Holiday Photos

What if people sent electron microscope pictures instead of holiday cards?  I guess it wouldn't be quite as nostalgic and you wouldn't see how much your cousins have changed in that year that they were off at college.  However, electron microscope images are super cool. Below is a cool SEM image of a snowflake.

Here is a cool TEM image of a small pox virus.  Remember TEM images are 2-D images of the inside of an object with greater magnification than the SEM.

Your assignment this week is to find one really cool electron microscope image.  It can either be SEM (will be 3-D and show the outside of an object) or TEM (2-D and the inside of an object).  Please put the link in your response since blogger won't allow you to insert pictures.  In your response, explain what your image is, what type of microscope, total magnification if possible and why you like it.  Post early, because I don't want any repeats if possible.  So be sure to look at the pictures that have been posted before you.

The surprisingly charming science of your gut

I listened to this Ted Talk podcast on my way up to the Science Teacher Convention on Friday morning.  Immediately, I thought of my awesome Honors Biology classes and how much you would love this.

You can either watch the video above or listen to the podcast in the link below:

https://play.radiopublic.com/ted-talks-daily-69aZB6/ep/s1!1f1a9e47206f32d17afa0c1998e1e3b8350df523

What do you think?  Can you think of a time when your emotions and stress caused you digestive problems?  Do you think mental health is linked to digestion?

Write a scholarly paragraph with at least five sentences about the Ted Talk.  Then please respond to at least one of your peers.

Frog Farming

As we prepare to dissect frogs this week, I thought it would be interesting to learn about frog farming.  In class, we are dissecting frogs to learn more about the digestive system.  Usually students ask where the frogs come from that we dissect.  All the grass frogs we dissect are ordered from a scientific supply company.  However in the 1930's, there was a get-rich-quick push for everyday Americans to raise giant frogs.

https://www.atlasobscura.com/articles/frog-farming-1930s-failure-ponds-canning-legs-conservation

https://mdc.mo.gov/property/pond-stream-care/ponds-fish-frog-management/frog-farming-facts

Have you ever eaten frog legs?  Do you know that most of the frogs that are served in America actually come from Indochina?  This week, you will read one of the two articles above.  In a scholarly paragraph, write a brief summary of what you learned.  Please share at least two facts that you didn't know before.  In conclusion, I want you to give some frog trivia.  For example, I would end my summary with....Did you know that a group of frogs is called an army?  or  The largest frog is the Goliath frog which is up to a foot long and can weigh up to 7 pounds.