1.    Describe the process of transpiration in vascular plants.

Transpiration is the procedure by which plants acquire nutrients in the air and lose their own moisture in the process. The leaf tissues is important for this process.

2.   What environmental factors that you tested increased the rate of transpiration? 

The simulation of time being pass by an hour without the heater, fan, or lamp. 

3.  Was the rate of transpiration increased for all plants tested?

All plants increased their rates of transpiration in the wind environment, and the heat and light environment also helped to increase the rate of transpiration.

4.    Did any of the environmental factors (heat, light, or wind) increase the transpiration rate more than the others? Why?

All plants increased their rates of transpiration in the wind environment.  The wind is blowing the moisture away at a higher rate than if the plant was just sitting in the sun, causing it to transpire more. Transpiration occurs at higher levels with heat because of evaporation.

5.   Which species of plants that you tested had the highest transpiration rates? Why do you think different species of plants transpire at different rates?

Rubber plants. I think it is because plants originally from sub-tropical or tropical areas will transpire at a higher rate than those originally from arid or semi-arid areas. 

6.    Suppose you coated the leaves of a plant with petroleum jelly. How would the plant's rate of transpiration be affected?

They would die because the stomata would no longer be able to open to the outside world, and respiration would be impossible.

7.    Of what value to a plant is the ability to lose water through transpiration?


Because water has cohesion between molecules it is drawn up through the xylem when the water evaporates from the top of the column. This creates the transpiration flow through the xylem and carries any dissolved nutrients upwards with the water. 

Having the ability to draw water and nutrients upwards to a branching leaf canopy allows plants to spread the leaves to intercept more sunlight. 

Transpiration raises the air humidity and moderates the daily change in temperature. 

Evaporation cools the leaves just as sweat evaporating from skin is cooling.

Plant Hormones

Auxin 

Auxin causes plant cell walls to become more flexible, which allows the cells to elongate as they grow. Auxin accumulates on the dark side of a stem. As a result, the cells on the dark side of a stem elongate more than the cells on the light side. The difference in elongation causes the stem to grow toward the light. Auxin also inhibits the growth of the buds along a stem. 

Abscisic Acid

• Induces seeds to synthesize storage proteins.
• Stimulates the closure of stomata (water stress brings about an increase in ABA synthesis). 
• Inhibits shoot growth but will not have as much affect on roots or may even promote growth of roots.  
• Inhibits the affect of gibberellins on stimulating de novo synthesis of a-amylase. 
• Has some effect on induction and maintanance of dormancy. 
• Induces gene transcription especially for proteinase inhibitors in response to wounding which may explain an apparent role in pathogen defense. 

Ethylene 

• Stimulates flower opening. 
• Stimulates fruit ripening.
• Stimulates the release of dormancy. 
• Stimulates shoot and root growth and differentiation (triple response) 
• May have a role in adventitious root formation. 
• Stimulates leaf and fruit abscission. 
• Stimulates Bromiliad flower induction. 
• Induction of femaleness in dioecious flowers. 
• Stimulates flower and leaf senescence. 

Co-evolution 

Mutualism - A symbiotic relationship in which both participating species benefit. 

Aphids are small insects that use their piercing mouthparts to suck fluids from the sugar conducting vessels of plants. They extract a certain amount of the sucrose and other nutrients from this fluid. However, much of the fluid -- so - called honeydew - runs out in an altered form through their anus. Certain ants have taken advantage of this fact and "milk" the aphids for the honeydew, which they use as food. The ants, in turn, protect the aphids against insect predators. 

The female yucca moth is the sole pollinator of the yucca, and the yucca is the only caterpillar host plant of the yucca moth. In fact, the yucca and yucca moth share a symbiotic relationship that is so specialized, each yucca species is pollinated by only one type of yucca moth.

