...The Caldwell Laboratory at The University of Alabama is studying diseases of the nervous system through the model organism C. elegans. This organism was the first animal to have its entire genome revealed through a genome project, and 60% of genes affiliated with human diseases have an ortholog in C. elegans. Earthworms are transparent, making organ study simple, and they have a defined anatomy. Additionally, their two-week lifespan make them extremely attractive as a model organism. Almost all individuals of this species are female hermaphrodites with a small minority being true males. It is estimated that there are precisely 302 neurons in C. elegans as opposed to 100 billion in humans. Because of the defined neuronal connectivity in...
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...species continued existence, such as nurturing, predator uncovering and memory (Güntürkün et al. 2000; Rogers 2000; Pascual et al. 2004; Vallortigara & Rogers 2005; Rogers & Vallortigara 2008). Moreover, asymmetry has been suggested as the basis of language and other behavioural traits (Sherman et al. 1982; Rogers & Andrew 2002; Hutsler & Galuske 2003; Toga & Thompson 2003) and anomalous asymmetry appears to relate with numerous neuropathologies comprising schizophrenia (Li et al. 2007), autism (Escalante-Mead et al. 2003) and neuronal degenerative disorders (Toth et al. 2004). In the past decade, scientific studies have provided vital insights into the developmental basis of brain imbalance. Exceptionally helpful are genetic model organisms that accept a comprehensive gene to behaviour analysis of this phenomenon (Concha 2004). For instance, recent research in the teleost zebrafish has revealed genetic mechanisms that regulate the growth of neuroanatomical asymmetries ( Halpern et al. 2003; Concha 2004) and recognized the first operational relations among genetics, asymmetric morphology and lateralized traits (Barth et al. 2005). Back ground information on the Zebrafish (Danio rerio) The cerebellum roles in the control of smooth and proficient movements. It is also concerned in cognitive and emotional functions (Ito, 2008 and Rodriguez et al., 2005). There are different types of neurons in Zebrefish (teleost) cerebellum. They are categorized based on their...
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...The genetics of S. cerevisiae Biology 2 Genetics of Saccharomyces cerevisiae Part 1: Introduction & Determination of Phenotypes Overview You will be given three strains of Saccharomyces cerevisiae (named A, B, and C), each with a different genotype. The hypotheses for this study are (1) identify the phenotypes and genotypes of the three strains in regards to their ability to synthesize leucine, and uracil; and (2) determine whether these genes follow Mendel’s Second Law and assort independently. Goals and objectives of this project: • • • • • Learn how to work with S. cerevisiae, a model organism that is powerful for genetic research Experimentally explore genetic concepts (auxotroph vs. prototroph, genes vs. alleles, diploid vs. haploid, complementation, segregation and independent assortment, meiosis vs. mitosis, genotype vs. phenotype) Develop and test scientific hypotheses Learn to work with a microscope, micropipettor, microcentrifuge and hemacytometer Learn about the genetics of metabolism How this project will be graded: 1. Your scores for Question Sets 1, 2, and 3 will be combined into a single grade. That grade will be included in your Lab Average for the course. Your Lab Average will be included in your final semester average as described in the syllabus for this course. (the deadline for the question submission will be determined in class depending on the progress of the lab) 2. Your scores for Question Sets 4, 5, and 6 will...
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...Introduction In the 1880s, Paul Ehrlich intravenously injected some dyes (e.g. trypan dyes) into animals and observed that the dyes could stain all organs, except for the brain. He concluded that the brain had a lower affinity to the dye compared to the others organs (1). In 1913, Edwin Goldmann, a student of Ehrlich, did the opposite and injected the very same dyes directly to the cerebrospinal fluid of animals’ brain. He found that, in this case, the dyes readily stained the brain and not the other organs (2). These experiments clearly demonstrated the existence of a kind of separation between the blood and the brain. However, in 1898, Max Lewandowsky was the first one to postulate the existence of a specialized barrier at the level of cerebral vessels - the blood-brain barrier (BBB), after he and his colleagues had carried out some experiments to demonstrate that some drugs were neurotoxic when injected directly into the brain and not in the vascular system (3). It was just in the late 1960s that Reese and Karnovsky visualized that the barrier was localized to the endothelium by electron–microscopy studies (4). The BBB is composed of a monolayer of polarized endothelial cells connected by complex tight junctions of the cerebral capillary endothelium and a variety of transporters (Figure 1), which are responsible for its extremely low permeability, limiting the drug delivery to the central nervous system (CNS) (see references (5)] and [6] for a detailed review). The BBB functionality...
