Save the Bay!

Save the Bay!    

 Wow! What an amazing field trip to Palo Alto Baylands Nature Preserve. Today my class and I went on a field trip to the Baylands Nature Preserve, which has been partners with Save the Bay for decades now. Our mission while at the nature preserve was to assist the Save the Bay team with determining the biodiversity, soil moisture, salinity, and pH of the restored area. Our AP Biology group was coordinated to help preview the restoration that the Save the Bay organization has so far amassed, while the Environmental Science group yesterday worked with the unrestored area (progress) of the preserve. I was so excited to work with the restored area and observe the many both invasive and native species that have grown along the marshland. It is also important to remember the variety of benefits that wetlands provide for our ecosystems and community such as: clean water, curbing of global warming, habitat for endangered species, protecting communities from flood water areas etc.

Did you know that Baylands Nature Preserve is home to one of the most endangered species in California known as Ridgway’s Rail? Not only were we able to learn more about the types of species whom make these marshes their home, but we were able to experience the success in restoration that the Save The Bay team has accomplished. 

Ridgway’s Rail

Salt grass

My AP Biology teammates and I first detected the latitude and longitude of each point (flags ranging from 1-5) in different locations which ranged from 1-3 feet from one another. Then, we measured the biodiversity of the area by using our quadrant to detect the certain species and numbers of species within that specific point area. Some of these species included buckwheat, sage brush, mustard (below), salt marsh, gum plant, sticky monkey bush, etc. The biodiversity, or the richness and evenness of species throughout, was calculated using Simpson’s Diversity Indexwhich used measures of integrals and summation to find the amount of species add together, the amount of species multiplied by the same amount subtracted from one, then the quotient of that value to reach the total amount of biodiversity.

Although this method sounds difficult to understand in context, the equations we were provided as well the help from the Save the Bay team was truly beneficial. The other categories we studied today, such as soil moisture, salinity, and pH were all calculated using GPS signaling, rod testing, and calibrated machines. Although these machines were helpful equipment, they were not entirely technologically reliable as my group experienced technical problems which most likely then reduced the accuracy of our results.                                        

                       

Nonetheless! What an awesome field trip, and I cannot believe the amount of species I learned about today, the many varieties we have in our own California backyard, and the importance of protecting this wildlife. I would definitely recommend this field trip to anyone interested in botany or even simply, ecological exploration/earth cultivation. For future field trip-goers, I would recommend to wear very sturdy shoes as the marshes are primarily on steep hills that then dip into marsh “valleys”. Also, for next time, if the equipment was fully charged and slightly more advanced then maybe our signals and results could be pinpointed exactly. But otherwise, I encourage everyone to venture to the Palo Alto Nature Preserve and don’t be afraid to dig your hands into the beautiful soil and plants that our great Earth provides!

     

Emily Clarke-The Botany of Desire

“The Botany of Desire” is a movie that we were assigned to watch over the break. It is a four part documentary that discusses the role of plants in our world, and the extent at which they use human reliance on their desirable characteristics to advantage the plants survival and reproduction as a species. It is an interesting concept to think about how even though we see ourselves as such powerful organisms on earth, by using the resources around us, we are not the only ones benefiting. Plants in some ways are actually manipulating us into continuing their existence, not that we are complaining!

The first plant discussed was the apple. Fruit in general has had amazing success in making itself desirable to humans to continue their existence through taste, and the apple may be the most successful of them all. Leading up to more recent centuries, food was not always an easy thing to find, and calories were hard to come by. Taste buds evolved with humans and other mammals to enjoy sweetness which would signal to the body that there were calories. Apples are one of the sweeter of all fruits and have used this characteristic to their advantage. With roots in central Asia, the apple has grown in many different forms since each new bud of an apple tree from an apple seed creates a new species of apples. Today, scientists have been able to recreate the kinds of apples that are the most sweet, juicy and round like Fuji apples or granny smith apples. For a while, apples were even wanted for their more bitter taste. In making cider, the more bitter apples were used and this was a popular alcoholic drink for a long time after Johnny Appleseed brought them over to the United States.

