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APA References: Item Sources

BatConservation. (2018, January 28). Retrieved June 7, 2019, from https://save-the-bats.tumblr.com/post/170227069797/instead-of-a-bat-burrito-today-we-have-a

Bedenehapsedilenruhlar. (2018, March 03). Retrieved June 7, 2019, from https://bedenehapsedilenruhlar.tumblr.com/post/171488363912

Biomorphosis. (2014, January 04). Retrieved June 12, 2019, from https://biomorphosis.tumblr.com/post/72131773039/bombardier-beetle-when-threatened-sprays-the

Earthstory. (2019, April 04). Retrieved June 11, 2019, from https://the-earth-story.com/post/183921424901/original-caption-a-team-of-cetacean-scientist

Festival, W. S. (2015, February 24). Retrieved May 30, 2019, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b4CYyEO6aPQ

Gomedorgohome. (2017, October 27). 27.10.17 | Snapshots from the lab. Retrieved June 14, 2019, from https://gomedorgohome.tumblr.com/post/166850254082/271017-snapshots-from-the-lab-as-ive

Il-Etait-Lune-Fois. (2017, June 29). Retrieved May 31, 2019, from https://il-etait-lune-fois.tumblr.com/post/162368532594/une-série-dillustrations-sur-lhistoire-du

Josh Gabbatiss Science Correspondent @josh_gabbatiss. (2018, May 25). Methane from cow burps could be dramatically cut by feeding them seaweed. Retrieved June 10, 2019, from https://www.independent.co.uk/environment/cows-seaweed-methane-burps-cut-greenhouse-gas-emissions-climate-change-research-a8368911.html

Reactions. (2016, April 19). Retrieved June 12, 2019, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZCWPnmQj6LE&feature=youtu.be

Saddayfordemocracy. (2019, May 19). Retrieved June 8, 2019, from https://saddayfordemocracy.tumblr.com/post/184975298878/the-destruction-of-arctic-ecosystems-forces 

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APA References: Information Sources

Bug Bytes. (n.d.). Retrieved June 7, 2019, from https://genent.cals.ncsu.edu/bug-bytes/

Dogs Used in Research. (n.d.). Retrieved June 11, 2019, from https://www.navs.org/what-we-do/keep-you-informed/science-corner/animals-used-in-research/dogs-in-research/

Eagle, H., M.D. (1937, February 3). THE COAGULATION OF BLOOD BY SNAKE VENOMS AND ITS PHYSIOLOGICAL SIGNIFICANCE. Retrieved June 12, 2019, from http://jem.rupress.org/content/jem/65/5/613.full.pdf

Examining the ethics of embryonic stem cell research. (n.d.). Retrieved June 14, 2019, from https://hsci.harvard.edu/examining-ethics-embryonic-stem-cell-research

National Geographic Society. (2015, September 29). Bird's Eye View. Retrieved June 7, 2019, from https://www.nationalgeographic.org/media/birds-eye-view-wbt/

Reference Desk - FAQs. (n.d.). Retrieved May 30, 2019, from http://hubblesite.org/reference_desk/faq/all.php.cat=light

SURGICAL ADVANCEMENTS. (n.d.). Retrieved June 11, 2019, from https://www.nap.edu/read/10733/chapter/7

The Bombardier Beetle and its' "Chemical Bombs". (2017, March 22). Retrieved June 12, 2019, from https://www.mcgill.ca/oss/article/bombardier-beetle-and-its-chemical-bombs

The Optical Society. (2015, February 19). Scientists Mimic Fireflies to Make Brighter LEDs. Retrieved June 7, 2019, from https://www.osa.org/en-us/about_osa/newsroom/news_releases/2013/scientists_mimic_fireflies_to_make_brighter_leds/

Top 9 Ways to Prevent a Deadly Drug Interaction. (n.d.). Retrieved May 31, 2019, from https://www.drugs.com/article/preventing-drug-interactions.html

Vaccine development. (n.d.). Retrieved June 11, 2019, from http://www.animalresearch.info/en/medical-advances/veterinary-medicine/vaccine-development/

Whale. (n.d.). Retrieved June 11, 2019, from https://www.worldwildlife.org/species/whale

Whale Biologist. (n.d.). Retrieved June 11, 2019, from http://www.vanaqua.org/education/aquafacts/whale-biologist

World Cattle Inventory By Year. (n.d.). Retrieved June 10, 2019, from https://beef2live.com/story-world-cattle-inventory-1960-2014-130-111523

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Introduction

Animals and wildlife inhabit the same importance and connections to the world as humans do. This blog showcases that statement as topics such as chemistry, physics, biology, and earth and space science are evidently connected back to the theme of animals/wildlife.