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...Can Animals be used Animal Testing? Name: Institution: CAN ANIMALS BE USED IN ANIMAL TESTING? Thesis statement: This paper discusses research on how animal testing brings more medical advancement and less human-based experiments and sees if there are any alternatives to the use of animals in research since it is a practice of animal cruelty. Introduction Animal Testing refers to strategies done on living creatures for reasons of exploration into fundamental science and ailments, surveying the adequacy of new drugs, and examining the human health. The processes involved in this testing, even those that are seen to have no significant effect, still cause the animals bodily as well as mental pain and suffering. Often these processes cause a great deal of distress. Some animals are re-used in the succeeding experiments while others are killed at the end of the experiment. Approximately 115 million animals are estimated to be used every year in the world for laboratory experiments (Dawkins, 2012). However, only a few countries assemble and publish the data about the use of animal in testing and research. For instance, about 90 percent of the animals are used in laboratories in the United States. This statistics excludes species, for example, mice and birds, fish, reptiles and invertebrates, thus these figures presented by the U.S, Department of Agriculture is considerably underestimated. Countries in Europe such as France, United Kingdom, and Germany are among those using animals...
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...demand digital music downloads like iTunes 3. Traditional radio stations and HD radio stations. 4. Online radio stations 5. Music CD’s Pandora’s competitive advantage is its music genome project technology. It has the ability to offer a unique musical experience that none of the other substitutes are able to do. The project is also highly recommended by music experts. They also introduce a high switching cost to the customer once the customer enters their music preference. With the key competitive advantage Pandora will disrupt a certain part of the demographics from the traditional offerings. Pandora attracts a age bracket who is broad band and tech savy. 3. What are the key elements of Pandora’s business model? Pandora’s business model is to attract and capture a majority of the radio listening population and capture the radio and video ad revenues using this captured listening audience. It has shown it can capture a large listening audience with it’s unique music experience offering. It is...
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...the eukaryotes, where the genomic sequences of three model systems are already available (budding yeast, Saccharomyces cerevisiae, completed in 1996 (ref. 1); the nematode worm Caenorhabditis elegans, completed in 1998 (ref. 2); and the fruitfly Drosophila melanogaster, completed earlier this year3) and two more (the flowering plant Arabidopsis thaliana4 and fission yeast Schizosaccharomyces pombe) are imminent. The complete genomic sequence of the human genome is expected in a year or two, and the sequence of the mouse (Mus musculus) will likely follow shortly thereafter. The first comparison between two complete eukaryotic genomes (budding yeast and worm5) revealed that a surprisingly large fraction of the genes in these two organisms displayed evidence of orthology. About 12% of the worm genes (~18,000) encode proteins whose biological roles could be inferred from their similarity to their putative orthologues in yeast, comprising about 27% of the yeast genes (~5,700). Most of these proteins have been found to have a role in the ‘core biological processes’ common to all eukaryotic cells, such as DNA replication, transcription and metabolism. A three-way comparison among budding yeast, worm and fruitfly shows that this relationship can be extended; the same subset of yeast genes generally have recognizable homologues in the fly genome6. Estimates of sequence and functional conservation between the genes of these model systems and those of mammals are less reliable, as no...