The next plant that has appealed to humans to aid their reproduction is tulips. Flowers in general are appealing to the sight and smell of humans and other organisms (bees interestingly enough have very similar taste in flowers as humans). Their bright colors, sweet smells and symmetrical design stand out to us and have many uses to us. From bouquets of flowers used as gifts, to scented products from flowers to decorations in peoples houses, and even the symbolism of certain flowers in celebrations or stories,

flowers have secured an importance in our lives. Tulips especially are incredibly diverse and uniquely beautiful. At one point in history even, a rare species of tulips led the Dutch into a time of ‘tulip mania’ ruining the financial status of many rich barrons who would buy this rare white and red speckled tulip for high prices comparative to vacation houses. Once the flower got so expensive it was almost impossible to purchase, its value came crashing down leaving the owners of the remaining flowers cheated of large amounts of money all for a flower.

Following the tulips, cannibus, commonly known as marijuana or weed was discussed. Another characteristic of plants that has become desired by humans is its intoxicating effects on the consumer. The effects it has can alter the brain’s normal processing and

intervene with remembering because of the production of a molecule called THC. This plants origins are in Mexico however it is becoming more widely known and accepted. I think that it is interesting that in the United States, marijuana consumption has been so looked down on and made illegal while alcohol is not however alcohol has very well researched and some very similar effects and marijuana was originally used as a treatment when it was brought here.

The last plant was the potato. Interestingly, potatoes in their original form were toxic to humans, however after exploring the Andes, farmers were able to find a species with a mutation that made them edible. This was an important plant for harvesting because it could survive in harsher climates than other ‘fruit-bearing’ plants, and was a plant easy enough to harvest in large amounts. When it was brought to Europe, it was easy to harvest and became a steady source of nutrition for europeans. I’m sure we can all agree that potatoes have made themselves essential to humans when we note their wide range of food products such as mashed potatoes, hash browns, french fries and more.

Intertidal Zones Field Trip

I was not able to attend the field trip to the intertidal zone, (I had a research paper due and a math test) but I have heard a ton of interesting stories about the field trip! One piece of scientific information that I learned was they saw tons of Turban Snails, which are very small (up to one inch!) and are usually black, purple, or brown. Turban Snails are molluscs in the class Gastropoda! The class of Gastropoda are the most diverse and usually pretty slow. Another piece I learned was that they saw TONS of limpets, which are tiny molluscs with one shell that hold onto rocks super tightly! These limpets are also from the class Gastropoda! Something else I heard as that they saw Scouring Pad Alga, which they said were very rough and dry and usually dark brown. The fourth piece I learned was that they saw and examined Stunted Turkish Towel, which is also dark brown and sometimes have wide blades and bumps.  Finally, I learned that they saw Purple Sea Urchin! The Purple Sea Urchin are often rather small, only up to four inches. Also, a cool fact is that the baby Purple Sea Urchins are green!! Purple Sea Urchins are Echinoderms! I would have loved to see Purple Sea Urchin because I love colorful sea life!!

Rocky intertidal zones are right at the edge of the ocean! The intertidal zones are super diverse with tons of species of invertebrates (over 1000!). The three zones that the intertidal zone is separated into are splash zone, the high tide zone, the mid tide zone, and the low tide zone. The splash zone is rarely submerged, only splashed! The high tide zone is mostly exposed to air, this is often where limpets live! The mid tide zone has lots of organisms and often is submerged. The low tide zone is submerged a majority of the time and rarely is exposed to air. Check out the photo below for an example!

The Botany Of Desire

The Botany of Desire covered four main areas of plants and their traits: sweetness, beauty, intoxication, and control. All four of these components are seen throughout plants such as apples, cannabis, tulips and potatoes, and demonstrate their relationships with humans and manipulation.
I was fascinated by the story of the apple, and how the majority of the fruits are not naturally sweet, but bitter. The genetic diversity of each apple makes for a very slim picking- figuratively and literally- in regards to sweet apples. Each apple comes from a long line of ancestors originating back to a single tree, and although all apples have the same genes, the difference in taste and appearance comes from the individual expression of those genes in each fruit. So apples have epigenetics! Thinking about this is mindblowing, as we humans are the same way, and our epigenetics are influenced by our everyday decisions and lifestyles, which makes me wonder- what determines the epigenetics of an apple?

