Genetic Technology!!

If you want to learn more about genetic technology then please check out this presentation that I made with Caroline Divney and Felicia Wei! There are many types of genetic or DNA technology but we focused on DNA technology in agriculture. The majority of DNA technology in agriculture are GMOs (Genetically Modified Organisms); however, DNA technology can be used in many ways in agriculture. In this presentation, we have many examples of DNA technology’s uses in agriculture, including a news article from January 14, 2019, on some of the newest DNA technology!
(To see more information on the slides, you can click on the settings button on the presentation and  look at the speaker notes provided!)

Genetics and Health Symposium

Hello, Everyone! Here is Amber again. For this investigation project, Esther and I used VoiceThread to present our research on Hereditary Hemochromatosis. Hereditary hemochromatosis is an autosomal recessive genetic disorder, which is pretty common in the human population; around 1 in 200 people will be affected. This disorder will cause the body to absorb excessive iron from the diet. Iron overload is extremely toxic to the human body because it causes organ failure, especially for the liver, heart, and pancreas. In our presentation, we present a consulting dialogue between Dr. Li and Amber about this disorder, including symptoms, some distinct characteristics, and recommended treatments. If you are interested, please click this link! Hope you enjoy it! https://ndbtigers.ed.voicethread.com/share/11872612/

Strawberry DNA Extraction Experiment

DNA is the genetic code for all living things. DNA tells your body what to look like and how to function. DNA exists in every living thing from humans to strawberries. In the video below, I extracted the DNA from three strawberries and explain how I did so with a few simple steps!

Mind Blowing Meiosis

For the past few days, Mary Francis and I have been working on a stop-motion animation creation about Meiosis. Play our video below to find out more about the process that creates all of the genetic diversity on the planet!!

Meiosis is the form of cell division used in sex cells. Meiosis creates four haploid cells, each with their own unique genetic code. This is different from mitosis, as mitosis occurs with the goal of creating cells that are genetically identical. Because Meiosis creates daughter cells that each have different DNA, organisms have the ability to reproduce, creating offspring with completely unique genetic coding. The phases of Meiosis are Interphase, Prophase I, Metaphase I, Anaphase I, Telophase I, Prophase II, Anaphase II, and Telophase II. Watch our video to learn more!

Although I found creating this video to be extremely challenging in the sense that it was very time consuming, I found it so fun to learn more about this process, while getting the opportunity to be creative and express my academic side through clay creation. I am very proud of this outcome and hope that you enjoy it!

Floating Leaf Disk

Title: The net rate of photosynthesis related to the light intensity.

Purpose: Determine the effect of light intensity on the rate of photosynthesis of the discs.

Background: Photosynthesis is the process of plants to convert light energy into chemical energy. When light is absorbed by leaf pigments, electrons within each photosystem are boosted to a higher energy level, which produces ATP and used to incorporate carbon dioxide into the process of Carbon fixation. As photosynthesis proceeds, oxygen is released into the interior of the leaf which changes its buoyancy causing the disks to rise.

Data statement: When the distance of the light from the beaker is 16 cm, the rate of the discs to float is faster than the rate of discs in the beaker that is 18cm away from the light resources. However, when the distance of the light about 9 cm, the rate of the float of the discs is slower than the discs that are in the beaker which is 16 cm away from the light.

Data shows a bell curve.


Questions:

