous generation occurred to create life. The theory of spontaneous generation is where life can come from any non-life. For example, people used to believe that maggots could appear from meat. In class, we discussed Lazzaro Spallanzani's and Louis Pasteur's experiments to disprove spontaneous generation and this video shows what they did using Legos to show it.
Video Information:
YouTube url: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=laP2Pqkzeso
Author: Matt99Bio
Date of Publication: March 18, 2012
Cell Walls and their functions
Cell wall and functions in a Plant Cell
Biomedia report: Period 8
Buzzle.com/ 2012
http://www.buzzle.com/articles/cell-wall-function.html
Summary:
This article, posted on Buzzle.com, tells what cell walls are and their functions to the Organism/cell. A cell walls is an organelle of a cell, which is only in plant cells, and surrounds the cell membrane. This is different from an animal cell, because a plant cell has a cell wall outside of the membrane, while an animal cell has just a cell membrane on the outside. The cell wall is fromed by cell division, when the cell plate forms between the daughter cell's nuclei. There are many functions that the cell wall gives to the organism, but they have about 2 important functions. They are determining the shape of the plant, and provide strength to the cell and plant. The shape and structure of a plant cell is affected by the cell wall. The skeletal structure and bones of the human body is the same as the cell wall's function, because they shape the cell and organism. The other important function is that cell walls provide strength to the plant and cell. Although cell walls seem rigid, they are also flexible. This happens because cell fibers are sorted in alternate layers. In plants, there is a secondary cell wall which is thicker and has an additional layer of cellulose. This is the main cell wall that makes the cell rigid. So, Cell walls in a plant can provide rigidity and flexibility for the plant and cell.
Relevance:
In class, we talked about how cell walls affect the plant and cell. We learned that cell walls shape the structure of the plant and cell, how they allow things to pass through cell, how it provides strength for a cell, etc. We also learned that they are made out of polysaccharides. This article shows the same about cell walls, what they are and their important functions to the cell and plant.
Information:
URL: http://www.buzzle.com/articles/cell-wall-function.html
Publisher: Buzzle.com®
Author: Dr. Sumaiya Khan
Date of Publication: January 20, 2010
Researchers: Dr. Sumaiya Khan, Buzzle.com®
Biomedia report: Period 8
Buzzle.com/ 2012
http://www.buzzle.com/articles/cell-wall-function.html
Summary:
This article, posted on Buzzle.com, tells what cell walls are and their functions to the Organism/cell. A cell walls is an organelle of a cell, which is only in plant cells, and surrounds the cell membrane. This is different from an animal cell, because a plant cell has a cell wall outside of the membrane, while an animal cell has just a cell membrane on the outside. The cell wall is fromed by cell division, when the cell plate forms between the daughter cell's nuclei. There are many functions that the cell wall gives to the organism, but they have about 2 important functions. They are determining the shape of the plant, and provide strength to the cell and plant. The shape and structure of a plant cell is affected by the cell wall. The skeletal structure and bones of the human body is the same as the cell wall's function, because they shape the cell and organism. The other important function is that cell walls provide strength to the plant and cell. Although cell walls seem rigid, they are also flexible. This happens because cell fibers are sorted in alternate layers. In plants, there is a secondary cell wall which is thicker and has an additional layer of cellulose. This is the main cell wall that makes the cell rigid. So, Cell walls in a plant can provide rigidity and flexibility for the plant and cell.
Relevance:
In class, we talked about how cell walls affect the plant and cell. We learned that cell walls shape the structure of the plant and cell, how they allow things to pass through cell, how it provides strength for a cell, etc. We also learned that they are made out of polysaccharides. This article shows the same about cell walls, what they are and their important functions to the cell and plant.
Information:
URL: http://www.buzzle.com/articles/cell-wall-function.html
Publisher: Buzzle.com®
Author: Dr. Sumaiya Khan
Date of Publication: January 20, 2010
Researchers: Dr. Sumaiya Khan, Buzzle.com®
Molecular Structure of Water
URL: http://www.sophia.org/molecular-structure-of-water/molecular-structure-of-water--4-tutorial
Summary:
This video talks about the molecular structure of water. Water has a chemical formula of H2O, which means that 2 hydrogen atoms form a covalent bond with one oxygen atom. A covalent bond is a bond that electrons share. The reason we know that the water molecule has a covalent bond is because oxygen has six valence electrons and hydrogen has one valence electron. Then, with 2 hydrogen atoms and one oxygen atom, you get eight electrons which makes this atom stable since it has eight electrons in its outer shell (the octet rule). There is also a hydrogen bond occurring. A hydrogen bond is an attraction between a hydrogen atom and an electronegative atom. The two hydrogen atoms in water are attracted to the oxygen atom which is an electronegative atom. When two water molecule bond with each other, it forms another hydrogen bond.
