In Class Lab Results:

Here is the current set of data for the in-class labs from this week:

Bean Germination Lab:

• Day 0: 0 sprouted
• Day 1: 1 sprouted in the light, 0 sprouted in the dark
• Day 3: 5 sprouted in the light, 5 sprouted in the dark
• Day 4: 9 in the light, 10 in the dark
• Day 5: 10 in the light, 12 in the dark

Osmosis Lab:

• beaker 1 - initial mass 8.1 g, final mass: 8.8 g
• beaker 2 - initial mass 8.6 g, final mass: 8.7 g
• beaker 3 - initial mass 8.4 g, final mass: 8.1 g

Climate Change

A nice video introduction to global warming from the folks at National Geographic:

Invading Species....

The introduction of species from foreign habitats can be incredibly destructive - check out this video about alien species on the Galapagos islands:



Here, the infamous "Cane toads":


As a break this weekend, check out the following Simpsons episode that involves a bit of species invasion...stay cool KIPPsters.

http://www.wtso.net/movie/398-616_Bart_vs_Australia.html

I'd Like to Renew My Card...What do you mean it's non-renewable?

A link to today's renewable energy video:
http://www.pspb.org/client/wlvt/other/renewableenergy_medium.mp4

To name a successor....

Link to Ecological Succession Video

Quiz Solution Q - 14

Food is limited on the Galapagos islands, so finches must compete for available food. Some birds have beak shapes that give them an advantage in feeding over others. These birds are therefore more likely to survive and pass the traits for these beak shapes to their offspring.

Origins of Life

The classic video about the origins of chemical compounds:

Beaks of Finches

Here is the image of the tools we used for the Beaks of Finches activity. Use this to help you complete the assignment for tomorrow!

Evolution, Naturally.

A brief video on vestigial organs:



Chimpanzee vs. Human genome:

Check out the new resources!

In preparation for the honors test Friday, I have updated the Quizlet body systems quiz with more vocabulary. Check it out!

Let me also suggest you take a look at the link for old Regents exams on the right side of the page. Practice is a great way to improve, and practicing with a large number of test questions together with a focused review is going to go a long way towards helping you improve on tests.

As I have said in class...

• Review actively! Practice writing questions and answering them. Send them to me and I will give you feedback!
• Write down a plan for exactly how you will prepare. Note that I didn't say study - that word has the wrong connotation for most students!
• Follow the "hand it in or show me" rule. If the work you do to prepare can't be handed in to me (on paper) or shown to me (as in a perfect score on Quizlet) then it isn't the right kind of work. 

Get it wrong - write out the mistake - repeat until you get it right every time!

Your Enthusiasm is INFECTIOUS!

Have you been vaccinated against a virus recently? Ever wonder what viruses are and how a vaccine can be made?

Check out the video at the link below:
http://videos.howstuffworks.com/hsw/20161-understanding-viruses-the-phantom-killers-video.htm

Optical Illusions:


Some interesting optical effects from the Exploratorium, a fantastic museum in San Fransciso!
http://www.exploratorium.edu/exhibits/nf_exhibits.html

You're getting on my nerves....

Today we are focused on transmitting signals through nerves. Some videos to illustrate the process:

>



An overview of the nervous system:

Excretory System and (Oops, did I say Quiz?)

Just to reward those of you that check this site regularly, the honors section will be starting class with a vocabulary/structure quiz, including some questions related to disorders. If you know your disorders and circulatory/respiratory parts, you should be fine.

Fine, however, may not be good enough to get an A! If you want to be in great shape, I advise you to make a list of the important terms for each structure and quiz yourself.

Here is a link to a quizlet test:
Quizlet on Body Systems

Kidney Operation:

Disorder Survey - Evaluate your friends!

Hi everyone,

Here is the link to the survey - have fun and fill it out honestly!

Click here to take survey

Respiratory System - How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Breathe

What does an anaconda have to do with magician David Blaine? I leave you to figure that out.

In class, we started at around 16:20. You really should watch the entire thing!


Summary of the respiratory system in action:




The anaconda attacks the world's largest rodent:

Circulatory System Craziness!

Some fun stuff for today's lesson!

First, a look into the components of blood:


Flow of blood through capillaries:


A white blood cell chasing a bacterium:




A 3D model of the heart that can be virtually dissected:
http://thevirtualheart.org/anatomyindex.html

The operation of the heart:


And finally, an overview of the digestive system in case you forgot:


Valve operation: (http://www.arthursclipart.org/medical/circulatory/valves%20in%20vein%203.gif)

A video of the valves in action:

Unit 8 Study Guides - Hot off the Press!

Here are the scans of the study guides you all put together today - thanks for the great effort! I am including links to the guides made by both periods so you can benefit from the efforts of all 40 students in the two sections.

Enjoy!

Period 3 Study Guide
Period 4 Study Guide

Stem Cell Links

Stem cell technology is one of the most active areas in developmental biology. I hope that today's discussion leads you to explore more on your own.

Here are the links we used in today's lesson:

The animation describing differentiation and diseases that might be cured by stem cells can be found here.

Seeds of Hope video about the potential for stem cell technology:
http://www.teachersdomain.org/asset/tdc02_vid_stemcellvid/

Also, here is a good summary video about the process of development from a zygote to a gastrula:

Reproductive Technology videos

Overview on amniocentesis:


In vitro fertilization: