This week we are covering biodiversity, taxonomy, phylogeny, evolution, and the factors and processes that contribute to evolution, including mutations, natural selection, gene flow, and genetic drift. Find a news article from Science Daily “https://www.sciencedaily.com” (or another credible news source) that describes a recent research study that relates to something you found interesting in this week’s readings. The article should be less than 3 years old and not already discussed by another student. Include the following in your main response: Formulate a likely hypothesis for this research study (it may not be specifically stated in the article) In 1-2 sentences, summarize in your own words the most important conclusion from the research study. Describe how this research study relates to this week’s BIOL 103 course topics. Use at least one in-text citation to this week’s assigned textbook chapters. Finally, discuss at least one broader implication of this research that was not described in the article. In other words, how do you believe these research findings may impact society, the environment, health, or the world in a positive and/or negative way? Be specific. Use the name of the Science Daily article as the title of your post. Use in-text citations, and include references in APA format to the chosen Science Daily article, the textbook, and all other resources used to prepare your response.
INSTRUCTIONS: Addresses course outcomes 1-4: recognize and explain how the scientific method is used to solve problems make observations and discriminate between scientific and pseudoscientific explanations weigh evidence and make decisions based on strengths and limitations of scientific knowledge and the scientific method use knowledge of biological principles, the scientific method, and appropriate technologies to ask relevant questions, develop hypotheses, design and conduct experiments, interpret results, and draw conclusions Write a paper about your chosen topic – selected in Step 1. Your paper should consist of a title page, introduction, several paragraphs addressing the questions for your chosen topic, conclusion, and references. The outline you wrote in Step 1 should be your starting point, but you can make edits to the topics and details you include, and the organization of the content. Take advantage of any feedback received. Your paper should be 750-1500 words, excluding references and the title page. Use a minimum of three (3) reliable information sources. These can be different from the resources that you found in step 1 of this assignment. The majority of your paper should be written in your own words, in your own writing style and structure, and fully paraphrasing information from the selected information sources (just changing a few words in a sentence is not enough). Your paper should consist of less than 10% direct quotes. Quotation marks must be used at the start and end of a direct quote, followed by an in-text citation. When paraphrasing, you should also use text citations to acknowledge the source. A list of references in APA format should be included at the end. Resources that may be helpful as you write your paper: UMGC Citing and Writing page for citation, writing, and academic integrity help. Video from UMGC’s Office of Academic Integrity and Accountability: Paraphrasing Content in Your Own Words Free writing tutoring: Go to the Academic Support tab within our LEO classroom, and click Tutoring to get started! Submit your paper to the Assignment folder by the due date listed in the course schedule. The originality of your assignment will be checked with Turnitin. Please review the originality report, and if needed, submit a revised assignment before the submission deadline. If you need help accessing and understanding the Turnitin Report and want to learn more about how Turnitin is used at UMGC, here is a good resource: UMGC Library’s Turnitin FAQ Please review the grading rubric, and ask your professor if you have questions about this assignment. TOPIC : VACCINES a) Vaccines. Your friend is worried about the many vaccines that his newborn son is scheduled to receive and asks you for advice since you are taking a biology course. Briefly explain how the human immune system works. Explain how vaccines work. Contrast the traditional methods used to create vaccines with more recently used biotechnology techniques, including the COVID-19 mRNA vaccines. Explain how the mRNA vaccines work based on your knowledge of the Central Dogma of Molecular Biology. How have vaccinations impacted the frequency of these diseases over the past 100 years? Include a few specific statistics. What are some of the diseases that infants and children in the US are routinely vaccinated against? Why are some people worried about giving their children vaccines? Specifically, why do some people believe that the MMR (measles-mumps-rubella) vaccine can cause autism? Is there scientific evidence to support these concerns? Cite the original peer-reviewed scholarly research paper that started this concern and discuss its validity. Conclude with advice to your friend regarding getting the recommended vaccines based on what you learned from reliable information sources. PLEASE USE THESE 3 SOURCES FROM THE SCHOOL WEBSITE LIBRARY: https://www-sciencedirect-com.ezproxy.umgc.edu/science/article/pii/S0264410X24000495?via%3Dihub https://www-sciencedirect-com.ezproxy.umgc.edu/science/article/pii/S0264410X24000562?via%3Dihub https://www-sciencedirect-com.ezproxy.umgc.edu/science/article/pii/S0264410X24000136?via%3Dihub
Contributions of Darwin
Watch the videos provided under Additional Resources to learn more about Darwin, his voyage, Wallace, and the history. If you wish to learn more, you can watch the video explaining the Wallace line.
