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Overall, systems modeling provides a mathematical and holistic view on the dynamic range of effects that various actions may result in. This integrative modeling is an interictal component of achieving the SDGs, due to their highly integrative nature. The development of a modeling system specifically designed to aid in the completion of the SDGs would allow all sectors that impact public health and well-being, both large and small, to be examined and analyzed, providing a comprehensive outlook on a policy’s full impact on the earth and society. Systems modeling provides a heightened level of confidence to policy makers and citizens alike when implementing new systemic changes and allows for the effects of these changes to be explored more deeply before enacting new policies. By testing various policies individually and in combination, policy enactors are able to which policies to put forth in conjunction with others in order to attain the best result, and which aspects to omit.   

Today in my Anthropology Human Anatomy class, we explored the human heart. Here are some of my notes from class:
- walls of atria are very thin, ventricles thicker b/c have to work against gravity, blood enters here goes through pulmonary semilunar valves and through the pulmonary trunk and pulmonary arteries (right and left) to get oxygenated at the lungs
- right ventricle wall (And left) have rigids called Trabeculae carnae (bundles of myocardium)
Function: Their structure is important to their role. Had the inner surface of heart ventricles been flat, suction could occur and this would impair the heart's ability to pump efficiently (source: Google)
- papillary muscles and chordae tendinae attach to cusps of tricupsid valve (and bicupsid valve) that control where the blood goes
Function: papillary muscles contract, shorten and pull and close the valves so that the blood can be shunted where it is supposed to go and not back into the atrias
- Right and Left pulmonary veins from the lungs bring oxygenated blood back to the heart into the left atrium and to the left ventricle and out to the body through the aortas
(heart murmur: a little bit of blood goes back into the atria b/c valves are closing incorrectly)
- the heart contracts (1st!) and relaxes, pressure change, valves open and close with the help of the tendinae
Something that I found interesting was how significant the trabeculae carnae are to the rhythmic and normal pumping of the heart. If someone was born with less than average trabeculae carnae in the ventricles, would their entire body adjust to that throughout its developmental stages or would there be health complications in the individuals life? Would they have smaller than average ventricles? How affected would the circulatory system be to a more than average amount of trabeculae carnae? I wonder if there are any case studies that exhibit these kind of abnormalities.

The results for the agrose gel electrophoresis showed a successful DNA extraction and purification. In RNase treatments there were no RNA bands as should be the case. In comparison, the DNA only samples showed RNA present as expected. The DNA ran to the end of the gel as expected. However, the Nanodrop results did not agree with the gel electrophoresis results. It is unclear why there were difference between the two quantification methods. Perhaps there were errors in the Nanodrop quantification.  

The molecular absorbance spectroscopy via Nanodrop showed very different results. In regard to concentration, DNA1, DNA1 with RNase and DNA2 with RNase all showed concentrations around 150ng/µL. However, DNA2 showed concentration of only 91.3ng/µL. This low concentration could be due to errors when making dilutions or perhaps when using the Nanodrop itself. DNA1 and DNA2 had 260/280 values of 2.07 and 2.04 respectively. 260/280 values over ~1.8 suggest that there is a high concentration of RNA in the sample. For DNA1 with RNase and DNA2 with RNase, values for 260/280 were recorded at 2.95 and 3.45. These results would suggest that the two RNase treatments would have more RNA present than the original samples. This result does not agree with the gel electrophoresis results. In the gel electrophoresis it was clear that the RNase treatments did not have RNA present. Perhaps the presence of RNase interfered with the Nanodrop, or there were issues with the computer. DNA1 and DNA2 had 260/230 values of 1.65 and 1.51. 260/230 values below ~2.0-2.2 suggest that carb carryover occurred. Perhaps not all of the carbohydrates which should have been removed via KAOc were indeed removed. DNA1 with RNase and DNA2 with RNase had 260/230 values of -1.43 and -0.73. These values are under the ~2.0-2.2 range, however, they are negative which could mean something else has occurred. The 260/230 value is a ratio, so a negative value may indicate something other than carb carryover. The negative values could also be another possible error with the Nanodrop.

Lanes three and five of the agrose gel electrophoresis show three bands in each lane. The band at the top of the gel is the DNA, which is electrically charged and ran up to the positive end of the gel. The two bans lower in the lanes show RNA present in the sample. In lanes four and six there is one band at the top of the gel but no bands below. The band at the top is again the DNA which ran to the positively charged end of the gel. These two lanes were treated with RNase, which explains why there are no other bands in the gel. The RNase enzyme appears to have successfully broken down the RNA in the treatment samples.

Two separate DNA samples were made in this process. Each sample was then quantified using two different methods: molecular absorbance spectroscopy using a Nanodrop, and 0.9% Agrose gel electrophoresis. Along with the two DNA samples, a RNase treatment was made and quantified from each DNA sample. The RNase treatments were then compared to their respective DNA samples with both quantification methods.

After DNA had been extracted and degradation prevented, the DNA sample had to be purified. Protens, carbohydrates, and lipids were all present in solution and had to be removed for a pure DNA sample. Because carbohydrates and proteins are insoluble in solutions containing high concentration of potassium acetate, KOAc was used to separate these macromolecules. The macromolecules formed a pellet when in KOAc solution which was then removed. To rid the solution of lipids, an alcohol solution of isopropanol was used which formed the DNA into a pellet separate from the lipids. The pellet was then separated from the lipid solution and rinsed with EtOH.

The purpose of this experiment was to extract, purify and quantify the DNA of Brachypodium distachyon a common grass species. The extraction and purification process involved three steps; breaking up tissue and cells, preventing DNA degradation and removing unwanted molecules. To break up the tissue and cells of B. distachyon, mechanical grinding was first performed using a ball mill to break up the extracellular matrix. Chemical disruption was performed next using the detergent sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) with metal chelation using ethylene diamine tetra-acetic acid (EDTA). The final step in breaking up tissues and cells was heat disruption to release the DNA which was done on a hot bock set to 65°C. After DNA had been extracted from B. distachyon tissue, it was essential to prevent the enzyme DNase from degrading the free DNA. Preventing DNase from breaking down the extracted DNA was done with the already added EDTA. DNase requires Mg⁺⁺ as a cofactor; by using EDTA to chelate with Mg⁺⁺ prevents DNase from acting.

DNA or deoxyribose nucleic acid is the unit of heredity that almost all organisms on earth have and use as a carrier of genetic information. DNA forms DNA forms an alpha helix structure with bae pairing of the purine bases adenine and guanine with their complementary pyrimidine bases thymine and cytosine. DNA is transcribed into RNA which is then translated into proteins which can then perform an array of important functions in living organisms. DNA is complex and essential to the functions of nearly all living organisms. It’s complexity and importance in our understanding of how we function are what make it important to continue studying.

From what I can gather coyotes (Canis latrans), wolves (Canis lupus), are separate species, while dogs (Canis lupus familiaris) are a subspecies of wolves. Coyotes and wolves are separate species despite their ability to interbreed, and despite the fact that Coyotes tend to have varying amounts of these other species in their genes. The ability to create fertile offspring when interbreeding means that these are closely related species, but it does not mean that they are the same species. This creation of hybrid offspring is a facet of evolution which could create a new species, which could be better suited for the environment, but until the hybrids are reproductively isolated from the non-hybrids for a long period of time, they will remain a variation of a species rather than their own species.