Relevance:
This video talks about the structure of the molecule which we talked about in class in Unit 2. It also talks about covalent bonds and hydrogen bonds which we talked about and wrote outlines about when we were drawing bohr models and lewis dot structures. In the video the woman makes one of these models which we did many times in class.
Video Information:
URL: http://www.sophia.org/molecular-structure-of-water/molecular-structure-of-water--4-tutorial
Author: Amanda Soderlind
Published on: April 2, 2012
Regenerating Gel (edible)
BIOMEDIA REPORT- PERIOD 8
Popular Science Magazine/ 03-05-2012
http://www.popsci.com/science/article/2012-03/smart-self-healing-hydrogels-repair-themselves-after-sustaining-damage
Summary
This article, posted on Popular Science Magazine, tells of advancements made to the development of hydrogels. Hydrogels are artificial hydrophilic polymers that are used as a substitute for human tissues. Because they are hydrophilic, it allows them to be flexible and conform to the shapes that tissues in our body need to be. However, hydrogels were not able to repair itself when damaged and a simple cut or tear became a big problem. This year, scientists at the University of San Diego were able to create new hydrogels that could repair itself like authentic bio-tissue. Their secret was to add extra side chains that could attach easily to broken chains, simulating repair. Although this new hydrogels work best in acidic conditions, further research could lead to different types of self-repairing hydrogels that can be used in various areas of the body.
Relevance
In class, we spent a large amount of time discussing how polymers form molecules that make up life on earth. We learned that polymers are long chains of carbon atoms that can form covalent bonds with other molecules, creating very complex materials. This article shows how modern knowledge of polymers allows us to create our own molecules. This is a great of example of how science is applied to everyday life to create new technology for humans to use.
In particular, hydrogels display a lot of hydrophilicity, or attraction to water. We learned how some materials can be hydrophilic or hydrophobic, and how these properties affect how the material is used in our bodies.
Information
URL: http://www.popsci.com/science/article/2012-03/smart-self-healing-hydrogels-repair-themselves-after-sustaining-damage
Publisher- Popular Science
Author- Clay Dillow
Date of Publication- March 5, 2012
Researchers- University of San Diego
Why Salt Marshes are Falling Apart
http://www.redorbit.com/news/video/science_2/1112714950/why-are-our-salt-marshes-falling-apart/
Summary
This video discusses a long-term ecological study at Plum Island Estuary, Massachusetts. Over a nine year period, Linda Deegan (Senior Scientist) and her colleagues added nutrients (nitrogen and phosphorus) to the tidal water of a natural salt marsh. The nutrients were increased to levels comparable to what densely populated coastal areas typically receive from septic and sewage systems and fertilizer run-off. They found that increased nutrients are a significant driver of salt-marsh disintegration and loss.
Scientists had some understanding that salt marshes have the ability to absorb nutrients without end; they would simply grow more grass. But there is a limit to the amount of nutrients that marshes can absorb. When Linda Deegan and her team of scientists added the nutrients, they found out that the plants respond: the grass gets taller and greener. Due to the over abundance of nutrients, the plants have less roots. Since the function of roots is to absorb nutrients, the plants in this experiment did not need them anymore. Because of the lac of roots, the plants are getting taller and fall over into the water current, where they are pulled and tugged on and break up the creek bank causing fissures and fractures in the edge of the creek. To prevent salt marsh loss you could maintain your lawn with less nitrogen abundant fertilizers. As a society, we need to install sewage systems that do not use nitrogen.
Relevance to Class
In the very first unit that we studied, we learned about ecology and biomes. One of the terms we learned about was an estuary. An estuary is where streams and rivers merge with ocean water. Estuaries serve as breeding grounds for many invertebrate and fish species, and as nesting and feeding areas for a great diversity of birds. One of the major ecosystems found in estuaries are salt marshes. Grasses that can grow in salty water and algae are major photosynthetic organisms in salt marshes. These producers support a variety of animals, including crabs, oysters, clams, and small fish. If we, as a society, do not control our nitrogen supply, these important ecosystems will be destroyed.
