Periodic Table 3/26

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The periodic table is an arrangement of chemical elements, ordered by their physical properties, chemical properties, and atomic number. If you didn't already know, a chemical element is something that is composed out of only one type of atom and can not be broken down further into any simpler substances. A physical property is the color, weight, or size of an object or substance and a chemical property is how one type of atom reacts when introduced to another type of atom. The elements of the periodic table are organized in order of increasing atomic number. The atomic number of an element, is the number of protons that each atom contains in its atomic nucleus. The periodic table arrangement is very specific, each element has several reasons for its location on the periodic table. 80% of the periodic table are metals, this consists of the whole left side of the table. The other sections of the periodic table, such as the staircase, consists of only metalliod elements. To the right of this staircase, are all non-metals. The organization of the periodic table doesn't just stop there, the table is also organized in rows and columns. For the rows of the periodic table, also known as periods, all of the elements in the same horizontal line are related by the number of electron shells in their atom. As you go down each row of the periodic table, the amount of electron shells increase in the elements. For the columns of the periodic table, also known as families, all of the elements in the same vertical line are related by sharing similar properties. There are eight different families of the periodic table.

S&EP - SP7: Engaging in argument through evidence

I used evidence to defend my explanation. I took notes on the arrangement of the periodic table, providing the slideshow lecture that my teacher presented to my class as evidence. I formulated evidence based on solid data when I stated that elements in the same column or family share the same properties, however elements in the same row or period do not, using the saying that my teacher stated, "I share the same properties with my family and not with my neighbor" as evidence. She mentioned this saying to us to help us remember this very important fact about the element arrangement of the periodic table. I examined my own understanding in light of the evidence. I used to think that the periodic table was just organized by increasing atomic number of atoms, but because of the information that my teacher shared with my class and I in her slideshow, now I think that the periodic table is not only organized by atomic number but by physical properties and chemical properties as well. I collaborated with my peers in searching for the best explanation. I did some research on how the periodic table is arranged which I discussed with my class and table group. Together we figured out how to read the periodic table correctly.

XCC: Patterns

The patterns that occur in the periodic table are the different arrangements of elements in the periodic table. There are many rules in how the periodic table is organized. One pattern that takes place in the periodic table is that all of the elements in the same row/period have the same number of electron shells in their atom. For example, the third row/period of the periodic table contains Sodium, Magnesium, Aluminum, Silicon, Phosphorus, Sulfur, Chlorine, and Argon. All of these elements have three electron shells in their atom. Another pattern that is noticed in the periodic table is that all of the elements in the same column/family have the same properties. Such as the same number of electrons and the same chemical reaction, as well as the same behaviors. For instance, the first column/family of the periodic table contains Hydrogen, Lithium, Sodium, Potassium, Rubidium, Cesium, and Francium. This family of elements are called Alkali Metals. All of these elements have only one electron in their outer shell, all are metals and are highly reactive with other elements, and don't occur freely in nature. Lastly, all of the elements are organized in increasing atomic number in the periodic table. As your go through each element of the periodic table, the elements have increasing atomic number.

Atoms 3/19

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Everything you see has one thing in common. Everywhere you look, there is one similarity in everything around us. However, you don't necessarily see this certain trait physically in plain sight. Everything is made of atoms. Atoms are the basic unit of a chemical element. Although they are everywhere, they are so tiny that you can't even see them with a microscope. If you want an idea of how small an atom is, just imagine that an atom is a million times smaller than the thickest human hair. In addition, the diameter of the atom ranges from about 0.1 to 0.5 nanometers. There are many different types of atoms. An atom in itself is made of three tiny kinds of particles called subatomic particles; protons, neutrons, and electrons. The protons and the neutrons make up the center of the atom, which is known as the nucleus. The amount of protons in an atom's nucleus determines the type of atom, the atom is. As the protons and neutrons make up the nucleus of the atom, they also make up the atomic number of the specific type of atom. On the other hand, the electrons float around the nucleus of the atom. The number of electrons determines the net charge of the atom. If there are more electrons than protons, the atom will have a negative charge. If there are less electrons than protons, the atom will have a positive charge. Lastly if there is a n equal number of protons and neutrons in the atom, the atom will have a neutral charge. The protons, neutrons, and electrons are bonded together into an atom by electricity. Did you know that although atoms are known to have this formation of subatomic particles, scientist have never seen an actual atom physically. So this formation of the atom is actually an educated guess made by scientists, of what an atom most likely looks like.

