Valentina's Reaction to Part 3

False Alarm Gents
Viruses are just as exhilarating and terrifying as a driver who is texting while accelerating at ninety miles per hour… especially when the person turns out to be your mother. The monkeys from part three of Preston’s The Hot Zone, are hungry-vicious-life-threatening chimps who’ll probably spit as fast as ninety miles per hour, and that is why the Jaaxs are working harder than ever to evacuate the monkey contaminated building. The Army is dragged in and the help that is brought in sound like they’re around my age. If I was in a suit that sounds like it would break down by the slightest touch, I would probably run and scream like Rhoda Williams… especially if it was a monkey chasing after me with a pointy syringe. Not only did a monkey try to attack her, one woke up after being chemically induced with Ketamine and tried to put her hand in his mouth! Preston made this chapter sound like the worst science lab experience that has ever happened in U.S. history, like when Gene Johnson was “putting his hand into a bloody lake of amplified hot agents” (316 Preston). It was particularly dramatic how the Army took down the virus-infested-monkey building, when “gas penetrated the air ducts” and went as far as “inside pencil sharpeners in the drawers” (356 Preston). This whole section felt like a wild goose chase but instead of wild geese, it involved sick zombie-like explosive monkeys. It was so effective; it made me feel the need to skip the monkey exhibit while I was at the zoo!

Valentina's Reaction to Part 2

Sick Monkeys
For years, scientists and theologians have argued whether monkeys were the evolutionary species or two people placed on this Earth by God created the rest of the world. Either way, no matter how close monkeys are to humans, they will not all of a sudden walk out of the jungle and transform into human beings, otherwise the monkey population will all become homo sapien sapiens and there wouldn’t be a virus roaming all around Africa right now.
The monkeys that were found dying in Room F, caused a tremendous stir and panic for the supreme people in the Army. Experts were called out to resolve the confusion whether SHF or Ebola were slowly killing the monkey population in the building. Even Jerry Jaax was being called into the scene, along with Gene Johnson, Joe McCormick, and C.J. Peters who traveled to Africa to find the start of Ebola in the caves. It was scary how the high profile group of people, who dealt and seen the outcome of Ebola plenty of times, were still terrified and were very cautious and maybe even a little paranoid; something as small as a paper cut or even being close to a monkey to give it the wrong idea and accidentally “get a notion in its head to spit” (278 Preston), in case they caught the virus in their eyes. It made me think twice about sharing drinks with my friends, making sure everybody washes their hands before they eat, and warn them before rubbing their eyes.

Valentina's Reaction to Part 1

Blood Boils
That feeling. The feeling of waking up in the morning, where the throat has a raspy burning sensation and the head would not quit with its annoying pounding. How far would the pain have to go before a person gives up? In The Hot Zone by Richard Preston, the split-quick monkey infected virus, is after a new host.

Preston started the novel with a vivid description of the virus infecting Charles Monet. When it mentioned that he was already casually vomiting and the doctor decided to put him on the plane, I virtually put myself in the plane, and became sick in the stomach when I imagined sitting next to this guy I felt panicked not knowing what to do if I was in that situation. Even after when all those people switched onto different planes that the virus is going to affect the thousands and maybe millions of other people at the airport because one man was placed on that small plane. I thought it was horrifying, that Sister M.E. had to slowly suffer and died alone because of Ebola. When Preston described the hemorrhaging and vomiting (especially the splattered blood on the wall) that the victims made of because of Ebola and Marburg, it made me dread that there’s such a gruesome virus that exists like that. It makes it seem possible that something like the movie I Am Legend, can come true if precautions are not taken. It made me think, if the virus could spread like wildfire, killing every person near a “human virus bomb” (21 Preston) it could easily taken over the world by now, but why hasn’t it? As I read on, people like the Jaaxs and Johnson, who are willing to work inside a chamber infested with the virus, are trying to find a cure for it, even though it seems very unlikely that something like that is ever curable. When I asked my friends and family if they have heard of the virus they simple just ask “What’s that?” or “What does it do?” I’m hoping as I read on that the Nancy Jaax and Tony Johnson found a way to curing the vicious virus, Ebola.

The Hot Zone - Part One

So, by now you have all read part one of The Hot Zone. Please post a short reaction to the first section. To get things started, think about the following questions:

• What words or ideas were new to you?
• Do you know the differences between viral and bacterial illnesses?
• Have you ever traveled outside of the country and had to visit the doctor prior to your trip for a shot?
• How do viruses affect homeostasis in humans?
• How has modern travel changed the role of bacteria or viruses?

Let me know your thoughts on these ideas or other ideas of your own!!

