Topic: Why would it be beneficial to be able to regenerate parts like the planaria worms?

It would be beneficial to our society, because then we might discover something new. Knowing more about the parts of a worm...we could later determine how to regenerate parts when we are in need of one. Coming to our advantages, less cures would be necessary and more people would become healthier! If we could regenerate our own bodies...then it would be interesting. Planaria would only just be the beginning, once we perfect it...If we do the experiment and cut out different parts to check our theory, we would understand which part of the body would regenerate the fastest. This could allow us, to advance in medical fields and be for the "greater good". In that lab., it was a very interesting experience to witness and to learn about. Someday, humanity would have the ability to regenerate.

Pandemic-2 Game Analysis

Today, I played a game on http://www.pandemic-2.com/  This game allowed the player to play in either a realistic mode or a relaxed mode. The game also allowed the player to create a disease to spread around the globe. The disease classes were these following choices: a virus, a bacteria or a parasite. The goal is to spread the disease around the globe before the government finds a vaccine and distribute enough to stop the diesease. Your time runs out when you have not infected enough of the human population. If you infected every country or location of the world, then they would probably die before they couldcreate a vaccine. I chose to play the game in relaxed mode and I chose bacteria as the disease. There were survivors in different areas because those places had already shut down their airports and docks. Since they did that...the disease could not really get far to many other regions. My methods of transmission were through air, water and insects. My initial symptoms were sneezing, coughing, fatigue, pulmonary edemia, dementia, ataxia, depression, blindness and hypotonia. My pathogen slowly evolve by having more and more symptoms. It was resisted to air, heat, moisture and drugs. The difference of choosing a different pathogen is that the rate of deaths increases or decreases, depending on which the one you chose. The results also turned out differently, when you play with a different disease. In the second game, I think the strategy that saves the most people while sacrificing the fewest is to close the border lines, airports and shipyards. You could also give out masks and vaccine to slow the death rate of the game.

An Ode to Photosynthesis

Where would we be if we didn't have photosynthesis?
What would we do if we didn't have plants, flowers, or trees,
to provide us the oxygen we need to survive?
Where would photosynthesis be without their simple factors?
If we didn't have soil, sunlight, water, or temperature, how would plants grow?
Would we even have enough oxygen or air to breathe?

Without photosynthesis, we wouldn't have
oxygen and human civilization might cease to exist.
Without it, plants would not have parts of the cell
such as vacuole, ribosomes, and other things
All organisms, big or small, thin or think,
We all need to breathe oxygen to survive.

Now let's take some time to appreciate,
how sunlight converts water and carbon dioxide into high-energy sugars and oxygen!
Without photosynthesis, I would not be able to write this poem
or be able to the tell you some parts that are found in the cell
Photosynthesis is a process of life that repeats over and over again.
Because without photosynthesis, then we would not be smelling this lovely air around us right now!

Alliance Three: Fermentation

Fermentation is similar to baking, that is why is is a cooking method in a way. Fermentation is also a cooking method, because we had to prepare the cucumber in a specific way, in order to preserve it for a longer period of time. The goal of fermenting was to prevent the vegetable from spoiling, and we also wanted to encourage growth of "good" microorganisms. Fermentation requires special ingredients and controlled conditions, such as temperature and pH. It is also an anaerobic process, since it is only able to be carried out if and only if it is carried out without oxygen. If you are eating a fermented food, obviously the microorganisms would help preserve the food, but it would also change its flavor and the texture. In my alliance group, we fermented a cucumber which later became a pickle. We put the cucumber in a jar and soaked the vegetable in a salt brine, in order to allow the growth of bacteria. The bacteria ate up the cucumber's sugars and eventually produced a tart-tasting lactic acid, causing the vegetable to turn into a pickle. After, we sealed the jar with a cap and let it set for a couple of weeks in a cool place. In case, if you didn't know what salt brine is...basically it is consists of boiled vinegar, water, and salt.The ingredients used in this experiment were: a tablespoon of salt, 1/2 cup of water, 3/4 of a cucumber, and 1 1/2 cup of vinegar.

