Reflection

#2
I have both positive and negative inputs about biology blogging over the semester.
My positive input is that It allowed us to be a little bit creative in our writing. We got a variety of choices of things to read and write about. Writing the posts allowed us to use our research skills and teach others about what we've learned. Writing the comments allowed us to enjoy reading what others wrote about and see what they enjoyed about our own postings. Another advantage of blogging is that you can do it right at home on the computer. You don't need to wait a day to bring home notes and textbooks because you have all the sources you need.

Some negative points on blog posting is that it's very easy to fall behind on your posts because it's not something that we're reminded of daily and used to so we often forget to post. Sometimes it was hard finding a topic intersting enough to myself that I could write a couple paragraphs on. Some people may have had a very hard time puting things into their own words. It seemed like a lot of writing for a biology class. Mostly for disadvantages of blogging was that it just became a bit annoying and repetative. Near the end was ok when you could write about personal things. It's easier to write about something you know about already.

All in all it was a cool exprience to use blogging with my classmates and learn a few things however; I don't think I would like to do it again.

Forest Fires

#2

How might forest fires affect reproduction success of plants and animals.


Forest fires affect animals by reducing the amount of successful reproduction. When their habitat is on fire, either they will burn in it, escape and run off, or escape with some sort of damage done to their body. Death of animals will reduce the population which will reduce the amount of reproduction. The animals that stay healthy may have success reproducing. Animals that are affected with burns or disease have a chance of successful reproduction but it's slimmer. Some diseases can be inherited through the offspring. Animals may run off to a place that is not safe. This could either be because of predators or hunters. Narrowing the amount of healthy species is going to affect the reproduction rate and the success of it.
Forest fires affect the success of plant reproduction. Fire will most likely get to all the plants, if it's a big one, as plants can't run away like animals can. Fire damage will not only destroy plants that are already grown, but if can affect the plants to be grown in the future. All the pollution caused from that fire can affect the soil. It would not be as successful reproducing plants if they're planted in an area with too much sunlight, bad soil, and no Oxygen from other plants around. In order to have success in reproducing plants you would need lots of tender love and care to help nourish the grounds for healthy plants to grow there.

Resources-
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fire_ecology

Jaundice-personal connection

#2
For my personal Connection I've chosen Jaundice.

It usually starts by your liver. Your liver breaks down old red blood cells (hemolysis) and releases large amounts of bilirubin (a yellow pigment released when red blood cells are broken down). A normal amount of bilirubin would leave the body as stool but excess of this in the blood is what causes Jaundice. Jaundice causes your skin and the whites of your eyes to turn yellowish. This can occur newborns or premature babies but it should go away for them within a few days or there is treatments to cure it. When Jaundice occurs in adults it could be an indication of liver or gall bladder disease.
In my connection they have Jaundice because of liver failure. Liver failure can be caused from several things. For example; drinking alcohol is very hard on your liver and too much of that can cause failure. The person I know with Jaundice is very close to me and it's a scary thing to see. In her case her liver is failing because her body has been overtaken by cancer. Cancer is in her liver and it's already began to fail. Getting used to yellow eyes instead of pretty whites is hard as its a physical sign and reminder that her body is slowly shutting down.
I would recommend replacing your cigarettes and alcoholic bevergaes for an apple and a bike ride. You may not realize how important it is to keep your body healthy untill you've seen results you don't want to see.

http://bodyandhealth.canada.com/channel_condition_info_details.asp?disease_id=170&channel_id=9&relation_id=10860

Colon Cancer

Cancer is a group of more than a 100 different diseases. They affect the body's basic unit, the cell. Normally, cells divide only when the body needs them to. But cancer causes the cells to become abnormal and divide without control or order. If cells keep dividing when new cells are not needed, a mass of tissue forms. This mass of extra tissue, called a growth or tumour, can be benign or malignant. If the tumour is benign, then there is no risk to the patient and the tumour can be surgically removed. But if the tumour is malignant, then it can cause lots of serious problems. These cells will damage organs and spread rapidly around the entire body.

My grandmother just recovered from colon cancer. The colon is the part of the digestive system where the waste material is stored. Two years ago my grandmother was diagnosed with colon cancer. She was getting weaker and weaker every day. She lost 40 lb of her weight. She knew something was wrong when she found blood in her stools and she turned blue and almost fainted. She was taken to the emergency and was admitted to the hospital. Doctors did blood tests and CT scans and diagnosed her with colon cancer. She had a 12 hour long major surgery to remove the tumour. Following the surgery she had 12 rounds of chemotherapy, which made her very weak and made her loose all her hair. Once her treatments were finished, her hair eventually grew back. The doctor told my grandmother that the cancer had been dealt with, but he asked her to keep coming in for routine check-ups just in case. She still has to deal with side effects like periodic numbness and shivering. Thankfully the cancer has not returned and my grandmother continues to recover from a horrible disease.

References:
Doctor’s web (2010) Information about Cancer.
Colon cancer
http://www.medicinenet.com/colon_cancer/article.htm

#8

Cancer/ Diabetes

Cancer harms the body when damaged cells divide uncontrollably to form lumps or masses of tissue called tumors. Cancer can be inherited from family members or you can even be born with certain mutations that cause cancer later in life. Some cancers can be felt or seen through the skin, a lump on the breast or testicle can be an indicator of cancer in those locations. Some symptoms of cancer are: - fever
- fatigue
- excessive sweating
- anemia
- unexplained weight loss
Treatment depends on the type of cancer, how much its spread, age, health, and additional personal information. There is no single treatment for cancer, cancer treatments usually happen in six stages: - surgery
- radiation
- chemotherapy
- immunotherapy
- hormone therapy
- gene therapy
Cancer has caused pain to individuals and families all over the world and there is hope that one day someone will find the cure for cancer. Some statistics of cancer are: - On average, 3,340 Canadians have been diagnosed with cancer every week
- On average, 1,470 Canadians die of cancer every week.
Diabetes is classed as metabolism, which refers to the way our bodies use digested food for energy and growth. There are three types of diabetes type 1, diabetes type 2, and gestational diabetes. All types of diabetes are treatable except for types 1 and 2 which last a lifetime.
Cancer and diabetes have affected my family for generations. My dad’s side has had many family members diagnosed with cancer and my mom’s side of the family has had their fair shares that’ve been diagnosed with diabetes. My grandma and grandpa both have passed away within less than a year apart from cancer. My aunt and uncle (on my mom’s side) have been both diagnosed with diabetes.

#12

References

(2010) What is Cancer? What Causes Cancer?
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/info/cancer-oncology/whatiscancer.php
(2010) What is diabetes? What causes diabetes?
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/info/diabetes/whatisdiabetes.php

Personal Connection to Bacterial Pneumonia

#10

I first thought something was wrong when at hockey practice I was struggling to catch my breath and was making wheezing sounds. I couldn’t stop coughing over and over, and my fever was through the roof, I had shaking chills, chest pain and was coughing up green mucus. If you’re experiencing these symptoms you might have the respiratory infection of pneumonia. When I had these symptoms at age 12 I went to the hospital and got an x ray on my lungs to see what it was. When they found out it was pneumonia they first treated me with a large amount of Salbutamol, a bronchodilator that caused me to shake. Then I was put on antibiotics until the infection cleared. In my case I had Bacterial pneumonia staphylococcus aureus but other cases include Idiopathic, Parasites, Fungal and Viruses. These infective agents get into the spaces between cells and between alveoli through connecting pores. This invasion causes the body to send white blood cells to the lungs to surround and kill these agents. Cytokines are released to activate the immune system. This leads to the fever, chills, and fatigue common with pneumonia. The neutrophils, bacteria, and fluid from surrounding blood vessels fill the alveoli and interrupt normal oxygen transportation making it hard to breathe. Pneumonia is common in all age groups, and is a leading cause of death among the young, the old, and the chronically ill.

