Phenylketonuria

Phenylketonuria (commonly known as PKU) was discovered in 1934 by Asbjorn Folling. PKU is usually found in newborns. It is a genetic disease. If not treated, PKU can lead to brain damage very soon after the birth of the infant. PKU is caused when there is a excess amount of protien in the baby's body.

PKU has many symptoms. The infant can have an intellectual disability, seizures, delayed development, behavioral problems, psychiatric disorders, musty or mouse-like odor, eczema and lighter hair and skin color the unaffected family. However, PKU can be treated. A reduced-protein diet and phenylalanine-free formula (which is should be fed 7-10 days after the birth of the baby). In the picture above, you can see all the different kinds of foods good to eat if one has PKU. The medicine "Kuvan" is also prescribed in some cases.

PKU is common in about one in ten thousand people to about one in fifteen thousand people. Even though how common the disease is in people varies from place to place, it is mostly common in Whites and Asians. Very often, PKU is diagnosed in newborns.

In the end, there are many treatments for PKU. Since this is a genetic disease, we can hope that one day, it will die out. Personally, learning about PKU made me sad because small and innocent infants are faced with this.

Links I Used:

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DNA Conclusion

On Wednesday, we did a simple lab to extract DNA. We extracted DNA from a human and from a plant. Before we did anything, we took a few observations.

(If you look closely at the HUMAN DNA, there is DNA, it's just small)

The procedure to extract the human DNA (which I did) was to swish the Gatorade in my mouth for one minute. After that, spit it into the cup. Next, put it into the test tube. Following that, put alcohol into the test tube. Finally, let the test tube rest at an angle for fifteen minutes. Fifteen minutes later you will see white pieces floating around. This is the DNA. As the time goes by, you can see it getting slightly bigger. My partner, had to extract DNA from a strawberry. Once she was done with her procedure, we looked at each others DNA and compared them to one another.

In the end, I thought this was a cool lab. I learned a lot from it. I learned how various types of DNA look. I also learned that DNA is a lot like a puzzle piece. I think the only thing I did wrong was the fact that I didn't put the alcohol into the tube gently starting at the side. I just, well, put it in! If I did that, I wonder what would've been different if there was any difference! I enjoyed this lab very much and hope to do something this fun again soon.

Cells

In science, we are learning about cells. Cells are considered the basic units of life. To start, each cell has a cell membrane. The cell membrane protects what is inside. In plants and algae, the cells have a cell wall. The cell wall gives the cell membrane support and strength. After that, there's everything inside. The "computer" of the cell is all in the nucleus. The DNA is in the nucleus. The DNA contains the information needed to make the cells proteins. There might also be a nucleolus inside the nucleus. Next, there's the ribosomes. The ribosomes are very small building blocks of cells. These ribosomes carry messages to the endoplasmic reticulum. The endoplasmic reticulum (ER) is known as the delivery system of the cell. The ER transports protiens (that come from ribosomes) somewhere else later, after storage. The mitochondria of a cell is known as the energy system of a cell. Did you know the reason you breathe is so the mitochondria has the oxygen it needs? Plants and algae have chloroplast which is responsibe for converting energy. Lastly, lysosomes contain enzymes.

Look at the diagram above to learn more about a cell.

Click on the CELL to learn more

Rollar Coasters

So here's the deal, bloggers. We're building these amazing roller coasters that use physics to operate. But the thing is, they are made out of paper products and are only about 4 feet tall. Some ride, huh? Not really! Our "company" needs to figure out how to make a roller coaster that has at least three hills and one other characteristic of a roller coaster. At the end of designing, we need to drop a marble into the entrance and see if it will go through the whole thing with out stopping.

Easy? Not at all. We have to buy all our supplies - with money that is earned hardly. Since this is MY blog, I will be honest. Ten O-Dollars for one toilet paper tube? Crazy right? That's okay. Be polite with Treasure, the Shopkeeper, and you'll be rewarded! My point is, spend your money wisely and your roller coaster is perfect. Less can be more very often.

Other than the money factor, we have a PHYSICS factor! Some questions we have to ask ourselves some questions. How will our roller coaster function? What should our design be so the marble will gain lots of energy to be able to easily overcome the hills? How will we get support for cheap? $5 for lots of tooth picks or $1 for a straw? What should we use?

In the end, we still are working on it. I hope by tomorrow it will all fall into place. We have come across some problems, but we have easily fixed them. Maybe next week I will post a detailed diagram of our roller coaster and how it works.

