Brown Recluse Venom

The brown recluse spider is a spider native to the US. It can be found in your home in the following places: Dark spots within baths, dormitories, garages, closets and cellars, vent and heating conducts, and seldom used clothes and shoes. Outside it can be found in the following places: storage places, underneath rocks or inside hollow trunks. This spider is actually fairly small, being only 1/4" to 1/2" it can sure pack a lot of venom! Usually if the spider bites you, you can't tell until a few hours later. You wont feel it bite you since it's so small. But after those few hours pass, you can see an irritation in the bitten area. Below is only day one from the Brown Recluse bite.

As you can see, nothing really out of the ordinary, swelling from the venom and irritation around the skin clearly indicates a bite, only you cant tell what really bit you yet since you cant see the real symptoms. After usually about 2 to 3 days you can really see when you have been bitten from something serious. Below is another picture from a Brown Recluse, only this is day 3.

sIf in fact, you notice you have been bitten by something, don't wait 3 days to do something. You need to react fast. Here's a list of the proper precautions to perform if you get bit.

• First, apply ice on the injury in order to lessen the pain and swelling.
• Whenever possible, place the bitten part of the body above your heart.
• Wash the entire area with cool water and soap -do not use warm water.
• Put sterilized bandages on the injury.
• Stay calm --nervous states help the venom spread inside your body.
• Try ibuprofen, naproxen, or similar anti-inflammatory drugs to relieve the pain.

After you realize you have been bitten by the Brown Recluse or any other spider like this, you should definitely call your doctor right away and see what you can do to prevent venom from spreading. The physical reaction to a brown recluse spider bite depends on the amount of venom injected and an individual's sensitivity to it. Some people are unaffected by a bite! Now, I will finally show you the 9th day of this man's painful bite from the Brown Recluse.

PKU

1. What enzyme is most commonly defective in people with phenylketonuria?
PKU occurs when a person inherits a genetic mutation that disrupts the function of a crucial metabolic enzyme(PAH).
2. What reaction does this enzyme catalyze?

3. Describe the symptoms of phenylketonuria.
 - Delayed mental and social skills
 - Hyperactivity
 - Mental Retardation
 - Seizures
 - Skin rashes
 - Tremors
4. What causes the symptoms of PKU, the lack of a substance or the buildup of one?
The build up of a substances can cause PKU. Certain substances are harmful to the central nervous system, and can even cause brain damage!
5. How common is phenylketonuria?
It is not usually common, normally 1 in 10,000 have it.

Enzyme Lab

In our enzyme lab, we measured the pressure of a mixture of hydrogen peroxide, water (h20) and yeast. The yeast was mixed in with the water and hydrogen peroxide because it is not only an enzyme, but it is also known as a peroxidase. A peroxidase is an enzyme that basically speeds up the reaction time of the process. That's what an enzyme is, something that speeds up the process of a reaction. We also used a pressure tester plugged into the mac book on one side, and a rubber cork in the test tube to see what the pressure looked like as it was increasing. The more drops of yeast we would mix with the water and peroxide, the more the reaction and pressure would increase. If you put enough drops of yeast in the tube, you could actually get such a rapid increase, the pressure cork would actually pop off!! Looking back at the lab, you can see we tested three different factors. We tested the enzyme concentrations, different temperatures of the tubes, and we also tested the ph levels. If you decrease the temperature of the tubes, the enzyme activity will decrease. If you heat up the tubes, then you can see the rapid increase of the temperatures.

