Green Human!!!! AHHHHHH! =P

 Link#1 Link#2

     Most all of us understand that plants make their own food through photosynthesis. Plants contain a green pigment known as chlorophyll. Chlorophyll resides deep in the plant cell connected to a chloroplast membrane. When struck by photons of light they become excited due to a pair of electrons that has attached itself. Chlorophyll is one of many molecules that work together as a team to harvest electrons. Which leads to the creation of ATP. These electrons may also receive another jolt from the chlorophyll. These electrons split hydrogen from water, leaving molecular oxygen and therefore creates (NADPH + H+). Each photosynthetic event yields 2 ATP and 1 (NADPH + H+)

• BUT THE REAL QUESTION IS....                                                                                                        How could scientists create a green human? Is it possible? Can it be done? 

     We all see and hear on the news how our world will someday have nothing left. Not food to eat, or to grow so where does that leave us when this disaster strikes!!! It's obvious we will not be alive then, but the world is running our of resources and there's only one way to be sure that we will live through it all. And that is by becoming GREEN!!! I don't mean by recycling and being conservative although this would help our world a lot. I simply mean becoming nearly plant like!!!
    Becoming advanced in our ways to make our own food from energy particularly from the sun is the goal that is trying to be reached, we eat to consume the necessary nutrients for our body to create energy. And that is exactly what scientists are experimenting with. A photosynthetic human is what it is being called. Biochemical processes and their cellular components are being engineered into experimental green organisms. In plants Cellular Respiration is the process of breaking down sugars for energy and although as humans we already go through this process if a green human was to be created this aspect would increase as there would be no intake from food, but energy would contribute to this process. Cellular Respiration occurs in both eukaryotic and prokaryotic cells. There are three main stages, which include glycolysis, the citric acid cycle, and electron transport. These all contribute to cellular respiration and would be a major part to the creation of a green human.
     So although only time will tell if this drastic change will occur the aspects behind this process our very in depth and vast and all things have to be taken into consideration.

So who's to say... Will you be the next "Green Human?"

Phenylketonuria!!!! Umm... What a WORD!!!

-Link #1 -Link #2 -Link #3
     Phenylketonuria, now that is a mouth full and frankly phenylketonuria is a word I have never heard of. (until today!!!)  I'm not exactly sure how to say this disease either, but I know one thing for sure it is abbreviated with the letters PKU!!! So you know what they say when you don't know something look it up and that's what I have just done. RESEARCH TIME!!!

Phenylketonuria Defined:
     Phenylketonuria (PKU) is a genetic disorder that is the body's inability to utilize the essential amino acids the body requires. The body is unable to process the amino acids which are basic building block for all body proteins. The essential amino acids our bodies require can only be obtained from the food we consume. In classic PKU the enzyme that breaks down phenylalanine hydroxylase, is completely or nearly completely deficient. This enzyme normally converts phenylalanine to another amino acid, known as tyrosine. Without this enzyme, phenylalanine and the chemicals it uses to break food down accumulates in the other enzyme routes in blood and body tissues. Hyperphenylalaninemia means elevated blood phenylalanine, although it us usually used to describe many other disorders rather then just PKU. Partial deficiency of the phenylalanine breakdown enzyme or the lack of another enzyme causes these other disorders as this is important to the processing of the amino acids. Blood phenylalanine levels that are normal within the human body is 1mg/dl, however in PKU, levels may range from 6 to 80mg/dl, but are usually greater than 30. High levels of pheylalanine and its breakdown products can cause significant brain problems.
Causes:
     PKU is inherited in a recessive way. This means an affected person inherited two traits for the disorder, one from both the mother and father. A person with one trait for the disorder, is called a possible carrier for PKU. Carriers do not have symptoms of PKU, but they can pass it to their children.

Symptoms:
     Children that are born with PKU appear normal at birth and have no noticeable symptoms to begin with. Many have blue eyes and lighter hair and paler skin than other family members. Most symptoms of untreated PKU are avoided by newborn screening, early identification, and management. However untreated PKU symptoms in infants consist of vomiting, irritability, an eczema-like rash, and a mousy odor to the urine. About 50% of untreated infants have early symptoms, some also have signs of nervous system function problems, such as increased muscle tone, and more active muscle tendon reflexes. Later, severe brain problems occur, such as mental retardation and seizures.

Enzyme Lab!!!! YAY!!! =P

Enzyme Lab

In this particular lab we were testing the reactions of enzymes. Filling a beaker tube with water and H2O2 is how we began this experiment. We then added drops of yeast to the experiment depending on the solution the yeast was to be added to. The reactions of the yeast result in pressure within the beaker. Then after we set up our lab stations, we connected a pressure sensor onto the beaker, kind of like a cork. We recorded the data using Logger Pro on our mac books to see and record the change and results of the pressure. We then measured the pressure within the beaker tube over a 3 minute time spanned and graphed the change in the rate.

In this first testing session my group and I tested the solution with different amounts of yeast added to the mixture. We soon realized that the most reaction occurred from the solution with 45 drops of yeast. The more yeast the greater the increase in pressure.

