Leah's Seed Story

Cameron Myers

Biology, Period 4

Mr Bursch

13 December 2012

                         She has learned about photosynthesis. For example, when plants have photosynthesis it gives people oxygen. She enjoyed watching our tiny seeds grow into bigger healthier plants (even though they died recently). Her most amazed event occurred when the seeds germinated off of Arizona Green Tea. It also grossed her out seeing all of the mold on the bag(which looked similar to a pizza). She cannot wait what the fantastic garden will look like later in the year.

Francisca's Seed Story

By Leah Poapst

Francisca Fazzio states that she has learned much about the process of how plants grow. In addition, she has also learned the effects that can make a plant die, and how to make them healthier. During some of the experiments, she was surprised when the plant prospered despite the mold, and how a plant can still grow after Arizona Green Tea has been poured into its soil. She told me that she enjoyed watching the plants grow each day, watering them and had a blast just being outside. Although when watering the plants, some insects grossed her out. The process of photosynthesis made Francisca think again how not only does the process effect plants, but life. She told me that if it weren't for the plants, life would not be as we know it. Francisca has enjoyed her first semester participating in The Story of The Seed project, and working in a team. She is excited for the following semester, and to keep observing her plants grow.

Louis Pellitier Seed Story

Shannon Hanley

Mr. Bursch

Honors Biology Period 4

13 December 2012



                        Louis learned that plants grow best with sugar water. He was surprised when he saw

how well the plant grew with Arizona green tea. He claims that nothing made him laugh however he

 had a wonderful experience growing these plants. The mold in the bag with the Arizona green tea

grossed him out the most. Nothing made him pause and take a double take.

How Does Your Garden Grow(ours died though)

   Our cauliflower have been growing and reproducing ever since first being watered at our lab stations. Our plant cells are perennially going through mitosis and producing more and even more cells. Photosynthesis and respiration gave our plant the necessary energy and sugar to flourishing cauliflower. It turned carbon dioxide and water into glucose and oxygen helping it prosper. 

The enzymes made in the plant nucleus recieve a signal to release the needed gene for transcription. The DNA is then placed into a mRNA or RNA strand so the mRNA can enter the cytoplasm and approach the ribosomes. The ribosomes then translates nucleotides into amino acids and the amino acids then form into the specific codon arrangement. The polypeptide chain will then be folded to its smallest form so the enzyme is ready to work in the plant. This happens around the clock, minute after minute, so the plant can strive and produce us with an edible outcome, cauliflower.

Leah Poapst's Seed Story

Leah affirms that she has learned how much plants and humans help each other out. For example, photosynthesis could not occur as efficiently without both us humans and plants exchanging gasses. We provide it with necessary carbon dioxide and then the plant trades our CO2 with the oxygen that we vitally need. Leah enjoyed watching seedlings grow into harvestable plants and recognized how quickly that happened. Watching our Arizona-fed plant grow miraculously despite mold issues, grossed her out and made her do a double take. Overall she can't wait to see what they will look like next semester and what more we do with them.

Garden Photos

How Does Your Garden Grow?

Leah Poapst

1.  Our plant grows larger due to mitosis, photosynthesis and respiration. During mitosis plants rely on cell division to grow larger by adding new cells. Plants grow and receive food from the two processes of photosynthesis and respiration. Photosynthesis is the primary source of energy for plants, it uses energy from the sun and by consuming carbon dioxide it produces carbohydrates and releases oxygen. This process makes food in order for a plant to grow.