Science is “the intellectual and practical activity encompassing the systematic study of the structure and behaviour of the physical and natural world through observation and experiment”

This definition of science from Google precisely summarizes what our class has learned, done, and seen in SNC2D1-09. Although we have never delved into animals, we have focussed on the importance of science and its impact on human life. One example of this is the neutralization lab we experimented with; both chemistry and biology pertained to this lab.

My process of selection consists of browsing through the internet and mainly, Tumblr. Each item must be feasible and abstract enough for me to explain the item thoroughly and connect it back to the Big Ideas (the corresponding themes are stated in every explanation).

This curation project is made up of connections between the topics we have learned this year and our primitive counterparts— animals. I hope this collection gives viewers a different perception of science.

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Identify and describe a variety of careers related to the fields of science under study, and identify scientists, including Canadians, who have made contributions to those fields

As a laboratory researcher, and in this case on stem cells, this job is crucial for medical advancements as this regenerative medicine can be used to solve debilitating conditions such as Parkinson’s disease. Researchers analyze and study stem cells for investigations, trials, and experiments.

However, this type of medical research is proven to be controversial as some studies focus on embryonic stem cells. The retrieval of these important, versatile pluripotent cells destroys the blastocyst. George W. Bush, former president of the United States, once called this method, “the taking of innocent human life.”  

Information source: https://hsci.harvard.edu/examining-ethics-embryonic-stem-cell-research

27.10.17 | Snapshots from the lab 🔬

As I’ve mentioned before, this year I’m doing volunteer work at a research laboratory. The team I’m working with is researching muscle regeneration. They are working on myosatellite cells, which are the stem cells located in our muscles 💪🏻

When muscles undergo injury their job is basically to undo the damage and eventually form new muscle fibers 🙌🏻 I’m currently learning all of the used techniques and hopefully soon I’ll be able to tell you something more about this!

I’m really interested in both research work and stem cells, so I feel like it’s the best place I could find myself in ❤️🔬

Have a great weekend!

zuzia

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Chemicals react with each other in predictable ways

This chemical from the bombardier beetle is concocted moments before launching it at enemies. It is created by mixing the contents of two separate glands. One contains hydrogen peroxide and hydroquinone, while the other harbours a mixture of enzymes that can react with hydrogen peroxide to form oxygen gas and water. When the contents of the two glands are mixed, oxygen forms and in turn reacts with hydroquinone to convert it to benzoquinone. This reaction creates heat so great that it can reach 100° C. Pressure due to the buildup of oxygen causes the mixture of hot water and benzoquinone to be forcefully expelled.  

Information source: https://www.mcgill.ca/oss/article/bombardier-beetle-and-its-chemical-bombs

Bombardier Beetle when threatened, sprays the attacker with a boiling hot mixture of caustic chemicals reaching 212° F (100° C). Even more impressive, the bombardier beetle can aim the poisonous eruption in the direction of the harasser.

The beetle itself is not harmed by the fiery chemical reaction. Using two special chambers inside the abdomen, the bombardier beetle mixes potent chemicals and uses an enzymatic trigger to heat and release them.

The foul concoction does burn and stain the skin. This defense proves effective against everything from hungry spiders to curious humans.

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Chemicals react with each other in predictable ways

Snake venom is a highly modified saliva that contains zootoxins; it can immobilize prey, aid in digestion, and is a defence mechanism. Their venom is made up of various mixtures of proteins, enzymes, and polypeptides that have lethal properties.

Hemotoxic venom target red blood cells and blood vessels to cause fatal bleeding. The opposite can happen also as these toxins can also cause blood clots that lead to heart failure. Coagulant venoms that contain thrombin (an enzyme present in the clotting process) act directly on fibrinogen ⁠— a glycoprotein found in the blood that functions to stop bleeding ⁠— to form fibrin. Fibrin impedes blood flow which is good in normal cases of hemostasis but with snake venom being at the root, is detrimental.

