Mealworm investigation

Tenebrio molitor is the latin name for yellow mealworms, our test subject for this week.  We all agreed to create a maze at home to better understand where this animal goes.
It uses chemical energy DIRECTLY for food--it acts as a decomposer by eating dead things and it acts as a consumer of plant matter so we might call it omnivorous.
This organism is composed of animal cells that have a nucleus.

Field Trip for Tuesday, Feb. 26

Wonderful field trip! Though we never asked them,

PLEASE POST YOUR QUESTIONS IN COMMENTS HERE!

"Climate Change, Disease, Exotics and Humans: The Unique Case of the Oregon Spotted Frog"
Tuesday, Feb. 26, Oregon Zoo, Portland
Dr. Marc P. Hayes, Research Scientist, Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife

In his lecture, “Climate Change, Disease, Exotics and Humans: The Unique Case of the Oregon Spotted Frog,” Hayes describes the Oregon spotted frog as one of the Pacific Northwest's most remarkable amphibians. For a variety of reasons, this beautiful frog is now found in less than 20 percent of its historic range. Hayes tells the important story of the Oregon spotted frog, and how its precipitous decline may lead us to make better environmental choices in the future.

Websites that might be useful:
http://www.californiaherps.com/frogs/pages/r.pretiosa.html
http://www.herpetologynorthwest.org/nwherps/toads-and-frogs/oregon-spotted-frog.html
http://wdfw.wa.gov/wlm/diversty/soc/status/spotfrog/sfrgxsum.htm
http://www.nwf.org/frogwatchUSA/content_decline-11-04.cfm

Cell contest

Left to right going from top to bottom are Maggie; Pavel; Marten; Elizabeth; Ben; and Zoe's cells.

























Here are Jesse, Soleil and Graham's cells (top to bottom)

EXCELLENT EFFORT ALL!

YEAST ALIVE!

Holy moly, did your yeast plate look like this?? You should see them now--under a scope!

Energy exercise for February 19:

All living things need energy. When Mark Dane helped us explore how solar cells and batteries can power lights and motors, we saw that energy is converted to other forms of energy (like radiant/light or mechanical/motion), and that some sources can provide for a long time (as long as it is sunny!). Which was more powerful? Hard to say--think we need more experimentation!

Our lists:
Where does energy come from?
Sun, stars, nuclear reaction--produce thermal/heat and radiation/light energy by nuclear fusion of hydrogen and helium
Nutrients--food is potential energy produced by converting sunlight to chemical energy
wood--as it burns, providing thermal/heat and radiation/light and chemical energy from oxidation
fire, lightning--provide thermal/heat energy and radiation/light
batteries--store potential chemical energy, when used, its electricity
earth's core, the moon, magnetism, electricity--produce mechanical energy

How many forms are there?
Potential energy is stored energy
Kinetic energy is the energy of moving things
Radiant/light, chemical, electrical, thermal/heat, mechanical--describe conversions by some mechanism

Can it be lost?
We said no (8 to 2) it is converted to other forms

We found many conversions during our experimentation with the leds and small motors. The batteries provide electricity for conversion to both light (leds) and mechanical (motors), and the solar cells changed radiation to electricity which did the same things. We also noted that thermal/heat energy often went along with these conversions. You said that energy from a solar cell is more powerful than energy from a battery, what if the sun is not shining for a long period?

WEEKLY CONTEST--watch this space regularly!

Though both Fire and the crystal solution seem to have characteristics of both Living and Non-Living you said neither have cells, therefore they must be considered to be Non-Living.

For March 18: BEST Science Journal (judging will extend to Mar. 24)

First-prize journal will list all the activities we have done this class since it started in February, NEATLY, along with multiple drawings, graphs and write-ups of experiments. The winner will be able to kick back during the last class and have us all serve them snacks while the rest of us toil away...

For March 11: Draw the food web of a small rodent, converting into energy for an owl.  Where does the rodent get its energy?  Where does the rodent's food get its energy? (label all conversions involved)

For March 4: Draw yourself, enjoying your favorite form of energy (label all conversions involved)!

For Feb. 26: Draw a machine that can convert radiant energy to chemical energy.

For Feb. 19: Draw a LIVING CELL from an animal or a plant. A yeast cell would be an excellent subject!

Finally concluding the Living versus Non-Living debate:

This is a rotovirus, above.
Our definition of Living was agreed on by the class, and in general, a definition applies ALL things it describes. For instance, would a chocolate chip cookie be a chocolate chip cookie if it had everything BUT chocolate chip?

You, as a Living thing can: die (respond to environment); reproduce; grow (and develop); change (grow and develop over time); eat (obtain and use energy); defend yourself (respond to environment); and are made of cells (are organized). ALL of these things apply to you.

For the purposes of learning about the nature of our world, it is helpful to define things and use our definitions to understand other things. This CONCEPT of Living things you have constructed can be tested over time and revised when you find it does not work.

Lets assume it does work. You have looked at it and modified it and all seem to agree on it.

From the lists you have made, Fire and the crystal solution do exhibit MOST of the characteristics of Living things, but both lack cells.

ASSIGNMENT 2: We will continue adding to this list!
Q: What are cells?
Microscopic organisms that work and group together to form larger, living cells
The building blocks of life.

Primal forms of life that make up all living things.

Cells
Cells are microscopic things that make up living and dead organisms.

Q: How can one look for cells?
Use an Electron Microscope
With some kind of instrument for magnification. Cell sizes vary.
Use a microscope.

By using a microscope.

Q: List all the characteristics of cells that you can.
All creatures have them, creatures can have just one or they can have trillions, typical size is 10 microns, typical mass is 1 nanogram, cells have internal organs called organelles
1. They reproduce by splitting themselves.
2. They can be specialized into an almost infinite number of tasks to make the whole organism work.
3. Cells can exist as one celled organisms and still do all they need to to function.
4. Cells can use energy.
5. Cells excrete waste after burning energy.
6. Cells can recognize other cells outside of it by using its cell membrane.
7. Cell membrane is a selective barrier.

Usually they are so small that you cannot see them.

Cells are ether eukaryotic or prokaryotic.

They can reproduce
They can grow
They can die
chromosomes (contain cell blueprints)
They have a nucleus
Have a cell wall
Some have a cell membrane
Cytoplasm
Plant cells have chloroplast
Mitochondrion (releases energy)
Vacuoles