2.  The signal to the nucleus would probably make the plant absorb more sunlight to create these proteins.

Give Your Food Some Gratitude

Dear Orange,
               I am writing this to thank you for all you have done for me. You give me Vitamin C to make my bones and eyesight better. Without you I don't know what I would do. I am grateful for your great taste and your looks. You give me something to eat when I am hungry. You make me healthy and happy.I am very thankful for you
                                                                                    Sincerely Cameron Myers

Give Your Food some Graditude

Hanley 1

Shannon Hanley

Mr. Bursch

Honors Biology

21 November 2012

Give your food some gratitude

Dear Turkey,

It has only been a year but has felt like an eternity. I look forward to eating the sumptuous dinner that only comes once a year. You bring so much happiness to my family and I with your luscious and mouth watering taste. Every year I can't get enough of your delicious goodness that I become quickly filled and cannot move. You offer me so much. Your protein helps build and maintain my bones, muscles, and skin and provides the amino acids that my body cannot produce for its own. Thank you for your carbohydrates that help provide energy especially for my brain and nervous system. The Iron you give to my body so generously aids me in making hemoglobin and myoglobin, otherwise I would not receive oxygen in my blood and muscles. The unsaturated fats that you contain helps to keep my EDL cholesterol down. The zinc I consume assists in body's development and healing as well as my sense of taste and smell which are very important for a Thanksgiving meal. One of the most important vitamins you provide is vitamin C which helps to protect me against free radicals. Thank you so much for everything you give each year. Until next Thanksgiving, I will be waiting.

                                                           Sincerely,

                                                                 Shannon

 

Food Gratitude (Pumpkin Pie) Letter

Dear Pumpkin Pie,

  What would a Thanksgiving dinner be without you? You provide an extreme amount of Folate, Protein, and Vitamin A. I couldn't help but notice your spectacular daily values of Vitamin K, Iron, Vitamin C, Pantothenic Acid, and Riboflavin.You fill me with amazing percentages of Potassium and Carbohydrates as well. The Folate you contain maintains my cells and protects me from heart disease, deppression, and even cancer! Your Protein helps me build muscles, promotes brain function, cell regeneration, healthier skin and hair and you even increase my immune function. Now your Vitamin A treats my vision, aiding in cell differentiation, boosting my immune system, and helping with reproduction and growth of my body. The Vitamin K you have helps my body not bruise and/or bleed excessively, you also complete some absorption of calcium. With the Iron you contain makes transportation of oxygen, energy production, fighting against infections and production of vital hormones seem easy. Now moving on to the incredible values of Vitmin C you contain, formation and maintenance of connective tissue, amino acid metabolism and protection from chemicals becomes a daily task. I had never understood how vital Pantothenic Acid was to my energy production.  Because of your Riboflavin I can have fuel for growth, combat free radicals, prevent chronic disease, and aid production of red blood cells. The Potassium you hold powers that decrease blood pressure and you are involved in nerve function and muscle control. Finally I'm mesmerized by the value of your carbohydrates for they regulate the amount of sugar in my blood, provide nutrients for the healthy bacteria digesting food, assist in absorption of calcium, and lower cholesterol levels.

                        Sincerely,
                 Francisca Fazzio

Eggs by Louis Pelletier

Dear Eggs,

          I thank you for the nice amount of protien you give me. I eat you every day I have a test,

because you bost my brain power. Except for meats you have the most amout of protien for amount

 of food. You also provide a good source of potasium, calcium, and folate for A good digestive

system, strong bones, and to help maintain new cells respectively. You also go great with cheese,

bacon, and potatoes.

Thank you,

Louis Pelletier

Shannon's Bio

Shannon Hanley 

Mr. Bursch

Honors Biology Period 4

21 November 2012

All  About Shannon

Hello my name is Shannon Hanley. I live in San Jose, California, and have lived here my whole life. I

enjoy spending time with my Friends and Family. I am the youngest in my family. My mom’s name is

Serrina and she works very hard. My dad’s name is David and he sacrifices a lot for my family. Last 

but not least is my sister who is 19 and currently attending San Jose City College. Some activities I

enjoy are arts and crafts, playing sports, and hanging out with my friends. My favorite subjects in

school are History and Science. I enjoy coming to school most of the time.

