Biology
Quarter 1
I have been studying multiple things so far in biology class, all of which I can use when the appropriate opportunity presents itself. I have learned about living organisms and how they function. I learned that they are very organized, they are able to acquire energy, they can respond to their environment, they are able to reproduce, and that they have the ability to adapt. We have also been studying about DNA and the way it works. In my studies I have found that DNA is a nucleic acid that contains the genetic instructions for the development and functioning of all living organisms. I can apply knowledge like this to my every day life because living organisms are everywhere you go. Humans, plants, and animals are all examples of living organisms. It is important because living organisms make up the world, as we know it. Everything has something to do with living organisms. I can share this information with others when the opportunity presents itself, such as when there is a class discussion about it.
I have been studying multiple things so far in biology class, all of which I can use when the appropriate opportunity presents itself. I have learned about living organisms and how they function. I learned that they are very organized, they are able to acquire energy, they can respond to their environment, they are able to reproduce, and that they have the ability to adapt. We have also been studying about DNA and the way it works. In my studies I have found that DNA is a nucleic acid that contains the genetic instructions for the development and functioning of all living organisms. I can apply knowledge like this to my every day life because living organisms are everywhere you go. Humans, plants, and animals are all examples of living organisms. It is important because living organisms make up the world, as we know it. Everything has something to do with living organisms. I can share this information with others when the opportunity presents itself, such as when there is a class discussion about it.
Photo Credit to Troy G
Biology Quarter 2
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There were multiple biology skills and processes that have been learned and applied throughout the second quarter. The most important one being that it is very important to communicate. For the whole first quarter and most of the second quarter, I lacked the ability to communicate. This includes with my peers and my teacher. I had many opportunities to see my teacher at lunch and ask for help, but I blew all those opportunities. If I had just gone in and asked for assistance, I would have found that I learn much easier when being talked to up front. Communication would have been essential in this scenario; something as simple as just talking to a teacher could be the difference between an A and a B. There are many benefits to communicating. One example is when I was lost during the second quarter. Just by visiting Mr. Patino’s class once during lunch, I’ve learned lots of things that were unclear to me before I went in. He made it clearer for me to understand the subject by giving me one on one attention. He communicated to me what I was doing wrong and what I could do to improve. I also went in to take an oral test. I found that I not only did significantly better but I also learned way more by doing this. I’ve also started to talk more with my classmates about things I don’t understand. If there is ever something unclear about lecture in class or an assignment given by the teacher, I can just ask them for assistance and they usually have the answers. Communication with your peers is just as important as communication with your teacher. I learned a lot from them and they learned a lot from me as well. By exchanging information with each other, we both benefit. Communication is very important, not only in the classroom and at school, but in life as well. If you can’t communicate in life, what kind of person will you turn out to be? You need to be able to communicate with your peers so you can get your point across and know what is going on. Even the old Hawaiians had their own ways of communicating with each other. They would speak their Hawaiian language, carve petroglyphs, and chant Hawaiian chants. Communication is essential in life, in every aspect of life communication is involved. I apply this skill every day. When I am doing anything, communication is being used constantly.
Photo credit Kauila W
Aowahie
The act of taking light and converting it to fuel. In photosynthesis, light energy from the sun is taken and converted to chemical energy, or fuel, so the plant can function. Photoautotrophs take in carbon dioxide and water. They let out oxygen in return, which allows us to survive.
Biology Quarters 3 and 4
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When I reflect on my third quarter of biology the term that sticks out in my mind is genetics. Genetics basically affects the physical and genetic characteristics of an organism. We learned about organisms inheriting genes from their predecessors. We learned terms like DNA, RNA, and Central Dogma of Molecular Biology. The central dogma of molecular biology describes the flow of genetic information within a biological system. We learned about recessive and dominant traits. Dominant traits are traits that are more likely to be passed down and recessive traits are traits less likely to be passed down. We also learned a lot about GMOs, or genetically modified organisms. We learned that almost all organisms are GMOs because almost all organisms have had a change in their genetic code, whether it be through domestication or evolution. We also learned about GEOs, or gentically engineered organisms. They are different than GMOs because GEOs are made through science, while GMOs are more natural. We learned a lot about domesticating taro in order to make it better. By using conventional breeding and genetic engineering we can change the genetic composition of the organism, thus making it better. All of this si possible by changing the genetics of an organism.
