Biotechnology and Genetics Blog Post

CLONING

What is Cloning?

Cloning is when two organisms have the exact same copy of genetics and every part of them is identical to one another. Clones can happen naturally in life as identical twins are one of the known examples of cloning. Cloning can also be artificial as some tests for copying exact genes are done in labs. Cloning was first heard of when Dolly the Sheep came to be in 1997. Artificial cloning has been around for way longer but there are two different ways to make an exact genetic copy of organism’s in a lab: Artificial Embryo Twinning and Somatic Cell Nuclear Transfer. The difference between these two lab procedures are that the embryo’s cells all have two complete set of chromosomes while in SCNT, the egg cell’s single set of chromosomes is removed so one procedure uses chromosomes while the other does not.

Picture Above: Process of Cloning in Animals. 

What is the greatest advancement of Cloning?

The greatest advancement was when Shoukhrat Mitalipov and his colleagues discovered that they could create human embryonic stem cells created with the somatic cell nuclear transfer, in 2013. In the experiment, researchers took a single skin cell from a patient with a rare genetic disorder and fused it with an egg cell that was donated. The reason why the experiment was such a success was because of the modifications to the culture liquid where the procedure was done, and a series of electrical pulses were used to stimulate the egg to begin dividing.

 

How is Cloning best used?

There are many scenarios where Cloning can be best used in our society. Ways Cloning can be used are for: creating medication and stem cells, reviving endangered or extinct species, reproducing a deceased pet, cloning livestock, drug production, and cloning humans.

How is Cloning changing the world as we continue to advance towards our future?

Cloning is changing the world in a big way. Each year, scientists find more ways to use cloning for ethical, social, and community issues happening in our world. The process is long and questionable but scientists won’t give up on cloning just yet. They are planning on using stem cells to cure and create medication and are constantly going through the procedures of cloning on animals as there have been more than 40 different types of species who have been tested. The human cloning procedure is still being questioned but won’t be tested for a long time due to the issues that could surface in the future. Cloning farm animals can help agriculture issues and produce more economical needs as the population begins to grow and farming starts to increase each year. Cloning has been a part of the world since the 1800’s and it is still evolving to this day.

Picture Above: Potential Human Cloning happening in the future. 

Resources:

https://www.genome.gov/25020028/cloning-fact-sheet/

http://learn.genetics.utah.edu/content/cloning/clonezone/

http://learn.genetics.utah.edu/content/cloning/whyclone/

http://learn.genetics.utah.edu/content/cloning/whatiscloning/

My Graduation Plan

Healthy Living

1. This year, I am playing soccer 3 days a week, basketball 4 hours a week, and going to the gym every day for an hour and a half to meet DPA requirements (150 mins/week of moderate to vigorous physical activity).

2. Next year, I will play soccer and go to the gym to meet DPA requirements.

3. Other than physical activity, I will also need a concrete plan for healthy eating and stress management in order to lead a healthy life after graduation.

Course Credits

  1. I need 80 credits to graduate. A typical course is worth 4 credits.
  2. 48 of them must be from required courses.
  3. 28 of them must be from electives.
  4. 16 of them must be from Grade 12 courses.
  1. At the end of this year, I will have 32 credits.

Community Connections

  1. I need 30 hours of work/volunteer experience. To show I completed this, I must show proof in the form of a pay stub or reference letter.
  2. I can start accumulating these hours in Grade 10 – 12.
  3. My plan to earn work/volunteer hours is through lifeguarding at the pool, working at Subway or Dairy Queen, and volunteering at an animal shelter or the Library.
  4. I will also need to complete a reflection that includes employability skills, what, and how I got benefited from this experience. It will be 200 typed words minimum.

Career and Life

  1. In addition to updating my resume, I will also create Post – Secondary Plans and Financial Plans to show that I have a plan in place after graduation.
  2. When I graduate, my current plan is to travel and work for a year, then go to University of BC for the year 2021/22.
  3. Interview
  4. To prepare for the interview, I can look at the questions ahead of time. They are found on the GT website.
  5. My interview will be with a Riverside staff member.
  6. The 3 people at Riverside who are here to help with this process are:
  7. Ms. David
  8. Mr. Ahmelich 
  9. Ms. Luddu

In Grade 12, I will find all the necessary documents AND submit them on the GT Website.

I will complete Grad Transitions 12 whenever I have English 12/Grad Transitions Class. If I have it in 1st semester, I must complete everything except the interview before the sale of Winter Ball tickets. In 2nd semester, everything except the interview must be completed before the end of April/Graduation.

