Bioethics Reading

Original Topic: Bionic Lens (#6)
Biotech has inspired the creation of bionic lens, which can give you superhuman sight (such as Superman). It will give you sight that is 3 times better than 20/20 sight (you can see at 20ft what normal people can see at 20ft). It is mainly used to restore/improve vision for blind people or age-related sight degeneration (or other similar problems). The process of surgery is said to only take 8 minutes and also to be painless. It also is said that vision will be corrected within 10 seconds. The contact lens includes a magnifying ring as well as small aluminum mirrors. The mirrors bounces the the image around the ring before reaching the retina.

Extra Credit Topic: CRISPR Mammoth (#29 Futurism Infographic)
The idea of the de-extinction of the woolly mammoth is taking place in the biotech world. It is made possible by a gene-editing technique called CRISPR to insert mammoth genes, such as small ears and hair length, into the cells of elephants. Harvard geneticist George Church, who is leading this discovery, says that woolly mammoths will not be around for a while, as the gene-splicing is only one part of the whole process. His team is working on trying to bring back other extinct animals, too. Some benefits of the restoration of the woolly mammoth are that it can help improve some ecosystems, the discovery can result in some more modern discoveries, and that it will assist in large mammal conservation. We do not know what the mammoths will do once they come into existence, which may be a risk to society. Overall, I think it is good to restore this ancient animal and to give a try to something new.

Works Cited
Lewis, Tanya. "Woolly Mammoth DNA Inserted into Elephant Cells." LiveScience. Purch, 26 Mar. 2015.         Web. 25 Jan. 2017. <http://www.livescience.com/50275-bringing-back-woolly-mammoth-dna.html>.
"Woolly Mammoth Revival – Revive & Restore." Revive & Restore. N.p., 29 Apr. 2015. Web. 26 Jan.             2017. <http://reviverestore.org/projects/woolly-mammoth/>.

Candy Electrophoresis Lab

    The blue and brown dyes that were longer than the four reference dyes. Some of the dyes were had slightly different colors than the reference dyes. The brown dye separated into two different dyes. None of the dyes were going in the wrong direction. This might happen if the dyes were not exactly the same as the reference dyes, or were made up of more than one dye. It also may have happened because of the difference in the charges of the dye.

    The "Fast green FCF" would migrate similarly to the "Blue 1," and the "Citrus red 2" would migrate similarly to the "Red 40," since the two pairs are similar to each other in structure.

    Dog food manufacturers would put artificial food colors in the food because the dog or the owner would probably gravitate towards getting brightly colored stuff.

    The size of the molecules and the electrical charge of the molecules controls the distance the colored dye solutions migrate. The small molecules move faster than the big ones, and the charge of the dye determines the direction in which the dye moves.

    Electricity helps the dyes move through the gel. The negatively charged molecules will move toward the positive electrode and the positively charged molecules will move toward the negative electrode.

    The gel has many tiny pores, so it acts like a strainer. This allows the electrophoresis system to cause the molecules to separate by size.

    I would imagine that the lighter molecules would move faster through the gel while the heavier ones go slower. This is because the heavier molecules would probably be bigger than the lighter ones.

New Year Goals

    One of my new year goals is to listen more carefully to the vodcasts and actually learn the material instead of doing the stuff just for the test and my grades. I will not procrastinate until the last day to study. I will plan out my studying schedule and stay on that track.

    Another one of my new years goals is to actually participate in track and field. I will not ditch practice for half of the days and make an effort for the coach to like me better. I will also practice on the weekends

Unit 5 Reflection

    This unit was about DNA, replication, protein synthesis, and mutations. We learned how DNA is made of a nitrogenous base, a phosphate group, and a sugar, as well as other details about the structure of DNA. In replication, DNA is split into two strands. Each of those two strands are used as templates for making the new DNA strands. Proteins are made when DNA goes through transcription and translation. There are many different types of mutations, including insertion, deletion, and substitution. One of my strengths were understanding the concepts taught. I also worked with my current group better. One setback was that I did not follow the directions for making the DNA correctly, so it turned into a "slide". I'd like to learn more about gene expression and regulation. I wonder about how it is amazing that processes happen quickly in the cell.

     I have grown as a student, as I learned how to cooperate with my peers better. I participate more with group discussions. I also learned how to focus better when studying. Mr. Orre taught us a process of "active studying", which I found very "useful." A good student means that he or she focuses in class and while studying, and participates in discussions. A good student should also use their time efficiently. The end affect of being a good student is getting good grades. I feel like I am not a completely good student and can try a bit harder, although I am satisfied with my grades right now. I am a better student than I was yesterday, because I learned how to manage my time efficiently, as I need to study for finals as well as not sleeping too late. I also have built on my previous biology knowledge. I tried to do the things that were easier for me, and I guess it helped a bit in my studying.

