AUTOMATICALLY AN AWESOME CHAPTER BECAUSE IT STARTS WITH MARINE BIOLOGY!
(I love Marine Biology. Just throwing that out there.)
The Facts:
-Photophores are organs that produce light usually found on deep-sea creatures. That's an awesome adaptation and I mean "awesome" in the sense that it literally fills me with awe.
-Selective permeability describes something that allows certain substances to pass through it, and not others
-Osmosis is the movement of water through a selectively permeable membrane
-The first law of Thermodynamics states that all energy in the universe is constant
-The second law of Thermodynamics states that energy isn't always recycled due to entropy, or "randomness" of energy becoming unusable
Key Terms:
-Diffusion: The tendency for particles to spread out evenly in an open space
-Concentration Gradient: the concentration of particles or a substance
-Tonicity: The ability of solution to cause a cell to gain or lose water
-Aquaporins: transport proteins that help with the rapid diffusion of water
-Endocytosis: the process of which a cell takes in substances
-Exocytosis: the process of which a cell expels substances
-Phagocytosis: the process of which a cell "eats"
-Pinocytosis: the process of which a cell takes in liquids
-Kinetic Energy: Energy of motion
-Potential Energy: Stored energy
A basic example of kinetic vs potential energy. And possibly entropy, if you account for the loss of energy in this situation
Summary:
This chapter was all about the actual functions of cells as a whole, rather than the individual that we read about in the previous chapter. The kinetic energy of a person on a bike, or the potential energy of a ball we're about to punt across a field both qualify for scientific marvel. That is, the laws of thermodynamics.
Not only does it cover energy on a macro scale, it also looks at diffusion, active transport and passive transport. Cells are very busy little beings, always finding their place, and trying to equal out concentrations.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sdiJtDRJQEc
This guy has a cool voice
Monday, October 18, 2010
The Chemical Basis of Life
What are ionic bonds?
Ionic bonds are formed when some electrons the valence shell of an atom connects with gaps in another atom's valence shell to make the desired 8.
What are covalent bonds?
When two atoms share one or more pairs of valence shell electrons.
What is the pH scale?
The pH scale is a measuring scale for acidic/basic levels in certain substances. It goes from 0 to 14, 7 being neutral. High acids are closer to 0 and high bases are closer to 14. For a point of reference, human blood is neutral.
The Facts:
-The four most abundant elements in the human body are oxygen, carbon, hydrogen and nitrogen
-Hydrogen bonds are weak, but contribute to many of the emergent properties of water
-Acids have high concentrations of H+ (hydrogen ions)
-Bases have high OH- (hydroxide ions)
-Blood is considered and aqueous solution
Some Key Terms:
-Matter: Anything that occupies space and has mass
-Element: A substance that cannot be broken down into another
-Compound: a substance consisting of two or more different elements combined in a fixed ratio
-Proton: A subatomic particle with a positive charge
-Electron: A subatomic particle with a negative charge that orbits the proton
-Neutron: A subatomic particle that makes up the nucleus of an atom with a neutral charge
-Atomic Number: The number of protons in an atom
-Mass Number: The sum of the neutrons and protons in an atom
-Isotopes: An atom with a different number of neutrons
-Radioactive Isotope: An isotope in which the nucleus decays, giving off energy
This is a drawing of the pH scale, the word "base" being interchangeable with "alkaline"
Summary:
This chapter was but a mere introduction into the chemistry-based side of biology. It incorporated the chemical basis in basic functions throughout life, and how chemistry directly affects our world. It segues into this by introducing the acid that certain ants produce to effectively do "gardening" by killing off any intruding plant life.
It goes on to describe molecular structure, how atoms and elements bond, focusing on the emergent properties of water. Water has many interesting qualities due to the weak hydrogen bonds, including cohesion and adhesion. Then it ends with my favorite part- the ecological practices! From dying coral reefs to finding life on Mars, ecological biology rocks my world.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qmgE0w6E6ZI
Ionic bonds are formed when some electrons the valence shell of an atom connects with gaps in another atom's valence shell to make the desired 8.
