Water Property Projects

The AP Biology students were given the task to produce a presentation examining the properties f water and how these unique properties contribute to life, as we know it, on Earth.

Abukhadra_Sabine_300439_first Quarter Project Properties of Water by Charles Ippolito

Alberghine Briana 11100106 Newsletter by Charles Ippolito

Austi_Paul_11100304_AP Bio Properties of Water by Charles Ippolito

Brashear_Blake_101060_Properties of Water First Quarter Project by Charles Ippolito

Briskin_Lilia_11100114_First Quarter Project (Water) WORD by Charles Ippolito

Cory Caroline 11100329 Properties of Water by Charles Ippolito

Dutton Jesse 11100342 AP Bio Water Project by Charles Ippolito

Donohue James 101038 Water Project by Charles Ippolito

Drygulski Matthew 200632 PropertiesofWater by Charles Ippolito

Giangola Nicole 11100139 Biology Quarter 1 Project by Charles Ippolito

Hutchinson William 300542 AP Bio Water Powerpoint by Charles Ippolito

Kwok Sally 300508 Water Project by Charles Ippolito

Louka_Giannis_11100163_AP BIO Properties of Water Presentation by Charles Ippolito

Marshall Page 11100376 Properties of Water by Charles Ippolito

Saralegui_Jackie_11100400_AP Bio Properties of Water Project by Charles Ippolito

C. Simon and A. Roesser built a website follow this link to see it.......
 C. Simon and A. Roesser's Web Site

M. Taylor Built a web site follow this link to see it.....
M. Taylor's Water Properties Web Site

Stoeffhaas William 200664 Bio Water Project by Charles Ippolito

Walter-McNeill Andrew 200603 AP Bio by Charles Ippolito

Weir Elise 101107 Properties and Phenomenas of Water by Charles Ippolito

Welch Christian 200116 Properties of Water by Charles Ippolito

Genetic Map Developed Linking Complex Diseases

Paul Austi

University of Chicago Medical Center. "Genetic map developed linking complex diseases." ScienceDaily, 26 Sep. 2013. Web. 29 Sep. 2013.

The article “Genetic Map Developed Linking Complex Diseases” discusses a breakthrough in the study of genetic causes of complex diseases and how these diseases can be related to one another. Although heavily studied in the science world, the specific genetic causes of “complex diseases” are largely unknown due to byzantine genetic and environmental interactions. Some examples that fall into the category of “complex diseases” are diabetes, autism, and heart disease. However, recently at the University of Chicago, a group of scientists have created one of the most expansive analyses of the genetic factors in complex diseases. They were able to do this by using diseases with known genetic causes to guide them. The finishing project was a unique genetic map that has the potential to guide researchers in diagnosing, identifying risk factors, and someday maybe even developing therapies against complex diseases. The map was made possible by analyzing more than 120 million patient records and identifying trends of co-occurrence among hundreds of diseases. The work was published in Cell, on September 26. For the first time, the group discovered that almost every complex disease has a unique set of associations with single-gene diseases. This allowed for the group to find “barcodes” of specific gene loci, which would be used to untangle the complex genetics of complex diseases. The team uncovered 2,909 statistically significant associations, as well as corresponding levels of relative risk between every disease pair. They looked for trends in comorbidity, they studied these correlations in 65 complex diseases affecting almost every system in the body, including arthritis, and depression.

Some of the pairs were well known, however a majority of the comorbidities were previously unknown. For example, Fragile X syndrome, an intellectual disability disorder, has significant associations with asthma, viral infection, showing a potential immune system dysfunction in these patients. The team discovered that genetic insults underlying these Mendelian diseases don’t appear to independently contribute to complex diseases but interact in a combinatorial way to ultimately cause the disorders. This map is a huge breakthrough in the study of complex diseases. It cannot only have a huge impact in my society of Bronxville, but the whole world. This genetic map can immediately be useful for geneticists as a gauge to the level of risk developing complex disease among patients with Mendelian diseases. It also gives scientists a wealth of new data and a unique approach by which to better understand and develop therapeutics against complex diseases. The team hopes to expand their study even further so that their map will cover even more diseases and a larger population data.

