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Thursday, February 8, 2024

KERATIN ADAPTATIONS

 Open the windows for ventilation during this lab. 

Note: these feathers were collected prior to 2018

DNA forms the recipes for many adaptations in kingdom Animalia.  One example of a common recipe used for different purposes is keratin.  Keratin is a protein formed by a sequence of amino acids dictated by DNA.  

Keratin forms the hair of primates, canines, felines, all mammals.  Keratin also forms the scales of a fish, the feathers on a bird.  The soft keratin in birds and mammals is called alpha keratin. The harder keratin on a fish or a reptile is called beta keratin. 

This website explains the difference

The Science of Birds

Examine the variety of forms in the feather samples in the lab.  Look at these under the dissecting microscope.  Wash your hands after handling these feathers and note that all feathers are part of a collection that was assembled prior to 2018 and thus unexposed to current avian flu outbreaks in the lower mainland

Draw 3 samples of feather and answer the following questions: Each drawing ought to be half a page.

1.  Which  feathers look like they are good for insulation? These areas would be soft and fine, with the ability to trap air pockets

2.  Which feathers look like they might be good for catching wind for gliding or flying?  These feathers can zip together and come apart alike a zipper.  

3.  What are the differences that you can observe on these feathers? How are the feathers different in shape, texture, colour?  What is the purpose of colour for a bird? How can colour on a bird feather help a bird survive in the wild?

Examine the Fish Scale under the microscope:  Draw two views. Each drawing ought to be half a page.

1.  What is the purpose of the fish scale? How can this scale protect the fish? 

2.  Some scales are iridescent or they catch light in different ways.  Adjust the light levels under the microscope  and see what  you can find for interesting perspectives on this piece of fish anatomy. 


Tuesday, February 6, 2024

Eukaryotes and prokaryotes intro

  watch this intro video on Eukaryotes and Prokaryotes

This video is an intro to some of the similarities and differences between eukaryotes and prokaryotes. It is meant to accompany our class notes.

Vocabulary words and ideas in the video:

Eukaryote Prokaryote DNA nuclear membrane protozoan multicellular organisms unicellular organisms cell membrane, cytoplasm, DNA, RNA, ribosome, protein, endoplasmic reticulum vacuole mitochondria Plant cell chloroplast cell wall made of cellulose cell wall made of peptidoglycan Bacteria in the environment and the gut

Monday, February 5, 2024

Dead or Alive, notes on the cell

 in class  activity DEAD OR ALIVE

For your first assignment, I would like you to go outside and find the following objects  Photograph them or draw them and write about them in a little paragraph of no more than a third of a page.  You may answer in the form of a type written response under your photo, OR you may write it out in hand writing and draw your answers. 

1.  Find something dead.  How do you know it is dead? 

2.  find something alive.  What is it about this object that makes it alive?

3.  Find something that has never, ever been alive.  What characteristics does this object have that tells you that it is neither dead nor alive. It is nonliving.

4. Find something that is not alive, but an important PART of something alive.  Explain your answer

5. What is something that is not alive but a living thing depends upon it to survive? 

Look at your responses and ask yourself:  What is the criteria of being alive?


Criteria for living things:

What are the criteria for living things?
1.   MOTILITY - the ability to move
2.   IRRITABILITY - it responds to stimulus
3.   REPRODUCTION - it can reproduce and make offspring

a. it can grow

b. it can make another one of itself
4.  It is made of CELLS 

5. a.   HAS METABOLISM -total of all biochemical reactions

occurring in a living thing. If metabolism stops...then that

is death.


    b. TAKES IN NUTRIENTS and MAKES WASTE


CELLS (definition)

-A membrane bound organism that has cytoplasm and genetic material. It also has METABOLISM happening inside it.

-ORGANISMS CAN BE UNICELLULAR (made of a single cell) or MULTICELLULAR (made of many cells)

-ORGANISMS CAN BE EUKARYOTES or PROKARYOTES

Eukaryotic cells have DNA inside a nucleus.  Prokaryotic cells have DNA in the cytoplasm but no nucleus. Prokaryotes are bacteria

Eukaryotes are animals, plants, fungi, unicellular protozoans, seaweed.



6.  CELLS have HOMEOSTASIS - maintaining the status quo for temp,
pH, levels of hormones, levels of enzymes.

7. CELLS CAN adapt to change in the environment.






Organelle systems provide everything for the cell
1.  energy for the cell - this is in the form of ATP made
by mitochondria.The mitochondria needs GLUCOSE and OXYGEN.
GLUCOSE IS FROM DIGESTIVE SYSTEM.
OXYGEN IS FROM SYSTEM AND
RESPIRATORY SYSTEM.



2.   eating and drinking - cell receives building blocks such as
AMINO ACIDS, LIPIDS, NUCLEIC ACIDS from the
DIGESTIVE SYSTEM AND CIRCULATORY SYSTEM

3.  waste is taken away by diffusion

4. communication for the cell 
5.  cells defend themselves

6.  Reproduction of the cell 


ANY ANIMAL CELL inside a mammal...

