16.Scott+King

7/2/2012 Robert Brown/Robert Hooke Robert Brown was a Scottish Botanist who made important contributions to botany largely through his pioneering use of the microscope. He experimented with Biology and Physics. He invented the Brownian Motion which involved Physics however as Biology he discovered and described the nucleus in plant cells. His biological discovery of the nucleus in plant cells was his major contribution involving Cell Theory. He for one invented the microscopes. He also was the first one to intentionally touch a cell with knowing what he was doing. He invented the test tube shortly after the microscope, and won a nobel prize for his acts. His significance to his findings was that without his discovery of the nucleus cell and cytltoplasmic streaming there would be no knowledge or will be later knowledge of these biological concepts. English biologist Robert Hooke, used the compound microscope for the first time which gave him an advantage as the compound lenses are much more magnified. He also used corks to identify smaller living organisms which he soon discovered as cells. In using the cork, he proved his theory, as cells made up the cork, which he noticed and proved. He discovered that air is perfectly enclosed in litre boxes or cells distinct from one another. When Hooke viewed a thin cutting of cork he discovered empty spaces contained by walls, and termed them //pores, or cells//. The term cells stuck and Hooke gained credit for discovering the building blocks of all life. He also discovered that organisms are made up of so many cells, it is impossible to count all of them. Hooke had ignited the spark of cell theory and set a trend of scientists making discoveries by looking through microscopes on government payroll Without this discovery there would be no future or enhanced knowledge of cells. This finding was extremely significant.
 * Who were they?
 * What was their job?
 * What did they contribute to cell theory?
 * Why was their contribution so important?
 * Robert Brown**
 * Robert Hooke**

7 March 2012 >
 * __//Learning Prep://__**Using the internet students are to research each of part of the plant listed create a table to describe their function.
 * Root, Stem, Axillary bud, Leaf, Flower, Apical Bud, Photosynthetic tissue, Vascular tissue, Mesophyll tissue, Guard cells, Epidermal cells, Palisade mesophyll cells, Spongy mesophyll cells

Second, they take in water and minerals which are needed by all parts of the plants for growth. They also take in oxygen from the soil. || This is also a protective mechanism as it is skin cell which are made up of a few layers,but main function is protection, and water proofing with oils. || Cows Digestive System Dogs Digestive System Cows (herbivores) consist of four chambers if a ruminant. Ruminant being a specialised herbivore which digest cellulose differently to others. The cow in this case consists of four chambers, which have different jobs, digesting cellulose. The dog and the cow both have a caecum, yet the dogs digestive caecum is hardly used. The dog holds only two stomach chambers, compared to the cows consisting of four. The cow has larger molars and premolars as it is a herbivore, and is to grind the food it digests, to perform a physical reaction. The dog has incisors and canines used to tear and cut the meat, as it is a carnivore. The dogs intestines are shorter then the cows due to a lack of digestion of cellulose. The cows intestines are large, increasing surface area. The cows intestines absorb nutrients and minerals, while the dogs are just used for digestion. The cow has a rumen to digest cellulose a lot easier, reasoning for why dogs do not have high levels of cellulose as they do not have organs to digest cellulose.
 * **Structure** || **Function** ||
 * Roots || Roots have two main functions. First, they anchor the plant to the soil in which the plant is growing.
 * Stems || One of the main functions of a stem is to pass water and dissolved minerals from the roots to the leaves. These substances pass through tubes, or vessels, in the stem known as the xylem. A second, closely-related function is to transport food materials manufactured in the leaves to all other parts of the plant. Food materials pass through tubes in the stem known as the phloem. ||
 * Axillary Buds || Evolves at the axel of a leaf on a plant and can become new stems. ||
 * Leafs || Physical platforms in which influence the process of photosynthesis. ||
 * Apical Buds || The apical (Terminal) bud of a plant is the primary growing point located at the apex (tip) of the stem. ||
 * Flowers || Flowers play a key role in pollination. Pollination is the transfer of pollen (containing the male gametes), from the anther of a flower, to the stigma (receptive surface of the female part of the flower) of the same or a different flower. ||
 * Vascular tissue || Conduct water and dissolved minerals. Conduct food and other organic substances. ||
 * Mesophyll tissue || Conduction of substances, Regulation of opening and closing of stomata and Photosynthesis ||
 * Guard cells || they help to regulate the rate of transpiration by opening and closing the stomata thus preventing excessive water loss. ||
 * Epidermal cells || transparent to allow maximum light harvesting and protection.
 * Palisade mesophyll cells || Responsible for photosynthesis because they contain chloroplasts. ||
 * Spongy mesophyll cells || Together with the intercellular air spaces, allow for the interchange of gases. ||
 * Photosynthetic tissue || Influence the natural reaction of photosynthesis consisting of chlorophyll. ||