S&EP - SP7: Engaging in argument from evidence

I used evidence to defend my explanation. I answered and filled out a worksheet packet about different types of atoms and elements providing the video that was provided to my classmates and I about atoms and an online simulation about different types of atoms as evidence. I formulated evidence based on solid data when I stated that the Carbon atom is made up of six protons, six neutrons, and six electrons using the online simulation as evidence. I examined my own understanding in light of the evidence. I used to think that the atomic mass of an atom was the amount of all of the subatomic particles present in the specific atom added together, but because of using and testing out the online simulation for the worksheet packet, now I think that the atomic mass of an atom is just the added number of protons and number of neutrons that are in the specific type of atom. However not the number of electrons. I collaborated with my peers in searching for the best explanation. I did some research on atoms, their function, what they are made up of, and different types of atoms which I discussed with my table group. Together we figured out the formation of subatomic particles of the atom and a couple of different types of atoms/elements.

XCC: Patterns

The pattern that is present in atoms is the formation of the subatomic particles of the atom. These subatomic particles include the protons, neutrons, and electrons that are apart of the atom. In every type of atom, the protons and neutrons always take place inside the nucleus of the atom or the center of the atom. The protons and neutrons are usually bonded together and make up the nucleus of the atom. The electrons of the atom float outside the nucleus and orb around it. In each and every type of atom, the protons, neutrons, and electrons stay in this orderly fashion. However, in different types of atoms, there are different amounts of subatomic particles.

Project Blog 3/12

(This is a screenshot of the infographic my team and I created.)

Summary

        Over the course of the week, my class has been working on projects that encourage us to learn and research about either an endangered species or an invasive species. I was personally working in a triad so my group had to pick an endangered species from the IUCN red list, to execute our project around. We chose to research about the Indian Roofed Turtle, also known as the Pangshura tecta. This turtle is native to the fresh waters of Pakistan, India, Nepal, and Bangladesh. However this species has been on the IUCN red list since the year of 2000. For the triad project there are three different roles for each of the group members to fulfill, including the Conservationist, Zoologist, and the Ecologist. I was chosen to take the part of the Conservationist. For this role, I researched and learned about the endangerment of the species. For example, from research I learned about how the Indian Roofed Turtle became endangered and the reasons for their endangerment. In their case, the Indian Roofed Turtles became threatened because of humans. This species was illegally captured, traded, and transported from the freshwater of Pakistan to China. In China, they were used on the menu of Chinese restaurants and helped in preparation of traditional Chinese medicines. They were mainly traded for their meat, which is rich in vitamin D. As well as their meat has quite a pleasant taste and is treated as a delicacy. This has resulted in the killing of several hundreds and thousands of these turtles and their numbers dwindled to such an extent that the international community proclaimed them an “endangered species”. In addition to this, I created a timeline for their endangerment and researched major events in their conservation/preservation history, studied their importance to humans, researched their current population, and looked over how their local government has intervened to help save this species.

Backward-Looking

      One of the major problems my group and I ran into while researching the background information of this species was that this species is very rare. That meant that there wasn't much information about the Indian Roofed Turtle provided on the internet. This made it very hard to research certain topics and questions about the turtles. At first we did the best we could to research through each and every website that popped up under out search. Trying to get as much information as we could. However we quickly realized that this method would take way too long especially under the circumstances of having to finish in a matter of a couple days. So we tried to think of other ways to get the information we desperately needed to complete this major part of the project. After much thought, our final solution was to find a couple of dependable websites that provided in depth information about our species. We ended up finding about four websites that included much information about the Indian Roofed Turtle. This information was general and did not specify on individual topics, instead it provided general information about the Indian Roofed Turtle and its endangerment. With these websites, we tried to base most of our research on the information that was provided.

