Week 13- Memory and magic

I still want to be surprised! I don't want to know how the magic trick came about! It is amazing to read how much psychology and small details goes into a magic trick..things I never thought about, like watching the eyes, etc...

Week 13- To Live is to Know

Yes, I do agree that to live is to know. Life experience is a biggie. One person may be an amazing student at 20 yrs old, but that is nothing in comparison to a 50 yr old who maybe didn't get much schooling, but has travelled all over the world. I also like h0w bacteria doesn't have a brain, but is able to move through the world towards the things it needs.

Week 12- Cell biology and TCM

Acupuncture keeps the body in a normal state of health so the body may heal itself. It definitely is related to biology by helping the body and cells to regenerate.

Week 12- Extra Credit Environment

Well, I love my household plants, but there are aphids living on 2 of my plants...so sad..I've been trying to kill them with neem oil, but it's not working. There is a little bit of mold growing in two corners of my bathtub..it won't come up with bleach! With all the household plants, I also found a few spiders! I'm sure there is more I cannot see, although the fridge had some mold growing on my celery...oops!

Week 12- Mitosis vs. Meiosis

Holy cow! I had no idea these processes were so similar! So cool how both cells know how to divide..mitosis totally just splits in half and the fibers KNOW what to grab! In meiosis, the fibers know to grab the DNA of the other split to have 23 of the male and 23 of the female, equaling 46...I am even more impressed with nature at this point!

Week 11- Animation

Forgot to put this one in! will edit soon...

Week 11- Chemistry of Life

It is confusing because biochemistry seems to encompass everything. I guess there needs to be a gap between biology and chemistry, such as the pathomechanism to how a plant takes in carbon dioxide to live...I believe that is a part of biochemistry.

Week 11- Gene Therapy

Seems there is a lot to say and a lot of opinions..If someone or myself especially had a life-threatening illness and benefits outweighed the risks as in some examples mentioned, I think it would be great. There are just so many diseases we don't know enough about to be injecting large amounts of DNA into the human body. I am all for doing the research and feel it would be better if your body could be injected with the gene instead of taking a medication with a million side effects:)

Week 10- Semiconductors are cool, Too!

SILCON is the one!!

Si...symbol

14...atomic number

-not very often in it's free element form, but the

-8th most common element in the universe by mass! Yes!!

- Forming glasses, cements, and ceramics, it is the most common metalloid used:)

Week 10- Chembalancer Fun Learning

Well, easiest quiz for me was the element quiz. Fun and I learned some interesting facts! Surprised I remembered some of them from class! (and it wouldn't let me to the English "Word Ruffle", although I guess I was supposed to stick with the chem ones anyway;)

Week 10- Balancing Chemical Equations

Well, I thought the article would be a little boring, but it seems cool (and very difficult) to be able to remember or recognize what a phosphate or nitrate would look like, as they said not to mess with these! The reacting equations were also pretty cool...reactants reacting, then the products reacting..then back and forth until it was stable..at least that was my understanding!!!

Week 7- Hypothesis/Avogaro's number

Seems hard in science because scientists are so skeptical that once a theory was/is established and well-known, for someone to come in and give a different hypothesis was often not accepted for awhile. Avogadro is a big example of this. Dalton rejected his hypothesis because they thought only unlike atoms could be held together. Although Avogadro proved this to be false, he died in 1854 without anyone of the time knowing his name...

Week 7- Alkaline Earth Metal

just curious about calcium..all alkaline earth metals have an oxidation number of 2, making them very active!

Name: Calcium
Symbol: Ca
Atomic Number: 20
Atomic Mass: 40.078 amu
Melting Point: 839.0 °C (1112.15 K, 1542.2 °F)
Boiling Point: 1484.0 °C (1757.15 K, 2703.2 °F)
Number of Protons/Electrons: 20
Number of Neutrons: 20
Classification: Alkaline Earth
Crystal Structure: Cubic
Density @ 293 K: 1.55 g/cm³
Color: Silvery

Week 7- What is a Mole?

