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Essay Instructions: Biology in the Real World (Position Paper)
• use knowledge of biological principles to ask relevant questions about the natural world
• make observations and discriminate between scientific and pseudoscientific explanations
1. Select one of the following topics below.
2. Write two pages, double spaced, excluding references. You must read the articles that you find and summarize the information they contain briefly in your own words. Extensive quotes from the article are discouraged. Use APA style for citing references

Topics (select one only)

1) Stem cells. A relative of a friend of yours had a spinal cord injury after a bad car accident. The medical team has decided that this patient is a good candidate for a clinical trial using stem cell therapy. Your friend has not had a biology course since high school, so you are going to write for him or her a two-page discussion of stem cell information. In your discussion, include a description of the biology of stem cells, and explain how these cells are unique in their ability to treat diseases and injury. The following website from NIH regarding stem cell research will be very helpful: http://stemcells.nih.gov/index.asp.

2) Medical marijuana. You are terminally ill with colon cancer, and you live in a state where the medical use of marijuana is illegal. Write a letter to your state legislator addressing five arguments as to why marijuana should be legalized in your state for medical use. Each argument should be supported by your research.

Essay Instructions: Biology/101

Locate a diagram of an organism with the main organs and structures labeled. (Please check with me if you have any questions about acceptable organisms)

Write a 700- to 1,050-word paper explaining how the organism in the diagram has evolved physiologically to become suited to its environment. Make sure to reference the diagram you located in your paper.

Include
? The diagram (properly referenced from the originating source)
? The mechanisms of evolution and natural selection
? Specific references to organs/organ systems on the diagram
? How the organism has evolved physiologically
? How these evolved physical aspects have aided the organism?s survival.

Format your paper consistent with APA guidelines.

Essay Instructions: Biology

1. A band of connective tissue connecting two bones is called a(n)
a. tendon
b. ligament
c. serosa
d. periosteum
e. endosteum

2. The cells involved in bone resorption are
a. osteoclasts
b. osteoblasts
c. fibroblasts
d. chondrocytes
e. macrophages

3. Which of the following is NOT a function of the skeleton?
a. blood cell production
b. protection of delicate structures
c. sodium storage
d. providing a firm framework for the body

4. The section of the spinal column that forms part of the bony pelvis is the
a. sacrum
b. lumbar region
c. thoracic region
d. cervical region
e. cranial region

5. The specialized membranes that permit electric impulses to pass between cardiac muscle cells are called a. actin and troponin
b. striations
c. intercalated discs
c. cross-bridges
d. sarcomeres
e. myosins

6. At the lungs,
a. both oxygen and carbon dioxide diffuse from the blood into the alveoli
b. oxygen diffuses into the blood and carbon dioxide diffuses into the alveoli
c. carbon dioxide diffuses into the blood and oxygen diffuses into the alveoli
d. both oxygen and carbon dioxide diffuse from the alveoli into the blood

7. Pushing the feet against the floor is an example of a(n)
a. isometric contraction
b. muscle tone
c. isotonic contraction
d. elevation
e. isometric and isotonic contraction




8. A hormone that increases sodium loss and lowers blood pressure is
a. aldosterone
b. antidiuretic hormone
c. atrial natriuretic peptide
d. calcitonin
e. cortisol

9. The most abundant protein in plasma is
a. fibrinogen
b. thrombin
c. complement
d. albumin
e. fibrin

10. Which of the following is a clotting factor?
a. creatinine
b. thrombin
c. albumin
d. alkaline phosphatase
e. hemolysin

11. The blood vessels with the thinnest walls are the
a. capillaries
b. arterioles
c. veins
d. arteries
e. aorta

12. The heart chamber that receives blood from the lungs is the
a. right atrium
b. left atrium
c. right ventricle
d. left ventricle
e. coronary artery

13. Diagnosis of myocardial infarction can be made with electrocardiography and by blood tests for the enzyme
a. aminotransferase
b. creatine kinase MB
c. cholinesterase
d. maltase
e. troponin

14. Oxygen moves from the lungs into the blood via
a. diffusion
b. active transport
c. endocytosis
d. exocytosis
e. pinocytosis

15. The part of the respiratory tract that contains the vocal cords is the ____________.

16. Mr. Ling is blushing. The redness in his skin reflects the presence of a blood pigment called _________.

17. An abnormally slow heart rate is called _________________.
18. Comparing men and women, the pulse rate is generally faster in ____________.

19. Inhalation is enabled by contraction of a large dome-shaped muscle called the _____________.

20. Any vessel that carries blood away from the heart is called a(n) ___________.

21. The porous bone found in the ends of long bones is called _______________.

22. List the three functions of blood, and name an element of blood involved in each function. (Essay question, in text citations required)




23. Explain why the heart is described as a double pump. (Essay question, in text citations required)




24. Severe shock is often associated with a rapid heart rate. Explain why.(Essay question, in text citations required)




REFERENCES

Essay Instructions: Biology Article

Select an article from a magazine or newspaper that has something in it that pertains to biology. For instance, you can select an article about medicine, invasive species, nature, conservation, genetic technology, ecology, or any other topic that is related to biology. One purpose of this assignment is to help you become aware of how biology is related to your everyday life.

Write a one to three (1-3) page paper in which you:

1. Summarize the article in one (1) or more paragraphs, using your own words. Be sure to identify the article using an in-text citation in the body of the paper, as well as a reference in the reference section.

2. Explain how the article relates to this course. Identify which biological concepts from the course and / or text are relevant to the topic covered in the article. Citing the course text, discuss the ways in which this course does (or doesn?t) provide background information to help you understand the article and the larger issues surrounding it.

3. Explain why the article caught your attention. Relate the article to your life and to issues that are important to you. Discuss how or if the scientific knowledge about the topic covered in the article affects you directly or indirectly.

4. Discuss your opinion on how research on this topic should be funded. State whether you think taxpayer monies should support research on this topic or whether such research in this area should be funded by the private sector. Rate the importance of research on this topic, relative to other areas of research.