Got Fizz?

Have you ever thought on how fizz in your coke would actually taste like? Well, neuroscientist(scientist who studies the brain and the nervous system) Charles Zuker, knows the answer to this. On October 21st 2009 in Columbia University, New York, scientists wanted to know how fizz tastes like and how the brain recognizes the taste.

Zuker and his scientists made an experiment on mice. There were five groups of mice and on one group they genetically engineered (ability to non-activate a certain taste sensation for a certain amount of time) one taste sensation which was sweetness. On another group, they genetically engineered the taste of sourness. On the other three groups they genetically engineered saltiness or bitterness. Each of the groups were given carbon dioxide gas on their nervous systems. The four groups were able to respond to the taste of carbon dioxide but the fifth group, which couldn't taste sourness, did not. Overall, Zuker and his scientists concluded that their was a certain protein in the sour-sensing cell part of our tongue. Carbon dioxide is actually crucial to that protein. When carbon dioxide and the protein come together, the protein makes particles come off, which are called protons. Then, the protons stimulate the sour sensing cells which reports to the brain. This is why fizz taste sour.

Neuroscientists, I believe, are very interesting. For example, finding out how fizz taste sounds like a very unusual and difficult job. People with a significant amount of curiosity in their minds (like me) would definitely be interested to know how the tongue and the brain react to different types of tastes. Overall, I feel that scientists, like Charles Zuker are doing a good work in order for us to gain more knowledge on anthropology (study of the human kind).

Website:

http://www.sciencenews.org/view/generic/48608/title/FOR_KIDS_The_tatse_of_bubbles.

Man-sized Dinosaur

Breaking News!!! A man sized dinosaur was reasearched in Chicago on September 17th, 2009. Scientists Paul Sereno and Xu Xing found this fossil in the northeast of China. This dinosaur was a Tyrannosaurus Rex which was only 150 pounds and its lenght was just 9 feet. Since this dinosaur was infamous, descendant, unique and rarely found, scientists chose to reasearch this species.
When I read this article, it made me feel interested to read more about dinosaurs. I also felt good because scientists are finding more unique species which can be useful for many people who are interested in dinosaurs, like me.

Link:
www.livescience.com/animals/090917-tiny-tyrannosaur.html

Response to the Movie- October Sky

In the movie, October Sky, Homer Hickam and other charaters showed many charater traits that include in our charater education list (cooperation, assertion, respect, empathy,and self- control). Cooperation basically means to work together as a team. Hikam's friends show cooperation towards Hikam by helping him to build a rocket. The definition of assertion is to be determind. Homer Hikam shows assertion by being determind to build a rocket proving to people that he could do something else in life other than coal mining. The meaning of respect is to honor someone. Hickam showed respect to Miss Riley (his teacher) by naming one of his award-wining rockets after her since Miss Riley encourage and inspired Hickam to build a rocket. The trait empathy means to look at the other person's perspective or "to go into someone's shoes". Hickam's mother shows empathy by going to her father and telling him to stop the protesting of banning rockets since she understands what her son's is going through in Indiannapolis. The definition of self-control is to have power over your actions. Unfortunetly, Hickam's father did not show self-control. After Hickam announced that he will make a rocket, his father got angry and yelled at him because his father wanted Homer Hickam to follow his footstep and to work in the mines, digging for coal. Overall, Hickam showed these charater traits in the movie which inspired many people into reaching their goals.

Response Blog- Cystic Fibrosis

In skater 121296's blog, the Cystic Fibrosis sounds very harmful. I feel that more cures should be made. Especially for the young teenagers and children who have this disease. Even after getting new treatments for this disease, the life span is still short (which is only until their 30' and 40's). Some side effects that this disease causes are very salty tasting skin, persistent coughing, wheezing or shortness of breath and poor growth. If more cures are made, then that could impact the population today.

Sickle Cell Anemia

         The sickle cell anemia disease was discovered in 1910. It's an inheritated life long disease and people who have it are born with it. The treatment for this disease is to do a bone marrow transplant. Sickle cells take 10-20 days to die. Millions of people worldwide die from this disease. Some parts of the world that are effected by this disease are in India, Africa, Greece, South America, Turkey, Central America, and Italy. The genes that causes the disease in the molecular level are mutated. The result come from the mutation of one amino acid. To develop new treatments for this disease is to increase the research on folic acid and intravenous hydration so that there will be more knowledge about how to cure the sickle cell disease. 

What I feel about this disease is that if scientists finds more cures for this disease then that would impact the population today. Doing a bone marrow transplant could cost a significant amount of money. Other cures such as medication can be very affordable. The fact that was surprising to me was that sickle cells die in 10-20 days. I thought that sickle cell were life long disease.

Websites: www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health

Cells (Class Response)

Topic: Cells

Two Pieces of Important Information:
1. Every organism is made up of organs and every organ is made up of cells.
2. Every cell has a cell wall, a cell membrane, an endoplasmic reticulum, and a nucleus.

Three Interesting Facts:
1. Some cells inour bodies are skin, liver, brain, and stomach cells
2. Cell membrane is made up of polysaccharide cellulose

Opinion: Cells are very important, especially to the human body. They help organisms grow and they perform different functions needed for the survival of organisms.

Website: http//web.jjay.cuny.edu/~acarpi/NSC/13-cells.htm

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