Biology Assignment

Biology Assignment
Vocabulary 1:
Define parts of a paper and important concepts.
Abstract: As a noun, it means an outline, or synopsis summarizing the contents of a paper or book. It provides a review of the written content enabling easy understanding.
Introduction: The first part of a paper, book or speech before progression to details.
Results: The outcome of a scientific experiment or study after analysis or an investigation. Results can either be positive or negative depending on the factor under analysis.
Discussion: The detailed analysis of a topic that evaluates all related aspects related to the topic.
Methods: The part of a research paper which details the experimentation, analysis, and description of the procedures used in the study.
References: The cited sources listed on the last page of a research paper, report, book, etc. that makes it easier for a follow up and justifies the researched content.
Statistically significant: The chance that a deviation may be encountered from the null hypothesis.
Null hypothesis: A hypothesis that disproves the existence of statistical significance between specific variables. The null hypothesis is the opposite of the relative hypothesis.
Peer review: The revision of a scientific paper by a fellow scientist in a specific field before publication.
Reviewer: A person who critically analyses something aiming to offer improvement suggestions that aim at solving a particular problem. Reviewers form an informative understanding and decision making guideline in the modern society.

Vocabulary 2
Polar molecules: These are molecules with non-resembling negative and positive charges.
Ion: An atom which has lost one or more electrons, therefore, carrying a positive or negative charge.
Carbohydrates: These are neutral compounds of carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen which can be broken down to release energy. Starch which is the fundamental component of carbohydrate is broken down by enzymes in the human body. The major enzymes responsible for this function are amylase and carbohydrase.
Polymer: A compound of heavy molecular weight which is made up of structures of repeating units.
Lipid: An organic compound that has fatty acids and cannot dissolve in water but dissolves in organic solvents.
Nucleic Acid: Any of the various complex compounds having molecule chains called nucleotides.
Amino Acid: These are the Organic components whose main composition is the carboxylic and amino groups.
Protein: A large molecule of the organic compound class which contains one of a lot of chains of amino acids that are directly linked.
Angstrom: This is a unit of length used in measuring micro distances with a single angstrom equaling 0.1 nanometers.
X-Ray: A photon of relatively high energy with wavelengths ranging from 0.01 to 10 nanometers.
Reading Assignment 1
One of the concerns which led to the establishment of peer review is the need for careful and multi-perspective evaluation in scientific studies and experiments. Peer review helps by providing more than one expert opinion and evaluation.
Science and discoveries in other various disciplines are of critical significance to our daily lives. Therefore, the lengthy process assures quality work. Accuracy is of utmost importance regardless of the urgency of a particular discovery.
Even though evaluation of art is mostly subjective, while scientific peer review leans towards provable facts and backed up claims, both require expert knowledge in carrying out the assessment.
The null hypothesis in this situation is that there is no difference in speed between the red and blue bike. To figure out if the red bike is faster than the blue bike, the alternative hypothesis is employed. The bikes are put to a speed test where distance and kinetic energy are equal. There will be two possible outcomes: either one of the bikes will be faster, or they will be equal in speed.
The paper, Theropod-like Locomotion in Chicken, conducts an experiment on chicken which shows that employing artificial tail during ontology can alter posture and locomotion in chicken to resemble that of the non-avian theropod dinosaurs. These changes replaced the knee-oriented locomotion of birds to more hip-oriented locomotion, proving that with few specific alterations, birds can be the best subjects in studying non-avian theropod biology.
I liked this paper for the primary reason that it is informative without being overwhelming even though the subject matter is relatively technical. I feel that one possible reason this paper was assigned, is its simplistic approach in putting across a broad subject.
Reading Assignment 2
I prefer the style used in Theropod locomotion due to its organized approach. The two papers are not just different regarding the subject matter but also structure and approach. That said, the paper by Watson and Crick is concise and well written as a scientific article.
Yes, I believe it is obvious that two similar copies at all times will have implications where DNA replication is concerned. I believe it means that when DNA replicates into two duplicate copies; they would not necessarily carry out similar functions.
I do not believe that Watson and Crick needed to do more to credit Franklin since they already cited her. Watson and Crick deserve the credit for they discovered the correct DNA structure regardless of where the source of data they used.
Words many times can fail to give you a clear picture of something but when visualization is added to words—especially in a broad and technical subject as science—it enhances perception. It brings about illumination to a subject matter. One essential thing about visualization is that it is a big part of the thinking and discovery process.
The more complex a structure is, the more it performs different functions. Glucose being a monosaccharide, it can build up into more prominent molecules called polysaccharides. The polysaccharides are made up of more than two monosaccharide’s which make up a disaccharide. From the analogy, it can be seen that as complexity increases so do the functionality potential.
Proteins composed of amino acids that are linked to one another by peptide bonds, forming a chain. Proteins exist in two types; globular and fibrous proteins and they all have either have one or the four structures that include, primary, secondary, tertiary, and quaternary structures. These structures are differentiated with their polypeptide chains. Primary structures are the unique structures of amino acids linked to form a protein that’s constructed to form 20 amino acids. Secondary structures are the one that has to coil of the polypeptide chain that makes protein’s 3Ds shape, and this structure has two types, the Alpha helix, and Beta pleated sheet. Tertiary structure is the comprehensive 3D stricture with polypeptide chain; this structure has got a lot of bonds to hold it. Quaternary structure is the one that is formed from interaction between polypeptide chains, each chain referring to a subunit.
Functions of the proteins
Antibody proteins are the proteins that defend the body against foreign antigens or invaders.
Contractile proteins are responsible for muscle contraction and movement; these proteins are myosin and actin.
Enzymes are proteins that act as a catalyst in biochemical reactions like lactase and pepsin.
Hormonal proteins help with coordination of messages to parts of the body that enable body activities.

References
Cooper, G. M. (2000). The Cell: A Molecular Approach, 2nd edn. The Cell: A Molecular Approach. Sunderland, MA.