Video Information
URL: http://www.redorbit.com/news/video/science_2/1112714950/why-are-our-salt-marshes-falling-apart/
Date of Publication: October 17, 2012
Made by: Linda Deegan
Credit: The Ecosystems Center, Marine Biological Laboratory, Woods Hole, Massachusetts USA
Stages of Mitosis
Summary
This video shows the stages of a cell going through the process of mitosis. In the video, the cycle of mitosis starts off as the long threads in the DNA in the nucleus start to coil and replicate. This process is called interphase. The interphase process also prepares the cell for cell division. Next in the video, we look at how proteins grow from the migrating centrioles, forming spindles. The nuclear membrane of the cell disintegrates, and each spindle from each of the 2 centrioles attach themselves to a chromosome. This process is called prophase. After prophase, the chromosomes are assisted by protein fibers and move to the center of the cell. This process is called metaphase. Next, the spindles start to pull each chromatid towards different poles. During this process, some spindles push against each other, causing the cell to stretch. This process is called anaphase. And finally, we come to the process of telophase and cytokinesis. In telophase, the chromatids unwind and the nuclear membrane is reformed at each pole. In cytokinesis, the nuclei and cytoplasm separate creating 2 new cells. This is the whole process of mitosis.
Relevance to Class
We went through the mitosis theme recently in class when we were identifying which stages a cell was in during the process of mitosis. We learned the phases of mitosis: interphase, prophase, metaphase, anaphase, telophase, and cytokinesis. This video animates these phases and let us view the stages dynamically in contrast to how we saw them through the microscopes. Also, during the process of identifying the phases of mitosis a cell was in when we were doing the lab, we might have not been positively sure that we correctly identified the process the cell was in, and this video clarifies the processes and gives us a deeper look into each stage of mitosis.
Video Information
YouTube. Dir. Ppornelubio. YouTube. YouTube, 16 Oct. 2006. Web. 21 Oct. 2012.<http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VlN7K1-9QB0>.
Human Population Growth
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ozDskXxmdDI
Video Summary
This video illustrates human population growth over the past 2,000 years. It corresponds the rising and falling of human population to major events in history such as the Roman Empire, the Black Plague, and the World Wars. Population growth as described by this video is relatively slow and steady from the Roman Empire through the discovery of the New World. Then, as modern medicine is introduced and the Information Age begins, human population increases dramatically.
Relevance
We spent some time in class discussing the population of an ecosystem, what affects it, and how it affects the way that an ecosystem functions. We touched upon human population and the question, "Why did the population grow so rapidly over the last 200 years?" We discussed that the reason for the dramatic increase in population was the advances in medicine and technology, the same way that this video correlates modern medicine and the Information Age to a rapid population growth.
Video Information
URL: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ozDskXxmdDI
Author: Youtube User "crazybrity"
Date Published: 29 Dec 2011
Video Information
URL: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ozDskXxmdDI
Author: Youtube User "crazybrity"
Date Published: 29 Dec 2011
Molecules of Life - CrashCourse
Summary:
This video, "Crash Course- Biological Molecules," is about the four major molecules of life. They are proteins, carbohydrates, lipids, and nucleic acids. Carbohydrates are monosaccharides, disaccharides, and polysaccharides, making up compounds such as cellulose, glucose, fructose, and sucrose. Lipids are fats and steroids, used for long term energy storage. Proteins, the most complicated of the molecules, are made of amino acids. All of these molecules are received through the foods that we eat, and are essential to our life.
Relevence:
This video discusses in detail the molecules of life that we studied in unit two, and relates them to cellular functions we are leraning about now. It provides visualizations of what makes up these molecules, and reviews specifics that can be hard to remember, such as types of these molecules and specific examples and their uses.
Video Info:
URL: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H8WJ2KENlK0
Author: YouTube Channel CrashCourse
Date: 13 February 2012
This video, "Crash Course- Biological Molecules," is about the four major molecules of life. They are proteins, carbohydrates, lipids, and nucleic acids. Carbohydrates are monosaccharides, disaccharides, and polysaccharides, making up compounds such as cellulose, glucose, fructose, and sucrose. Lipids are fats and steroids, used for long term energy storage. Proteins, the most complicated of the molecules, are made of amino acids. All of these molecules are received through the foods that we eat, and are essential to our life.
Relevence:
This video discusses in detail the molecules of life that we studied in unit two, and relates them to cellular functions we are leraning about now. It provides visualizations of what makes up these molecules, and reviews specifics that can be hard to remember, such as types of these molecules and specific examples and their uses.