But for now,
Adios!

glowriter54

Amazon Kindle

If there's any amazing things about the Amazon Kindle, it's that it's eco-friendly and tiny. The Amazon Kindle is sleek and slim. It is an eBook reader. The Kindle can hold about 200 books. Books can be purchased straight from amazon.com or the Kindle itself! The Kindle has a Wi-Fi connection on it. You can purchase a books from the bus or in bed with the touch of a button. In addition to books, newspapers and magazines can be sent straight to your Kindle.

The Kindle doesn't have a backlight, therefore, eyes are not strained while reading. You can take your Kindle anywhere! It's slim and small. Books can be big are heavy. Consumers say that the Kindle is great to use because their houses are much less cluttered because they don't have books in every corner of their house.

There are over 200,000 books offered for the Kindle. Books prices are usually $9.99 or less. The New York Times Bestsellers and New Releases are $9.99. You can sample a books by downloading the first few pages or chapters. You can even get international newspapers. Some places you can get international news papers are France, Germany and Ireland. You can even email your word documents to view on your Kindle.

The Kindle is definetly a great advancment in technology. I can't wait to get one. The only downside is that its $359. Also, it is curently sold out. But until it's back in stock, I can't wait!

To learn more about the Kindle click here. To buy the Kindle at learn more about kindle click here!

Ciao Bloggers,

glowriter54

Wii Games - Bloom Blox

A few weeks ago, in class, we played the Wii game Bloom Blox. Bloom Blox is not just any video game, it's a fun and educational game that exercises one's problem solving strategies. This game was created by Steven Spielberg. This honorable man created this game because he wanted a fun and useful game for his kids. We learned that he didn't like what was available for his children for the Wii so he created his own game.

Playing Bloom Blox is not a challenge - except for when you have to solve the problems. What you have to do is throw something to knock down all the blocks in the fewest amount of throws. Sound easy? Not really. Some blocks that you hit will be helpful and they might blowout the entire field of blocks. Others, however, might not do anything for a few throws only to end up wasting your throws. In addition, some blocks might be unbreakable by themselves. You might have to break them by breaking other blocks that might end up breaking the unbreakable. In other cases, you might only have two throws to destroy the whole field of blocks.

In conclusion, I really liked Bloom Blox. It was challenging yet fun. I really want to buy it for my Wii too! All I know is that Bloom Blox is definitely going on my Christmas Wish List! =D

The Latest iPod Nano

The new iPod is here and better than ever! This new iPod has many features. One of the first things you will notice is the RAINBOW of colors.This is the first time that there have been nine different colors.


There are so many fabulous things about the new iPod Nano other than the color factor. First of all, there is a new software called "Genius". Genius is.... well, a Genius! It will create playlists of songs that will go great together. Genius can also be found on the new iTunes on your computer.

The next thing you can do is find your favorite song a lot quicker! Why search from A to Z for hours and hours when you can view Cover Art and not have to read a thing? You can also press and hold the center button to browse in different categories like album.


What if you tilted your iPod and a whole new experience could be experienced? When tilted, you can see everything in a wider screen. You can view pictures, movies, TV shows and music videos in a whole new way! You can view more Cover Flow with the vertical screen.

Moving and shaking your iPod can do SO MUCH! You can shuffle your songs. During a game like a maze, you can tilt your iPod from left to right to navigate your way through the maze.

The new iPod is most likely something that will pass by soon. Soon Apple will come up with something bigger (or should I say smaller) and better! Can you remember the first time that the iPod was shown?!?! But for now, this is better than the best. With all these features, may come a few defects, but WHAT IS PERFECT NOWADAYS? I personally don't have any experience with this iPod but I've heard it is really great! If you have used it, leave a comment with your opinion.

For more information, click on this!

a PoEm AbOuT cLoUdS (aNd A lItTlE wInD)

Clouds
White sheep, white sheep,

On a blue hill,

When the wind stops

You all stand still.

When the wind blows

You walk away slow.

White sheep, white sheep,

Where do you go?

~Christina G. Rossetti

In this poem, weather was used by description. A form of weather was described. The poet used her knowledge of weather by describing how the clouds are. She drew a picture in the readers mind. The reader would picture the clouds. The author also uses her knowledge to show how the clouds "act". To support all of this, the type of weather that is discussed are clouds. In the poem, the poet describes clouds. Also, there was wind mentioned in the poem.

