Links: Cell Bio & Aquatic Life
The links on cell biology were great. Love the graphics (much better than the textbooks of yore) and oh-so-much information. I thought the virus description really helped me understand the nature of 'living' organisms, which we are discussing in Physics. Viruses are not 'living' because although they reproduce quite readily, it is only possible to do so using components of the host cells. Nasty non-autopoietic parasites.
Ok, the aquatic life is beautiful and creepy (sacred geometry in those labrynthine shapes.) I wish there was a little more info on which types of waters the organisms would be found. As an avid swimmer, it's funny to think that if I carried a microscope around and took a sample before I took a dip, I'd probably never get in the water! I'm sure Lake Anza has a few of those critters. (but I'm not going to think about it...)

Diversity of Species
In my home, we have 2 adults (one male, one female, both 34 years old) and a male child, age 3. There's a bird (greyish brown) that just flew in the living room, eating seeds off the carpet that must have trailed in on the bottoms of our feet after we put food out yesterday. In years past, our dog would have chased after the bird, but we lost our beloved Chico (a pit/elkhound mix) last year. We're missing the animal companionship, but we're waiting to get a place with a yard (in a couple of months, hopefully!) and, besides, we get our 'fix' when friends visit with their dogs. Hubby won't allow a cat until we're in a house, either. (Our place is too small for a litter box!) We have a sliding glass door that leads to a balcony and courtyard with pool. I love the big trees and plants in the courtyard, most notably the thick palm that reaches across a few of our windows. I've got some houseplants (pineapple, bouganvillea, ivys) on the balcony and I plan to get some window boxes of herbs & veggies. (hmm, gonna get on that SOON)
I just visited a friend's house that is filled with orchids, so mine seems so plain right now! (except for all of the instruments which certainly come to life in the right hands!) :)

SF Recycling & Disposal

This was a fantastic field trip for kids and adults of all ages. Eye-opening and informative- and certainly having an artist-in-residence at the facility is one of a kind! (Paul is having a carnival-themed art showcase on May 23rd & 24th!) The powerpoint presentation at the beginning of the tour gave interesting facts. SF pays $8m a month (correct me if my memory disserves me) to have its waste sent to the Altamont Landfill in Livermore. Big 'pot-belly' trucks make a hundred trips a day! I was just driving alongside one yesterday, going over the Bay Bridge to the airport. Then I passed the facility and saw all of the sea gulls. I'll never look at those sea gulls the same! Sure, I used to associate the birds I've seen there for years with the bay, but now I know the ones I see in the water are just taking a break- their gullets full of trash! These birds (in obscene numbers) voraciously rummage through the garbage. Really a sight to be seen and smelled. (not with a hangover, I advise) At first I thought it harmless that the birds retrieve foodstuff from the garbage, but the truth is that they often eat small bits of styrofoam, obviously unhealthy. The woman heading the tour (and the artist program,) Diane, said they were trying to prevent the birds from accumulating- but it's hard to see how that would be possible! The most surprising part of the tour was the gorgeous sculpture garden- a miracle in the middle of the dump. Just steps away from the stenchy, sea gull free-for-all, up on the hill, is a garden filled with beautiful landscaping and art made from recycled waste by the residential artists. Really a pleasure. You could have a picnic there and easily forget about the trash just yards away! I'm so happy they created such a peaceful sanctuary. SF Solid Waste Transfer and Recycling Center is a model for all dumps. I mean, 'transfer stations.'
I was curious how the facilities in the East Bay would compare. Alameda County has a wonderful website http://www.stopwaste.org/ and they have goals similar to SF- to reduce waste going to the landfills by 75% by 2010. The Davis Street Transfer station in San Leandro is having an early Earth Day celebration filled with fun and education on April 12 from 10a-2p. (not sure if they have an art program, but their education center was constructed using green building methods- yay!)
Check it out on the website- see you there! :)

Definitions:
Biochemistry is the chemistry of life.
This is my favorite because it is succinct, yet all-encompassing. The other defs have may contain a little more useful information, but I think this one is poetic. ("Biochemistry is poetry?"-hmm...)

Animations:
Yes, poetry in motion! I viewed the animations of carbon- graphite, diamond, buckyball. It was helpful to see them from a variety of angles. Diamond really has an interesting configuration of staggered hexagons.. I'm looking at one of my son's toys right now- it's a buckyball! :)
The catalyst animation was pretty cool to see how molecules 'hook up' on the sticky surface.
After pondering gene therapy, I had to check out some of the bio animations. The protein synthesis one was entertaining. I think I was able to discern what the flying pink clovers and fortune cookies were suppose to be. (labels are for rookies, huh?)

Gene Therapy

I think there are amazing possibilities for gene therapy, but we must navigate this unchartered territory with caution. Mapping the genetic codes of deadly, parasitic microbes in developing countries has shown promise for effective drugs and vaccines that can specifically target these microbes. I am comfortable using genetic coding for this purpose, although ethical considerations would still include how the drugs are created, tested, to whom the drugs become available, environmental impact, etc. I get a little more uncomfortable when talk turns to altering or determining a person's genome. As geneticists get more adept at tinkering with those strands of lettered proteins of which we are comprised, we'll have more choices about what to do with our genome, and that of our offspring. I personally want to leave that up to Nature. I have no desire to rid or enhance my genetic predispositions from the inside out. I'd rather influence the expression of my genes in a more holistic manner. (environment, diet, meditation) When and if cutting and pasting of the genome becomes commonplace, it will be a strange time indeed. Ethical considerations here will include definitions of disability, which patients are primary candidiates, and who pays the bill. (And to what extent do we allow eugenics??)

Yay! I won at Brain Boggle Chembalancer!
- a great site to hone your skills. Fun, and cool the way they give you chem diagrams, and then take them away when you've proven yourself. :)


The tutorial was alright, but it was a little rote having to list every atom. This would be a good method if you were having a hard time keeping track of all the reactants and products. (understandable in the long equations!)