Video Info:
URL: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H8WJ2KENlK0
Author: YouTube Channel CrashCourse
Date: 13 February 2012
Enzyme used for Cancer treatment
Video Summary:
"Using Enzymes as a Cancer Treatment" expains how pancreatic enzymes can be used for cancer treatment for patients with of cancer. The scientist in this video, Dr. Nicholas Gonzalez explains how the pancreatic enzmye, named tripson, is the bodies naturalm chemical used for the fight against cancer. Although it is obviously not quite enough, it leads to an interesting means of treating cancer. If one were to have a tripson enzyme treatment, they would be subjected to a special diet, special protocol in life such as exercising and resting, and lastly would have to ingest an excess amount of the enzyme tripson. Although this is a reletively new theory, it has been tested on animals, and has proven to work in some cases.
Relevance:
The Relevance of this video to the world is very important, because it could be an underlying treatment for the worlds worst sickness, cancer. One of the factors that helped me pick this video is the big relevance to the first term. It talks about enzymes working to be a cure for cancer. Honors Biology just finished a lab on enzymes, so if a student from this course were to see it, it would make lot's of sense. Also it talks about cancer, as this is one of the topics that will be presented on the test tuesday. Thus since it has 2 topics of the term in one, I would like to relate this video as "Killing 2 birds with one stone."
Video Information:
URL: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=33-fWuor0eo
Author of Video: iHealthTube on youtube
Scientist: Dr. Nicholas Gonzalez
Date Published: Published on September 27, 2012
Karp Lab
http://www.redorbit.com/news/video/health_2/1112716481/a-lab-like-no-other-medicines-next-big-thing/
Summary:
This video is about a lab that is based on the feet of lizards. Scientists have developed this new nano adhesive that can prevent bleeding after surgery and that can regrow tissue after a heart attack. This gel is also used to help ease arthritic pain and help prevent brain tumors from regrowing. It can also help with nickle allergies when applied to the skin. This lab is called the Karp lab, named after the lead scientist Jeffrey Karp. It does not focus on a specific medicine or technology, but rather on many different ones.
Relevance to Class:
We recently have learned about the scientific method and have focused on many labs on class. This video also focuses on a lab that uses the scientific method. Jeffery Karp created a hypothesis and is now using the help of many other scientists to test it. These scientists are also using technologies, such as the microscope, that we have also learned about.
URL: http://www.redorbit.com/news/video/health_2/1112716481/a-lab-like-no-other-medicines-next-big-thing/
Author of Article: Ivanhoe
Date of Publication: October 20, 2012
Summary:
This video is about a lab that is based on the feet of lizards. Scientists have developed this new nano adhesive that can prevent bleeding after surgery and that can regrow tissue after a heart attack. This gel is also used to help ease arthritic pain and help prevent brain tumors from regrowing. It can also help with nickle allergies when applied to the skin. This lab is called the Karp lab, named after the lead scientist Jeffrey Karp. It does not focus on a specific medicine or technology, but rather on many different ones.
Relevance to Class:
We recently have learned about the scientific method and have focused on many labs on class. This video also focuses on a lab that uses the scientific method. Jeffery Karp created a hypothesis and is now using the help of many other scientists to test it. These scientists are also using technologies, such as the microscope, that we have also learned about.
URL: http://www.redorbit.com/news/video/health_2/1112716481/a-lab-like-no-other-medicines-next-big-thing/
Author of Article: Ivanhoe
Date of Publication: October 20, 2012
World Human Population
Video Summary
This video describes the world human population from past, present, and future. It starts out with a description of our world. It talks about our resources, and how limited they are. Details such as living space, space where humans actually do live, and space where crops can be grown. The video then sets up a chart representing human population growth from year 0 until 2012, and then projects into 2030. As the video goes through this timeline, it has dots set up on the world map as populations increase. Through the timeline, pictures along the bottom appear to tell what time period the video is in, or what major event happened during that time. It concludes with a message to live our lives with care for out environment and space.
Relevance to Class
During our first unit about ecosystems, we learned about how environment can only support so much life. We learned about terms such as "carrying capacity", or the amount of life an ecosystem can support. This video opens with that concept, saying that humans only have so much space and resources on Earth, and that they are limited. We learned about population growth, and how that effects an ecosystem. We actually had class discussions on the topic of human population growth. This video explains the actual growth in more detail, with the map, which is the bulk of the video. It also outlines the future of our population, and how we need to sustain our resources.