What are covalent bonds?
When two atoms share one or more pairs of valence shell electrons.
What is the pH scale?
The pH scale is a measuring scale for acidic/basic levels in certain substances. It goes from 0 to 14, 7 being neutral. High acids are closer to 0 and high bases are closer to 14. For a point of reference, human blood is neutral.
The Facts:
-The four most abundant elements in the human body are oxygen, carbon, hydrogen and nitrogen
-Hydrogen bonds are weak, but contribute to many of the emergent properties of water
-Acids have high concentrations of H+ (hydrogen ions)
-Bases have high OH- (hydroxide ions)
-Blood is considered and aqueous solution
Some Key Terms:
-Matter: Anything that occupies space and has mass
-Element: A substance that cannot be broken down into another
-Compound: a substance consisting of two or more different elements combined in a fixed ratio
-Proton: A subatomic particle with a positive charge
-Electron: A subatomic particle with a negative charge that orbits the proton
-Neutron: A subatomic particle that makes up the nucleus of an atom with a neutral charge
-Atomic Number: The number of protons in an atom
-Mass Number: The sum of the neutrons and protons in an atom
-Isotopes: An atom with a different number of neutrons
-Radioactive Isotope: An isotope in which the nucleus decays, giving off energy
This is a drawing of the pH scale, the word "base" being interchangeable with "alkaline"
Summary:
This chapter was but a mere introduction into the chemistry-based side of biology. It incorporated the chemical basis in basic functions throughout life, and how chemistry directly affects our world. It segues into this by introducing the acid that certain ants produce to effectively do "gardening" by killing off any intruding plant life.
It goes on to describe molecular structure, how atoms and elements bond, focusing on the emergent properties of water. Water has many interesting qualities due to the weak hydrogen bonds, including cohesion and adhesion. Then it ends with my favorite part- the ecological practices! From dying coral reefs to finding life on Mars, ecological biology rocks my world.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qmgE0w6E6ZI
F402E1F3-2442-11AD-04F9-5DE202F5A79B
1.02.28
The Molecules of Cells
What is a Dehydration Reaction?
A reaction which involves removing water.
What is Hydrolysis?
Breaking the bonds made with the dehydration reaction by adding water once more.
What's a Monosaccharide?
Monomers, essentially the simplest carbohydrates.
The Facts:
-Lipids have a kink in them when they double-bond
-The Primary structure of a protein is the structure of its amino acids
-A secondary structure is when the parts of a polypeptide coil fold into an alpha helix
-A tertiary structure is the overall three-dimensional structure of the protein
-A quaternary structure is two polypeptide chains link together
Key Terms:
-Hydrocarbons: Compounds that are made up of only hydrogen and carbon
-Isomers: Compounds with the same formula but a different shape
-Hydrophilic: Likes water
-Hydrophobic: Dislikes water
-Hydroxyl Group: Hydrogen atom bonded to an oxygen atom, bonded to a carbon skeleton
-Carbonyl Group: Carbon double bonded to an oxygen atom
-Carboxyl Group: Carbon double bonded to an oxygen atom and bonded to the Hydroxyl group
-Amino Group: Nitrogen bonded to two hydrogen atoms and then to a carbon skeleton
-Phosphate Group: Phosphorus bonded to four oxygen atoms
-Methyl Group: Carbon bonded to three hydrogens
An example of a lipid molecule that has a double-bonded CH molecule, thus creating a "kink."
Summary:
This chapter was about the molecular structure of the different groups, both on a micro and macro scale.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7k2KAfRsZ4Q
A reaction which involves removing water.
What is Hydrolysis?
Breaking the bonds made with the dehydration reaction by adding water once more.
What's a Monosaccharide?
Monomers, essentially the simplest carbohydrates.
