HHHMMMMMMMMMMM!!!!

The pasta is made up of monomers, large molecules made up of smaller molecules, which then in turn creates by linking together a polymer. This is what is known as ‘opposites attract’. When eating the pasta your body is already in the process of digestion: the breaking down of food. In order for your body to use the nutrients provided by the food, which is starch turned into glucose, a process called hydrolysis has to take place.

The water, already present in your body, will help this process along. Water molecules will be added to the polymer in order to breakdown the chain. When this happens, the polymer returns back to monomers, but in this case the starch will be turned into glucose. This is so because the positively charged ends of the polymer will repel the positively charged ends of the hydrogen, thus breaking the chain.

The film March of the Penguins

The film March of the Penguins, was a very heart warming, loving, sad, story. I realized by watching this movie that penguins live a very hard life, not only in the water but on land as well. Also, that there is evident of complete devotion to taking care of their chicks. The nine months they spend facing server climate, predators, starvation, loss and definition of certain things is something that should never be taken likely. In the movie, certain scenes really got to me in a pensive, respectful way.
When I watched the march, which gives the title justice to the movie, it was the first thing that caught my attention. I was amazed at how far they had to walk and how different ways they proceed by either waddling or slidding on their bellies. During a scene where they were walking in the distance, it struck me how human they looked. Their black suits to me looked like to me the outlines of grown men. And I had this realization of that these could possibly be the humans the narrator talked about that once lived here, in the shape and form of the penguins at certain times. It really amazed me.
A sad part which got to me was when some of the eggs were lost. It was so sad seeing the parents lose their unborn child to the frost of the snow. Also, the scene where the mother lost her chick to the harsh winter. I could understand, yet not fully, how sad she must have been. To still have the urge to take care of her child and have it gone must have been overwhelming. Especially, when, their bond was developing.
There was one part where I was amazed to see the baby penguins be so mischievous and full of life. I knew some might not make it, but just knowing that they still had a lot of things to explore was funny as I watched them learn about their surroundings, how to stay warm in a group, defend each other in a pack and their predators. It really was amazing. The time spent with family was a lovely scene and reminded me how animals can have feelings as well, just like humans. We just need time to stop and realize that.

What is biological magnification?

3. What is biological magnification? What is DDT? Explain how the use of DDT is an example of biological magnification?

Biological magnification is when a strong amount of chemicals enter an ecosystem and affects the different trophic levels of a food web. When a pollutant enters the base of a food web, basically the producer, all the other upper levels soon get affected after consuming those who already ate others containing the pollutant and are somehow negatively damaged in the tissues.
DDT (dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane) is a pesticide made of chlorinated organic insecticides used in the USA to kill agricultural pets and mosquitoes carrying malaria. It is an example of such chemicals. It was abundantly used after WWII, but was eventually banned because of the insects growing immune to the pesticide and a large amount of fish being intoxicated. Although it does not grow fast in animals, it is stored in the fatty tissues. If ingested at a steady rate, the DDT will build up inside the animal.
The use of DDT is an example of biological magnificatio. It is a pollutant that became abundant in the trophic levels of a food web and affected other organisms. An example is the shells of bird eggs and making them softer, which resulted in fewer chicks surviving and a decrease on the bird’s population. The birds ate the fish that were infected with the pollutant, and so they themselves were affected in the tissues and passed it on to their young.

Sources:
www.3dchem.com/molecules.asp; Banned Insecticide; updated by Karl Harrison.
http://pmep.cce.cornell.edu/profiles/extoxnet/carbaryl-dicrotophos/ddt-ext.html

Earth's Carrying Capacity

Yes, I do believe that Earth has a carrying capacity and that humans will exceed it.