Cell Membrane-Phospholipid Bilayers
Summary
The plasma membrane, also known as the cell membrane, separates the cytoplasm inside the cell and from the outside of the cell. The cell membrane contains phospholipids, which form two layers. These two layers of phospholipids are called the phospholipid bilayer. A phospholipid has a hydrophilic head and two hydrophobic tails. The hydrophilic head and hydrophobic tails of a phospholipid explain the arrangement of the phospholipid bilayer. Since cytoplasm and the environment outside of the cell are both primarily made of water, the water-loving heads face outward, toward the outside or inside of the cell. The tails face each other on the inside of the membrane because they are water-hating. Also, cell membranes are selectively permeable, meaning that they only let certain molecules pass through the membrane.
Relevance to Class
Recently, we learned about cellular transport involving the cell membrane. In class, we defined the cell membrane as a matrix of relatively fluid proteins and phospholipids. This article talks more about how molecules can pass through the phospholipid bilayer than we talked about in class. This article is relevant to class mainly because it explains more about the structure of the phospholipid bilayer and how it is used for cellular transportation. For example, it explains why certain molecules can pass through the phospholipid bilayer and why others cannot.
Author of Article: Zannie Dallara
Date of Publication: September 14, 2012
Saturday, October 20, 2012
Energy Flow In An Ecosystem
Summary
This video, "Energy Flow in Ecosystem" explains the
importance of energy and how it is transferred in a very simple way so that
very young kids would be able to understand with ease. At the beginning
of the video, it explains that energy is used for all of life's processes.
Next, it states that producers such as plants use the sunlight energy and
combines it with water and carbon dioxide in a process called photosynthesis
(0:59). Then, a primary consumer, such as a giraffe eats the plant and uses
the energy it gets from the plant to carry out its life processes (1:04).
Finally, a secondary producer, lion, eats the primary consumer,giraffe,
and uses the energy for its cell processes (1:09). Near the middle of the
video, it addresses the fact that only 10% of energy actually makes
it from organism to organism, which means that 90% of energy is lost during the
transfer (1:34). Basically, the more times that energy is transferred,
then there is less energy available for the next consumer. This energy
transfer is demonstrated with a model called the energy pyramid (1:42).
Relevance:
In class, we spent two weeks learning about the different parts that make up a food chain such as the producers and the primary and secondary consumers. After learning the basics, we went further and learned about how energy is transferred between organism and organism. This led to the heated debate in class over the topic of what type of consumption would help the environment. In the end, it was decided that if all humans were vegetarians (primary consumers) then the environment would be preserved from destruction because in order to provide enough food for all the livestock, mass amounts of land needed to be cultivated to supply enough energy to maintain these animals. Contrary to that point, if all humans got their energy directly from plants, then they would cut out the middleman (livestock) and create a more efficient way to get energy, which slows down the destruction of the land.
Video Information:
URL: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=De_53QflEXQ&feature=relmfu
Author of Video: makemegenius
Date of Publication: June 17th, 2012
Similarities & Differences between Simple Diffusion, Facilitated Diffusion, and Active Transport
Summary:
This video talks about the different types of diffusion and active transport, and compares them. Simple diffusion, facilitated diffusion, and active transport all allow materials to pass through membranes. Both simple diffusion and facilitated diffusion require a concentration difference, go from high to low concentration, and do not use energy from the cell, instead using energy from its environment. Simple diffusion is when small, non-polar molecules pass through the cell membrane into the cell, requiring no activity of the cell. Facilitated diffusion has to have protein channels, and involves a carrier protein. The material coming through binds to the carrier protein, and the carrier protein closes the outer part, and opens the inner part to let the material to come through in to the cell. Active transport is like facilitated diffusion, however, active transport requires energy from ATP, and moves materials against a concentration difference, from low to high concentration.
Relevance to Class:
In class, we have learned about simple diffusion, facilitated diffusion, and active transport. This video is helpful for anyone who needs more help distinguishing between simple diffusion, facilitated diffusion, and active transport. It also describes simple diffusion and facilitated diffusion more in depth, and touches upon active transport.