#3

The esophagus is a much needed part in the digestive system. The esophagus is the part of your body that brings the food you swallow to your stomach. At the end of a person’s esophagus near the stomach is a sphincter, which opens and closes as the food goes down. In my dad’s case, when he swallows food his sphincter does not always open, leaving the food sitting backed up in his esophagus. He then has to remove the food himself, and by doing this the acid has left his esophagus extremely scarred.

He has gone in for procedures expanding his throat, but nothing has helped. Last time he went to the doctors they told him the only way for it to possibly be fixed is to completely replace his esophagus, a very timely and costly surgery. We are hoping that there may be a new procedure out soon, so he can eat a full meal and enjoy it without being in pain.

I decided to do breast cancer because my Grandma had this type of cancer, and she is a survivor.
Breast cancer is the most common cancer in women and has the highest death rates due to it. Breast cancer is seen when you have a mammogram and is usually classified as a lump in the breast. Cancer happens when new cells begin to form when they aren’t needed and old or damaged cells don’t die. When this happens they being to clump and form a tumor. Tumors can be non-cancerous or cancerous.
There are many different risk factors, an increase in the chance of developing an illness/disease, the make it more likely for you to get breast cancer. Some can be avoided and some cannot. A few that you can’t avoid are; age, as you grow older the chance of developing breast cancer increases, family health history, If your mother, father, sister or daughter had breast cancer increases your chances as well. Ones that can be avoided include; drinking alcohol, the more you drink the more likely it is for you to get breast cancer, lack of physical activity, the less you do the more likely you will develop breast cancer. But, having one of these factors does not always mean that you will get breast cancer.
Symptoms to take into account are; A lump in/near the breast, change in the size or shape of the breast, dimpling in the skin of the breast, nipple turned inward into the breast, discharge from the nipple (especially if it’s bloody), and/or scaly, red, or swollen skin on the breast, nipple, or arelola.
If you have breast cancer there are many treatment options; surgery, radiation therapy, hormone therapy, chemotherapy, and targeted therapy.
If you suspect that you may have breast cancer, or even if you don’t believe that you do, go to your family doctor and get checked and get it treated as soon as possible. The earlier it is found the easier it is to treat.

Works cited:
http://www.medicinenet.com/breast_cancer/article.htm

Personal connections

#5

This semester we learned about different genetics and talked about DNA. My sister was born prematurely at 24 weeks, so her body wasn't fully done developing. Because she was born early she now has kidney disease, minor problems with her legs and is a little behind on her intellectual development. She is very tiny and a lot smaller than the average 5 year old. Her size could also be because she is Thai; they tend to be smaller anyways. Since her body didn't finish developing, this could cause other problems in the future for her. Most preemies are expected to have learning difficulties, vision and hearing problems, feeding and digestive problems, respiratory problems, and cerebral palsy. Although she has a few problems, she fortunately should be able to lead a pretty normal life.

http://preemies.about.com/od/preemiehealthproblems/a/longtermimpact.htm

Schizophrenia

#14
Imagine hearing voices, having hallucinations, or losing total interest in aspects of your life such as your hygiene or appearance, your family and your friends, your career or schooling. These are some of the things schizophrenic patients, like my uncle; go through on a day to day basis. The cause of this disorder is not completely known, but is assumed to be affected by two different factors. 40% of patients are diagnosed with this disorder due to genetics. If this disorder is hereditary, relatives have and increased 10% chance of developing this order as well. The second assumed cause of schizophrenia is environmental impacts. Studies show that people with schizophrenia in their family are more vulnerable to this disorder, which is then triggered due to environmental causes such as; early parental loss, low oxygen levels during birth or exposure to a virus in your infant years. Because the cause of this disorder is not completely known, there is no cure for this disorder, but there are medicines such as antipsychotic, antidepressant, or anti-anxiety medications to maintain the patients health.
Like most patients, the medicines my uncle is required to take are not enough to maintain his heath, so, like many other schizophrenic’s he receives psychotherapy treatments on a regular basis. With out medicines, psychotherapy treatment, or a combination of both, a schizophrenic can go into relapse mode, which is when their symptoms worsen. When my uncle forgets to take his medicines he does not take good care of himself, and communication is difficult, he also become aggravated easily and is very argumentative. But once they are back on track, and are in a state of remission, they seem as though they are not affected by their disorder and are better able to function in society. Although this disorder can be difficult to handle, you need to constantly provide support so they can stay in a healthy state and live a normal life.

References:
www.cmha.ca
http://psychcentral.com
http://helpguide.org

#9
How volcanic ash does affect us after an eruption? This question has been in my head for weeks after I heard about the flight delay because of volcanic ash. Volcanic ash can is harmful to human health, to our livestock and crops, and to the atmosphere.

The ash can affect the atmosphere in many ways. Firstly, it can turn the sky a hazy and pale yellow colour, and after it turn to gray or black. From it being so dark it makes the temperature go down. Loud thunder and lightning as well as the strong smell of sulfur accompany as the ash falls. Volcanic ash can stay in are atmosphere anywhere from a few week to a few years.

This can be dangerous to our health and food supply, because it can cause tons of damage in many ways for us. If fluoride is present in high concentrations, it can produce a fluorine poisoning and death can occur in livestock that gaze on ash-covered grass. The abrasive texture can cause irritation and scratching of the surface of the eyes. Furthermore, the combination of volcanic ash with moisture in the lungs can create a substance akin to liquid cement.

I just covered some of the effects of that volcanic ash has on us. It has helped my understand of what happen in those place where the volcanic ash drifted too, and how it affect those poor people that lived there. Also what happen to the atmosphere too.

Artificial Selection Affecting Life on the Farm

#19

Artificial selection is very important in my life because I live on a farm. The reason why it plays such a big role in my life is because we raise animals for food and reproduction.
Artificial selection is the process of changing the traits of animals for your own means. So in my experience, we breed cattle by artificial selection so that we get the best for meat. In addition, we raise Limousin cattle so we breed our cows with a Limousin bull. This is because if we took any breed such as Angus, Shetland, Philippine, Albanian, etc than our cattle breed wouldn’t be pure and it’s hard to sell the meat that way when people find out that the meat is not a pure bread because they don't want to purchase meat that is a mixture or more than 1 breed because once the breed is mixed once, it is probable going to mix over and over again because it doesn't have just the original traits anymore which would mean that it's characteristics would keep expanding. This is important because we sell our meat to the neighbourhood since we do not have a wide spread farm to ship out hundreds of head a week. Therefore once our cattle reproduce, we can sell our bulls for good money because they are pure breed and then sell the females to those local families that are waiting to purchase their stock for the freezer.
In conclusion, artifical selection doesn't just affect cattle but affects almost any animal on the farm, unless you are just breeding for a hobby, but then again when you go to sell them for any means, it will be tough if it was just natural selection.

