Ms. Pak's Biology Blog

Gr. 10 Pre-IB summer assignment

Rita Pak — Wed, 10 Jun 2009 15:54:07 +0000

In case you did not pick up the Pre-IB Biology Summer assignment (only for those students entering IB Biology next year), you can download the documents online.

Your task:
1. Read through the IB document which specifies how IB labs will be graded. The IB rubic is found in this document as well. You can download the .pdf here

2. Grade the two labs that are attached using the IB rubric. Write down the score as well as an explanation for the score. Be ready to share with the class why you chose the scores that you chose.

Lab 1
Lab 2

Special thanks to Mrs. Daub (an IB Biology teacher from Arizona, USA) for loading the material online, and giving us permission to access it.

Have a safe and happy summer!!

Need to upgrade your Excel skills?

Rita Pak — Mon, 01 Jun 2009 06:21:12 +0000

Before you venture into IB lab writing. Brush up on your Excel skills by visiting the following websites, and try creating graphs & adding error bars. We will go through a quick tutorial during your Pre-IB class.

Graphing with Excel (A site called LabWrite resources, sponsered by the National Science Foundation)

Microsoft Excel Tutorial (A simplified version of LabWrite, for Gr. 10 students)

Learning CPR

Rita Pak — Fri, 22 May 2009 08:00:35 +0000

Since we have been learning about hearts. Here is some information on how to perform CPR.

Click on the photo below to learn more about each step.

Using Monoclonal Antibodies to treat cancer

Rita Pak — Tue, 19 May 2009 20:31:32 +0000

Neuroblastoma is a cancer of the nervous system. It is the most common type of cancer for babies less than one year old. Neuroblastoma is traditionally treated with surgery, agreessive chemotherapy and stem cell treatments. However, the survival rate is around 30%. Dr. Alice Yu from the University of California San Diego has completed phase III of a drug trial which uses monoclonal antibodies to treat this cancer. Patients are injected with the antibodies which seek out glycoproteins found on neuroblastoma cells. After the antibodies bind to the cancer cell, cytotoxic T-cells arrive to destroy it.

66% of patients treated with monoclonal antibody therapy survive after two years, compared to 46% of patients who complete the standard treatment. “This is the first time in many years that we have been able to improve the ‘cure rate’ for neuroblastoma patients,” Dr. Yu said. “This new therapy can help us improve care and perhaps offer new hope to many patients and families.”

Da Vinci robot inducted into Robot Hall of Fame

Rita Pak — Thu, 14 May 2009 06:50:26 +0000

Da Vinci robot

We watched some heart surgeries in class today, and here is the Da Vinci robot that can translate a surgeon’s movement precisely. This way a surgeon can perform delicate procedures without major incisions & even without being in the room. More than 200 of these are now used world wide.

Researchers are now developing programs for the Da Vinci robot that can perform surgeries without a surgeon’s assistance. Can you think of how this robot can be useful in places like Eastern Turkey? or even on the battlefield?

Want to watch a Da Vinci robot at work reparing a defective Mitral valve click here.

HIV self-monitoring device

Rita Pak — Thu, 07 May 2009 10:49:30 +0000

Scientists at three of London’s largest research centers has created a small hand-held device that can measure HIV viral levels. Currently, people infected with HIV must visit a doctor every three months to check viral load. However, with this device, patients can check their own blood at home, and only visit the doctor when the HIV count is high.

How does it work?

Using nanotechnology, the device contains antibodies and other substances that stick to HIV & proteins associated with an HIV infection. When the substances attach to HIV, the sensors in the portable device can inform the patient of their viral count.

People with diabetes use a small device to detect glucose levels at home. This technology gives them the ability to control their insulin injections. Similarly a self-monitoring device such as this can increase the independence of HIV patients especially in poor countries by decreasing doctor visits.