1. Explain the process of carbon fixation.
   1. In the carbon fixation stage, carbon dioxide is attached to RuBP by the enzyme rubisco. Carbon atoms of carbon dioxide are fixed into organic compounds.
   2. Carbon fixation occurred in the light-independent reaction. The process of carbon fixation is taking the carbon dioxide, inorganic carbon, and tracking the inorganic carbon to an organic molecule, usually carbohydrate. Since a series of enzymes control the carbon fixation, Rubisco is responsible for fixing the carbon. Rubisco takes Carbon dioxide and adds to RuBP. After adding the carbon dioxide, the whole molecule will separate into two 3-carbon molecules called G3P.
2. Explain the process that causes the leaf discs to rise.
   1. As adding the sodium bicarbonate into the water,  the bicarbonate acts like carbon dioxide for photosynthesis to cause the leaf discs to sink. since the photosynthesis proceeds, oxygen is released into the interior of the leaf, which changes its buoyancy causing the disk to rise.
   2. Since the leaf discs received the light, the discs will proceed the photosynthesis to produce the oxygen. By using the light, the plant can convert carbon dioxide and water to carbohydrates and oxygen. Due to the photolysis, splitting the water using the light, H+ ions travel in the lumen, while the oxygen stays inside of the leaf which eventually changes the buoyancy of the leaf. 
3. What is the effect of darkness on photosynthesis? Explain
   1. Since the photosynthesis is to convert light energy into chemical energy by transforming water and carbon dioxide into glucose, the light resources are essential to the process. If there is no light, the photosynthesis will stop, and the discs in the darkness will not float and stayed at the bottom of the beaker.
4. If we were to boil the leaf discs, what kind of results would you expect? Why?
   1. Since the discs were boiled, there would be no spaces for gases, and all the leaf disks would sink. Because of the boiled leaf discs, the proteins that in the leaf will be denatured and not functional, which the photosynthesis would not occur
   2. By heating the water to boil the leaf discs, the heated water may break the enzyme inside of the discs because of the high temperature. If the enzyme got breaks down and changing the shape, then the photosynthesis of the leaf discs could not function anymore due to the high-level temperature enzyme within the plant will be denatured. Plant material will generally float in water because leaves have air in the spaces between cells, which helps them collect CO2 gas from their environment to use in photosynthesis. However, after boiling the leaf discs, the water from the liquid status turns into gases which the air will be extracted from the leave and become the vapor which is why there are no spaces for gases. 
5. How would light intensity affect the rate of photosynthesis?
   1. To reach a certain appropriate light intensity, the faster the rate of photosynthesis will happen because the light affected the proportion of the photosynthesis. If it is too high in intensity, then the water would get too hot and it would slow down the rate of photosynthesis. If there is not enough light intensity, then the rate would also slow down because it is not getting enough resources to do the reaction.  Since light is the major resources for the plant to convert the energy and produce ATP and NADPH to be used into the Calvin Cycle to produce glucose, enough light will give more advantages to help plants to produce glucose.
6. How do light intensity and the rate of photosynthesis relate to the position of the sun, both during the day and during the year?
1. The light intensity speeds up the rate of photosynthesis if the sun is shining down directly because there are more spaces for plants to get light resources. However, if there is no light for a day, then the photosynthesis will slow down. During the day photosynthesis is present and at night it does not. During winter days, the sun is further down in the sky, so the same circle of sunlight covers a wider area, so there is less light per plant and most of the plants died during this season because it is too cold and has fewer resources. In this case, those plants that are pointing straight at the sun have higher chances of growing better such as the season of spring. However, during the summer, since the sunlight is too strong to impact the plant, the water will evaporate which means there are not many resources of water for plants so that there are a lot of plants dried out during summer.
2. Since the earth is tilting, which means in the different seasons, the ground will receive an unusual amount of sunlight — the position of the planet directly related to the light intensity which determines the rate of photosynthesis in the different season for different regions. For example, the area in the north and south part of the earth received less sunlight than the city in the equator did due to the tilting position of the planet. The light intensity speeds up the rate of photosynthesis if the sun is shining down directly which is in the spring and summer when the sun is directly facing to the side of the earth. During the spring and summer, the equator area will get the most sunlight to compare with the north and south part because of the position of the earth, which means the light intensity will reach to the highest point for the plants, and the rate of the photosynthesis will also speed up. However, because of the revolution of the earth, in the winter and fall season, the ground is backing towards the sun which means the sunlight intensity will be less than the sunlight in the summer. Therefore, the rate of photosynthesis will be slow. During the day photosynthesis is present, and at night it does not because the sun only appears during the day but not the night. Due to the position of the earth, the tilting position, and the rotation of earth self, many places will get the sunlight but others will not.