Information source: http://jem.rupress.org/content/jem/65/5/613.full.pdf

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Photo taken by me. 

Developments in medicine and medical technology can have social and ethical implications

Animal research has an imperative yet controversial part of the development of medicine throughout the centuries. Animal research has helped to develop drugs and vaccines to control and cure many infectious diseases, many surgical procedures were and continue to be developed through the use of animal models. Organ transplantation, open heart surgery, and many other common procedures were developed using animal models. Distemper - which can kill dogs, seals and dolphins - is prevented by a vaccine developed using dogs in the 1920s.

Dogs used in research in laboratory settings have been shown to display signs of stress, fear and anxiety. A number of common laboratory procedures can cause this response, including cage changing, the removal of a dog from a stable social group, changing of established maintenance routines, or restraint or confinement in a strange setting.

Although we now have life-saving vaccinations and other medical advancements, it is at the cost of countless animals.

Information source: https://www.navs.org/what-we-do/keep-you-informed/science-corner/animals-used-in-research/dogs-in-research/

http://www.animalresearch.info/en/medical-advances/veterinary-medicine/vaccine-development/

https://www.nap.edu/read/10733/chapter/7

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Identify and describe a variety of careers related to the fields of science under study, and identify scientists, including Canadians, who have made contributions to those fields

A cetacean scientist studies marine animals such as whales, dolphins, and porpoises. This is a branch of marine mammal science. These scientists monitor these marine animals to get information on their abundance and distribution to help conservation efforts. They also use photo-identification, acoustic analysis and genetic testing to identify and categorize whales. This field of work is especially important now because whales are an endangered species.  

Warming oceans and loss of sea ice in the Arctic and Antarctic can affect the habitats and food of whales. Large patches of tiny plants and animals that they feed on will likely move or change in abundance as climate change alters seawater temperature, winds and ocean currents.  The shift in food availability due to climate fluctuations has already hurt the reproductive rates of the endangered North Atlantic right whale.  

Moira Brown is a famous Canadian whale researcher whose initiative is to convince the Government of Canada to address ship strikes and North Atlantic whale morality.

Information source: http://www.vanaqua.org/education/aquafacts/whale-biologist

https://www.worldwildlife.org/species/whale

Original caption:

A team of cetacean scientist travel to the Antarctic Peninsula to research the elusive Antarctic minke whale. The collaborative team from UC Santa Cruz, Stanford Marine Station, and Duke Marine Lab utilized satellite tags, video, drones, and acoustic prey mapping to gather data during their time at sea. Research permitted under NMFS# 14809; ACA# 2015-011, 2017-034

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Global climate change is influenced by both natural and human factors

People have the responsibility to assess their impact on climate change and to identify effective courses of action to reduce this impact 

 Animals, such as cows in this instance, are natural. But at the extreme rate at which we produce them for food is a human factor. Beef consumption is wreaking havoc on climate change because of the growing supply and demand. Methane, a greenhouse gas, is roughly 30 times more potent than carbon dioxide. A cow on average releases between 70 and 120 kg of methane per year. There are now 1.468 billion cattle on earth, a 726 million difference from 1960. 

Studies have shown that eating beef is not essential to human diets and can actually do more harm than good if not eaten in moderation. This is a problem that an average consumer can easily tackle from a social and economic point of view. Companies serve the people, not the other way around.

 Another way to solve this absurd amount of emission produced by cows is to not stop producing them but to feed them algae. This is shown to be an effective way to minimize methane production without any lasting impact on humans.

Information source: https://beef2live.com/story-world-cattle-inventory-1960-2014-130-111523

Research has found that adding a relatively small amount of algae to cow feed can cut down their methane production by up to 99%. 

Methane is an even worse greenhouse gas than CO2 and is thought to be responsible for about a quarter of anthropogenic climate change. Usually, microbes in a cow’s stomach produce methane as they digest food, but a compound found in some algae disrupts the enzyme that the microbes use to produce methane.

More studies are underway to see if this method could be implemented by dairy farmers in California, where legislation was recently passed requiring them to cut methane emissions by 40% over the next ten years.

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Climate change affects living things and natural systems in a variety of ways.

The accelerated global warming is destroying the Arctic as the sea ice is melting and the biodiversity is quickly decreasing. Polar bears are losing their sustenance and ice is shrinking too quickly for them to adapt. 