Video Information
Author: John C. Jones
Date: January 17, 2012
Breakthrough in Early Cancer Detection
Breakthrough in Early Cancer Detection
URL: http://www.nsf.gov/news/special_reports/science_nation/earlycancerscreening.jsp
Publisher: National Science Foundation
Date of Publication: January 9, 2012
Summary:
The video begins with the story of Melissa Chartrand and her battle with ovarian cancer. The video then focuses on to Vadim Backman, a biomedical engineer at Northwestern University. Using his research, he and his team have begun developing a new form of microscopy. The general idea is that light will be shined off of cells and depending on the angle in which photons bounce off of structures in the cell, doctors and biologists can determine whether or not the cell is healthy. This technology has already been tested using cheek tissue to detect lung cancer and hopely will have other uses.
Relevance:
The main focus of this technology is to detect cancer at an early stage when it is most treatable. During Chapter 9, we learned about cancer. Cancer is caused when there is a major disruption to the cell that affects how it performs the cell cycle. A cancerous cell leads to uncontrolled division. The video also mentions chemotherapy, which was also something we learned about in Chapter 9. Chemotherapy is a certain type of treatment for cancer that involves drugs that disrupt cell division. One last connection to our studies is through the use of cheek cells. While testing the technology, Vadim's team harvested cheeks cells much like we did in our own lab.
URL: http://www.nsf.gov/news/special_reports/science_nation/earlycancerscreening.jsp
Publisher: National Science Foundation
Date of Publication: January 9, 2012
Summary:
The video begins with the story of Melissa Chartrand and her battle with ovarian cancer. The video then focuses on to Vadim Backman, a biomedical engineer at Northwestern University. Using his research, he and his team have begun developing a new form of microscopy. The general idea is that light will be shined off of cells and depending on the angle in which photons bounce off of structures in the cell, doctors and biologists can determine whether or not the cell is healthy. This technology has already been tested using cheek tissue to detect lung cancer and hopely will have other uses.
Relevance:
The main focus of this technology is to detect cancer at an early stage when it is most treatable. During Chapter 9, we learned about cancer. Cancer is caused when there is a major disruption to the cell that affects how it performs the cell cycle. A cancerous cell leads to uncontrolled division. The video also mentions chemotherapy, which was also something we learned about in Chapter 9. Chemotherapy is a certain type of treatment for cancer that involves drugs that disrupt cell division. One last connection to our studies is through the use of cheek cells. While testing the technology, Vadim's team harvested cheeks cells much like we did in our own lab.
Organelles and Their Functions Inside a Cell
Summary
This video looks at the many parts of the inside of a cell. It starts with a cell moving along the edge of a vein or artery. It rolls along the wall via structures on the outside of the cell that cling and uncling to the other cells. Then it shows the many features on the outside of the plasma membrane, and demonstrates cell-to-cell recognition. The video enters the cell, and protein chains (probably microfilaments) form and are severed. Microtubules form and break down, and then vesicles and mitochondria move along them. There is a centrosome containing centrioles, and ribosomes are shown making proteins. A vacuole combines with a lysosome, and then a ribosome makes a protein and injects it into the rough endoplasmic reticulum. The outside of the smooth endoplasmic reticulum is shown, and later the Golgi apparatus receives and "ships" packages. Near the end there is a recap of the video. Finally, the cell from the beginning flattens and slips under a skin cell.
Relevance to Class
In class, we learned about the organelles inside of cells and how they function. We have learned about the plasma membrane, the different types of proteins in the membrane, proteins (last unit), microfilaments and microtubules, vesicles, centrosomes, and ribosomes. We also learned about lysosomes, ribosomes, how they combine to break down food, the rough and smooth endoplasmic reticulum, and the Golgi apparatus. If you watch the video and ignore the labels of each cellular structure, you should be able to identify all the structures we have learned of.
Video Info
URL: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B_zD3NxSsD8&feature=related
Publisher of Video: Nicknamercho
Date of Publication: 3/8/12
This video was originally made by Harvard University, but their version included a monotone voice that explained many things we haven't learned yet, so I chose the regurgitated one with music. The original version can be found here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GigxU1UXZXo&feature=related
Pseudoscience
http://www.voxy.co.nz/health/anti-fluoride-campaigners-bamboozle-pseudoscience/5/135850
this is a story of people using pseudoscience to manipulate city governments into removing fluoride from the city water supplies. they use exaggeration of unimportant data, and downplaying of important fact. their results fail to account for variability of measures and have untestable results.
this is a story of people using pseudoscience to manipulate city governments into removing fluoride from the city water supplies. they use exaggeration of unimportant data, and downplaying of important fact. their results fail to account for variability of measures and have untestable results.