The Facts:
-Lipids have a kink in them when they double-bond
-The Primary structure of a protein is the structure of its amino acids
-A secondary structure is when the parts of a polypeptide coil fold into an alpha helix
-A tertiary structure is the overall three-dimensional structure of the protein
-A quaternary structure is two polypeptide chains link together
Key Terms:
-Hydrocarbons: Compounds that are made up of only hydrogen and carbon
-Isomers: Compounds with the same formula but a different shape
-Hydrophilic: Likes water
-Hydrophobic: Dislikes water
-Hydroxyl Group: Hydrogen atom bonded to an oxygen atom, bonded to a carbon skeleton
-Carbonyl Group: Carbon double bonded to an oxygen atom
-Carboxyl Group: Carbon double bonded to an oxygen atom and bonded to the Hydroxyl group
-Amino Group: Nitrogen bonded to two hydrogen atoms and then to a carbon skeleton
-Phosphate Group: Phosphorus bonded to four oxygen atoms
-Methyl Group: Carbon bonded to three hydrogens
An example of a lipid molecule that has a double-bonded CH molecule, thus creating a "kink."
Summary:
This chapter was about the molecular structure of the different groups, both on a micro and macro scale.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7k2KAfRsZ4Q
F402E1F3-2442-11AD-04F9-5DE202F5A79B
1.02.28
A Tour of the Cell
What are the different types of microscopes?
-Light Microscope (LM)
-Electron Microscope (EM)
-Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM)
-Transmission Electron Microscope (TEM)
What's the difference between prokaryotic cells and eukaryotic?
Prokayrotes have no nucleus, and are essentially "simpler" than eukaryotic cells. They are also generally smaller than eukaryotes.
What are the different cell junctions and what are their purposes?
-Tight Junctions: prevent leakage
-Anchoring Junctions: fastens cells together into sheets. They are common in tissues that are subject to stress
-Gap Junctions: small gaps that allow molecules to flow through pores into other cells
The Facts:
-Only prokaryotes have capsules
-Cells were discovered in 1665 by Robert Hooke
-Chloroplasts consist of several different internal structures including the stroma, thylakoids and granum
-Flagellum and cilia have very similar structure and movement
-Animal cells do not have cell walls, plants do. While this means we have more motion, it also takes away any chance at photosynthesizing
Key Terms:
-Organelles: "Little Organs"
-Cellular Metabolism: Chemical activities that occur across the cell
-Nucleus: The "brain" of the cell, contains the DNA
-Nucleolus: A structure in the nucleus where the ribosomal RNA is synthesized
-Golgi Apparatus: Receives and modifies and ships out what's given by the ER
-Mitochondria: Carries out cellular respiration and converts things into chemical energy
-Lysosome: Digesting enzymes enclosed in a membranous sac
-Peroxisome: An organelle involved in metabolic functions
-Chloroplasts: Photosynthesizing organelles
-Endosymbiosis: A theory that mitochondria were formerly small prokaryotes that started living in larger cells
This is a cut-section diagram of an animal cell. As you can see, the organelles have a very set placement.
Summary:
This chapter was made to aquaint us with the structure of a cell, its funtions and the functions of its many organelles. First it establishes how we go about seeing cells: several different types of ultra-powerful microscopes that all serve to see different things.
Then it moves on to functions of the cells, which is primarily to exist and reproduce. Then the junctions exist to keep the cell alive and working properly. The organelles are extensive, and I have listed a few and their functions above.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mszlckmc4Hw
-Light Microscope (LM)
-Electron Microscope (EM)
-Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM)
-Transmission Electron Microscope (TEM)
What's the difference between prokaryotic cells and eukaryotic?
Prokayrotes have no nucleus, and are essentially "simpler" than eukaryotic cells. They are also generally smaller than eukaryotes.
What are the different cell junctions and what are their purposes?