Natural Selection and Adaptations
Having watched the videos you have now understood that adaptations and natural selection are key in the process of evolution.
Now watch this video and answer the following
1.Explain the terms adaptation and natural selection.
2.Speculate whether the Natural selection __________ (increases / decreases) the adaptation of organisms to their environment over time.
3.Determine how natural selection explains the adaptations of organisms.
4.What is Darwin’s theory of evolution?
5.What happened in the case of peppered moths and industrialization?
6.What is the mechanism that results in variation within a population?
7.How do the black mice arise in the population – are they already present within the mice population or does the new traits arise “as needed”?
8.Why did the frequencies of the light-colored and dark-colored mice not change significantly at location A but did at location B? – Explain based on the concept of ‘the selective pressure of predators’.
Darwin, the Galapagos, and the Finches
We know that Darwin visited the Galapagos Islands and one of the key observations was regarding the finches on the islands. Watch this brief video to see how Darwin realized the differences in the finches.
1.How did the finches differ from each other?
2.Describe the basis for the differences observed in the finches of the Galapagos Islands.
3.Explain how natural selection played a role in this the case of finches of the Galapagos Islands.
The Evidence for Evolution
Watch the video and discover the evidence to support the theory of evolution
1.Direct Observations of Evolutionary Change
2.Homology
3.Fossil Records
4.Biogeography
Modes and Mechanisms of Evolution
The following video explains the mechanisms of evolution – directional, disruptive, and stabilizing selection.
Understand the concept of each type of mode of directional selection. Can you predict the mode of action for natural selection if given a scenario. Below are some examples. Give reasons for your answer
1.Mostly human beings tend to be of average height- not too many really short ones or really tall ones
2.In tigers, faster is always better so a tiger population will tend to get faster over time
3.In case of giraffes, there was a selection pressure against short necks, since individuals with short necks could not reach as many leaves on which to feed. As a result, the distribution of neck length shifted to favor individuals with long necks.
4.Suppose a plant of extremely variable height is pollinated by three different pollinators, one that was attracted to short plants, another that preferred plants of medium height and a third that visited only the tallest plants. If the pollinator that preferred plants of medium height disappeared from an area, medium height plants would be selected against and the population would tend toward both short and tall, but not medium height plants.
5.If thicker-shelled oysters are more resistant to breakage than thinner-shelled oysters, crabs will be less able to prey upon them, and thicker-shelled oysters will be more likely to survive to reproduce
6.Very light-colored or very dark-colored oysters might be more frequently preyed upon by shore birds, simply because they are more obvious on the oyster bar; as a result, the intermediate hues become more common
7.Light-colored oysters are more cryptic (coloration that allows an organism to match its background and hence become less vulnerable to predation or recognition by prey) and therefore, less easy for a predator to see because they match the rock color. Dark-colored oysters blend into the shadows cast by the rocks. In this case, intermediate-colored oysters would be most heavily preyed upon by the crabs, and very light and very dark oysters would survive to reproduce.
Understand the concept of convergent evolution.
Coevolution occurs in some species. One good example of coevolution is acacia ants and acacia plants. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xm2qdxVVRm4
Speciation – How do we define species, how do they form, the speed/tempo, and barriers
Here is a video on the concept of speciation
There are different types of speciation – based on tempo and based on barriers. Watch the video and learn about the different types
Then watch this video that details the pre and post zygotic barriers
Watch this video for the rate/tempo of speciation
Work through the following topics/questions
1.What is the definition of species and population?
2.Describe the mechanisms by which speciation can occur
3.Explain why there is no gene flow in reproductive isolation. Determine why reproductive isolation is a prerequisite for speciation to occur.