Without the mentioning of the weather, there would be no poem! It would just be a bunch of words that didn't make any sense put together. A literary technique that is used to describe the clouds is rhyme. The poet uses rhyme which creates a rhythm. This poem, however, does not increase much knowledge about weather. It is mainly common knowledge for most. Some may learn something new.

Arctic Tale

Arctic Tale was a movie about the the Arctic. It was two major stories about two animals who were born in the arctic. The movie showed the animals growing up. The movie also showed Global Warming in action. The movie followed two main animals; a polar bear and walrus.

Did you know that polar bears are among the biggest predators in the world? There are 20,000 to 40,000 polar bears roam the arctic. Female polar bears can start having babies at around the age of four or five? They usually have two.

Did you know that the scientific name for walruses is Odobenus rosmarus? It means tooth walking sea horse in latin. Walrusses eat carnivores. They weigh about 1.5 tons! That's a little less than 2,000 pounds!

PLEASE WATCH ARCTIC TALE, IT'S TOUCHING AND GREAT!

Blow yourself around some global winds!

What exactly ARE Global Winds? Global winds are winds that blow from a specific direction. They usually cover long distances. There are many types of Global Winds. These include the Trade Winds, the Prevailing Westerlies, the Polar Easterlies, and the jet streams. The diagram to the left shows where winds are located and the direction that they move. In other words the diagram shows the Global Wind Belts.

The diagram shows something called the Hadley Cell. What IS the Hadley Cell? The Hadley Cell is when a direct thermally driven and zonally symmetric circulation under the strong influence of the earth's rotation. The Hadley Cell was first proposed by George Hadley in 1735. It was an explanation for trade winds.

On the side is a quick list of words worth knowing about Global Winds! Take a look at it! =)

Yum! It's Gum!

Next time your teacher says the infamous line ("Spit out your gum!"), you may want to throw in t that gum is healthy. Scientists are learning that chewing gum is beneficial. Gum may also help you get better grades on tests! Companies are trying new ways to enhance their gum. One way they are enhancing their gum is putting vitamins, medicines, and minerals. They also are adding ingredients that can cure headaches. Some gum may also fight serious diseases.

Making gum is an interesting process. Gum producers mix resin, wax and polyvinyl acetate. This is a gum base. Next, bins of melted gum base with sweeteners, syrups and powders. A different machine rotates the goo sticks. It also may press them into pellets. Lastly, the gum is packaged.

Now the million dollar question is the question WHAT CAN GUM DO FOR YOUR HEALTH? Plenty of studies show that gum-chewing after you eat will fight cavities. How? It stimulates the saliva produced. Saliva is a helpful part in the process of washing away harmful bacteria. The bacteria may hurt our teeth. Xylitol is added to some gum products. This gives an extra dose of cavity fighting power. Researches are showing that having healthy oral health decreases the risk of many serious diseases. Other studies show gum-chewing might be good for the brain. One study showed that gum-chewing enhanced the blood flow to the brain up to 40%! When blood is traveling, it carries oxygen. Oxygen carries brain cells. Memory tests are often better scored on while chewing gum than those who don't chew gum! A study showed that those who chewed gum did 25% better that those who did not chew any gum.

Researchers are learning that gum can work better to distribute medicine compared to a pill. The lining of our cheeks can absorb certain substances more rapidly than our intestines and stomachs. Studies show that people take in three times more while chewing gum compared to a pill. 40% of the medicine got to the bloodstream through the cheeks of the gum chewers. This specific discovery could do so much! There could be gums that relive headaches to curing bad breath. All of those breakthroughs may take a while. We can be sure that they will happen. There already is a gum that will help us stay awake! It's called Stay Alert. In each stick of this gum, there is an equal amount of caffeine as a cup of coffee. This will only take a few minutes to kick in its effect. Whereas coffee takes an hour. This gum isn't in stores. It is only for the military. If you do find a caffeine gum in stores, chances are, it's not as well tested as Stay Alert.

For today, chew with care! Plenty of chewing may damage the jaw joint. Don't chew too much gum with vitamins or caffeine! This may cause and overdose. This is what Gayl Canfield says. He works at Pritikin Longevity Center & Spa in Aventura, Fla. There, she is a dietitian. She also says no matter how healthy gum-chewing shows itself to be, it will never be competition for a good lifestyle! "Nothing like a gum or a vitamin is going to cure a bad dietary habit or a bad exercise habit," Canfield says. "It's not a magic bullet."

To get more information, you can read the original article right here.