Food Gratitude Letter- Leah Poapst

Leah Poapst

Period 4

Dear Potatoes,

I am very fortunate to have you in my life. I’d like to thank-you for stuffing my stomach during most of my meals in the holidays. Now that I have taken the time to realize everything you have provided me with, I appreciate you so much more. Not only are you so tasty when you are cooked, but you are a very “hot” potato. Thanks to you, you have provided me with many vitamins, proteins and minerals, which is very crucial for our bodies. Without your Vitamins A, B-6, and C, my life would not be the same. For example, Vitamin A has helped me produce white blood cells and fosters the healthy growth of cells in my body, and Vitamin C has strengthened my teeth and bones. I could go on & on, about the benefits of eating you, but I just wanted tell you how much I appreciate your help. I will continue buying you in the supermarket, don’t worry, I won’t forget about you. Thanks again for everything.

Sincerely,

Leah Poapst

Do People have the right to know what is in their food?

Shannon Hanley
Mr. Bursch
Honors Biology Period 4
20 November 2012

                                 Do people have the right to know what is in their food?

Beginning in 1996 viral, bacteria, and other genes have been inserted into the DNA of soy, corn, cottonseed, and canola plants artificially(organicconsumers.org). Many people do not know what they are really eating, or what the ingredients in their food are. Countless Americans do not know that most foods that are bad for them are really genetically engineered foods. However the government does not have to mention all the ingredients or whether it is Genetically Modified Organisms (GMO’s). “ 92% of Americans want the FDA to label GMO’s foods” and other ingredients (justlabelit.org). People should have the right to know what is in their food because people can be allergic to ingredients inside the foods, and people can get certain diseases.

People could be allergic to ingredients inside the genetically modified foods. It is proven that GM crops cause allergic reactions, but there is currently no way to test new crops (organicconsumers.org). This could be very dangerous to consumers. “In the last twenty years, there has been an epidemic increase in allergies, asthma, autoimmune disorders, ADHD, and autism” (hubpages.com). “Today it is estimated that 20% of American children have allergies, and that there has been a 400% increase in food allergies” (hubpages.com). Studies have shown that there are higher rates of allergies because of GMO’s.

There is a possibility that people can get certain diseases from eating genetically modified foods. Between 1995 and 2005 47,976 men and 23,276 women died from eating GMO foods (naturalnews.com). “GMO grains possess two substances that distort your body’s ability to process the amino acids proline and glutamine” (infowars.com). One common disease caused by GMOs is celiac disease. Gluten intolerance, commonly referred to as celiac disease, inhibits the body’s ability to break down fat in the digestive system (infowars.com). Another serious disease caused by GMOs is cancer.

Although many people may think that they should know what is in their food,we are told to trust our government to make the right decisions. We are told that the studies suggesting that GMOs may be linked to health problems may not be valid or accurate. Even the campaigns to add warning labels to products containing GMOs are criticized by those who say that such labels will frighten consumers unnecessarily. But until more is known about these genetically modified foods, we should alert consumers to the risks. We trust our government to guarantee that nothing dangerous is put on the market, and we must make sure that the lure of a profit does not cause corporations to place money before human life.

The progress of genetically modified foods is frightening when the various health issues are considered. “The land used from cultivating GMOs has increased from 4.2 million acres to 395 million acres” (infowars.com). Clearly GMOs are becoming more common, so it is very important that testing continue until we are sure we know everything about the risks of eating genetically modified foods.

Why the animals we eat should have a right to a quality way of life

Food poisoning has been a relatively small problem in the early years, but in the past fifty years it has become a big issue. This is because the food we eat now has more of this bacteria, than food fifty years ago. The way we grow animals now is much more unsanitary and in return we get these sicknesses that animals didn’t usually have.    Animals should have a right to quality of life because diseases develop if you have a bad quality of life. For instance, the quality of feed the animals has changed. We used to feed animals grass and hay, the things those animals digestive tracks are built for. Now its high starch corn feed. Cows are not designed to eat corn at all, there digestive track was build around processing grass. Grass is carbohydrates and a little bit of protein as well as fibre, and lignin, and silica. Corn is all starchy carbohydrates and the cows stomach does not agree with it.  Also, The quality of living has changed. The cows of fifty years ago were all free range cows, which means they were very large plots of land an very few cows so crowding and manure control was very small and easy. The cows ate grass and dropped manure which gave grass nutrients to regrow. Now the same number of cows on the large plots would be forced in an area a fourth of the size. Also, these small plots get filled with more manure because there is no grass to absorb the nutrient. In return the cows walk around in their own manure creating diseased meat. So, when the consumer, us, eat this meat we end up with the disease that cow had. Some disagree that the old ways don’t produce enough to feed our growing population. However, would you as the consumer want meat that has bacteria and other bad germs that could potentially kill you. If we got rid of the plots the major companies use now and replaced them with grassy planes were about the same amount of cows roamed free, there would be less bacteria in our food and in return less sick people. In the end it’s common sense to give the animals we eat better food and living areas. Animals are living things. How would we feel if we were forced to eat food that made us sick and lived in our own feces. 