What is a mole is somewhat complicated..this article mentioned it was just something to confuse future generations! Basically because molecules and atoms are so small, the number gets too big when talking about how many grams there are. The standard is based on the carbon-12 isotope. So, the standard of a mole is used, as it is NA x (mass of carbon-12 atom)= 12 g.

Week 6- Alchemy

I think of alchemy first as a branch of science, speaking of metals and stimulating a new form of medical chemistry. Not until these articles did I think of alchemy on more of a "spiritual" realm. I do like Cleary's translation when he states, "Now I will point out to you the true lead and the true mercury- they are body and mind. A wise teacher said, 'Body and mind are the medicine and fire." I think that is so beautiful! It is pretty amazing so many elements live inside of us. I also like alchemy compared to a yearning, and not forcing things to become what they ARE not.

Week 6- Halogen of the Week

BROMINE

Br

7 electrons in outer shell

Atomic number: 35

Protons: 35

Electrons: 35

Neutrons: 45

Atomic Mass: 80

description: heavy, red-brown, fuming liquid with a choking, irritating odor; causes

tears

CXLIII. INVESTIGATIONS INTO THE PRESENCE

AND THE R6LE OF BROMINE IN THE BODY.

BY H. UCKO.

From the Physiology Department, Guy's Hospital, London.

(Received April 28th, 1936.)

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov:80/pmc/articles/PMC1263134/pdf/biochemj01060-0061.pdf

Week 5- The Color of MInerals

Minerals have different colors, some identical to others. This is caused by the absorption, or non-absorption of light by atomic bonds. Bonds of different metals produce different colors. Usually these metals are transition metals. So, here's some more I didn't know...minerals are made when a combination of atoms are forced to solidify, forming an organized crystalline structure. When this happens slowly, larger crystals are formed. A rock is different, as it is multiple crystals of one or more minerals.
The most common minerals are: quartz (hardness of 7), feldspar, mica, olivine, calcite, magnetite, and iron. Gemstones are mostly silicates, which are very stable, hard minerals. They are resistant to abrasion, fracturing, and chemical reactions.

Week 5- Neon..a cool inert gas

Neon, Ne, has 10 electrons, making it's outer shell full and naming it a stable, inert gas. This is one of two true elemental inert gases, along with Helium. This element was discovered in the late 1800's by Sir William Ramsey. By 1923, Georges Claude discovered and made the first neon signs by sending an electrical discharge through neon in a sealed tube. By bending the tube, he found many more colors and neon signs soon became very popular.

Week 5- Foods in MY kitchen!

I loved learning about different foods and different properties they had in relation to their color. Turns out I have a lot of yellows; bananas, lemons, yellow onions...plenty of Vit. A, B, and E, sodium, potassium, selenium, and chromium. (just trying to get this straight in my head!) I have oranges, carrots, sweet potatoes, and one pink grapefruit...strawberries, red grapes, red apples, chicken, a little red wine, red potatoes, tomatoes, and black beans to get a little of the Vit. C, beta-carotene, iron...I think I need to add some beets! I have some kale, spinach, and avocadoes...yes!! I did happen to go grocery shopping over the weekend, and feel so blessed to be able to have all these fresh fruits and veggies. There is a container of miso in the back of my fridge, and some parmesan cheese for special occasions! Living at home I never ate this well! We had a healthy diet, just not much variety. I probably mentioned it before, but we mainly had beans and rice, and on Sundays potatoes and salad were a big treat! We had plenty to eat, it would just get eaten up in a day, so my folks weren't big on keeping fruit around. So anyways, yes, I do love grocery shopping and preparing my meals for a couple of weeks. Then, if I think about having something sweet, I have plenty of fruit. Want a healthy snack? Eat a yogurt, missy. School is just so hectic that I like to make sure I am nourishing my body, staying organized, and not eating out(except for a treat!:).