Thursday, October 18, 2012
Medical Video: The Stages of Mitosis
Summary
This video is called, "Medical Videos The Stages of Mitosis", an animated rendition of mitosis. At the beginning of the video, various organelles including the Golgi apparatus and mitochondria are shown. Later, at about 0:19, the video shows the cell's nucleus going about its usual metabolic processes during interphase, with the DNA still as loose chromatin strands. At 0:28 during prophase, you are able to see the DNA solidifying into chromatin. The nuclear envelope breaks down, showing the cell is preparing to divide. At 0:36 during metaphase, you see the chromosomes lining up along the middle of the cell with the spindle microtubules attached to the centromeres. Anaphase is demonstrated during 0:50 when the sister chromatids separate from each other. The two new nuclear envelopes immediately reform in telophase at 0:57. The organelles, the nuclei, and the cytoplasm divide into two different cells at 1:06 as cytokinesis. You can tell from the video that the cells in the demonstration are animal cells. A cell plate forms between two dividing plant cells and the two daughter cells in the video split apart.
Relevance to Class
In class, we are studying the cell cycle and in particular, mitosis. This video shows the stages of mitosis though animation. Because of what was learned in class, the viewer of this video can immediately identify the cells as animal cells instead of plant cells. A viewer who has actually paid attention in class can also identify the stages of mitosis and the various organelles shown. (Forgetting the fact that the stages are labeled in the corner of the video). In order to understand anything that happens in the video, you need to have an understanding of what happens in class.
Video Information
URL: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G0Ds8_UOtTAAuthor of video: DrHAOUAMAbderrahmen
Date of Publication: July 25, 2012
Introduction to Cells
Summary
This video, titled "Introduction to Cells," is a computer animation that gives a brief introduction on what cells are and some facts about it. It explains that all living things are made of cells, which is one section of the cell theory, and how there are many different kinds of cells that have different functions--over 100 trillion in the human body alone, each so tiny that "10,000 could fit on the head of a pin." Mitosis in "fast forward" is shown (1:02), and also the moving of red blood cells through veins (1:18), traveling to different parts of the body through what is known as the bloodstream. There is an animation of the villi that line our intestines (1:25) and of the sperm and egg cell (1:30).
An immense number of chemical reactions are happening every second, and proteins are being made all the time in the cell, as the ribosome is shown translating the mRNA into codes for amino acids (1:51).The human body has different mechanisms to respond to harmful organisms and such as microbes and antigens (1:56), and things that scientists are still trying to understand.
Relevance to Class
Recently in class, we have studied cells and why they are so important to the human body. We learned about the different stages of the cell cycle, especially mitosis, which result in two daughter cells, which was depicted in the video. These daughter cells can either be identical or diverse, depending on the method of reproduction, and the DNA in them is used to direct cell activities. The DNA also gives information to produce proteins, and the ribosomes, the organelles that carry this out, were shown in the video rapidly going through a string of mRNA to translate it into tRNA. We also learned about chemical reactions, which are very important to the human body, and especially the role of water in these reactions.
Video Information
URL: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gFuEo2ccTPA
Author of Video: Frank Gregorio
Date of Publication: January 31, 2012
Osmosis with Hypertonic cells, Hypotonic, and Isotonic cells
Summary
In this video it mainly talks about hypertonic cells, hypotonic cells, and isotonic cells. A hypotonic solution is a solution with a lower concentration of solutes. A cell in a hypotonic solution has a higher concentration of solutes than the surrounding solution, causing water to flow into the cell. Hypertonic refers to a higher concentration or has a greater degree of tone or tension. A cell in a hypertonic solution has a lower concentration of solutes than its surroundings, leading to a decrease of water in the cell. An isotonic solution is a solution in which its effective osmole concentration is the same as the solute concentration of another solution with which it is compared. This occurs, for example, when the concentration of both water and total solute molecules are the same in an external solution as in the cell content. Thse 3 conditions are all made by osmosis.
Relevence
This video is relevant to the class because we talked about osmosis in class on the notes and we had to do a homework outline on osmosis and hypertonic cells, hypotonic cells, and isotonic cells. It is important because we need to know how a cells diffuses if our unit is on cells.
Video Information
Date of Publication: October 2, 2012
Creator's Youtube username: Jung Choi
Wednesday, October 17, 2012
Cellular Functions
Summary of the Video
This video talks about what a stem cell is and what characteristics it has to have to be considered a stem cell. One is self-renewal. This is basically a characteristic that enables a stem cell to split up into to other daughter cells that are exactly identical to the first stem cell. The other characteristic is differentiation. This involves producing cells that could be used for specialized purposes, like red blood cells, white blood cells, or platelets.