-Tight Junctions: prevent leakage
-Anchoring Junctions: fastens cells together into sheets. They are common in tissues that are subject to stress
-Gap Junctions: small gaps that allow molecules to flow through pores into other cells
The Facts:
-Only prokaryotes have capsules
-Cells were discovered in 1665 by Robert Hooke
-Chloroplasts consist of several different internal structures including the stroma, thylakoids and granum
-Flagellum and cilia have very similar structure and movement
-Animal cells do not have cell walls, plants do. While this means we have more motion, it also takes away any chance at photosynthesizing
Key Terms:
-Organelles: "Little Organs"
-Cellular Metabolism: Chemical activities that occur across the cell
-Nucleus: The "brain" of the cell, contains the DNA
-Nucleolus: A structure in the nucleus where the ribosomal RNA is synthesized
-Golgi Apparatus: Receives and modifies and ships out what's given by the ER
-Mitochondria: Carries out cellular respiration and converts things into chemical energy
-Lysosome: Digesting enzymes enclosed in a membranous sac
-Peroxisome: An organelle involved in metabolic functions
-Chloroplasts: Photosynthesizing organelles
-Endosymbiosis: A theory that mitochondria were formerly small prokaryotes that started living in larger cells
This is a cut-section diagram of an animal cell. As you can see, the organelles have a very set placement.
Summary:
This chapter was made to aquaint us with the structure of a cell, its funtions and the functions of its many organelles. First it establishes how we go about seeing cells: several different types of ultra-powerful microscopes that all serve to see different things.
Then it moves on to functions of the cells, which is primarily to exist and reproduce. Then the junctions exist to keep the cell alive and working properly. The organelles are extensive, and I have listed a few and their functions above.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mszlckmc4Hw
F402E1F3-2442-11AD-04F9-5DE202F5A79B
1.02.28
Thursday, October 14, 2010
Biology: The Study of Life
What are the characteristics of life?
There are seven agreed upon characteristics of life, which can be summed up in the following:
1) Order: All living things demonstrate complex organization, structure, and complexity.
2) Regulation: The environment in which the living thing inhabits may change, but homeostasis still allows the organism to keep a constant inner state.
3) Growth and Development: The ability to pass on DNA and to use that DNA to grow into another organism from birth
4) Energy Processing: Organisms take in some form of energy, and can be processed to fuel the organism's functions
5) Response to the Environment: An organism's ability to react to a change in the environment.
6) Reproduction: Organisms are able to reproduce their own kind
7) Evolutionary Adaptation: An organism's ability to pass on it's genes and utilize them in a way that allows for the greatest evolutionary advantage.
What are the three accepted Domains in Classifying life?
In the art of classifying life, the broadest category we can place an organism in would be a domain, which recently made the cross from two to three.
1) Eukarya: Most of what we see is in this domain. Classified by having a nucleus, as well as other cellular structures.
2) Bacteria: Microscopic, prokaryotic and mostly unicellular.
3) Archaea: Recently discovered, also prokaryotic and for the most part, unicellular.
What is Natural Selection?
Natural selection as a concept isn't too difficult, the basic idea being is a given organism with a desireable trait, perhaps acquired through mutation or breeding, this trait will allot the creature with a greater chance of living, and thus allowing it to have offspring with the same traits. Those offspring then have a better chance of living, thus will reproduce themselves (see where this is going?).
The Facts:
-Science is a part of everyday life, such as in problem solving or testing out a new idea.
-While some organisms may not have all the characteristics of life, that doesn't necessarily mean they're not alive.
-Eukaryotic cells are divided into compartments and consist of many internal organelles and structures such as nuclei.
-DNA is crucial to life, as it not only ensures evolution, but also that lifeforms have a universal genetic structure.
-Earth itself is one giant structure, known as the biosphere, which supports all known life.
Some Key Terms:
-Biology: The scientific study of life
-Biosphere: Consists of all the environments on Earth
-Producers: Provide food for the typical ecosystem
-Consumers: Eats the plants and other animals
-Cell: Basic unit of life
-Genes: Units of inheritance
-Evolution: An explanation for the unity and diversity in life, that all things changed over time
-Natural Selection: A key mechanism for evolution, stating that the organisms with the more desirable traits will pass them on
-Hypothesis: a proposed explanation for a set of observations
-Theory: Supported by a large and growing body of evidence
Diagram:
This is a clear demonstration of the cycle of life from a biological system and the concept of energy transfer.
