biology week 5 assignments

The Complexity of Life

How do you now suppose new species emerge?

There are four current theories regarding geographic Speciation- allopatric, Peripatric, Parapatric, and Sympatic 

During allopatric speciation, a population splits into two geographically isolated populations due to geographical change. The isolated populations then undergo genotypic and/or phenotypic divergence because they are living under different conditions. Peripatric speciation is actually a type of allopatric speciation that results from isolation. This isolation may be the result of geographic isolation or a single ecological event that terminates most of the population. With such a small gene pool, rare genes are passed down more often, which causes changes in the pre-existing species. During Parapatric Speciation species are not isolated by a physical barrier and instead co-exist yet do not mate across the entire population. The causation factors that contribute to individuals within the population to selectively breed remains unknown Sympatic Speciation sympatic speciation is another type of reproductive isolation. Reproductive isolation may be due to individuals coming into their mating seasons at different times or preference of where to find a mate.

Speciation also occurs through human cultivation and manipulation of the environment.

A rad article

http://www.simonsfoundation.org/quanta/20140604-evolving-with-a-little-help-from-our-friends/

Do you vote for the chicken or the egg?

I think it makes the most sense that the “chicken” egg came first, but that it was a result of speciation from another similar species. I also just like imagining ostriches giving birth to chickens and being totally confused.

biology week 4 assignments

Post your thoughts on how we view animal intelligence?

The belief that humans (or as I like to call us, manimals) are the most significant species on the planet is amazingly human centric. Unfortunately, this as the dominant perception for the last several centuries in the western world has left our imagination and perception stunted by shallow anthropocentrism. This is not to say that when I watch the newest you tube video of cats taking care of human babies that I don't get all weepy eyed! It is exciting to learn how we are similar- biologically and socially to other species. I love learning that we have memories like elephants and enjoy physical humor like orangutans.

Below is a funny little graphic I came across (of course, we occupy the center of the graphic).

Post a comment to a classmate's blog

@ Jessie

I just want to know why we don’t "need”  wings. Even if all we go were a cute little pair of fruit fly wings- i bet my standing asanas would be so much easier if I had the assistance of wings to hold me up.

biology week 3 assignments

·      “99.4% of the most critical DNA sites are identical in human and chimp genes”
What do you make of this?

In 2003, researchers found that 99.5% of the “most critical DNA sites” are identical in human and chimp genes. This information has prompted many researchers to argue that chimps and humans should be brought together under the same umbrella genus.

The argument goes that in terms of life on Earth, humans and chimps are not that different and has prompted researchers to reconsider whether the ancestor of humans, chimpanzees, and bonobos evolved differently since our common ancestry split between 4 million and 7 million years ago. I am interested in the extension of this logic- to consider how genetic similarity confirms common ancestry for humans and different life forms. For example how much DNA do humans share with rats or mangos?   Also, what constitutes “critical DNA” and how does our human-centric perception shape what we consider is critical?

·      Check out the Prokaryotes, Eukaryotes, & Viruses Tutorial
http://www.biology.arizona.edu/cell_bio/tutorials/pev/page2.html


The tutorial was incredibly accessible. After reading the material I took the quiz, and received 5 out of 6. I did not know that viruses were not considered “living.”

Granted I am without a super special microscope that verifies that

viruses are merely genetic information surrounded by a protein coat. I am not sure that that ability to reproduce ought to be a determinate in identifying “life.”

·      Post a comment on one of this morning's discussions

I don't think that I understand autopoiesis- something that is capable of reproducing and maintaining itself, particularly when applied to systems. It seems to have a self- reinforcing logic that ignores external reference. Using the example of a eukaryotic cell and its various biochemical components further confuses me because we know that the cell interacts with the environment. How does autopoiesis consider changes to the cell brought on by the environment?  

