Chloe Powell's AP Bio Blogspot

Cracking the Genetic Code

I really enjoyed Cracking the Genetic Code. This documentary is part of the NOVA series on PBS. The NOVA series was originally started in hopes of teaching a more general audience about relevant science topics in an unbiased way. I liked this short film because really gave me a lot of insight into genome sequencing. And what is genome sequencing? Genome sequencing is the most direct way to figure out if someone has mutations within the arrangement of their genetic bases. This method can be used to find diseases and hopefully stop them. One of the main focuses of this movie was genome sequencing and its adverse side affects.

Genome sequencing machine — Genome Sequencing Machine

There are many good parts of genome sequencing. For instance, one of the best parts of looking at someone’s genetic code is that possible diseases can theoretically be stopped before they are even started. Having someone’s genetic code sequence can be potentially life-saving. However, there are some downsides as well. For instance, someone could find out they are at higher risk of getting an incurable disease such as Alzheimers. One of the biggest moral topics today is at what point does someone know too much about themselves. Information such as finding out about having a much higher chance of getting Alzheimers can be life-ruining. Even though they may never get Alzheimers, the thought of getting that disease will always be in the back of their mind.

Curious? Watch the movie here! https://www.pbs.org/video/nova-cracking-your-genetic-code/

Even today, whether or not someone’s genome should be sequenced poses lots of moral issues. Should someone have access to that much information? Furthermore, many people worry about where the future of gene sequencing may be heading. If we can alter genes in babies so they don’t catch rare diseases now, does that mean we are heading towards designer babies in the future? Most scientists don’t think technology is advanced enough yet, however, in the future it may be. Overall, breakthroughs in genome sequencing continue to pose more and more questions.

Works Cited:

“Cracking Your Genetic Code.” PBS, Public Broadcasting Service, 27 Mar. 2012, http://www.pbs.org/video/nova-cracking-your-genetic-code/.

“DNA Sequencing Fact Sheet.” Genome.gov, www.genome.gov/about-genomics/fact-sheets/DNA-Sequencing-Fact-Sheet.

Genome sequencing machine. Photograph. Britannica ImageQuest, Encyclopædia Britannica, 26 Mar 2018.

quest.eb.com/search/132_1596955/1/132_1596955/cite. Accessed 24 Nov 2019.“Genome Sequencing.” Genome Sequencing – an Overview | ScienceDirect Topics, http://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/medicine-and-dentistry/genome-sequencing.

Earth Science Week

Earth Science Week is a photography competition whose main goal is to raise awareness for the Earth and Earth’s condition. This year the theme was “Geoscience is for everyone.”

This image was the picture I posted for the competition. I chose this visual because the it shows a how small humans are compared to the rest of the world. Despite being so small, humans have a huge negative impact on our Planet. We cause immense amounts of pollution and destroy hundreds of ecosystems every year. Humans in general need to make a more intense effort to preserve nature or else beautiful areas like this one will no longer exist. This photo ultimately stands as a reminder that we are just one small part of a large planet.

Works Cited:

“About Earth Science Week.” Earth Science Week, 28 Mar. 2019, http://www.earthsciweek.org/about-esw.

FLOW:

Water. Something that all of us need to survive but often take for granted.

Look familiar? We use it to cook our food, to clean our clothes, to bathe ourselves. According to the United States Geological Survey, the average American citizen uses up to 80-100 gallons a day. But what about the rest of the world?

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 780 million people do not have access to an improved water source and 2.8 billion people do not access to improved sanitation. For as vital as water is, in modern day times it does not seem to be getting the coverage it deserves. Luckily for us, important documentaries like FLOW are not letting the plights of underprivileged individuals go unnoticed. Before watching this movie, I was very unaware of how dire our water situation was and while I had a basic understanding that water sources were dwindling, I contributed this more to climate change then irresponsible water bottle companies. I also did not have any idea about the efforts being made to privatize the water sector or how this could effect lower income communities. To be completely honest, I was very ignorant to the water crisis that this world was facing; however as the famous saying goes “ignorance is bliss.”

I chose this Youtube video because it shows how even in the place we live personally there are about a million people unable to access clean drinking water.

This image has an empty alt attribute; its file name is 300_3212109-w.jpg — Baseco (Bataan Shipyard and Engineering Co.) is the name for a poor shantytown community near Manilas port area populated mostly by migrant workers from the provinces who come to Metro Manila in search for better-paying jobs. The town made news headlines because of numerous fires that hit the compound in previous years, rendering many of the residents homeless. A portion of Baseco has been recently developed for housing for the urban poor through the Gawad Kalinga housing program and Habitat for Humanity. However, a large portion of the compound still lacks decent infrastructure, potable water supply, health and sanitation services. During the typhoon season, Baseco is flood-prone due to the proximity to Manila Bay. Garbage and waste disposal is also a big problem and adds to the already long list of environmental problems faced by its community. Manila, Philippines. August 2006.

The entire film has already impacted my life. While admittedly I am not making large changes to my water consumption, I can no longer freely use water without at least mentally acknowledging those I saw suffering in the film. Furthermore, I felt a very legitimate frustration with the blatant waste and exploitation of our natural resources by large corporations. And while I do not know what I want to do in life, I can honestly say it will most likely have to do with helping the environment.

