Biology is the study of life.
Emerald Tree Boa
Emerald tree boas are a type of arboreal snake, a snake that spends most of its life in trees. They are a beautiful emerald color because they are intended to blend in with their tropical jungle-like surroundings in South America. Although the 4 to 6 foot (on average) adult snake's teeth are proportionately larger than the average venomnous snake, the Emerald Tree Boa is not poisonous. These boas grow largest in the Amazon Basin, sometimes ranging from 7 to 9 feet. This species is also nocturnal, and their diet is primarily made up of small mammals; although the Emerald Tree Boa has been known to eat lizards and small birds as well. The females usually lay 6 to 14 eggs at a time. The hatchlings start off as a brick red color, and gradually morph into the beautiful emerald color that you see on this boa in the picture above.
DNA Exoneration Reflection:
To begin this project, we used class time to focus on DNA evidence and exoneration, and how suspects are tested. There are four essential steps to testing this: 1) Extract. You must collect the DNA. Take it from the crime scene and from the saliva of the suspects. 2) Isolate. Add buffer solution and alcohol to the sample to dissolve everything around the DNA. 3) Amplify. Run through the PCR process to replicate the DNA millions of times. 4) Analyze. Use electrophoresis to mark how far each DNA marker ends up. Some of the marks from the correct suspect should line up with the evidence. This DNA technology helps identify the real perpetrator, so the innocent people in prison can be set free, as their mark won't line up with the collected evidence.
Our project for this last unit was to create an artistic reflection of an individual who had been proven innocent after a wronful conviction. Our group decided to tell the story of Herman Atkins, a man who had been wronfully convicted of rape and robbery. He was separated from his children and his soon-to-be-wife, and finally married her and reunited with his family after his exoneration. Our sculpture of Atkins is made from a cast of packing tape. He is hanging from the ceiling as if he is in mid-ninja-kick, and his kicking foot is coming toward the door of oppression. On the other side of the actual door, there is a hanging DNA molecule that holds a wedding ring and a flower. It symbolizes the gaining of a family as soon as he gets through the door of oppression.
From this project, My opinion changed a lot about the US justice system. Hundreds of thousands of people have been wronfully convicted--and that is only judging from the ones that we know about!!! I believe that people should only be on death row if there is SOLID DNA evidence that they are guilty. The art aspect of this project was quite fun. I made the tape cast from my friend's body, which was amusing because I don't think any of the other models got stuck to the map...or Chad. I was very proud of this project; and if I could do it again, I would find a better, more freshman-proof way to support the door so it doesn't fall right in the middle of exhibition due to a silly child cutting the wired that held it. (Sorry, Freshmen. It's just fun to blame everything on you.)
Nervous System Website Reflection:
Leading up to the nervous system project, the class was studying different systems of the human body, such as the nervous system, reproductive system, respiratory system, circulatory system, etc. We also studied particular ailments of those systems, some being HIV/AIDS and cancer. We had also been studying things like cell division, DNA and RNA creation, and meiosis.
my particular project group was assigned the nervous system. The purpose of my group's project was to create an helpful and educational website about the nervous system, for those who were seeking information about it. Everyone posted something different on the website, all relating to the nervous system.
There was a simple decision-making process about who would do what. Before we were assigined groups, we all filled out a sheet giving our top three choices for which system we wanted to do, and our top three choices for which roles we wanted. THEN, we were put into groups based on that information, And our system and role was most likely one of our top three choices. I got both of my first choices.
My role in the nervous system group was Creative Media II. My requirement was to choose an ailment to the nervous system, and then reflect upon it in a creative manner and post that piece of work on the website. I chose to focus on migraine headaches, which are an ailment of the nervous system, and my creative idea was to create a fiction diary going through the physical and emotional process of a migraine in a teenage girl. It went through triggers, signs and symptoms, pre-migraine warnings, the actual full-on migraine, post migraine symptoms, treatment and future prevention... as well as long term causes such as depression. It was an interesting way for people on the web to actually learn about the process of migraines.
In my migraine diary, I was very proud of the amount of creativity that I was actually able to weave into the diary, while educating people on the migraine process. In particular, I am talking about the emotional aspect that I put into it. On our next project, I'll refine it even more by putting lots more time into it outside of school hours. That will make for a more refined project. I found lots of relevance in this project. It really will be helpful to other students who are looking for USEFUL information about the nervous system in general. This project also has relevance in my own life. I had no idea that emotional pain could travel through the nervous system and create a physical headache. Or for that matter, I didn't know that an extremely loud noise could travel through the nervous system and cause a headache. I'm really happy to be able to take away all this information from the nervous system website project and apply it to future events, specifically including ailments of this system. Someday, I will be able to apply what I learned from this project to real life.
Here is a link to our Human Function website: are-you-nervous.webs.com. Check it out!
As well as my main biology page, I also have a biology blog. The purpose of my bio blog is to to reflect on readings, video clips, and guest speakers that we have in Biology. Here's a link to my bio blog-