Week 4- Many Catalysts..Zinc is One

A catalysts helps to speed up a reaction by providing a little energy "boost". The atom, zinc, is embedded in carbonic anhydrase to help catalyse the reaction and allow CO2 to go from the bloodstream into the lungs. Many other metals help to reconfigure reactants to make a favorable reaction.

Week 4- Atom Economy

Atom economy, from what I gather, is part of measuring the efficiency of a reaction, along with the yield. It measures what atoms are utilized or not utilized. Trying to utilize more atoms allows for less waste and unwanted products. At best, a yield of %100, which is impossible, results in only %50 of that mass as desired product. Atom Economy began to come about with more consideration for the environment, starting with the Twelve Principles of Green Chemistry. These have been around since 1998, but people and companies are only beginning to catch on. Principles 3 and 4 talk about reducing toxicity when making a product. Principle #5 talks about limiting the use of auxiliary substances, like sulfuric acid. Number six talks about conserving energy required for a reaction, and #7 talks about using starting materials from natural resources. Making ibuprofen have a greater atom economy value helps me to understand a bit what all this means. The Boots company process in the beginning only had an atom economy of %40, making 35 million lbs of waste if they were to be the only makers of ibuprofen! With Hooechst Celanes Corp, they combined to form BHC and discovered a new synthesis process with only 3 steps instead of 6. The atom economy went from %77 to %99, with elements such as nickel being recycled and reused! Using this process and being more aware of the environment actually allows these companies to make more product in less amount of time, which making a smaller footprint on the earth. Why wouldn't more companies do this?

Week 4- Class Discussion

We adopt new technologies without social responsibility. I think in the past, people didn't have the foresight but these days, people are more informed and aware. Information is more available. These days there is a lot of money involved, so people ignore social responsibility. I liked what Lindsay said about corporations and everything being about maximizing profits. She said the Dutch automatically think about what will be best for the economy and environment. I feel with this economic crisis, people may be forced to learn and actually think about the benefits and negatives here in the US.

Week 3- Water Concepts

Somewhat informative about polar molecules, water being one. The picture was nice...Covalent bonds are polar when one atom attracts more electrons than the other. Oxygen attracts more than hydrogen, so there is an asymmetrical charge. The oxygen is more neg., while the hydrogen is more positive. This part is a little bit hard for me, but I think water dissolves other substances because of this, being the positive hydrogen attracting negative atoms in other water or substances.

Covanlent Bonds are Like eating at a Restaurant

Does this image help? Heck yes, it does! The pictures also helps, but after reading the restaurant analogy, it doesn't seem too hard anymore. In a regular covalent bond, the atoms share an electron and the electron is equally attracted to both nuclei. One atom is getting half a burger, and the other atom is getting half a chicken sandwich..not a bad deal. When your friend takes all your cheeseburger, that is a polar covalent bond. It is very one-sided (separation of charge), but both atoms get a little something. In a coordinate covalent bond, you give the person all of your dinner, or both of your electrons...just for the sake of being kind...by georgy, MAYBE i've got it?

Week 3-Iron..boring but necessary Trans. element

I know we are supposed to choose an obscure element, but I don't know a whole lot about this element, and I am interested in elements that are essential to the functioning of the human body. Iron necessary for many bacteria, plants, and animals. It is a part of many proteins and enzymes and is essential for red blood cells. With too little iron, women may become anemic. Too much iron may be toxic. Amazing how the body tries to control this balance.

Week 2-Readings/Atomic Properties Menu

This site was helpful. A lot of it was overlap from our notes, but it was great to read all this info again to understand orbitals. I did imagine since I first took chemistry in high school until now, that the electrons in these orbitals followed a certain pathway just like "orbits". I didn't realize with the Heisenberg Uncertainty Principal, that we can't know where the electron will go next. I also like Hund's rule, which states that electrons will fill orbitals singly in the same energy level. This helps to make the atom more stable. How does it know to do that? So crazy...Knowing the number of protons is the same as the number of electrons was helpful in learning to write notation for the atoms' orbitals and electrons.

