This week in Practice and Reinforce” the focus was on succession, so the forum this week will focus on species interactions. You saw just a few examples of adaptations that plants and animals have developed to protect themselves from predators. Your task for this forum is to seek out your own example of an adaptation that benefits a species of your choosing and present it to your classmates. This could be any type of animal with any adaptation covered in the lecture and reading materials: Mimicry, chemical defense, camouflage, warning coloration (just to name a few).

Research your chosen animal and create a new discussion post, addressing the following aspects:

Use the name of your chosen animal as the post title.

Points will be deducted for duplicate entries (unless the time stamps on both posts are very close together, suggesting they were being written at the same time).

Present your animal and your adaptation.

Discuss native habitat, other species the animal typically interacts with including predators and competitors.

Think about community interactions and co-evolution as you explore your chosen species.

Discuss how the animal’s adaptation helps them survive, as well as how its predators/competitors have evolved in response to this adaptation.

Include a picture to in your post.

(or at the very least a link to a site that has an image).

To receive full credit, you must:

• Write in complete sentences that are thoughtful, well written, and free of typos.
• Address all parts of the forum topic.
• Use vocabulary presented in the learning materials appropriately.

orum Grading and Feedback

All forums will be graded using the following criteria. You must create one discussion and reply to at least one other post by 8 pm on Saturday to receive any points.

Criteria

0 Points

1 Point

1.5 Points

2 Point

Total Possible Points

Initial Discussion

Posts information that is off-topic, incorrect, or irrelevant to forum topic

OR

 there is evidence of plagiarism

OR

did not post by the deadline.

Posts adequate information with superficial thought and preparation; doesn’t address all aspects of the forum topic.

Posts well developed information that addresses all aspects of the assignment; lacks full development of concepts.

Posts well developed information that fully addresses and develops all aspects of the forum topic.

2

Criteria

0 Points

0.5 Points

0.75 Points

1 Point

Total Possible Points

Vocabulary and Concept Integration

Does not attempt to integrate appropriate vocabulary and concepts presented in the learning materials

OR

there is evidence of plagiarism

OR

Did not post by the deadline.

Attempts to integrates appropriate vocabulary and concepts presented in learning materials, but does not include personal experiences, additional references and images when appropriate

AND

demonstrates a misunderstanding of concepts.

Integrates appropriate vocabulary and concepts presented in learning materials, but does not include personal experiences, additional references and images when appropriate

OR

demonstrates a misunderstanding of concepts.

Integrates appropriate vocabulary and concepts presented in learning materials, includes personal experiences, additional references and images when appropriate.

1

Follow-Up Postings

Posts no follow-up responses to others.

Posts shallow contribution to discussion (e.g., agrees or disagrees); does not enrich discussion.

Elaborates on an existing posting with further comment or observation.

Demonstrates analysis of others’ posts; extends meaningful discussion by building on thoughts provided by others.

1

Uniqueness of Discussion Topic

(When Applicable)

Topic selected is identical to a discussion posted earlier in the forum.

Topic selected is very similar to a discussion posted earlier in the forum. (i.e. you post about Bengal tigers when someone else already posted about Siberian tigers)

N/A

Topic selected is unique to other classmates
OR
time stamp of posting is within 1 hour of another post on the same topic.

1

Maximum Score

4 – 5

An example of how the discussion should look like

rctic wolves have many adaptations for living in the cold. One of them is size. The bigger the wolf are, the more warmth. Arctic wolves have two layers of fur. The outer one is thicker and conserves heat while the inner one is a waterproof layer, sort of like a scuba diving suit. That way they can survive snow and the cold, while the thickness and the ability to conserve warmth decrease during summer. Arctic wolves have smaller ears than other wolves since that also helps them conserve heat. The paws on a wolf are padded with fat to give them a grip on snow and ice and also to protect them from the cold ground. Arctic wolves must travel over large distances to hunt their main prey, musk ox and caribou (or reindeer). They will prey on smaller animals, such as arctic hares, arctic foxes, lemmings, and waterfowl. Sometimes, they will scavenge the leftover prey of a polar bear. Arctic wolves are carnivorous, and since there is such little plant life in the arctic anyway, they only eat meat.

 

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Discuss three (3) types of energy sources used by cells then provide two (2) examples of when / in what cells / situations your chosen energy sources are used. Next describe two (2) forms of transport within the cell and the specific energy source used in each form of transport 

 

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Choose one of the following topics and write a 400-500 word essay. You must cite at least 2 primary sources. Follow the proper citation format

 (Links to an external site.)

Links to an external site.

 for articles and or websites

 (Links to an external site.)

Links to an external site.

. You must use direct (primary) sources of information (i.e., not Wikipedia or news articles). The essay must have the following sections: accurate title, 3-sentence abstract, introductory paragraph, 2-3 body paragraphs, conclusion, references. The entire essay should be less than 525 words; that includes everything. You will get a point deducted for going over the word limit, and 1 point each for missing any of the required sections listed above.

