Evolution

          For many years evolution has been a theory accepted by many people all over the world. Evolution is the cause of diversity in all of the organisms on Earth. Evolution happens when a trait of a species changes causing many differences in organisms over time.  These changes affect not only appearance but there adaptations to their environment.  One of the leading researchers and theorists in the field if evolution is Charles Darwin. Darwin, being a supporter of natural selection, a theory that states: over time organisms will evolve and gain characteristics to help them survive and reproduce.
          Darwin first developed the theory of natural  selection when he went on a five year tour on an expedition to chart coast lines all over the world.  During this voyage Darwin noticed that there was diversity in the multiple habitats that he was seeing. He charted and studied these "noticings" so he could explain exactly what was happening in these locations.  Eventually, he drew his conclusions and developed the theory of natural selection.
          Jean- Baptiste Pierre Antoin de Monet, Chevalair de Lamarck was originally in the military, but got discharged after suffering an injury to the leg. Resulting from his exit of the military, Lamarck began studying medicine and botony.  Lamarck then developed the theory of inheritance of acquired  characteristics. This theory basically means that body parts that are essential to survival grow bigger and stronger, while the body parts that aren't grow smaller and weaker until they aren't there anymore.
          Now, both Darwin and Lamarck studied both sides of evolution, micro-evolution and macro- evolution. Micro- evolution is a change in the population over time there are four different traits that effect micro- evolution, these traits are: Mutation, selection gene flow, and genetic drift. Macro- evolution is a more obvious form of evolution. It is considered macro-evolution when there is an abrupt change in the evolution of a species.

Transformation Lab Review

In the transformation lab the goal was to observe the transformation of bacteria through an injection of Pglo  plasmid, and its effects on its ability to survive antibiotics, and its ability to "glow". A plasmid is a self replicating loop of DNA that contains only a few genes (the ones that you want to test with your experiment). We placed ecoli bacteria on plates covered with different substances, on one plate there was plain agur (yum yum bacteria food!) on another plate was agur and ampicillin (with this we did two plates one with the plasmid and one without the plasmid) on the third plate type we did ampicillin, agur and erabanos. With the ampicillin plate that didn't have the plasmid there was no bacterial growth, the antibiotic killed all of it. However, when the plasmid was injected into the bacteria and put through heat shock treatment (this is to open the bacteria up to accept the plasmid) it was found to fight off the antibiotic. When it was put on the plate containing arabinose it sent the signal for the DNA to start producing the protein to make the bacteria glow. Thus, you have antibiotic resistant, glowing bacteria. :P

DNA Sequencing Lab

During this lab we were decoding DNA sequences between Norm, Abby, Bob, and Carol to find any inconsistencies between the subjects (Abby, Bob, Carol) and the control (Norm)

  This is a graph showing the percent change between each of the subjects. Norm was the control having a "perfect" DNA sequence. Abby, Bob, and Carol all had some sequence error that caused a certain disease, or genetic disorder. The percent of similarity is how close their DNA sequence is to being "perfect." Your probably wondering how you can possibly know what someones DNA sequence is, right? Well you can easily find this out by taking a DNA sample and inserting it into a gel. After you put the sample in the gel you put it through a process called electrophoresis.  The process will separate the DNA  (pushing it to the positive) allowing you to read the sequence, ATG, CTC, and so on.

Frozen Angels??!!!

Hmm... So this whole idea of "designer" babies seems a little.....weird to me. Paying someone else to have YOUR baby just seems a little odd....Isn't a major part of having a child the joy of it being YOURS...