Tulips are seen as the pinnacle of beauty by both animals and humans, almost to the point of becoming a frenzy. The most expensive tulip bulb was sold at the same price as a townhouse on Fifth Avenue, which shows human desire for beauty- but what exactly is beauty, and who gets to determine what is considered beautiful and desirable? The bright colors and shapes of the tulips are on display all over the world, especially in the Netherlands, where the largest tulip garden resides. The human brain is attracted to the bright colors that stand out and the sweet aroma surrounding the flowers, and the attraction of this plant can somehow convince the human brain to desire what is assumed to be beauty. This raises the question of beauty applying to both humans and animals, and what stands out to pollinators in their symbiotic relationship with plants, and if there are similar factors in deciding true beauty for humans, as we do not pollinate plants or use their resources in the same way.
Taking a look at cannabis was especially interesting, as there have been many social developments around the legalization of recreational marijuana since the creation of the documentary, and I had never realized the history of the plant was so extensive. Diving deeper into the thought, the fact that a mere plant has such control over humans to alter their state of mind to a point of memory loss and even danger is mind-blowing, and something I was interested to hear about. Just as cannabis can control the human mind, humans have manipulated the plant to grow in different environments, cross breeding two types of cannabis to grow indoors and offer more product. Technology has allowed the manipulation of plants just as plants manipulate humans, creating a symbiotic relationship between the two. Thinking about how humans stumbled across this plant that contained a chemical that allowed for an alternate reality to be attained, does cannabis have the same effect on animals that may cross the path of the chemical in nature?

Potatoes are viewed in the documentary as the epitome of control, and are a great example of how humans can manipulate their crops, at the same time raising the ethical issues of genetically modified organisms, or GMO’s. Normally, people view GMO’s as a negative aspect of the agricultural world, but after the documentary and looking at the issue from a farmer’s point of view, modifying organisms has almost become a necessity in today’s world. After the Great Famine of Ireland, almost all potatoes were wiped out due to a single organism- and the same threat still exists today. A single insect, virus, or fungus has the potential or eradicating all production of a crop, which the average consumer not only relies on, but also the farmers and their families rely on as their source of income and their entire lifestyle. These people most of the time do not believe that genetically modifying their organisms is ethically correct, but in order for the plant to survive and for there to be plentiful crop, these actions must be taken. Every person has the personal choice whether or not to consume or buy GMO’s, so with that being said, how do you feel about buying GMOs? What about if the product you were purchasing and consuming had been genetically modified but you didn’t know that was the case?

Take a short Google Form on your responses and standpoint of GMOs!
The Botany of Desire was interesting to me especially because of the way the film had four separate and extraordinary stories about four ordinary crops, and found a way to tie them all together. The documentary was able to show the way over time we have manipulated these plants to benefit us, but also how, maybe even unknowingly, these plants manipulated us as humans. The Botany of Desire is a story of coevolution between some of the most interesting species on the planet, and definitely worth the watch!

Talia Bertana- Epstein-Barr Virus

When I was a junior in high school, I contracted mono.  I had a fever for 2 weeks straight and was too tired to get out of bed most of the time.  Although sleeping the majority of the day might sounds desirable to some, it does get quite boring after a while.  During my time being sick, I was actually interested by what exactly mono is, so for my virus infographic, I decided to learn all about the infection that plagues 50% of teens in the US!

What causes mono is the Epstein-Barr Virus:

EBV will insert itself into a B Cell, which is a lymphocyte responsible for producing antibodies.  This virus will end up living inside its host and spreading itself through bodily fluids such as saliva.  If contracted early in life, one most likely will not contract any symptoms.  However, if infected in their teen years, the recipient of EBV will most likely develop mono.

Works Cited:

“9 Fascinating Mononucleosis Statistics.” HRFnd, 23 Oct. 2014, healthresearchfunding.org/9-mononucleosis-statistics/.

“50 Years of Epstein-Barr Virus.” Cancer Research UK – Science Blog, scienceblog.cancerresearchuk.org/2014/03/26/50- years-of-epstein-barr-virus/.

Carnahan, J. Epstein-Barr Virus. http://www.jillcarnahan.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/Epstein-Barr.jpeg.

Embe2006. “Illustration: Open Mouth.” Search Results, http://www.megapixl.com/open-mouth-illustration-40383700.

“Epstein-Barr Virus and Infectious Mono.” Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 14 Sept. 2016, http://www.cdc.gov/epstein-barr/about-ebv.html.

Staff, Dr. Oz. “The Secret Life of the Epstein-Barr Virus.” The Dr. Oz Show, The Dr. Oz Show, 12 Feb. 2015, http://www.doctoroz.com/article/secret-life-epstein-barr-virus.

