Toothpick Fish Lab

Phenotype and Genotypes

Green = GG, Gr, Gy
Red= rr
Yellow= yy
Orange= ry

G=green allele
r=red allle
y=yellow allele

My Data Charts

First Generation:
six green fish, 2 red fish, 3 yellow fish, one orange fish

Second Generation:
6 Green fish, 3 Red fish, 0 yellow fish, 0 orange fish

Third Generation:
five green fish, three red fish, 0 yellow fish, one orange fish

Fourth Generation:
5 Green Fish, 2 red fish, 0 yellow fish, 2 orange fish

Survivors of the Environmental Disaster:
0 Green fish, 2 red fish, 0 yellow fish, 2 orange fish


The toothpick lab taught me some important concepts about evolution and adaptation. Furthermore, the environment plays a large role in the chances of survival for different types of fish. For example, in this lab the fish live in an environment where it is “very green and lush with lots of seaweed and algae.” Therefore, the green fish are camouflaged and blend well with the background. The yellow and orange fish hide well, too. As a result, they are able to avoid predators because they cannot be seen. On the other hand, yellow fish are conspicuous prey and stand no chance for survival; thus, they are not able to reproduce. When looking at my data chart, it’s obvious that the green fish are a large part of the fish population because they are the dominant to the red and yellow alleles. On the other hand, there were two red fish in the first generation because they were the recessive allele; this was the same for the yellow fish. Moreover, there was only one orange fish in the first generation because the parents had one red allele, which is incompletely dominant to the yellow allele. In addition, we also had three yellow fish for the first generation, and since predators ate them, there were no yellow fish in the second generation. However, there were three red fish and six green fish in this next generation (second generation). As previously mentioned, there were more green fish because they are the dominant allele. I was not surprised when there were five green fish in the third and fourth generation and about three red fish in these generations as well. Nonetheless, after the harmful factory waste is dumped into the fish’s stream, it kills most of the algae and seaweed, leaving the green fish well-exposed and vulnerable to predators. On the contrary, the new rocks and sand are now a good camouflage for the red, yellow and orange fish. Consequent to this environmental disaster, there no green fish survived for another generation since they weren’t able to reproduce, and only two red fish survived for the last generation of recorded fish.
All things considered, the environment plays a major role in any organism’s life, such as the noxious waste that was dumped into the fish’s stream. If this experimental design were to be changed, perhaps there was a predator that only ate red fish, and then it would affect the outcome of the other fish. For example, after there the predator ate all of the red fish, there would also be no more orange fish because they have one red allele. As a result, the green and yellow fish would flourish in the new habitat free of red fish.

Autism

Autism is a non-curable disorder which altars the way one works with others. Usually someone with this condition is diagnosed as an infant. Autistic children struggle with language, behavior, and social interaction. For example, they enjoy playing by themselves in their “own world” instead of in a group among other peers. They also have difficulties maintaining eye contact and often develop repetitive movements, such as spinning and rocking. Unfortunately, no one knows what causes autism, but people believe that genetic problems and environmental factors may have something to do with it. Moreover, some people have a higher chance of being diagnosed with this condition than others. Autism may run in the family, and males are four times more likely to be diagnosed than females. As previously mentioned, a cure for autism does not exist; however, people have developed therapies which improve children’s social techniques as well as how to act in different social situations. Personally, I found this article very informative. I wanted to learn more about this disorder because I have interacted with autistic peers at my school. I have seen how physically and emotionally exhausting it is to care for an autistic child. I believe it is important for people to be educated about this condition because it is becoming a prevalent disorder.

Picture: http://www.csmsmagazine.org/wp-content/uploads/2010/08/autism-kid.jpg
I got my information from http://www.cnn.com/HEALTH/conditions/autism/

Feds to Tighten School Nutrition Standards

As part of Obama's goal to prevent the increasing percentages of obese Americans, the US Department of Agriculture announced a new proposal in order to create a more healthy food environment for American schools. This proposal would enhance the multiplicity of fruits and vegetables, whole grains, as well as low-fat and skim milk. Furthermore, this rule will reduce the amount of saturated fat and sodium common in many of the available cafeteria foods. Foods such as pizza and french fries will no longer be in abundance.
In my opinion, this new proposal should be put into effect immediately. This new proposal will slow down the rising numbers of obese Americans. Schools should strive for a more healthy atmosphere for their students. All in all, this rule is a great idea because it will a wholesome environment for the students.

