Bronxville AP Biology

Shea Braumuller Current Events #1

AP Biology

This article focuses on the capabilities of autistic individuals when it comes to everyday social situations. Autism is a disorder that affects 1 in every 120 people. Autism is defined as having social deficits and impaired communication; these behaviors act on a spectrum. This means that the symptoms of autistic individuals can vary from mild to severe. The hypothesis of this article refers to the EM or enactive mind approach. It deals with the comprehension of the salience of major social situations in comparison to others and with an autistic individual’s inability to understand social cues. The hypothesis also describes autistic people focusing on irrelevant environmental aspects when salience is not recognized in a situation. When people with autism are given a specific task they are able to perform it but they have the survival skills of a four year old which disables them from acting from day to day.The first test that was recorded in this study was in a television show. A bottle was smashed in the background of a scene. A typical viewer searchers for fear in the eyes of the characters but an autistic viewer searches for emotion in random places. This leads to the belief that autistic people do not know where to look for emotion. Typical people by about one year of age have joint attention skill fully developed. Joint attention skill is the ability to follow a social cue when leading to a target, which tested in this experiment. Another experiment that was done was trying to prove where autistic people search for emotion in a social situation. When a social cue arose in a television show,such as the wave of a hand, the autistic viewer waited for a verbal cue and did not respond the social gesture. Autistic individuals do not respond effectively to the human voice at an early age as typical children do. This is also proof that they do not know which social cues to respond to. People with this disorder show preference for inanimate objects such as a hat instead of a facial expression. They are able to sort out objects but not faces. A wave hello signifies something for typical people, a greeting. But for those with autism they separate the gesture from the social meaning and will imitate it at inappropriate times not comprehending its correct use. These tests were done to prove that autistic people need to act in a closed domain environment.

Considering that 1 in every 120 people are affected by autism it is a fundamental problem that needs to be addressed. This research was a landmark study in the field. By proving that autistics do not know where to look for emotion and furthermore do not respond to it suggests a difference in brain pathways of the autistic mind. In the field of neuroscience and psychology autism is a huge question that lurks above their heads. The fact that so many individuals show symptoms on such a wide range astounds doctors. Beyond this not one particular aspect of the disorder can be traced on very autistic person. There is not one gene or brain deficit that classifies them all. This research led to a new way of approaching therapy for autistics.

This article was a landmark study in the field of neuroscience and autism. Therapeutic methods are now based upon a kind of closed domain approach. By teaching autistic people the emotions and how they should respond they consequently act more “normal” in everyday situations. It is suggested that parents of autistic children go home and rehearse the emotions with their children. Smiling and asking what kind of emotion that portrays is an example. This is a very complicated and astounding disorder that in no way can be “fixed” by one study but the enactive mind approach, in particular, is an important finding in searching for the root of the disorder.

Bibliography:

Klin, Amy,' Warren Jones', ' Robert Schultz', ' Fred Volkmar'. "The Enactive Mind." Royal Society Publishing Vol. 358 No. 1430 January 20, 2003 345-360. Web.9 Sep 2009.

Due: First Day of Class

Welcome to AP Biology! This is a college level course that will be covered in one short year prior to the AP exam in May. The course will require a significant amount of reading, new terminology, memorization, analysis and understanding of multiple topics. To succeed you must be self-motivated and capable of developing and sticking to a rigorous schedule. It is extremely important that you stay up-to-date with your assignments. Much of your study and review will be done on your own. We will be completing 12 detailed, college-level required labs as well as a number of other labs and activities. One of the most important skills needed to be successful on the AP test is the ability to write complete and detailed essays that illustrate your understanding of complex concepts. Therefore we will spend considerable time writing essays, writing a research paper, and presenting information to the class. You will always complete all assignments using complete sentences, bulleted outlines and simple lists are not acceptable in a finished work. In order to accomplish all of this, you will need to complete a summer assignment. There are three parts to this assignment and two of them will be handed in on the first day of class.