4.When there is a physical barrier created by natural processes such as earthquake, what type of reproductive isolation will it lead to?
5.What are the different types of prezygotic and postzygotic reproductive isolations? Make sure you know them all. In the tests/exams there will be examples given and you will have to identify the type of reproductive isolation. List one of each here with an example.
6.Differentiate between allopatric and sympatric speciation.
7.What is the pace of evolution – fast or slow?
8.Explain the extrinsic and intrinsic reproductive isolation mechanisms.
9.Explain the term divergence. Does accumulation of genetic mutations lead to divergence?
10.Explain adaptive radiation. Determine if Darwin’s finches of Galapagos Island is an example of adaptive radiation?
Population Genetics
This video explains microevolution, macroevolution. Remember, populations evolve not species, gene pool,
You will also be practicing the Hardy Weinberg equation and problems based on it. So if you are interested, then you can watch the part 2 of population genetics described at the end of the 1st video.
1.What is a gene pool?
2.What are the sources of genetic variation in a population?
3.What is an allele frequency and a genetic frequency?
INSTRUCTIONS: Search the library and/or the internet to locate 3 credible information sources that you may use for this assignment. The purpose of this step is to get the research process started; you are not required to use these information sources in the final version of your assignment. Write 1-2 sentences for each information source explaining why you believe these sources are credible using what you learned from the UMGC library article. Include references to the 3 information sources in APA format: APA 7th Edition Citation Examples: General Rules. Create an outline for the writing assignment. The outline should be in a bullet list format and include the major topics that you plan to include in your assignment, with some supportive detail for each topic. It should not be a draft with full sentences and paragraphs. Here are two resources that may be helpful as you write your outline: TOPIC : VACCINES a) Vaccines. Your friend is worried about the many vaccines that his newborn son is scheduled to receive and asks you for advice since you are taking a biology course. Research and address the following questions in your paper. Briefly explain how the human immune system works. Explain how vaccines work. Contrast the traditional methods used to create vaccines with more recently used biotechnology techniques, including the COVID-19 mRNA vaccines. Explain how the mRNA vaccines work based on your knowledge of the Central Dogma of Molecular Biology. How have vaccinations impacted the frequency of these diseases over the past 100 years? Include a few specific statistics. What are some of the diseases that infants and children in the US are routinely vaccinated against? Why are some people worried about giving their children vaccines? Specifically, why do some people believe that the MMR (measles-mumps-rubella) vaccine can cause autism? Is there scientific evidence to support these concerns? Cite the original peer-reviewed scholarly research paper that started this concern and discuss its validity. Conclude with advice to your friend regarding getting the recommended vaccines based on what you learned from reliable information sources. PLEASE USE THESE 3 SOURCES FROM THE SCHOOL WEBSITE LIBRARY: https://www-sciencedirect-com.ezproxy.umgc.edu/science/article/pii/S0264410X24000495?via%3Dihub https://www-sciencedirect-com.ezproxy.umgc.edu/science/article/pii/S0264410X24000562?via%3Dihub https://www-sciencedirect-com.ezproxy.umgc.edu/science/article/pii/S0264410X24000136?via%3Dihub
Contributions of Darwin
Watch the videos provided under Additional Resources to learn more about Darwin, his voyage, Wallace, and the history. If you wish to learn more, you can watch the video explaining the Wallace line.
Natural Selection and Adaptations
Having watched the videos you have now understood that adaptations and natural selection are key in the process of evolution.
Now watch this video and answer the following
1.Explain the terms adaptation and natural selection.
2.Speculate whether the Natural selection __________ (increases / decreases) the adaptation of organisms to their environment over time.
3.Determine how natural selection explains the adaptations of organisms.
4.What is Darwin’s theory of evolution?
5.What happened in the case of peppered moths and industrialization?
6.What is the mechanism that results in variation within a population?
7.How do the black mice arise in the population – are they already present within the mice population or does the new traits arise “as needed”?
8.Why did the frequencies of the light-colored and dark-colored mice not change significantly at location A but did at location B? – Explain based on the concept of ‘the selective pressure of predators’.
