# data[].attributes.body
I have never been a science person-at least that's what I thought before taking this class. The last science course I took was in high school- which was many years ago. I was very nervous to take biology because of preconceived notions about it. I always thought that science was for “smart people”. My initial reaction to this course was that I was apprehensive about it. I did not expect to learn so much about different things like animal species, feedback loops, the life cycle of a butterfly, different scientific terms and so much more. I assumed that this class was going to be very boring honestly, but I was very wrong.

During this course, I found myself more interested in learning about different topics in biology. For example, my species which is the blue whale was very fun to learn about. I also enjoyed learning about my peers' species as well. I like that the class was very interactive and that we did the assignments in class. Online classes take a lot of willpower and discipline, so I thought it was a cool approach to making all assignments during classtime which I found more effective for learning. During the activities, I felt very engaged because we were encouraged to use the internet to help us complete our assignments. My experience was very different from what I expected before taking this class. I had a lot of fun and I can see myself taking another science class after this one. This class was also helpful because I am also taking a chemistry course and I noticed some of the same terms mentioned in this class were being used in my chemistry class, so it was cool to see how everything connected.

After completing the activities, I feel more confident and less apprehensive about science. I learned that it's OK not to know everything and to be open to learning about a topic even though it may seem daunting at first. This experience changed me in a way because I have a new appreciation for those who are in the science field. It also taught me to never be afraid of asking questions and seeking answers from credible sources.  Overall, I really enjoyed this course and I am grateful for the opportunity to take it.

# data[].attributes.body
The first whales evolved over 50 million years ago and were called Pakicetus, which was typically a land animal. The ancestor of today’s whales, the first cetacean, is believed to be Pakicetus, a quadruped measuring 1 to 2 meters long. They did not look like whales, having long skulls and large teeth used for eating meat. However, their skulls — particularly in the inner ear region, strongly resembled those of living whales we see today and are unlike those of any other mammal on Earth. The Ambulocetus, another early whale, seemed to have lived a more aquatic lifestyle having legs that were shorter, and hands and feet enlarged like paddles-- and a stronger, muscular tail.  It is believed that their legs allowed them to both walk and swim. Through evidence supported by stratigraphy, scientists studied oceanic animals by what sort of water an animal drank by studying the isotopes that were incorporated into its bones and teeth as it grew. The isotopes show that Ambulocetus likely drank both saltwater and freshwater, which supports the idea that these animals lived in estuaries or bays between freshwater and the open ocean. Whales that evolved after Ambulocetus (Kutchicetus, etc.) show even higher levels of saltwater oxygen isotopes, indicating that they lived in nearshore marine habitats and were able to drink salt water as today’s whales can. These animals evolved nostrils positioned further back along the snout. This is seen in modern whales, which have a “blowhole” located on top of the head above the eyes. The pelvis also evolved with a much smaller size and separate from the backbone. This may reflect the increased use of the whole vertebral column, including the back and tail, in locomotion. If you watch footage of dolphins and other whales swimming, you’ll notice that their tailfins aren’t vertical like those of fishes, but horizontal. To swim, they move their tails up and down, rather than back and forth as fishes do. This is because whales evolved from walking land mammals whose backbones did not naturally bend side to side, but up and down. Other skeletal changes occurred to allow their limbs to be used more for steering than for paddling and also to benefit their aquatic lifestyle. For example, the elbow joints were flexible, unlike living whales, but able to lock, allowing the forelimb to serve as a better control surface and resist the oncoming flow of water as the animal propelled itself forward.  In just 5 million years, whale species have diversified, probably due to rapid ecological changes in the oceans. Fifteen million years ago, another rapid diversification of cetacean species occurred, as ocean cooling changed the currents. The first mysticetes measured 5 to 9 meters in length. Whales are believed to have reached the size we know today only about 4.5 million years ago. The sudden growth of mysticetes is said to have been caused by the cooling of the climate and the formation of large ice caps in the northern hemisphere. Being bigger has many benefits such as being at the top of the food chain; however, there are drawbacks. For example, being large puts whales much more at risk of extinction in times of environmental change, fishing habits, decline in prey abundance.

Sources: https://baleinesendirect.org/en/discover/life-of-whales/morphology/les-ancetres-des-baleines/

https://evolution.berkeley.edu/what-are-evograms/the-evolution-of-whales/

# data[].attributes.body
I selected Romika's padlet because I thought it had a lot of good information about her chosen species which is crustaceans. I also enjoyed listening to her presentation because she presented the information in a clear way! I also liked that she added facts too!. The content on her padlet is understandable and the layout is eye-catching. I think she is doing a very good job.

