cfellrath's blog

As I was exploring the Great Plains of North America, I stumbled upon the most important discovery of my career, a new animal species. I had come to the Great Plains to record the behavior of the local prairie dogs in the area, although, instead I found a different type of animal. The Great Plains are part of the Temperate Grassland Biome. In this environment the average temperature is 9.1^oC, although there is great variations of seasonal changes including wet summers and dry winters. The total amount of precipitation in this environment is 727 mm of rain fall per year. The high precipitation is perfect for grasses to grow on this flat region. In this biome, one would not be able to find trees due to frequent fires and the herbivorous diet of the animals that inhabit this area.  

In both the prokaryotic and eukaryotic cells glycolysis occurs in the cytoplasm of the cells. Although in the eukaryotic cell the formation of acetyl-CoA, the Citric Acid Cycle (Krebs) and the oxidative Phosphorylation occurs in an organelle called the Mitochondria. The opposite of breaking down glucose is gluconeogenesis, which forms glucose from pyruvate. In the prokaryotic cell the process of the formation of glucose occurs in the cytoplasm of the cell. In the eukaryotic cell gluconeogenesis starts in the mitochondria and finishes in the cytoplasm of the cell.

The overall delta G of gluconeogenesis is negative. Although gluconeogenesis is considered an anabolic reaction because it is the building of a new structure, it is also a coupled reaction. Gluconeogenesis is couples with glycolysis therefore the energy given off by another reaction that is indirect such as the hydrolysis of ATP to ADP and Pi

Glycolysis is only “partial” in the oxidation of glucose because the reaction’s product is 2 pyruvate, 2 ATP, 2 NADH. Therefore the glucose is not fully oxidized of all its potential energy since much energy is stored with the two pyruvates. Pyruvate carried a decent amount of energy is the chain bonds of C-C and C-H. The fully oxidized product would be CO₂ with no potential to reduce electron carriers.

A coupled reaction is a series of connected reactions that share products and substrates. The reactions increase efficiency of energy transfer, and allows more points of regulation. The regulation is important for conservation of energy and resources for the cell. In order for a coupled reaction to be favorable, the net delta G must be overall negative. This means the pathways cannot be direct opposites of each other because than the pathway would have a slightly positive making it unfavorable. Also the pathway would then be futile and waste energy.

Glycogen degradation and glycogen synthesis have many similarities and differences. The main difference between the two is degradation is a catabolic reaction while synthesis is an anabolic reaction. Although the catabolic and anabolic reactions are normally thought of as one releasing energy the other requiring energy, Glycogen degradation and synthesis is a coupled reaction therefore the overall reaction would be releasing energy to make it favorable. Another difference is the use of different enzymes. Degradation uses the enzyme phosphorylase that breaks only the bond between an alpha 1 and 4 bond. Synthesis forms bonds with glycogenin.

Highly branched glycogen structure is more efficient form of energy storage than an unbranched structure. Highly branched glycogens have a significant number of ends that can be added to or removed from. These branched glycogens have one end that is unable to reduce or add to. The other end of the branch is able to be reduced or added upon. The branching structure is optimal for the efficiency of storage and/ or release of glucose.

A coupled reaction is a series of connected reactions, which share products and substrates. The reactions increase efficiency of energy transfer, and allows more points of regulation. The regulation is important for conservation of energy and resources. In order for a coupled reaction to be favored the net delta G must be overall negative. This means the pathways cannot be direct opposites of each other because than the pathway would have a slightly positive making it unfavorable. Also the pathway would then be futile and waste energy.

One of the organisms we intend to record data on in our experiment is the Carpenter Bee. According to the article “Temperature Regulation of Carpenter Bees (Xylocopa Californica) Foraging in the Colorado Desert of Southern California,” this species of bees have an optimal temperature in which they are active and thriving. The article determined that these bees are most efficient during warmer temperature, “ The carpenter bee Xylocopa californica is active during the hot season in the southern California.” (Chappe MA. 1982.) The study was conducted by collecting bees and taking their temperature through the thorax by insertion of a probe. In our experiment we aim to use obtain temperature in a qualitative method of hot versus cold based on the assumptions of the participants. Although qualitatively recorded, the presence of these carpenter bees or lack of the bees will determine which environment was a better environment for this species to thrive. This method is not only isolated to the carpenter bees, but to the other organisms that will be recorded by the groups.

The scientific article “Arthropods of the Great Indoors: Characterizing diversity inside Urban and Suburban Homes,” introduced the idea of collecting data on the different types of organisms that can be found inside of houses in Raleigh, North Carolina. The study obtained this data by invasively collecting organisms such as arthropods and dusts mites in 50 random homes in the area. The collection that is listed in the article showed that those organisms found in the houses were categorized based “on their similarities and use,” and the family of the organism was determined for those identifiable, “We identified all specimens to family level except when specimens were badly damaged or required additional methods for identification (e.g., slide mounting of mites and other taxa).” (Bertone MA, Leong M, Bayless KM, Malow TLF, Dunn RR, Trautwein MD. PeerJ. 2016.) Although the article aims at collecting data in residential houses, we aim to obtain data collected in an educational environment of the science building of Morrill III and IV. The data collection is also aimed to be less invasive than what was mention in the article as we plan to observe than collect.