Certain factors help increase the human population. Medically, new discoveries are being founded every day increasing health, chances of finding a cure for a disease and healthier babies. Health care is also expanding to smaller towns and civilizations where treatment can become available to them. Technology helps living conditions become more comfortable and more relaxed, provide buisnesses to produce more products and help other proffesions such as Hospitals and fishing. Also, with the exception of evolved machinary, farmers are able to produce more food with advanced engines. With these humans become healthier, more relaxed, receive more food and increase in size.

However, if this happens there is a possibility of side effects. The earth could lose whatever natural resources needed for human survival. All of it will become extinguished from past years or of more demand. There is also a chance of over population, where one area becomes to crowded and food scarce. This can cause a decrease in the population. Also, with the high number of people and closer living quaters, disease and other inffections have a more possible way of getting around. Hospistals wont be able to hold every sick person. So with the coming of increase, there is also a coming of decrease at some point and time.

PRO or CON?

In America oil is scarce, causing high gas prices and dependant imports from foreign countries. There is however, one solution: drilling of oil in Alaska. Here, roughly 16 million barrels of oil lie. Most people think that drilling oil from part of Alaska wildlife refuge will harm the environment. This is not completely true.
First of all, the drilling will not harm wildlife as much as people think. Only a small fraction will be infected. The caribou have not decreased but increased since the opening of the oil fields. Their populations have grown. Polar bears in which only one or two, that come in this area to hibernate are not affected what so ever. The birds are also hardly harmed, since only one or two nests locations have been found in the area. Both animal and machines have found a way to work with each other. ‘There is no scientific evidence to suggest that oil development will harm caribou.’(Governor Frank Murkowski (Republican, Alaska) page two)
Secondly, hardly most of the space is being used for drilling. In fact only 8% is being used for drilling oil, leaving the rest for wildlife. Compare it to a small amount of the land, the size of a stamp, compared to the wide range of a normal backyard, will be drilled. The mining is done during the winter, where there are lesser caribou, leaving no traces when the snow melts. The animals see no danger to the machinery and have learned to adapt to the changes. Also, precautions are being made to insure the safety of wildlife. By having double pipes (elevated elbows) the oil fall between the elbows if there is ever an oil leakage.
Thirdly, drilling for oil in Alaska is supported by local inhabitants who have seen first hand what drilling has done to the environment. Some Americans also support it, knowing that jobs would be more available and gas prices would lower nationwide. Scientifically there is no evidence that oil exploration will do harm to the environment and neither the caribou. Along with that, new technology helps to lessen the worry of any wildlife damage.
Oil in Alaska will help both people and animals. It will provide jobs for many people worldwide and lowers gas prices, making it easier on the daily American driver and for overseas affairs to become independent. Most Alaskans support the idea of drilling who have first hand experienced what drilling can do to the land. Scientific utilization shows that oil exploration in Alaska can ‘get along’ with the environment there. Again, I say that drilling should be done in Alaska. True some wildlife will be lost, but not enough to permanently affect the caribou or other animals that live there.

Source citation:
Governor Frank Murkowski (republican, Alaska). “The Alaskan Wilderness: A debate; Opinion Piece I: Pro-Drilling.” Biology Exploring Life: Chapter 35 online activity Science, Technology, & Society. Prentice Hall. 2 November, 2005 <www.phsuccessnet.com>

The Leaping Ball

1) The push of air and how fast it is going at an angle makes the ball jump out of the first glass.

2) The air the person blows would be moving forward, therefore pushing (forcing) the ball to go the way the air moves.

3) Flowing air creates a different type of force, depending on which way, up or down, it goes. Each type has a different result.

4) The second glass would be placed determined on how fast the air blows. For example, the second glass would be placed closer to the first one if the air is moving slow, creating a smaller jump. However, if the air was moving faster, the glasses would be spaced apart creating a larger jump.

5) If air is blown on the near side of the ball, the ball would be pushed upwards, keeping a certain flow in that particular area.

In Class Quiz

Biotic Factors:

1) kudu-lives in Africa

Abiotic Factors:

1) soil- provides nutirents
2) water- provides a sumplement for organisms in the environment.