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Category: Science 10

Divergent Fault Lines

 

This photo shows a Divergent fault line.

A divergent fault line occurs on a divergent boundary. This happens when two plates are moving in an opposite direction. The space inbetween the seperated crust is called a ridge. When the fault line was created many many years ago, magma would have crept up and cooled, making new crust in the form of a ridge.

 

Photo Cited:

Carter, F. M. (2011, May 02). Earthquakes, Tsunamis and Liquefaction. Retrieved January 18, 2017, from https://fionamariecarter.wordpress.com/2011/04/20/earthquakes/

African Grassland Biome

Here is the link to the website we made:

http://grasslandsinafrica.weebly.com 

Whole Genome Sequencing

Whole genome sequencing is a technology that scientists can use to see every letter in the DNA sequence of a living organism. This process can read chromosomal DNA, the DNA found in the mitochondria, and in the chloroplast (for plants). There are many ways this is done, but one popular way is called Snager sequencing. This is done by chopping up pure DNA and appointing reference points for testing. Then synthetic pieces of DNA attach and copy the DNA sequence by finding complementary sequences. A camera then takes a picture and records every time the DNA copies. This process is finished once the whole genome had been sequenced.

Scientists can use any biological sample that has a full copy of the DNA in it, including seeds, plants leaves, hair follicles, saliva and bone marrow.

Digital illustration of a dna

Digital illustration of a dna

Great Advancements:

Before whole genome sequencing became automated, scientists used manual methods called Maxam-Gilbert sequencing and Sanger sequencing. The fist organism to be entirely sequenced was a bacterium called Haemophilus influenzae. Other bacterium were sequenced and published in 1995. Scientist first used these bacterium because of their small genome size. The whole DNA sequence of chromosone 22 in a human was sequenced in 1999. In 2001, scientist published the entire human genome sequenced.

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Haemophilus influenza

Best Uses:

The best uses for whole genome sequencing are predicting and diagnosing mutated genes and diseases. Scientists can create an early treatment, which can allow a better chance of overcoming the disease. For example, cancer can be detected in the gene sequence, and the best treatment plan can be given.

Whole genome sequencing can also help scientists find out which unknown genes are causing diseases. In the old ways of gene sequencing, only the traditionally “trouble-maker” genes were looked at. Now, all genes are able to be looked at, making it easier to pin point the disease causing genes.

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How it Will Change the World:

Whole genome sequencing will change the world in the future because it will allow doctors and scientists to make early predictions and diagnostics on patients and will allow them to prevent the disease. It will also allow scientists and doctors to find variants and help them find out which diseases can be passed on. Scientists predict that by the year 2019, all babies born will get their whole genome sequenced as a normal practice. One thing that needs to change for this to happen is the accessibility and the price.

There are some ethnical concerns that come along with whole genome sequencing. Scientists worry that genetic testing could cause genetic discrimination, as well as other things. Genetic discrimination is when people are treated differently for having a gene that could cause them a disorder or a mutation. It is the same as Darwin’s sexual selection, where animals and people choose the most attractive mate. But now, there is science to back up the idea, making discrimination easier.

Another concern with whole genome sequencing is that patients can find out stuff they do not want to know. For example, if looking for a gene contributing to diabetes, a gene that causes terminal illness may be found.

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Overall, whole genome has changed advanced a lot in the past 40 years. Whole genome sequencing will change the medical world for the better. There are a few negatives, but the positives outweigh them.

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Sources:
https://youtu.be/IXamRS85hXU
https://youtu.be/usTnQJhgAn0
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Whole_genome_sequencing
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Illumina_dye_sequencing
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sanger_sequencing
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maxam–Gilbert_sequencing
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Genetic_discrimination
http://www.illumina.com/techniques/sequencing/dna-sequencing/whole-genome-sequencing.html
http://knowgenetics.org/whole-genome-sequencing/

Science is Magic

For this project, Gracyn and I had to do a magic trick involving a chemical reaction, and explain it using science.

 

Science is Magic Part 1

Lab Report

Research: Gracyn and I searched up magic tricks explained by science. The experiment we decided on was originally called water into wine trick, but since it turned more of a pink than a red, we called it water into fruit punch.

Procedure:

First you fill a glass halfway with water. Then drop in a few drops of phenolphthalein into the water.
Next grab another glass and add in 2-3 drops of sodium hydroxide into it.
Pour the glass of water into the glass with sodium hydroxide. The solution should now be a bright pink colour.
To turn it back to clear, blow into the solution with a straw. It may take a while, but it will eventually go back.
Chemical Reaction: The “magic” of this trick is easy to understand if you know the basics about acid and base indicators.

Phenolphthalein (added to water in the first cup) is an indicator, and when a solution gets added to it with a pH of 9 or greater (a base) it turns a pink colour. Sodium hydroxide (added to the bottom of the second glass) is a base with pH 14, so when the phenolphthalein gets added to the sodium hydroxide it causes a reaction that turns the phenolphthalein pink – this is the “fruit punch”.

When we blow air through a straw into the pink solution, the carbon dioxide from our breath makes the pH go below the level that makes the phenolphthalein pink, so it goes back to clear or “water.”

Outcome: Originally, we were going to use sodium carbonate (pH 11) as our base. When we used it on our first attempt, the base wasn’t strong enough to make the phenolphthalein turn a bright pink colour. We then exchanged sodium carbonate for sodium hydroxide, which has a pH of 14. On our second attempt, this time using sodium hydroxide, the base was strong enough to make the colour we were looking for.

Overall, our experiment went very well, even though we had to improvise and change our base. Our experiment was a cool magic trick, and it showed a chemical change.

By Veronica & Gracyn

 

Sources:

http://chemistry.about.com/od/chemistryhowtoguide/ht/waterwine.htm

http://antoine.frostburg.edu/chem/senese/101/features/water2wine.shtml

Bubble Gum Lab

Bubble Gum Lab

Today in class we did a lab where we tested the strechyness and bubble blowing ability of chewing gum using the Scientific Method. We tested the brands “Hubba Bubba” and “Big League Chew”.

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Hypothesis:

I predict that Big League Chew will produce the biggest bubbles because it has more surface area than a piece of Hubba Bubba. This will make the gum easier to chew and soften up to make a better bubble in the limited chewing time given.

 

Conclusion:

My hypothesis was right; Big League Chew made better bubbles than Hubba Bubba. The reasoning behind this is that the Big League Chew came in smaller strips, making the gum have more surface area than a piece of Hubba Bubba with the same weight. This made Big League Chew easier to soften up, given that both gums had an equal amount of time to be chewed. Because Big League Chew was so soft and easy to chew, the bubbles produced were more frequent and had time to get bigger because the gum was so strechy. Hubba Bubba gum was more dense and harder to chew, making the bubbles more stiff and less strechy.

Next time I buy gum, I now know what brand to get!

 

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Using a metre stick to see how long the gum could strech

 

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Comparing the two typed of gums

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