Writing in Biology - Section 1

This poster created by Hamza Nabhan and Amhed Sultan discusses the benefits of nuclear energy and whether or not it should be implemented in Oman. A peer-review of the poster has yet to be conducted so the information presented may have some factual errors. In my breakdown analysis, I’ll be looking at four categories; design, organization, writing, and content.

    At first glance, the poster looks visually appealing, however, there are some clear setbacks as it’s further analyzed. The initial pop of the colors invites the eyes to delve deeper into the content. They aren’t too bright, and when placed over a grey background give the poster a mellow yet inviting look. Besides color, the rest of the poster seems to be lacking in the design component. Next to the pie chart, there’s an awkward spot of white space and there are typography inconsistencies across the entirety of the poster. The same font is used throughout the text boxes however they have different spacing patterns and alignments. Text in section 4 is more left-aligned in the top paragraph than the bottom one. This poster design requires design tweaks to improve the overall presentation.

The first step to identifying our dog’s phenotype was to collect and isolate the dog DNA. Professor Kari Loomis gave the team a sample of dog DNA. The Dog DNA was obtained by drying swabbed cheek cells. Isolation/purification of dog DNA was performed by lysing cells (with 20 µL Proteinase K and 400 µL buffer AL in 56°C for 10 minutes), precipitating DNA with alcohol (using 95% ethanol) to collect on spin column and washing the DNA on the spin column by passing fluid through the filter while leaving behind solid DNA. The sample was rewashed using the supernatant six times at 1 minute, and one time at 3 minutes to ensure maximum concentration of DNA yield. The sample is then eluted (in 50 µL AE buffer) and is labeled Dog 9. The quantity and quality of the sample were checked using the NanoDrop machine, which calculates the concentration of DNA yield.

homeostasis is the process of maintaining balance in the body system. This is done through many different pashways and feedback loops. The most common is the negative feedback loop. The negative feedback loop is one that senses a change in homeostasis, and the body system responds by eliciting the opposite reaction. This can be demonstrated by body temperature, blood glucose, and many other systems. Positive feedback loops are much more rare. These are changes sensed in homeostatsis that promote more change as a response. Positive feedback loops are often used in the context of a negative feedback loop. An example of a postitve feedback loop is the blood clotting mechanism. This is within a negative feedback loop. This positive feedback loop works by sensing a change in blood pressure at the location of the cut and signaling for platelets to plug the cut. The platelets release a signal for more and more platelets to come help. This positive feedback loop is within the negative feedback loop that then signals for the stop of platlet signaling. 

When a patient complains of a headache, there are many different ways to respond. In many cases, the headache can be non-life threatening as millions of Americans experience headaches. There are three main types of headaches: tension, migraines and sinus headaches. An interesting fact, the brain itself does not have any pain receptors. This means that the pain coming from a headache is actually pain that is being picked up by facial or neck receptors not the actual brain. A tension headache can be due to stress and are caused by muscle contractions of the head or the neck. A migraine is said to be caused by changes in blood vessel size and can be described as being a pounding or throbbing pain. A sinus headache is caused by pressure in the sinus cavities, due to a buildup of fluid. Now, these are not concerning headaches and do not require emergency care. A headache that comes suddenly and causes changes in levels of consciousness are worrying signs. The main concerns for serious headaches include meningitis, hemorrhage, stroke or brain tumor. If you are in a location where more than one person is experiencing a headache, this could be due to carbon monoxide poisoning. All of these cases need immediate emergency transport and care. 

The foramen magnum is the opening in the back of the skull where nerves connected to the brain exit to connect to the spinal cord. There are 12 main nerves that are connected directly from the brain to certain organs. The rest all go to the spinal cord where their messages are sent. The anatomy of this area is organized in this order: cerebrum, cerebellum, brain stem, foramen magnum and spinal cord. Connected to each vertebrae are 2 nerves that send messages to that area of the body. There are many conditions that can cause issues that can cause brain dysfunction and these can be observed in a patient's speech or level of consciousness. The brain is very sensitive to changes in oxygen, glucose and temperature. Slight changes in any of these three areas can have catastrophic effects on the brain. An example can be seen when a patient is in cardiac arrest. Their blood flow stops and they will enter into a comatose state in which brain damage can occur in seconds.

Stroke is the fifth leading cause of death in the United States and causes a large portion of Americans to become disabled. The signs and symptoms of a stroke can vary from person to person. Certain races and ethnicities raise the odds of having a stroke. This can be better understood when diving into the anatomy of the brain. The brain is divided into three major parts; the brain stem, the cerebellum and the cerebrum. The brainstem controls basic functions of the body such as breathing, blood pressure and swallowing. The cerebellum controls muscle and body coordination and the cerebrum controls complex tasks. The cerebrum is separated into three different parts. The front part controls thoughts and emotions, the middle part controls sensation and movement and the back part controls sight. 

After the initial freakout of the blob, it was understood that this yellow organism was a type of slime mold. It is a brainless organism that has the ability to be decisive and solve mazes. It is not a fungus or an animal or any characterization from our present understanding of the animal kingdom. It is called physarum and is a quite common organism. It is one giant cell with many nuclei within. Fluids can flow throughout the body of this organism as it does not have any barriers between the walls of this organism. It uses peristalsis type of rhythmic contractions that moves fluid and information across the body. They are not sure which signalling molecule is used to pass the information around. It has a ton of sexes. 

There was a recent publication about this mysterious new organism called “ the blob.” Scientists do not know if it is a fungus or an animal. All that is known is that it is capable of learning and adapting to challenges presented to it. The scientists tested its ability to adapt by conducting different experiments to try and understand how it moves. They placed salt in front of it, which it does not like, and watched how it stalled and learned how to get around it. It gain intelligence and experience the more challenges it takes on. If one blob is morphed with another, it will pass on its knowledge to the other one.

Mitochondria are a cell organelle that are often referred to as "the powerhouse of the cell". This is due to their function of supplying the cell with energy in the form of ATP. ATP is produced as a result of many reactions carried out through the Krebs's cycle, also known as the citric acid cycle. The Krebs's cycle takes a glucose molecule and through many reactions involving electron transporters NAD+ and FADH. The final product of the Krebs's cycle brings energy in the form of electron carriers to ATP synthase, an enzyme that synthesizes ATP. The Krebs's cycle takes place inside the mitochondria, more specifically inside the mitochondrial matrix, which is located inside the inner membrane of the mitochondria. This membrane is important as it only allows the passage of carbon dioxide, water and oxygen, and facilitates proton transfer in order to make a proton gradient, which helps in the formation of ATP. The waste product in this cycle is CO, and is expelled from the body via gas exchange, where the body takes in oxygen for use in more cycles, as oxygen is an all-important final electron acceptor in the cycle. 

As a result, many anti-tuberculosis societies relied on pamphlets, popular lectures, and newspaper articles to promote public awareness of the disease. Furthermore, the influence of media on American medical history goes beyond diseases. Media communications played a key role in shaping tobacco-related knowledge among individuals and within communities. Increasing media attention not only changed individual smoking habits but also helped create a climate in which local governments pushed toward tougher antismoking policies. Moreover, various public health organizations utilized mass media to address their issues. Noteworthy publications such as the Flexner Report was introduced to the public and covered in the front pages of many newspapers. In that event, it transformed the nature and process of medical education in America. On such accounts, the media has proven effective in influencing individual and societal behavior towards smoking, raising awareness of diseases, and transforming the U.S. medical education system. For this reason, the media is an important actor in the public health system, that has catalyzed action and change at the national and local levels.