Inward-Looking

       I feel pretty satisfied with this piece of work that my team and I put together. I particularly liked our final task for the project. This task was to create an infographic that presented the work that each member of my group did for their role. Including specific topics that we all researched about the Indian Roofed Turtle and the subjects about this species that we focused on. It really displayed and distributed our work nicely together. I really enjoy the end result. In addition, it was really fun to create with all of the icons and designs. The part of this project that I particularly disliked was the part that my group and I didn't get to execute. This was the presentation part of the project. This situation occurred because none of my group members, including myself, remembered to turn in the final infographic that we needed to present. So of course we did not have the opportunity to have a presentation in class. The thing that I enjoyed about our entire project is that I feel it is very organised. The information is accurate and executed well. As well as the infographic we made is organised as the information isn't bundled together and there is a good proportion of facts to icons. The icons make sense to the information that is paired with it. 

Outward-Looking

       I would give this project the exact grade we got for it. I agree with this grade because I think it was fairly given. We got a B on this project, which makes sense. This is because we didn't get to present. So we did get points off for the presentation part of this project. This happened because we didn't turn in the final product of the infographic in time. However, for the rest of the project we got full credit. I believe we deserved full credit for the other parts of the project because each one of our members worked hard to try to get the most accurate information about our species which was quite a challenge, considering that the Indian Roofed Turtle is a rare species talked about on the internet. We displayed the information as easy to understand as we could and had clear ideas/thoughts. In addition, we organised our information well. We made an extra document to hold all of the background information that was put on our infographic. We did this to ensure that the information we provided on the infographic could be viewed elsewhere in case it was hard to see on the infographic. On the infographic, the different topics were separate and divided. As well as the icons that were used were correctly matched up with the information that was provided. There was also a good ratio between the amount of information and the amount of icons used.

Forward-Looking

      If I had the chance to do this piece over again, I would only do one thing. I would be careful to make sure that I turn in any parts of the project no matter what. I would even ensure to turn in the different parts right before doing anything else. This will make sure to have it turned in, in case I happen to forget afterwards. This is important because most times when we present the project, our teachers get our work off of who turned in the project. So this strategy allows us to have the chance to present and get those points even if we didn't happen to finish the project. I wouldn't change anything else about our work. Such as the actual information or final product, because I think that my team and I executed that as best we could. Putting our best work into the different parts of the project.

Symbiotic Relationships 3/5

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Imagine that one afternoon you decide to sit on the couch and watch TV. As you turn the power button on, you realize that the Animal Planet channel happens to be playing. After watching the brutal world of the animal kingdom on television, you'd probably wish to forget ever wanting to be an animal part of any biodiversity ecosystem. Especially not the prey. But what does it mean to be prey exactly? To be prey means to be hunted and killed to provide as a food resource to other animals. So if you aren't a prey animal, then what type of animal are you? To be on the other side of the scenario means that you are the predator. If you didn't already know, a predator is an animal that naturally preys on others. Simply, a predator is the animal that hunts and kills the prey for food. The way animals interact with each other on television is often portrayed as only being predator vs. prey. However there is so much more! Many different relationships occur between these organisms. These interactions are called symbiotic relationships. Symbiotic means when two organisms survive together and alter how the other one lives. The symbiotic relationship that is mostly shown on TV is called Predation. Predation is when one organism consumes all or part of another for food. Another symbiotic relationship that is also shown on television is Competition. Competition is when two organisms are competing for resources. In contrast, there are two other symbiotic relationships that are somewhat opposite to Predation and Competition and aren't commonly shown on TV. These two relationships are called Mutualism and Commensalism. In Mutualism and Commensalism, the two organisms do not harm each other. Unlike Predation, where the predators potientally kill the prey and unlike Competition, where one organism harms the other by taking away their resources for survival. These resources include water, food, shelter, and protection. Mutualism is when both organisms benefit or get something good from the relationship. Commensalism is when one organism benefits while the other neither benefits nor is harmed. The fifth and final symbiotic relationship that occurs in wildlife is Parasitism. Parasitism is much like Predation where one organism (usually a tiny animal) gets its energy from another organism while harming it. However in Parasitism, the organism that is harmed usually isn't killed.

