Unit 3 Reflection

Unit 3 Reflection

Unit 3 was on the basic parts of a cells, and how photosynthesis and Cellular Respiration is occurred in the cell. The essential question of the Unit was what are cells, and what does photosynthesis and cellular respiration do to help the cell. I thought the beginning of the Unit was all review because the many parts of the Cell were review back in elementary school except the Rough and Smooth Endoplasmic Reticulum. However, now I know that Rough ER is close to the Nucleus while the Smooth ER is outside of the Nucleus next to Mitochondria. But in the end, when learning the processes of Photosynthesis and Cellular Respiration, it was hard to understand it because there were many details explained in each of the processes as we had never learned them before. In fact, I still have not really completely understand and memorized what happens in the processes involving Photosynthesis and Cellular Respiration. So it takes more time to understand Photosynthesis and cellular respiration than identifying the basic cell.

We learned in this Unit of how “the Cell” is very important among living things including us, humans, by being able to let them function well. In Photosynthesis, Light Independent and Light-Dependent Reactions( Calvin Cycle) occur which in Light Independent reaction, high-energy electrons are being absorbed and transferred to the Electron transport chain, which then produces NADPH and ATP, electron carriers. Then, oxygen is released and Hydrogen Ions are transferred in the Thylakoid Membrane, and by using ATP synthases, for Hydrogen Ions to diffuse, producing ATP; in the Calvin Cycle, sugar is produced from Carbon Dioxide by using ATP and NADPH (light reactions), and is produced 1 glucose molecule every 6 turns in the Cycle. For Cellular Respiration Glycolysis produces Pyruvic Acid, 3-carbon atom, and uses 2 ATP and produces 4 ATP to the Krebs Cycle. Then in the Krebs Cycle, Pyruvic Acid and Acetyl- Coenzyme A produces Citric Acid, which is broken down to a 4-carbon molecule letting CO2 release, but gains more ATP that goes to the Electron Transport Chain. Then, in the ETC, high electrons are transferred in the Inner Membrane in order for ADP to produce ATP. Then in the end, ATP Synthases diffuses all molecules that transfer to the Inner Membrane to produce ATP. Altogether, Cellular Respiration produces 36 ATP in which Glycolysis produces 6 ATP and Krebs cycle and mainly Electron Transport Chain produces 30 ATP.  In the Cell, the many parts of it help it for living things to function, mainly in the Nucleus where DNA is made and the NUclear Envelope where ribosomes are produced

Overall, I learned how to study efficiently with so much detail mainly in Cellular Respiration and Photosynthesis. I find which details are more important and study them more and unimportant subjects studying them less. I do not have any questions and I wonder if there is an easier way to study the many details in Cellular Respiration and Photosynthesis. In order to get a great score on the test, I will continue studying each day on what I am weak on and then draw diagrams for Photosynthesis and Cellular Respiration while quizzing what happens in each process in both Photosynthesis and Cellular Respiration. Got to study more each day to get a better result.

Photsynthesis Virtual Lab conclusion

In this Photosynthesis Virtual Lab, the question is how does the temperature of the beaker , affect the rate of bubbling oxygen. If the temperature increases, then the rate of bubbling oxygen is faster since hot temperatures help speed up reactions. We found out actually that in the table as we reached 40 degrees Celsius, the rate of oxygen was 2 seconds/bubble, and when we decreased temperature to 25 degrees Celsius, the rate of oxygen was 4 seconds/bubble, and 10 degrees Celsius causes rate of oxygen was 6 seconds/bubble.

The independent variable of the lab was the temperature and dependent variable was the oxygen bubbles, since the temperature helps cause the rates of oxygen bubbling. The control of the experiment was the Light Intensity, because it was constant the whole time and helping the oxygen bubble because until it the stopwatch was at 7 minutes, no bubbles came out, along with carbon dioxide, by the same reason, too.

Overall, what I learned in this lab was how to create an own experiment by testing the variables, to find which  variable caused the change of rate of bubbling and Photosynthesis. By the rate of oxygen bubbling changing, it shows why Photosynthesis is changing since Photosynthesis produces oxygen. I found out that temperature with help of light intensity, were all needed to change the rate of bubbling. This help me relate to the concept of how photosynthesis can be a varying process like the oxygen bubbling in the experiment changing in its’ speed. It will help me apply to next time how to create a better own experiment since this is the 1st time in biology setting own variables to create an experiment.

Temperature (Celsius degrees)	Rate of Oxygen bubbles sec/bubble
40	2
25	4
10	6

Egg Diffusion Lab

Egg Diffusion Lab

1.As the sugar concentration increased the change in mass, and the circumference greatly improved. In the Deionized Water, the %change of Mass was greater than the % of Change in circumference with 3.06% greater than 0.05%, which would be the Solvent greater than the Solute greater, making it Hypertonic. This is because the water is diffusing from the outside of the cell(high concentration) to interior of the cell(low concentration). Same as the Sugar Water where the change in mass which was -52.9% is greater than -21.3 %, the water inside the container is having diffusion where it is moving from the high concentration(cup) to low concentration (outside of the cup).