            Overall I thought this article was very interesting and well written. It had direct quotes from the team at the University of Chicago indicating their intentions, which made the article very easy to understand. Also, the article was written in a very positive outlook on a topic that is usually negative, which made reading the article that much better. 

Breakthrough for the speechless may turn thoughts into words

Breakthrough for the speechless may turn thoughts into words

         This article discusses a recent study conducted by neuroscientists who were looking for a way to communicate by translating brain signals into messages.  This type of communication would help patients paralyzed with ALS, or Lou Gehrig’s disease, because they are restricted to communicating slowly through eye-blinking and muscle twitching.  A neuroscience team led by Bettina Sorger conducted a study in which scanning machines translated signals from the brains of six healthy volunteers into letters.  Sorger claims that “this is not mind-reading” since the volunteers were in control of what messages they were sending, making this more like “a typewriter for the brain.”  The team used massive MRI machines to detect increased blood flow in precise locations in the brain as the volunteers imagined particular tasks.  Scanners were then used to decode the messages using computer “data-mining” techniques.

            Already in use, this method has been a major breakthrough for ALS patients.  These MRI machines allow the patients to communicate much more quickly, since their message is processed all at once, where before they had to communicate each individual letter.  The only drawback is that these machines are very expensive, and take up a lot of space.  The article did mention that these machines could be used to train patients how to communicate in this manor, and then smaller machines could potentially be developed once the patient knows how they work.  The article also mentioned another possibility of communication is using machines to detect how light passes through the brain.

             I found this article very interesting and informative, but I do not think that it did a good job explaining each of the new methods of communication in depth.  However, it was a good article for learning what the wider scope of new innovative methods of communication could be in the future. 

http://usatoday30.usatoday.com/USCP/PNI/Nation/World/2012-06-30-PNI0630preprint-brain-speller_ST_U.htm

Vergano, Dan. "Breakthrough for the Speechless May Turn Thoughts into Words."USATODAY.COM. USA Today, n.d. Web. 29 Sept. 2013.

Confetti Enzyme Kinetics Lab Exercise

This simple physical exercise/simulation helps the students grasp the way time and substrate concentration change the rate of reaction in enzyme mediated reactions. A blind folded student plays the role of an enzyme, the enzyme must grasp the correct size piece of paper and half it to successfully form a new product.

To illustrate how the rate of reaction changes over time, the student is presented with a bowl of 100 pieces of paper to "catalyze". Every 20 seconds the student's partner tallies the total number of substrate consumed.

To illustrate how the concentration of the substrate might alter the rate of reaction, the paper slips (substrate) are mixed in with 100 paper clips, which represent another molecule in the substrate's environment. The student enzyme has 20 seconds to catalyze as many molecules of substrate they can in the time period. They begin with 10 paper slips (substrate) and 100 paper clips. In each subsequent try an addition 10 slips are added. So the second run has 20 paper slips and 100 paper clips.

Will readies himself for the arduous role of enzyme while his partner Paul prepares to tally his catalysis ability.

Ted taking a break from catalysis.

Lilia is hard at work changing substrate into products as Briana tallies her successes.

A closer look at a bowl in the substrate concentration phase of the simulation. The original exercise called for using toothpicks as the substrate!!! The paper strips are more "finger-friendly".

At the end of the lab, Andrew shows that he can truly think outside of the box, using his excess paper strips to fashion a cell phone toting basket !!!!

Look at what I made!!!!

