Biology

Week 2 Mini-Paper: YOUR TOPIC WILL BE: Chapter 15: Sexually Transmitted Infections Write a 2-3 page paper based on the topic you have picked for your “Human Sexuality” PowerPoint presentation. Your target audience for the presentation is a group of people that need more information about certain a “human sexuality” topic. This paper explains why you choose this topic and why it is important to this group. Include citations from journal articles, our book, or other scholastic sources. PowerPoint Presentation (Course Project): YOUR TOPIC WILL BE: Chapter 15: Sexually Transmitted InfectionsDevelop a 13-15 slide PPT lecture titled “Human Sexuality.”Be sure to include video clips, graphics, a quiz, anything to make the “lecture” interesting.  Be sure to view the rubric. 

The discovery of the antibiotic Penicillin in the 1920s made a big impact on human history. Not only did it provide a cure for bacterial infections that were once deadly, but it also led to a golden age in the discovery of new antibiotics. The great benefit of these drugs is that antibiotics inhibit the growth of bacterial cells or kill them outright, and yet, on the whole, do not harm eukaryotic cells. Answer BOTH of the following questions: Given the following list of antibiotics and their targets, explain how each stops bacteria without harming human cells. Base your analyses on the differences between eukaryotic and prokaryotic cells. Considering the targets of these antibiotics, explain why antibiotics in general would not be useful for treating a viral infection.AntibioticTargetPenicillinBlocks cell wall synthesisTetracyclineBlocks protein synthesis by binding to the 30S Unit of the ribosome Chloramphenicol Blocks protein synthesis by binding to the 50S Unit of the ribosome SulfonamidesInhibit folic acid synthesisVancomycinBlocks cross-linking of the peptidoglycan in the cell will read this to enhance your understanding of the differences between prokaryotic and eukaryotic cells: How do antibiotics kill bacterial cells but not human cells? See a comparison of bacterial and viral features here: Differences between bacteria and viruses. Follow these guidelines for your paper: Utilize at least 1 credible source to support the arguments presented in the paper. Make sure you cite appropriately within your paper and list the reference(s) in APA format on your Reference page. Your paper should be 1–2 pages in length, not counting the Title page and      Reference page. ReferencesMobley, H. (2018). How do antibiotics kill bacterial cells but not human cells? Retrieved from: https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/how-do-antibiotics-kill-b/Aryal, S. (2015). Differences between bacteria and viruses. Retrieved from: https://microbiologyinfo.com/differences-between-bacteria-and-viruses/

Assignment: ReflectionAs you explored a variety of biology-related topics during this course, you may have realized how much the study of biology influences the way you see and understand the world. Taking time to reflect on your learning enables you to deepen your understanding of new ideas and make them more meaningful to you personally. In this reflection, you consider the knowledge you have gained and the ways it has changed or may change your behavior or perspectives on important issues. To prepare for this Assignment: Recall the topics you have explored and discussed for your assignments and consider the following questions What new concepts did you explore? Which seem most relevant to you personally? Why? What new perspective did you gain from the course Resources and/or from your interactions with your peers and your Instructor? How might this new perspective influence an attitude or behavior? Have you changed your behavior based on something you learned in the course? If so, how have you changed and why? Is there a biology-related policy that you like to advocate for or against based on what you have learned in this course? Select one topic for your reflection based on your answers to the questions above. Conduct research to identify a scientific article related to the topic you selected for your reflection.The Assignment: By Day 6Post a 2- to 3-paragraph reflection on your participation in this course that addresses one of the following topics: A new or better knowledge of how biology impacts your life each day A changed perspective on a biology-related issue that you consider important A changed behavior based on what you have learned in the course A biology-related policy issue that you would consider advocating for or against As part of your answer, summarize the science article you selected and explain how it relates to the key learning you identified. Finally, be sure your reflection includes references to your course reading or outside sources. Questions about this Assignment? Post the questions in the Contact the Instructor area, so all class members may benefit from the Instructor’s response.

