Drafts

Sea lampreys are anadromous. From their lake or sea habitats, they migrate up rivers to spawn (followed by
the death of the spawning adults); females deposit a large number of eggs in nests made by males in the
substrate of streams with moderately strong current. Larvae (ammocoete larvae) burrow in sand and silt
bottom in quiet water downstream from spawning areas and filter-feed on plankton and detritus.
After 7 years in freshwater habitats, the ammoecoete larvae undergo a metamorphosis that allows young
post metamorphic lampreys to migrate to the sea or lakes and start feeding on blood.
The lamprey uses its suction cup-like mouth to attach itself to the skin of a fish and rasps away tissue with
its sharp, probing tongue and keratinized teeth. After one year of hematophagous feeding, lampreys return
to the river to spawn and die, a year and a half after the completion of metamorphosis.

In our research project, we analyzed the correlation between body weight of a spider and the thickness of its web. We were only able to obtain 3 spider webs from our population of six spiders. To get a fuller picture of weight vs thickness, we also compared our results to the results of another study which examined the same hypothesis, but had a greater sample size and used multiple species whereas we used one species. Our results of the average web thicknesses of each spider plotted against their weight were a negative nonlinear correlation. The results of the other study showed no correlation. Our results probably did not show the full picture of reality. We only had a sample size of three, which is a very small number. Also, although the average widths plotted against the weights showed a negative correlation, there was a high standard deviation in the individual measurements, so the average probably does not mean that much. Spider number 2 that we measured had a weight that was in the middle of spider 1 and 3, as well as an “average” width that was in between 1 and 3. However, as our graph shows, looking at the individual data points spider number 2 actually had both the highest and the lowest observed single strand diameter, with individual points scattered on both the very high and the very low points of the plot. Thus, the average is not a very effective measurement. The spider’s body weight is constant, yet its strands have a large variation. It is likely that in reality, spider body weight does not play a role in determining web thickness, but rather other factors, such as the type of the web itself and its purpose. 

A major breakthrough may have just taken place in the genetic industry as a chinese company says that they have used CRISPR CAS 9 to take a human embryo and basically duplicate it to make two identical twins.  This is a really huge breakthrough for the ability of what CRISPR CAS 9 can do but  the question that now arises, is it ethical.  This is a ahard question to answer as human life is a natural occuring process that's has remained untouched until very recently.  These new experiments show how we are capable of so much using this CRISPR CAS 9, not soon in our future will we see technology with the ability to edit the huan embryo genome to get rid of disease, predetermine a height or a sex, or even design an entire life form to be advangtagous in everywhich way. The question still remains, is it ethical?  In my opinion it is a very much case by case thing, if a fetus is confirmed to have a disease and you have the asy option to edit the genome and basically get ird of that disease, wouldn't that be the most ethical thing to do.  It brings back the idea that life is something that should be untouched and unedited becuase that is how it has always been. Some may use that to argue diseases are needed, that it is a way of life.  I disagree, for thousands of years technology has been changing the way we do things and I think that once we are smart enough to safely do these things with CRSPR CAS 9 or other technology then I think it should be allowed.  It is just another huge technological advancement.  Humans used to give birth in the wild before civilizations were a thing and slowly over time we have developed more and more technology to make the process safer and easier. Drugs, rooms, equipment, knowlegde have all been a huge help in the safety of human birth and this is just another one of those advancements.

RESULTS:

Day 1:

The spiders were not moving until the ziploc container started to be moved then they would go in the opposite direction of wherever you are contacting the outside of the container

Day 2:

Day 3:

AVG 

Webs: distance from the LED

Top: No it is dead

Bottom: 1cm between the two sticks

Red: 0 cm starts at LED goes to edge

Yellow: 0 cm starts at LED goes to other breathe hole

No light 1: 0 cm web on and around LED

No light 2: 0 cm big web right against LED, second spider?

The goal of this experiment was to determine whether the presence of LED light changes the behavior and web production of cellar spiders.  The data we collected supports the prediction that cellar spiders reside farther from the LED light. The data contradicts the portion of the prediction that the light decreases a spider’s web production. The data reveals that the cellar spider’s webs were found close, if not attached, to the LED light. Ultimately, cellar spiders tend to make their webs close to an LED light. There was not enough data to determine whether the color or presence of an LED light affected the production or density of their webs.

• Another study that was conducted that explored a relationship between spider weight and spider silk thickness produced nonlinear results. There was not a strong relationship present between the weight of the spider and the thickness of the silk. This study looked at four different species of spiders and in each case, no relationship existed. In Araneus diadematus, 5 spiders were tested and the thickness of silk was random and could not be predicted based on the weight. In Nephila edulis, both spiders had the same silk thickness of 2.7 μm even though one spider was 206 mg heavier. In Latrodectus mactans, the thickness of the silk varied among the three spiders used but had no pattern present. The last species, euprosthenops sp, both had a silk thickness of 2.0 μm, however one spider was 505 mg heavier than the other spider. From this data, there is no relationship between the weight and thickness of the silk. The thickness of the silk might be consistent among all spider in certain species as seen in Nephila edulis and Euprosthenops sp, but a relationship between spider silk thickness and spider body weight does not exist.

Figure 2 shows the setup of the 9 volt battery, alligator clamps, the resistor, and the LED on the outside of the ziploc chamber.

Figure 1 is a basic LED and 9 volt battery circuit, this is the circuit model that was followed for this experiment.

Table 1 is an Avg. of the distance of the spider from the LED in three days in each habitat. The web presence was also recorded and briefly described.  

The way that the soil is treated determines the ability it has to affect the cycle carbon. Carbon naturally cycles in and out of the soil, which is why agricultural lands are considered to be one of the major sinks of carbon. With that, comes the responsibility to suitably manage the land to improve the carbon sequestration and reduce any emissions that come from the land. However, agriculture is currently the third largest source of anthropogenic greenhouse gases that are released. To better understand how the land can be better managed for sequestration, it is necessary to understand how it currently managed to result in these large emissions. One of the largest culprits is the practice of liming soils, with the IPCC estimating that nearly 100% of the carbon stored in soils that are treated with lime is released as carbon dioxide. Lime and other fertilizers are applied to these soils to better crop production by changing the pH of the soil or providing necessary elemental nutrients like calcium or phosphorous that are commonly deficient in acidic soils. Often, limestone and dolomite are used as the sources of lime, which as discussed above also release carbon dioxide as they are broken and crushed. It has no been investigated whether this crushing could be coupled with a carbon capture technique, but studies have been done on how liming affects the release of carbon dioxide in soils treated with phosphate solubilizing bacteria and other phosphorous sources.

To collect data we took measurements once a day for eight days in a row. Everyday we collected two measurements. The first measurement was what color side the spider was on when we first entered the room and before interacting with the spider. The second measurement was taken after moving the spider to the middle of the tank where the colors met. We gave the spiders a ten minute rest period before taking and recording the data on which color side background the spider chose.

We chose to test the colors white versus yellow and cyan versus green in our experiment. Some species of crab spiders are able to change their color from white to yellow, and yellow to white. We decided to use white and yellow as a control in our experiment and see which side the spiders would prefer. The color white is made up of red, green and blue all at their highest intensities which is 255 in the RGB color model. Yellow is made up of red and green both at their highest intensities of 255, with no blue is added. The next set-up contained cyan and green. Cyan is made up of green and blue both at their highest intensities of 255, and no addition of red. Green is made up of only green at its highest intensity of 255.