Gene Therapy With a Difference

This article focuses on the benefits that an experimental drug which utilizes a “genetic technique” called exon skipping can have on a people that have Duchenne muscular dystrophy. Duchenne muscular dystrophy is a disease in which a genetic mutation inhibits the body from making the protein, dystrophin, which “acts as a shock absorber for muscles.” The main idea behind exon skipping is that by correcting the mutated gene which causes Duchenne muscular dystrophy the disease can be made better or even cured. Exon skipping is a juxtaposition from that traditional approach which gene therapy takes. Gene therapy attempts to replace the mutated or missing gene. Unfortunately, disappointing test results were released this past Friday. The results indicated that “drisapersen, was no better than placebo in preserving muscle function of boys with Duchenne muscular dystrophy.” This news was not only devastating to scientists but also to parents who had hope invested in this new medicine and technique. Duchenne muscular dystrophy occurs because “Mutations resulting in missing exons can lead to the wrong proteins being produced, or none at all.” Furthermore, people with Becker muscular dystrophy also produce “defective dystrophin” and as a result produce the wrong proteins or no proteins at all. Those with Becker condition usually have lesser symptoms. Those that use the exon skipping technique often hope to turn their Duchenne disease into the milder Becker disease. Moreover, many tests have been completed which show that scientists are really still trying to figure out this drug. Dosages need to be adjusted for each individual patient and for some the drug is ineffective.

This article is vital to society and our community in Bronxville. Often it is easy to forget that many are not as fortunate as we are. Many suffer from debilitating diseases that currently have no cure. Subsequently, articles such as this one, which highlight these problems and diseases, are vital to both science and public perception of sickness. In addition, this article is important because it details the latest medical and biological breakthrough concerning muscular dystrophy. I choose this article because I am interested in learning more about how gene mutations effect all of our body’s functions.

This article was written in such a way that it was both easy to understand and interesting to read. The writing was clear and concise and the author’s voice was authoritative and exciting. I also really enjoyed the media that was included along with this article. A picture of the mutated genes and of the DNA sequences was attached to the article. This made it easier to understand exactly what the author was saying. Furthermore, a video and pictures were included along with this article which added to my level of understanding. 

http://www.nytimes.com/2013/09/24/health/gene-therapy-with-a-difference.html?ref=science&_r=0

Pollack, Andrew. "Gene Therapy With a Difference." New York Times. New York Times, 23 Sept. 2013. Web. 26 Sept. 2013. <http://www.nytimes.com/2013/09/24/health/gene-therapy-with-a-difference.html?ref=science&_r=0>.

NASA Spacecraft Embarks on Historic Journey into Interstellar Space

http://www.nasa.gov/press/2013/september/nasa-spacecraft-embarks-on-historic-journey-into-interstellar-space/#.UkTMP2T8m18

            From reading NASA’s published article called, “NASA Spacecraft Embarks on Historic Journey into Interstellar Space” I became more knowledgeable on a topic I knew little about. Most people know that NASA had launched the space probes Voyager 1 and Voyager 2 in the late 1970s and they have been travel through our solar system for almost forty years. The main goal of the space probes was to collect information about our solar system that scientist and people wouldn’t be able to do on their own. The first detected activity that the Voyager 1 had reached past the out planets was in 2004, by measuring increased pressure of interstellar space on the heliosphere. However, this space probe does not have a working plasma sensor, so scientist have to measure a different, more difficult way by measuring the spacecraft’s plasma environment in determining its location. After being reviewed by the plasma wave science team, NASA was able to conclude that the data measure plasma densities from interstellar space. The data that is sent back to Voyager 1 and Voyager 2 headquarters is emitted through weak signals that travel at the speed of light. The part of interstellar space where Voyager 1 is now located as of September 12, 2013, has energy that is still influenced by the sun. Scientists do not know when it will reach the undisturbed part of interstellar space where the sun’s energy has no effect. Since Voyager 2 was only launched 16 days after its twin, it is expected to arrive at the same part of space very soon.