Darwin, the Galapagos, and the Finches
We know that Darwin visited the Galapagos Islands and one of the key observations was regarding the finches on the islands. Watch this brief video to see how Darwin realized the differences in the finches.
1.How did the finches differ from each other?
2.Describe the basis for the differences observed in the finches of the Galapagos Islands.
3.Explain how natural selection played a role in this the case of finches of the Galapagos Islands.
The Evidence for Evolution
Watch the video and discover the evidence to support the theory of evolution
1.Direct Observations of Evolutionary Change
2.Homology
3.Fossil Records
4.Biogeography
Modes and Mechanisms of Evolution
The following video explains the mechanisms of evolution – directional, disruptive, and stabilizing selection.
Understand the concept of each type of mode of directional selection. Can you predict the mode of action for natural selection if given a scenario. Below are some examples. Give reasons for your answer
1.Mostly human beings tend to be of average height- not too many really short ones or really tall ones
2.In tigers, faster is always better so a tiger population will tend to get faster over time
3.In case of giraffes, there was a selection pressure against short necks, since individuals with short necks could not reach as many leaves on which to feed. As a result, the distribution of neck length shifted to favor individuals with long necks.
4.Suppose a plant of extremely variable height is pollinated by three different pollinators, one that was attracted to short plants, another that preferred plants of medium height and a third that visited only the tallest plants. If the pollinator that preferred plants of medium height disappeared from an area, medium height plants would be selected against and the population would tend toward both short and tall, but not medium height plants.
5.If thicker-shelled oysters are more resistant to breakage than thinner-shelled oysters, crabs will be less able to prey upon them, and thicker-shelled oysters will be more likely to survive to reproduce
6.Very light-colored or very dark-colored oysters might be more frequently preyed upon by shore birds, simply because they are more obvious on the oyster bar; as a result, the intermediate hues become more common
7.Light-colored oysters are more cryptic (coloration that allows an organism to match its background and hence become less vulnerable to predation or recognition by prey) and therefore, less easy for a predator to see because they match the rock color. Dark-colored oysters blend into the shadows cast by the rocks. In this case, intermediate-colored oysters would be most heavily preyed upon by the crabs, and very light and very dark oysters would survive to reproduce.
Understand the concept of convergent evolution.
Coevolution occurs in some species. One good example of coevolution is acacia ants and acacia plants. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xm2qdxVVRm4
Speciation – How do we define species, how do they form, the speed/tempo, and barriers
Here is a video on the concept of speciation
There are different types of speciation – based on tempo and based on barriers. Watch the video and learn about the different types
Then watch this video that details the pre and post zygotic barriers
Watch this video for the rate/tempo of speciation
Work through the following topics/questions
1.What is the definition of species and population?
2.Describe the mechanisms by which speciation can occur
3.Explain why there is no gene flow in reproductive isolation. Determine why reproductive isolation is a prerequisite for speciation to occur.
4.When there is a physical barrier created by natural processes such as earthquake, what type of reproductive isolation will it lead to?
5.What are the different types of prezygotic and postzygotic reproductive isolations? Make sure you know them all. In the tests/exams there will be examples given and you will have to identify the type of reproductive isolation. List one of each here with an example.
6.Differentiate between allopatric and sympatric speciation.
7.What is the pace of evolution – fast or slow?
8.Explain the extrinsic and intrinsic reproductive isolation mechanisms.
9.Explain the term divergence. Does accumulation of genetic mutations lead to divergence?
10.Explain adaptive radiation. Determine if Darwin’s finches of Galapagos Island is an example of adaptive radiation?
Population Genetics
This video explains microevolution, macroevolution. Remember, populations evolve not species, gene pool,
You will also be practicing the Hardy Weinberg equation and problems based on it. So if you are interested, then you can watch the part 2 of population genetics described at the end of the 1st video.
1.What is a gene pool?
2.What are the sources of genetic variation in a population?
3.What is an allele frequency and a genetic frequency?