S&EP - SP7: Engaging in argument from evidence

I used evidence to defend my explanation. I filled out a note taking worksheet about all five symbiotic relationships and answered another worksheet where I had to find out what type of relationship was present in certain situations and explain how I know, providing the note taking worksheet that I filled out previously, as evidence. I formulated evidence based on solid data when I stated that the interaction between the ants and the acacia tree, where the ants use the tree as shelter and the tree uses the ants as protection, is the relationship Mutualism. Using the information that Mutualism is when both organisms benefit from the relationship from the note taking sheet, as evidence. I examined my own understanding in light of the evidence. I used to think that a symbiotic relationship was another type of interaction that was apart of the five different relationships, but because of watching a couple of videos that were provided to my classmates and I, now I think that symbiotic relationships is the general idea of what these five relationships are. It is the sort of topic that these relatioships are categorized under. I collaborated with my peers in searching for the best explanation. I did some research on symbiotic relationships which I discussed with the classmates located at the table I sit in. Together we figured out that there are five different symbiotic relationships that describe the different interactions that occur between two organisms in the wild.

XCC: Cause and effect

The cause and effect relationship that occurs in symbiotic relationships are mainly seen in Predation, Competition, and Parasitism. The cause and effect relationship in Predation is between the predator and the prey. In this case, the predator usually effects the prey. This is because the natural instincts of the predator to hunt down the prey for food and consume it, effects the prey by tremendously harming it. This action potientally kills the prey or injures parts of its body. The cause and effect relationship that happens in Competition is between either two organisms from different species or two organisms in the same population and species. In Competition, the effect of one organism to the other can happen either way. More specifically, either this organism can effect the other or the other organism can effect this organism. The actions that one organism takes to compete for resources such as water, food, or shelter, effects the other by harming it. This harms the other organism by taking away a key resource it needs to survive. Once again, this can happen both ways. Lastly, the cause and effect relationship that occurs in Parastism is between the very small organism, usually parasites or insects, and the other organism that is normally much larger. In this situation, the parasite or insect always effects the other organism. The parasite or insect effects the other organism by harming it with its actions of getting its energy from the other organism. These actions usually include biting the other organism and taking some of its blood, or entering the organism and taking its food. These different actions effect and harm the other organism by irritating it or making it sick. However, this doesn't usually kill the other organism unless taken to an extent.

Carbon Cycle 2/19

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The Carbon Cycle is the biogeochemical cycle in which carbon is exchanged among the biosphere, pedosphere, geosphere, hydrosphere, and atmosphere of the Earth. There are many abiotic and biotic factors that are apart of the Carbon Cycle. Abiotic means if something is physical rather than biological and is not derived from living organisms. If something is biotic, it means that it is related to or resulting from living things. The abiotic and biotic factors that are included in the Carbon Cycle are the atmosphere, surface ocean, deep ocean, fossil fuels, soil, and plants. Carbon is recycled through Cellular Respiration and Photosynthesis. So how exactly does carbon travel from abiotic and biotic factors? Most often, the carbon will start in the atmosphere as carbon dioxide. The carbon will usually circulate through the atmosphere for a while before going to the next part of the cycle. From here, the carbon dioxide will most likely travel to the plant stage. This happens during a process called Photosynthesis when plants breathe in carbon dioxide for food. Photosynthesis is the process in which plants use sunlight in order to create energy from carbon dioxide and water. The carbon is stored and used by the plant until the plant dies. As the plant decomposes, the carbon travels into the soil. When the carbon stores into the soil, it increases the soil quality. After years of being in the soil for so long, the carbon eventually turns into fossil fuels. At this point, the fossil fuels the carbon molecules are in, are burned in factories. From here, the carbon has two different destinations. The smoke from burning the fossil fuels can cause the carbon to return back to the atmosphere, where organisms can breathe it in. Or, the fossil fuels can find its way into a river/stream that travels to the ocean. Here, the carbon will most likely be consumed by an organism. For either situation, the carbon will commonly end up in an animal. At this stage, the carbon will usually travel through many different species as they consume each other in the energy pyramid. Soon the carbon will find its way back to the atmosphere as the animals perform Cellular Respiration or exhale the carbon. Although carbon generally travels in a cycle, not all carbon travels like this. Carbon can travel in any pattern throughout these biotic and abiotic factors.