#18
My Dad just recently had his gallbladder removed because he had gallstones. Gallstones are small, pebble-like substances that form in the gallbladder. They are created when bile, stored in the gallbladder, harden into stones. In my Dad’s case, his gallstones formed because his gallbladder did not empty completely or often enough. A major factor that caused his gallbladder to not function normally is because he is overweight. People who are overweight have a higher cholesterol level which reduces gallbladder emptying.My Dad would experience what is called a gallbladder “attack” usually following meals that are high in fat. He would undergo steady pain in his upper abdomen and back between his shoulder blades lasting from 30 minutes to an hour. To treat my Dad’s gallstones he had to have his gallbladder removed, an operation called a cholecystectomy. The surgery was quick and simple. Small incisions were made in his abdomen and a laparoscope was inserted to remove his gallbladder once it was disconnected from the liver, bile ducts, and other surrounding structures. Once my Dad’s surgery was over and he recovered from his anesthetic, he was up and walking around like normal. I was shocked to see how quickly he recovered. I was also surprised to learn that you can live without your gallbladder. This is possible because the bile produced form your liver will pass directly into your small intestine instead of passing through your gallbladder first. It is like skipping a step. Since his surgery, my Dad has never experienced another gallbladder attack.

http://digestive.niddk.nih.gov/ddiseases/pubs/gallstones/

Curriculum

#4

In bio right now we are making posters to hang around the school. My group is doing the poster about the effects of alcohol on the digestive system. Part of the digestive system is the liver. This is used as a storehouse for waste. It filters the toxins out of your body. Alcohol disables the liver to do it’s job properly. A short term effect of this is known as a ‘hang over’. If someone is a heavy drinker there are very serious long term effects. My dad is now a recovering alcoholic. He started drinking at the age of 14 and he is now 50. 2 years ago he stopped drinking completely because the doctor told him he would die if he continued. Long term drinking destroys your liver. Depending on how long you have been drinking for, your liver can slowly repair its self because it is always regenerating. But unfortunately in some cases, like my dad’s, it gets no better, at least not like you would want it to.

Related Topic To Circulatory System

#11

My dad has kidney failure. I blogged earlier about dialysis (a piece of medical equiptment to help keep the blood clean when kidneys can no longer do so). He also has type 2 diabetes and is on 4 shots of insulin per day. He most likely developed kidney failure because he did not take care of himself when he needed to. He would not eat properly, control sugar intake, or take his insulin shots at the right time. This relates to the circulatory system that we have studied in class. If there was any advice that someone should take, it would be to take care of your body while you can, before it gets out of hand.

Seasonal Affective Disorder

#4
Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) is also known as 'Winter Depression' or 'Winter Blues'. This mood disorder occurs when people who have regular or normal mental health during the majority of the year experience depressive symptoms and negative feelings during the winter months.
The mild form of SAD, known as the 'winter blues,' causes discomfort and irritability to and individual, but does not take over there life. The term 'winter blues' can sometimes be misunderstood; some people have less common form of SAD which is summer onset depression. This condition usually begins in late spring or early summer and is gone by winter.
SAD can be a life restricting condition, preventing individuals from coping normally with their daily activities. It may affect their personal, social and professional lives, and severely contradict their original potential.
There is no confirmed cause, but the research is ongoing. SAD has been around for 150 years, but it was just recognized as a disorder in the early 1980's. This disorder is thought to be related to seasonal changes of light. Some researchers say that a “biological internal clock” in the brain regulates our daily activities. This biological clock responds to changes in season, partly because of the changes in light and length of days. Some researchers believe that one may have SAD because of the change in our lifestyles. People used to abide by the sun and moon; be awake and work while the sun is up, sleep while the world is dark. Now that there is technology there is less of the original routines and people don't rest when their bodies tell them to. Other researchers believe that 'neurotransmitters' in the brain that regulate sleep, mood, and appetite are off in individuals with SAD
SAD is a difficult disorder to diagnose. It is often confused with other depressive disorders such as Bipolar disorder. Some symptoms are change in appetite; craving for sweet or starchy foods, weight gain, fatigue, and tendency to oversleep, difficulty concentrating, irritability, avoidance of social situations, feelings of anxiety and despair, and in very severe cases thoughts of suicide. Some people with SAD find that vacationing in southern countries give them relief of their depressive symptoms, this is only temporary though.
Researchers in Ontario believe that only 2% or 3% of people in Ontario have SAD, but 15% have the milder version called 'Winter Blues'. SAD occurs in some children and teens, but mostly in people over the age of 20. The risk of getting SAD decreases with age. SAD is known to be more common in women than in men. Recent studies show that SAD is more common in northern countries where the winter days are shorter because of the restriction of sunlight. Also people at risk for getting SAD are shift workers and urban dwellers who are deprived of natural sunlight in their work environment
If you feel depressed for a long time, if your sleep patterns and appetite change dramatically, and you think suicidal thoughts often, there are many treatments that can be done. Even people with very severe symptoms can find relief after beginning treatment.
People with mild symptoms can be relieved by spending more time outdoors in the sun light, and rearrange their environment to gain maximum sun exposer; trim trees that block sun, and keep curtains and blinds open during the hours of sunlight. You can move your furniture near windows so you sit in the sunlight, adding skylights and having more lamps works as well.
Exercising can help relieve one of stress, it gives you more energy, and helps increase your mental and physical well-being. Many people find that 'Light Therapy' is very affective. This means sitting next to a large artificial light for several minutes everyday. If you are going to begin light therapy you should contact your doctor or a health care professional. Although some people might, it is a very bad idea to try and use tanning bed for light treatments.
Antidepressant medication prescribed for individuals with SAD. They can be very effective and are also a safe way of going about reducing your symptoms. Counseling and therapy are very effective in reducing the symptoms as well. Increasing your daily exposer to light, monitoring what you eat, how you are sleeping, and your exercise levels are the first steps to treating SAD. It is important to learn about the symptoms, even if you don't have SAD, and to know that there is treatment to help people with it so they can live a productive life year-round.

References
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seasonal_affective_disorder
http://www.cmha.ca/BINS/content_page.asp?cid=3-86-93
http://familydoctor.org/online/famdocen/home/common/mentalhealth/depression/267.html

Tourette's Syndrome

#13

Tourette Syndrome is defined as part of a spectrum of tic disorders, which include transient and chronic tics. Tics are movements or sounds that occur unpredictably out of a background of normal motor activity. Tourette's can be movements or inappropriate sayings, or swear words. Each individuals tics are different, and some people have more that one. The cause is unknown, but is both genetic and environmental. Since most cases are mild no treatment is needed. I can relate to Tourette's Syndrome because I have a cousin who has a mild case.

#9
One of my best friends has a heart murmurs. It is when there is an extra heart sounds that produced as a result of turbulent blood flow that is sufficient to produce audible noise.This might be related to either a narrow or leaking valve, or a hole in the wall between the two chambers of the heart or between the two arteries. In the majority of cases there is nothing to worry about, and as they age the the heart murmur would disappear.

Impact of Smoking on the Body

#9
Smoking impacts our body in many ways. It basically affects every single system in our body, from the respiratory to the musculoskeletal system. The only different is how it affect that individual person, because it cause more serious problems for one person than another. It affect male and female the same and differently too. I going to shine some light on how it will affect you and your love ones.

Smoking can affect us all by cause some problems. Firstly, it can cause mood swings and make you feel as if you can act normal with a daily dose of nicotine in your system. Reduces lung function and breathlessness due to swelling and narrowing of the lung airways and excess mucus in the lung passages. Damage to the lining of the arteries, which is thought to be a contributing factor to atherosclerosis(the build-up of fatty deposits on the artery walls). The person is more prone to infections such as pneumonia and influenza. Irritation and inflammation of the stomach and intestines. Also in the long term it can cause cancer, lung diseases, osteoporosis and hip fracture.

The specific effects of smoking on the male body include:
lower sperm count.
Higher percentage of deformed sperm.
Reduced sperm mobility.
Changed levels of male sex hormones
impotence, which may be due to effects of smoking on blood flow and damage to the blood vessels of the penis.