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...Biotic Pertaining to living organisms. Carrying capacity A maximum number of individuals or maximum population density that a habitat can support. Community All the organisms that live within a given area. Consumer An organism that obtains food from other living organisms. Ecological succession Changes in the species composition of an ecosystem following a disturbance. Ecology The study of how organisms interact with their environments. Ecosystem All the organisms that live within a given area and all the abiotic features of their environment. Exponential growth A model of population growth in which a population grows at a rate proportional to its size. Life history strategy The position a population of organisms occupies on the continuum between producing a large number of “inexpensive” offspring and a small number of “expensive” offspring. Logistic growth A model of population growth in which growth slows as the population approaches the carrying capacity of its habitat. Niche The total set of biotic and abiotic resources a species uses within a community. Population A group of individuals of a single species that occupies a given area. Producer An organism that makes organic molecules from inorganic materials and energy. Symbiosis A situation in which individuals of two species live in close association with one another. Trophic level One of the feeding levels in a food chain, including producers, primary consumers, secondary...
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...dominant plant’s ending population will optimize, while the other plant will die out. | | Starting population | 6,000 | 3,500 | Ending population | 10,000 | 0 | Lesson 1:Step 2 | Plant A | Plant B | Herbivore A | Prediction: starting population | Will continue to prosper, but it’s ending population will be lower than that in step 1. | Will have more of a chance of surviving for a longer period of time. | Will grow with plant A | Prediction: ending population | Lower than that in part 1 | Higher than in part 1. Higher than plant A. | Will grow as plant A decreases. | Starting population | 5,256 | 3,700 | 1,312 | Ending population | 3,335 | 4,998 | 2,055 | Responses to questions | Step 1 1. What assumptions does this model make about co-dominance as well as the general terrain of the ecosystem? That the more dominant species will prosper the most due to competition. The terrain’s conditions are suitable for only one plant to prosper. 2. Do you find one producer to be dominant? Why might one producer be dominant over another?Yes. Plant A was dominant. I think the reason is that Plant A was most suited for the terrain.Step 2 1. Does adding the herbivore establish a more equal field? Is one producer still dominant over the other? Why might one producer be dominant over another?Yes it did. Plant A is still dominant but not by as much because the rabbit eats it allowing Plant B to come through. 2. If the simulation included decomposers, how would your...
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...“Rabbits and wolves” Introduction The computer simulation named “Rabbits and wolves” is about models and simple systems. In the simulation, there are three main organisms, rabbits, wolves and grass all put together in a forest ecosystem. An ecosystem is a set of organism within a defined area or volume that interact with one another and with their environment (Miller & Spoolman). A system is a collection of elements or components that are organized for a common purpose (Rouse, 2005). The purpose of this simulation is to see how these three organisms will interact with one another in the same environment. We will see how the populations of these organisms change by modifying parameters specific to each organism and how changing the start up parameter of an organism can affect the way the others grow. Objectives 1. To view and interact with a simple scientific computer model. 2. To determine how simple changes in populations of one organism will affect populations of organism in the same system. 3. To use a computer model to complete objective 2. Hypothesis Placing rabbits in a larger forest will not only allow them to grow better and have enough sustenance but also to avoid being eaten by wolves. Results The default parameters are the following: | Rabbit | Wolf | Maximum food capacity | 45 units | 200 units | Metabolism rate | 3 units/stage | 2 units/stage | Reproduction age | 10 stages | 10 stages | Probability of reproduction...
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...The webinar that I chose to watch consisted of explaining the core ideas and comparing them to the NSES grade band headings for the molecules to organisms section in life science. The speakers in the webinar also provided the specific component ideas for the given section starting with structure and function that would include organisms made of cells, cells that are the structural units of life, and the roles of structure-function across multiple scales. The next section was growth and development of organisms which included how cells divide, sexual reproduction, the differentiation among cells from the environment. Organization for matter and energy flow in organisms is the next idea that carries matter and energy flow through different organization levels, sun for photosynthesis, and that algae and plants are the base resource for animals. Information processing is also another component idea with brings about the importance of the brain with responding and sensing, organisms that can sense and respond to the environment, and that nervous systems are found in complex organisms....