S&EP - SP7: Engaging in argument from evidence

I used evidence to defend my explanation. I filled out a worksheet related to the Carbon Cycle, providing a game that my table and I played that helped us understand how carbon travels from abiotic factors and biotic factors, as evidence. I formulated evidence based on solid data when I stated that carbon doesn't always travel in the same pattern. That it can travel through any of the abiotic and biotic factors apart of the Carbon Cycle in any order, using the cycle pattern my table and I's carbon molecules went through as evidence. I examined my own understanding in light of the evidence. I used to think that the carbon molecules always follow the same order and pattern in the Carbon Cycle, but because of the game that I played with my group in class, now I think that the carbon molecules don't always travel in the same pattern/order throughout the Carbon Cycle. I collaborated with my peers in searching for the best explanation. I did some research on how carbon travels throughout abiotic and biotic factors throughout the Carbon Cycle which I discussed with my table group. Together we figured out the different stages a carbon molecule can travel to in the Carbon Cycle. As well as the fact that the carbon doesn't have to go through the Carbon Cycle in the same order.

XCC: Patterns

The pattern that occurs in the Carbon Cycle is the cycle that the carbon molecules go through as they travel from abiotic and biotic factors. The carbon molecules routine through the same seven stages in the cycle. These stages include the atmosphere, animals, surface ocean, deep ocean, fossil fuels, soil, and plants. The carbon molecules usually follow a general course through the Carbon Cycle. This pattern includes the carbon dioxide starting in the atmosphere, used by plants through Photosynthesis, decomposed and stored in soil, turned into fossil fuels, burned and finding its way to the ocean, traveling to the surface and consumed by animals, traveling through different species, then finally returning to the atmosphere as the animals perform Cellular Respiration. However, this doesn't mean that all carbon molecules always follow the same pattern. The carbon can actually travel to and from any stage of the cycle, in any order. This is because all stages or abiotic and biotic factors of the cycle are able to connect with each other in some way. They allow the carbon to directly travel to any stage from any stage of the cycle. This pattern in the Carbon Cycle can answer many questions on how carbon travels to and from different organisms and places. Such as answering the question of how carbon can travel from a plant to an animal. By observing and studying the Carbon Cycle, one can easily tell that this situation happens when the certain species consumes the plant directly or consumes an organism that consumed that particular plant.

Project Blog 2/12

A picture of my character portfolio
(the chart paper it was on was ripped and crumpled from the rain, so I had to remove it)

Summary

       The factor that makes you and your parents act and look alike is genetics. Genetics is the name for the directions for only one trait of a living thing. You might be wondering how genetics is able to affect you, this is because of DNA. DNA is the directions an organism's cells follow that tell the living thing how to grow and what it will do. DNA contains nucleic acids which are four molecules you require to survive; Cytosine, Thymine, Adenine, and Guanine. They are instructions that make all organisms appear and behave a certain way. These nucleic acids make up the layers or "steps of the ladder" of DNA. The two structures that hold them together are composed of phosphate and deoxyribose. To determine the probability of an offspring having a certain genotype, biologists use Punnett Squares. These Punnett Squares are 2 x 2 arrays that are filled with genotype combinations. This diagram is used to predict the outcome of a particular cross breeding experiment. Did you know that scientists can actually control what traits an organism obtains? They can do this by Genetic Modification or Genetic Engineering. This process is the direct manipulation of an organism's genome using biotechnology. It is a set of technologies used to change the genetic makeup of cells, including the transfer of genes within and across species to produce improved organisms. When Genetic Modification is performed or experimented on organisms it is known as GMO, standing for Genetically Modified Organisms. However, organisms can obtain traits by accident as well. Organisms can obtain special abilities by a reaction in their DNA called a mutation. Mutation is the change in nucleic acids. Mutations can be caused by either external factors or internal factors. Mutations happen on accident because they are random and are usually mistakes in one's DNA strand or chromosomes. Did you know that you can inherit certain characteristics from generations before you without it affecting your DNA at all? This happens by Epigenetics. Epigenetics is the study of changes in organisms caused by modification of gene expression rather than alteration of the genetic code itself. It is simply the change of an organism's phenotype, yet not it's genotype which in turn effects how cells read the genes. Chemicals that are attached to the DNA turn genes on or off, telling which proteins to produce and in what quantities. These switches are called Epigenetic Tags.

