A Cup of Strawberry DNA Ice Cream

A Cup of Strawberry DNA Ice Cream 

     Strawberries are great.  They're one of my favorite ice cream flavors.  They make great smoothies and are wonderful for DNA extraction.  Recently, we were put to the test of extracting DNA from a strawberry.  First, we created a liquid solution made of detergent, salt, and water and placed a strawberry into it.  Putting the mixture into a Ziploc bag, we proceeded to SMASH the strawberries into a liquid pulp.  Imagine placing a strawberry in a blender, so it would come out mushy and sticky. This would expose the DNA for us to utilize.  Using another solution of alcohol, we were able to extract the DNA from the strawberry.  The alcohol would break apart any bonds between the DNA and the strawberry.  The DNA itself turned out to be rather snot-like.  Despite the yucky appearance, the experiment was entertaining and fascinating at the same time.

Dividing Cells in an Onion Root

Cells in an Onion Root

Seen on the right is an onion root viewed under a microscope. Every single dot in the image is actually a cell.  There are many things that can be noted in this cell.  First, the cell wall, the lines throughout the cell gives it a rigid structure. Upon looking closely, all cells appear different. In fact, each cell is going through mitosis, in which a cell divides into two, or cellular division.  In actuality, this process is more similar to nuclear division as the chromosomes within the nucleus replicate and divide.  There are five main stages to this: Interphase, Prophase, Metaphase, Anaphase, and Telophase. Unfortunately, as the cells were too numerous, we were unable to give an amount of cells in each stage.  However, we could there were very few cells in telophase, telling us that the process was relatively quick. There were many cells in interphase, so going through that stage would take a while. Most people use onion roots when studying mitosis, because it gives a visible image of the cells and their stages.  The image is specifically of the tip of the onion root cell.  If we viewed the other parts of the onion, perhaps we would find that certain processes occur differently or at different rates.  Although, onions may seem boring, looking at them through a microscope shows a new world that would bring a tear to your eye.

On a side note, have you ever noticed that cells multiply by dividing?

What is Cancer?

What is Cancer?

          Cancer is considered an enigma in today's society.  It kills hundreds of thousands of lives every year. Cancer is different from most other cells is cancer itself is a cell that turns against its body by irregularly multiplying at an abnormal rate.  There may not be a definite cure to such a disease, but doctors and scientists are working furiously to find a remedy.  They are analyzing almost every sample of blood, scanning strands of DNA, and searching upon millions and millions of cancer cases to find a way to stop the disease.  Some known causes of cancer include smoking and obesity. Avoiding such things can help to reduce the chances of not being afflicted by cancer.  One must exercise to avoid obesity and eat healthily.  The problem with cancer is that it is constantly changing to resist antibiotics and medicine.  As it adapts, cancer becomes unique and is different in every case, making it harder to pinpoint an exact cause and cure.  Richard Klausner, the director at the National Cancer Institute, likens cancer to evolution in a bottle.  This means that with its ability to rapidly adapt to its environment, cancer evolves very quickly.  Due to this, scientists can study cancer cells to discover how evolution works and perhaps expand science even further.  I have had my own experiences with cancer.  My grandmother suffered from cancer and passed away a few months ago. I had a friend who was suffering from cancer.  With so many of my friends and relatives undergoing cancer, I feel the need to encourage scientists and doctors to continue searching for the perfect cure. Cancer may still be prevalent in to today's society, but with knowledge and contribution, we will soon be able to eliminate the threat of cancer.

Cytoplasmic Streaming

    The elodea is a type of aquatic plant.  To the right, a leaf cell of an elodea is magnified under a microscope, where it's components are visible and have been labeled.  In the elodea, it is easy to notice areas of the cell flowing.  This is known as cytoplasmic streaming.  Below is a video of this phenomenon.  We can see that  the elodea leaf is made up of cell, as suggested in the cell theory that cells are basic unit of structure and function of all living organisms.  This type of leaf is a magnificent sight to behold up close and has sure changed my perspective on the cell.

My Thoughts about Biology Honors on 12-9-2016

This very day, December 9, we took our Chapter 5 Biology Honors Exam.  This test regarded cell respiration and its three stages: glycolysis, the Krebs Cycle, and the electron transport chain.  I will admit that I had trouble answering some of the questions, so I took my best guess at these questions. I knew the names of the substrates of the Krebs Cycle, but I was struggling to remember the number of carbons in each substrate as well as the products coming out of each reaction.  Otherwise, I feel okay with this test.

My Thoughts about Biology Honors on 12-8-2016

Today, December 8, is the day before our Biology Honors Chapter 5 Test.  I am feeling quite nervous about this exam, and I sometimes wish that there was no test to worry about.  However,  I need to study for this test as it exists.  I know that I will be ready for this test by tomorrow though.  Today, we reviewed some of the major concepts in cell respiration, mainly glycolysis.  We were also given some time to study for the test, which I found to be very helpful as it allowed me to have more time for studying.

My Thoughts about Biology Honors on 12-6-2016

      Today, on December 6, my Biology Honors Class discussed an interesting topic: alcohol.  We learned how to make beer, but we also learned about the serious side effects that drinking beer would bring about.  We also learned that it was one of the main reasons of health problems in teenagers.  Personally, I do not plan on drinking alcohol at any given point in my life and I will not allow myself to be tempted by drugs and cigarettes.  We also began talking about cell respiration, but our class was interrupted when someone defaced an image by scribbling all over it.  Truly, I don't think that was the right thing for someone to do.  I do not know who scribbled over the picture, but I knew that I would not have done that.