Plant Cell Structure

There are actually lots of parts to a plant's cell structure. I will name and identify the most important parts, give you some pictures of cell plant structure, and show you the most helpful link I could find to give you the best idea of what a plant cell actually looks like on the inside:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vCqQLoRaTNA

1. Nucleus- A part of the cell containing DNA or RNA and responsible for growth and reproduction
2. Nucleolus- A small round body of protein in a cell nucleus.
3. Golgi Apparatus- A netlike structure in the cytoplasm of animal cells.
4. Golgi Vesicles- A membrane-bound body that forms by "budding" from the Golgi apparatus. IT contains proteins such as digestive enzymes, and migrates to the cell (plasma) membrane.
5. Mitochondria- An organelle found in large numbers in most cells, in which the biochemical processes of respiration and energy production occur. It has a double membrane, the inner layer being folded inward to form layers.
6. Chloroplast- Plastid containing chlorophyll and other pigments.
7. Cell Wall- A rigid layer of polysaccharides enclosing the membrane of plant and prokaryotic cells.
8. Cell Membrane- A thin membrane enclosing the cytoplasm of a cell.
9. Endoplasmic Reticulum- A network of membranous tubules within the cytoplasm of a eukaryotic cell, continuous with the nuclear membrane. It usually has ribosomes attached and is involved in protein and lipid synthesis.
10. Ribosomes- An organelle in the cytoplasm of a living cell.
11. Nucleus- A part of the cell containing DNA and RNA and responsible for growth and reproduction.
12. Nucleolus-A small round body of protein in a cell nucleus.
13. Vacuole- A tiny cavity filled with fluid in the cytoplasm of a cell.
14. Cytoplasm- The protoplasm of a cell excluding the nucleus.

   

Cystic Fibrosis Webquest Worksheet

1. What are the signs and symptoms of cystic fibrosis?
You will notice an extra build up of mucus, and a saltier taste to the skin. Generally, people with cystic fibrosis will have a saltier taste in their sweat.
2. How common is this disorder?
70,000 people in the world are affected, and there are 30,000 people affected in the US alone!
3. How is cystic fibrosis diagnosed?
This disease can be helped by prescribed medicine, but it can never be completely cured.
4. How is cystic fibrosis inherited? Does everyone that has a mutant gene for the protein have cystic fibrosis?
It is just a gene that can be inherited by the genes of the childs parents, but everyone who obtains the mutant gene does not necessarily have the disease but have a very good chance of ending up getting the disease.


Part 2
1. Explain the normal function of the protein that is defective in cystic fibrosis.
Normally, the movements of the ions bring water to the surface of the airways. The water keeps the mucus moist. That way, the normal proteins can function and control the amount of chloride ions to the cells. This protein is names CF transmembrane regulator (ion channel)
2. What happens to this protein in CF patients and what are the consequences for the health of these individuals? 
The defective protein means that the protein can no longer regulate the amount of chloride ions needed in the cells. This will cause blockage in the different channels, and will dry out the mucus. 


Part 3
1. Explain at least 3 treatments for the symptoms of cystic fibrosis.
You can try chest drainage therapy, lung transplants, and oxygen therapy.
2. Discuss at least 3 ways for parents to help their children who have cystic fibrosis
You can pat your kid on the back, play sports, or watch funny movies; whatever it takes to get the mucus out.

This is a chest radiograph of one of the most fatal diseases..cystic fibrosis!

Osmosis Lab

When we performed the osmosis lab, we tried testing four different types of substances. We tried methyl cellulose, cereal, tums, and corn starch. We took the tubes and added just a little bit of water to each of them. The reason we performed this experiment was to try and see how much water weight would be transferred into the substances. What we did was weighed the substances before, and weighed them after we waited for 24 hours. Not all of the substances ended up weighing the same, they were all different. The methyl cellulose started out at 4.71oz. and ended at 9.55 oz. The cereal started at 9.69, and ended at 13.08. Corn starch actually started out as the least weight, and ended up as the least weight as well. It also was the only substance that didnt really change. The tube weighed 6.57 ounces, and after 24 hours it weighed 6.98 ounces. The tube of tums had the biggest change, and weighed the most. The experiment did take a while for full results, but they were accurate.