Summary:
This chapter was very brief, but was a basic overview of systems of life, as well as classification. It touched on the layers of biological study, from the ecosystems to structures on a microscopic level- the study of life is a very broad topic. From there it talks about the classification of life which has three domains (see above) and further sub-branches (Kingdoms, Phylum, Class, Order, Family, Genus and Species).
It then moves on to talk about my personal hero, Charles Darwin, a man of great intelligence who originally came up with the theory of Natural Selection. The idea of Natural Selection is that the ones with the desirable traits will continue to live and have children, thus having offspring with the same traits, and eventually this leads to a change of the species as a whole. Or perhaps creating a new one.
Here is a sped-up version of evolution, courtesy of the Simpsons:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=faRlFsYmkeY
P.S. Darwin is my homeboy
There are seven agreed upon characteristics of life, which can be summed up in the following:
1) Order: All living things demonstrate complex organization, structure, and complexity.
2) Regulation: The environment in which the living thing inhabits may change, but homeostasis still allows the organism to keep a constant inner state.
3) Growth and Development: The ability to pass on DNA and to use that DNA to grow into another organism from birth
4) Energy Processing: Organisms take in some form of energy, and can be processed to fuel the organism's functions
5) Response to the Environment: An organism's ability to react to a change in the environment.
6) Reproduction: Organisms are able to reproduce their own kind
7) Evolutionary Adaptation: An organism's ability to pass on it's genes and utilize them in a way that allows for the greatest evolutionary advantage.
What are the three accepted Domains in Classifying life?
In the art of classifying life, the broadest category we can place an organism in would be a domain, which recently made the cross from two to three.
1) Eukarya: Most of what we see is in this domain. Classified by having a nucleus, as well as other cellular structures.
2) Bacteria: Microscopic, prokaryotic and mostly unicellular.
3) Archaea: Recently discovered, also prokaryotic and for the most part, unicellular.
What is Natural Selection?
Natural selection as a concept isn't too difficult, the basic idea being is a given organism with a desireable trait, perhaps acquired through mutation or breeding, this trait will allot the creature with a greater chance of living, and thus allowing it to have offspring with the same traits. Those offspring then have a better chance of living, thus will reproduce themselves (see where this is going?).
The Facts:
-Science is a part of everyday life, such as in problem solving or testing out a new idea.
-While some organisms may not have all the characteristics of life, that doesn't necessarily mean they're not alive.
-Eukaryotic cells are divided into compartments and consist of many internal organelles and structures such as nuclei.
-DNA is crucial to life, as it not only ensures evolution, but also that lifeforms have a universal genetic structure.
-Earth itself is one giant structure, known as the biosphere, which supports all known life.
Some Key Terms:
-Biology: The scientific study of life
-Biosphere: Consists of all the environments on Earth
-Producers: Provide food for the typical ecosystem
-Consumers: Eats the plants and other animals
-Cell: Basic unit of life
-Genes: Units of inheritance
-Evolution: An explanation for the unity and diversity in life, that all things changed over time
-Natural Selection: A key mechanism for evolution, stating that the organisms with the more desirable traits will pass them on
-Hypothesis: a proposed explanation for a set of observations
-Theory: Supported by a large and growing body of evidence
Diagram:
This is a clear demonstration of the cycle of life from a biological system and the concept of energy transfer.
Summary:
This chapter was very brief, but was a basic overview of systems of life, as well as classification. It touched on the layers of biological study, from the ecosystems to structures on a microscopic level- the study of life is a very broad topic. From there it talks about the classification of life which has three domains (see above) and further sub-branches (Kingdoms, Phylum, Class, Order, Family, Genus and Species).
It then moves on to talk about my personal hero, Charles Darwin, a man of great intelligence who originally came up with the theory of Natural Selection. The idea of Natural Selection is that the ones with the desirable traits will continue to live and have children, thus having offspring with the same traits, and eventually this leads to a change of the species as a whole. Or perhaps creating a new one.
Here is a sped-up version of evolution, courtesy of the Simpsons:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=faRlFsYmkeY
P.S. Darwin is my homeboy
F402E1F3-2442-11AD-04F9-5DE202F5A79B
1.02.28
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