Katie's Biology Collection

The plant, Lilly the dog, bacteria, and mushrooms are all in different Kingdoms. The 1) flower is in the Kingdom Plantae, 2) Lilly is in Kingdom Animalia, the 3) bacteria that the Lysol kills is in Kingdom Monera, and a 4) mushroom is is the Kingdom Fungi.

A June bug, as well as most other insects, has a body that is 5) segmented into 3 different parts, the head, thorax, and abdomen. These parts are covered by a hard outer shell called the 6) exoskeleton. The exoskeleton serves as their bones, and instead of growing as the insect grows, the exoskeleton is shed when it becomes too small for the bug and a new one soon replaces it.



Being a lifeguard in Texas is a very hot job and one way to keep cool is to sweat. This is how the body keeps itself in a state of 7) homeostasis. Homeostasis is achieved when everything in the body is balanced. When Taylor sweats as in this picture his body is trying to keep itself cool. When a breeze comes, the sweat cools him down, balancing out the Houston heat.



This pork loin may have come from a pig that was 8) genetically modified. This is a trend among big meat farms who alter the animals to breed quicker, grow bigger, and have the desirable qualities of meat.





9) Fermentation is the process of a carbohydrate turning into an acid. This is used in pickling and also in the production of alcohol but because of the effects on the body Elmo is keeping away until he is 21.

All plants have 10) an flower ovary, which surrounds the ovules that produce the fruit after fertilization, and 11) pollen which fertilizes the seeds.






While these people are in the same family, there is a 12) genetic variation within the population. No one person looks or acts exactly the same.

A zebras stripes are an example of an 13) adaptation of an animal. It travels in herds and the collection of all the stripes creates an illusion of one large mass of stripes, thus confusing the predator. The predator can not pick out an individual zebra, making the hunt more difficult. Through years of adaptation and survival of the fittest the stripes is a defining feature of the zebra.

A 14) gymnosperm cone, or pine cone, encases the seeds of a gymnosperm plant. This image is of a male cone because it is closed as opposed to open.






An egg is a 15) unicellular organism. Its nucleus is the yolk and the egg white is the surrounding cytoplasm. Eggs are the largest single cell organism, specifically ostrich eggs.

Valentina Biology Collection

1.) Adaptation of an Animal
a. A suitable environment for an animal to reproduce and live in a comfortable environment according to their natural habits.
i. An elephant and its comrades enjoy the sultry air of South Africa because their cool leathery skin keeps them cool from the heat.

2.) Adaptation of a plant
a. Depending on the characteristics of the plant, it’s response to the amount of water and sunlight that it needs to survive in its atmosphere.

3.) Altruistic behavior
Animals that rely on other animals or of their same specie to survive.
Like a rhino travels in it group


4.) Analogous structures
Structures that are the same at the base of its production but changes gradually as it grows.
The Plumeria sprouts flowers during the summer by through it’s branches which forms to leaves and the stem of the leaves forms into flowers.

5.) Asexual Reproduction
A reproduction without the use of an egg or a sperm.
A plant’s way of reproducing.


6.) Detritovore
Specie that decomposes their food in their intestines and passes into their feces then other small deritovores consumes them from the ground.
Snails use their mucus to grab onto the feces and digest them so smaller critters like worms or bugs can take in the excess minerals.


7.) Commensalism
When one animal is using the other to benefit itself without the other animal being harmed or affected.
A rhino is usually seen with it a bird companion, who is normally on the rhino's back picking insects off of it.

8.) Ectotherm
An animal that uses their surrounding temperature as its source of body heat. The animal is a cold blooded creature and their body temperature fluctuates accordingly.
Most common ectotherms are reptiles.


9.) Frond
A plant with leaves that are spread and widely separated
The saw palmetto has leaves that are spread out like fingers.


10.) Predation
When one animal hunts down their prey to eat it.
A lion hunts down a gazelle

11.) Hermaphrodite
A plant that consists of both stamens and carpels in the flower.
The Kadupul blooms only at midnight and dies by dawn but strangely enough when it does bloom the flower contains both the stamen and all the carpels.


12.) Pollinator
A specie that transports pollen from one plant to another.
A bee that lands on a flower and the pollen rubs onto its furry back and when it flies off to another flower, it pollinates.

13.) Mutualism
A relationship between two pairs of animals, or more, which cannot survive without the other.
The ants on the dragon fruit helps pollinate the plant.

14.) Territorial behavior
An area that a group of animals claim as their territory to protect their food and coffsprings.
Parrots occupying their own tree; they support each other by finding food and bringing it back to their nest.
ropism


15.)A plant’s reaction to sunlight or water, where it favors to a side where they are getting more of their source.

