Blog #3 Explain what microevolution is? What are the three ways that variation occurs?

Microevoultion is a change in gene frequency within a population. It can also be defined as evolution on a small scale within a single population meaning to narrow our focus down to one branch of the tree of life. However, microevolution means that if an animal or plant produce with another different  species, it produes a new bizzare species. For example, if dogs--like poodle and golden retriever are together and have a dog, the dog will be a mix of both when give birth. Maybe perhaps thousands of years later, dogs and cats will start being together and having their own babies; therefore, making their own animal that was probaly never existed in Earth.

The three ways of how variation occurs of microevolution is mutation, genetic drift, and natural selection. All three of these affect the gene frequencies in a population; mutation can randomly mutate one gene to another. Genetic Drift affects the genetic makeup of the population but it is different from natural selection whereas through an entirely random proess. Genetic Drift doesn't work to produce adaptions even though it is a mechanism of evoultion. For instance, beetles can produce differently when it comes to a different or next generation.  The last way, natural selection is the process by which traits beome more or less common in a population due to consistent effects upon the survival or reproduction of their bearers. (natural selection from wikipedia; internet)

Blog #2 Why is the fossil record hard to interpret?

The fossil record is hard to interpret because there are many different types of fossils and many of the fossils come from different time. However, it is also hard to interpret because of the similarity of the fossils.

 For example, two different sea animals--dolphins and sharks may look a little alike like the shape of it because they are both pretty large and blue; therefore, they are really different. The shark's skeleton is made of cartilage whereas the dolphins' skeleton is made of bone and there are also other different kinds of stuff that one does and the other doesn't do underneath their skins. 

Another reason is because when you see a print that can look like an animal but it isn't....like when a corn has an imprint on it but it isn't considered a fossil because a corn was never alive, so it cannot be dead. 

The fossil record is also hard to define is because it is not complete. Some dates/ages/time period are missing that time of a fossil; there is like a gap at a time period like there was no animal found at that time. Some fossils may still be out in this world, it is really rare and a fossil from the past are too ancient yet there are a lot in the fossil or archeologists.

Semester 2-Blog #1-Why is evolution a theory and not a law?

Why is evolution a theory and not a law?

To begin with, what are the definitions of evolution, theory, and law?

Well, evolution, or change over time, is the process by which modern organisms change over time.

However, a scientific theory is a well-supported testable explanation of phenomena that have occured in the natural world. Additionally, evolutionary theory is a collection of scientific facts,observations, and hypotheses.
Lastly, law is a scientific generaliztion based on experimental observations of physical behavior.

As stated, (evolution) organisms can change overtime; therefore, a theory can only be proven/supported when things has happened in the natural world. For example, Darwin had made numerous observations and gathered evidence that later led him to propose revolutionary hypothesis about the way life changes over time. Evolution is based on the changes of time which is also what a theory is based on to be proven correct.

A law has no contribution with evoultion whatsoever...it even states it in the biology book-the chapter of evoultion. 

Blog #14

What was you favorite activity/topic this year? Why was it a favorite?
What was your least favorite? Why?
If you could change one thing (Not the amount of homework) what would it be and how would you change it?


My favorite activity or topic this year was microscopes because I learned how things look such as bacteria or the stuff growing in an onion or my saliva. It was really interesting how we got to know how to use a microscope because I felt a professional scientist when I was looking at the microscope inside.
Especially the time when we say the pond water moving a little, it was actually the bacteria inside because the pool water was way to dirty so looking at in the microscope was actually a good way to know never to fall inside the pond in whenever you see mainly in the park where the ducks and frogs live in.


My least favorite topic is the meiosis, mitosis, The Kreb's Cycle, and even the Calvin Cycle mainly because there are so much procedures you need to remember and it is hard for me to remember so much when it is about the same thing over and over. All the procedure of the different cycles all confuse me because they are similar. For example, meiosis and mitosis is a little bit similar and so is the word!! It is also hard for me to understand sometimes but not the part when the chromosomes split or anything, yet the process confuses me sometimes. It also confuses me with the words such as NADPH, ADP, ATP and etc.