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...Garland Publishing, Inc. in 2014. (2) Cell and Molecular Biology: Concepts and Experiments by Gerald Karp (7th Edition) published by John Wiley & Sons, Inc. in 2013. • The textbooks are recommended, neither of them is required. • Additional reading will be posted on moodle website and announced in class Internet address: http://moodle.concordia.ca Grading Scheme 5 • Midterm • In-class Activity/Assignment • i>clicker • Final exam 30% 12% 3% (starts Jan 20th) 55% Final exam will cover the entire course (cumulative) 6 CELLS AND ORGANELLES Lecture 1 BIOL 266/4 2014-15 Dr. S. Azam Biology Department Concordia University What does it mean to be living? 7 • Cells distinguish living organisms from non living things • All living organisms are made up of cells • Cells are the fundamental and structural unit of life 8 BASIC PROPERTIES OF A CELL !Basic!Proper,es!of!Cells 9 1. Life!is!the!most!basic!property!of!cells.! 2. Cells!can!grow!and!reproduce!in!culture!for! extended!periods.! ...
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...Part 1: The Producers Go to http://www.learner.org/courses/envsci/interactives/ecology/food_web.php Challenge Try to get two plants to happily co–exist. In any given ecosystem, most organisms will carve out a niche for themselves where they can obtain all of the necessities to survive. Often, different species within the ecosystem will compete for the resources that a niche provides. However, certain species live well together—symbiotically, parasitically, or by staying out of each other's way. For example, lichen and moss, often the primary colonizers of a new ecosystem, tend to live fairly harmoniously in each other's vicinity. Let's see what happens in this model. Step 1 Imagine the ecosystem is newly forming—the previous ecosystem has been destroyed by fire or flood—and the first colonizers of the successive ecosystem are, of course, producers. Given the two fictitious species of plants in the simulator, predict what will happen in this young system and record your prediction in the Data Table. Then run the simulator to 100 time steps and record the population numbers for both plants. Answer the following: 1. What assumptions does this model make about co-dominance as well as the general terrain of the ecosystem? 2. Do you find one producer to be dominant? Why might one producer be dominant over another? Step 2 Now you'll introduce an herbivore into the environment. In theory, an herbivore native to the ecosystem should feed primarily on the dominant species...
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...Genetic Engineering, the manipulation of an organism’s genetic makeup, has been around ever since the 1968 discovery of restriction enzymes (“Genetic Engineering”). Those that are genetically manipulated are known to be GMOs (Genetically Modified Organisms). Scientists first started by genetically modifying bacteria (“Genetic Engineering”), and as technology and research advanced, so did genetic engineering. Scientists can now genetically modify several organisms, including plants and food. One of the most common types of genetically modified organisms are animals. This is called Animal Biotechnology, which includes the cloning and genetic engineering of animals (“Ethical Implications of Animal Biotechnology”). Animal Biotechnology continues to be a controversial topic. Although many issues are debated, genetic modification of animals is ethical since they help save human lives, are good models for research, and aid with agriculture....
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...ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT REPORT Mangrove ecosystems play an integral role within the stabilisation of coastal intertidal soil by preventing coastal erosion through their complex network of roots (“Teaching about Mangroves, 2013”). Scientifically they are defined as an assemblage of unique tropical plants which are able to survive within variable flooding conditions and withstand high salinity concentration. They do so by a selective combination of structural adaptations such as salt excretion upon leaves, and filtering of absorbed nutrients (“Encyclopaedia of Earth, 2013”). The most healthy and abundant mangrove communities occur in tropical and subtropical areas, between 30o N and 30O S latitude (“Encyclopaedia of Earth, 2013”). An example of a mangrove community presents itself within the Moreton Bay Mangrove community located within South-East Queensland, Australia. The community possesses 8 mangroves species but is predominantly dominated by Avicennia marina (Grey Mangroves) and Aegiceras corniculatum (Black Mangrove) (“Moreton Bay Mangrove, 2013”). The Moreton Bay community provides vital protection and food source for various marine and terrestrial species including wading birds, shrimps and crabs. Structurally it is comprised of coastal environments consisting of numerous river estuaries that extend seaward (“Moreton Bay Mangrove Species, 2013”). 1. BIOTIC INTERACTIONS IN THIS MANGROVE COMMUNITY The biotic interactions...
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