Food, Inc.: The Veil

We watched Food Inc. which examines farming in the United States (U.S.) concluding that agribusiness’s produce food that is unhealthy, in a way that is environmentally harmful and abusive of both animals and employees. A question that strikes most interesting to viewers is if companies should be able to have the power to decide what information to release to consumers on foods they produce. Here, these paragraphs will examine both sides of the situation, and create a conclusion on the topic.

To start off with, the pros of companies being able to decide what information about their products to give consumers. Companies can earn more money by disclosing unhealthy or repellant elements added. They may not want to subside to all the health reforms and since they are not obliged to, they will not. Also, customers can not assume responsibility to that company if they are dissatisfied with the product. They can hold the consumer accountable since the company did not go out of their way to make the buyer pay for the item. Companies also have battled that they have right to the fifth amendment and should be considered a “person”. They then have the right to seal any information away without question.

Now on to the cons of this situation, if companies can choose to list information about their items or not, they can hide unheathly additives without anyone knowing. Buyers may have certain restrictions in their diet and those ingredients could be chosen not to be on the label. Another example is if a diabetic can not see the exact amounts of sodium, carbohydrate, and calories that may increase their risk of high cholesterol, high blood pressure, heart disease, uncontrolled blood glucose, and weight gain. To counter the fifth amendment right, many spectators could not visualize a company having the same rights as people since they are not a person. If so, then people should then have the right to get warrants to interagate certain proceedures that company preforms. Much like police who can get warrants to inspect homes and question persons of intrest. Nutrition is essential and with these current laws, we are no where near close to the honesty in ingredients of this industy we should have.

To make my decision more clear, companies should not have the right to declare whether or not to give consumers a complete label because the cons of this topic greatly outweigh the pros. Companies should put the customer before their income therefore creating a better “fan” base. Everyday consumers respect companies that do not hide vital factors added without labeling them. Customers should not have to worry whether a company is secretly hiding ingredients inside the food. Citizens should have the ability to reveal their opinion on the product, just like the first amendment states that “Congress shall make no law abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press” which they violate(freedomforum.org). Soon enough, these companies may push to have more food nutrition violation rights, but there may be no option to stop them.

In conclusion, companies should be required to reveal additives with no excuses. People should have the power to know details on any item a company produces. Modern day life is dependent on information, which is currently based on false advertisement. As consumers, we must have the right to know what is in these items we buy and to go even further we should have the ability to aquire the background information on any product as well. We are supposed to be able to debate freely without the government getting involved, much less suing the speachmaker.

Leah Poapst Food Inc.Essay

Leah Poapst
Period 4

Food Inc. Essay

Should access to healthy food be a right for everyone? The answer is yes. Healthy food is crucial for every individual person. The key of being healthy is eating properly and having a balanced diet. We need food because it gives us energy, healthy food should be our basic food requirement. Junk food, on the other hand, has a lot of diseases attached to it, such as heart and liver diseases, and diabetes. Therefore, to be on the safer side and to live a longer life, people need to eat better.

Access to adequate food is important for the right to adequate food. Accessed food must be adequate in terms of quality and quantity, and has been defined in terms of intake of nutrients, calories and proteins. Hunger and malnutrition are the consequences of lacking access to food. People in poverty are unable to buy healthy food, due to its high prices, therefore they buy cheap fast food. This has caused an increase in obesity because fast food is much more cheaper and accessible than healthy and nutritious food. By reducing the costs of healthy food or donating it to poor people, their will be less limits and an easier access of eating healthier and can also prevent starvation.