NAT 2.0 Analysis/Observation Blog

For our NAT 2.0, we turned our results into a spreadsheet and then turned it into a chart. On account, I am consuming 2200 calories each day. The chart shown on here is what I am high or low on a category. In the chart, it showed how I was low on fat, carbohydrates, cholesterol, and satF. The chart also showed how I was high on salt and vitamin C. If the results I have right now, continues to stay this way...then I would remain skinny(anorexic), and I would not really gain much weight. But, I might increase the risk of getting cancer, depression, and anxiety if I was low on my cholesterol. Since, the chart shows how I am high in salt...if this continues it would cause high blood pressure. In the chart, it also shows that I am high in vitamin C...so if this continues, then it may affect my sugar levels a little bit. In the future, I would probably need my blood glucose levels to be regularly monitored by a qualified healthcare professional, including a pharmacist.

Alliance Two

For my second alliance group, we made Rice Krispies while following a recipe from the Kellogg's website. If we did not follow the recipe that we had our Rice Krispies would not turn out right. It could have turn out too dry if we used to much of the cereal or maybe it we added too much marshmallows the Rice Krispies would have turned out sticky. Another, disaster that would had happen if we did not follow the recipe is if we added too little or too much butter. If we added too little butter it would have been harder for us when we had to stir the mixture. But if we added too much butter our substance would have turned out too runny or oily. The amount of time that we used to heat up the microwave was an important factor too. For instance, if we put the mixture in the microwave for 1 minute instead of 3 mintues the mixture would have been a lot harder to mix since it would not have melted yet.

Recipe for Rice Krispies

Ingredients:

45 grams of butter or margarine

1 package(295.735mL, about 40 regular marshmallows)
Or
0.95 liters of miniature marshmallows 

• 1.42 liters Kellogg's® Rice Krispies® cereal
• Directions:
• 1. In large saucepan melt butter over low heat. Add marshmallows and stir until completely melted. Remove from heat. 
• 2. Add KELLOGG'S RICE KRISPIES cereal. Stir until well coated.
• 3. Using buttered spatula or wax paper evenly press mixture into 13 x 9 x 2-inch pan coated with cooking spray. Cool. Cut into 2-inch squares. Best if served the same day.
• Microwave Instructions:
• In microwave-safe bowl heat butter and marshmallows on HIGH for 3 minutes, stirring after 2 minutes. Stir until smooth. Follow steps 2 and 3 above. Microwave cooking times may vary.

Alliance Groups

The people in my alliance group is Skyler, Robert, Alan, Ben, and me(Cindy). Our group name is Pentel and today we already decided on what project to do. The jobs we have for each person has already been decided. Scout Master & Warrior: Skyler Quach, Scribe: Cindy Phung, Town Cryer: Robert Mena, Quartermaster: Alan Liang, and Artisan: Ben Li. We decided to do an experiment on what type of acid on the pH scale will make nails rot the faster. We would be using different kinds of acids for this experiment to work.

The Entry for Notes?

I think that our group was supposed to meet during the weekend, but I do not think we even made arrangements for it. In our group, we used to have six people but two or three of our group members schedule changed. So they left and two new members came into our group. For our group, we were supposed to each research our parts on the 4 measurements. Raymond is in charge of mass, Amanda and Kristi are in charge of volume, Iris is in charge of temperature, and I am in charge of length.

Jobs in Our Math Group

For our jobs in our group, we haven't really decided who is doing what yet. We did had it before some people dropped out and changed to a different class. But for now, I am the group's scribe and the quartermaster is Amanda. The position for the scout, warrior, artisan, and town crier is still undecided. All of us in the group do not know how to edit or create a video.

About Me

           Hi, my name is Cindy Phung! I am a freshman at Alhambra High School. I am in Ms.Malonek's second period biology class. I like food, cats, dogs, bunnies, fish, turtles, so I basically like animals a lot. I chose biology, because I am interested in science and also wanted to try something new! I like biology class so far, and I hope I will learn a lot this year in biology.