Backward-Looking

       To produce the character portfolio of a superhero that I designed myself, I had to go through many different steps. Throughout these steps, I learned many different topics that relate to genetics. The first step was to actually create the superhero based off of an animal that has "superpowers". The animal I chose was the Beluga Whale because of it's ability to perform echolocation. Echolocation is the ability to create sound waves to locate objects by reflected sound. At this time I drew my character and created the concept behind my superhero, including his powers, costume, strengths, and weaknesses. Next I wrote Beluga Boy's origin story, how he obtained these powers. I chose for Beluga Boy to get special abilities by the process of Genetic Modification or Genetic Engineering. For this story, I had to research the exact process of how a scientist produces GMOs. After thoroughly understanding the process and writing about it in my story, I had to write another story about how Beluga Boy met his mate (Poison Ivy). I then realized that Beluga Boy and Poison Ivy had a child together. So I had to determine what traits the baby would obtain from both of her parents. I did this by filling out punnet squares for each trait. In this unit, I learned the meaning of a dominant and recessive genotype, as well as how to use punnet squares. After I knew what traits the offspring would have, I drew what the offspring would look like as a baby. Next, I learned about Epigenetics. I learned how the choices Beluga Boy's daughter made, effects her. I flipped a coin to determine the choices the daughter of Beluga Boy made in her life, then I drew what she would look like at this point and how she was effected. Lastly, I created the Beluga Boy's villain. This villain is known as Dr. Evil and has many enhanced qualities.  I decided to change his Muscular System, Skeletal System, Respiratory System, and Nervous System. This effects my villain by making him a genius, have super strength, have the ability to breathe underwater, and be above average in size. Afterwards, I created a story of how Beluga Boy and Dr. Evil became enemies.

Inward-Looking

       I feel proud of this piece of work because I feel that the character portfolio shows just how much hard work I put into it. It displays all of the work I've done throughout the different units of genetics. The part of this project I particularly liked was designing my super villain. This is because, I got to change my villain based off of his body systems. Although I was only limited to change just four different systems, I had fun figuring out how changing each part of his systems would change him. I decided to change his Nervous System by changing parts of his brain, his Muscular System by making all of the skeletal muscle on his body become two times larger, his Respiratory System by having gills grow on his lungs, and his Skeletal System by having all of the bones in his framework grow two times larger. These changes effected my villain by making him a genius, have super strength, be able to breathe underwater, and be gigantic in size. I didn't dislike any parts of this project. The activities in this project made learning genetics interesting, as it kept me engaged throughout all of the different units. I was always excited to create stories around my superhero, making it come to life. I enjoy how my superhero portrays the abilities of an actual animal. As well as I enjoyed how this project allowed me to build a complete plot for my superhero.

Outward-Looking

       If I had the chance of giving my project a grade, I would give my character portfolio an A. I worked very hard on this piece of work and think that it deserves to get the full credit grade. I completed all of the different parts of this project, putting my very best work into every activity. I made sure that my drawings were neat and never out of place. As well as I ensured that it was easy to understand which character I drew. For the stories I wrote for my superhero, I always made my ideas clear. I made sure that I was never off topic, wrote run on sentences, or had bad grammar. I also made sure that my stories were interesting and engaged the reader with a climax. For the actual worksheets, I ensured that I understood all of the science behind the activities. This helped me know that I was doing the worksheets correctly and getting the science correct. In addition after finishing all the parts of the project, I double checked my work by going back on my work and checking everything. Checking that I wasn't missing any work or missing any necessary details in any activity.