The specific effects of smoking on the female body include:
Reduced fertility.
Menstrual cycle irregularities or absence of menstruation
Menopause reached one or two years earlier
Increased risk of cancer of the cervix
Greatly increased risk of stroke and heart attack if the smoker is aged over 35years and taking the oral contraceptive pill.

Therefore smoking can impact your body in many ways. It can cause serious problems no matter who you are, or how cool you think it is to smoke. Both in the short term and in the long term on both male and female, but it can affect there bodies in different ways.

Who Was Charles Darwin?

#4
Charles Darwin was born February 12, 1809 in England, and died April 19, 1882 also in England. He was an English naturalist. He proved that all species descended from a common ancestor over a very long period of time. He also provided evidence in his book, On the Origin of Species, that evolution occurred because of a pattern called ‘natural selection’. Darwin was educated in medicine, but he decided to oversee it and go on to investigate marine invertebrates. He studied at the University of Cambridge, and then became very passionate about natural science. He went on an almost five year voyage, known as the Voyage of the Beagle, spending most of his time studying the land. He found fossils of animals that were extinct and realized they were very similar to modern animals. This began his fascination in evolution. While he was on the Galapagos Islands he noticed there were many variations of plants and animals of the same type that were in South America. This voyage went all over the world and he studied animals from all over. When he returned to England he came up with four theories; evolution is occurring, evolutionary change was gradual taking thousands or millions of years, the main cause of evolution was natural selection, and every species today came from single original life form through a process called speciation. His theory of evolutionary selection states that variation in a species is completely random. Also, the survival or extinction of an organism, is determined by ‘survival of the fittest’.
On his voyage, Darwin studied finches. These special birds played an important role in his theory to evolution by natural selection. They helped him understand that simple, minute differences can separate an organism into a completely different species.
Charles Darwin was a teacher, a scientist, and a writer. After he published On the Origin of Species, he continued to write on botany, geology, and zoology. He was very passionate about everything he did. Although he was very successful in his studies and many people believed him, I do not agree with what he studied and believed. I am a Christian and do not believe in evolution, more specifically speciation. I do think that evolution with in a species is possible because animals have to adapt to their environments.


References
http://www.lucidcafe.com/library/96feb/darwin.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charles_Darwin
http://www.crystalinks.com/darwin.html

#16
Erythrocytes aka red blood cells make up about 44% of the blood in the human body and is a biconcave disk and takes it colour from pigment hemoglobing. Oxygenated blood is bright red and as oxygen is released the color becomes a darker blue-red. The average male adult has 5.5 million red blood cells per millimetre in his body, while the average female has about 4.5 million red blood cells per millimetre of blood. The red blood cell is specially designed for carrying oxygen through the arteries. A minuscule 2% of dissolved oxygen that enters the blood stream is transported by plasma. A mature red blood cell has no nucleus.Instead each cell is filled with about 280 million molecules of the respiratory pigment called hemoglobin, a molecule containing iron that binds with oxygen. Without hemoglobin oxygen would not be able to travel through the blood. There are two major factors in mammals that play a role in determining when oxygen is picked up and released. The two factors are the concentration of oxygen and the acidity of the surrounding fluid. The concentration of oxygen is usually measured in partial pressure. When the partial pressure of oxygen is low, the bond linking oxygen and hemoglobin weakens. Then the hemoglobin molecule will tend to release it's oxygen molecule(s) that it is carrying. An increase in acidity will also loosen the bond between the oxygen and hemoglobin and lead to the release of oxygen. But the acidity is influenced by the presence of dissolved carbon dioxide.

Effects and Causes of acid rain

#16
Acid rain is a major problem in the world today. Acid rain negatively effects thing such as: Forrest's, soil, freshwater/aquatic life-forms, and other life forms. Soil is severely effected by acid rain, microbes in soil are unable to tolerate changes in low pH's and are killed. The enzymes in the microbes change in shape due to the acid rain and no longer function properly. Forrest's are adversely effected by acid rain because when it rains and the rain is highly acidic the plant can absorb the rain. Another way it is effected is by the nutrients in the soil are killed off and the plants cannot absorb those nutrients it needs to love. It effects aquatic life by changing the pH and aluminum levels in water. At pH's lower than 5 fish eggs will not hatch and the lower pH can also be harmful to older fish. Sometimes fatal! Effects that it has on other life forms such as humans is that when the acid rain evaporates we breath in the acidic gas which can produce cancer. Another way this can happen is by fine particles that can cause cancer and other pre-mature deaths. Those are some of the reason why acid rain is such a major problem in the world today.

Many people believe that acid rain is cause by the pollution from factories and cars, but there is more to it than that. Some of the chemicals incorporated in pollution are: hydrocarbons, carbon monoxide, nitrogen oxides, sulphur oxides, and particulates. Hydrocarbons are made up of burned or partially burned fuels that comes mostlly from vehicles. Carbon monoxide is cause by incomplete cumbustion, and lowers the bloods ability to carry oxygen. Nitrogen oxides are generated when nitrogen in the air reacts with oxygen at the high temperature and pressure inside the engine. mostly comes from jumbo vehicles or delivery trucks. sulphur oxides are emitted from motor vehicles burning fuel containing a high concentration of sulphur. Particulates is soot or smoke made up of particles in the micrometre size range, Particulate matter causes respiratory health effects in humans and animals. These are some of the pollutants that can cause acid rain.

Causes and Effects of Acid Rain

Acid rain is rainfall with a pH level lower than 5.6. This type of pollution is currently debated worldwide due to the potential of it causing environmental damages all across the world. For the last decade or so acid rain has caused destruction to hundreds of lakes and streams in many parts of the world like the United States, Canada, and Europe. Acid rain forms because of the oxides of sulfite and nitrogen mixing with the moisture contained in the air, resulting in the formation of sulfuric and nitric acids. These acids can be released from clouds very far from where it was created.

Sulfur dioxide comes from burning fossil fuels that have sulfur in it. Industrial combustion in steel factories and the processing of crude oil are the biggest producers of the sulfur dioxide gas with almost 70% coming from them. Nitrogen oxide comes from a firing process which is when extremely high temperatures are involved. Driving vehicles is the largest cause of this gas with it being responsible for 43% of it.

The effects of acid rain are terrible. The acid rain seeps into the soil and poisons plants by dissolving the beneficial nutrients and minerals that the plants need to grow. The sulfuric acid in acid rain is also harmful to fish. The acid messes up their ability to take in nutrients, oxygen and salt. When they cant take in these things they either get sick until the pH levels in the water get better or die if the pH level is bad enough. Acid rain also has a big effect on human life. It effects the food we eat and causes the toxic metals to break apart from the compounds they are naturally found in and can enter into our water and make us very sick. These toxic metals are safe when in the compound with other elements but once they come apart it can be very, very dangerous. These are the causes and effecs of Acid rain. So stop polluting our air and save our ecosystems because without them we can not survive.

What is Pneumonia?

For many people, the first thing that pops to their mind when they hear the word pneumonia is that it sounds nothing like it is spelt. This is very true in my opinion, but more importantly you should know that pneumonia can be a very serious illness and potentially deadly. It is an infection in one or both lungs caused by bacteria, viruses, or fungi. Did you know that over 3 million people in the United States develop pneumonia each year? And 5% of these people will die from it. I bet you didn’t know that it is the sixth leading cause of death in the United States either. Well don’t get too scared because in most cases the body’s immune system fights off pneumonia and your back to normal within a decent amount of time.