Population Lab

In the beginning of the simulation, it was difficult for the wolves to capture three rabbits at the same time; therefore, the population of wolves was small. However, as the population of rabbits increased, it became easier for the wolves to catch the rabbits, and the population of wolves also increased.

As the simulation was progressing, the rabbits were too close to each other, so the wolves can catch a lots of them at once, therefore, the population of wolves increased too fast, and the population of rabbits became extinct at one point.

Basically, this simulation shows us that the best scenario would be both populations go up, it would benefit both populations to survive, and if one population suddenly goes down, it hurts the other population too.  Our goal should be that we have to try our best to balance the different populations in the nature. 

 

Unfortunately, a volcano eruption had happened in an alpine tundra biome in the Himalayas in Asia.  The most obvious change of the biome was the temperature.  Since the plants and animals are accustomed to the low temperature in alpine tundra, the burning lava had wiped out most of them, and the bigger animals in this biome such as the bighorn sheep and mountain goat went into distinction. 

       

     The ash in the air was another killing factor for the animals live in this biome, the pika or marmot might have successfully avoided the burning lava because their body size are relatively small, but they will eventually be killed by the ash in the air. 

     The animal that most likely would survive after the eruption is ptarmigan because they might possibly have flown away before the eruption occurred.  

     The damage of plantation in the alpine tundra is even more severe. Since the original alpine environment was harsh enough for plants to grow up, the volcano made those plants impossible to survive. However, after the volcano, there is a chance the soil would become more arable, and the cushion plants would have a chance to come back to the alpine tundra.

Alpine Tundra 

Characteristic of Tundra

Climate

Rainfall 

Natural Resources

Plant life( Flora) 

Animal Life(Fauna)

Food Web

Lichen

Location and Human Population 

Animal Behavior Lab Report

Abstract:

  There were few purposes for this lab. First, we caught isopods in the wild and bought them back to the classroom, and we just closely observed their behaviors and structures. Then we used isopods to test three different scenarios: wet vs. dry, acid vs. dry, base vs. dry, to find out which environment they preferred. We placed 10 pillbugs in different environments and observed for 11.5 minutes.  The results were that the pillbugs preferred wet conditions over dry and base over acid. In addition, the pillbugs also showed taxis behavior in all scenarios.

Introduction:

  Ethology is the study of animal behavior.  An animal’s behavior is everything an animal does and how it does it.  There are three types of behaviors:  orientation, agonistic, and mating.  Orientation behaviors take the animal to its preferred environment.  Taxis is an animal moves toward or away from a stimulus.  Taxis is often observed in response to changes in light, heat, moisture, sound, or chemicals.  Kinesis is random movement and doesn’t involve stimuli.  Agnostic behavior is when animals respond to each other in aggressive or submissive movements.  An example would be when the hair on a dog’s back stands up when it is being aggressive.  Mating behaviors are activities that involve finding, courting, and mating with a member of the same species.  An example would be a peacock fluffing up its feathers to attract females.  There are differences between classical conditioning and operant conditioning. Classical conditioning is a  type of associative learning in which an arbitrary stimulus is associated with a reward or punishment, but  Operant Conditioning is a type of associative learning in which an animal learns to associate one of its behavior with a reward or punishment; also known as trial-and-error learning.

Hypothesis:

    When isopods are exposed to wet and dry conditions, they will prefer to stay in the wet environment because they are used to living in dark, moist environment.  When isopods are exposed to acid or base conditions, they will prefer the acid conditions.

Materials: 

Petri dish

Connected chamber

Water

Pipette

Filter paper

Timer

Magnifier

Paint brush

Vinegar (acid)

Ammonia (base)

Procedure:

 1. Collect 10 isopods from the wild

2. Place isopods in a Petri dish with a paintbrush and observe them for 10 minutes. Record observations that are characteristic to the bugs.