Additionally, if anything at all, this film makes me want to apply for a government position in the hopes that I can at least make some changes. For now, however, I will most likely stick to taking shorter showers and trying to find ways to continue to cut down water consumption in my life.

Works Cited:

Baseco (Bataan Shipyard and Engineering Co. Photography. Britannica ImageQuest, Encyclopædia Britannica, 25 May 2016.
quest.eb.com/search/300_3212109/1/300_3212109/cite. Accessed 23 Sep 2019.

“Global WASH Fast Facts | Global Water, Sanitation and Hygiene | Healthy Water | CDC.” Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 11 Apr. 2016, http://www.cdc.gov/healthywater/global/wash_statistics.html#targetText=Worldwide%2C%20780%20million%20people%20do,world’s%20population)%201%2C%203.

“How Much Water Do I Use at Home Everyday?” Water Q&A: How Much Water Do I Use at Home Each Day?, http://www.usgs.gov/special-topic/water-science-school/science/water-qa-how-much-water-do-i-use-home-each-day?qt-science_center_objects=0#qt-science_center_objects.

Water. Photography. Britannica ImageQuest, Encyclopædia Britannica, 25 May 2016.
quest.eb.com/search/132_1253685/1/132_1253685/cite. Accessed 23 Sep 2019.

A Plastic Ocean:

There are about 228,450 different species living in the oceans. As of today, 14 billion pounds of trash end up in the ocean every year. That means 228,450 oceanic species are suffering as a direct consequence of human actions. As of 2015, 90% of seabirds have ingested plastic and thousands of marine animals die every year due to plastic related causes. Documentaries such as A Plastic Ocean are trying to raise awareness on this topic.

Originally released in 2013, A Plastic Ocean is a documentary about the alarming rise of plastic in our oceans and communities near these oceans. In this film, the viewer follows journalist Craig Leeson and free diver Tanya Streeter as they look deeper into the effects micro-plastic has on the ocean and the organisms living in it.

I personally had a lot of mixed feelings when watching this documentary. On one hand, I really enjoyed this video because it was well organized and decently entertaining. On the other hand, I found this documentary incredibly hard to watch because it depicted the suffering of marine animals and of oceanic ecosystems as a whole. For me, this suffering was even harder to watch knowing that it was indirectly caused by myself and the human race as a whole. Furthermore, I felt extremely frustrated watching this movie because governments who could create change do not seem to be addressing this issue. I also felt disappointed when I learned about the amount of chemicals that are in plastics and how little the government is doing to protect us from these toxins. I wish that our government would be more proactive about protecting us rather than forcing us to take a stand to get certain laws passed. All this being said, I still did legitimately enjoy this video.

I was super interested in finding out more about plastic and its effects on human beings so I did a little more research. This is a video that goes more into depth on how plastic works:

Works Cited:

Howard, Brian Clark. “A Running List of Action on Plastic Pollution.” National Geographic, 10 June 2019, http://www.nationalgeographic.com/environment/2018/07/ocean-plastic-pollution-solutions/#preparingEmail.

Moon jellyfish. Photography. Britannica ImageQuest, Encyclopædia Britannica, 25 May 2016.
quest.eb.com/search/132_1314077/1/132_1314077/cite. Accessed 4 Sep 2019.

Reuters. “There Are 228,450 Known Species in the Ocean – and as Many as 2 Million More That Remain a Total Mystery.” Business Insider, Business Insider, 17 Mar. 2015, http://www.businessinsider.com/r-oceans-yield-1500-new-creatures-many-others-lurk-unknown-2015-3#targetText=There%20are%20228%2C450%20known%20species,that%20remain%20a%20total%20mystery.Copy bibliography citation

Sperm Whale with plastic waste. Photograph. Britannica ImageQuest, Encyclopædia Britannica, 25 May 2016.
quest.eb.com/search/132_1350119/1/132_1350119/cite. Accessed 4 Sep 2019.

Truthout. “99% Of Seabirds Will Have Plastic in Their Guts Within Decades.” EcoWatch, EcoWatch, 22 Mar. 2019, http://www.ecowatch.com/seabirds-plastic-pollution-2609353767.html#targetText=In%202015%2C%20a%20study%20by,in%20their%20guts%20by%202050.

The Vortex Swim

In AP Bio, we have been following Ben Lecomte as he journeys through the Pacific Garbage Patch. Ben Lecomte is a French swimmer that has been participating in long distance swimming since he was 31 years old. Now 52 years old, Ben Lecomte is raising awareness for the Pacific Garbage Patch by swimming three hundred nautical miles through this area. All the while, he and his team are making great contributions to science by monitoring trash levels in the ocean and the effects of this swim on his body. He has been swimming since June 14th and will finally arrive in San Francisco tomorrow, August 31st.

I think that Ben Lecomte is doing fantastic job of trying to make the change he wants to see happen. The trash in the Pacific Garbage Patch is a serious issue that needs to be dealt with as soon as possible. I also think the pollution of the ocean in general is an issue that we as a society must deal with. I really admire Ben Lecomte as a person for his mission and determination.

I would love to know more about what Ben Lecomte will do in the future and what other inspiring projects he will take on. I would also be curious to learn a little more about his operation in general because I think the whole process of surviving on the ocean with no help is super interesting.

My Curious Driving Question is How will Ben Lecomte and his team deal with the trash in the Pacific Garbage Patch now that we have more information on it?