The opposite of starvation is food addiction, one reason why food shouldn’t be so accessible to everyone. Out of the worlds population, 300 million, 300,000 people die of obesity in a year, that includes deaths of other diseases caused by obesity. In addition, people have divided foods into good and bad, we begin to think that if a little of something is good for us, then a lot of it must be great, but that is a false argument. Too much of anything is bad, amounts are what matter.

In conclusion, government should ensure access to healthy food, but people also have a responsibility to eat well instead of junk food. The right to food is necessary for a dignified life and is vital for the realization of many other rights, such as the right to health. Food is important not just for physiological survival, but also for the full development of one’s physical and mental capabilities.

Cell Analogy Project

Sorry if you have to refresh the page and wait a few minutes! Our(Gabbie and I) comparison is that The cell is like a farm! We hope you enjoy!

Poapst Leah Cell Biology Project

https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/19HUinAeb1N51cLNpx3UILPrdLk1N75k5euCuanrkuAg/edit

Enzymes Article

Leah Poapst

1.  I have learnt that the following groups are three major classifications of enzymes: metabolic enzymes, digestive enzymes, and food enzymes. Now I also know that enzymes help maintain the immune system and much more. In addition, by reading this article I have learned that the enzyme cannot function without a molecule of a trace mineral (such as copper, iron or zinc).

2.  I would change my eating habits, for the most part I do eat healthy but sometimes I don't. I'd also try not to eat so much cooked food, which would help not to strain my pancreas.

Enzymes Article

1. I learned that enzmyes were first recognised in the 1930's and there was over 80 recognized. Also all enzymes deactivate or shut down at 118 degrees farenheit in water and 150 degrees farenhiet in a dry area. Enzymes also help maintaine the immune system.

2. I probably won't because I allready eat well and don't do anything different.

Enzymes article

Francisca Fazzio

1. I found out that over 5,000 enzymes have been discovered since 1930, enzymes fall into 3 categories; metabolic, digestive, and food enzymes, and finally, they can only function in presice settings.
2. No, I already eat healthy and understand these processes.(I'm going to major in food nutrition and I want to be a personal trainer)

Enzymes Article

Shannon Hanley

Mr. Bursch

Honors Biology Period 4

26 September 2012

              Enzymes Article 

1. By reading this article I learned that if humans and animals have a diet of largely cooked foods their 

organs and glands will shrink compared to their Pancreas organs which will increase in size.

2. I also learned that many enzymes are included in raw foods, which in many cultures are eat as is and 

not cooked.

Autobiography Leah Poapst

I’m Leah Poapst, I was born in Alberta, Canada. My father is also Canadian and my mother is Mexican. These last two years I was living in Aguascalientes, Mexico to learn more about its people, language, history, and culture. As a result, I became fluent in speaking, reading, and writing in Spanish. Now I currently live in San Jose, California and I am attending at Willow Glen High School.

During most of my summer vacations, my sister and I would go visit our grandma and grandpa. My aunt, who lived next door to them, grew a large garden in her backyard. Therefore, we had to help her water it and pick weeds etc. She was growing a variety of vegetables and fruit, such as tomatoes, carrots, strawberries, green beans, peas, along with many others. It was quite a lot of hard work, especially with so many crops to take care of. Thanks to the knowledge of both my grandma and aunt about horticulture, we successfully grew all of the vegetables and fruit.

Louis Pelletiers Bio

Autobiography Louis Pelletier

           Hi my name is Louis Pelletier. I am 13 years old at Willow Glen High school. I have family in Idaho France and south California. Most of my family comes from Germany.            Some of my favorite pastimes include biking, snowboarding, and video games. I liked this experiment because it had a lot of different components to deal with. For instance I was the blog manager so i got to use the computer for a useful thing. 

Autobiography Cameron Myers

My name is Cameron Myers. I lived in California my whole life and I live in Willow Glen right now. I have grown plants before. I grew pumpkins and watermelons. Growing them was a challenge because we had to constantly check if they are growing correctly. A person who would know a lot about gardening is my mom. She grows a lot of things in the house, mostly flowers. And monkey juice that stuff is amazing

Autobiography!

