Wednesday, April 17, 2013

Unit 3 Paper

Part 1

 
The topic I have chosen for this assignment is Evolution. I love the study of evolution, and I think it is amazing to see all the research pointing to every living thing on earth having been started by one single cell organism. I think theories such as the Endosymbiotic Theory are such amazing keys to explaining where we all came from. Evolution explains how we all came to be. Billions of years ago there was not a single living thing on this planet. The Earth was in constant chaos. Then, a single form of life appeared and before long we had plant life. This plant life produced a chemical we now know as oxygen. From there thing began to evolve. And today the number of species on Earth, “ range from low of 2 million to high of about 100 million.” (Pidwirny Par. 1)

Charles Darwin is a very popular figure in the world of Evolution. When he started his research, he was not a well known scientist or world know writer. He was just a man who began researching a topic that he found interesting. Today he is know for his theories on natural selection and survival of the fittest. There is a wonderful website that spells out topics behind his research. http://www.darwins-theory-of-evolution.com/
There are other theories that have arisen in the world of evolution. One of these theories is the edosymbiotic theory, which explains how organelles such as mitochondria and chloroplasts of eukaryotic cells actually were, at one point, their own prokaryotic cells that were engulfed but not destroyed by another prokaryotic cell. The engulfed cells then became a part of the parent cell and, waa laa, we had eukaryotic cells. You can check out more about this theory by visiting … http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Endosymbiotic_theory
The list of information regarding evolution is never ending, however there are still groups of people that resist the theory of evolution and stand up for the theory of creation. For the scientific world, evolution is can be argued but creation cannot. Creation is based solely on ideas and no scientific evidence. This video talks a bit about the controversy found in this heated topic. 



Another good website to visit is:


Evolution is such an interesting topic. The insurmountable evidence is amazing and the fossil records are fascinating! Evolutionary research has made leaps-and-bounds during this century and it seems that the informational gains will not be dissipating any time soon. Anthropologists continue to uncover bones of creatures in our past and I cannot wait to see what they will discover next!!


Sources:

Pidwirny, M. (2006). "Species Diversity and Biodiversity". Fundamentals of Physical Geography, 2nd Edition. Date Viewed April 17, 2013 http://www.physicalgeography.net/fundamentals/9h.html

Date Viewed: April 17, 2013

Websites referenced:




Part 2


1.What one assignment or activity you performed in this unit are you the most proud of?

I would have to say that the assignment I am most proud of in this unit is my chicken leg dissection. With that being said, I will probably not be able to eat chicken for a while! It was so cool to see the way the muscles go together, to see the tendons, to see the ligaments, and the way the joints move. I think it was seeing the chicken leg as it relates to our own body that really got me. I have always known this, but performing this lab made it more real (if that makes sense).

2.Why did you enroll in this biology class?

I enrolled in this biology class because I wanted to further my knowledge in this field. I find biology very fascinating! I have now taken four biology classes and I hope to continue my biology adventure in semesters to come. I feel that the more classes I take in biology, the better I understand the different aspects of the topic.

3.Did you feel prepared for this experience when you registered?
Yes. I took BIO 181 last semester, which made this class much easier to understand. I have also taken BIO 160 and this semester I am also enrolled in BIO 202 (Human Anatomy and Physiology). I definably felt prepared for this class.

4.How was your experience different from your expectations?

I felt that you made things easy to understand and you were very active in our learning. I have taken many on-line classes, and, often times, instructors are almost nonexistent unless the student works to stay in contact. This class was the exact opposite. I never felt that there was a lack of information or preparation. The tools were all made available for us; we just had to be whiling to use them.

5.What can I do to help you?

You have done a great job. You always answer questions promptly and you provide many different strategies for us to use in our learning. All-in-all I have been very satisfied with my experience in this class!

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