Mitosis

After completing the lab pertaining to the onion cell roots, I learned tons about the process of mitosis. Mitosis is the splitting of the cell into two different daughter cells. The first step in this cycle is called interphase. This phase is basically just a resting cell. The next phase is when the cell is disrupted and the chromosomes thicken and get shorter, and this stage is called prophase. Then the chromosomes start to align in one plane and this phase is called metaphase. The next process is one that happens very quickly. The phase is called anaphase and in this stage the chromosomes completely migrate to the spindle poles. After this phase two daughter cells are produced in the final stage called telophase.

B

Building a Photosynthetic Human






Light energy would be converted to stored energy and would be captured through the processed called photosynthesis. Plants use photosynthesis which is process green plants and other organisms containing chlorophyll use to capture energy from the sun and transform it into a form that humans and other animals can use to carry out life processes. The constant recycling process of plants consuming carbon dioxide and producing the oxygen we breathe prevents the “green house” effect and the Earth from overheating. Without the process of plants capturing energy from the sun, we would run out of usable energy. Photosynthetic humans would have green skin and they would never lose their color. To increase the surface to volume ratio, these green "people" need to evolve to a more pancake shape.



Photosynthesis

6 CO2 + 12 H2O + sunlight [solar energy]  C6H12O6 + 6 H2O + 6 O2

Plant vacuoles which are fluid-filled organelles are required for photosynthesis. Vacuole fusion supports stomatal movements. Vacuole enables gas exchange and allows plants to react to the changing environment.

Cell Structure

We are all composed of them, and that is cells.  Cells play a HUGE role in our bodies.  They are the building blocks of our bodies.  In order for a cell to function it contains many different components that perform specific functions in order to keep the cell running smoothly.  The outer part of a cell is surrounded by a cell membrane.  The function of the cell membrane is to protect the cell and transport or export nutrients in or out of the cell.  Then there comes the nucleus lies in the middle.  The nucleus stores DNA and replicates it and then turns it into RNA.  Another feature of the cell is the chromosomes, which lie in the nucleus.  The chromosomes help to build protein.  In addition chromosomes are a single piece of DNA, that's big.  Another component that’s in the nucleus is the nucleolus and it builds ribosome’s.  Surrounding the nucleus lays the endoplasmic reticulum.  It is divided into rough and smooth endoplasmic reticulum.  The rough endoplasmic reticulum is the starting stage of proteins.  The smooth endoplasmic mains function is to synthesize lipids.  All around lies things called ribosome’s which are stuck to the rough endoplasmic reticulum and make proteins. They have a very important function as well.  They digest food for the cell.  The mitochondrion supplies energy to the cell, very important function!  The cell also has a feature call golgi apparatus, and its job is to distribute and ship the cells chemical products.  Lastly there comes vacuoles and their main job is to store the cells chemical components.  All these features of the cell are incased in the cells cytoplasm which is gel like.  This is the cell structure broken down into main parts but in a way I hope you can make sense of.

Cell Membrane

my map

Cell Membrane

The cell membrane!  It plays a huge role in any cell and helps to maintain it.  Much of the cell is made up of something that looks like a ball with two strings attached to it.  The two strings are fatty acyl tails and the ball is a hydrophobic polar head.  This is called the hydrophobic core.  Next you have proteins that run through the hydrophilic core.  These proteins vary in what functions they do.  A integral protein act as a receptor.  A glycoprotein helps to stabilize it.  A peripheral protein is used to protect the membrane.  In addition, different sugar groups lay on the outer layer of the membrane and also lay on the proteins.  Here below is a picture of a cell membrane!

The Gulf Oil Spill

The Gulf Oil Spill

On April 20, 2010, a blast sank the Deepwater Horizon rig which caused a massive oil spill. No one knows for sure how this spill in the Gulf of Mexico will affect the deep sea ecosystem. This disaster caused an environmental and economic nightmare which will last for many years. This spill is the worst offshore oil spill in U.S. history.


The Deepwater Horizon spill has created huge deep water plumes where the oil is actually in the water column and not on the surface of the water. These plumes are wide, deep, and long and are without substantial biodegradation. The ingredients in the dispersants are also a concern because the ingredients are a trade secret that only the company that makes it knows what is in it. Although the toxic like napthalenes, benzene, toluene and xylenes in oil may be different, the compounds are all known human carcinogens with different health effects for humans, animals, wildlife, and plants.


According to NOAA, the deep water oil threatens the large marine wildlife like sharks and fish. Small marine wildlife such as shrimp, crabs, and worms which is endangering this group. This undersea spill may be worse. Hypoxia a condition that happens every spring may make problems worse. Hypoxia causes fast growing algae to deplete oxygen from sections of the water column in the Gulf of Mexico. This takes away oxygen that the wildlife and other life forms need to survive. Without oxygen it is like a long-term toxic body of water.


To make things worse, the oil washed up on the shore and is causing more damage the coastal wetlands that are trying to recover from Hurricane Katrina. These wetlands are already suffering from overdevelopment and pollution. Some of the immediate effects of the spill could be seen right away. Seabirds were soaked and suffocated in the gulf.


The oil is still out there and can be smelled and touched. The degradation of oil slows over the years. What is known as the asphaltenes are the large and complex compounds that remain once the microbes move on and the aspaltenes are very hard to digest.


Scientists warn the spill will have ripple effects that will last for years if not decades. Creatures that died and sunk to the bottom of the gulf will make it difficult to estimate the total number of creatures that actually died. The reproduction rate of sea turtles and the damaged caused by the Gulf Oil Spill will take years to figure out.


Many people are trying to make ends meet. This spill caused tourism along the Gulf of Mexico to slow down. For some time the waters were closed to commercial fishing. The shrimpers that were allowed to fish are having trouble convincing people that the shrimp is safe to eat. In closing, damage to the environment, human health, the seafood industry, and tourism has been affected by the Gulf Oil Spill. The financial costs and changes to the Climate Bill are also changed because of the Gulf Oil Spill.





http://www.sciencemag.org/cgi/content/short/330/6001/201

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/09/17/gulf-oil-spill-update-well_n_720602.html

http://www.sciencemag.org/hottopics/oilspill/

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/06/05/AR2010060503987.html

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/05/10/7-long-term-effects-of-th_n_562947.html

http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=how-long-will-oil-spill-last

PH scale, acids, and basics.

What is the PH scale? It is a scale to determine how acidic or basic a substance is. Ph stands for potential of hydrogen. It ranges from 0 to 14. If a substance is at 7 then it is neutral but if it is below that then it is acidic. Anything greater that 7 is basic. Each whole value below PH 7 is ten times more acidic than the next higher value. It holds true for anything above 7. A PH level of 9 is ten times more basic (alkaline) than a PH scale of 8. Therefore a PH level of 0 is super acidic and a PH level of 14 is strongly basic. Some examples of acidic substances is vinegar and lemon juice. In addition battery acid would be a 0 on the scale. Water is neutral and Lye and ammonia are examples of basic substances. Liquid drain cleaner would be a 14 on the scale. This is to just kind of give you an idea of what is highly acidic and what’s highly basic. The PH scale is all intertwined with acids and bases. Here is a chart to show you a little of what I mean.

http://staff.jccc.net/pdecell/chemistry/phscale.html

http://www.elmhurst.edu/~chm/vchembook/184ph.html