Why Can't We Take Biology 101 to a Higher Level to Keep the Student's Interest?

Let me ask you something? Are we selling our kids short with the No Child Left behind Act? Shouldn't we be pushing our kids to think, reason, and adapt? Shouldn't they be using the information which we force into their heads through rote memorization in positive ways? There are many programs which NASA is doing in our local schools around the country. When it comes to such difficult subjects such as biology, I say we take it all to a higher level. How high you ask?

How about as high as we can get, how about space?

"Why Can't We Take Biology 101 to a Higher Level to Keep the Student's Interest?" How so you ask? Well, for instance why can't our high-schools talk about NASA's Astrobiological Research and ask the students the tough questions and have them do real inquiry and research, perhaps look stuff up in the latest scientific journals. Let me give you an example;

Trust Self and Let Your Brain Steer You Right!

A few months ago, someone told me that we knew less about the human brain than the dark side of the moon. In fact, he was quoting an intellectual psychologist of a past period. However true that was at the time that quote was produced - I don't think it is quite true today. Further, I would say that there's a lot more to know about the human brain, than the dark side of the moon. Okay so, let's talk about this for a moment shall we?

It seems that every single day I read something in the science news about new discoveries of the brain. We are unlocking all the secrets in rapid succession. Each incremental gain of knowledge in neuroscience is bringing us closer to the merging of computers and machines. There was an interesting article in Medical Express Online News which was titled; "Warning! Collision imminent! The brain's quick interceptions help you navigate the world," posted on February 7, 2012, which stated;

How Do Plants Control the Shoot:Root Ratio

Both Carbon and Nitrogen are essential in plant development. The carbon is the fuel for cell division, growth and a respiratory substance and the Nitrogen enables amino acid production and DNA synthesis. In turn this growth causes the shoots and roots to extend and consequently there is normally a fixed ratio between how the plants allocate these resources.

The intimate association between these to essential compounds is effected by the way the plant acquires them. The Nitrogen enters the plant through the root in the form of Nitrates and the Carbon enters in the form of CO2 and is converted to sucrose: the photoassimilate. The Nitrates move up through the xylem from the, carried by the capillary action of the water. The sucrose, produced by photosynthesis, is exported into the phloem and is then transported down to the roots to enable sufficient metabolism in the light deprived areas of the plant. In general, the source for the Carbon is the sink for the Nitrogen and visa versa.

The Biochemical Basis of Plant Adaptations to Drought and Salinity

In a stochastic environment, plants' sessile nature means that variations in water availability have detrimental effects on the plants metabolism. The availability of water for its biological roles as a solvent and transport medium, as an electron donor in the Hill reaction, and as an evaporative coolant is often impaired by environmental conditions such as drought and salinity. The oxidative stress that results from these environmental perturbations has profound biochemical responses within the plant's genetic architecture. As both these stresses impact on the water availability of the organism, they will share many response mechanisms despite being fundamentally different stimuli.

Both drought and salinity stress the cells by increasing the concentrations of ions in the cytosol. Increased ion concentrations can have osmotic effects causing the plant to lose control over water flux; furthermore, high concentrations of ions have extremely negative impacts on the tertiary structure of proteins, which form the basis of all cellular machinery.

10 Big Animals Discovered Since 1900

1. OKAPI

By saving a group of Congolese Pygmies from a German show-man who wanted to take them to the 1900 Paris Exhibition, Sir Harry Johnston gained their trust. He then began hearing stories about the okapi, a mule-sized animal with zebra stripes. In 1901, Sir Harry sent a whole skin, two skulls and a detailed description of the okapi to London, and it was found that the okapi had a close relationship to the giraffe. In 1919, the first live okapi were brought out of the Congo River basin, and in 1941, the Stanleyville Zoo witnessed the first birth of an okapi in captivity. The okapis, striking in appearance, are now some of the most popular attractions at the larger, more progressive zoological parks of the world.

2. MOUNTAIN NYALA

Amazing Terra Cotta Sculpture From Iron Age

One of the earliest examples of sophisticated sculpture in sub-Saharan Africa came from the Nok culture, an Iron Age civilization. The culture appeared around 1000 B.C. and mysteriously vanished around 500 AD in the region of West Africa.

In 1928 Lt-Colonel John Dent-Young was leading mining operations in the Nigerian village of Nok. Close to the village and the Jos Plateau region one of his miners found a small piece of terra cotta sculpture. Later, terra cottas scattered at various depths throughout the Sahel grasslands were unearthed. The sculptures range in size from small pendants to life-size figures. Today several items of them can be seen at the Barakat Family Museum. One of them is worth of our special attention, a 31x 16 cm sculpture of a sitting couple.

Memorialized in clay, this couple represents a pair of conjoined, or Siamese, twins who makes the artifact unmatched and breath-taking.

Dolphins in Bangladesh

Dolphins are like mammals. They respire through their nostrils. They give birth to new babies and rear them until grownup. Their food items include small fishes, crustaceans, water insects etc. They live mostly in the estuary. Dolphins play an important role in the ecosystem. They can't live in the polluted water. So they indicate the pollution of the rivers. As they eat small fishes so they are also the indicator of fish abundance of that region. River erosion as well as huge numbers of vessel traffic affect their normal life. A great number of dolphins are found in the coastal belt of Bangladesh. The mixing process of freshwater with brackish water and leaves from the mangroves makes a favourable environment for different species of dolphin. The following seven types of dolphins are abundant here-

Ganges river dolphin or Shushuk (Platanista gangetica)

The Ganges River dolphin or shushuk is an "endangered", evolutionary ancient mammal that occurs in many rivers of Bangladesh.