2 April 2012

__1. What are radioisotopes used for in medicine.__


 * Nuclear medicine uses radiation to provide diagnostic information about the functioning of a person's specific organs, or to treat them. Diagnostic procedures are now routine.
 * Radiotherapy can be used to treat some medical conditions, especially cancer, using radiation to weaken or destroy particular targeted cells.
 * Tens of millions of nuclear medicine procedures are performed each year, and demand for radioisotopes is increasing rapidly.

__2. Provide 3 examples of a radioisotope and list where is used.__

===Diagnosis- Diagnostic techniques in nuclear medicine use radioactive tracers which emit gamma rays from within the body __3. Choose one and describe the process__ ===
 * ===Radiotherapy- Rapidly dividing cells are particularly sensitive to damage by radiation. For this reason, some cancerous growths can be controlled or eliminated by irradiating the area containing the growth. ===
 * ===Biochemical analysis- to detect the presence or absence of some radioactive materials even when they exist in very low concentrations. ===

Radio isotopes that are relatively harmless in the body can be used to image the internal space within the human body, allowing physicians to view internal organs and spot potential health problems faster. Isotopes can be given orally, through injection or inhalation. Once in the body, radio isotopes give off small amounts of radiation that can be read by a camera. A computer puts all these points together to form a coherent picture. **Pro: Useful in Treatment**

Radiation can similarly be used in the treatment of certain illnesses, particularly cancer. When cells rapidly divide (as is the case with cancerous growths) they become more susceptible to radiation. By targeting a specific area within the body with a specified dose of radiation, cancerous cells can be killed while leaving the surrounding tissue intact. This can be accomplished using a machine which sends targeted rays of radiation (usually gamma) to a specific point on the body or through insertion of nuclear isotopes. **Con: Can Have Negative Side Effects**

<span style="display: block; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 90%; text-align: left;">A drawback of radiation therapy is the collateral damage it inevitably causes to surrounding tissue. This can result in mild to severe side effects for the patient, depending on the level of treatment. <span style="display: block; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 90%; text-align: left;">**Con: Contributes to Demand for Nuclear Power**

<span style="display: block; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 90%; text-align: left;">Although the vast majority of nuclear isotopes come from research reactors, they still contribute to overall demand for the existence of a nuclear power industry. Nuclear power remains controversial as concerns over human safety and environmental impact linger. <span style="display: block; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 90%; text-align: left;"> __//**<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">1 May 2012 **// //**Learning Preparation**//__ <span style="display: block; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 90%; text-align: left;"> <span style="display: block; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 90%; text-align: left;">**1.** **Advantages** 1. Having low viscosity, holding the capability of moving freely in the terrestrial environment. 2. High buoyancy, holding the capability to have easy support, rather then having to support their own body in the aquatic environment. 3.Lower level of heat conduction retains heat within the body of an animal from the terrestrial environment.

1. Having high viscosity, having the disadvantage of having to adapt throughout time to help them with the movement within the aquatic environment. 2. Having low buoyancy having to support their bodies with bones and a skeleton within the terrestrial environment. 3. High level of heat conduction influences a lose of heat from their bodies influencing types of hypothermia.
 * Disadvantages**


 * 2.** Fish and aquatic animals have a streamlined body shape to have the capability to cut through the high viscosity aquatic environment to help them move.


 * 3.** Terrestrial/land animals need larger muscles ad bones for support than aquatic animals as there is low buoyancy within the terrestrial environment, causing the animals to support themselves with bones and a skeleton.


 * 4.** The concentration of oxygen higher near the surface than on the bottom of the ocean is due to the availability of light, increasing the ability of photosynthesis and respiration to occur.


 * 6.a)** Marine animals need to adapt to avoid excessive water loss to their aquatic environment of the availability of water and salts within the water. The marine life adapts to either fresh or salt water environments. Terrestrial organisms adapt to avoid excessive water loss depending on the terrestrial environment in which in lives within, as the availability of water varies coming a major problem for organisms in dry environments.
 * b)** Freshwater organisms don’t require similar adaptations as saltwater organisms require the ability to filter the salt water and function within a different environment. Freshwater organisms do not need to have this adaptation, as there is minimum salt levels within freshwater.