If I could change one thing in biology class, I would read more and try to understand more about the cycles and the topics that have procedures in it. I would make index cards to keep me understanding better about the process and what they are for. For example, mitosis happens in people's bodies but to me, I think I just have to learn the basics. Basics can describe other stuff like I need to change my toothpaste every six months to keep the bacteria away.

Blog #13 DNA

Blog #13 How has DNA changed how we investigate crimes? What are the two main tests? Describe them

First of all, DNA changed how we investigate crimes drastically compared from before like the 1700s. DNA testing can help women to investigate who raped them by doing a DNA testing if they aren't too embarassed too go get checked. However, DNA testing can help other crimes than rape. For example, it can also help the people who got robbed in their house by seeing if the robber might have left their DNA: their hair, skin cells, saliva, etc. in the house somewhere. DNA has lots of use at a day like this. It can also see if any student touched their teacher's desk so stay away from their stuff when you are suppose to because the teacher can do a DNA testing on her table when she wants to...! Scary, isn't it? DNA helped solve lots of crimes in these modern day; it also helps some other stuff like helping children finding their parents or seeing if that is their biological parent. Therefore, it can also help people see if a person's blood type matches with someone elses to save their life. DNA saves lives, maybe even me someday!!! DNA testing cannot be 100% true, but it can be 99.9% true.

The two main tests of DNA are PCR and RFLP. PCR stands for polymerase whereas RFLP stands for restriction fragment length polymorphism. PCR is a naturally occuring enzyme, a biological macromolecule that catalyzes the formation and repair of DNA. This PCR, differs in reliability and effectiveness and this DNA testing allows you to make multiple copies of a DNA sequence in a short period of time. It's what used for electrophoresis for finger printing and etc. RFLP is another main DNA testing, it provides important information such as screening human DNA for the presence of potentially deleterious genes or providing proof to show the innocenece of one person's crime.

Blog 12 Gregor Mendal and his pea plant experiments.

Look up Gregor Mendel and his pea plant experiments Why does P1 look all alike and F1 looks very different?

Mendal wanted the seed to produce not just by one parent so he joined two different kinds of plant to stop self-pollination.
P1 was all alike beacuse it was the original pair of plants, not making it any different. The generation of the same plants didn't change.
F1 was the opposite which were also called "first filial" having different traits. Mendal also discovered the principle of dominance stating that some alleles are dominant and others are reccessive meaning the F1 plant  has different forms of genes from its parents. The f1 plant produces two types of gametes, the allele for tallness or shortness.

Blog #11 Should we allow people to pick their babies' traits?

In the movie Gattaca, Vincent's mother got to pick Anton's traits mainly because Vincent had heart diseases and she didn't want Anton, the next son of hers to be the same.
I think people/parents should not be able to pick their own babies' traits.
First of all, it is because it is harder to discover whose parents or family the child was from if she/he was lost or is an orphan. It will also be a tragic because of the changes they made that didn't have to be adjustified.
The second reason is because there won't be any natural traits left if one's mother or father always wants a different trait to be replaced.
The next reason is that if parents picked the same trait over and over, won't everyone start looking the same? For example, if parents kept picking the trait to have a widow's peak, then everyone will have a widow's peak. However, if everyone picked every trait the same: the ears, eyes, nose etc, people won't look that different and unique anymore.
Everyone should be unique in their own way and if the kids find out they are, it might be a pretty fascinating information to them. For instance, if I tiny ears (no ear loops) and my friend had the same, my reaction will be like OMG! we both have cool tiny ears!
Another reason is because it won't be fair if the parents always choose the child's decision. It is not the traits that matter, but who the person they really are inside. Parents shouldn't always be making the decision for the children, but let it stay the way it is. Let stuff go the way it is suppose to, go with the flow.