Current Event

When Frog Gender Flips
March 24 2010
web, Science News for Kids
http://www.sciencenewsforkids.org/articles/20100324/Note2.asp

A student called Ngoc Mai Nguyen at the Californian college was doing a experiment with male frogs. One day she went to check up on these frogs and realized that some of the frogs were acting like female frogs. She went and reported this to her biologist boss Tyrone Hayes. Hayes did experiments with male frogs and found out that a chemical called atrazine(used as weed killer) affected the frogs. The atrazine affects the frogs that were born in water that atrazine was put in. Hayes did another experiment were he put 40 male frogs in to a water tank with atrazine and 4 of them started acting like females. They dissected 2 and found out they have female reproductive organs, the other two were mated with normal male frogs and both had male babies.

This relates two are study of animals and organisms in class. If this continues the frog specie can become endangered. This is a serious problem because many animals depend on frogs as food but also shelter. If frogs disappear they will disrupt many ecosystems and biomes.

I found this article on the site " Science News for Kids" and it really drew my attention because the disappearance of frogs won't be good or helpful for anybody. I enjoyed reading this article because I learned a lot from it. I think the article was written really well, and by reading it I learned that we have yet another problem.

Human Footprint Movie

This movie showed us all the materials we use and it showed us that people need to start sustaining materials. Sustainability in ecology means that civilization and human population meet there needs while preserving the environment and biodiversity. We need to start sustaining are materials, were wasting them quickly. Some materials and resources are going to last only a couple more years. An example is coal it's quickly running out and we are using it for lot's of stuff. Human footprints our the way we affect the planet. We can lessen are human footprint and preserve the world in many ways. We can take shorter showers, use environmentally friendly detergents, Use fuel efficient cars such as hybrids. I think this video was trying to show people that we are wasting to much materials per person and that we to start sustaining materials.

My Human Foot Print is 6.9 I think I should really start caring for the environment around me. We don't have 7 Earth's so I really think I should change my habits because they really have a big impact on Earth. What I leaving Behind isn't very good. This site helped me realize what I have to change and how to change it I think the biggest problem is transportation.

Whales May Round Up Squid for Dinner
March 10, 2010
web, science news for kids
http://www.sciencenewsforkids.org/articles/20100310/Note1.asp

Scientists studied the Sperm whale for quite a bit, and found out that these creatures usually herd up squid, and then eat when they desire. Scientists new that these massive creatures sometimes form communities for short periods of time, where female and young whales stay, but to them it's new that they hunt together. Sperm whales hunt and herd squid in groups of three; two of the whales circle the squid while the third swims under so none of them escape. After they let other whales eat. The whale that swims below always rotates among the three whales because it takes up a lot of the whales energy.

I think this relates to our unit,because these whales adapted to there environment and surroundings. They figured out away of hunting that functions really well for them, while the squids have no way out.

I found this article while searching for my current events. First I found another article but I liked this one much better. I enjoyed reading this article because I think the way these whales adapted is truly amazing. I agree with the scientists statement that the squid have a huge problem unless they figure out away to escape from this deathtrap.

Current Events

Fruit Flies Taste water
Stephen Omes
Web
http://www.sciencenewsforkids.org/articles/20100421/Note2.asp

If you ask a friend what water tastes like he would say nothing, but scientists did research on a type of fly, the fruit fly and determined that these flies tastes water. They can't yet explain whats the taste like but there sure it can taste water using a protein called PPK28. This protein adds taste to water. This protein they use is in a larger family of proteins one of these proteins humans use to taste salt. Scientist did an experiment to prove this they had to groups of fruit flies a normal one and one were the flies taste cells were disabled. Then They added a chemical to both groups of flies, the chemical started glowing when the protein PPK28 was in use. They let both groups toward water the normal fruit flies started glowing immediately and drank. While the other ones didn't even want to try the water.

In class we are studying survival of animals and organisms. In a way this protein ensures the survival of fruit flies. It supplies the with a food source. In the experiment scientists conducted the fruit flies with disabled taste cells didn't drink the water and the ones with the cells did. Which means protein helps them survive, because the flies can taste the water it supplies them with nutrients. The only thing the flies have to do is find a clean water source. And there's ample of nutrients for them.

I found this article while browsing the Science News for Kids website. And I chose it because this was weird but amazing. This discovery doesn't really help us solve any problems we face but scientist are trying to find a way to transfer this protein into humans. I while reading this article i thought I weird that such small creatures developed something amazing. I enjoyed reading this article because it was amazing but also made me think how water would taste.

Animals Without Oxygen, Underwater
Stephen Ornes
Web
http://www.sciencenewsforkids.org/articles/20100428/Note2.asp

Scientists found a multicellular specie of animals the size of a grain that do not need oxygen to live.
These amazing creatures were found in the Mediterranean sea in the L’Atalante Basin were it's so salty theirs no oxygen. This is really amazing because this is the first multicellular animal that can breath without oxygen.At first scientist believed these were just dead animals. Because this is not normal seawater it does not contain oxygen. After scientists studied these animals they still can find out why they don't need oxygen.

This relates are unit about organisms and there surroundings. This specie clearly made an adaption to suit the water there living, they changed to be able to survive in a specific surrounding and habitat.

I found this article when searching for a current event. I enjoyed reading this article because I never imagined that there were animal that can live without oxygen. I chose this article because i related to the unit we are studying in class. These small animals are the first multicellular creature that can actually live without oxygen this is what truly amazed me.

Current Events 3

Afraid of Its Own Fishy Reflection
Stephen Ornes
Web
http://www.sciencenewsforkids.org/articles/20100526/Note2.asp

Male Chichlids are a type of freshwater fish, that go to after fish who dare to cross there path. When some chichlids see there one reflection in a mirror aggressively. Although these situations look the same, there brain reacts differently. When scientists looked at the fish's hormones they didn't see a difference but when they looked at the brain there was a difference. When they looked at the fish's brain while looking in it's reflection they saw it was active in a place similar to amygdala. In a humans brain this is where you associate with fear.

This is affecting scientific knowledge, we are learning that some animals don't even know how there reflection looks like. The limitations in this article is that you can't see how fish actually react when they see there reflection. I had a question how don't they know there own reflection.

When I was searching for an article, the title of this article sounded strange but interesting at the same time. My attention was grabbed when I read how fish react to there own reflection. I learned that some animals react differently to there reflections. I believe this is reliable because it was tested out more then one time. I felt amazed that fish act so aggressively when they see there reflection.