·      Post a response to a classmate's blog

@hillary:

Gene expression related to embryonic development blows my mind!!! Seriously, with the rise in so many diseases and disorders we really do not put enough research into the environmental factors that are influencing expression! It dramatically changes the way we approach prenatal health, esp. in communities of color!

Biology week 2 assignments

* Post your thoughts on Evo-Devo

Evolutionary developmental biology, or "evo devo,” is a field of biology that combines the evolutionary and developmental processes of different organisms to determine the ancestral relationship between them. What is interesting about the field is that it addresses both embryonic development and evolution, focusing on how change of and between species develops. What is unique about the knowledge that has been produced from this field is the concept that evolution alters developmental processes to create new structures from already existing gene networks.

For example “evo devo” research led to the discovery that the genes that are involved in making fruit flies and humans are fundamentally the same. Crazy to the western mind! What has come out of this knowledge is a better understanding that the same genes are used over and over again, just in different combinations and contexts to produce incredible diversity.

*How does Darwinism matter to you?

Evolution by natural selection was the central concept Charles Darwin's work. Natural selection is considered by some evolutionists to be the biggest factor to influence the diversity of species and their genomes. However, neo-Darwinists argue that natural selection does not offer a satisfactory explanation for the source of new genetic information from which natural selection could select. Epigenetics offer additional explanations of evolution, focusing on research that demonstrates that what happens during the course of a life span can affect how genes express themselves in future generations. There is growing evidence of genes being transferred not just vertically, from grandparents to parents to offspring, but also horizontally, between organisms. Evidence of horizontal transfer throws a wrench in Darwins theory and muddels are current definitions of species.

Biology Week 1 Assignments

* Post a short bio introducing yourself

Sara is characterized by her obsessive, sometimes inappropriate curiosity. She loves to learn- about most anything really- so long as it strengthens her relationships with others and the universe. With an appreciation for varying ways of thinking, perceiving, and general sense-making, Sara treats everyone as a teacher and every experience as a lesson. She has a unusual sense of humor, lacking in the ability to remember jokes, but constantly cracking them. Really, humor just helps her learn.  All and all, she looks forward to another semester with Proffesor Spears and her ACCHS classmates, only this time learning a thing or two about biology.

* Post your thoughts on one of the discussions in class to your blog.

Unfortunately, since I missed the first week of class I was unable to participate in the first discussion. However, I was very intereseted in the article on synethesia- the neurological  phenomenon in which stimulation of one sensory or cognitive pathway leads to automatic and involuntary experiences in a second sensory or cognitive pathway.

After researching synethesia I learned that approximately one in 27 people has some form of synesthesia. Recent studies show that in the U.S. three times as many women as men have synesthesia. Also, synesthetes are more likely to be left-handed than the general population and appear to have inherited the trait.

Some synesthetes hear, smell, taste or feel pain in color. Others perceive letters and words in color. Some, who possess what researchers call "conceptual synesthesia," see abstract concepts, such as units of time or mathematical operations, as shapes projected either internally or in the space around them. And many synesthetes experience more than one form of the condition.

Perhaps the most rare form of synesthesia includes sensory crossovers that affect their relationship with food and drink. One of the most interesting examples of synesthesia causes  sounds, words and colors all have taste and texture. This sounds very interesting, but there is also a physiological component that causes the brain to send messages to the stomach to dissolve food that is not physically present.

Some of the most recent research on synesthesia says that there is actually an anatomical difference in the neural connections between different sensory parts of the brain. Reseach shows that the nueral connections are more mylienated in people with synesthesia.

week 11 assignments

Last class we discussed the article, 'Most family doctors' have given a patient a placebo drug’ written by Michelle Roberts. The article discusses the practice of family doctors giving placebos to their patients. The article stated that, “in a poll, 97% of 783 GPs admitted that they had recommended a sugar pill or a treatment with no established efficacy for the ailment their patient came in with.”

