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Hello, my name is Valerie Bazan. I have always had a thing for planning everything out so i've known for a while what I wanted to do with my future. I discovered that I was interested in medicine and the medical field pretty early on. In middle school and when teachers or family members would ask what I wanted to be and it got me thinking of certain careers in the medical field. Surgery specifically has always interested me but not enough to be a surgeon. I debated on becoming an anesthesiologist but it requires plenty of math and that isn't my strong suit. So I decided I wanted to become a surgical technician. I felt this would be great for me because I can do something I'm interested in, have hours that aren't 9-5 and help surgeons and patients. Therefore since early on in high school i've had that career in mind and have made certain academic choices that will benefit me. One being taking dual enrollment courses in high school. Doing so allowed me to get ahead in my degree and start my career sooner. I'm excited for this class especially because classes such as biology and anatomy interest me and I excel in these.

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Which two variables go on the X axis?

A. responding variable and manipulated variable

*B. Manipulated variable and independent variable

C. responding variable and dependent variable

D. manipulated variable and dependent variable

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Claim, evidence and reasoning (C.E.R) is a framework that can be used for scientific explanation. It it a method that helps turn an investigation into an explanation. To use this method is to have a question and through evidence prove the answer or claim and add the reasoning explaining how or why the evidence supports the claim. This scientific method is one of many and can be used in many fields or can be applied in real life such as engaging in scientific argumentation, evaluating online science communication, and examining a scientific article. It is a way to answer common or difficult questions that one might have on any topic they may be interested in. Also the more interest the more data someone can find. Looking for certain explanations can lead to more questions and therefore more research causing someone to be well informed. Practicing this method can lead to more organized problem solving.

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Polar bears live in the arctic places such as Alaska, Canada, Russia, Greenland, and some northern islands owned by Norway, such as Svalbard. They live on land and hunt on land and in the water. Polar bears are carnivores. They have certain adaptations such as maintaining body heat, their white fur to camouflage, textured foot pads for grip while walking on ice, and hibernation habits specifically females and pregnant females in the months of October or November through March or April. Still with these adaptations this species is not endangered but is considered vulnerable. The threats they face are not mostly environmental but are because of humans.

source:

https://www.nwf.org/Educational-Resources/Wildlife-Guide/Mammals/Polar-Bear

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Cell vs. virus: A battle for health - Shannon Stiles

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Why is it so hard to cure the common cold?

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Why is it so hard to cure the common cold?

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Why is it so hard to cure the common cold?

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What is the biggest single-celled organism? - Murry Gans

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What is the biggest single-celled organism? - Murry Gans

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What is the biggest single-celled organism? - Murry Gans

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The thing that stuck with me after watching "Could the Covid-19 pandemic end in 2023?" by DW News was in the interview of Bodo Platcher who states people will have to live with Covid-19. Viruses cannot die because they are not living. They have features that may prove they are alive such as cellular organization, the ability to reproduce, growth & development, energy use, homeostasis, response to their environment, and the ability to adapt but they cannot reproduce independently they must do so by invading living cells. Viruses cannot be cured but the immune system can heal the body. White blood cells can engulf and destroy them. If the immune system does not do so or medication for the symptoms is taken incorrectly the virus can mutate and become immune to said medication. Because viruses can evolve they will always exist but they can be prevented. People will have to co exist with Covid-19 the same way we do with the flu. Because the the spread of the virus is more or less under control it is not considered a pandemic anymore and we now have more information and equipment to help prevent and care for people such as vaccines. Like the flu we will have new vaccines for different variants yearly or more frequently allowing the spread to remain under control and people to co exist with the virus and maybe one day eradicate the infections over time.

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Could the COVID-19 pandemic end in 2023? | DW News

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The ecosystem of a polar bear is the arctic sea ice. The bears are found in five nations: the U.S. (Alaska), Canada, Russia, Greenland, and Norway (Svalbard). Depending on the season the habitat moves and changes by expanding in winter, and retreating in summer. Unfortunately due to climate change the Arctic is heating up twice as fast as anywhere else on the planet, shrinking the Arctic sea ice cover by 14% per decade. The climate change causing this is the biggest threat to the survival of polar bears. The bears rely on the sea ice to hunt, rest, breed, and store energy for the summer and fall. In their daily life They roam around on arctic ice looking for seals to eat. They hunt the seals by waiting beside holes in the ice where seals resurface for air. Polar bears also sleep an average of seven to eight hours a day and frequently nap to conserve energy. A polar bear's daily life is simple in their ecosystem of ice and water.

resources:
https://polarbearsinternational.org/polar-bears-changing-arctic/polar-bear-facts/habitat/

https://www.worldwildlife.org/species/polar-bear

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A topic that caught my attention was how harmonious nature works. Life is a constant cycle of cause and effect. An example of that positive cause and effect is when plants die, the dead material enriches the soil with humus, a stable mass of organic matter that provides moisture and nutrients that helps many more plants to grow.

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Feedback loops: How nature gets its rhythms - Anje-Margriet Neutel

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Prokaryotes are small, single-celled organisms that have a relatively simple structure. They are organisms whose cells lack a nucleus and other organelles. Prokaryotes are divided into two distinct groups: the bacteria and the archaea, which scientists believe have unique evolutionary lineages.

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Cellular respiration is a series of chemical reactions that break down glucose to produce ATP, which may be used as energy to power many reactions throughout the body.

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My species selection was a polar bear. The loss of sea ice habitat from climate change is the biggest threat to their survival. Due to climate change the Arctic is heating up twice as fast as anywhere else on the planet, shrinking the Arctic sea ice cover by 14% per decade. Polar bears need sea ice to hunt, mate, roam, and sometimes den. If the Arctic continues to warm at the current rates, it is likely that more polar bears will soon starve. Loss of sea ice threatens the bear's main prey, seals, which also need the ice to raise their young. Polar bears face extinction due to these threats.

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Genetics of polar bears show they evolved from the common brown bear. According to national geographic their genetic studies suggested that some bears split to northern areas from other brown bears originating from Ireland then adapted to their new and colder environment. An example of one adaptation is the change from brown to white fur. The white coat allows polar bears to blend in with their ice covered surroundings. Another evolutionary adaptation is a polar bear's black skin. Beneath their white like snow fur they have black skin that allows them to absorb more UV light and stay warm. During the evolution of polar bears there were also mutations in genes such as blood coagulation, also known as clotting, heart development and adipose tissue or body fat development. The adaptations in the heart are likely helpful when it comes to a polar bear's hibernation and the adaptation of the body fat is to help provide warmth. Lastly on polar bears major adaptations is their high fat diet primarily consisting of seals and their blubber.