Protein Synthesis

    Proteins are made starting with DNA, or deoxyribonucleic acid. The first step of the process is transcription, where one strand of the double helix is used as a template to make mRNA, or messenger RNA. All of this takes place in the nucleus, as DNA cannot exit it. The mRNA then travels to a ribosome, and goes through the process of translation. In this process, every three bases in the RNA sequence, called a codon, is coded for an amino acid. After the strand of mRNA is finished translating, the amino acid chain is twisted and folded into a protein.

Transcription and Translation. Digital image. Wikipedia. N.p., n.d. Web. 12 Dec. 2016.

    The insertion and deletion mutations, also known as frame-shift mutations, are more impactful than substitution mutations. The mutations are also more impactful if they are located near the start of the sequence. If the mutation was near the front of the sequence, then all the amino acids after the mutation would be affected. But if it were located near the end, only a few amino acids would be changed.

Point Mutations. Digital image. Wikipedia. N.p., n.d. Web. 12 Dec. 2016.

    I chose insertion as my mutation because it is a frame-shift mutation and is very impactful. This was more damaging than other mutations, since it forced the sequence to not even be able to be translated. I mutated the very beginning of the sequence so that the mutation would do the most damage. Putting the mutation in the back would not have done as much damage.

Insertion. Digital image. Wikipedia. N.p., n.d. Web. 12 Dec. 2016.

     Mutations could affect my life by making me do some things that "normal" people wouldn't do. For example, I might have mental retardation, which would make me think like a child for the rest of my life. My body might also not work properly, which may lead to sickness, or even death. Phenylketonuria is a disease caused by a mutation on the PAH gene, located on chromosome 12. It can lead to intellectual disability, seizures, behavioral problems, and mental disorder.

Structure of L-phenylalanine. Digital image. Wikipedia. N.p., n.d. Web. 12 Dec. 2016.

Human DNA Extraction Lab

    In this lab we asked the question, "How can DNA be separated from cheek cells in order to study it?" We found that DNA can be extracted by going through a three-step process: homogenization, lysis, and precipitation. We took cheek cells from our mouths and broke down the nuclear material of the cells with detergent, a polar liquid. We added salt to facilitate the precipitation and soap to lyse the cell membranes and emulsify the lipids and proteins. Then, we used catabolic proteases to break down proteins called histones that the DNA wrapped around. Finally, alcohol, a nonpolar substance, was added after mixing the solution to form the precipitate, DNA. This process of extracting DNA is confirmed with textbook information as well as other "articles". This data supports our claim because it shows that extracting DNA can be done in the way shown.
    While our hypothesis was supported by our data, there could have been errors due to the fact that we shook the test tube a little after the alcohol was put in, causing the alcohol and Gatorade solution to mix a little. This would affect our results, as the DNA would go back into the Gatorade solution. Another error is that we did not let the solution sit for long enough. This would impact our results, as the processes may not have been fully complete. Due to these errors, in future experiments I recommend that the experimenters should carefully follow the procedure given to them and have a good timer.
   This lab was done to demonstrate the process of DNA extraction. From this lab, I learned that polar liquids can help break down nuclear material, the different materials to help with different processes, and other similar concepts. I also learned how DNA extraction works. Based on my experience from this lab, I could can use the process described above the extract other materials from other substances.

Unit 4 Reflection

    In the coin sex lab, I drew out Punnet squares to calculate probabilities of offspring having some trait, and then I flipped coins to randomly generate outcomes. The coins served as a model for the Law of Segregation. My results for the dihybrid cross were exactly the same as the predicted results in terms of phenotype, but not genotype. The probabilities for the different phenotypes are accurate, since my results were very similar to the predicted results. Probability may fail when you test gene-linked chromosomes, since they have a larger possibility of being inherited together. My understanding in life of this is that there are people with one set of traits and people with another set of traits, but not much mix between those two sets of traits. Other sets of traits, however, are completely randomly distributed among people.
    This unit was about the different parts of genetics. There was a chapter on the "Introduction to Genetics", which talked about Gregor Mendel and his laws, genes and dominance, Punnet squares, and meiosis. There was also a chapter on "The Human Genome", which talked about human genes, chromosomes, x-linked traits, and other similar concepts. The big ideas to focus on were information and heredity, and science, technology, and society. One of my strengths in this chapter was working out the Punnet squares. A weakness was understanding the many different types of inheritances, dominances, and other similar things. One new thing in this unit was that I was put into a group with three people, so I had to partner with people in other groups many times.
    From these experiences, I learned that genes and chromosomes are very complex, and that the inheritance of traits was determined through many different rules. From the infographic, I learned how infographics look like, and how to format one. I also learned how to effectively organize what I learned in the unit. Working with many different people helped me organize myself better, since I needed to switch back and forth.
    I would like to learn about the other concepts in the unit in the textbook which were not covered in the vodcasts. I am not so sure about how to read a pedigree and how it works. I wonder about how people survive with disorders on the dominant alleles.