A Plastic Ocean

Hey guys!

Plastic is currently found virtually everywhere. From polypropylene bottle caps to vinyl fishing nets stretching tens of meters long, it seems plastic has made a debut in the world's industries. After all, plastic is extremely cheap, durable, and takes up less space to transport due to plastic's ability to be packaged extremely thin.

In class this week, my classmates and I watched an incredibly eye-opening documentary called A Plastic Ocean. This film discusses the destruction plastic has caused to our marine environments, along with educating viewers on how they can decrease the amounts of plastic harming the oceans and lakes we call home.

Photograph by Jonathan Alcorn, (Bloomberg/Getty)

The image above shows tiny pieces of plastic found near the Great Pacific Garbage Patch, a massive island of trash floating between California and Hawaii. This patch is home to an estimated 1.8 trillion pieces of plastic, ranging from bigger plastic chunks of fishing material to the diminutive flakes swept up by this glass jar. However, "A Plastic Ocean" explains the GPGP only makes up a small amount of the 5 trillion pieces of plastic afloat in the ocean today. Additionally, the documentary states that by 2050, plastic production will triple, making the annual 8 million tons dumped into the ocean increase to around 24 million.

Now, you may wonder how come this plastic build-up hasn't, like, "broken down" into oblivion. News Flash! Plastic takes thousands of years to completely disintegrate. In the meantime, the plastic breaks up, into "microplastics" known as plastic smog. The microplastics attract toxics such as waterborne chemicals, which when consumed, migrate into the animal's flesh, causing foods we consume daily such as salmon and tuna to become unsafe to eat.

Watching "A Plastic Ocean" was definitely a wake-up call for me to limit my plastic consumption, and I definitely advise you to do so too!

- Hannah

The Longest Swim CDQ

Kelsey Sennett

Ben Lecomte is currently swimming across the Pacific Ocean! While this will have many effects on Ben’s body, the fact that Ben will be in contact with water for long periods of time means that his balance will be affected. Please watch this video to learn more about the effect of constant swimming on balance.

The Longest Swim Curious Driving Question

FLOW Post

After watching the documentary “FLOW= For love of Water” I uncovered a lot about water conservation, the bottled water industry, and the importance of fresh water. I found it shocking to uncover how Nestle operated in Michigan illegally collecting water and ruining nature in the process (Checkout Nestle’s statement addressing the accusations made in FLOW).
Upon understanding the importance of water conservation and how the earth doesn’t have an unlimited amount of fresh water I took a Water Footprint Quiz to see how much water I consume daily and how. While my overall gallon/day of water consumption is lower than the US Average I was able to identify that my main contributors to my water usage are my meat-eating diet and shopping habits. I found this interesting as I would have never thought that these could be factors in my personal water footprint. My diet surprised me the most and after more research I learned that meat- eating diets contribute so highly to water consumption because of the amount of water that goes into keeping animals like cows alive and healthy. According to onegreenplanet.org “Farmed animals eat 70 percent of the grains and cereals grown in the United States and those grains have to be watered to grow! In fact, it takes 100 calories of grain to produce three calories worth of beef. And it requires 1,799 gallons of water to produce one pound of meat.” That’s Crazy! The article also explains that if everyone cut their meat consumption down by only 1/3rd vital water supplies and sources would be drastically less affected as well as allow healthier lifestyles by increasing consumption of plant based foods. In addition to learning about water conservation we also got a chance to learn about the importance of water for our health. While 60% of a human body is made up of water getting the correct amount of daily water is important. A good rule for consuming water daily is half your body weight in ounces and while a majority of this water should come from a reusable water bottle a portion of daily water intake can also come from foods and other beverages. I now set water intake as a daily priority and love using the app “Plant Nanny” to track how much I have drank and how much more there is to go, and it’s super cute!

