Response to Kokopelli1015: "Fables"

I think that the maxim of the fable 'The Fox and the Goat' was: always be wary of whom you trust. I think that this related to the fable because the goat should have been careful of who it trusted, and avoided getting stuck in the well.

The maxim of the story, 'The Crow and the Pitcher', was probably: if you keep giving all of your effort, then the desired result will definitely arrive. This is because the crow never gave up in his attempt to get the water, so eventually he succeeded.

The story 'The Fisher and the Fish' reminds ne of the maxim: always take 100% of the opportunities you get. This means that the fisher took the opportunity to eat the fish and didn't release it back into the river.

'The Lion and the Four Oxen' probably means that together we conquer, divided we fall, because the oxen held the lion at bay when together, but when seperated, the lion was able to kill all of them.

'The Wolf in Sheeps Clothing' reminds of the maxim when in Rome, do as the Romans do. So, by blending in with the sheep, the wolf was successful in killing one and eating it.

Wooden Bowls: For Kokopelli1015

Response to the Story: "Wooden Bowls"

This story was story was very touching for me because of the powerful vocabulary used, such as the word "gently". This word probably doesn't look like much, but used in the context, it made a large change in the way I looked at the story. The author made a great impression on me by pressing the value and importance of not neglecting any family members, just because of some minor faults. Empathy plays a big role in the feelings that I experienced when perusing this story. This is because of the barrage of emotions that I felt. I felt such things because I thought of myself, when I come to the age when I have the responsibility to take care of my own parents, and when my children take care of me when I am the age of the Grandfather. I will make an attempt to remember this story and pass it on to many others through my life.

Genetics Review Assignment

Genetics Assignment

I think that it is very interesting that both humans and chimpanzees had the same number of chromosomes in at one time in history. At the present time, they seem alike in many ways, though chimps don't act as evolved as we humans do. What I would really like to figure out is why the genome for humans and chimps started to differ, and how it occurred. I think this is why paleontologists all over the world have been searching for ancient human skeletons, to prove new theories on how the human race originated. Also, I find it intriguing that we have not yet discovered a species that is as technologically advanced as us. What made us different from all other creatures on the Earth? How did humans evolve from primitive animals such as bacteria? These are all questions that I want to uncover in the future.

Basic Genetics Homework: Due Jan. 5th

Source

Two things that I was able to absorb through reading the informative animation at the source above, was what heredity is and what traits are. Traits are characteristics passed on generation to next generation. These traits include physical, mental, and emotional characteristics, like how a person looks. For example, one person may resemble their father or grandfather very much, due to the fact that the person's genes contain traits that resemble their father or other relatives.

Heredity is also a widely discussed and adventured topic in genetics. Heredity is basically defined as the passing of traits from parents to offspring. The reason why this portion of genetics is held with great importance is because heredity also includes the passing of genes. Genes make a person look how they do. They contain instructions to on how the body will appear. Even the name Genetics has the word 'gene' in it. In conclusion of the topic, genetics is the study of heredity.

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Hidden Threat: Elevated Pollution Levels Near Regional Airports

This article explains how a new study reveals the amount of pollution that lingers at many airports. According to the author, there are many health-related consequences due to the emissions caused by planes. Also, the author states that it will get much worse, if the government does not look into the issue. Ultra fine particles of pollution permeate the air, making it very toxic, as the particles are only 1/500th of the width of an average human hair, making them invisible to the naked human eye. In addition, many people travel through regional airports everyday, making them a potential medical disaster just waiting to erupt.

Now researchers across the nation and in other perts of the world are looking into this matter because they are starting to be more and more aware of what can possibly be in store for them if they do not take action. This relates to ecology in science class because the subject at hand is pollution, which spreads throughout the earth, and the study of ecology is basically the study of the earth. These ecological disasters have to be prevented in order to maintain balance to nature, because mankind relies on nature to live. Therefore, without nature, there is no hope for survival on earth. More and more people are joining the cause to fight against these threats to our environment, as they are finally realizing the full impact of the situation, and the problem still has a bleak hope of being exterminated.

Source:http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091118112423.htm

Class Response - Owl pellets (for Sunnyd)

Owl Pellets

In class, I learned about owl pellets and it was very interesting because I had the rare chance to explore through the very matter that the owls ate. They are great creatures because of their amazing ability to separate the inedible material from the edible material in their meal from the edible material in the gizzard, or a muscular part of the stomach that acts as a filter. This filter-like organ helps owls to collect all of the indigestible material and let the digestible material pass through their bodies while absorbing the nutrients. After the separation is complete, the gizzard forms a ball, or 'pellet', of the remaining bones and fur. Now the owl is ready to begin the process of regurgitation of the pellet. the pellet begins a slow journey up the esophagus, and after a couple of hours, the pellet finally is expelled from the owl's mouth. Then when my class dissected the pellets, we could see the remains of the rodents and other animals that the owls consumed in their meals. This experiment was highly enjoyable because of the amount of knowledge that I was able to learn.

Current Events - For Sunnyd

Link: http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/03/080303145300.htm

Are Wolves the Pronghorns Best friends?

There is a debate based upon the extermination of the gray wolf in their habitats and ecosystems. A new study reveals that the removal of the wolves from their habitats can affect another species in an extremely negative way. This species is known as the pronghorns. They are a uniquely North American animal that resembles the African antelope. The study, which was the featured article in the journal that goes by the name of Ecology, says that the more wolves that are exterminated, the more the coyotes will flourish. The coyotes are predators to the pronghorn fawns, so they will eat them. Therefore the pronghorn population will be severely depleted, causing a great change in the ecosystem. So the wolves can really help save the ecosystem if the are not removed from the park.

This relates to food webs, and food chains, which play major roles in an ecosystem. When wolves were reintroduced to the food web of the Yellowstone National Park, in Montana, nature seemed to be at peace. When they were taken out of the park in the early 1930's, the elk population suffered greatly due to lack of food and starvation. In other words, there were too many elk, and too less food. This study also proves that when one animal is removed from its ecosystem, then all of the other animals that share the system will be affected. Some changes will be positive, and others negative. All of the animals in a food web are interconnected through intricate links and the balance between these links is is very delicate. Man should not change this balance, for if we do, then there will be too many problems for all of us to handle.