Cookie Mitosis Activity

As a unique form of assessment, students in Biology 30 got to model the phases of cell division using cookies and sprinkles. Students used sprinkles to represent the chromosomes and a different color of sprinkles for the centriole pairs. The white icing served as the cytoplasm to be divided. In total, six phases were shown: Interphase, Prophase, Metaphase, Anaphase, Telophase, and Cytokinesis. Shown below is the final product.

Micronutrient Deficiencies Project

Before Easter in HS 20, we spent some time researching the importance of micronutrients in our body. In small groups we had to research one vitamin or mineral and what a deficiency of this micronutrient would look like. To teach others about our research, we wrote case studies about fictional patients who were experiencing symptoms of the deficiencies and then pretended to be teams of doctors responsible for diagnosing the different patients. Here we are hard at work pretending to be doctors.

Moose Heart

Today in HS20 we dissected the moose heart. Despite not being a comparable size to the human heart, the moose heart provided our class with an opportunity to study heart anatomy and blood circulation on a real organ! The hearts were amazing. OMG! Here are some pictures from today's class.

Chromatography of Plant Pigments

Who would have thought that a typically green leaf contains other pigments? Today in Biology 30 we extracted different pigments from a Coleus leaf. On the chromatogram you can see carotene, xanthophyll, chlorophyll a and chlorophyll b. Of course pigments are needs to capture sunlight to make glucose during photosynthesis!

ABO Blood Typing

We are studying the cardiovascular system in HS 20, and last class, we learnt that blood can be one of 4 main kinds: Type A, Type B, Type AB, or Type O. One's blood type is determined based on the presence or absence of antigen markers on the surface of their red blood cells. A simple test can be used to determine an unknown blood type. This is what we were doing in our lab activity today. :)

exCELLent CELLS!

Today in Biology 30, the students brought in their edible plant and animal cells....and they were INCREDIBLE! There was a variety of edible materials used to accurately represent the cell parts. Not only were the cell parts accurately represented, but students also did a great job showing cell relationships.

Alcoholic Egg Anyone?

In HS 20 we recently completed a study of the Nervous System. Then we looked at two ailments of the Nervous System...concussions and FASD (Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder). To see the effect of alcohol on living tissue, such as a fetus, we added one shot of vodka to a chicken's egg. Instantly you could see the proteins start to denature and the egg turn white! OMG!!!! We certainly learned why babies, who are born with FASD, exhibit the characteristics that they do----their CNS cells are destroyed! There certainly is no safe time or amount to drink if you are pregnant!