Romika's Padlet: https://padlet.com/romikawray001/my-portfolio-xyu1402gzabvtrx8

# data[].attributes.body
The species that I chose is the Blue Whale. I chose the blue whale because I love the ocean and I love whales. I discovered that there is a correlation between the negative effects of climate change on the blue whale population-specifically the melting of the polar ice. Blue Whales mainly feed on krill, and krill are primarily dependent on plankton (planktonic, shrimp-like crustaceans) and there is a strong association between at least some of this plankton and the ice. For instance, marine algae grow around the ice during the winter. When the ice melts in the summer,  the algae are released into the water where they photosynthesize and multiply, providing food for various species such as krill. Lower levels of ice reduce the optimal habitat for marine plankton to flourish which affects Blue Whales because they rely on healthy krill populations. Consequently, the whales are forced to migrate many miles further during feeding season making migration physically strenuous for the Blue Whales. Also, their feeding seasons are shorter. The energy stores they build up during the foraging season should sustain the whales throughout the migration and breeding periods. If they cannot build up sufficient stores of energy due to the shorter feeding season, the non-feeding seasons may be particularly tiring for these whales. The timing of algae bloom can also affect Blue Whales. If these blooms are unpredictable due to an erratic climate, the whales may arrive too early or too late, with negative impacts on their ability to feed or even reproduce.

Warming sea waters are also becoming more acidic due to carbon dioxide (CO2 ) from the atmosphere. This is problematic for krill, which need carbonate ions to form their exoskeletons. Additionally, ocean acidification may inhibit the viability of krill eggs. The negative impacts of climate change and ocean acidification on krill are deeply concerning as krill play such a pivotal role in the survival of the Blue Whale and the Antarctic ecosystem in general.

sources: https://www.cms.int/sites/default/files/publication/fact_sheet_blue_whale_climate_change.pdf

# data[].attributes.body
Diffusion is the passive movement of molecules from an area of higher concentraiton to an area of lower concetration. This image is an example of diffusion.

# data[].attributes.body
The image that I chose for the topic of "The Working Cell" is the law of conservation of energy. The law of conservation of energy is a prinipcal that states that energy cannot be created nor can it be destroyed. The law of conservation of energy is the first law of thermodynamics.

Sources: https://sciencenotes.org/law-of-conservation-of-energy/

# data[].attributes.body
The Golgi Apparatus is a membrane-bound organelle of eukaryotic  cells.  It consists of stacks of membranous sacs that modify, store, and ship products of the endoplasmic reticulum. It is considered the shipping center of a company.

# data[].attributes.body
What caught my attention in the mini-lecture on butterflies was that butteflies can actually retain some of their memories of their caterpillar days. Also, what caught my attention was the amount of times they have to shed themselves before becoming a butterfly.

# data[].attributes.body
One thing that caught my attention in today's lecture is feedback loop. What I found interesting was how feedback is created where x affects y and y affects x. I found the explanation of how feedback loops play out in nature creating patterns like a musical band. It was interesting to see how each ecosystem has a specific sound created by living and dead things.

source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=inVZoI1AkC8

# data[].attributes.body
The video that I chose to watch was "When is a Pandemic Over?". The reason why I chose this video is because I was curious to know when exactly is the pandemic over. Since the vaccine, fewer people are dying when infected with COVID; however, the virus is still spreading somehow. COVID is still around however getting vaccinated is vital to slow down the spread. According to the video, the best way  to combat a pandemic is to delay and vaccinate. The other two options is to race through it where people are allowed to get the virus as much as possible to create heard immunity or coordinate and crush where the virus "starves" through a combination of quarantine, social distancing and restricting travel. What caught my attention in the video was that although some may think that racing through it may be a good option, it's not always best to panic and rush through instead taking time to research and slow the spread along with global coordination is best. This is precisely what we had to do during the pandemic and so far it has been successful.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Cell vs. virus: A battle for health - Shannon Stiles

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Why is it so hard to cure the common cold?

# data[].attributes.body
Blue whales have a long body and generally slender body. Their mottled blue-gray color appears light blue under water—hence their name, the blue whale. Antarctic blue whales are generally larger than other blue whale subspecies. Blue whales sometimes swim in small groups but are more often found alone or in pairs. Blue whales typically swim at about 5 miles an hour while they are feeding and traveling, but can accelerate to more than 20 miles an hour for short bursts. They are among the loudest animals on the planet, emitting a series of pulses, groans, and moans. The main diet of blue whales is krill—tiny shrimp-like animals, but fish and copepods may occasionally be part of the blue whale’s diet. Blue whales are found in all oceans except the Arctic. They generally migrate seasonally between summer feeding grounds and winter breeding grounds, but some evidence suggests that individuals in certain areas might not migrate at all. Blue whales’ average lifespan is estimated at around 80 to 90 years.