            All over the world our scientific advancements have led to new discoveries and more questions that need to be answered. As stated by NASA associate administrator for science in Washington, John Grunsfeld, “Voyager has boldly done where no probe has gone before, marking one of the most significant technological achievements in the annals of the history of science, and adding a new chapter in human scientific dreams and endeavors”. Every scientific minded human loves learning about what’s going on in our world, our solar system, and our universe. To be able to discover and answer some of these skeptical questions scientist have once held is amazing. By collecting data through space probes, scientist are able to put all of that information together and see how it can relate and effect the people living on Earth. Space probes allow us to learn more about the energetic particles in space and their densities, comparing that of what we have closer to Earth. If we are able to collect and transmit data from a space probe billions of miles away that was built in the 1970s with the same power as a refrigerators light bulb, imagine what we would be able to accomplish with todays technology and the innovations we have created over the past 40 years.

            Overall I thought the article was very well written and presented itself with information not only on the current event, but with background information that is needed to understand its importance. With the inclusion of quotes and numerical data, it made the source very informative.

A shot of anxiety and the world stinks: How stress can rewire brain, making benign smells malodorous

            This article is about the connection between odors and emotions. Certain odors provoke different feelings and reactions in one’s mind, such as a sense of happiness when smelling the baking of bread, or the sense of disgust and mild anger when smelling rotten eggs. Previously, the scientific community has been unaware of the biological reasoning for this connection. But now, however, researchers have begun to use advanced brain scanning technology to study how anxiety and stress can rewire the brain, linking the centers that deal with emotion and odors, causing typically benign smells to become malodorous. They have discovered that experiencing stress or sadness can cause a relatively neutral smell to transform into an awful smell. Teams of scientists have set up an experiment using an MRI, where they allow a subject to smell a neutral odor, then scan their brain while a screen shows them stressful and sad images. As they observe the brain, they notice that the two distinct and initially independent circuits of the brain, one concerned with odor processing and one concerned with emotion, become intertwined as the subject becomes stressed and anxious. After the scan, the subjects are asked to smell the neutral substances again, and after becoming stressed and anxious they claim that the substances smell a lot worse than they did before.

This discovery is so important to science because it could change the way that anxiety is viewed and treated. This connection may help scientists to better understand the rewiring of the brain under stressful conditions and the reinforcement of negative thoughts, which could eventually lead to better prevention methods for depression and sadness. At this point in time, there is no foolproof way to treat depression or anxiety, even though there are many working medications on the market. The relationship between the two circuits of emotion and odor in the brain might be very telling of the way the brain functions in relation to stress and sadness. When the brain sees something sad or stressful, it rewires itself to have sad thoughts, and because scientists now understand the way in which the brain rewires itself, they might be able to do something to prevent it for patients of depression and anxiety.

I think that this article was very interesting and it was written very well. I especially liked the analysis of the experiment done with the MRI because I thought it was very telling to the future of the results of this experiment. If I could change something about this article I would add an element of the future into it. I would have liked to have read a little bit more about how this discovery would impact science and medicine in the future. Even though through the experimental results we can infer the purpose of this test, I would like to have heard some concrete discussion of how these results will be used in the future. Overall, I enjoyed reading the article and I look forward to hearing of medical innovations surrounding this topic.

SOURCES:

University of Wisconsin-Madison. "A shot of anxiety and the world stinks: How stress can rewire brain, making benign smells malodorous." ScienceDaily, 24 Sep. 2013. Web. 25 Sep. 2013.

Students Investigate Osmosis and Diffusion

In the AP Biology course the students carry out two proscribed protocols/procedures related to osmosis and diffusion. In one they use agar cubes to represent various sized cells. They then measure how far into the cells the materials diffused over a fixed period of time. They then calculate the rate of diffusion. They also calculate surface area to volume ratios. In the second protocol, they use dialysis tubing to represent cell membranes. Varying molarity solutions are place in the "cells" the their masses before immersion in water and after immersion are recorded. Finally, the students are given the task of devising their own investigation based on the two required protocols. They will be examining the effects of molecule size, molecule concentration, and other variables on the rate of diffusion/osmosis.

Lab 4 Diffusion and Osmosis by Charles Ippolito