How do you fill out Punnett squares? What’s the point?
The point is to figure out which gene is dominant and will have the most likely outcome.
Conclusion: Did it work? Would you do anything differently?
It did work, and I made sure I double-checked before I started working on my zombie(s). I don’t think I would’ve done anything differently, because if I did, then it wouldn’t be technically accurate.
Mash some bananas (no skin) in a zip-lock bag with a splash of water and a small teaspoon of salt.
Strain the solution through a cloth into a beaker.
Add a squirt of dishwashing liquid and stir.
Pour into a test tube.
Place the test tube in a beaker filled with WARM water.
Leave for 10mins. (Begin blog at this time)
Slowly pour 5mL of ethanol down the inside of the test tube.
What have I learnt?
We aren’t allowed to mix ethanol with our experiment or else it will spoil it.
DNA looks cool.
Examples of real-life uses of DNA Extraction:
Forensics
Forensics is a broad specialisation using numerous techniques for DNA, fingerprints, bloodstain patterns, firearms, ballistics, toxicology, and fire debris analysis. Forensic scientists collect, preserve, and analyze evidence during an investigation. Organic extraction (e.g sweat, blood etc techniques are used on all types of forensic samples. (Source: NIJ Nation Institute of Justice)
Vaccination is the administration (like a shot/injection) of a vaccine to help the immune system develop immunity from a disease. Vaccines contain a microorganism or virus in a weakened, live or killed state, or proteins or toxins from the organism. (Source: Springer Link)
A DNA paternity test is virtually 100% accurate at deciding whether a man is another person’s biological father. DNA tests can use cheek swabs or blood tests. You must have the test done in a medical setting if you need results for legal reasons. Paternity tests can determine fatherhood during pregnancy. (Source: Cleveland Clinic)
During science, we started a new subtopic in our Astronomy topic. This time we talked (as you can see by the title) about Mars.
What did we watch?
For the past few periods, we have been watching Wall-E. A classic Disney film about the earth being trashed and humanity living in space, with Wall-E robots cleaning up all of the trash. During this time, however, Wall-E meets Eve after she comes onto Earth searching for life. Then a relationship builds with Wall-E and Eve and the ship being sailed around the galaxy reaches back onto Earth. The humans on the ship see how horrid Earth has become because of the actions that their ancestors (since they’ve been in space Earth for hundreds of years) had done.
What question did we have to think about?
The question we had to think about and analyze throughout the movie was “What do we need as humans to survive?/Could you survive on Mars Why or Why not?” We basically looked at how the spaceship was built and the things lacking on Earth in the movie.
What we need to survive:
Sun – Plants need the Sun for photosynthesis.
(Liquid) Water – So we can quench our thirsts.
Oxygen – So we can turn it into energy via our cells.
Good atmosphere – Protects us from Radiation from the sun & temperature.
Food – So we can survive as humans and we can turn it into energy.
Life (animals and plants) – Plants feed off the sun, fertile soil and water, and humans can feed off of plants as well as animals.
Goldilocks Zone
The Goldilocks Zone is the metaphor for the children’s book “Goldilocks and the Three Bears”. If you aren’t familiar with the book, which most people are. But the whole concept is basically doing everything/having everything just right. The Goldilocks zone is the just right zone for planets that are habitable for humans. This means if they’re too close you’ll burn, and too far you’ll freeze.
Aim: To Understand and remember how to find the South Celestial Pole.
RESEARCH: Youtube-Video
Research Questions:
What does Circumpolar mean? Movement of a star above the horizon at all times in a given latitude.
What is the name of the two stars that point at the Southern Cross? Alpha and Beta Centauri.
How far away from Earth is the brighter star? 8.6 light years away.
What are the names of the stars in the Southern Cross? Acrux (also known as Alpha Crucis), Mimosa (Beta Crucis), Gacrux (Gamma Crucis) and Imai (Delta Crucis).
What is the name of the 5th star in the Southern Cross, which is on the Australian flag? Ginan (Epsilon Crucis).
Method:
Open this site, and copy down (including the pictures if you can) the three different ways of finding the South using the Southern Cross.
a) Draw an imaginary line from the top of the cross to the bottom and extend it 4.5 times. Drop a vertical line from this point, which is the South Celestial Pole (SCP), to the horizon – that place is due south.
b) Extend an imaginary line from the dimmer of the two Pointers to a lone bright star called Achernar. The South Celestial Pole is about halfway along this line. Locate south by dropping a vertical line from the South Celestial Pole to the horizon.
c) Imagine a line connecting the Pointers. Midway along this line, extend another line at a right angle to it, until it meets another line drawn down the long axis of the Southern Cross. The meeting place is the approximate location of the South Celestial Pole. Locate south by dropping a vertical line from here to the horizon.
Results:
Attach a photo of your Starmap with your chosen method drawn on it.
On your copy of a Starmap, find the Pointers and the Southern Cross, and then use one of the methods to draw the way of finding the Southern Celestial Pole.
The highlighter made the scanner blurry, but I assure you both the scanner and paper is okay.