1. Chemistry, biochemistry, and the structure and function of cells are fundamental concepts in the course. This will be your starting point this summer. You will read the all of the Chemistry of Life Unit and the first part of The Cell Unit in your textbook and answer the questions that begin on the following pages.

The answers to these questions will be due on the first day of class.

There will be an exam on this material in the second day of class.

2. You will complete AP Biology Lab #11: Animal Behavior. A description of the lab is on the last page of this packet. A separate PDF document contains the detailed procedure for the lab as well as the questions you will answer in your lab notebook. Prior to actually doing the real lab at home using real isopods, complete the SimLab (#12 – Animal Behavior) at the following website -
http://www.ucopenaccess.org/courses/APBioLabs/course/index.html
You should purchase a composition notebook and begin the lab 3 pages into the book. Title it Lab 11: Animal Behavior.

Your lab notebook will be due on the first day of class.

3. Please create a username and password for our textbook’s online website. It contains quizzes on material, additional animations, activities and helpful information. As you finish each assigned chapter, complete the Chapter Quizzes on this Website and submit your scores.

Go to www.phschool.com/access

Follow the simple directions for registering with the following student access code: SSNAST-SNELL-COMIC-ASWAN-GUSTO-CHARD.

Chemistry of Life and The Cell: Chapters 1 through 6

Chapter 1

1. Define biology.

2. Distinguish and briefly describe the TEN levels of biological organization.

3. Distinguish between prokaryotic and eukaryotic cells and name an example of each type of cell.

4. Distinguish between and describe the various approaches (paradigms) used to understand biological systems.

5. Identify and describe the characteristics used to distinguish the THREE domains of biology.

6. Explain how the taxonomic hierarchy used in biology relates to the unity (similarities) and diversity (differences) in organisms.

7. Summarize and explain the interrelationship of the major concepts/components of Darwin’s Theory of Natural Selection.

8. Distinguish discovery based science from hypothesis based science.

9. Describe the role/limitations of controlled experimentation in the process of science.

Chapter 2

1. Distinguish between the components of an atom and explain their role in determining how atoms form compounds.

2. Distinguish between covalent and ionic bonds identifying/distinguishing among the FIVE different types of covalent bonds.

3. Explain the difference between hydrogen bonds and van der Waals forces briefly describing their significance in biological systems.

4. Describe how the shapes of molecules are determined and relate the importance of shape to biological function by describing specific examples.

Chapter 3

1. Distinguish between cohesion and adhesion citing specific examples of their importance in biological systems.

2. Relate the physical properties of water to its biological function as an evaporative coolant and a solvent.

3. Distinguish between hydrophilic and hydrophobic substances. Give examples of each and explain their importance.

4. Distinguish between acids and bases describing their relationship to the dissociation of water.

5. Describe the relationship of buffers to acids and bases and describe why they are used.

6. Explain how the relative strengths of acids and bases are determined.

Chapter 4

1. Distinguish among and give examples of structural isomers, geometric isomers, and enantiomers.

2. Identify the important functional groups (moieties) found in biologically active compounds by describing components of the group, the properties associated with the group, and the name of a specific compound containing that group and its function in an organism.

Chapter 5

1. Distinguish between polymers and monomers.

2. Distinguish between condensation reactions and hydrolysis; describe their importance in terms of the macromolecules found in organisms.

3. Define the roles carbohydrates, lipids, proteins, and lipids play in organisms.

4. Distinguish among the THREE levels of structure found in carbohydrates by identifying TWO examples at each level, describing their function, and drawing their structural formulas.

5. Distinguish between storage and structural polysaccharides by describing their functions and drawing their structural formulas. Identify examples of these in both plants and animals comparing these by recognizing how they are similar and how they are different.

6. Distinguish between saturated and unsaturated fatty acids by describing their structural similarities and differences; relate these to their physical properties.