 

In this next experiment we tested how the same amount of drops of yeast would react with the different temperatures of the original solution. It reacted most at a warm 38 Degrees.

 

In this final experiment we tested the pressure within the solution with different amounts of pH. We observed that there was less reactions occurring when the pH level was at 7, but more at the pH level of 4.

Photosynthesis "Dry Lab"

Materials

-Water

-5 Beakers

-Bromothymol Blue

-3 Elodea (Aquarium Plants)

-Aquarium

-Straws

-3 Snails

-Light Area

-Dark Area

Procedure

These tests are to be done at room temperature, using 50 pipette drops of Bromothymol Blue in 100 ml of water preferably done in a secure lab area.

Step 1: Fill a beaker with both water and Bromothymol Blue in the same beaker so that they may be combined. Observe the color and record your noticings.

Step 2: Get a different beaker and fill it with both water and Bromothymol Blue once again. However after add an aquarium snail to the mixture and observe the color after 3 hours of resting. (Record Observations)

Step 3: Fill another beaker once again with the same mixture of water and add Bromothymol Blue, then add Elodea. Once the Elodea has been added place this in a proper science testing area under light and observe the color after 3 hours of resting.

 Step 4: Fill the last 2 of the 5 beakers with water and Bromothymol Blue to each of them. Place an aquarium snail and an Elodea in both of the beakers. After adding the necessary aspects place one beaker in a lit area and the other in a dark area. Let them rest for 3 hours then observe the colors.

  

Results

Step 1 Results: Water combined with Bromothymol Blue results in a blue-green mixture of color due to the fact that the oxygen in the water that is being released turns the Bromothymol Blue a blue-green color. 

 
Step 2 Results: Water combined with Bromothymol Blue plus the addition of an aquarium snail turns the solution yellow. This is due to the fact that animals respire in the form of carbon dioxide, which in water becomes carbonic acid. Therefor this turns the solution yellow.

  

Step 3 Results. Water combined with bromothymol blue plus an elodea (aquarium plant) results in a blue-green solution in light because green plants photosynthesize in the light and respire constantly.

Step 4 Results:
In light: Water combined with Bromothymol Blue with the addition of a snail and elodea results in a blue-green color in light because the plant photosynthesizes.

In dark: Water combined with Bromothymol Blue plus a snail and elodea results in a yellow solution in the dark because there is no light therefor the plant has no light for photosynthesis.

Diffusion & Osmosis Lab!!! YAY!!!

Whoo! So exciting!!!

 So...... The day we started our diffusion and osmosis lab i was so excited, until the next day i was to sick to even get out of bed!!! That resulted in me not seeing the results of our experiment. So sadly I did absolutely terrible on our 3 question quiz!!! So in this post I'm going to make up for it by showing you what I really do know and understand about this topic!!! =)

My group and I started out by filling a cup full of distilled water, then added about 4mL of IKI (iodine) and tested the brownish solution with an indicator strip. Our strip came up with a green turquoise result meaning there was no glucose present. We then took a dialysis tube, tied one end of it, and filled it with about 15mL of 15% glucose/1% starch solution. The glucose, starch solution was clear in color but apparently tested positive for glucose. We took the tube and tied the other end of it and placed it in the IKI solution.

POISONS!!!!!! Arsenic!!! HaHaHa

http://periodic.lanl.gov/elements/33.html
http://www.essortment.com/all/arsenicpoisonin_rljn.htm

ARSENIC
     Arsenic is a very toxic substance that can be found in a variety of substances such as foods, water, and household products. Laundry detergent, sea food, and beer are a few items that arsenic can be consumed from. Arsenic is very common in rat and other pet poisonings, and can kill nearly all living things that consume it if medical attention is not seeked out immediately.

SYMPTOMS
     Symptoms of arsenic poisoning begin with headaches, confusion and drowsiness. As the poisoning develops, convulsions and changes in fingernail pigmentation may occur. When the poisoning becomes acute, symptoms may include diarrhea, vomiting, blood in the urine, cramping muscles, hair loss, stomach pain, and more convulsions. The organs of the body that are usually affected by arsenic poisoning are the lungs, skin, kidneys, and liver. The final outcome of arsenic posioning can be a coma or death.

CANCER
     The causes of cancer vary in opinion, but it has been researched that arsenic may be suspected as the cause of some types of cancer. Skin cancer, liver cancer, lung cancer, cancer of the lymphatic system, and scrotal cancer in men are some cancers that may occur do to exposure of arsenic


PROPERTIES      In its purest form arsenic is a steel gray, very brittle, crystalline, semimetallic solid, and it tarnishes in air. When arsenic is heated it rapidly oxidizes to arsenous oxide, which smells to most like garlic.
Arsenic is often used in bronzing, pyrotechny, and for hardening and improving the sphericity of shot.

Atomic Number:	33		Atomic Radius:	125 pm
Atomic Symbol:	As		Melting Point:	817 �C
Atomic Weight:	74.9216		Boiling Point:	603 �C