Membrane Structures

In the membrane structure tutorial, I learned that there are two different environments, the hydrophilic aqueous cytoplasm and the hydrophilic membranes. The lipids are classified as hydrophobic because they contain molecules that have 16 to 18 carbon, hydrocarbon backbones with only little amounts of oxygen. Waxes, pigments, steroid hormones, and cell membranes are all served by lipids, these are its major components. Fats are constructed from two classes of molecules. Their structures can be anywhere from 16 to 22 carbons long. To build a triacylglycerol, there need to be three fatty acids attached to a glycerol through an ester bond between the carboxyl group of acids and and the three alcohol groups connected to the glycerol. The types of fats can either be saturated or unsaturated. Phospholipids are what are called amphipathic(a molecule with a polar and and a hydrophobic end). When you mix a phospholipid in a water  solution, they will start to self assemble into different structures that exclude the moleulecules from the hydrophobic tails. For Reece's and my model, we decided to construct a plasma membrane structural model. We drew the same model on our poster that's posted below.

Carbohydrate Identification Lab Prezi

This is the link for our Prezi:
http://prezi.com/wsttp6xqsmys/carbohydrate-identification-lab/

PH Lab Data Analysis

Carbohydrate Lab

     The other day, our class decided to conduct an experiment about carbohydrates. We tested each product to determine what they were. We wanted to find out if they were monosaccharides, polysaccharides, or disaccharides. Each one of these types of carbohydrates has a its own specific function. In the experiment we used something called benedict to see if the products reacted with it. Some of the things we used were flour, corn syrup, oatmeal, cereal, and sugar. If any of these turned black, that means they are polysaccharides. We then added benedicts to the polysaccharides, monosaccharides, and disaccharides and put everything in boiling water! we did this to see how everything would react. While we did this, we learned that if the solution is a polysaccharide, it will turn black, and if it was a monosaccharide it would turn orange. The disaccharides actually wont change color. When we finished the test, we saw that the mono reacted with the benedicts. This tells us that any substance that reacts with a benedict solution like this after it is heated,is going to be a monosaccharide. When we mixed iodine in a test tube with monosaccharides, disaccharides, and polysaccharides and the polysaccharides reacted with the iodine, that means any food that will later react like this with the iodine is going to be a polysaccharide. Next in our experiment, we decided to put cereal, corn syrup, and flower into the test tubes and react them with the iodine. We put ten drops in the test tubes to see what the results would look like. The corn syrup and flower reacted with the iodine telling us that these two are also polysaccharides. Then, we decide to test for monosaccharides doing the same steps as earlier, heating the tubes with the benedict solution. We easily saw the light corn syrup is a monosaccharide. So for a quick explaination, monosaccharides turn orange in benedict solution, and nothing changes in iodine. Disaccharides dont change in benedict solution or iodine. Polysaccharides dont change color mixed with benedict solution, but they do turn black when they are mixed with the iodine.



 This is a diagram of the types of carbohydrates.

Web Activity: Macromolecules in Cells

               1.          What is a macromolecule?

                 A macromolecule refers to a class of bigger and more important biology. They are the building blocks of cells.

       

                      2.          What is a monomer?

                Any of several smaller molecular structures that may be chemically bonded together to form long multi-part polymer molecules

       

                      3.          What is a polymer?

     A large molecule made up of similar or identical subunits called monomers.

        

                      4.          List the four main types of macromolecules.

                Proteins, lipids, carbohydrates, and nucleic acids.

5.          What are the types of reactions that macromolecules are shown to undergo?

Hydrolysis reactions, and dehydration synthesis(condensation reaction)

6.          Describe how monomers are joined together.

Monomers are joined together to form longer chains called polymers.

7.          Describe how polymers are broken down.

They go through Hydrolysis reactions.


8.     What is the specific name for the bond between simple sugar monomers?

Dehydration Synthesis

9. Which type of enzyme joins monomers together?

   Polymerase Enzyme


10. Describe how you had to arrange the sugar monomers in order to build a polysaccharide.
I added another monomer, two hydrogens, and one oxygen atom to create water.