2.A cell’s internal environment changes along with the external environment because the solute is greater on the outside of the cell membrane than in the membrane. In the Lab, as we put the Egg inside the water, the egg expanded bigger and bigger because of Osmosis ;when we put the Egg inside the vinegar, the egg’s shell came out and when the egg was in sugar it does not change because the sugar is the solute of the egg, that contains water. So with water, vinegar, and sugar as external conditions for the Egg cell, it does have significant changes of it.

3. This lab demonstrates about Hypotonic and Hypertonic changes in the cell along with passive diffusion among the cell.  Even though the Egg cell had mostly Hypertonic changes, it can be possible that it has Hypotonic changes. For example, if the lab eliminated sugar, then the Egg cell would be mostly water interior, which is greater inside the Egg cell than outside of the cell. Then, the Hypertonic changes would be the Egg cell right now where outside of the cell is greater than inside the cell. Also, since water can pass through the Egg Membrane by diffusing and that the Membrane is semipermeable, this leads to passive diffusion for water among the egg cell.

4. This lab can be applied in the real-life where now there is a reason that they put salt on roads during the winter seasons because to help decrease the temperature of the freezing, causing the water to diffuse from high concentration to low concentration. By the water mainly transferring out of the egg cell, the Egg diffusion lab taught how eggs and their shapes are made, which is by losing water by diffusion. So by learning this, we can apply to it of how fruits like apple and grapes are made at normal size, because of diffusion.

5. Based on the Egg Diffusion Lab, I would test whether if scrambled eggs or fried eggs can be diffused to be a normal egg again. If a boiled egg can be diffused as a normal egg, can the scrambled egg or fried egg be also diffused to a normal egg as a boiled egg could?

Egg Cell Membrane Lab and Conclusion

Egg Cell Macromolecule Lab Conclusion

In this lab we asked the question of can Macromolecules be identified in an egg cell? Our group found out that on in the Monosaccharide test only the Egg yolk had macromolecules with a quantitative amount of 7 out of 10. This supports our data, because monosaccharides gives excess energy for the Egg Yolk to function and develop.  In the Polysaccharide test all Negative Control, Egg Membrane , Egg Yolk, and Egg white had macromolecules inside, with macromolecule amounts of 10 out of 10, 8 out of 10, 7 out of 10, and 8 out of 10. The Egg Membrane contained the Polysaccharides,  because it helps the membrane function and is part of a membrane; Egg yolk and Egg white contains polysaccharides since, they both have food inside of them and polysaccharides help develop energy inside them. Next, the protein test had only Egg Yolk and Egg White, with macromolecule amounts of 8 out of 10, and 2 out of 10. This supports the data by the  Egg  Yolk and Egg White have food inside of them and so they are both proteins to help give us ATP to our bodies. Finally, the Lipid test has Egg Membrane, Egg Yolk, and Egg White, with 4 out of 10, 7 out of 10, and 10 out of 10. This supports our data, because Lipids are part of the Membrane, which makes it being able to develop the Egg Membrane; Lipids are in Egg Yolk and Egg white because since both of them contain foods,  the Lipid helps them give ATP that humans can break down to gain energy. So, the Egg Yolk contains, Monosaccharides, Polysaccharides, Protein, and LIpids, while the Egg Membrane contains Polysaccharides, and Lipids. Finally the Egg White contains Polysaccharides, Protein, and LIpids. This supports our claim, which is that Macromolecules can be found in the Egg Cell, since as shown that the Egg Membrane, Egg Yolk, and Egg White, contains several macromolecules, however with the Egg Yolk containing all the Macromolecules.

While our hypothesis was supported by data, there were possible errors due to that I might have measured the Negative control in the Polysaccharide test was wrong. The negative control is not suppose to have any amount of Macromolecule, but I measured that Negative Control had a 10 out of 10 macromolecule amount in the Polysaccharide test. Also, we had errors due to Monosaccharides having 0 out of 10 amount of Macromolecules for Egg Membrane and Egg White during the Monosaccharide test. It should have some amount of macromolecules since Egg Membrane and Egg White have food in them and Monosaccharides help along with Polysaccharides to store extra energy to give off as ATP to humans. Due to these problems, I recommend in the future that we should for each test take more time to see if results are accurate to the concepts we learned about it. Also, we should look over the data and repeat experimenting until we get accurate results.

In conclusion, this Lab was to demonstrate that parts of the Egg Membrane still contains Macromolecules like a regular Membrane. The parts of an Egg Membrane still contain, either Monosaccharides, Polysaccharides, Protein, or LIpids, especially the EGg Yolk which contains all of the Macromolecules according to our data. This help me relate the concept of what is inside the Membrane, and how does each part inside of the Membrane, help it function normally.  Based on the experience from the lab, I would apply this to looking parts of the Egg Cell Membrane is like any Cell Membrane, which in the lab data, contains all the Macromolecules that help our life easier. So now that I realize the importance of the Egg, it is important for myself and every other human to eat the egg because they give us the Macromolecules that are needed to survive everyday life.