February 2018 archive
DNA Model
Deoxyribonucleic or DNA carries nucleotides or chemical bases that makes up each individuals genetics. DNA is carried by chromosomes. Humans inherit one set of 23 chromosomes from their mother and another set from their father. 22 of the sets are very similar but with a slightly different version of each gene on the chromosome. The pairing determines our sex. Females have two X chromosomes but males have one X chromosome and one Y chromosome. The Y chromosome carries the genes that create masculine features. DNA provides all the information needed for an organism to develop, survive and reproduce. There are pairs of chemical bases which form long sequences called genes. Genes are coded instructions for building proteins. Each gene produces one protein. These proteins are building blocks of the body. When isolated from the cell and stretched out the DNA looks like a twisted ladder which is called a double helix. The sides of the DNA are called the backbone and the steps are pairs of chemical bases that are arranged in a particular order. The four types of chemical bases are adenine, thymine, cytosine and guanine. In my model the backbone is made up of licorice and the chemical bases are made of marshmallows held by toothpicks. My marshmallows are arranged in a specific order to show how adenine (green) always pairs with thymine (pink) and cytosine (yellow) goes with guanine (orange).
OERAC 2018
This week for Random Acts of Kindness Week I held the door for people walking behind me. I
usually try to hold the door for people because it is a kind gesture that doesn’t require a lot of effort. I chose to do this RAC for the week because I don’t notice how people respond or react to me holding the door for them so I thought it would be interesting to record my experiences this week. I noticed that majority of the people really appreciated me holding the door for them. Some of them seemed a little shocked probably because they didn’t expect it especially from someone younger. For me personally, I noticed that I went out of my way more to hold the door or I waited longer for the person following behind me. Knowing that I helped make someone’s day a little better made me feel accomplished and more helpful even though it was a small action. I will continue to do this RAC as I do so on a regular basis but now I can feel an accomplishment every time I hold the door for someone. This activity made me want to think of new ways I can help people during their day. After I held the door for one person I did notice they held the door open for the next person but I don’t know if that was a coincidence or if they wanted to continue the trend. Overall, I enjoyed doing this RAC over a week and recording their reactions. My favourite part was how it made me feel like a caring citizen. I think RAC’s are very important because we always think about ourselves so it is nice to think about how we can help others.
Rain Gear Test 2018
In this video I tested my rain gear to make sure it is waterproof and good quality for our outdoor adventures.