11. Which building blocks of macromolecules are not used in building carbohydrates?
 Nucleotide, Amino Acids, and Fatty Acids. 

12. Why is sugar stored as glycogen in the human body?
   It is stored, so it can be used later as energy.

13. Why are plant foods essential to animal life?
   Animals try to take advantage of the plants to manufacture sugar and other   nutrients in them.

14. Describe how starch is digested by animals.
   Starch is going to be digested and stored as energy throughout the body.

15. What is "fiber" and why is it important in your diet?
   Fiber is a carbohydrate polymer thats important for digestive purposes. It can usually be found in fruit and vegetables.

 16. What causes you to pass gas according to the article?
   Fermentation of carbohydrates.

 17. What are some disadvantages of a low-carb diet?
  There are cardiovascular risk factors, these will affect the kidneys, and bone health.

 18. Describe the role that sugars play in cavity formation to your teeth.
   There are multiplicities in the bacteria, the sugars fuel these bacteria. This process causes cavities.

Above is an example of macromolecules.

Water Experiment

When we did the water experiment, we learned some things that we might not of known even existed if we hadn't done this lab. Who would of known you can take a cup of water and transfer the water down a string to another cup? That just blew my mind! We also learned some really cool words while we did the lab. The words we learned were adhesion, cohesion, and hydrogen bond. When the water was being transferred down the string, it was adhesion and cohesion because adhesion means the object sticks to another object. It was cohesion because that means the object stuck to itself. As you can see, these both fit with this part of the experiment. When we did the wax paper experiment, I actually think that was a hydrogen bond. The wax paper wouldn't let the water sink in, so the water droplet just stayed on top of the paper. If you took a stick to the drop you could actually move it across the paper. The next experiment we did, we put as many drops of water as we could on the top of a penny until it ran over the sides. I think this was also a hydrogen bond. I think so because when the water finally reacted with the air, the water spilled over the side of the penny.

     Next, we will talk about how trees get water. I think this is just like the string experiment because the water is being transferred down the tree after the water hits the top. Therefore, I think this is a great example of a cohesion and a adhesion bond. The tree has veins and roots which help transport the water down or up the tree so the whole tree can get the amount of water it needs to so it can stay alive. That's pretty much all i can explain about cohesion and adhesion, here are some pictures so you can kind of get a better understanding.

Adhesion Bond

Cohesion Bond

Hydrogen Bond

                          

Controlled Experiment

The reason for having a controlled experiment is so we can see how the affects we make to the experiment affect the corn. This is the controlled experiment because we change everything we see fit to keep the organisms alive. If we think we want to test the experiment with bugs, we bring them in. We need to make this controlled so we can get a better understanding if we change it ourselves instead of watching it happen in nature. Maybe for example, the corn is the dependent variable because it depends on everything else to keep it alive. Another kind of dependent variable is the seed for the corn. They are the dependent variables because if nothing else does its job to help these two things out, they will both die. The independent variable might be something such as the bugs because they don't need anything else to keep them alive when they can fend for themselves. A second type of independent variable is the water. The water is independent because nothing keeps it alive, it keeps the other organisms alive.
         We have been talking about placebo's in class, a placebo is actually a sugar pill that comes in many forms. It is all about tricking our minds, if we believe its going to decrease pain or help you play better in sports, it will. Another thing we need to know about if we are discussing placebo is the double blind trial. The double blind trial is when a doctor administers the patient or tells the patient he is giving them the actual drug, then it will work for the patient. If they tell them they are simply just giving them placebo, then they just blew it for the patient!

Here is the link for the double blind trial and there is also other information if you're interested:

http://www.ukskeptics.com/article.php?dir=articles&article=double_blind_trials.php

The other useful websites I found while we performed this experiment are under the words that are highlighted in blue.