Solan, Matthew. “Don’t Take Fatigue Lying Down.” Harvard Health Blog, 18 Apr. 2017, http://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/dont-take-fatigue-lying-2017041411485.

Khalili - Smallpox Infographic

Smallpox Infographic

Have you ever wondered how scientists came up with the world’s first vaccine? Learn about smallpox caused by the variola virus with my infographic below!

Sources

CDC. “Smallpox.” Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 7 June 2016, http://www.cdc.gov/smallpox/prevention-treatment/index.html

Rachel Liu - Genetics Symposium

For the AP Bio final project, we created a voicethread that discussed various aspects of a certain disease. My group, composed of me, Adia, and Kaitlyn, created a voicethread outlining in detail, how the infantile Tay Sachs disease affects both the person diagnosed as well as the people around them.
Click on the "TAY SACHS" button below to learn more!

🌟Semester 1🌟

Happy New Year!
Wow! The first semester of my AP Bio experience has flown by and now we have entered the new year, 2018! With this new year comes so many more learning experiences ahead of us, challenges, and accomplishments.

Looking back at my first semester, the word that perfectly sums up the whole adventure was “energetic”. Why? Because this class is interactive and collaborative. Our homework assignments are personalized, we each decide what we should do for homework that will help us remember what we just learned. Being given this freedom is liberating but also requires a great deal of discipline because you must decide what to do with your time.

I’ve learned so much last semester, not only about biology but other skills such as creating my own website and blog to making videos to making stop-motion films.

Using a website to documents and share my AP Bio adventure has been absolutely amazing because I not only improve my tech skills but am able to reach out to a larger audience. Using a website to demonstrate one’s learning also helps a person master learning because they must be able to properly explain and convey what they learned and that is challenging.

Did I have any roadblocks or stumps? Not really, more like figuring out better solutions to certain problems. For example, in the beginning of the school year, I was facing some difficulties with the amount of time I allotted at home for the class. I realized that I was unhappy because I spend over 3 hours each night dedicated to AP Bio homework and studying, most of those 3 hours was empty and unhelpful busywork I set myself up to complete each night such as re-writing notes and creating quizlets which I never ended up referring to and using. Once I recognized this problem, I sought solutions. First, I stopped using quizlets for bio class because they personally were not helpful for me (quizlets are great for language classes though!). Next, I started to focus more on the main ideas and concepts rather than small details. Details can be important but what is most important is understanding the fundamentals of a topic. By changing my schedule and study habits, I was able to get more out of my learning and most importantly felt happy and was no longer frustrated.

Cellular respiration! (Image from chi bird)

Second semester of AP Bio will be another energetic adventure and I cannot wait to see what I’ll conquer next!
I hope you enjoyed this little treat from my bio basket!

Karenah

Cracking the Code of Life

Hello again! Now that we have learned all about mitosis, meiosis, and cell signaling, we're ready to dive in to the topic of genetics!

In preparation for this new and exciting unit, we viewed a documentary called Cracking the Code of Life. This film was a great introduction to the subject, as it informed us about what DNA and genes are, what the goal of the Human Genome Project is, and what kinds of possible implications that genetic research has to offer——for better or for worse.

Our genome, or the entirety of our genetic material and makeup, is a bit of a paradox in that it is very small and simple while also being incredibly large and complex. Although DNA is relatively tiny, consisting of nucleotide base-pairing (A and T, C and G) only several atoms wide, DNA is also overwhelmingly long. Crammed into each human cell is about 6 feet of DNA——that is, 6 feet of random microscopic letters and raw, seemingly incomprehensible data.

The quest of the Human Genome Project, as we learned through watching the movie, is to disseminate and sequence the human genome in all of its glory. That may seem like swimming through oceans' worth of A's, T's, C's, and G's. And in its infant years (beginning in 1990), that was quite the case for geneticists all over the world involved in the effort, who had to map individual genes by hand. At that rate, the project was estimated to take about 15 years to complete and have all 3 billion genes read. Luckily for the scientific community, mechanical technology and computerization has revolutionized the work of genetic sequencing. These new tools allowed genetic teams to read and gather data for thousands of genes per second, and so the project was declared complete in April of 2003.

In the decryption of our genome, all of the basic genetic information that geneticists need to work with is available as the platform from which we can do a lot of great things. We can discover new diseases, investigate the heritability of illnesses, find the specific locations of genes and research what they do, use genetic information to learn about our proteome (the entirety of our bodily proteins), detect mutations early on, and work towards treating and curing some diseases. The possibilities are endless!