Christina's Biology Collection

1. R-strategist- A mosquito is a R-strategist because it goes through development quickly and has more offspring at one time and more often than the K-strategists.

2. K-strategist- Humans are K-strategists because we go through development much slower compared to the R-strategists and our reproduction rate is slower as most people only have one baby at a time. 

3. Anther and Filament of Stamen- This rose contains the anther and filament which is the male organ of a flower. The anther contains the pollen and when the pollen matures, the anther rips and releases the pollen.

4. Autotroph- Plants are autotrophs because they take energy from the environment and the sun (photosynthesis) to live. They are the producers in the food chain.

5. Connective Tissue- Cartilage is a connective tissue because it adds support, surrounds and connects to the body.

6. Animal That Has A Segmented Body- This bug has a segmented body. Meaning that, on the outside, the bug looks like it have different sections of the body on the outside

7. Unicellular Organism- An unfertilized egg is a unicellular organism. Unicellular organisms consist of just a single cell. 

8.Endotherm- This goat (as well as my sisters) are endotherms, meaning that they are "warm-blooded." Organisms like these generate heat to maintain their body temperature.

9. Ectotherm- These turtle are ectotherms, meaning that the organism regulates its body temperature by exchanging heat with the surroundings. Ectotherms are also referred to as "cold-blooded."

10. Frond- A frond is a leaf-like structure of a fern. It is usually a large leaf with many divisions. 

11. Pollination- This insect helps with the process of pollination by taking a flower's pollen on its legs and carrying it some distance to the next flower so that reproduction can occur.

12. Mutualism- Mutualism is a biological relationship where each individual cooperates with the other and both get something in return. The horse provides transportation for the human in return for the human providing food and shelter for the horse. 

13. Parasitism- Parasitism is a relationship where one organism is taken advantage of while the other gets little or nothing in return. The mosquito takes a human's blood and uses it for its own benefit while the human is left with a gross red and itchy circle. 

14. Gymnosperm Cone- One part of a gymnosperm. A gymnosperm is a plant whose seeds are not in an ovary and, in this particular case, are actually in a cone. 

15. Gymnosperm Leaf- Another part of the gymnosperm. It is around these leaves that the cones are produced. 

Genevieve's Biology Collection

1. Amniotic Egg
An Amniotic egg is any egg that has an amnion (a membranous sac that surrounds and protects and embryo) found in eggs such as reptiles, mammals, and birds, like in this chicken egg.

2. Animal with a segmented body

Animals with segmented bodies externally show that their bodies have been divided into two or more parts, like this bee. The bee has three body segments: the head, thorax, and abdomen.





3. Ectotherm
An ectotherm is any organism which has a fluctuating body temperature that varies with the temperature of its surroundings. Cold blooded animals, such as this turtle, cannot regulate their own body temperature.




4. Endotherm
An endotherm is an organism that is able to regulate their own body temperature. Bird's and mammal's, like this cat's, body temperature is independent of the environmental temperature.







5. Exoskeleton
An exoskeleton is an external skeleton that protects the body of an organism. Shellfish, such as these craw fish, have exoskeletons.





6. Frond
Fronds are leaves with many divisions, like the leaves of this palm tree.

7. Gametophyte
A plant, or phase of a plant's life, in which the plant bears male of female gametes. This Plumeria is bearing gametes.










8. Gibberellins
Plant hormones that promotes overall growth of plants. Gibberellins are found in plants like this Schefflera.





9. Heterotroph
An organism that is unable to produce its own food source. All animals, like this horse, are heterotrophs because the must rely on other organisms to get their nutrition.







10. Lichen
Lichen is defined as "a large group of symbiotic associations between fungi and green and occasionally blue algae." It it am organism that grows on other objects, such as trees, leaves, exposed soil, rocks and walls. I could not actually find lichen, but it is said to grow of gravestones.


11. Niche
A niche is the specific area that an organism inhabits. This marmot is living in a rocky, mountainous area, were it is naturally found.









12.Parasitism
A type of symbiosis where two or more organisms from different species live in close proximity to one another and one organism depends on the other for nutrients. An ectoparasites are those that live on their hosts, such as the hundreds of fleas living on my dog.







13. Pollen
A structure produced by plants containing the male gamete to be used in reproduction.









14. Seed dispersal
The movement of seeds from the parent plant through animal, wind, or water. The seeds of this dandelion are blown through the air to spread seeds to different areas.




15. Sporophyte
A spore-producing plant generation. The moss growing on this tree is a kind of spore, making the tree itself a sporophyte.