Pneumonia is caused when bacteria or viruses that are normally present in your mouth, throat, or nose enter your lung. If a person is in a healthy state, their immune system will prevent bacteria or viruses from causing pneumonia in the first place. However, if the person is already experiencing an illness like a cold, pneumonia will develop and invade their body. When the harmful organisms enter the lung, they nestle in the air sacs and passages where the rapidly multiply. The body attempts to fight off the infection and as a result, the lung becomes filled with fluid and puss.

The signs and symptoms an individual will experience when they have pneumonia is a cold with excessive coughing and a sore throat, shaking chills, a high fever, bloody sputum and shortness of breath. Chest pain may occur as well if the outer parts of the lung are infected. This pain is sharp and get worse when taking a deep breath.
People who have had recent viral infections, lung disease, heart disease, swallowing problems, strokes or seizures are at a higher risk for developing pneumonia. Individuals who are alcoholics or drug users are more prone to it as well.

As you can see, pneumonia is more that just a funny spelt word. It can be very serious and potentially life threatening. Many people who have pneumonia just think they are experiencing a really bad cold. For that reason, you should never hesitate to see a doctor even when you think it’s “just a cold”.


http://www.medicinenet.com/pneumonia/article.htm
#18 (coolest person ever)

#1. Intresting Topic in Bio

Leprosy

Have you ever thought of what it would feel like to not have to physically feel anything? People who have leprosy have this problem. They loss total sense of all feelings in every single nerv in their entire body. If you can't feel how do you know when your touching something hot, or very cold? The answer is you can't, most people who have long term leprosy eventually lose hands or feet because they don't know that they are touching something hot enough to burn their hands off. Leprosy isn't highly contagious but there are over a hundred cases per year of it in the United States alone. It's usually found in tropical regions such as Africa and India. The sympotoms of leprosy are muscle weakness, numbness in hands and feet, and lack of feeling if not treated these sympotoms can become very severe. Back before Scientist dicovered a treatment people with leprosy had they used to be sent of to islands as a suclusion away from people who didn't have it. These islands were known as a sort of safe place for people with leprosy, the people there got married and had children as normal people would but when they had the kids they would get them taken away from them because these children would be born without leprosy. Today there is a cure for leprosy and the people can live a full life, without any problems at all. As long as they take their meds and go to doctors apointments.

MARK UPDATE - READ!!!!

Many of your marks are significantly suffering due to not completing blog posts. Overdue blog posts will only be accepted up to the final date of your schedule. Some of you are missing as many as 7 comments and posts. These posts are worth a significant portion of your final grade. Please check your schedule and check that all of your posts and comments are showing on the blog site.

- Mr. Kennedy

How are plants valuable to our society?

In this post, you'll examine the value of plants to our Canadian society. Think of the many uses of plants - currently, historically, culturally, economically, etc - and write a one paragraph response discussing the importance of plants in Canadian society. This post must be submitted before Sunday May 23 to be considered on time.

Therefore, I suggest you get your post done before the long weekend.

Celiac Disease #8

Every 1 in 133 people in North America are diagnosed with Celiac disease. Celiac disease is a digestive disease that damages the small intestine and interferes with absorption of nutrients from food. People diagnosed with Celiac disease become allergic to gluten, a protein found in wheat, rye, oat and barley. Even some medications and vitamins contain gluten. When people with celiac disease eat foods containing gluten, their immune system respond and begin to destroy the villi, which are small thread like structures that cover the small intestine and help to absorb nutrients. Destruction of these villi can lead to the formation of other diseases and eventually death. Celiac is a genetic disease, which means it runs in families and can be passed on to the off springs.

Symptoms of Celiac disease can be very painful and unexplained. Symptoms may occur in the digestive system or in other parts of the body. Short-term symptoms include; vomiting, constipation, weight loss, fatigue, bone loss and even seizures. Some long-term complications are malnutrition, osteoporosis, liver disease and intestine cancer. As you can tell these symptoms are also common for other diseases, this is why Celiac disease is very hard to diagnose. Celiac disease can be diagnosed by blood tests, intestinal biopsy and screening.

Unfortunately there currently aren’t any clinical treatments for Celiac Disease. The only way to control the disease and the symptoms is to go on a gluten-free diet for life. This is an example of what foods a Celiac patient can consume and some foods which he can’t consume.

Allowed Foods

• arrowroot
• buckwheat
• cassava
• corn
• flax
• legumes
• millet
• nuts
• potatoes
• quinoa
• rice
• sorghum
• soy
• tapioca

GLUTEN-CONTAINING INGREDIENTS TO BE AVOIDED

Barley Graham Flour Rye
Bulgar Kamut Semolina
Cereal Binding Malt Spelt (Dinkel)
Couscous Malt Extract Triticale
Durum Malt Flavouring Wheat
Einkorn Malt Syrup Wheat Bran
Oats Wheat Germ
Filler Oat Bran Wheat Starch
Farro Oat Syrup

Processed Foods that May Contain Wheat, Barley, or Rye*

• bouillon cubes, brown rice syrup, candy
• chips/potato chips
• cold cuts, hot dogs, salami, sausage
• communion wafers
• French fries, gravy, imitation fish, rice mixes, sauces
• seasoned tortilla chips, self-basting turkey
• soups, soy sauce, vegetables in sauce

When patients follow a gluten free diet, they can get rid of their symptoms, and even repair any damage that was done to the small intestine. But a gluten free diet is a very hard diet to follow, because the foods which you are allowed to eat should not contain even a bit of gluten. Cross-contamination is a challenge that faces the celiac patient everywhere-at home, while food shopping, and when dining out. So, the foods which are produced or processed in the same facility where other foods containing gluten are produced are not good for the person who is allergic to gluten. This means that even if a product is gluten free and processed in the same factory with other foods, it may contain gluten in trace amounts. For example, a patient should not buy a coffee from Tim Horton’s because cross contamination from other wheat products can occur. Food products can also become cross-contaminated with gluten if they come into contact with gluten. For instance, a knife that was used to cut bread should be washed thoroughly with soap and water before it is used to cut food for a patient with celiac disease. Cross contamination may also occur if bread and vegetables were cut on the same cutting board. So, the safe thing is to buy a food on which it is written gluten free or call the number given on the food label and double check with the manufacturer whether it is gluten free or not.

In conclusion celiac disease is unique in that it is controlled through diet. Patients who have celiac disease can prevent symptoms from returning by adhering to a gluten-free diet. Patients should carefully read the labels of all food products. Food manufacturers are required to clearly state whether their products contain wheat or gluten. If children have celiac disease, their baby-sitters, teachers, and other caretakers should be informed of their conditions. Patients with celiac disease should always ask about ingredients in the food when dining at a restaurant or someone else's home. Patients should consult their doctors and pharmacists before taking any drugs, herbs, or supplements because they may contain gluten. It’s also important to read the labels of cosmetics because even some beauty products, such as lipstick, may contain gluten. It can be challenging and frustrating for someone diagnosed with celiac disease, but if they follow a gluten free diet, they can continue to live a healthy lifestyle.

References:
Family Doctor (2009)Information about celiac disease.
Celiac Disease
http://www.celiac.ca/celiac.php

Information about Celiac Disease. CD. (2008)
http://digestive.niddk.nih.gov/ddiseases/pubs/celiac/
(Diet table copied from this site)

Systemic Lupus Erythematosus

#10

Systemic Lupus Erythematosus or as it is more commonly known as Lupus, is an autoimmune disorder which means the body attacks itself. The body’s immune system attacks the body’s cells and tissues. This can cause joint inflammation, skin rash, nausea swollen glands, and can make the person feel rundown and weak.