Discussion:
Which method of finding the Southern Celestial Pole do you think would be the easiest to remember, and therefore use outside?
Use Stellarium-web.org to find the Pointers, Southern Cross, and then calculate where the Southern Celestial Pole is.
For Wairarapa Māori, the Southern Cross is called Māhutonga. This is a compound word: Māhu and tonga. What do those two words directly translate into English as? Why is that a good name for the Southern Cross?
For Tainui Māori, the Southern Cross is called Te Punga. What does that translate into English into? Why is that a good name for the Southern Cross?
What are the constellations which are the prow and stern of the Waka? HINT
For our research we completed a truck load of Education Perfect work. For viewers at home who don’t know..
There are seven main part of an eye.
The Cornea – the transparent layer forming the front of the eye.
Pupil – the dark circular opening in the centre of the iris of the eye, which varies in size to regulate the amount of light reaching the retina.
Iris – a flat, coloured, ring–shaped membrane behind the cornea of the eye, with an adjustable circular opening (pupil) in the centre.
Lens – Your pupil lets light into your eye as the muscles of your iris change its shape. The lens in your eye focuses light that passes through your pupil.
Retina – a layer at the back of the eyeball that contains cells sensitive to light, which trigger nerve impulses that pass via the optic nerve to the brain, where a visual image is formed.
Optic Nerve – The optic nerves relay messages from your eyes to your brain to create visual images. They play a really important role in your ability to see.
Vitreous – a transparent, colourless, jelly substance that fills the space between the lens and the retina within the eye.
Method:
1. We cut off the fat around the eye.
2. Cut into the cornea and around the pupil.
3. Scoop out the lense.
4. Attempt to turn the eye inside out.
5. Give the lens to Mr Thorp.
6. Discard gloves and wash hands.
Results:
COMING SOON!
Discussion/Question:
1. Why is the back of the eye reflective? In what other animals is it reflective?
Sometimes the light doesn’t hit the retina so the tapetum lucidum (which is a layer of tissue in the eye) acts as a mirror to bounce it back for a second chance. A handful of animals have the tapetum lucidum, including deer, dogs, cats, cattle, horses and ferrets. Humans don’t, and neither do some other primates. (Reference: NPR)
2. The lens of the eye is convex. This means that it will make light cross over.
3. The optic nerve is where the retina turns into a nerve to connect to the brain. Why does the blind spot disappear?
Because the lens in our eyes is convex. Meaning that our vision crosses into a point, that’s how we can focus on one thing. So if there is nothing crossing over to see the other side, it’ll disappear.
4. Answer these truth/false questions:
Our eyes see an object because it sees the light that bounces (reflects) off the object. True or False (TRUE)
Our eye does all the work when seeing things. True or False (FALSE)
The image the eye sends to the brain is exactly how we see it in real life. True or False (FALSE)
5. What does the brain have to do with the image sent from the eye?
When light hits the retina, cells called photoreceptors turn the light into electrical signals. These electrical signals go from the retina through the optic nerve to the brain. Then the brain turns the signals into the images you see. (Reference: National Eye Institute)
6. What is the difference between Rods and Cones in the retina?
Cones are the compartment of the eye that helps you recognise colour. Meanwhile the Rods in the retina are better at seeing things that move peripheral vision.
7.
8. What colour does not have a wavelength?
Magenta, doesn’t exist because it has no wavelength; there’s no place for it on the colour spectrum. The only reason we see it is because our brain doesn’t like having green (magenta’s complement) between purple and red, so it substitutes a new thing.
Ensure that you’re taking all precautions (apply safety glasses etc).
Set up the Bunsen Burner.
Clean the wire loop in the acid.
Dip the wire loop into the salt of your choice.
Put the salty wire into the blue flame of the Bunsen Burner.
Observe what happens.
Repeat instruction 4 to 7.
Results:
Chemical = Colour
Sodium Hydrogen Carbonate = Yellow
Copper II Sulphate = Light Green
Calcium Chloride = Orange
Sodium Chloride = Yellow
Strontium Chloride = Bright Red
Potassium Chloride = Lilac
Discussion:
What is chemical energy? Chemical Energy is the energy which is stored in the link of chemical compounds, which are molecules and atoms. (Reference byjus)
What is light energy? Is a kinetic energy that makes light visible to human eyes. It is used in things such as lasers, light bulbs and even the sun. (Reference byjus)
What is the wavelength of the different colours from the chemicals?
Red = 650nm or 700nm at it’s limit,
orange 600nm,
yellow 580nm,
green 550nm,
cyan = 500nm,
blue = 450nm,
violet/lilac = 400 at it’s limit. (Reference Britannica)
4. What are other chemicals that make colour in flame tests? All are listed in the Results area.
5. How would you use these to make fireworks, and what chemicals are used when making fireworks? When creating fireworks, the use of Black powder is used. This is a type of gun power made from 75% potassium nitrate (saltpeter), 15% charcoal and 10% Sulfur. (Reference Ontario Science Centre) For the colour however, we use Mineral elements that are listed in the Results area.