# data[].attributes.body
Claim, evidence, and reasoning can be used in our daily lives-especially when it comes to testings claims that we hear on the news. For example, I hear that a new study came out stating that drinking more caffeine may help you lose weight. Regarding C.E.R, as a viewer, I can develop a conclusion based on this claim by identifying the claim first (i.e, drinking more caffeine helps with weight loss) and ask myself does drinking more caffeine help with weight loss? I would then gather evidence by researching online and reading scientific peer-reviewed papers and credible scientific articles about the effects of caffeine on weight. Once I gather all of my evidence, I would look at the reasoning, which shows how or why caffeine may or may not help with weight loss. For instance, if I read in multiple peer-reviewed articles that a study was done on a number of individuals for a long period of time and they actually lost weight because of low calories in coffee beans, and there was qualitative data that backs up this claim, then I can say that based on this evidence there might be a correlation between drinking caffeine and weight loss.

# data[].attributes.body
Blue whales inhabit all of the oceans of the world. According to World Register of Marine Species (WoRMS) there are a total 240,000 marine species that we know of. The ocean is very large covering more than 70% of the earth's surface. The deepest part of the ocean is called the Mariana Trench, which is around 7 miles deep and is located in the South Pacific Ocean. There are many benefits to our oceans from climate regulation to generating the oxygen that we breathe to even providing food for us. Much like the solar system, there is so much we haven't discovered about our oceans. Only five percent of the ocean’s floor has been mapped in detail. As a result of human activity such as pollution, ocean life is suffering. Throughout the years, many organizations such as Project AWARE and Greenpeace have been dedicated to preserving the life of all of the animals that inhabit our oceans, the blue whale being one of them.

The blue whale typically migrates seasonally between summer (feeding grounds) and winter (breeding grounds); however, some blue whales in certain areas might not migrate at all according to NOAA Fisheries. There are a total of five distinct subspecies of the blue whale: the Antarctic blue whale inhabits the Southern Ocean (Balaenoptera musculus intermedia); the North Atlantic and North Pacific blue whales (Balaenoptera musculus musculus); the Pygmy blue whales, which are found in the Southern Indian Ocean (Balaenoptera musculus brevicauda); the Northern Indian Ocean (Balaenoptera musculus indica) and South Pacific Ocean (Balaenoptera musculus unnamed species) whales. Blue Whales play a pivotal role in helping the oceanic ecosystem to thrive. For instance, according to WWF Austriala- the waste of the blue whale is rich in iron which provides an important source of nutrients for phytoplankton, which are at the base of the food chain. Plankton is very important for sustaining human life. Through photosynthesis, phytoplankton utilizes sunlight, nutrients, carbon dioxide, and water to produce oxygen and nutrients for other organisms. They are responsible for producing up to 50% of the oxygen we breathe according to National Geographic.com. Without our oceans and the many different organisms that live in them, it would be almost impossible to live a quality life.

Sources: https://kealakai.byuh.edu/twenty-fun-facts-about-the-ocean
https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/species/blue-whale
https://dipndive.com/blogs/stories/10-amazing-
organizations-fighting-to-save-our-oceans
http://www.coastalwiki.org/wiki/Number_of_marine_species#:~:text=According%20to%20the%20World%20Register,240%2C000%20species%20(2021%20census).
https://education.nationalgeographic.org/resource/plankton-revealed

# data[].attributes.body
Which of the following best describes a control group?

*A. does not receive treatment

B. does receive treatment

C. response to treatment

D. stays the same

# data[].attributes.body
Greetings, my name is Samantha Thony. I am currently studying to be a Speech Language Pathologist and I am taking this course because it is part of my required pre-rec requirement. I am currently working at an elementary school as a teacher assistant. I work with Pre-K. I love working with children hence why I want to become a SLP. One thing that I am most proud of myself is going back to school at the age that I am. Not that many people decide to go back to school in their early 30s. I also work full-time in a high-stress job while attending evening classes for the past 2 years. Success to me is accomplishing something that you personally have always wanted to accomplish. For example, if losing weight is a goal you have, and you successfully lose weight and stay consistent I believe this is a success. Doing something that is hard and reaching your goal is success to me.  I look forward to learning about biology and I am excited to see what this semester has to offer. Best of luck to everyone on your future endeavors!