For all topics, you must write at least 1 paragraph that is 100% your own personal insight. 

1. Genetic engineering and medicine

Choose one disease that has been cured by genetic engineering.

Briefly describe the disease; evaluate the cure.

2. Therapeutic cloning

Describe a disease that is caused by a malfunctioning gene and can be cured by gene therapy.

3. Genetic engineering and agriculture

Find an engineered agricultural crop or livestock.

Discuss the pro’s and con’s and any ethical concerns.

4. Reproductive cloning and conservation of endangered species

Find examples and discuss concerns.

5. Stem cell therapy

Find a disease that has been cured by this therapy.

What are some of the issues around stem cell therapy?

Please remember to use your own words and check for spelling and grammatical errors. The Turnitin results will always show some level of matching, but there should never be complete sentences and sections that are not from your own writing. Practice rephrasing and synthesizing ideas rather than transferring directly someone else’s words.

 

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A) The poster part of the project should include, at a minimum, the following information (5 points per section): • Introduction and general characteristics of the disease (take-home message). • Special susceptibility to suffer this cancer (i.e., white skin for melanoma, immunocompromised (HIV) for Kaposi sarcoma, etc.) Carcinogens involved? Chemical? Physical? Biological? Explain the mechanism in detail. Does this cancer have a hereditary component? If so, explain. • General characteristics of the tumor (where it originates, driver genes, subtypes, etc) • The signs and symptoms of the disease. Disease progression. Preferred sites of metastasis. What organ system(s) do metastasis affect? • Tests used to monitor the population as a preventive measure. Laboratory tests used to absolutely confirm the identity of the disease, i.e. biopsy with immunohistochemistry. Be specific for this cancer! • Methods used to reduce the incidence of the cancer (ie. Prevent second hand smoking, ban tobacco ads, etc.). • Treatment for the disease (talk about how it works and side effects). Life expectancy in 5 or 10 years after diagnosis with/without treatment. Is there a novel treatment available? If so, discuss the treatment, side effects etc. If no novel treatment is available, why not? Is work being done to develop one? • Current cases locally (San Diego/California/US when available) and globally (with incidence) B) Be VERY careful when referencing online sites. Each underscore, period, or capital letter must be exact, or we will not be able to find the site. Always check your references before reporting them by using the OPEN feature on your browser. If your reference will not open, it will not be counted toward your grade. It is important that the above information be complete, and that it be presented in a logical and orderly manner. If you don’t it will be obvious, and you will end up losing points (quality and effective communication: 10 of the 80 points). I do look at all of the posters in great detail. Your poster must be presented on a large, tri-fold, standing poster board.  When selecting online references remember that not all information on the Internet is reliable. Always try to use journal articles or governmental documents as the “authority,” and not rely on commercial sites (.com). Wikipedia, WebMD, Healthline, Mayo Clinic are NOT an acceptable references. Two references with the same URL except for the last part will be considered the same reference, like different pages in a book. Include all sources used; reference books and periodicals by a standard format. Be sure that you reference all photos/charts that you use on or below the item on the poster. A minimum of five reliable, scientific references (books, publications or Internet) plus any other references used. (10 of the 80 points) To report your sources, prepare a bibliography at the end of your poster presentation and number all references used. Then in the body of your poster, provide the number of the reference you used for information. This is called end notes, which you have probably used for other research papers. As with any report, be sure that you are not directly copying or simply paraphrasing material that you use. If you choose to use direct quotes from the article, you must use quotation marks. I will be checking the references, so be sure NOT to plagiarize! Any phrase longer than 5-6 words in length taken from the source, which is then copied and pasted in the presentation might be considered plagiarism. A one-page handout (brochure) that would be suitable to explain the critical aspects of the disease to the general public (15 points). Example of brochures are available at the bottom of this document. This brochure should include useful information starting with a brief introduction about the cancer and the organ affected, risk factors, information or aid for the identification of that tumor (need to know…), preventive tests you can take if you are at high risk, what if you are diagnosed with this cancer (tests to confirm diagnosis, treatment, …), etc. AIM: Try to think on a person that might have just discovered an abnormal growth on any site of his/her body. This person has zero knowledge about cancer or biology of cancer but he/she will need useful information about that cancer, diagnostics, what to do if the symptoms match with the description and what if he/she is finally diagnosed with cancer. THE POSTER PRESENTATION WILL TAKE PLACE AT THE END APRIL/ BEGINNING OF MAY (Please, get it done ASAP since you will be pretty busy at that point with other exams/finals). Specific dates will be announced after spring break. Late projects will not be accepted. You must be able to explain the poster in detail to other students (including non-Biol316 students, since posters will be displayed to the general public). There are five required parts of an Internet reference in order to receive full credit: • the author of the article, if available. • title of the article • the date written/updated • Internet address (URL). For example, https://www.cdc.gov/cancer/index.htm is the URL or reference for this page, which should show in your browser heading. An easy way to get this reference is to copy it from your browser and paste into your word processing program, so typos will not be made. • the date you visited the site. 

 

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