Multiculturalism Assignment

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/vancouver-police-chief-constable-speaks-on-hate-motivated-pepper-spray-incident-1.3397228

This news article shows Canada being represented in a very discriminatory way. On Friday, January 8, 2016, a group of 100 people were standing outside of the Muslim Association of the Canada Center when this man on a bike came up to the group and pepper sprayed them with no unknown reason behind it. He ended up spraying men, women, and children, including refuges who had arrived from Syria recently. This shows that not all Canadians in Canada are accepting towards everyone and don’t feel the need to be diverse and multicultural. This was a very unusual and scary event that had happened due to Canada being known as one of the most accepting countries in the world.

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toronto/newcomers-family-day-1.4542314

This second new article shows how accepting Canada can be towards everyone and how it is known to be a global wide kind of community. Every year, there is a special event put on in Toronto for all Immigrants and Canadians to celebrate their cultures together and accept everyone as equals. This shows that Canada is a very welcoming environment which shows diversity in so many different ways. On family day this year, they hosted an event for Immigrants to celebrate a known Canadian tradition, snowshoeing. Everyone had fun and felt comfortable at their new home. Canada shows great multiculturalism as they have put on so many events to celebrate different races, ethnicities, religions, and more… Canada is a great place to live if you want to be proud, accepted, and diverse.

Based on the two news articles I shared, I believe that Canada is a multicultural and diverse community. There will always be people out there that are discriminatory, and racist but in Canada, it’s very rare to find people like that. Canada has culture events, holidays, and celebrations to show everyone that there is nothing but acceptance and pride in this country we call home. The country is diverse which makes immigrants want to live here and Canadians make sure that they feel comfortable and welcomed. To conclude this, I believe that are country is one of the most welcoming and diverse places in the entire global community.

Workplace Safety

Three things I will do to keep safe at work are: 

  1. Ask for directions and help when I’m lost with certain instructions.
  2. I will always wear safety goggles, safety gloves, non slip shoes and any other protective wear that is required during the job.
  3. I will never work alone, and always refuse to work somewhere where it is unsafe or dangerous.

Two things I will do to keep others safe at work are: 

  1. Be cautious of my surroundings and where I am working.
  2. Always make sure to follow the rules and regulations so I don’t put anyone in danger.

Which story resonates most from you, why?

The story that Matthew Bowcott shared impacted me the most. The reason why is because the accident could have easily been prevented. He could have told his manager that the job was unsafe and that he had rights to refuse a job that is dangerous. They also could have stuck with the same procedures at the right time and the worker who mopped could have refused the payment.

What can I learn about their workplace accident?

I can learn to refuse unsafe work and state that I have rights to say no. I can also learn to be more aware of my workplace surroundings and know what my job is about. Finally, I can learn to ask questions, and know that it’s never a dumb question when you ask for help.

What it means to be Canadian…

For my first document, I decided to choose this picture as an identification of Canada because I believe it represents all of the qualities of a true Canadian. Being Canadians means to be diverse and multicultural. In Canada, everyone is equally treated with genuine respect and kindness, no matter if they were born here, or were travelling from somewhere else. This reflects my perspective of Canadian Identity because this picture shows that Canada is welcoming with open arms to whoever wants to experience and explore the amazing land that we call our home. In Canada, free social rights are given to people no matter skin colour, religion, or gender. All people are believed to be the same which means respect spreads throughout the country. I think that this resource was an accurate portrayal of Canadian Identity because all around our environment, people are kind, forgiving, and humble. No one is treated with any disrespect or shame. If I lived in the 1800’s, I wouldn’t believe there were any signs of multiculturalism in Canada. It used to be a place where superiority was common, and society showed multiple accounts of  racism. Canada has changed over the years with their policies and I’m glad they found a different way to welcome new communities into Canadian territory.

link to picture – https://i.ytimg.com/vi/eBn6maKJ0gA/maxresdefault.jpg%5B/caption%5D

For my second document, I decided to choose this link to a website that explains the free rights of Canadians. I believe that it represents Canada because of how many rights are given to Canadians in the 20th century. In Canada, people are treated with fair amount of respect and loyalty. They never give anyone a certain reputation because of their skin colour, religion, gender or specific rights they believe in that differ from everyone else’s opinions in life. This link reflects my perspective of Canadian identity because it shows that everyone is the same, even if they are all different. Canada accepts everyone in all types of ways, and never makes anyone feel shameful of where they came from. I think that this resource was an accurate portrayal of Canadian Identity because our community is a home where everyone is welcome. Canada makes people feel safe, appreciated, and proud of where they live. If I lived in the 1800’s, I would believe that this regulation of Canada would never come true, or that it would not even become a possible solution to the terrible remarks society made about people who were different than the average community. Rights were given to people who stood up for their land and self rights out of courageousness and respect. Canada is brave, and people should be proud of their Canadian Identity. Being Canadian means… being diverse and welcoming.

link to picture – https://canadiansituations.files.wordpress.com/2013/02/the-canadian-bill-of-rights.jpg%5B/caption%5D

http://laws-lois.justice.gc.ca/eng/acts/C-12.3/page-1.html

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