Course Project: Experiment Report
LAB SAFETY NOTES:
You will be using a sharp object to cut the stem of your plant. Please take appropriate care and caution.
Do not cut any plant stems you cannot identify to avoid allergic reactions.
Assignment Descriiption:
The course project is designed to focus on experimental design. As future scientists, this project orients you to the process of experimental design. It entails designing an experiment using the Vernier instrumentation (gas pressure sensor). The results of the experiment are to be presented in a lab report format. The information in the experiment report should match the experiment design presented earlier. You will share your experiments and results with the class in the last discussion of the class.
Instructions:
For the course project you must perform, analyze and share and the results of an experiment of your own design. You have already turned in and received feedback on your experiment design. You need to carry out your experiment as designed incorporating feedback. With the data collected you will analyze your results and draw conclusions. Your information must then be submitted as a lab report.
Directions on how to write a lab report are found below and in the attached Guidelines for Scientific Papers.
Please review the rubric to ensure you are addressing all expectations. Make sure you read through the grading rubric so that you understand all the information that is required. Your assignment will be automatically submitted to TurnItIn with your submission. Make sure you follow APA reference and citation technique.
How to Write An Experiment Report:
Experiment or lab reports are an excellent way to practice scientific writing. Scientific writing is a style of writing that places a premium on clear, concise language. You should write efficiently and without excess verbiage. This means you want to avoid using more words when fewer will do.
Researchers must pay by the page to have their work published. They want to spend as little as possible on publication, saving more money to fund the actual research. By writing as efficiently as possible they can eliminate excess verbiage and decrease the cost of publication. You will practice this style of writing in your lab reports for the course project.
Lab reports for this course project will have the following style.
Use 12 point font
The report should be written in the 3rd person. Do not use personal pronouns (I, us, we).
Example written incorrectly in 1st person: I applied 5mL of water to each plant daily.
Example written correctly in 3rd person: 5ml of water was applied to each plant daily.
Make sure to use the correct tense. If you are talking about something that has happened in the past, use past tense. Present tense can be used when referring to scientific principle such as “Meiosis involves two divisions.”
Use APA formatted references and in text citations. Direct quotations should not be used in lab reports. Any information that is not common knowledge needs to be cited. When in doubt, cite it. Failure to cite information can be plagiarism. For more information on what constitutes plagiarism go here. If you need to review APA formatting for references and citations go here and scroll down to the bottom of the page (citation examples section).
The experiment/lab report should be organized into the following sections: Title, Abstract, Introduction, Methods, Results, Discussion, Literature Cited. Details about each section are found below and in the attached Guidelines to Scientific Papers resource.
The title of the experiment/lab report should be descriiptive. It should state what you are studying and what variable was manipulated. It should be on a separate title page that includes the students name, course section and date.
The abstract is a one paragraph summary of the entire lab report. It should state the purpose of the study, what was done, what was found and what was concluded. Even though it goes at the beginning of the report, you should write this after you have completed the entire lab report.
The introduction section of the report should define the topic and explain its importance. It should share some background information related to the research that you used to help you design your experiment as well as state the research question and your hypothesis. It should be no longer than 1 page in length. MAKE SURE YOU HAVE IN TEXT CITATIONS HERE!(See Guidelines to Scientific Papers resource below for more details)
The methods section should explain how the experiment was conducted. It should not be a list or bullets but should be written in a narrative format. Include only the details that are necessary to replicate the experiment and should explain why the procedure was done. This section should be written in the past tense and should not discuss any results . You need to include a picture that includes your name, the date and your experiment set up in action in the methods section.
The results section should explain the results of the experiment without interpretation or comment. It should be used to summarize general trends. If multiple experiments were conducted each should have a separate paragraph explaining the results. Graphs and tables should be used if appropriate but not as a substitute for a written explanation. Make sure that graphs and tables have a descriiption that would allow the reader to understand the graphic even if they could not see the graphic.
Example of incorrect table/graphic descriiption: Table 1. Bacteria counts and water level for Blackwater River
Example of correct table/graphic descriiption: Table 1. Bacteria counts and water level for Blackwater River in the summer of 2015. Bacteria were sampled using 3 point cross sections along a 10 mile stretch of the Blackwater River. Samples show that as water level decrease so do bacteria counts. During higher flow levels bacteria levels increase. The results the area sampled is impaired for contact recreational use.