Unfortunately, for that same reason, there is a haziness that comes up when we discuss where the line should be drawn. What are the ethics surrounding genetic manipulation? The fascinating capabilities of the prospective field of genetic engineering could lead to a future wherein selecting the traits and characteristics of an embryo becomes a reality, i.e. "designer babies."

After all, we sure don't want the society illustrated in the Sci-Fi film, Gattaca, to come into fruition!

I, personally, believe this scientific aptitude stands to completely reform medicine and, for all of the good it is prepared to offer, should be funded and supported. However, before these procedures are moved on to the human trials stage, the international scientific community should come to an agreement on ethical boundaries in order to ensure that gene editing is used for purely health-related applications.

In the end, I am thoroughly convinced that this is a magnificent time to be alive and to be invested in science. There are so many bright, curious, and enthusiastic minds out there that are set on researching genetics in order to make a tangible difference.

Oh yeah, and we humans share about 50% of our DNA with bananas. How's that for a self-revelation?

Signing off, Savanna Patrick~

DNA Extraction Lab

Over Thanksgiving break, I worked on an awesome at-home lab! I extracted the DNA from a kiwi using just a few, everyday materials that are found in every household. The main ingredients were rubbing alcohol and dishwasher detergent. The soap breaks down the plasma membrane of the cell and the nuclear envelope of the nucleus, allowing the DNA to gather into a bunch in the alcohol. This simple procedure is easy but also very useful in science. The DNA can then be used for genetic analysis, cloning, and alteration. I followed the procedure for this lab pretty loosely, changing up some of the amounts of materials I used and the type of the fruit, but the lab still worked well.

Continue to the video to see the actual lab and a more detailed reflection!

Body Worlds

NOVEMBER 23, 2017 / ADIASBIOBLOG/ 

On November 20, I was given the opportunity to visit the Body World exhibit. Within this exhibit, various body parts and organs were displayed. The body and their parts were taken from real life bodies, these bodies were infused with plastic to preserve the body and all its contents. In the exhibit I explored the lungs of various people, some being smokers and others healthy. For me, this was one of the most interesting displays. The reason for this is because around me there are many smokers and seeing the blackness of the lung helped me to understand the damage cigarettes can cause. Another display was the sex organs of both males and females. It was so cool to be able to see and understand at a deeper level what my body does and looks like. I knew that the female sex organs were small, but I never imagined them to be that small since, within it, a baby must be held. I was also given the opportunity to see the intestines. What made this so interesting was that I knew the big intestines were long, but I never imagined to be that big and large. Could you imagine if the small intestines were also attached? Overall this was a fantastic opportunity. Some might have thought this was disgusting and gross, but I found it eye-opening, This was a chance to explore one’s own body and be able to see what makes us, us.  I do recommend this to all, but you must be prepared to see bodies and understand that these are real. We also went to other exhibits within the museum. Some of the exhibits we went to discuss the issues of vaccination and modern science has aided the people who may not be as privileged as us in the U.S., who can easily go to the doctors and receive a vaccination or any medical aid. Another exhibit showed a patch that was so tiny, but underneath it had tiny needles that could allow a vaccine to enter just by breaking the skin. I wish that the field trip was longer allowing me to see more of the exhibits, but overall it was a great trip. If you do go make sure you have plenty of time to see the amazing things within the museum.

 

Meiosis in Motion! Zoé de Bretagne

Meiosis produces four unique haploid gamete cells. Two divisions occur, enabling the DNA material to be reduced from two sets of chromosomes to one set of chromosomes. Crossing over at the chiasmata during prophase I creates genetic diversity as each recombinant chromosome possesses genes from both the maternal and paternal sets. Homologous chromosomes exchange sections of genes at specific loci. Genetic diversity is also increased during metaphase I where independent assortment occurs, where homologous chromosomes are randomly positioned independently of the other pairs, which increases the number of possibilities of chromosomes in each cell once the homologous chromosomes separate.

Learn more about the individual phases of meiosis by watching this stop motion animation video that my partner and I made!