I chose to do this disorder because my cousin has been diagnosed with Lupus. From Monday to Wednesday last week his blood platelet levels dropped from 164,000 to 74,000 per microlitre. If blood platelet levels get too low bleeding will occur without clotting. He isn’t allowed to play sports or even go out for recess because of this. For a normal person platelet levels should be at 150,000 to 450,000 per microlitre. They are working on finding the right medication for him but obviously his medicine isn’t working for him yet.

When platelets levels drop it is called Thrombocytopenia. Platelet levels drop in Lupus because of medication, and the disease itself. Lupus causes the body to produce antibodies that attack the protein on the surface of the platelets. They are starting Matthew on Imuran and Prednisone. Imuran is used in autoimmune deseases to inhibit the immune response that is attacking his platelets. Prednisone is a Corticosteroid used to control the symptom of inflammation especially in his joints.

Its strange that Mathew being a twelve year old white boy would have this disease when it is more commonly found in black and Asian women ages 20-30. It is still a common disease, 2 million people in the U.S. alone live with Lupus. The treatment of lupus is different for what organ is most affected and usually consists of medicine like Prednisone, Imuran, Cytoxan, Neoral, Sandimmune, Methotrexate and CellCept. Cytoxan is used to treat the kidney desease which is often associated with Lupus. Neural and Sandimmune are used to treat a membranous type of kidney disease sometimes seen. Methotrexate is commonly used to treat Rheumatoid arthritis but is used to treat the skni rash , organ inflammation and joint inflammation seen in Lupus. CellCept treats chronic Lupus skin conditions and is being studied for use against kidney disease.

Living with Lupus won’t be easy. Matthew will have to put up with flare-ups, a lifelong disease with dependency on a lot of medication. To top all that off the side effects of the medication range from weight gain ,nausea and hair loss to liver damage, kidney failure and even cancer. Hopefully he can live a fairly normal life despite this disease.

Refrences

Systemic lupus erythematosus. (2010). Wikipedia. Retrieved (2010, May 16) from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Systemic_lupus_erythematosus

Erstad, S.E. (2008, May 13). Immunosuppressive medications for lupus. Retrieved from http://www.questdiagnostics.com/kbase/topic/detail/drug/hw123107/detail.htm

Hajj-Ali, R.A. (2008, Febuary). systemic lupus erythematosus (sle). Retrieved from http://www.merck.com/mmhe/sec05/ch068/ch068b.html

Memories

Memory is an organism's ability to store, retain, and recall information. Our memories grow overtime from our experiences and knowledge that we gain. Information flows from the outside world through our sight, hearing, smelling, tasting and touch sensors. There are four parts in which information is stored in the brain:
1.) Sight
2.) Touch
3.) Hearing
4.) Short-term memory
There are also three memory types: 1.) Short-term memory
2.) Long-term memory
3.) Sensory memory
Sensory memory information (the ability to look at an item, and remember what it looked like with just a second of observationis) is stored for a fraction of a second. Then data moves on to short-term memory information (the ability to remember a phone number) which is stored for several seconds to a minute. Finally long-term memory information (the ability to remember how to ride a bike) has much larger quantities of information and is stored for an unlimited amount of time.
Memory can improve through simple lifestyle changes such as exercising, healthy eating, physical fitness and stress reduction into your daily lives.
As we get older our memory of things start to fade, the things we know start to slip away right before our eyes. Some people are diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease.

In conclusion, memories contribute to many things that help us get by on a day to day basis. They help us control our feelings and fix our mistakes. They help us make decisions and view the world in the way you see it. Memories are important to who you are as a person, they make you different from everyone else and without memories you wouldn’t know who you are.

#12

References:

April Holladay (2010) How does human memory work?
http://www.usatoday.com/tech/columnist/aprilholladay/2007-03-12-memory-first_N.htm

Michael Anissimov (2003-2010) How does Human Memory Work?
http://www.wisegeek.com/how-does-human-memory-work.htm

The Increasing Potency of Marijuana

#6

Over the past five decades the levels of the active chemical in marijuana, T.H.C (Tetrahydrocannabinol) has increased drastically. The chemical T.H.C. is found in the trichomes, which are miniscule “mushroom shaped” crystals that grow from the flower of the plant. Growers illegal and legal alike are always striving to increase the level of potency in the plant, and now, with modern science it has become very easy. Government officials and scientist say that the average level of T.H.C. is now over 10%, as opposed to in 1983 when the supposed average level was fewer than 4%. This dramatic increase in T.H.C. levels is a direct result of what is called artificial selection. Artificial selection is defined as the selective breeding by humans of plants or animals in order to preserve selected and desired genetic traits. Artificial selection is used mainly in farming and animal breeding. When it comes to growing marijuana, levels of T.H.C. are increased by breeding two plants of the highest potency available. The result is a second generation with (hopefully) higher levels of T.H.C. than the parent generation. This process is then continued again from the second generation of plants. The plants with the highest levels of T.H.C. are again selected and bred to create a third generation. As the process continues the levels of T.H.C. are increased through each generation and the result is a species that is consistently more potent than the original parent plants. This method is often used in the practice of growing medicinal marijuana, which has become very popular in the west coast. For example: the famous, potent commercial medicinal strain of marijuana named “Grape Ape” was created by Apothecary Genetics and is a hybrid cross between Afghani and Skunk #1 strains of marijuana and is used as a relaxant and for pain relief. The increased potency of marijuana has caused the medicine to have great beneficial effects of people that use it for various reasons. Just imagine someone who has recently suffered the consequences of a car accident. This person may be prescribed various medications such a prozac, oxycontin and other dangerous addictive medications in order to help things such as depression and pain. Now imagine this same person being prescribed medicinal marijuana that can be either smoked or cooked into foods to treat these same conditions. This one naturally occurring plant is able to replace dangerously addictive chemically engineered drug that are distributed by pharmaceuticals across the world.

The same scientists that announced the dramatic increase of potency in marijuana say that although T.H.C. levels are considered very high now, they are only going to increase within the next five to ten years. It is said that in this timeframe level are expected to increase to upwards of about 15 percent on average. Science has turned the growing of marijuana from a natural occurrence to a highly regarded form of art. From artificial selection or horticulture and harvesting the growing of marijuana is only going to do good for the prescribed users of medicinal marijuana. Medicinal marijuana is an increasing form of relief of health problems that range anywhere from chronic pain to depression. Within the following link you can find a diagram of the human body labelling parts and the conditions that affect them that can be helped by medicinal marijuana (http://intraspec.ca/medical-marijuana.php).

References:

http://edition.cnn.com/2009/HEALTH/05/14/marijuana.potency/index.html

http://intraspec.ca/medical-marijuana.php

“How Weed Won the West” (2010) Documentary Directed by Kevin Booth

LMBBS

#14
LMBBS, also known as Laurence-Moon-Bardet-Biedl Syndrome is a disorder discovered by the four doctors listed within the name. The four doctors discovered that five chromosomes, 15, 11, 3, 16 and 20 play a role in this disorder, but it is unknown how.
The symptoms of LMBBS can be primary and secondary. Some primary symptoms of this disorder are; extra fingers and/or toes, obesity, visual imparment, kidney abnormalities. Secondary symptoms for this disorder include; poor coordination, speech problems, diabetes, and delayed development.
Although most of the diagnosis are made at birth, some babies do not show symptoms of this disorder until later on in their lifetime. Every 1 in 100,000 babies are born with this disorder. To be diagnosed, the patient should have either 4 primary symptoms, or three primary symptoms as well as two secondary symptoms, this is because there is no real way to test for this disorder.
Because LMBBS comes with multiple different symptoms, it is mainly a focoused method of treatment. For example, if a child with LMBBS is obese; blind, has two extra fingers, type 2 diabetes and speech problems, the treatment would be based on their wieght, and mantaining their diabetes, helping them learn to cope with poor vision, and their developmental issues.
Although LMBBS is rare, it is still a very diffuclt disorder to have because of all the many symptoms it can cause. Unlike other disorders, LMBBS cases are all different in severity and symptoms with all children who are diagnosed.