Choice 1: Editing Human Embryos and Adults With respect to gene editing in human embryos, most research is focused on fixing or removing harmful mutations that may cause diseases, but there are some fears of creating designer babies. In addition, we can edit the genes in adults, if we use a targeted approach. Read the articles below, and then respond to the prompt. Questions to consider: What is your take on the research? Are there any benefits and/or costs? Should we be focusing on this? Is there a reason for concern? Articles for Editing Human Embryos and AdultsDarnovsky, M., & Hasson, K. (2020). CRISPR’s Twisted Tales: Clarifying Misconceptions about Heritable Genome Editing. Perspectives in Biology and Medicine 63(1), 155-176. DOI:10.1353/pbm.2020.0012.A human has been injected with gene-editing tools to cure his disabling disease. Here’s what you need to know. (Kaiser, 2017) http://www.sciencemag.org/news/2017/11/human-has-been-injected-gene-editing-tools-cure-his-disabling-disease-here-s-what-youCRISPR fixes disease gene in viable human embryos (Ledford, 2017) https://www.nature.com/news/crispr-fixes-disease-gene-in-viable-human-embryos-1.22382The first CRISPR edited babies are (probably) here. Now What? From: Science Friday https://www.sciencefriday.com/segments/the-first-crispr-edited-babies-are-probably-here-now-what/

The human body is a complex structure. Yet, despite its complexity, it consists of only four tissue types; epithelial, connective, muscle, and nervous tissues. Each has its own unique characteristics and function. During this week’s Discussion, you will focus on the epithelial and muscle tissues. Respond to the two topics below for this unit’s Discussion. Then, throughout the week, review your classmates’ posts and comment as appropriate on at least two other posts per the Discussion Guidelines below: Epithelial tissue is one of the four tissue types of the human body. Describe the various functions of epithelial tissue. In your post, describe the multiple morphologies (shapes) and structures of epithelial tissue. Provide an example of an organ in the human body that has epithelial tissue. What is the cause of acne vulgaris? If your teenage son had a case of acne vulgaris, what treatments would you recommend? There are three types of muscle tissues; skeletal, smooth, and cardiac. What are the functions of each of these muscle types? What are the similarities and differences between the structure and function of skeletal, smooth, and cardiac muscle? Provide examples of organs that contain smooth muscle, skeletal muscle, and cardiac muscle. A 65-year-old man went to the local emergency room complaining of tightness in his chest, shortness of breath, and heartburn. He is diagnosed with myocardial infarction. What are the causes of myocardial infarction? How does it affect heart tissue? Does the affected heart tissue recover? What is the long-term consequence? What lifestyle changes do you recommend to avoid a myocardial infarction

A) Explain how geography, mass extinctions, and adaptive radiation help explain the diversity of living organisms. B) Explain how changes in development can explain the evolution of new life forms. Using the information you presented about geography, mass extinction, adaptive radiation, and embryonic development, from the previous two questions, explain how living organisms evolve.A) Explain what do phylogenies represent. B) If two species look similar, can you assume they are closely related? Explain why. C) Describe one practical application of studying phylogenies? When comparing birds and bats they both have wings, A) can we use the presence of wings as an indicator of phylogenetic relationship? Explain B) What do we call a trait like wings present in bats and birds (synapomorphy (shared derived trait), symplesiomorphy (shared ancestral trait), homoplasy)? Explain. Birds, bats, and humans all have a vertebral column. A) If you group birds, bats, and humans in one clade and leave out other apes and mammals, what type of group would they form (monophyletic, paraphyletic, polyphyletic)? Explain B) What do we call a trait like the presence of vertebral column within bats, birds, and humans (synapomorphy (shared derived trait), symplesiomorphy (shared ancestral trait), homoplasy)? Explain. C) What other organisms would you have to include in this clade in order to have a monophyletic group? A) Viruses can create mutations in bacteria, and in humans, some viruses are linked to cancer. Explain whether the lytic or the lysogenic cycles are more likely to have these side effects on the host. B) Why has it been so difficult to find a vaccine against HIV or a vaccine against all flu viruses?