Eating building material such as amino acids, lipids nucleic acids

Energy:  glucose and oxygen goes to mitochondria and carbon
dioxide leaves mitochondria

Waste:  ammonia

Drinking water

cell product:  made by the cell as specified by the DNA. For example,
a pancreatic cell makes INSULIN


Thursday, June 8, 2023

Roundworm presentation and parasitic worm assignment

 view the presentation on  Nematoda


Watch the video of the Guinea worm, Dracunculus medinensis

New York Times Interview of The Guinea Worm Slayer

Comparing parasites ASSIGNMENT:  20 marks: 
1. Create a venn diagram which compares and contrasts platyhelminthes and nematoda. Use the vocab from the nematoda presentation.  Make it in pen and in colour.  Draw your favourite parasite and tell me why it is your favourite. (5 marks)
2. Write a one page summary of the video and the interview in pen. (5 marks)   
3.Draw a pamphlet which educates people on how to avoid the Guinea worm in colour. (10 marks)


PARASITIC WORMS ASSIGNMENT:  

Several Children in Vancouver were sent to your clinic with the following symptoms: In each case:

 

Examine the specimen and attempt to identify the organism.  What phylum of parasitic worm do you think this is?  Furthermore, give evidence for your diagnosis and offer a course of action to cure the patient and prevent further infestation: Also, devise a method to contain any possibility of outbreak.

 

  1. Kitty Pride is a young woman who lives in a mansion in Southlands in a special School for gifted youth.  She was experiencing abdominal symptoms of bloating and cramping, and enteritis in general.  She also noticed that she has been feeling unusually anemic, lately. Blood work indicates an elevated white cell count. Sample C was found in her stool sample

                        

  1. Walt Chan is a two year old boy, with  two sisters and a pit bull .  He is an active toddler who likes to play in the outdoors.  Walt has recently developed enteritis of unknown origin.  His symptoms included bloating, cramping (which made him cry at night) and mild “car sickness” symptoms.  When Walt went in for blood tests, his white blood cell count was found to be elevated, particularly his eosinophils.  Furthermore, a stool sample yielded the specimen A. 

 

  1. Vince Man is a two year old boy who lives in Kerrisdale.  Vince is an active toddler who loves to play in the outdoors.  He lives with his parents but is cared for by his grandmother who loves to cook traditional northern Chinese food for him.  Vince goes to a daycare part time where he plays with other children ranging from age 1-3.  Vince began getting unusual enteritis with an elevated white blood cell count.  His grandma was horrified one day to find sample Z in his stool.

 

  1.   Sebastien Slartibartfast is a two year old boy who lives in Kerrisdale.  Sebastien has been complaining of an itchy bum for several weeks.  His scratching is beginning to damage his skin and rectum.He is an only child with many pets: a hamster, a cat and two zebra finches.  Sebastien also attends a daycare that  admits children ages 0 to 3.  Sample E (sample D) was found in Sebastien’s stool sample.  Sebastien’s Dad has noticed that he has similar symptoms as Sebastien. (itchiness).  Sample B was found in his stool.

 


 


Another view of sample C is here the ruler is in cm




 DIAGNOSE THE PARASITE ASSIGNMENT 

Marks:

Drawing of your specimen is clear, labelled      10

Write up is logical and you back up your claims with evidence:   13-15 out of 15

You correctly identify your specimen but it appears that you guessed, because you offer only some evidence  8-10/15

You correctly identify the specimen but offer no evidence           5/15

 

Total :  25

 


Wednesday, June 7, 2023

Flatworms and parasites

  Review my slideshow on flatworms and parasites

And take a look at this video of a liver fluke:
This liver fluke parasite was found inside a 20 year old man who complained of abdominal pain


Assignment 20 marks
Summarize the key ideas (see vocab words) in a one page drawing or poem or interview a flatworm.
Watch the Shape of Life Video on flatworms. Platyhelminthes,
the first hunter:
https://www.shapeoflife.org/video/flatworms-first-hunter

Cnidaria

    

Read the Cnidaria section of these notes
Read the  Cnidaria notes on these  slides

These notes and slides will be the subject of an open book quiz.
Please examine our specimens of cnidaria in the lab. 

Thursday, June 1, 2023

Sponges : Phylum Porifera

 Watch this intro video on how sponges filter feed with their collar cells


 
 Here are your Notes on sponges
 Sponges slide show

ASSIGNMENT :  Create at least three pages out of the following material.  Each page will be evaluated for 5 points for a total of 15 points.  You may use more pages if you want for each section.  Please upload a picture (jpeg) or pdf of your work on microsoft teams

PAGE 1.
Draw a one page cartoon or write a rhyming poem/rap song on the Sponges slide show.

PAGE 2
 Sponges are the earliest animals:
 Watch this video and give me a cartoon or poem about the main points of this Shape of Life video
https://www.shapeoflife.org/video/sponges-origins

PAGE 3
IF YOU PUT A SPONGE THROUGH A BLENDER AND TRY TO MAKE BOBA OUT OF IT...
the sponge will survive!  Sponges are capable of reassembling themselves.  Watch this cool video to observe this phenomenon and summarize the main points in a cartoon or a poem
https://www.shapeoflife.org/video/sponges-time-lapse-sponge-cells-recombining

Evaluation for the cartoon
5.  your cartoon stands out from all the rest.  it is well thought out and work has been put into it. It is       in ink or colour. it includes all the major points.
4  your cartoon is excellent and it includes all the major points
3  your cartoon is quite good. it may be missing a few details but it is well done
0-2. your cartoon is a good start but it is incomplete

Evaluation for the rap or rhyming poem
5.  your writing includes all the major details of the content.  it has good rhythm and it is very clever
4.   your writing is excellent and includes all the correct details.  it rhymes
3.  your content is really good, it is missing a few details but still very entertaining
0-2. your writing is incomplete.