7. Distinguish among the THREE major classes of lipids by describing their structures. Name examples of each found in a plant and in an animal and briefly describe the role they play in the survival of the organism.

8. Describe the functional components of an amino acid and relate these components make up to the THREE main classes/types of amino acids found in organisms.

9. Define a peptide bond and describe how it is formed. Discuss how it is similar to and how it differs from the bonds used to join carbohydrate components and lipid components when these macromolecules are synthesized.

10. Identify the FOUR levels of protein structure and explain the molecular/chemical interactions responsible for each level of structure.

11. Distinguish normal hemoglobin from sickle cell hemoglobin and explain why sickle cell hemoglobin may provide an survival advantage.

12. Distinguish adult human hemoglobin from fetal hemoglobin and relate the differences in their structure to their functions.

13. Distinguish between denaturation and renaturation of proteins by explaining the conditions that may contribute to their occurrence.

14. Differentiate between DNA and RNA by describing their structural differences and similarities, by their locations and forms, and by their biological functions.

Chapter 6

1. Describe how biologists’ understanding of the cell changed with the development of new technologies by giving specific examples of each new technology and the modification that resulted from its use.

2. Describe the structure and function of the organelles found in a typical prokaryotic cell.

3. Describe the structure and function of the nucleus and its component parts as found in eukaryotic cells.

4. Identify the organelles (and components) that form the endomembrane system of eukaryotic cells by describing their roles in the system.

5. Distinguish between chloroplasts and mitochondria by describing how their structural components allow them to achieve their functions in the eukaryotic cell.

6. Identify the organelles that form the cytoskeleton of the eukaryotic cell by describing the components of each organelle and explain how they can achieve their function.

7. Distinguish between the different types of intercellular junctions in plant and animal cells by describing the relationship between their structures and the function of the cell/tissue in which they are found.

8. Define extracellular matrix and describe how they form different structures in plant and animal cells.

9. Distinguish among plant, animal, and fungal cells.

AP Lab #11: Animal Behavior

This is a formal AP lab which was developed by the American College Board—you should pick up a copy of the handout with this assignment. You must purchase a composition notebook (as you have done for all of your high school science courses) and complete the lab experiment. Be careful to observe and follow all directions. Graphs should be done using rulers. Sentences must be complete, spelling and grammar must be accurate, and handwriting must be legible. Write up your formal lab report as outlined in the course syllabus, you should be familiar with this format from your prior science courses.

‘Pillbugs’ are sometimes called ‘rolly-pollies’. You can find them in your yard. Look under rocks, firewood, woodchips, etc. For more information on these organisms called isopods, access the web and look up isopods and ‘wood lice’.

Petri dishes will not be supplied. You must select appropriate containers for your isopods. A possible choice is the clear plastic containers from the deli or grocery store.

Use paper towels cut to fit the bottoms of your containers. Moisten the paper towels.

For the second part of the experiment (Student Designed Experiment), you may choose from the list of variables given. If you choose pH as a variable, use the skills developed in chemistry to select household substances with varying pH. You may decide to choose a variable that is not listed in this part of the experiment. Feel free to do so, but do not harm the organisms. Release your organisms at the conclusion of your experiment.

BE SURE to record (on a separate piece of paper if necessary) the modifications that you used in this experiment.

DO graph the Student Designed part of the experiment. Use a computer generated graph if you have that skill.

This lab will be due the first day of class. Be prepared to discuss your lab, especially the student-designed portion. You may be asked to write a critique of the procedure at some point, so be sure you understand the qualities of an excellent laboratory experiment. Review the scientific method (in chapter one of the text), and apply its principles to this lab.

Bronxville AP Biology

Thursday, September 30, 2010

The Enactive Mind Link

Current Events The Enactive Mind; Ami Klin et. al

Friday, July 30, 2010

Cloned Livestock Gain a Foothold in Europe

Monday, June 14, 2010

Summer Assignment