Article: http://www.cnn.com/2011/HEALTH/01/13/school.nutrition/index.html

Picture: http://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://image.shutterstock.com/display_pic_with_logo/83052/83052,1176499953,1/stock-photo-different-salads-in-buffet-healthy-food-3077420.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.shutterstock.com/pic-3077420/stock-photo-different-salads-in-buffet-healthy-food.html&usg=__i6ljSBWxSwTsX4kT8SYHWQG7brI=&h=321&w=450&sz=62&hl=en&start=0&sig2=35JpixPxaGsgk0vjK2rqvw&zoom=1&tbnid=p79GPkl76M1BNM:&tbnh=137&tbnw=192&ei=QaUvTYf0GcLflgetoq2pCg&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dhealthy%2Bfood%2Bbuffet%26hl%3Den%26biw%3D1280%26bih%3D845%26gbv%3D2%26tbs%3Disch:1&itbs=1&iact=hc&vpx=446&vpy=498&dur=1762&hovh=190&hovw=266&tx=123&ty=209&oei=QaUvTYf0GcLflgetoq2pCg&esq=1&page=1&ndsp=24&ved=1t:429,r:14,s:0

New Jersey Deciduous Forests

Hello! Come and listen to the I Wonder radio station and this week's interesting topic...New Jersey Deciduous Forests! On this recording located at, http://www.podomatic.com/profile, we discuss the importance of forests and what will happen if we don't save them. One major forest in New Jersey is Stokes State Forest in northern New Jersey, covering approximately 15, 482 acres of land! However, deciduous forests are located all around the world including Europe, eastern North America, China and Japan! So come and listen to our podcast!

Citations:

The Brown Reference Group plc. Ecology, Danbury: Grolier, 2004. Print.

Fink Martin, Patricia A. Woods and Forests. Danbury: Grolier, 2000. Print.

Fiset, Nathalie. "The Positive and Negative Consequences of Deforestation." EzineArticles.com. 29 Nov. 2010.

Jasch, Mary. "Stokes State Forest" New Jersey's Great Northwest Skylands, Jan. 2010. Web. 27 Nov. 2010. .

Manta. "16 Logging Companies in New Jersey." Manta Find Companies Connect with Customers. Manta. Web. 29 Nov. 2010. .

Sayre, April. Temperate Deciduous Forest. Brookfield: Twenty-First Century Books A Division of The Millbrook Press Inc., 1994. Print.

Topsoil Niches

This is a picture of topsoil I found in my backyard. It plays many important niches, or roles, in my backyard community. For example, it provides nutrients for my garden where I grow many vegetables in the summer. Moreover, it provides a home for many worms, which enrich the soil. All in all, topsoil is very important to not only humans but worms as well. It helps produce different types of foods and provides shelter for annelids which poduce fertile soil.

I got my information from www.ehow.com/about_5199889_importance-topsoil.html

Picture taken by JetsFan21

Sun-Abiotic Factor

What would life on Earth be like if there wasn't a sun? Well, there wouldn't be any life. The sun is a very important abiotic factor (a non-living feature of an ecosystem that limits population size). First, the sun is essential during the process of photosynthesis, when plants make their own food. Without the sun, all plants would die. Many animals such as herbivores, omnivores and humans would perish without plants because they provide food and oxygen. The sun also creates a suitable environment for us to live in, not too hot or not too cold. It also regulates temperature, precipitation, air mass movement and radiation. These things are all vital to our life on Earth.

Picture take by JetsFan21

I got information from www.globio.org/glossopedia/article.aspx?art_id=37

http://wiki.answers.com/Q/Why_is_the_sun_an_important_abiotic_factor_for_all_organisms

www.biology-online.org/6/3_abiotic_factors.htm

Storm Project

Are you interested in learning more about tornadoes? Visit this website!

http://www.yellowscience.webs.com/