Context
Stem cells are important because they form all the other cells in the body when a baby is young. All the specialized organs and muscles that make us who we are are made up from stem cells. In an adult, stem cells can be used for repairing cells lost due to normal wear and tear, since all stem cells have the ability to produce cells for specialized purpose. Right now, stem cells are used to screen new medications and make models to study normal growth and identify the causes of birth defects.Stem cell research can also enable us to treat deadly diseases such as diabetes and heart disease in the future. We might even be able to build organs for transplants in the future!
Relevance to Class
This week we learnt about the cell and how it works.We learn about eukaryotic cells and prokaryotic cells and all the organelles associated with the metabolic functions of the cell. In fact, a stem cell is a eukaryotic cell that carries out all these functions. It is just like any other cell, except it has two differentiation factors that make it a stem cell. Also, in chapter 9, we learn about the cell cycle and cell replication, which can also be linked to stem cell.
Video Information
URL:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OqFApCWF3DQ
Date of Publication: June 3, 2012
YouTube Username: IVACM
Date of Publication: June 3, 2012
YouTube Username: IVACM
Sources
Saturday, October 13, 2012
Francesco Redi and Spontaneous Generation
Summary
For thousands of years, humans believed in the existence of spontaneous generation. This idea states that life or living organisms can be spontaneously generated from non- living matter. But as we know today, this theory is not accurate. We now know that all cells must come from other cells (according to the cell theory). Because of the experiments that Louis Pasteur and Francesco Redi conducted, we know that spontaneous generation is not true.
Francesco Redi was able to disprove the idea that maggots arise from decaying meat. He designed a simple and controlled experiment, with the appearance of maggots being the dependent variable. He had two identical jars, both with a piece of meat in them. One was left open, while the other one had a cheese cloth on it (it allowed air to pass through, but not large objects- such as flies). Since air was provided in the two experiments, the meat decayed in both of them. But, only the jar left opened produced maggots, while the other jar had eggs on the top of the cheese cloth. The fact that maggots were not produced by the decaying meat itself (in the absence of egg laying flies) revealed that spontaneous generation does not happen.
Relevance to Class
This week, we have learned about various aspects of the cell theory. The cell theory states that cells are the units of structure in living organisms, that cells are the units of function in living organisms and that all cells arise from preexisting cells. The idea of spontaneous growth contradicts that notion that cells must arise from preexisting cells. Experiments like the one conducted by Francesco Redi have dis-proven the theory of spontaneous growth. Therefore Redi helped proved that life (or cells) must come from other living life.
Video Information
Date of Publication: September 18, 2012
Creator's Youtube username: PasteurBrewing
Friday, October 12, 2012
Cell Structure and Functions
NOTE: For future posters, if you want to embed a YouTube video inside the post, click on the *movie icon* that is two spaces to the right of the *link* button when you are posting.
Video Details:This video talks about the functions of a cell and helps viewers follow along as they magnify from an entire organism to a single cell. This video is relevant because it talks about the basic functions of a cell and its organelles, which is key in what this unit is about. It helps develop a general understanding about the composition of organisms and what powers the cell.
Video Information: Cells are the most basic units of life. There are two types of cells. Prokaryotes are single-celled organisms that include bacteria and some algae. They lack a membrane-bound nucleus Eukaryotic cells make up more complelx organisms. They contain a membrane-bound nucleus.
The cell can be thought of as a mini city with organelles as the many parts making up the city. The cell membrane functions as a gate, like a fence, that allow molecules into and out of the cell. The nucleus is the control center, or capital building of the city, that tells the cell what to do. The mitochondria is like a power plant that provides energy for the cell. ATP is the energy currency of the cell. Ribosomes act as factories which change some DNA to proteins. Golgi is the post office that modifies and packages proteins. The ER are like the highways of the cell through which proteins are transported. The lysosome is the trashman of the cell and removes waste.
The two types of eukaryotic cells are plant and animal cells. Plant cells have a cell wall surrounding the membrane. In plant cells, there is one large vacuole, while in animal cells, there are a few small ones. Plant cells also contain chloroplast, where photosynthesis occurs.
Video information:
Url: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o1GQyciJaTA
Date of Publication: 6 February 2012
Creator's Youtube Username: teabiotech
Presented by: Texas Education Agency.
Questions 1: How do cells connect with other cells and interact with each other?
Question 2: When cells die, do they decompose? If so, howso?
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