Blog #16 - Sophomore Year and Semester 2 Reflection

Reflect on your semester and year in biology? What were your successes? What were your failures?


This semester in biology, I really enjoyed doing the projects that were assigned such as the population project, virtual dissection projects, and etc. I enjoy doing the population project because it is fun using the web to make web pages. I get to be creative designing it too. The fun part of it is designing it. I enjoy doing the virtual dissection project because I love making videos for fun. I believe that I can be creative on the animation, design, and etc. for the video. I enjoy using the computer create things for projects. I also enjoy dissecting different animals during the second semester. Even though I was a little scared touching some of the animals, I believe that it was fun dissecting it. The dissection that I really enjoy dissecting was the squid. I believe it was fun because it we can to use the ink on it and that we get to cook it after we dissected it. I never ate a squid before or at least I do not remember. But the way we cooked it in class, tasted very good, especially when I put hot sauce on it too. There were several successes and failures I had this year as a sophomore. The failures I had was getting three B's  and a D's for the first semester. But I am a person that is never discouraged to try again. My parents always told me that if you fail, it's ok, at least you tried. But everyone has several failures in life, so its not a bad thing. Several successes I had this year was I got my three B's to A's during the second semester and I was really happy about that. I was able to get my D to a C. It was okay for me to get a C in that one class because it was a AP class, which is weighted. I really enjoyed my sophomore year and I hope to enjoyed my junior year as well next year.

Blog #15 - Comparision Between Two Organisms

Compare two of the organisms that we have dissected. Discuss at least two similarities and three differences.


The frog and fish that we have dissected, I believe have many similarities. It also has many differences too. For instance, they both live in water, but the difference is that the frog only lives in water at its childhood. It lives on land, once it becomes an adult. They both have eyes, lungs, mouth, and etc, which are the most obvious answers. But the difference is that the fish uses fins to move through the water and the frogs uses its feet to move through water or land. They both have heart or respiratory system that helps them breathe in water or land. They both are slimey mammals.

Blog #14 - Dissection Most Like Human

Which specimen that we have dissected so far seems most like humans? Why?


The specimen that we have dissected so far that seems most like humans is the crayfish. A crayfish has antenna and antennules that is like humans' hair. A crayfish has walking legs like humans' but the crayfish has more legs than human. The crayfish swimmerets, sternum, uropod, and telson are like humans' feet and arms because humans uses their feet and arms to swim in water. The most obviously thing that a crayfish has that is like the human are the mouth and eyes. The crayfish abdomen are like humans' body or legs.

Blog #13 - Most Interesting about this Week's Dissections

What was most interesting about this week's dissections?


The most interesting thing about this week's dissection was learning the internal and external anatomy of each different organisms. Learning the internal anatomy of different organisms had taught me many new things such as the life of each organisms and what they eat. It has also taught how small and big each organisms brain's are and many other things inside the organisms. The external anatomy of each organisms had also taught me many new things too. For example, you can find the age of a clam by counting the lines on the external of the clam.  Another thing is I learned how detailed each organisms actually are. For example, the fish scales is very detailed. It has a lot more lines then you can see without a microscope.

Blog #12 - Worm's Dissection

What surprised you from the worm's dissection?


There were several things that surpised me from the worm's dissection. One thing was that I did not expect the worm was going to be that long. I though that the worm was going to be like an inch long. Another thing I was surprised was the worm's head which including the brain, which was pretty interesting to see. Another thing is I did not expect the dirt in the worm to still be inside it. I thought it was diggested already. All the parts in the worms head was very interesting to see. Overall the worm dissection was pretty interesting to do because I got to discover the parts of how a worm lives or is.

Blog #11 - Alternation of Generations

Get a picture of alternation of generations put it in your blog and explain how it relates to plants.


Sexual reproduction involves the two alternating processes of meiosis and fertilization. In meiosis, the chromosome number is reduced from the diploid to the haploid number. In fertilization, the nuclei of two gametes fuse, raising the chromosome number from haploid to diploid. Meiosis generates the haploid gametes, sperms and eggs, directly. These single cells fuse to form the zygote which will develop into another diploid animal.  In most plants, meiosis and fertilization divide the life of the organism into two distinct phases or generations.

Blog #10 - Dissection

Why is dissection an important part of biology curriculum? Which animals and/or plants should be included in biological studies?


Dissection is an important part of biology curriculum because it helps people observe an inside of a flower, animal, and etc. This way people would find out more about the thing. People would know more information on it and they would learn something new of what is inside of the thing. Animals that should be included in biological studies are frogs, worms, and flies. Plants that should be included in biological studies are roses, tulips, and sunflowers. This way students in school or people outside could find out more of how a these animals or plants lives or reproduce in their lives.