Coming Clean on Sanitation

Attack of the Antibiotic

Another creation by Mystery Student Ruski

Welcome All Viruses

Mystery Student extra credit assignment complete.
Get it???  Take a very close look.
Students, be sure to submit your cartoons for extra credit.

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Cell WebQuest

CELL WEBQUEST
Searching for basic fact....
Check out the following websites and answer the questions

WEBSITE #1  Brainpop - kingdoms
http://www.brainpop.com/science/diversityoflife/sixkingdoms/ 

1.  Scientists used to classify life into two kingdoms - the plant and the animal.  They now classify all life into six different kingdoms.  List the six kingdoms of life and briefly describe each one:

1.       -

2.       -

3.       -

4.       -

5.       -

6.       -

2. What does it mean to be Unicellular?
3. What does it mean to be Multicellular?
4. Are we uni or multi? 
   

WEBSITE#2  Brainpop - cells -

http://www.brainpop.com/science/cellularlifeandgenetics/cells/

2. What is a cell?
3. Cells are categorized as either
1. Prokaryotic -
2. Eukaryotic -
4. Humans are made up of ___________________ cells.
5. Why do different cells in the body look differently?
6. Your body is made up of an estimated ____________________________ cells.  That's enough to stretch around the Earth ______ times.

 WEBSITE #3 - Cellsalive -  

http://www.cellsalive.com/cells/3dcell.htm

CLICK ON “take me to the animation” NOW, CLICK ON “animal cell”

IDENTIFY THE FOLLOWING CELL PARTS IN THE DIAGRAM BELOW (diagram adapted from cellsalive.com) 

1    Which part of the cell surrounds the cell and allows molecules in and out. This cell part also has holes in it and is said to be SEMI-PERMEABLE. ___________________________

An organelle is a specialized cell part that has a specific role to play.  All cells have many organelles in the cyptoplasm (also called the cytosol). 

2   Which organelle contains DNA? __

3   Which organelle is the storage center for food and water? _____

4.  Which organelle provides energy for the cell?______

Now go back and CLICK ON THE “PLANT CELL”. Again, IDENTIFY the cell parts (diagram adapted from cellsalive.com) 

 1. Which organelle is the storage center for food and water?

2. Which part supports the cell?

3. Which part allows substances in and out of the cell?

4. Which organelle contains chlorophyll, which is responsible for photosynthesis (how a plant makes its own food) -

What an Opportunity!

Thanks to  Hana M., I enjoyed a private tour of world class bioimaging and the chance to operate an electron microscope. Absolutely thrilling!  We looked at three electron microscopes, including the Titan Krios - a five million dollar microscope of which there are only fifteen in the world.  What an experience!  Imagine if you could actually view the microbe you're studying right now.  Imagine.

An image of a virus discovered in Yellowston
This was viewed with the Titan Krios

Operating a 1.8 million dollar electron microscope!

Humorous Microbes!

Gary Larson is one of my favorite cartoonists - the creator of the Far Side - a very famous single panel cartoon series.  Satirical, humorous - and always a play on words.  Check out this one that plays on the structure of amoebas.  Do you get it?
Perhaps you're the next Gary Larson.  For extra credit, create a cartoon of a microbe - any kind of microbe - bacteria, protist, virus - anything.  Just make sure the cartoon shows your understanding of both the structure and the function of the microbe.  Have fun and good luck!  Bring it in any time within the next couple of weeks.

Dengue, Anyone?

 A number of days ago, during our investigation of microscopic organisms, I walked into the lab and was overwhelmed with the stench of decay.  Beakers full of dead tubifex worms.  Oooh, nasty!  We disposed of them in a pitcher outside and then pretty much forgot about it. When I finally remembered (many days and rainfalls later) I found it crawling with new life forms! Hundreds of them - all in various stages of development.  Fascinating.  They are now nicely evolving under controlled conditions in the lab.  Let's see what happens.
Here's a short clip on the life cycle of a mosquito


Microscopic view of larvae (180X)

 And..... think twice before you leave water laying out in Singapore!  Fine indeed.