mitochondrial stuff

Mitochondrial Stuff

Mitochondrial DNA is what makes each of use very similiar, while nuclear DNA makes us different. This is because mitochondrial DNA comes from our mothers and theoretically we can all trace our commonality back to a single women, known as mitochondrial eve. She might have looked something like this: 

(Just Kidding...)

Different people groups have different physical appearances, but we are all fundamentally are very similar. Anyway, check out these celebrities showing how unique the human race is... 

(ugly white person)

(awesome Asian person)

(Alfred)

(funny Mexican man)

Famous Person at Rose Hill Cemetery

James Jackson

James Jackson was a Congressmen representing Georgia from 1857-1861. After the Civil War Jackson became a justice of the Supreme Court of Georgia until 1880 when he died. He was also a trustee of the University of Georgia. His remains are buried at the Rose Hill Cemetery in Macon. 

Sunflower Seed Lab

...For the past two weeks I have been trying to grow a sunflower seedling. In a way, I am making babies... out of this cup. I have been leaving in my window sill to get light and giving it water about ever two days.... but so far no significant growth is visible. When there is I will update this post with some photographic evidence.

Ocmulgee National Monument History

The Ocmulgee National Monument is a national park that contains ancient Indian burial mounds. There is rich history involving the lands and mounds in the park. There is evidence that this land has been inhabited by advanced peoples as far back as 17,000 years ago. 

From about 8,000 BCE to 2,000 BCE the area was slowly receding from a glacial shelf and began to be inhabited by various plants and animals. Nomadic people hunted and gathered here at this time. Then around 900 began the construction of permanent dwellings and these complex mounds, which may have served as a temple or council chamber. There was a move towards agriculture with beans, corn, and squash being the primary crops. The culture continued to develop and become more complex until 1565, when the Spanish set up a colony at St. Augustine. The Spanish, and later other European powers, began to meddle with the native culture of the Ocmulgee either with religious evangelism, introduction of new technology, and the spread of disease. Around the turn of 1800s, there was an attempt at a revival of traditional Indian ways and a opposition to Western acculturation. This eventually led to conflict, spurred on by the British during the War of 1812. The Creek War was disastrous to the lives and culture of the Indians on the Ocmulgee. Then in 1839 gold was discovered on Cherokee lands in Georgia and their rights of sovereignty were effectively ignored. President Andrew Jackson ordered the remaining native people to remove themselves beginning the famous "Trail of Tears". 

In 1933 the destroyed mounds were filled with dirt from construction of a local road. Citizens are convinced the mounds have some significance and Dr. Arthur Kelly of the Smithsonian organizes the largest archaeological dig in North American history. In 1936 President Theodore Roosevelt sign a bill creating the Ocmulgee National Monument as a national park.    



And now for a picture of two friends enjoying a fishing trip.

Rock Lab... rock on dude

Rocks and Stuff: Blah Blah Blah

Granite Rocks

Granite is a rock formation made from volcanic magma and is mostly composed of clumps of quartz and feldspar. 

Gneiss Rock

 

Gneiss is a kind of sedimentary rock that has differing blands that seperate different minerals. Pressure from natural forces has forced them to form together.

Coquina

Coquina is a sedimentary rock formed from the retreating of glaciers in the last Ice Age. They are clusters of marine clams, other sea fossils, and sediment. 

This chart is used to help identify types of soils.

This map shows some of the soil orders in the state of Georgia.

... And for your entertainment... I have provided a picture of Chewbacca killing Nazis while riding a giant squirrel

Vegetation Lab

In this lab we were asked to identify 3 different kinds of trees, bushes, and flowers.

Trees

Sycamore (Platanus occidentalis)

Sycamore trees are distinguished by their multicolored peeling bark and can grow very large. They often grow in sandy soil around bodies of water. 

Hemlock (Tsuga)

 

Hemlock is an evergreen tree. The American variants of this tree are under threat of extinction because of harmful insects called woolly adelgid. 

Red Maple (Acer Rubrum)

 

The red maple tree is a deciduous tree which can grow in a number of soils, such as clay or wet. They can grow anywhere between 40 to 60 feet. 

Bushes

Sago Palm (Cycas revoluta)

Sago Palms are actually not palms at all, but a kind of Cycads. It is a very ancient plant that goes back to the age of dinosaurs. 

Monkey Grass (Ophiopogon)

Monkey grass is mostly used in landscaping. Most are evergreen and some produce purple flowers.

Ilex

The ilex bush is known for typically having sharp pointed leaves. They are evergreen and deciduous. During winter they grow white flowers and red berries. The ilex, or holly, is a very common bush and has over 400 species. 

Flowers 

Snapdragon (Antirrhinum majus)

The snapdragon gets its name because before blossoming its bud looks like the head of a dragon. It grow year round and it good for cut flowers, or flowers that have cut for its original plant. It flowers can be yellow, white, orange, or red. 

Camellia 

Camellia's prefer dry soil and is native to eastern Asia. There may be as many as 280 species of camellia. Only a few of the species are used for gardening and decorations. Many other species are used to produce tea.

Angel Trumpets (Brugmansia)

Angel Trumpets bloom year long and are actually in the same family as potatoes. They are known for being dangerously toxic and can cause hallucinations. Angel trumpets are native to South America

River Lab

Experiments

Elevation of River Bed

We were able to measure the elevation of a section of the Ocmulgee River bed by using two poles with a string attaching them. When they are both place in the ground as far apart as they can be with the string straight, we then use the markings on the poles to assess the change in elevation between them. The class did this from one end of the river to the other. The results are plotted on the graph above

Flow rate of the channels

The flow rate of the channel was measured by taking a floating object (empty water bottle) and letting it flow down stream with the current. The time it took to pass a certain marker was recorded with a stop watch. We compared the flow rate data with different sections of the river.

Theorize preference of clams

There were numerous empty clam shells scattered throughout the river bed. We collected samples of them in different areas of the river and found much more clams in the hard soil where the river was not moving as fast.

Here is an image of where we were working during our lab