This article elicited various responses from the class. I felt like the conversation was hampered by our superficial understanding of the definition of placebo and our willingness to distill the various ethical issues associated with the practice of prescribing placebo down to a simple dichotomy of ‘good or bad.’

A placebo, by definition, is intended to deceive the recipient. In drug trial studies the participant consents to being given either the active form of the drug or an inactive sugar pill. Physicians also have the authority to prescribe prescription medication or sugar pills as placebos to their patients with, or without the consent. On occasion, participants in drug efficacy studies or patients given a placebo treatment will have a perceived, subjective or actual improvement in a medical condition, a phenomenon commonly called the placebo effect.

Like many of my classmates I believe that the power of thought greatly influences our capacity to heal. However, I believe that it is ethically problematic to mislead, manipulate or fool patients. Deceiving a patient disempowers them from having agency in their own health. The argument against this may be that they then may not heal, and while this may be true, health care providers still should not exercise this type of control/ power.

Additionally, (though I agree with neither) there is a significant difference between prescribing a sugar pill and prescribing an antibiotic. A sugar pill has little consequences compared to an antibiotic, which indiscriminately kills intestinal flora and weakens the immune system.

The story in class regarding the small child being given ice cream after being injured/ traumatized, illustrated good medicine and proper care- not a placebo or placebo effect.  This example illustrated exactly what good care should look like- the treatment met the physical and physiological needs of the patient and the patient consented to the care.

Biomedicine as practiced in the west, relies heavily on pharmaceuticals even when the function and total effect on the body is often unknown. The mechanism of action of most of the psychiatric drugs being prescribed in the u.s. is unclear and yet one in five adults is now taking at least one psychiatric drug such as antidepressants, antipsychotics and anti-anxiety medications.

Because it is normalized to prescribe and consume drugs that are not fully understood, the practice of prescribing placebos is logical and rational within the western paradigm of healthcare. However, this is not to say that this practice is ethical. In the clinical setting, the use of a placebo without the patient’s knowledge compromises the patient-physician relationship and may result in medical harm to the patient.

This is not to say that placebos should never be used, instead physicians may use placebos for diagnosis or treatment if the patient is informed of and consents to its use. It is always the healthcare providers responsibility to respect the autonomy of their patients.

week 9 assignments

Post your thoughts on the diet suggestions in pH Balance: Acids &Alkalis & Anti-Oxidants:

A couple of years ago I did a cleanse that was based on alkalizing the body. As a group we tested our ph a couple times a day and only consumed a juice of wheat grass, lemon and leafy greens. The others and I had very similar experiences as our bodies became more and more alkaline. We noticed changes in our moods, energy level and ability to digest food.  We noticed that when our bodies were just slightly alkaline we felt our best. I also kicked a parasitic stomach infection that I had had for several months!

Post your thoughts on this evening’s discussions:

In 2004, the average u.s. american person consumed 46 slices of pizza, 66.6 pounds of beef, 
87.7 pounds of chicken, 21.4 gallons of milk, 
31.2 pounds of cheese, 
23.2 pounds of ice cream, 
9.2 pounds of yogurt, 
11.7 pounds of chocolate, 
24.7 pounds of total confectioneries, 
134 pounds of flour in a year. According to a 2010 USDA study, Meats, eggs, and nuts make up 21% of our diets, dairy products make up 9%, flour and cereal products are 24%, added fats and oils are 23%, and caloric sweeteners are 14%. In other words, the foods we know are not good for us (refined carbs, added fats, and added sugars) are what make up about 61% of our diets!

The average u.s. american diet is incredibly acid forming! Because we are dependent upon a food system that was designed for the purposes of capitalist profit through the comodification of food, we eat processed foods heavy in cheap (acid forming) ingredients. Unfortunately, we do not consume enough fresh fruits and veggies to lower our ph balance.

Not suprizingly, on nearly all indicators of mortality, survival, and life expectancy, the United States ranks at or near the bottom among high-income countries.