References:

Kugler, Mary, (December 23, 2007). Laurence-Moon-Bardet-Biedl Syndrome retrieved May 12, 2010 from About.com website: www.rarediseases.about.com

The Laurence-Moon Bardet-Biedl Family Network,retrieved from: www.mlmorris.com

Hypoglycemia

#7

Hypoglycemia or low blood sugar, is when glucose, an important source of energy for the body that comes from food, drops below normal levels. Carbohydrates are the main source of glucose. This syndrome can be caused by a couple of different things. For example it can be caused by medications, this is the most common way and usually happens to people with type 1 diabetes. Can also be caused by a problem with the pituitary or adrenal glands, the pancreas or the liver. The pituitary gland controls the body’s production of hormones needed to raise the body’s blood sugar levels if they become dangerously low. If these glands are not working properly it can cause hypoglycemia. The liver can cause hypoglycemia by not properly storing carbohydrates or convert them into glucose. Also a tumour on the pancreas can cause this syndrome by too much insulin being released. The last thing that causes hypoglycemia is people who drink too much alcohol.
Hypoglycemia can happen very suddenly, but can be treated easily and quickly by drinking or eating something glucose-rich. If this syndrome goes untreated it can become very serious, it would even lead to death.
In adults and children older then 10, hypoglycemia is uncommon.
You can have hypoglycemia with diabetes or without diabetes. People who have hypoglycemia and do not have diabetes can either have reactive hypoglycemia- occurs within 4 hours of meals or fasting hypoglycemia- often related to an underlying disease.
Hypoglycemia has multiple symptoms some include; hunger, shakiness, nervousness, sweating, light headedness, confusion, anxiety and\or weakness.
Hypoglycemia is easy to avoid, you can meet with a dietitian and design a meal plan that’s right for you to keep your blood sugar at a normal level.
My mother has hypoglycemia, when she has an “attack” she gets shaky, weak, sweaty and nauseous, sometimes resulting in her fainting. These attacks are easy to treat because all she has to do is eat or drink something high in sugar, but when these attacks happen she is unable to move and if no one is around she has to wait for it to be over before she can get food, these attacks usually last about 5 minutes. It’s very easy to avoid these attacks, all she has to do is eat 3 full meals and asnack in between. Usually she can feel the attack coming on so she can get something in her before it happens. To be safe she also carried around a granola bar for munching on. The one thing the dietitian told my mom is that she could never go on a low carb diet because carbs are the only thing that create the sugar that her body doesn’t on it’s own.
In conclusion, hypoglycemia isn’t a serious syndrome unless you don’t treat it right away. If you have hypoglycemia eat regularly and never go on a low carb diet and see a dietitian to get a meal plan.


Bibliography:

http://diabetes.niddk.nih.gov/dm/pubs/hypoglycemia/
http://bodyandhealth.canada.com/condition_info_details.asp?disease_id=73

Kidney Failure

#11

Kidney failure effects thousands of people each year. Each day, an average of 8 Canadians learn that their kidneys have failed. Kidney disease ranks sixth among diseases causing death in Canada. This is a pretty scary thought. This condition may not cross people's minds as a big cause of death in Canada. Awareness is one thing that could always help, in case you feel there is something going wrong in your body.
Kidney failure or Renal failure can not be cured. The only way to control it is by dialyzing, or with a kidney transplant. Many people are faced with doing dialysis 3-6 times a week for 4-8 hours each period. While patients are going through dialysis, they are on a waiting list which could take anywhere from 4 to 6 years to even get called in for the actual operation. In the mean time, people are faced with dialyzing to try and make them feel better.
There are two main types of dialysis. The first is Hemodialysis. In simple terms, the blood is pumped out of the body from the neck or arm and is filtered through a machine. It is cleaned and mixed with a solution, and then pumped back into the body. The other is Peritoneal dialysis. A sterile solution is pumped into the abdomen through a catheter which sits there for a period of time. The solution cleans and gathers waste that the kidneys can not. The waste solution is then pumped out of the body, and repeated again.
Both of these techniques in dialyzing can be done each time in the hospital, or at home. The easier method to do at home would be the Peritoneal dialysis, which the machine is a bit simplier, and less complications occur.
Does kidney failure come with age? No. Kidney failure can come at any time. You can have it when you are born, in the middle of your life, or when you get old. You can chose which technique of dialysis is best for your body and your lifestyle.
There are two main causes of kidney failure. Diabetes and High Blood Pressure. Although there are A LOT more causes then this, these are just what specialists have found to be the most common causes.
If you feel that you are at risk of having or developing this disease, contact your doctor immediately. Some symptoms that you may notice of kidney failure are swollen hands and feet, numbness of hands and feet, itchy skin, fatigue, low urine output (or no urine output in severe cases), frequent urination, altered consciousness, loss of appetite, malnutrition, sores , bad taste in the mouth, nausea, vomiting, muscle cramps and twitches, shortness of breath, high blood pressure, low temperature, seizures, coma, breath smelling like urine, and yellowish-brownish skin tone.
Being aware of this disease is very important to everyone everywhere. Being healthy and safe are factors to keeping you away from diseases such as this. Kidney failure is devastating and tough. Support any local charities for this cause, and think about becoming an organ and tissue donor; they need your help.





http://www.kirkhamandjack.ca/downloads/Canadian%20Stats%20-%20Covered%20Conditions.pdf

http://www.blogger.com/post-create.g?blogID=6496146591554711003

http://www.aurorahealthcare.org/yourhealth/healthgate/getcontent.asp?URLhealthgate=%2211729.html%22

Benefits of Crop Rotation

#17

In southwestern Ontario, there are many farms. A lot of these farms have crops, which they grow. Most farmers grow more than one crop. So to bring out excellent yield for their crops, they rotate them every year when they plant them. On my farm, the crop rotation is usually wheat, corn, soybeans, and back to wheat again. There are many benefits to crop rotation.

A benefit of crop rotation is that it helps prevent weed and bug build-up. If you were to grow the same crop year after year in the same field, the weeds and bugs will learn how to adapt so that they can survive the pesticide and herbicide that gets sprayed on the plants. In doing this, the bugs and weeds can live past your spray, even though your intention of spraying the crop is to get rid of the pests.

Crop rotation also reduces soil erosion. When you get a different crop in the field, you are allowing new roots to grow in the soil, hopefully keeping the soil in place. When harvest season comes, you leave a new cover on the ground, depending on the crop that is being grown. With corn, a decent part of the stalk is left behind after it is harvested. So the roots from those plants are holding the ground in place. It is harder for the ground to move when there is an object in it that it needs to go around, no matter the size.

Not only does crop rotation benefit the crops, it also benefits the soil. Crop rotation prevents soil depletion, meaning that the soil doesn’t get as tired so quickly. Different crops need different nutrients from the soil in order to grow. When you rotate your crops, you are allowing the nutrients that are required to grow plant A, to accumulate and rest, while plant B uses the nutrients that it needs, which are different than plant A’s. In a way, crop rotation is a way for the soil to “recharge” and “rest”, to prepare for the next time that it needs those nutrients.

