Beetles

Beetles make up nearly 1/5 of the worlds living species. There are about 800,000 insect species on Earth and a little over half of them are beetles. Beetles have a pair of protective wings that help them fly and protect there bodies from their prey, these wings are called elytra. Beetles come in different shapes and sizes and range from ladybugs to June bugs. They also range in size from a little over a millimeter to over six inches long. The earliest beetles date back to over 23o million years ago. The word beetle comes from the Latin word "scarabaeus" literally meaning beetle. Beetles and other insects are part of the anthropod family. There is so much information I didn't include in my blog about beetles that you can check out on http://waynesword.palomar.edu/ww0502.htm.

Are we causing extinction?

I agree with what Peter Ward comments on in the discussion board. I feel that we are currently in a mass extinction, but it isn't just humans alone that are causing it I simply feel it is just nature running it's course. I think that we definately are speeding up the process of extinction though through all of the mass building productions and by tearing down the rainforest. By building as much as we are we are taking away natural habitats for certain animals causing them to die out. We aren't seeing a bunch of animals dead all over the place because extinction is not a quick process by any means. I think that the ratio of new animals being born to the ones who die has dramatically decreased over the past 15,000 or so years.

Evolution

We call evolution a theory because there is not enough evidence to call it a law. Many people tend to be almost afraid of evolution due to their religious beliefs. Religion is based upon faith so when you take that factor out of the equation what is there to look forward to? Our society needs something to believe in and some higher power, evolution challenges their beliefs so they don't want to believe it's true. Personally I do believe in a higher power, but I also think that we evolve. Evolution has produced physical evidence over the years, but the emotional proof lies in faith. People say there are two sides to every coin and I think that is the case when it comes to evolution!

Pet cloning...

I do like animals don't get me wrong I have a cat that lives with my parents, but I think cloning an animal is a little extreme! The technology we have acquired over the years is absolutely amazing. I think it is wonderful we are almost at the point where people have the option to clone a pet, but I think the actual cloning itself is just weird. Many people, like the one's mentioned in the article, refer to their pets as their "children" and I feel that if people are trying to replace a dead child that's really odd. I think that people should hold onto the memories of their deceased animals, but they should learn to cope and move on. A life is not easily replaced and just by cloning something doesn't mean it will have the same connection that your previous animal did. I think this may sound a little harsh, but why not just get a new pet and save your money?

Genetics

I am working on problems 3 and 6 and am not getting very far! If anyone has any help to offer that would be greatly appreciated! This stuff is tough! I will continue to work my problems out and try to help as many people as possible!

Genetics

I feel that knowing whether or not you are a "high risk" for diseases should really be none of your insurance companies business. I feel that if a patient needs treatment they should not be denied by their insurance companies because isn't the reason we have insurance to cover you when things happen? I think insurance companies make it much to difficult to get health insurance and that is absurd especially with our economy the way it is! I do not agree that socialized health care is the way to go but I do feel that our genetic make up should not be made public!

"Designer Babies"

This topic is almost disturbing to me and hits very close to home. I have an uncle who is mentally retarded and through him I have learned compassion, patience, and acceptance. I feel that it is peoples imperfections that tend to out shine their perfect characteristics making each individual unique. Although I think it would be good to know whether or not your child has a certain disease or abnormality before they are born many of us need to stop and think, would you really love them any less? I am not saying I would want to bring an unhealthy baby into the world just to make them suffer; but for my own religious belief's I would not terminate the baby. Not to mention there is always a chance that the genetic tests could be flawed and you could possibly terminate an embryo that is perfectly healthy. As far as creating the "perfect" child through genetically altering the genes I think it is absolutely ridiculous honestly it makes me think of the book "A Brave New World" are we trying to create a Utopian society? I know this is a science class and I am absolutely in awe of what scientists are able to do, but I think this is a little much and is definitely pushing the limit. If you would like to read about the "designer babies" I have listed a link below:
http://www.cnn.com/2008/TECH/science/10/30/designer.babies/index.html

Anaerobic Respiration

Although humans can use anaerobic respiration over a short period of time they cannot use it as a source of survival. One example of a human using anaerobic respiration is when they are sprinting. Their energy produced by glucose keeps them going, but if you have ever noticed that at the end of a sprint you are gasping it is because your body is trying to take in all of the oxygen it was not getting while you were running. Warm blooded animals need to keep there body at a constant temperature which is why many times mammals eat more when it is cold outside, they are trying to produce energy to keep their body temperature up.Warm blooded animals are able to stabilize their body temperature to keep their energy at a consistent level and cold blooded animals are unable to do so. Cold blooded animals are much more active when it is warm outside because they produce more energy and their muscles move easier than they do when it's cold outside, this is because they are able to metabolize their food quicker. Cold blooded animals can also produce more energy when they are warm because the sun increases their metabolic rate.

Deforestation

The world today is much larger and more advanced than it was even 100 years ago. We go into the forest and cut down trees to build houses, make roads, or even build shopping centers to provide what many people feel to be necessary for our society. If we were to look at the big picture and see what we are doing, which is removing large amounts of sources of oxygen from our world. No big deal right? WRONG! Every living thing needs oxygen in order to survive. One of humans main sorces of energy comes from sunlight and plants, they produce sugar which is turned into ATP. ATP is also known as the source of "fuel" needed by living things in order to survive. It would be a different story if every single tree or plant we removed we replanted, but that's not the case. Loggers nationwide have made claims that for every tree they cut down there are 7 more planted in their place. So if this is true, where have all the trees gone? I think if everyone became more aware of what was actually going on around us we all might be able to live a little bit greener and make our beautiful planet last just a little bit longer!

