Photosynthesis Dry Lab

For this post, my classmates and I were given background information and observations from a photosynthesis lab, and asked to describe and conclude the lab based solely on the information we were given. We were not given any testing materials or outside resources to complete this project. The information found below is the result of this process. 

Purpose: The purpose for this experiment was to discover the connection between respiration and photosynthesis. Bromothymol was used to test the carbon dioxide concentration within the test subjects.

Background Facts:

• Carbon dioxide in water produces carbonic acid.
• Bromothymol Blue (BTB) is a blue-green liquid which changes to a yellow color in acid and back to blue-green when returned to a neutral pH.
• Carbon dioxide plus water yields sugar and oxygen when chlorophyll and sunlight are present.
• Animals respire.
• Green plants photosynthesize in the light and respire all the time.
• Sugar plus oxygen yields carbon dioxide plus water and energy.

Materials: This lab required access to test tubes, snails, Elodea plants, light sources, dark places, pond water, and BTB.

Procedure: To fulfill the purpose of this experiment and test for results, each material was tested with BTB, often in combinations. The pond water was tested without any other subjects, then alone with an aquarium snail, Elodea, and finally, an aquarium snail and Elodea plant together.

Observations:

1. Water plus bromothymol blue is blue-green.
2. Water plus bromothymol blue plus an aquarium snail turns yellow.
3. Water plus bromothymol blue plus Elodea (an aquarium plant) is blue-green in light.
4. Water plus bromothymol blue plus a snail plus Elodea is blue-green in light and yellow when left in the dark for three hours.

Analysis and Conclusions:

1. Water plus bromothymol blue is blue-green because there is no carbonic acid in the water, keeping the BTB at a neutral pH.

2. Water plus bromothymol blue plus an aquarium snail turns yellow because the snail respires carbon dioxide, forming carbonic acid. The BTB detects this and reacts, altering its pH level.

3. Water plus bromothymol blue plus Elodea (an aquarium plant) is blue-green in light because if any carbonic acid existed in the water, the plant used the carbon dioxide for photosynthesis. This caused the pH of the BTB to remain neutral.

4. A mixture of water, bromothymol blue, a snail, and Elodea produce a is blue-green BTB color in light and a yellow BTB color when left in the dark for three hours because the Elodea halts the photosynthesis process when it is taken away from a light source. The plant does not require carbon dioxide while it is idle, thus causing a build up of carbonic acid content in the water. Due to the fact that the snail continued to produce carbon dioxide though the plant was not consuming it, the carbon dioxide was detected by the BTB.

Pick Your Poison: Belladonna

What is belladonna and what effects does it have on the human body? This post is going to explain all of the basic principles of this poison, including its origins and history.

The poison can be found in the Belladonna plant, characterized with green leaves, purple bell-like flowers, and glossy black berries. There is enough poison in one leaf to be lethal, equivalent to ten berries of the same plant. The name Belladonna is derived from the Italian word meaning "beautiful woman."  During the middle ages, women used the poison for cosmetic purposes, dilating their eyes and adding color to their cheeks. The poison from the leaves has often in the past been used to poison the tips of arrows. This poison was also a favorite among assassins and authors of fictional mystery stories. Currently, Belladonna is used as a sedative for bronchial spasms and a remedy for Parkinson's disease, colic, and motion sickness, though it has been considered ineffective for all previously stated purposes.  The plant can be found in North America, Europe, and Western Asia.

http://www.thepoisongarden.co.uk/images/atropa_belladonna_170906_1.jpg

What happens if Belladonna is ingested in lethal amounts? Belladonna targets the nervous system, using chemicals to prevent the system from operating correctly. Symptoms of Belladonna poisoning include dry mouth, enlarged pupils, blurred vision, red dry skin, fever, quickened heartbeat, inability to sweat or urinate, hallucinations, spasms, mental problems, convulsions, comas, and death. Two of the key toxins in this deadly plant are scopolamine and hyoscyamine. An alkaloid found in Belladonna works to jam the muscarinic and nicotinic acetylcholine receptors, preventing the brain from signaling correctly to the rest of the body, namely the nervous system. If known ingestion has occurred, the best remedies lie in acting quickly to flush the system before the poison has a chance to take effect. This can be accomplished by using emetics and stomach pumps. This is often followed by a dose of magnesia, stimulants, and strong coffee. 

Other common names for Belladonna:

Deadly Nightshade

Atropa Belladonna

Naughty Man's Cherries

Beautiful Death

http://www.slate.com/blogs/wild_things/2014/08/18/poisonous_plants_belladonna_nightshade_is_the_celebrity_of_deadly_flora.html

http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/druginfo/natural/531.html

http://listverse.com/2012/12/02/10-poisons-used-to-kill-people/

http://www.botanical.com/botanical/mgmh/n/nighde05.html

http://www.acnp.org/g4/GN401000011/Default.htm

Phenylketonuria (PKU)

                    In this post, I am going to discuss the genetic disease Phenylketonuria (PKU). 

PKU occurs when a genetic mutation is inherited, disrupting the function of the PAH metabolic enzyme. In a functional PAH enzyme, it catalyzes the phenylalanine amino acid into another amino acid: tyrosine. With a defective PAH enzyme, the reaction needed to break down phenylalanine and produce tyrosine does not occur.

http://img.tfd.com/mk/P/X2604-P-23.png

Due to the build up and excess amounts of phenylalanine, multiple symptoms can occur, such as epilepsy, brain retardation, and a musty smell to the skin can occur. It is also possible for a child to have a head size below average expectation as a symptom of PKU. As a result of lack of tyrosine, the most identifiable symptoms lie in appearance. These symptoms include lighter qualities in skin and hair, and often cause eyes to be blue.

PKU is not a very common disorder, only about 1 in every 15,000 infants are diagnosed with the disease. Though the odds are not in the favor of a to be child to be born with PKU, it is very important that it be identified at an early age. In fact, the common procedure in the United States requires babies to be tested for the disorder immediately after they are born. The reason behind the urgency of testing is an attempt to prevent the build up of phenylalanine and provide treatment for the patient. Treatment is obtained through a low protein diet and the avoidance of eggs, meat, and dairy. Below are a few examples of how PKU patients organize foods into an acceptable dietary plan. The goal is to "hit the bull's eye" and consume phenyl-free foods.

http://www.drkarencann.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/11/Food-Target-Graphic-.jpg

http://depts.washington.edu/pku/images/food_bullseye.jpg

For more information on PKU, please visit:

http://www.ygyh.org

http://www.nspku.org

Newborn Screening in Colorado

http://willroberts.com/pku/

 

Parts of The Animal Cell

This post shows the different components to an animal cell while giving a description of the function of each part.

Microscopy Lab

In this lab, I tested my abilities to operate a microscope. The pictures attached below were taken during the lab, showing what images were seen at the 40x, 100x, and 400x magnifications. Infected pork was tested for this lab.

40x

100x

400x