So while some people may wonder what the benefits of crop rotation are, or why farmers even do it, those are some of the few reasons. Yes, it is probably easier to just plant the same thing in the same field year after year, but farmers aren’t looking for efficiency, they are looking for prosperity. They want to do the things that will bring up a better yield for their crops.

References
http://www.oisat.org/control_methods/cultural__practices/crop_rotation.html
http://www.ca.uky.edu/agc/news/2001/Jan/croprotate.htm
http://dairynutrient.wisc.edu/468/page.php?id=166

Stanley Milgram

#13

Stanley Milgram was born on August 15, 1933 and he is best known for the Milgram Experiment that he did in the 1960’s. The point of his experiment was to measure the willingness of participants to obey an authority figure that instructed them to perform acts that conflicted with their personal conscience.
There were three people that took part in each round of his experiment. One person was the “experimenter” and was played by a stern biology teacher wearing a gray technician’s coat. Another person was the “learner” and lastly there was the “teacher” who was the actual participant because the other two were really actors. The teacher and learner were told that the experiment was a study of memory and learning in different situations. They both took a slip of paper to see who would get which job. Both pieces of paper said teacher so the actor pretended that his paper said learner.
The learner was put in one room and the teacher was put in the next room so they could communicate but not see each other. The teacher was also told that the learner had a heart condition. The teacher was then given an electric shock as an example of what the learner would be getting later. Then the teacher was given a list of word pairs that they had to teach to the learner. The teacher (or participant) then had to read of one word and the learner (or actor) had to guess which word went with it. If the answer was wrong the teacher would have to give a shock to the learner. The shock would increase at a rate of 15 volts for each wrong answer. The teacher believed that the learner was actually receiving the shocks but in reality the learner was not receiving any shocks at all. They would continue answering the questions and with each wrong answer the voltage was increased. After a few shocks the learner would bang on the wall complaining about his heart condition. If the teacher said anything about stopping the experimenter would say things like, 1.“Please continue”, 2.“The experiment requires that you continue”, 3.“It is absolutely essential that you continue,” and 4.“You have no other choice, you must go on.” After many complaints, and a lot of yelling and pleading for the teacher to quit, the learner would stop making all noises and at this point many people would try to stop “teaching.” After being told to continue most people would because they believed they would not be held responsible for whatever happened to the learner. If the participant gave the maximum shock of 450 volts three times then the experiment was over.
When Milgram gathered all of his data he realized that 37 of the 40 participants gave the full 450-volt shock. Since they were not going to be held responsible for the welfare of the learner, very few people actually stopped.
Although this experiment raised a lot of questions about the ethics of scientific experiments Milgram wanted to see if the average citizen, would do harm to another “average citizen” if someone of higher authority told them to. Overall Milgram was trying to prove whether or not war criminals from world war two could be held responsible for all of the awful things that happened in concentration camps. Was it really their fault or were they only following orders?


Stanley Milgram, Wikipedia, 2010-05-09
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stanley_Milgram

Milgram Experiment, Wikipedia, 2010-05-09
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Milgram_experiment

Stanley Milgram Experiment (1961), 2010-05-09
http://www.experiment-resources.com/stanley-milgram-experiment.html

Do we need Animal testing?

#3

Is animal testing really necessary? Is there any alternative to testing products on innocent animals? How many products are still tested on animals today? Can animal testing actually benefit humans? These are a few of the frequently asked questions by everyday people. Before these questions can be answered people need to look at the advantages and disadvantages of experimental testing of animals.

The cost of animal testing is extremely high, every animal must have food, housing, and be cared for. In the year 1999 over 1.7 million animals were tested on. The types of products that they use to test on animals are cosmetics, personal care products, medicinal products, and household cleaners. One of the arguments against animal testing is that harming or killing animals just to test makeup or household cleaners is going too far. To test these products they will rub the products in the animal’s eyes or on shaved skin to see how they react. Yet, some research has proven that these tests are not always accurate. Tests have shown that some animals will act differently under stress, and being in and unnatural environment causes a great deal of stress. Some sciences suggest that the product being tested may have different effects in the animals as they would in a human being. The types of animals these harmful and useless products are tested on are rats, mice, hamsters, gerbils, birds, dog, fish, rabbits, cats, sometimes monkeys and other primates. One of the major disadvantages of animal testing is the fact that there is other ways to test these products. One new method is called “EpiDerm” or “EPISKIN”. These new ways are cultures of human skin cells, which will replace the testing on the skin of rabbits.

If animal testing is still being used there must be some important advantages on its side. Without the testing on animals we would not have any medication to cure us. The scientists usually test the products on the animals when they think they may have found a cure for a certain disease. The test will tell them if it actually works and let them know if they need to get approval for the drug. Some people will argue the fact that the animals they use in the lab are produced just for experimental purposes. For example they use rats because rats have a very large litter of 10-12 babies, which they use only the babies for the testing.

People say the cost is too must, but others debate isn’t it worth your health and safety. Nobody can put a price on finding the cure to cancer, or AIDS.
Everybody has their own opinion on the topic of animal testing. There are many advantages and disadvantages to testing on animals; for example medical uses vs. the extreme cruelty and killings to the innocent animals. As far as animal testing goes in Canada it is not illegal and is regulated by authorities. The benefit of animal testing is too important to the scientists to stop the testing.

References

(2005), Global Action Network, What’s wrong with testing on animals? http://www.gan.ca/lifestyle/animal+testing/index.en.html

(2000-2010), About Animal Testing, Using Animals For Testing: Pro’s versus Con’s http://www.aboutanimaltesting.co.uk/using-animals-testing-pros-versus-cons.html

Dana BIdnall (2005), Alive Publishing Group, Animal Testing
http://www.alive.com/6261a15a2.php?subject_bread_cramb=170

Peta Media Center, Government-Required Animal Testing : Overview http://www.peta.org/MC/factsheet_display.asp?ID=125

How Fish Can Breathe Underwater

#19

Most people would say that fish have the ability to breathe underwater because of their gills, and in which is true, however, have you wondered why their gills have such ability? Or how it is even possible? Or maybe even how they work?
The difference between fish and other animals is its respiratory system. In addition, they use their gills to take out oxygen from the water. This then leads to the whole breathing process, which starts with the mouth. The mouth opens and closes to force the water back through the gills to breathe.
After the water transfers through the mouth, it continues past gill rakers which is just a filter system for the gills that strains the water to separate the floating food particles or other contaminated material.
Furthermore, the gills are made of two rows of gill filaments. These filaments are very thin membranes that stick out into the water and are composed of rows upon rows of lamellae, which are thin membranes that are loaded with a capillary network. The water then flows across the lamellae, and oxygen and carbon dioxide are exchanged through the capillary membrane. Overall, the fish then can extract up to 85% of oxygen in the water.
After understanding the method of the fish’s ability to breathe underwater, others may wonder why humans don’t have the same opportunity. Yes, we don’t have gills, but we do have lungs and the fish’s gills are their lungs. This is because our lungs do not have enough surface area to absorb enough oxygen from the water. Therefore, the lining in out lungs is adapted to handle air rather than water.

References

http://science.howstuffworks.com/question386.htm

http://www.essortment.com/all/howdofishbrea_rlyl.htm

Is pollution impacting our breathing?

Research and write a response (1 paragraph) about the impact of pollution on human breathing and air quality. You may choose to talk about sources of pollution, gases in the atmosphere, diseases caused by poor air quality, the physiological responses to pollution, or other relevant topics.

This comment must be submitted by Wednesday, May 5.



Mr. Kennedy