In California, Pacific Northern rattlesnakes prey on California ground squirrels. Their relationship is a great example of co-evolution. Read the article about their relationship found at https://news.osu.edu/how-is-rattlesnake-venom-like-fine-wine-both-have-regional-varieties/, and then address the following questions: Explain why the relationship between these two species is considered an example of co-evolution. What did you find most interesting or significant about how the rattlesnake population adapts to the squirrel’s defenses against its venom?

The concept of biological evolution is considered both a scientific theory (which is different than a theory in the colloquial sense) and a scientific fact. Like all theories in science, however, evolution is also subject to refinement and discovery based on new findings. Even today, we are discovering new fossils, or using new technologies to analyze older fossils. In either of these cases, we are discovering new information about the past, that we can use to predict the future. This week, we will look for modern-day examples of biological evolution, those that were recently discovered, the use of newer technologies, or simply finding out more about past projects. You are to find an article on biological evolution.  Choose an article that is different than your classmates – which means you should have a very descriptive title to your post. Summarize the main points of the article. Was there a new technology used? How? What did it discover? Were there a new species discovered? New information on an already discovered species? What was the species? What was the information? What were the methods used? Is this groundbreaking?

Your organs are composed of the four tissue types; epithelial, connective, muscle, and nervous tissues. Organs are wondrous things, each one with a different function vital to the homeostasis of your body. While it is easy for us to view a particular organ as a single item, it is in fact comprised of many different types of cells and structures, each one unique and yet each one working together to perform the functions of the organ. In this Assignment, you will research an individual organ and its complexity. Your APA-formatted essay should: Provide a general description of your assigned organ in the introduction. In the general description, you will include the following: a brief description of the primary functions of this organ, its general shape, and the location of this organ in the human body. Describe in detail the importance of this organ to the function of the body as a whole. What are the functions of this organ and how is it critical for survival? Identify and describe which of the four tissue types (epithelial, connective, muscle, and/or nervous tissues) are present in the organ. Describe any organ-specific cell types that are present and if these cell types have any special structures (e.g., presence of microvilli and/or abundance of particular organelle such as mitochondria). Discuss in detail how these different cell-types work together to provide the overall function of the organ. Include a discussion of why each organ requires the different tissue types as well as unique cell types to function. Why can the organs not be comprised of just one cell type? What is the advantage of having so many different types of cells? The organ assigned to you for this essay is listed below and is based on the first letter of your last name: First Letter of Last NameOrganA-DHeartE-HLungI-MKidneyN-RSpleenS-VLiverW-ZStomachBasic Writing Requirements: Essay should be APA formatted. Should include a cover page, an introduction, and a conclusion. The body of the essay should address the different topics and questions described above. All statements of fact should be included in an APA reference list at the end of the essay. The essay should be a minimum of 750 words in length not counting the cover page and reference list. Submitting Your AssignmentSave your copy of the APA-formatted Assignment in a location and with a name that you will remember. Be sure to use the “Save As” option to include your first and last name in the title of the document. For example, your Assignment might be called Shawn_Edwards_Assignment4.docWhen you are ready, submit your work via the Dropbox.

1. Read the following paper in detail: Monczak, A., Berry A., Kehrer C., Montie E.W. (2017). Long-term acoustic monitoring of fish calling provides baseline estimates of reproductive timelines in the May River estuary, southeastern USA. Marine Ecology Progress Series 581, 1-19. (FEATURE ARTICLE). 2. Write a one to two pages typed synopsis (single-spaced, 12-point font, times new roman, 1-inch margins) that answers the following questions: a. Why was the research done? What were the major objectives? b. How was it done? Explain the methods. c. What were the major findings? d. Why are the findings important? What are the future directions? Where is the research headed?