   Hello, my name is Francisca Christina Fazzio. I have always lived in San Jose, California but my relatives are from Sweden, Italy, and Ireland. I frequently visit Sweden and hope I eventually can live there. 
    
    I have grown tomatoes, pumpkin, and also mint. My mom and step-brother assisted me until I was 11 where I continued on my own. It was a fun experience trying to realize how much water, sunlight, and support each plant needed. It is always rewarding to eat the food you grow. Even though I don't like mint, it's very fun to grow because of the maintenance needed.  
    
     My mom knows a lot about gardening, my dad knows a lot about cooking, and my step-brother actually spent some time farming with his dad. Hopefully I learn as much as they do so I have that necessary knowledge.



    

These were some of the pictures taken from the 3rd day of watering the little seedlings. As you can tell the control and sugar show growth while the Arizona and salt do not look very green.

The Story of the Seed

Louis Pelletier

Introduction

We wanted to test the growth rates of cauliflower seeds with four different liquids. The control group was water. We also tested with a salt solution, a sugar solution, and diet Arizona green tea. 

Purpose

The purpose of this experiment was to test our knowledge of doing a full scientific experiment. This means we used the scientific method. 

Hypothesis

I thought that the plants would grow the best with the sugar solution because the sugar is a type of carbohydrate. Carbohydrates are used for quick energy so it might make the plant grow faster.

Materials

-Cauliflower seeds

-Plastic sandwich bags(4)

-Paper towels

-Water, sugar, salt

-Diet Arizona green tea

-Plastic spoon

-Potting cups(8)

-Potting dirt

-Graduated cylinder

-Stirring stick

Procedure

1. Take the 4 paper towels and put 6 seeds on each paper towel 
2. Fold the paper towels in Fourths and put one in each sandwich bag
3. For each bag (or cup) pour in one of the mixtures

1. Water mixture: 20ml of water
2. Salt mixture: 20ml of water then a small spoonful (plastic spoon) of salt
3. Sugar mixture: 20ml of water then small spoonful of sugar
4. Arizona: 20ml of Arizona green tea

1. Repeat step 3 once a day for 3 to 4 days or until seeds have sprouted and have developed roots
2. after the seeds have sprouted carefully rip the paper towel around the sprouts so you don’t rip the roots of the seed
3. transfer the seeds (about 3 per cup) to the potting cups with dirt and repeat step 3 until fully grown\

Observations

-Day 1: The seeds in the bags marked water and sugar started to develop roots and small sprouts. Arizona had mold and salt had nothing developed.

-Day 2: Water and sugar have roots and sprouts. Arizona surprisingly formed spouts. We all thought that one would fail. Salt still nothing

-Day 3: Water, Sugar, and Arizona have all sprouted but salt is still not growing. We will transfer the seeds tomorrow

-Day 4: Transferred from bags to potting cups. Sugar is growing the best and water and Arizona are about the same. Salt as usually isn’t growing

-Day 5: Sugar is tallest, next is water, then Arizona. We think salt just kills the plant.

-Day 6: Same as Day 5

-Day 7-10: Same

Data Analysis

-The sugar solution grew the most at around 7 cm.

-The control group or water grew around 5.5 cm.

-The Arizona grew around 4.2 cm surprisingly.

-The salt solution killed the plant.

The reason some of the bars don’t start at zero is because they were already tall when we planted them.

Discussion 

It turns out my hypothesis was right. The sugar made the plant grow faster by supplying the plant with energy to grow. The Arizona was diet so it had no sugar but it still made it grow. Salt killed the plant. The water did what it was suppose to do. The Sugar solution also made the plant grow at a really flat rate of about 1.4 cm every day in the cups. 

So far the sugar water is 1st the control group (water) is 2nd the Arizona Green Tea is 3rd and the salt is just plain dead.

Cauliflower seeds are small

-_-cauliflower seeds-_-

The Cauliflower seed is very small. This is a test post