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=Boricua Science Class Student Work Space=

Student Name:
Shabana Choudhari

End of Term Reflection
Here are some of the activities we did in class this term: Harper's Magazine ("Boots on the Ice"), Hurricane Evacuation Plan, Designer Babies (GATACA), Genetic Diseases, Evolution Movies/Research, NYT Science Reviews, Punnett Squares, Chemical Bond Diagrams, The Periodic Table, The Birth and Death of Stars

Hurricane Evacuation Plan Genetic Diseases NYT Science Reviews Punnett Squares Computer Class = More Videos = More Student Group Activities = Less Evaluations = More I think the professor was informative, direct and instilled the knowledge we needed.
 * What 2-3 activities did you enjoy/learn the most?
 * What 2-3 activities topic did you find the most difficult to understand?
 * Describe how could we improve this course in the future
 * Explain why you enjoyed, or why you struggled through, this class, offering whatever insights you may feel are valuable:

Name of Disease
Angelman Syndrome

Symptoms

 * 1) mental retardation, severe speech impairments, seizures, small head size.
 * 2) Problem with movements and balance.
 * 3) Delayed development from 6 months to 12 months.
 * 4) Happy excitable with stimulating laughter at older ages, short attention span.

Genes

 * 1) OCA2-"oculocutaneous albinism "II
 * 2) UBE3A -“ubiquitin protein ligase E3A”-

Cytogenetic Location

 * 1) 15q11.2-q12
 * 2) 15q11-q13

Base Pair Sites

 * 25,673,627 to 26,018,060
 * 23,133,488 to 23,235,220

Community
Lower East Side, Manhattan

Evacuation Center

 * 1) Location – Lower East Side
 * 2) Implemented Plan – Henrietta Elementary School

Your Evacuation Plan
Have one gallon of water for each person. Have an easy go ready bag. Bag should include copies of important documentations and credit cards. Grab Medical Supplies if you have the time. Have a radio and flash light. Have ready a sleeping bag. Car keys.

New York Science Times Reviews
=#1 Scorpios Get More Asthma, but Astrology Isn’t to Blame = This article shows that there are theories that suggest why children get asthma but there is no concrete answer to why people develop asthma or what are the causes. In this article researchers have concluded that children born of C-section are prone to asthma because they are not exposed to the bacteria in the root canal while in another part of the article research suggest that children who attend day care get asthma because of the exposure to bacteria. The article says that The American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine convey that 30 percent of children born in the fall have higher risk of getting asthma. Some doctors suggest timing conception so children are not born in the fall and subject to the harsh cold flu seasons. Also, the article says that children born in the US are more likely to face asthma because of higher practice of hygiene and that children of other countries are often exposed to more bacteria so their immune system develops, hence they are less likely to have asthma. Asthma can also be caused by many other factors such as air pollution, pollen, dander, animal dust, cockroach feces, viruses, cold air and cigarettes. In chapter 19 and page 399 of our book the topic is on the effects of air pollution and acid rain in our respiratory system. If 60 years of acid rain can destroy a sandstone statue what can it do to our human body? Acid rains also destroy the ecosystem and it travels to forest and lakes. “Bad ozone” causes major damage to the human respiratory system and the combination of nitrogen and sulfur in the air cause air pollution. Personal Interest – I find the article interesting because it combined asthma and people born in the fall (scorpions) together. It suggested that because people are born in the fall they are more likely to develop asthma. On the other hand reading on the article had no conclusiveness. It said that being exposed to bacteria was good, then bad and then good so it was not concise. I did learn that all the exposure to pollution, rain and harsh weather at a young age can cause children to have asthma. Also, children exposed to some bacteria can develop strong immune system to fight off such diseases. I do believe that children born of a particular place such as blacks born in the US are more likely to have asthma because the pollution is higher; the US has more of things that cause pollution such as automobiles, factories, and research. The US also has less forest and trees that absorb pollution.
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 * 1) Book Citation –

Food allergy is a life threatening disease for many people globally. In this article, doctors, researchers and concerned individuals donate their time, efforts and money to find out a solution. The problem in not solely the disease but that there are eight major foods that cause allergies. These include, milk, eggs, peanuts, fish, shellfish, soy, wheat, tree nuts and even lipstick. Today children are even allergic to fruits such as oranges. According to the article as many as two hundred deaths are related to food allergies each year. That ’ s one too many, don ’ t you agree? Also, as many as thirty thousand people are rushed to the hospital for food allergies incidents each year. Researchers are trying to figure out whether hygiene is a matter in food allergies and if some children will be able to out grow allergy. In the chapter book page 471 DNA and the birth of molecular genetics is that parents pass on genetic information to their offspring this can result in genetic diseases such as diabetes and also food allergies, etc. Also, in the genetic code chapter 23 on page 479 speaks on viruses, viruses are different from bacteria as bacteria can help the immune system strengthen while viruses weaken. This is why diabetes and food allergies can also be a viral disease. The reality is that food allergies is not something necessarily passed down from parent to offspring. It is something that a child can develop or be born with all on their own such as diabetes 1 or asthma. This is a serious disease that can lead to death and strong discomfort. Although hygiene would not be my main concern when dealing with food allergies, it seems that a little bacteria helps a child develop their immune system to fight off a series of diseases such as diabetes or food allergies. Food allergies can be a genetic disease.
 * 2
 * Researchers Put a Microscope on Food Allergies **
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#3
This Science Times article speaks on how pollution is damaging our ecosystem and causing reefs to die. This is because pollution causes the ozone layer to be destroyed and therefore global warming takes effect. Harsh temperatures cause the waters to become acidic which kills coral reefs. The article explains that already the world has lost one fifth of coral reefs. Destructive fishing has also been a factor in this matter. Julia Marton is the general director of IUNCN and says that “if current trends in carbon dioxide emission continue, many of the remaining reefs will be lost in the next 20 to 40 years.” She also added that “climate changes must be limited to the absolute minimum if we want to save coral reefs.” In the book there are topics concerning nuclear waste which is a major problem for the environment. In page 382 of the book it speaks on coral reefs and their ancient existence in certain parts of the world. Also in page 391 there is a description of our ecosystem which is said to involve living and also non living things. Coral reefs can be considered non living but if they continue to “die” the ecosystem will continue to be damaged. The reason why I choose this article is because I remember seeing a civil court case where the plaintiff was contaminating the ocean near his home yet he felt it was not a problem. In this article I was able to confirm what was said about the contamination of the ocean and how it affects our ecosystem as a whole. If everyone contributes to the contamination then we will probably be facing major environmental issues soon. I know that because of the abuse in fishing that there are certain periods where people are not allowed to catch certain fish. This is because these animals are in danger of becoming extinct. Still people feel that contamination of our environment whichever it might be isn’t going to affect us. Back to Science homepage
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