Another term that was imperative to my learning was evolution. Evolution is the process of genetic change of a population over time. We learned about the five main mechanisms of evolution: natural selection, artificial selection, migration, mutation, and genetic drift. Natural selection is when an organism changes its genetic composition to improve survivorship. Artificial selection is when you manually change an organism's genetics through science. Migration is when a population moves from one location to another. Mutation is a change in DNA. Genetic Drift is when a large population leaves after a catastrophic event. We learned how all of these terms connect to real world problems. We solved such problems using divergent thinking in the Bioblog section.
It is extremely important to be science literate. Basically, being science literate is knowing and understanding science knowledge. It is having a big enough background that you know what you're talking about. It is the ability to use your knowledge to solve problems and aid others. It is importnant to be science literate because you need to be able to use your knowledge of science in order to make the world a better place. It's one thing to know all the answers and get good grades, it's a completely different thing to be able to use that knowledge effectively in society. I need to be science literate because it will improve my divergent thinking; it will allow me to use my knowledge to solve problems. It will give me a background in the science department. Obviously, it is impossible to know everything; the important thing is that you continue to learn more and more about science in order to increase your knowledge of science thus making you more science literate.
Another term that was imperative to my learning was evolution. Evolution is the process of genetic change of a population over time. We learned about the five main mechanisms of evolution: natural selection, artificial selection, migration, mutation, and genetic drift. Natural selection is when an organism changes its genetic composition to improve survivorship. Artificial selection is when you manually change an organism's genetics through science. Migration is when a population moves from one location to another. Mutation is a change in DNA. Genetic Drift is when a large population leaves after a catastrophic event. We learned how all of these terms connect to real world problems. We solved such problems using divergent thinking in the Bioblog section.
It is extremely important to be science literate. Basically, being science literate is knowing and understanding science knowledge. It is having a big enough background that you know what you're talking about. It is the ability to use your knowledge to solve problems and aid others. It is importnant to be science literate because you need to be able to use your knowledge of science in order to make the world a better place. It's one thing to know all the answers and get good grades, it's a completely different thing to be able to use that knowledge effectively in society. I need to be science literate because it will improve my divergent thinking; it will allow me to use my knowledge to solve problems. It will give me a background in the science department. Obviously, it is impossible to know everything; the important thing is that you continue to learn more and more about science in order to increase your knowledge of science thus making you more science literate.
Google images (evolution) <http://wolfevolution.webs.com/images/evolutionhumans.jpg>
Google images (genetics) <http://dnaexchange.files.wordpress.com/2010/08/genetics.jpg>
Google Images (DNA) <http://www.google.com/imgres?um=1&hl=en&noj=1&tbm=isch&tbnid=shS1EmceiIbpnM:&imgrefurl=http://www.newtechobserver.com/2012/06/california-considers-dna-privacy-law.html&docid=PnaDn8tGsLHHHM&imgurl=http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-zBnaSr9rCM0/T8rS5jCA_3I/AAAAAAABLH8/TgpP2mhyxgc/s1600/dna-strand.jpg&w=800&h=600&ei=SRZmUMqOI7HNigKD54CQCQ&zoom=1&iact=hc&vpx=106&vpy=56&dur=151&hovh=194&hovw=259&tx=94&ty=95&sig=101633604460545568724&page=2&tbnh=124&tbnw=165&&ndsp=22&ved=1t:429,r:12,s:9,i:211&biw=962&bih=582>
Google images (genetics) <http://dnaexchange.files.wordpress.com/2010/08/genetics.jpg>
Google Images (DNA) <http://www.google.com/imgres?um=1&hl=en&noj=1&tbm=isch&tbnid=shS1EmceiIbpnM:&imgrefurl=http://www.newtechobserver.com/2012/06/california-considers-dna-privacy-law.html&docid=PnaDn8tGsLHHHM&imgurl=http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-zBnaSr9rCM0/T8rS5jCA_3I/AAAAAAABLH8/TgpP2mhyxgc/s1600/dna-strand.jpg&w=800&h=600&ei=SRZmUMqOI7HNigKD54CQCQ&zoom=1&iact=hc&vpx=106&vpy=56&dur=151&hovh=194&hovw=259&tx=94&ty=95&sig=101633604460545568724&page=2&tbnh=124&tbnw=165&&ndsp=22&ved=1t:429,r:12,s:9,i:211&biw=962&bih=582>