3. Place a wet filter paper in one chamber and a dry one in the other.

4. Put the isopods in and cover the chambers

5. Start the stopwatch and record the number of isopods in each chamber every 30 seconds

6. After 3 minutes, replace the wet filter paper with one with vinegar

7. Repeat procedure 4-5

8. After 3 minutes, replace the vinegar filter paper with one with ammonia

9. Repeat procedure 4-5

Data

Time (minutes)	Number of isopods in wet chamber	Number of isopods in dry chamber	Notes
0	-	-
0.5	6	6
1.0	5	5
1.5	2	8
2.0	4	6
2.5	4	6
3.0	4	6
3.5	3	7
4.0	3	7
4.5	3	7
5.0	3	7

Time (minutes)	Number of isopods in acidic chamber	Number of isopods in dry chamber
5.5	1	9
6.0	0	10
6.5	0	10
7.0	0	10
7.5	0	10
8.0	0	10
8.5	0	10

Time (minutes)	Number of isopods in base chamber	Number of isopods in dry chamber
9.0	1	9
9.5	3	7
10.0	4	6
10.5	4	6
11.0	5	5
11.5	6	4

Analysis:

       The independent variables were the different conditions in the chambers.  For the first experiment, the independent variables were the wet and dry conditions.  In the second and third experiment, the independent variables were the ph.  For both experiments, the dependent variable was the isopod behavior.  The main control for this experiment was the initial observation.  The kinesis observed at this time was used to determine if the isopod behavior in the two experiments was truly taxis behavior in response to the different conditions.  Other controls include using the same amount of bugs, using a timer, using the same chamber, and using similar textures in the chambers.

            In the first experiment, our data shows that isopods preferred the dry conditions.  This is not what I expected, because pillbugs suppose live in dark and moist environment and they use gills, so they need moist conditions to survive.  This could have been due to different wet conditions.  The isopods may avoid an area if it is too wet and this would skew the results. 

                 In the second experiment, the isopods preferred the dry conditions over the acid conditions.  My hypothesis is wrong again, they do not prefer to live in a more acidic environment. My initial thought was that they live in soil and under logs, which are acidic conditions.  However, it could be another experimental error, because the vinegar was too acidic, they would rather stay in the dry chamber.  

Conclusion:

            From our data, the isopods preferred the dry environment which is against their normal living habit.  My hypothesis was proven incorrect.

            In the acid vs. dry and base vs. dry experiment, the isopods preferred the base condition which is again against their normal living habit.  Most soils areas are acidic.  The isopods did not choose the environment that was closest to their natural habitat. My hypothesis was proven incorrect again.

           

Immune System

Immune System

Nonspecific - Wall and Soldiers

Specific - Spies

Antigens - Invaders

Provides an immediate nonspecific immune response

Innate, or nonspecific, immunity is the defense system with which you were born. It protects you against all antigens. Innate immunity involves barriers that keep harmful materials from entering your body. These barriers form the first line of defense in the immune response. Examples of innate immunity include:

1. Cough reflex
2. Enzymes in tears and skin oils
3. Mucus, which traps bacteria and small particles
4. Skin
5. Stomach acid

Innate immunity also comes in a protein chemical form, called innate humoral immunity. Examples include the body's complement system and substances called interferon and interleukin-1 (which causes fever).

If an antigen gets past these barriers, it is attacked and destroyed by other parts of the immune system.

 Activates T and B cells in response to an infection

BLOOD COMPONENTS

The immune system includes certain types of white blood cells. It also includes chemicals and proteins in the blood, such as antibodies, complement proteins, and interferon. Some of these directly attack foreign substances in the body, and others work together to help the immune system cells.

Lymphocytes are a type of white blood cell. There are B and T type lymphocytes.

• B lymphocytes become cells that produce antibodies. Antibodies attach to a specific antigen and make it easier for the immune cells to destroy the antigen.
• T lymphocytes attack antigens directly and help control the immune response. They also release chemicals, known as cytokines, which control the entire immune response.

