Cloning Mimi!

In class we did an online activity having to do with cloning. The activity took us step-by-step showing how to clone a mouse called Mimi. Here's what we used and did:

Materials:

Mimi (Mouse we clone), Megdo (Egg cell donor), Momi (Surrogate mother to grow Mimi clone), Microscope, Petri dishes, Sharp pipette, Blunt pipette, Chemical to cell division

Procedures:

1. Isolate donor cells from Mimi and Megdo
2. Remove and discard the nucleus from the egg cell
3. Transfer the somatic cell nucleus into the encleated egg cell
4. Stimulate cell division
5. Implant the embryo into Momi, the surrogate mother
6. Deliver the baby mouse clone of Mimi

All the steps for this were really simple, but they taught me a lot. After isolating the donor cells from Mimi and Megdo, then removing and discarding the nucleus from the egg cell I moved on to step 3. During this time it told me that the new DNA and the egg cell need some time to adjust with one another. Basically this is supposed to take a couple hours for the DNA to "re-boot" or "reprogram" so that it behaves like the DNA of an egg cells, but thankfully they speed up the time to a couple seconds.

Then I got to do some technology based mitosis and stimulated the egg cell. I got to use this real interesting liquid chemical called "Divided-a-Lot". (I know, they're so creative!) Now, usually after doing so the cell divides, creating a ball of 16 cells. Once again which naturally takes up to several hours took the program no more than several seconds.  So then I put the embryo in the womb of Momi, and the embryo continued to increase. It began to differentiate its cells into various tissue types which went on for 19 more days. Then a baby was born! :) It looked just like Mimi because its genetic material came from Mimi. It was called Mini Mimi -aha!-

When the activity was done it showed that the testing worked obviously. The most interesting thing about this activity was that it was actually based on scientists who did the actual experiment in 1998, at the University of Hawaii. This procedure was based on the research protocol that was used as a giant landmark in experiments involving cloning. This was a totally cool experiment. I didn't really understand the whole cloning thing until I went step-by-step and did it. I would encourage anyone go do this activity! :)

Class of 2011! :)

So recently I read this article (located at http://www.paulgraham.com/hs.html) talking about things that High School students WISH they'd known while in school. I was kind of blown away. Most of the time all you hear from adults is the typical speech about school. You'll never go anywhere without graduating high school and college is all that parents like to shove into our tiny little heads. As if they weren't filled with the paranoia of failing already! The honesty is this author's paper has opened up my mind a little. Here I was already trying to choose a job that would help me be "set for life" instead of trying to figure out what I really want out of life.

Yes, I completely understand that if I want to be financial stable and don't have the natural talents of "Shakespeare", as the author would say,  then I have to do good in school. Now-a-days, with our nation in a horrible economical situation as is, you really can't get a job without having some kind of education. My parents have already rammed me about how if my grades continue the way the are I'm not going to go as far as flipping burgers, or working at Wal-Mart for the rest of my life. It never really bothered me as much as it does right now though. Maybe that'll be all I want out of life, who knows? Who are they to tell me what I should and should not do for the rest of my life? This article has inspired me to go after I want, really want, not just what others "believe" is right for me. Maybe working at Wal-Mart is all I'll ever want (Seriously doubt it, but still) I want to do what I want, and be happy. Honestly, I can understand why my parents push me so much at time, I get it. Parents always want their kids to do better then they have in their life. I guess, I just wish they would lighten up on me a little and let me figure things out on my own. How am I supposed to figure out what I want out of life if all I'm ever taught is to go by what everyone is telling me?

Now, I'm not saying that this article has like, changed my life or anything. In fact, considering that I'm one of the biggest procrastinators you'll ever meet, didn't really help my whole "I do what I want" speech. That's kind of a big disaster in the making.

"I do what I want" + procrastination = ONE LAZY DESI GETTING BUTT CHEWED :P

I've seen my parents struggle with a whole lot financial problems, and I don't want to ever be in their situation. I already know I want to go to college, and major in something I really enjoy. I was really paranoid about what to do after High School before this article. I was worried about making the wrong decisions for my life, and choosing something based on financial growth instead of what my heart was telling me. That's all I've ever known because that's all I've ever really been told. I'm just glad someone had the pleasure of writing such a honest article. I was starting to believe that my fate was already set for me. Now, I think I might actually take the time to sit back and ENJOY High School. I might live a little more, hang out with friends, and just find out who I really am. You know what they say, these are the best times of our lives! :)

Green Human Project :)

For our Green Human Project, there wasn't really a lot to it. We simple decided that if there was in any way possible to get humans to somehow absorb light like a plant, we'd be all good! But, we know scientifically at this point there really is no way, so we'll just pretend we had the technology and did exactly what our slide, above, said! :) There would of been a little more detail, but sadly we didn't have enough time to complete all the requirements. Hope you enjoyed anyways! :) OH! And hope you liked our description, show in a photo in the slideshow, of what a green human would look like! :)

Fluid Mosaic Diagram

For our fluid mosaic diagram my group and I were trying to show you what a fluid mosaic looks like exactly. We tried to put as much detail into it, as well as information. All parts that our listed are: The Oligosacchairde, Glycolipid, Hydrophobic helix, Cholesterol, Phospholipid and and where two types of Integral Proteins are. Like the whole class, we found out specific things about that diagram that you might find interesting, and those are listed below. They might not be the most interesting facts, but hey what else can you do when you leave it up to David to actually do something in the group? :) Anyways, as I was stated previously what we were getting at was trying to help you understand what we understood about it, and we hope the poster really helps! We didn't make it so pretty for nothing! :)

1.) What do oligosaccharides do?