The discussion section is where you interpret the results. You should also discuss the results in context of the overall experiment as identified in the introduction of the report. You should tell the reader why the data looks like it does and why it is important to know. Lastly you should discuss potential modifications for the experiment. What kind of changes would you make to this experiment to further knowledge of transpiration? This is not to correct mistakes but usually every experiment ends with more questions than you start with. How would you address those questions in future research?
Rubric: The grading rubric for this assignment is attached. Make sure to review the rubric so that you have all the required components.
Submission Instructions:
1) Upload your lab report as a word document for grading. Please include your name in the title of your submission.
The lab report will be checked for originality using Turnitin. Make sure you have proper citations and references for work that is not your own!
Instructions adapted from Steingraber S., Jolls, C., Goldberg, D (1985) Guidelines for Writing Scientific Papers. Michigan State University
Make a powerpoint presentation with speaker notes on the advantages and disadvantages of telehealth during the covid 19 pandemic. Please make sure the speaker notes are added. With credible references
INSTRUCTIONS: Search the library and/or the internet to locate 3 credible information sources that you may use for this assignment. The purpose of this step is to get the research process started; you are not required to use these information sources in the final version of your assignment. Write 1-2 sentences for each information source explaining why you believe these sources are credible using what you learned from the UMGC library article. Include references to the 3 information sources in APA format: APA 7th Edition Citation Examples: General Rules. Create an outline for the writing assignment. The outline should be in a bullet list format and include the major topics that you plan to include in your assignment, with some supportive detail for each topic. It should not be a draft with full sentences and paragraphs. Here are two resources that may be helpful as you write your outline: TOPIC : VACCINES a) Vaccines. Your friend is worried about the many vaccines that his newborn son is scheduled to receive and asks you for advice since you are taking a biology course. Research and address the following questions in your paper. Briefly explain how the human immune system works. Explain how vaccines work. Contrast the traditional methods used to create vaccines with more recently used biotechnology techniques, including the COVID-19 mRNA vaccines. Explain how the mRNA vaccines work based on your knowledge of the Central Dogma of Molecular Biology. How have vaccinations impacted the frequency of these diseases over the past 100 years? Include a few specific statistics. What are some of the diseases that infants and children in the US are routinely vaccinated against? Why are some people worried about giving their children vaccines? Specifically, why do some people believe that the MMR (measles-mumps-rubella) vaccine can cause autism? Is there scientific evidence to support these concerns? Cite the original peer-reviewed scholarly research paper that started this concern and discuss its validity. Conclude with advice to your friend regarding getting the recommended vaccines based on what you learned from reliable information sources. PLEASE USE THESE 3 SOURCES FROM THE SCHOOL WEBSITE LIBRARY: https://www-sciencedirect-com.ezproxy.umgc.edu/science/article/pii/S0264410X24000495?via%3Dihub https://www-sciencedirect-com.ezproxy.umgc.edu/science/article/pii/S0264410X24000562?via%3Dihub https://www-sciencedirect-com.ezproxy.umgc.edu/science/article/pii/S0264410X24000136?via%3Dihub
INSTRUCTIONS:
Short Essay (1 Page)
Using the scientific method described in detail in your textbook, in an essay format, please describe the research study in A Drug Called Money.
This assignment requires for you:
1) to read chapter 1 of the textbook (for scientific method overview**)
2) to identify the primary source (journal where data is published) and the secondary source (magazine, newspaper, BBC, NPR, CNN, etc that describes the studies performed)
3) to not only use the process (from the chapter reading) but also require for students to think critically about the readings with the information provided in the textbook (for example, who funded the study, who is the author, where was it published, did they have enough subjects, what is the outcome, does drug called money work, and what are the implications, what are the limitations?)
4) Once finished with the essay, please cross reference the primary journal article described in the Economist article and upload as a pdf
**I have attached a PDF copy of the Drug Called Money Article for you to view**