When my partner and I started working on this video, we wanted to incorporate colorful materials that would allow us to specifically identify the different parts of meiosis. We therefore decided to use pink and orange playdough for the chromosomes, which would allow us to effectively represent crossing over by switching pieces playdough. We also chose to use green pipe cleaners for the mitotic spindle, purple beads for the centrioles, and light pink paper for the cell. This was the first time that I made a stop motion animation video and I really enjoyed the process! Taking several hundred pictures took a lot of time and effort, especially when we had to put each piece down in multiple independent steps. Editing the video was also a challenge because we encountered some glitches and some parts of the video needed to be slowed down, while other parts had to be sped up so that the voice over could match the visuals. However, I am very glad that we did a stop motion animation video because the video effectively represents the fact that meiosis is not just a series of independent steps, but a moving process.

Works Cited:

“Crossing Over.” Bio Ninja, ib.bioninja.com.au/standard-level/topic-3-genetics/33-meiosis/crossing-over.html+.

“Homologous Chromosomes.” Biology, biology.stackexchange.com/questions/59287/what-are-homologous-chromosomes.

“Meiosis.” Khan Academy , http://www.khanacademy.org/science/biology/cellular-molecular-biology/meiosis/a/phases-of-meiosis+.

Radium Girls

Posted by PREYASIKUMAR on November 4, 2017 / PREYASI'S AP BIO EXPEDITION

October 20th was the opening night for Tri-School’s — Mercy, Notre Dame, and Serra — fall production of Radium Girls, and my friends and I immediately bought tickets when we first heard about this. Learning that some of my good friends were involved with this production made me even more excited to watch the play! To name a few, Keira Cruickshank played the lead role of Grace Fryer; Klara La Guardia and Grace Tillman played Fryer’s two closest friends, Kathryn Schaub and Irene Rudolph respectively; Gabby Fanucchi played Diane Roeder, and Hillary Tighe played Roeder’s daughter Harriet.

Radium Girls is based on a true story of young women who died from radium 

poisoning in the 1920s after Marie Curie’s discovery of this element, which she called “my beautiful radium”. Radium was initially thought to be a “miracle cure” for any disease or sickness. For example, applying radium salts to tumors would shrink the cancer, leading to radium therapy; radium was put in facial creams to rejuvenate the skin, and people from all around the world wanted to get a hold of it.

Radium was turned into glow in the dark paint, which was used on the dials of watches used by the military in WWI. They were painted by young working-class girls in dial painting studios for the U.S. Radium Corporation. This job paid more than three times the average factory job, so the girls were earning much more than their husbands and fathers back then. In order to get the tip of their paint brushes just right, the girls were instructed to point them between their lips before painting the 

numbers on the watches. Later on, some of the girls began to fall sick, and their faces began to rot, and they weren’t able to understand what was going on. Why was this happening?

The protagonist Grace Fryer, portrayed by Keira, Mrs. Girard’s daughter, pieced everything together and realized that the girls were dying due to the radium in the paint. Many of the sick women did not want to take their pleas to court for fear that they would lose their jobs and their complaints against the U.S. Radium Corporation. However after watching her closest friends’ lives painfully deteriorate before her eyes, Grace was determined to bring justice to all the girls suffering from radium poisoning. Grace faced many hardships, and through her persistent efforts over the course of several years, she was finally able to win the case. She later died horribly, yet happily, knowing that she was able to save the lives of hundreds of other girls who suffered as she and her friends did.

(Pictured above: Illustration published to raise awareness of the dangerous effects of the poison the dial painters were ingesting, radium)

I thoroughly enjoyed the show! I loved watching my friends act in the play. The actors portrayed their characters really well, and the entire production was put together beautifully. This play is so passionate and powerful; I was overcome with emotion as I was transported right into the story. I felt the pain of Grace Fryer as she fought her battles against the poisoning and the corporation; I felt the hopelessness of Kathryn Schaub, who was only trying to help her dying friend, but was met with skepticism from doctors and others she contacted; I felt the anger of Arthur Roeder, who was trying to save his company but could not deny the reality of the radium; and so much more. It was so interesting to learn more about the radioactive element, and to see what the girls had to go through at the time. I understood the power these big corporations have, how they manipulate the public, and go to extreme measures to hide their flaws or any complaints filed against them. I learned how quickly and easily life could change, and I was inspired by Grace’s perseverance through her struggle. I can’t wait to discuss and learn more about this in class!

---

Works Cited:

“The Radium Girls – Still Glowing in Their Coffins.” The Spectator, 8 May 2017, http://www.spectator.co.uk/2016/06/the-radium-girls-still-glowing-in-their-coffins/.