Unit 9- Cell Energy Reflection

I found the unit of cell energy to be initially very confusing, but later felt that I began to understand it better. However, judging by my performance on this test, I will still need to review this unit before the AP exam. That said, I still feel that I was able to demonstrate the AP science practices throughout my work.

I felt that I was able to use SP6 in the DNA Fingerprinting lab. In this lab, we applied our knowledge of DNA and DNA length to attempt to solve a murder. My lab group and I were able to apply the theory about how DNA works to effectively create a gel electrolysis, which we then compared to other gel electrolysis to find which suspect committed the murder.

I was also able to apply SP4 in the Caliometry Lab. In said lab, we were attempting to measure the number of kilocalories in a gram of common food items. To do this, we designed our own lab set up, and then conducted the experiment. Unfortunately, we wound up with a large percent-error, but this is mostly do to the lab equipment. 

• LO 2.1 . . .explain how biological systems use free energy based on empirical data that all organisms require constant energy input to maintain organization, to grow and to reproduce. [SP 6.2]
• LO 2.2 . . .justify a scientific claim that free energy is required for living systems to maintain organization, to grow or to reproduce, but that multiple strategies exist in different living systems. [SP 6.1]
• LO 2.3 . . .predict how changes in free energy availability affect organisms, populations and ecosystems. [SP 6.4]

• LO 2.4 . . .use representations to pose scientific questions about what mechanisms and structural features allow organisms to capture, store and use free energy. [SP 1.4, 3.1]
• LO 2.5 . . .construct explanations of the mechanisms and structural features of cells that allow organisms to capture, store or use free energy. [SP 6.2]

AP Science Practices 

• SP1:The student can use representations and models to communicate scientific phenomena and solve scientific problems.
• SP2: The student can use mathematics appropriately.
• SP3: The student can engage in scientific questioning to extend thinking or to guide investigations within the context of the AP course.
• SP4: The student can plan and implement data collection strategies appropriate to a particular scientific question.
• SP5: The student can perform data analysis and evaluation of evidence.
• SP6: The student can work with scientific explanations and theories.
• SP7: The student is able to connect and relate knowledge across various scales, concepts and representations in and across domains.

DNA Unit Reflection

The learning outcomes for this unit is cell oriented. DNA are the most basic unit of replication, and have obvious important implications for the rest of biology, especially in the human systems that we study (nervous, endocrine, and immune systems).

I feel that I was able to fulfill science practice #4 in this unit via the DNA fingerprinting lab, where I was able to empirically discover how DNA works.

I additionally was able to apply SP7. Unit 1 was about DNA, and how different creatures and bacteria evolved into what they are today. The Endosymbiotic cell theory is the theory that the mitochondria was actually a prokaryote that for some reason or another entered a modern eukaryote and helped it. This gave it an advantage, and the characteristic spread until eventually it spread to the extent that it has today.


AP Science Practices
SP1:The student can use representations and models to communicate scientific phenomena and solve scientific problems.
SP2: The student can use mathematics appropriately.
SP3: The student can engage in scientific questioning to extend thinking or to guide investigations within the context of the AP course.
SP4: The student can plan and implement data collection strategies appropriate to a particular scientific question.
SP5: The student can perform data analysis and evaluation of evidence.
SP6: The student can work with scientific explanations and theories.
SP7: The student is able to connect and relate knowledge across various scales, concepts and representations in and across domains.rent creatures and bacteria evolved into what they are today. The Endosymbiotic cell theory is the theory that the mitochondria was actually a prokaryote that for some reason or another entered a modern eukaryote and helped it. This gave it an advantage, and the characteristic spread until eventually it spread to the extent that it has today.

2nd Quarter Reflection

The 2nd quarter has been a struggle. I am at a point where I don't want to complete work anymore, but still must do my work. However, what I liked learning the most about in the 2nd quarter was Mendelian Genetics. I find it interesting that Mendel was able to derive his rule by picking simple pea plants, when most other plants would have posed problems for him when creating his new rule. Additionally, the test on Mendelian Genetics was my best test grade :-), so there's him to thank for that too.
Something that I struggled with was cell division. While cell division is not overly complicated, I feel that I didn't study enough for the unit. In the future, I want to study harder, despite my senioritis.

Unit 5: Pathogens & Immunity

Out of all of our units so far, I have found this unit to be the most interesting. The ability of the immune system to hunt down and destroy bacteria and suppress unkillable viruses is something that I find to be amazing.

The human immune 

AP Science Practices

• SP1:The student can use representations and models to communicate scientific phenomena and solve scientific problems.
• SP2: The student can use mathematics appropriately.
• SP3: The student can engage in scientific questioning to extend thinking or to guide investigations within the context of the AP course.
• SP4: The student can plan and implement data collection strategies appropriate to a particular scientific question.
• SP5: The student can perform data analysis and evaluation of evidence.
• SP6: The student can work with scientific explanations and theories.
• SP7: The student is able to connect and relate knowledge across various scales, concepts and representations in and across domains.

• Populations are subject to natural selection which selects more successful phenotypes over time.
• Biological systems are affected by disruption to dynamic homeostasis.
• Organisms have a variety of chemical defences against infections that affect dynamic homeostasis.
• Viral replication results in genetic variation, which can introduce genetic variation into the hosts.

Debate Reflection

I thought that the debates went well, and went much better than I expected. Even though I had done my research, I hadn't expected to be able to speak for a full 3 minutes.
Overall, I thought that the debate was productive and that I learned more about the issue of Genetically Modified Foods. Before the debate, I hadn't really seen any problems with genetically modified foods, but now I think that we should be a little bit more cautious when using GMO's.
From Hannah's debate, I learned that fish are friends not food. Seriously though, I learned more about the issue of stem cell research, an issue that is important, yet one that I hadn't pursued to learn about because I didn't care before.