Why is America so overweight?

Do you ever look around when you drive down a public street or pull into a shopping center parking lot? If you do chances are you notice at least some sort of fast food chain before you hit your final destination, whether it be Starbucks for a quick java boost or Burger King for that quick grease infested craving. As I have stated before I grew up in a very small town where there was not a whole lot to do especially in high school! The kids I went to school with were either involved with a hectic schedule of extra curricular activities or they were just simply kids your parents didn't want you to be around. In rural America these fast food chains are not as accessible, but unless you are involved in some sort of sport or other activities there's not really a chance for you to get into tip top physical shape. I think it is quite opposite in larger areas because the accessibility of a gym or fast food restaurant is about equal, they both cost money and they are both equally accessible, but the way the American society is these days we all just want something quick and easy. I mean honestly who really enjoys working out? Don't get me wrong I am a workout fiend especially these last few months, but that motivation isn't always easy for us to get. I think we seem to look for the quick and easy fix when it comes to our health because many Americans tend to look the other way at the long term affects these horrible diets have on us. I don't think this is the case in many European nations they don't have as many long work days and they tend to walk a lot more their main focus is shifted from food to fashion. In America we drive everywhere and eat any and everything we want! It has become so acceptable for people to be overweight because so many of us are (me included)!I think that the way we can change our younger generations is by having them become more involved and making fruits and vegetables their daily snacks rather than something like Gold Fish or potato chips!

Pseudoscience-Week 4

When I think of the all the things that are published in the media I just kind of sit back and chuckle a bit. One of the most published stories is that of the Loch Ness monster. Obviously this is Pseudoscience, but why do so many people chose to believe it's real? People tend to believe what they see and hear from the media because we tend to think that what the media is telling us is true. I beleive that the media's influence impact's pseudoscience directly and makes many of us believe in things, like the Loch Ness monster, Nessie, or even "miracle" drugs such as tanning pills or even many weight loss supplements. I found an interesting website that goes a little more in depth with the details following Nessie, it's kind of interesting, but it seems that over years skepticism has truly shown that the myth is just that, a myth!
http://skepdic.com/nessie.html

I also feel that there are so many things out there that may or may not be pseudoscience. One thing I am unsure of is Emergence-C. I mean when you look at all of the benefits they list on package it seems to be a very beneficial product. I take it every once in awhile when I start to feel a cold coming on or sometimes just for that extra little boost of energy. This product seems to work well for me, but is it more of just a psychological thing?

I guess the real difference in science and pseudoscience is proof. It is hard to believe everything we read or hear and I think for the most part people are aware of the dangers that come with products that aren't FDA approved. I feel that if people are more educated about the differnce of pseudoscience and actual science they might take more precautions to what they ingest or if relay as fact until they have researched it to find out if it's been proven or not.

Chemicals in food

This week I pulled some wheat thins out of the pantry and looked at the nutrition label on the side. I wasn't very surprised at what I found with the nutrition facts, but more surprised at the amount of chemicals that were listed as part of the ingredients. I found that out of 16 ingredients 11 of those had been altered in labs! Personally I am very concerned with what I eat because I am trying to get down to a healthy weight, for the most part I try to stay away from snack foods and eat mostly organically grown fruits and vegetables as well as lean meats such as chicken and fish. I agree with the governments concern with trans fats in our diets and with the majority of Americans being obese I feel that trans fats should be listed. From my personal experience through dieting and researching nutrition I have come to find trans fats as being very harmful to our body not only are they hard to burn off, but they are very bad for our health. Most trans fats are listed as one of the leading causes to the clogging of arteries in our hearts. Not only are they bad for our hearts, but researchers have also found that there are no safe levels of trans fats in peoples diets.I feel that the government should be proactive and pass bills like this one so people become more aware of what they are putting into their bodies.

Life and living things

How do we know we are alive? I know that I am alive because I get to wake up every day and explore all of the beautiful life around me, whether it is the blossoming bud of a flower or the sound of birds chirping in the distance. I feel that the scientific definition of a living thing covers the basis of existence, but it doesn't explore the depth of emotions or senses. Who's to say that insects and animals don't feel? I know it sounds silly, but do we really have a way to prove whether or not they can communicate? I believe that experiencing life to the fullest is being in touch with your emotions and enjoying all of the natural beauty around us, such as the birth of a new life or the passing of a loved one. I truly believe that we could not live without feeling, because without feeling we are truly not experiencing life.

About me

Okay, this is my third attempt to post my blog. I accidentally deleted the first two! So here it goes, I am just your average 22 year old student who has taken way too long to complete junior college! I work in a retirement community as a server/bartender, and although it may sound very boring it is actually comical, in fact in many ways it's just like a drawn out episode of Cheers ! I am currently enrolled in 15.5 units as a child development major. I am taking this class because biology has always been intriguing to me and I love nature. This is my first online class ever so I could use all the help I can get!!

My two rules:
1.Be respectful of others views and ideas.
2. Create your own work and don't take from other people.