Forward-Looking

       As I looked at the finished product, I didn't see anything major that I would redo or improve. All of the work was completed to the best of my ability. The drawings were neat and proportional, the stories were clear and engaging, and the work sheets were completed correctly. Overall, all of the work was organised and in great condition. However, there is only one minor thing in the character portfolio that bothers me. This is the actual chart paper that I presented all of my work on. Although all of the work was present and visible, the background that the work was on was unorganized. It didn't have clear titles for each topic. This makes it hard for any audience to understand how the work was organised, where everything was, and what each unit was about. This is however just a minor mistake in the display of my character portfolio that can easily be fixed. 

Epigenetics 2/4

http://worldwithoutgenocide.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/08/Epigenetics-Info.jpg

Epigenetics is the study of changes in organisms caused by modification of gene expression rather than alteration of the genetic code itself. It is simply the change of an organism's phenotype, yet not it's genotype which in turn effects how cells read the genes. But what is a phenotype and genotype? If you didn't already know, a phenotype is a visible trait of an individual or a set of observable characteristics of an individual. In addition, a genotype is the pair of alleles or each form of a gene or the genetic constitution of an individual organism. Epigenetic change is a regular and natural occurrence. However it can also be influenced by several factors including age, the environment/lifestyle, and disease state. So how can traits be passed down from generations if it doesn't effect an organism's DNA? The reason why is because when the offspring inherits the DNA, the way the code is read and used is what makes the organism obtain the same characteristics as their parents. How does this happen? Well in every cell biological machinery constantly translates DNA into the proteins needed to carry out vital processes. Chemicals that are attached to the DNA turn genes on or off, telling which proteins to produce and in what quantities. These switches are called Epigenetic Tags are responsible for why a kidney cell looks and acts different then a skin or nerve cell. Even though all three cells have identical DNA. 

S&EP - SP7: Engaging in argument from evidence

I used evidence to defend my explanation. I took some notes on Epigenetics providing the video we watched in class as evidence. I formulated evidence based on solid data when I stated that Epigenetics change the organism's phenotype, yet not it's genotype using the video that was provided to me in class, a website that I personally researched as evidence, and the fact that the physical DNA strand isn't effected by Epigenetics, just how the DNA is read and used. I examined my own understanding in light of the evidence. I used to think that the reason why experiences of previous generations effected new generations or offspring was because it physically changed the DNA strand that was inherited, but because of the video that my classmates and I watched in class and a website that I researched now I think that it doesn't affect the genotype or DNA strand. Instead the chemicals attached to the DNA called Epigenetic Tags turn the genes on the DNA strand on or off, telling them which proteins to produce and in what quantities. I collaborated with my peers in searching for the best explanation. I did some research on Epigenetics and how it works which I discussed with my table group. Together we figured out how we would determine what our superhero's child would look like and act like.

XCC: Cause and Effect

The cause and effect relationship that occurs in Epigenetics is between the Epigenetic Tags and how the DNA is read and used. As you may know, Epigenetics doesn't physically effect the genotype of an organism but the phenotype. Epigenetic Tags just effect how the DNA is read and used by switching or turning the genes on and off on the DNA, which tell them which proteins to produce and how many. More specifically, the Epigenetic Tags determine and control what characteristics the offspring obtain and how these genes are read. In other words, the traits or characteristics that the next generations obtain depend on which genes the Epigenetic Tags switch on or off. A real example that displays how this relationship works is how a kidney cell looks and acts different then a skin or nerve cell. Even though all three cells have identical DNA. I can use this relationship to answer questions about what characteristics a certain organism may have based off of what genes in their inherited DNA is turned off or on. In addition, this relationship can help me "take over the world" by helping me in future education of Genetics. Especially if I choose to specialize in a career that deals with Epigenetics specifically when I grow up. This relationship gives me certain knowledge about the topic of Epigenetics, such as how Epigenetics works and how the Epigenetic Tags control what traits and characteristics the offspring will inherit.