Work Cited:
“How Does Eating Meat Impact Your Water Footprint?” One Green Planet, 22 Mar. 2017, www.onegreenplanet.org/animalsandnature/how-does-eating-meat-impact-your-water-footprint/.
Layernine1, director. FLOW= For Love of Water . YouTube, YouTube, 15 Mar. 2017, www.youtube.com/watch?v=TvtnVQPxmzM.

Hi there! I'm Mary Francis!

Hello! My name is Mary Francis and I am a senior at Notre Dame. Here are some quick facts to get to know me better.

1.) I have a little sister named is Anne. We are 5 years apart and she is in 7th grade. (Some say we look like twins).

My sister, Anne, and I

2.) I like to travel... a lot. Some my favorite places that I have traveled to are: the Caribbean, Spain, Italy, Portugal, and the Philippines (where most of my family is).

El Nido, Palawan, Philippines

3.) I love to swim and love to spend time in the water whenever I can. Preferably when there are fish around!

Here is my bio blog if you want to check out my Bio Journey this year: 

https://maryfrancisapbioblog.wordpress.com/

All about Abiya

Hi everyone! My name is Abiya and I am a junior at Notre Dame. Here are some facts about me:

1) I really love Biology and I have always loved science. I am super excited about AP Biology and everything about it so far! My dream career has always been a doctor.

2) I live with my parents, and my little sister and brother. My sister is 10 and my brother is 6, so they are both full of energy.

3) Among other things, I love to read and travel! This photo was taken this past summer in the Canadian Rockies, which was a breathtaking place. 

Check out my website to learn more about me!

Fun facts about Felicia

Hi everyone! My name is Felicia and I am a Junior. Here are some facts about me:

1) I am the eldest sibling in my family, I have a younger brother named, Caden, who is 11 and trust me he can sure be difficult sometimes.

2) I play varsity golf and I am on the school's robotics team, I really enjoy being a part of both teams. I am also super excited to be a part of the AP Bio team!

3) I love going to new places to explore, the picture was taken in Portland, Oregon which I traveled to with my friends during intersession.

Hi, I'm Kate!

Hi! My name is Kate Ragusa and I am in 11th grade.

I was born in New Orleans, Louisiana and live with my mom, dad, and little brother Grant. Don't be fooled, he's definitely taller but I'm older ;)!!

I love Biology and science has been my favorite subject ever since I was little. My dad is a geneticist and works in clinical development, and it is my goal to follow in his footsteps and pursue a similar career!

I love to travel and my favorite place I've been to is Hawaii, where I got to go tubing through a sugar plantation!!!

Here's the link to my Digital Portfolio! https://kateragusabio.wordpress.com/

Hi, I'm Ellie!

Biology is my favorite subject and I'm so excited for AP Bio this year and college
next year and diving further into science. I have always been interested in science and I am very interested in marine biology in particular. I love to travel, this picture was taken in Amsterdam at the beginning of
August this year. By far this was one of my favorite trips I biked with my family
for 6 days from Amsterdam to Bruge Belgium and had an amazing time!
I love coffee and especially love coffee flavored ice cream!

visit my website: https://ellie208946691.wordpress.com/

Hey it's Caroline!

Hi!! My name is Caroline Divney and I am a senior at Notre Dame! Here are some quick facts about me!!

1. I am really interested in botany and all things environmental science! I have always loved these fields and would feel so lucky if I were able to pursue either as a career!

2. I love music and play multiple different instruments, including viola, violin, ukulele, piano, and a little guitar. I am in an orchestra outside of school, PYO, where I play the viola!

3. I have an older sister, Annaliese, who graduated in 2017, and she inspires me every single day!! She is my best friend in the entire world and she constantly brings me deeper into the world of science, as she is majoring in global disease at UC Davis and loves science just as much as I do!

Here is the link to my AP Bio Blog to check out more from me! https://thebiospot.wordpress.com/