-Oligosaccharides are carbohydrates that are attached to the protein that makes up the membrane of a cell. These are used as little antennas to communicate with other cells, as well as identify them.

2.) What kind of proteins make up the membrane of a cell?

-There are multiple types of cells that make up a membrane; there are receptor proteins, marker proteins, transport proteins, peripheral proteins.

3.) How thick is the membrane?

-They range any where from 7.5 - 10 nanometers. 

Proteins Diagram

Recently, while using only a cup of cereal and a long piece of string, I constructed a diagram of a protein. I took each fruit loop individually and, and random, filled up the string. When I was finished we had the option to either tangle it up, or mix it with two other classmates of mine. Either way this would of been a diagram of some kind of protein. I decided to go with the two other classmates and we combined all three of our diagrams by braiding all three of our string of fruitloops together. We ended up constructing something, of what Mr. Lugwig said, looked like a structure of cartilage. The diagram ran together in a clear braid, but the fruit loops were all mixed up which was a perfect example of what a real protein form would look like. Here was the end result! :)

‘Dead simple’ way to see atomic structure

Recently, I read an articel entitled, "‘Dead simple’ way to see atomic structure". It explained how scientists used a sheet of carbon, or one atom thick, researchers devised a new technique to have a more visual picture of the structure of molecules. What they were going for was to obtain the first direct pictures of how water coats surfaces are at room temperature and how they can be used to come up with some kind of image of a potentially unlimited number of other molecules. They wanted the image to include antibodies and other biomolecules.

James Heath, a professor of chemistry at the California Institute of Technology said, “Almost all surfaces have a coating of water on them, and that water dominates interfacial properties” and “in constant flux, and don’t sit still long enough to allow measurements.” Professor James Heath really was only explaining how hard it was to study because interfacial properties affect the wear and tear the surface and also the water molecules don't stay still enough for them to actually sit there and study them.

Amazingly, Professor Heath and his colleages ACCIDENTALY came down with a technique to pin down the moving molecules. Heath and colleagues captured and trapped the water, after they thought the anomalies might be water, under the graphene. He said, “It was a happy accident—one that we were smart enough to recognize the significance of. We were studying graphene on an atomically flat surface of mica and found some nanoscale island-shaped structures trapped between the graphene and the mica that we didn’t expect to see.”

The researchers did experiments where they deposited the graphene sheets at varying humidity levels. At higher hjmidity the odd structures became more prevalent but disappeared when in completely dry conditions. This lead the researchers to believe that they were water molecules covered by the graphene. They realized that the graphene sheet was “atomically conformal” which meant it warpped around the water molecules tightly enough to reveal their detailed atomic structure. All of this was examined with atomic force microscopy though.

Still continuing with the technique researchers have learned new details about how water coats surfaces. They found out that the first layer of water on mica is really two water molecules thick, and has the structure of ice. Once that layer is fully formed two molecule thick layer of ice forms. On top of that you get droplets. Now, the  researchers are working on improving the resolution of the technique. By doing this it could be used to send out a better picture of the atomic structure of biomolecules like antibodies and other proteins.

Carbohydrate ID Lab

In the Carbohydrate Lab we used Flour, Starch and a poptart. For the larger amount of the lab we used Iodine. All but one time did the results come out that they were all Poly. Even when we boiled some and didn't with others, Poly was the overall winner of our lab results.

Lab Results:

Glucose + Benedict = Mono (Boiled)
When we mixed these two together the glucose turned orange after we boiled it for about 3-5 minutes (First from left in photo) 

Flour + Benedict = Poly (Boiled)
When we mixed these two together half of it turned into a light blue, while the other side remained white, but a darker shade (Second from left in photo) 

Starch + Benedict = Poly (Boiled)
After mixing these two together they turned into a very light blue that was almost see through (Third from left in photo)  

Iodine + Starch = Poly
When we mixed these two together all it did was turn black. 

       Iodine + Flour = Poly
       When we mixed these two together all it did was turn black.

Poptart + Benedict = Poly (Boiled)
There was no reaction even when boiled. It just looked like floaters. (Not in photo)

In conclusion we learned that all Carbohaydrates have monosaccharides and sometimes get put together into BIGGER chains called Polysaccharides.