Inquiry Hour 1.2 - Generating Questions

        I am interested in a question. This question asks why do we dream? It amazes me how we spend one third of our lives sleeping yet we still don't know what exactly happens in our sleep. There are many theories as to why we sleep, but none of them sound logical to me.
        I have my own twenty questions about the world that I would like to find out. Here they are:

• Why is the universe expanding?
• Can we bring back extinct animals?
• What is dark matter made of?
• What is dark energy made of?
• What is at the very bottom of the ocean?
• Is there even a bottom to the ocean?
• What is at the very core of the Earth?
• Is artificial intelligence possible?
• Are there other universes?
• Are there beings on Earth that we cannot see?
• Why is there time?
• Is the Philosopher's Stone real? 
• Is infinity real?
• Is heaven real?
• Is hell real?
• Did evolution really occur?
• Is there such a thing as karma?
• What happens after death?
• What is under the sea?
• Are we the only inhabitants in the universe?

Egg Cell Macromolecules Lab Conclusion

        In the egg cell lab, we dissected an egg and separated it into three different parts: the yolk, the egg white, and the membrane. Previously, we had dissolved the shell in white vinegar. In this lab we questioned whether macromolecules can be identified in an egg cell. We used indicators to do this. I worked on identifying monosaccharides in the membrane, yolk, and egg white. I used the indicator called benedicts solution to do this, and found that monosaccharides were mostly present in the egg yolk and there were some in the membrane. Some errors in my lab could have been that I may have poured in different amounts of benedicts solution, and I could have let them heat for different times. In future experiments, I suggest having a partner to help you and mixing the benedicts solution with the egg very well.
        We did this lab to test whether we could identify macromolecules in cells or not, and we were able to. From this lab, I have learned that the egg is actually a huge cell, and I have learned more about what a cell contains. I can now use this to teach future generations and study the cell in more depth.

Inquiry Hour 1.1 - Identifying Questions and Hypotheses

        According to Australian scientists, continued harvesting of predatory fish may affect the environment in more ways than one would expect. The excessive culling and over-fishing may affect the natural food chain, and this can alter the blue carbon ecosystems. Changing the food chain means changing the amount of carbon captured in the seabed. "Predators play an important and potentially irreplaceable role in carbon cycling. The effect of the disproportionate loss of species high in the food chain cannot be underestimated." (Professor Connolly, http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2015/09/150928123318.htm)

Unit 2 Reflection

        We recently finished the second unit in our biology class. This unit was about macro molecules along with their structure and function. The four macro molecules we learned about are called carbohydrates, lipids, nucleic acids, and proteins. All of them have important functions in the human body, such as being a source of energy. In the beginning of the unit, I had trouble understanding the structure of lipids and nucleic acids, but overcame this struggle by reviewing my notes and watching all the vodcasts. I have also learned that I work quite well in a group and I have learned that watching the vodcasts and taking notes really do matter. Before I thought they were just so the teacher could give us homework. I have learned a lot more about carbohydrates and proteins in unit 2. In middle school, I don't think we ever even talked about them too much. I definitely believe that I am a better student today than I was before unit 2 because now i understand the importance of macro molecules and i understand the importance of everything and every lab we do as a group in class. I would love to learn more about carbohydrates since they really seem to interest me. I'm curious about how the more saccharides there are, the blander it tastes, yet the less saccharide, the sweeter. It is usually the other way around in this world. I wonder about how people came to know all this information about our bodies and how they discovered it.

        We also learned about atoms, compounds, and molecules, and how atoms make up everything in the universe. They are the quite literally the building blocks of life. We also covered elements, which are a pure substance, meaning they only contain one type of atom. Every atom contains protons, which are positively charged, neutrons, which are neutrally charged, and electrons, which are negatively charged. I did not have too much trouble with understanding these subjects because we covered the topic quite well in eighth grade with Mrs. Inlow, my former teacher.

        We learned a bit about acids and bases along with the pH scale. Acids, which can be corrosive to metals and other materials, taste sour and can be very dangerous to the touch. Bases, which feel quite slippery, taste bitter and are attracted to acids. On the pH scale, the less the number, the more acidic the substance is, but the larger the number, the more basic it is. The number 7 is the neutral on the pH scale.

                                                
           

        

Cheese Lab Conclusion

In this lab, we questioned what are the optimal conditions and curdling agents for making cheese and our hypothesis was that the optimal conditions for curdling would be warm and acidic. We have found that the optimal conditions for curdling agents are an acidic and hot environment. We came to this conclusion through the fact that in the hot environment and acidic environment, the milk began to curdle within five minutes. We also observed that in the cold environment, curdling did not occur at all. This data supports our hypothesis because the milk curdled quicker in the hot and acidic environments.

While our hypothesis was supported through our data, there could have been errors due to the fact that we checked the curdling process every five minutes, and so there could have been some timing issues. The milk could have curdled within two minutes but we do not know for sure. There could have also been inconsistencies in the amount of curdling agent that we added due to the fact that not everyone was experienced with the tools. This could have affected the results of the experiment. In future experiments, I recommend that the process is observed at all times and also timed, and that the measurements of all the agents are very accurate.

This lab was done to demonstrate the best of cheese-curdling enzymes and to demonstrate a chemical reaction. From this lab, I have learned that the optimal conditions for cheese making are a hot environment and an acidic environment, such as a calf’s stomach where rennin comes from. Based on my experiences from this lab, I can now explain the science behind cheese making and the curdling process.

	Time to Curdle (minutes)
Curdling Agent:	Chymosin	Rennin	Buttermilk	Milk (control)
Acid	5	5	5
Base	20
pH control	15	10
Cold
Hot	5	5
Temp Control	10	10

Sweetness Lab Analysis

      In the Sweetness Lab, we tested the sweetness of different saccharides. My partner and I concluded that monosaccharides, saccharides with only one sugar ring, and disaccharides, saccharides with only two sugar rings, both taste sweet, whereas polysaccharides, which have three or more sugar rings, taste bland. We believe that the less sugar rings, the sweeter it tastes. The monosaccharides: glucose, fructose, and galactose, taste the sweetest, whereas the polysaccharides, cellulose and starch, taste bland. Our lab was supported by the fact that when we tastes the polysaccharides, their taste was bland, yet when we tasted the monosaccharides and disaccharides, they tastes sweet or very sweet. Fructose was the sweetest, in my opinion.
      Carbohydrates are sugars and have different uses, for example, starch is used for storage and cellulose is used as the building blocks for plants. The structure of carbohydrates determines how they store energy.
      Not all testers gave the same rating for the sweetness of the carbohydrates. This is because not everyone has the same taste buds. Some people may be more sensitive to sweetness and rate everything over 100 whereas others may not taste anything. It also depends on what foods you are used to eating, for example if you don't eat spicy food as mucb as others, you are more sensitive to spicyness.
      According to livescience.com, each taste bud contains up to 100 cells. which are connected to the brain by nerve fibers. When we eat something, the cells in our tongue send a signal to the brain, which determines whether it is sweet or sour. As humans, we may become adjusted to certain tastes, for example spicyness, but not everyone is the same. People's brains are different and they process things differently and this includes taste.