Influenza A H1N1 “Swine” flu update

Rita Pak — Wed, 06 May 2009 11:00:34 +0000

Since my last post on Swine flu, here is an update on events worldwide

May 2 – Egypt’s government ordered the slaughter of all pigs in the country even though no cases of swine flu have been reported in the country. 300,000 pigs were killed. World Health Organization said this is unnecessary as the virus was being spread through humans and not pigs.

May 7 – Today ‘s current numbers:

- Death toll is 42 in Mexico & 2 in US

- about 1900 confirmed cases worldwide in 24 countries

- Mexico’s government ordered a 5 day shut down of restaurants, businesses and public buildings to reduce the spread of the H1N1 virus

Many countries are holding groups of people in quarantine after being on flights with people who were later diagnosed with swine flu. WHO said it will take four to six months for the first lot of swine flu vaccines to become available between the time the strain of the virus is identified and production begins. WHO reports that the virus is not spreading in a sustained way outside of North America.

Putting it in perspective

The media has played a large role in spreading the “Swine Flu” pandemic theory. In 1990s, the public feared Mad cow disease, in 2002 SARS, and in recent years, Bird flu. To put the situation in perspective, about half-a-million people die from common flus in an average year.

Swine Flu information

Rita Pak — Tue, 28 Apr 2009 08:04:26 +0000

Swine Flu Influenza A (H1N1) virus

The WHO (World Health Organization) increased the Pandemic threat level to 4 out of 6 today. Swine flu causes have been confirmed in US, Canada, Spain and Britain. The virus is a respiratory illness that usually affects pigs, and can only be transmitted from pig to pig. However, since the avian and swine flu viruses have all been able to infect pigs, the new combination of the virual DNA have created a strain of Swine flu that can infect humans. Swine flu can be treated with two types of drugs, and is not generally fatal if treated properly.

To keep yourself health follow these three simple rules,

1. WASH your hands with soap regularly (at least for 20 seconds)

2. Do not touch your face, eyes or mouth if you have not washed your hands

3. Stay away from people who are ill, and if you are ill – STAY HOME & rest.

For more information of the Swine Flu, visit the Center of Disease control website.

Cow genome revealed – better meat & milk to come?

Rita Pak — Fri, 24 Apr 2009 09:24:01 +0000

This is L1 Dominette. Her genome has now been sequenced & published. The work took 6 years, and involved 300 scientists from 25 countries.

Dr. Lewin, a genome scientist from University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, and a team of 300 scientists from 25 countries, announced in the journal Science today that 90% of the cow genome has been sequenced. The cow named L1 Dominette was used and they found approximately 22,000 genes in the cow genome (compared to the 25,000-30,000 genes in the human genome). The cow’s genome show 80% similarity to our own genes.

Scientific teams are hoping they can use the genome sequence to produce genetic tools that can help improve the beef and dairy industry. Perhaps with this information, we can find new ways to improve cattle immunity, milk & meat production, even get the gows to emit less methan (CH4) a potent greenhouse gas.

Stem cell treatments for diabetics

Rita Pak — Tue, 21 Apr 2009 18:13:12 +0000

A team of scientist in Brazil has published the results of a study of 23 people treated with a new diabetes treatment using the patients’ own stem cells. (Journal of the American Medical Association, vol 301, p 1573).

This treatment was aimed at people with type 1 diabetes, where a person’s own pancreatic cells were being attacked by the immune system. The doctors collected blood from the patients and isolated stem cells called CD34, which can differentiate into white blood cells. The patient’s own immune system was than destroyed using drugs. After total destruction of the person’s own immune system, the doctors injected the CD34 stem cells back into the patient, hoping new white blood cells will be created.

The results show that 12 of the people now life free of insulin. Their pancreas, no longer being attacked, can now make its own insulin. 8 people need less insulin tha before and only 3 patients show no benefit at all.

Though this procedure is risky and has only been tested on 23 individuals, perhaps this type of stem cell treatment can pave the way to a cure for type 1 diabetes.

To learn more about diabetes, click here (US. National Library of Medicine- Diabetes)