Week 2-Ozone

So hilarious talking to friends and family about ozone. My little sister didn't really know much. She just said she knew it was deteriorating. One of my best friends knew a little, said because it is deteriorating and allowing UV light, too much heat is creating a greenhouse effect and causing a lot of global warming. She didn't know there was a good and bad ozone, but it kind-of made sense to her. Another friend was amazing! He sounded like a scientist, and I didn't realize he had many friends who are scientists! He said that chlorophoric carbons help determine the ozone. He said that his understanding is a decreased ozone means increased cases of skin cancer, especially in Australia. He had also heard of the ozone being decreased around Argentina and commented on how he understood this meant that too much heat is being trapped, therefore causing too many ice caps to be melted. He didn't realize the burning of coal and gasoline was a form of "bad" ozone. Well, that was info for everyone;)

Week Two-ELEMENT OF THE WEEK! YOU DID IT!

Even though it is common, I chose Calcium, Ca, with 20 protons. I just wanted to learn a little more about it. Calcium is the most abundant mineral in our bodies. 99% of it is found in our bones and teeth, the rest in body tissues, nerve cells, blood, and other body fluids. At my age, I need 1000-1300mg per day. We may get calcium through our diet by eating yogurt and leafy greens including broccoli, collard, turnip greens, and kale. Also may be found in fortified soy milk, salmon, sardines, shellfish, and almonds. It helps to maintain cell membranes in muscle contraction. You go, calcium!

Rejected Elements

I guess some elements just couldn't make the cut!

Proton Don and Memory Pegs

Proton Don was a helpful quiz, as well as looking at the symbols to remember each element. The table seems so overwhelming at first, but both of these study aids help break it down.

Los Alamos Chemistry Division for Kids

The part of this site made for middle and high school students was very helpful in learning what every part of the period table means. I also didn't realize there was a fight over naming elements! If 104-109 didn't continue to exist, though, what is the point? And where are they listed? Pretty cool an element was named after Neils Bohr!

Week One=Chemical Elements Chart

Wow..I'm learning, but didn't realize there were so many different types of metals and elements. Some metals are magnetic, and many have different oxidation states. The noble gases...that is a cool name...And halogens..3 different states? It was also interesting to see that the first element was discovered in 1735..So amazing! I never looked at the periodic table like this before:)

Quiz

fun review!

1)burned wood-chemical

crushed rock-physical

dissolved sugar-physical

rusted iron- chemical

(these made sense!)

2)these a little harder for me

milk-mixture

table salt- thought this was pure but iodized makes it impure!

sugar- pure

steel- thought this was pure, too!

3)Coffee is non-homogenous and impure

WRONG! I would've thought there were other substances, but it is homogenous

4)Boiling water was physical and physical, but I thought the boiling point would be chemical...interesting:)

About Me

Well...I come from a family of 12 children...my mother always used western herbs and never took us to the doctor unless it was an emergency. She also started a measles scare in our small town by now vaccinating my younger brother! These days, I'm more moderate, having to go on antibiotics for corneal rosacea after herbs and one carrot fast after another did not work. In that time, my corneas scarred but would've been ok had I just gone on a simple antibiotic. But, the great thing is, my eyes are awesome now and I don't take antibiotics anymore! The doctor even said my eyesight improved this year! (prob. due to the millions of eastern herbs I have taken in the last 4 yrs!)

But anyhooo....I love learning about both eastern and western. I try to use eastern when possible, but feel western medicine totally has it's place. I feel really blessed in my life to have the means to finish school here at AIMC in December. It has been a rough 4 yrs! I love figuring out what helps peoples lives improve and at the same time puts me in a place where I have to be grounded and take care of myself as well...thank you for life and everything;)