The melting of the glaciers produces a domino-like effect on the earth. One natural system that will be affected is the thermohaline circulation. The onslaught of fresh water will decrease the salinity of the icy waters; this complicates the circulation pattern as the cold water will become less dense and the driving force of the circulation will deteriorate. The thermohaline circulation could possibly stop which would result in disastrous results as this ‘conveyor belt’ regulates the current climate around the world. 

The destruction of Arctic ecosystems forces animals to search for food on land, such as these polar bears in northern Russia. 

Photograph: Alexander Grir/AFP/Getty Images

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Item(s) done by me.

Plants and animals, including humans, are made of specialized cells, tissues, and organs that are organized into systems.

These systems in an insect would not be possible without specialized cells as, without them, no specific tasks would be accomplished and organs would not be present and functioning.

As insects have a complete digestive system (some lower invertebrates such as flatworms have incomplete digestive systems), biologists regard a complete digestive system as an evolutionary improvement over an incomplete digestive system because it allows functional specialization — different parts of the system may be specially adapted for various functions of food digestion, nutrient absorption, and waste excretion. 

Information source: https://genent.cals.ncsu.edu/

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Society has benefited from the development of a range of optical devices and technologies

A new paper by The Optical Society has stated that scientists are mimicking fireflies to create brighter LEDs. Researchers have studied their abdomens that produces this bioluminescent light. The scientists identified a pattern of jagged scales that enhanced the lanterns’ glow and applied that knowledge to LED design to create an LED overlayer that mimicked the natural structure of a firefly. This new overlay increases the efficiency of LEDs by 55 percent meaning less energy is used for even brighter light.

Information source: https://www.osa.org/en-us/about_osa/newsroom/news_releases/2013/scientists_mimic_fireflies_to_make_brighter_leds/

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Light has characteristics and properties that can be manipulated with mirrors and lenses for a range of uses

Owls have eyeshine, this is because of the tapetum lucidum— a layer of tissue behind the retina that reflects visible light back through the retina. This reflection increases the amount of light available to the photoreceptors giving the owl superior night vision. The tapetum lucidum acts like a concave mirror as it reflects light back. This night vision is extremely useful as owls are nocturnal. 

Information source: https://www.nationalgeographic.org/media/birds-eye-view-wbt/

Instead of a bat-burrito, today we have a Sam-burrito! She was such a good girl while she was getting her beak and talons all trimmed up!

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Identify and describe a variety of careers related to the fields of science under study, and identify scientists, including Canadians, who have made contributions to those fields

If you study chemistry, there are many careers available. You can become a doctor, pharmacist, nanotechnologist, analytical chemist, and many more! Focussing on pharmacy, understanding how chemicals react with each other is extremely important as you are giving specific drugs—essentially chemicals — to treat health problems. If you know which chemicals don’t work well together, e.g. sertraline (Zoloft) + fluoxetine (Prozac), then you can avoid disaster by giving the appropriate instructions to patients. A famous Canadian pharmacist is Jean Coutu who is the founder and Chairman of the Jean Coutu Group which is a Canadian drugstore chain. 

Information source: https://www.drugs.com/article/preventing-drug-interactions.html

Une série d’illustrations sur l’histoire du médicament pour mon diplôme d’illustration scientifique !

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Identify and describe a variety of careers related to the fields of science under study, and identify scientists, including Canadians, who have made contributions to those fields.

David Charbonneau, a Canadian astronomer, has a Bachelors of Science in math, physics, and astronomy. The human eye can only see a small range of wavelengths that are part of the electromagnetic spectrum, appropriately called visible light. Electromagnetic radiation gives us information about the objects in the universe but as we cannot see them, astronomers use telescopes with detection devices to study these objects. Gamma rays, which have the shortest wavelengths but the highest frequency, are often detected from black holes and pulsars. 

Information source: http://hubblesite.org/reference_desk/faq/all.php.cat=light

Searching for Stellar Transits

In 2009, NASA launched the Kepler Space Observatory to monitor the brightness of over 140,000 stars in a small section of space. The result of the mission will be a record of extra-solar planets as they transit, or move, across their home stars, causing the brightness to dip. Astronomer David Charbonneau explains.

By: World Science Festival.