 * 7**. Light can only penetrate for a certain limit, at 200 metres deep the light cannot penetrate through to the oceanic floor due to the deep viscosity liquid influencing animals to adapt.


 * 8.** Aquatic organisms do not require mechanisms to regulate their body temperature as the aquatic environment has high conduction of heat, meaning the organisms body warmth is absorbed, having determined effects depending on the depth of the ocean, steady temperatures are more sustained to life.


 * 9. a)** The terrestrial environment consist of two areas/phases which is the land and air. This includes organisms which fly and walk. The aquatic environment is a single area/phase as it is only consists of the water environments.
 * b)** I agree to an extent as terrestrial can be defined as of on, or on dry land whilst aquatic can be defined as water. I agree highly on this statement as it is biologically correct.

8 May 2012


 * Adaptations within an environment.**
 * Students to research the Mosquito Fish (on their wiki).
 * What is its scientific name?
 * Provide a diagram of the mosquito fish.
 * Why was the mosquito fish introduced?
 * What are some of its adaptations.
 * For each adaptation, explain how it improves the mosquito fishes chance of survival?
 * What has this done to the how has this influenced the distribution and abundance of mosquito fish?

1. Scientific Name: 2. 3. Mosquito Fish (Gambusia affinis) were introduced to Australia in 1925, spreading from the northeast coasts south to New South Wales, Southern Australia, and parts of Western Australia by 1934. I t is illegal to release them into the wild or transport them live into any of the states or territories. Mosquitofish were introduced by military and local councils to control mosquito populations, however there has been no evidence that gambusia has had any effect in controlling mosquito populations or mosquito-borne diseases. In fact, studies have shown that gambusia can suffer mortalities if fed only on mosquito larvae, and survivors show poor growth and maturation.
 * //Gambusia Affinis//, western mosquitofish
 * Gambusia Holbrooki eastern mosquitofish

4 and 5. Certain thermal adaptations have allowed them to live in places from [|55° North] to [|44° South], expanding their natural range.
 * Body Part || Adaptation || Purpose ||
 * Mouth || at the end of the snout, symmetrical || open water feeder ||
 * Eyes || small || shallow water fish ||
 * Fins || Large, forked caudal fin || strong, fast swimmer ||
 * Body Shape || torpedo shaped || high speed swimmer ||
 * || flat from side to side || almost invisible from the front and rear, feeds above and below ||
 * || hump backed || stable in fast moving water ||
 * Scales || small || fast swimmer ||
 * Coloration || no markings || safety and ability to swim in the open water ||
 * || countershading – dark on top, light on bottom || less visible to predators above and below ||
 * || false eye spot || predator will attack tail giving fish a greater chance to escape ||

Speckled mosquitofish are native to eastern South America between Brazil and Uruguay. They are a tiny livebearer (family Poeciliidae) and are similar in size and shape to the related //Gambusia holbrooki// (plague minnow or mosquitofish), although they are more yellowish in colour. The males are distinctively speckled with irregular black spots and blotches. Females can grow to 6 cm and males to 2.5 cm in length. Speckled mosquitofish live in still ponds with dense aquatic vegetation. They are hardy and tolerate a wide range of environmental conditions. They mainly eat plant material and sediment. Contrary to popular belief, they do not consume a substantial number of mosquito larvae and have little value in mosquito control. They give birth to live young rather than laying eggs as most fish do, and produce broods of up to 80-100 offspring.

Mosquito fish can withstand conditions that native fish cannot, such as high temperatures and low dissolved oxygen. However, they are sensitive to high salinity. Mosquito fish are able to gulp air from the surface when there is insufficient oxygen in the water.

Females are larger than males, with a more robust belly and dark spots near the vent.

Males are usually significantly smaller than the females and are easily recognised by their modified anal fin (gonopodium), a structure which facilitates internal fertilisation. The species is characterised by having only a single dorsal fin and a large rounded caudal fin. The dorsal fin origin is behind the level of the anal fin origin, distinguishing it from other poecilids.

6. These adaptations effect the mosquito fish abundances and distributions. These adaptations effect their ability of living, their habitat and the food which they eat. The adaptations of temperature variation effects their ability to live in certain areas of lakes, rivers etc. Their scales and shape prevent them from being capable to live in fast moving water, meaning they are to live in quiet rivers and lakes. Their teeth effect what they eat due to the size and significance of molars, premolars and canines. This is also determined due to the shape, and amount of chambers of stomach and intestines.