As lymphocytes develop, they normally learn to tell the difference between your own body tissues and substances that are not normally found in your body.

Responds to a later exposure to the same infectious agent

Once B cells and T cells are formed, a few of those cells will multiply and provide "memory" for your immune system. This allows your immune system to respond faster and more efficiently the next time you are exposed to the same antigen. In many cases it will prevent you from getting sick.

Self and Non-Self

Every body cell carries distinctive molecules that identify it as self.  The body's immune defenses do not normally attack tissues that carry a self marker. Rather, immune cells and other body cells coexist peaceably in a state known as self-tolerance. But when immune defenders encounter cells or organisms carrying molecules that say "foreign," the immune troops move quickly to eliminate the intruders.

Cite source:　

http://printer-friendly.adam.com/content.aspx?productId=117&pid=1&gid=000821&c_custid=758

http://thyroid.about.com/library/immune/blimm02.htm

https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B8_o7d48jBuQNzBXalljTW1mc2s/edit?usp=sharing

Ghrelin

Ghrelin is a hormone is made in the stomach. When Ghrelin is manufactory in our stomach and pump out into our system, we get hungry. It is one of the factors in our body to tell us we are hungry.

Receptors for ghrelin are expressed by neurons in the arcuate nucleus and the lateral hypothalamus. The ghrelin receptor is a G protein-coupled receptor, formerly known as the GHS receptor (growth hormone secretagogue receptor).

Ghrelin plays a significant role in neurotrophy, particularly in the hippocampus, and is essential for cognitive adaptation to changing environments and the process of learning. Recently, ghrelin has been shown to activate the endothelial isoform of nitric oxide synthase in a pathway that depends on various kinases including Akt.

Ghrelin exists in an endocrinological inactive (pure peptide) and an active (octanoylated) form (Hexatropin)

source：

http://www.news-medical.net/health/Ghrelin-What-is-Ghrelin.aspx

Cell Respiration Lab

https://sites.google.com/site/unit3dna/content-standards/unit-8---energy-flow-in-organisms

Forensics Quiz

A 20 years old man, who found spine on Thompson Creak Trail with a bullet wound, died out from lung bleeding.

First, the entrance of the wound was on the left side third rib, and exit wound was 5 cm above the belly button in the umbilical region, in a 45 downward angle. Also, the examiner observe a 8th rib fractured through X-ray.

All evident show the murder stood in front of the victim and shot him from a higher elevation.
Since the bullet went the victim's left side third rib, it may hit victim's lung or liver. Both of lung and liver provide blood and oxygen to the brain, if these two organelles are damaged, then the brain would shut down very quickly.

1. This is not a suicide because he cannot set up a gun at a higher spot and run down to a lower spot, and trigger the gun to kill himself.

2. The murder did not kill him from the back because the bullet enter from the front, and he was found spine.

3. The victim did not die out of his internal problem, no tumors was found in his body. He was murdered by the bullet.

   I have to say that I was shocked after I watched the video, how do they create all those human organs? Although the doctor shows some process in the video, I still do not understand how do the just use a normal printer, and just print a human organ. Also what is the problem that hamper these technology to be commonly used, and what are the differences between the human organs and the artificial organs? What are the side effects of replacing a artificial organs?

PS: http://men.webmd.com/news/20060523/lab-grown-replacement-penis-in-future (very interesting article).

Why are the clones killed after they are used once? The woman who gave birth was immediately killed, but what if her sponsor needed a new heart in a year? Is she given a new clone to replace her old one? -- Mary Van Schaick


   I think this is a great question. The first thought that come our of my mind is "iphone". When people cracked their phone screen, they take their phone to the apple store, and pay 200 dollars to get their new phone. But many parts that in the cracked phone still work perfectly fine. Where do those trade in phone goes? Also, i think it will be even more ruthless if people cut out clones' body parts for multiple times, which means those clones have to suffer from pain for multiple times...