Category: Bio 104 Blogs

Demonstrate scientific literacy and the ability to communicate science-based information.

Scientific Paper Crickets — This is the scientific paper I wrote in the course that demonstrates my scientific literacy.

Throughout the semester of Bio 104, I have become scientifically literate and will be able to utilize and communicate scientific information I may encounter in day to day life. Scientific literacy is defined as “the knowledge and understanding of scientific concepts and processes required for personal decision making, participation in civic and cultural affairs, and economic productivity.” I have learned how to effectively communicate and interpret this information through our various lab sessions during the semester. We have seen many examples through the scientific papers we had to read when doing our presentations in the beginning of the semester. There have also been examples in the lab procedures that we read and print out before every lab. These are important skills to learn and have as a college student because graphs and data are not only limited to science, but apply to most fields of schooling and work. It is important to have these scientific literacy skills so you have at least a basic understanding of what you may see in graphs or data presented in your field of schooling.

• What is cellular respiration?
  • Cellular respiration is the process of breaking down glucose (sugars) into a form that the cell uses to make energy (ATP).
• How is cellular respiration related to what you measured in the cricket lab?
  • Cellular Respiration is related to what we measured in the cricket lab because we measured the crickets rate of respiration when exposed to different atmospheric temperatures.

1. Looking at the CLASS DATA, what conclusions can you draw about the nutritional value of the meals/snack this group of students is consuming?
   • It appears that most students are getting enough protein, but surprisingly not receiving enough carbs which is very rare. I was surprised to see that most people were not getting enough carbohydrates in their diet because that is usually most common in foods. For fats, it seems that students were getting a mix between too much and too little for recommended daily amounts (RDA).
2. Assuming the majority of the food consumed is from the Commons dining hall and/or other venues on campus, what suggestions do you have for the food service managers.
   • I would suggest having them make more balanced meals because it seems that things may have been protein and fat heavy with little amount of carbs. Maybe adding rice or potatoes to some of the meals will help balance out the amounts of protein and carbohydrates.
3. What spices do you wish were available in the dining hall?  Are there nutrients in spices?
   • I don’t really eat at the dining hall much, but I would say that they need more salt, pepper, and garlic powder. Using those three things to season meats and vegetables makes the flavor so much better.
   • Yes, there are nutrients in spices and there are different amounts in nutrients depending on the spice.

Questions to answer before watching this video

• In what ways do you see yourself as a writer? Are you a poet? A journalist? A blogger?  What style of writing is most familiar and comfortable for you?

I don’t really write that often, besides notes for my classes, so I don’t really see myself as any specific kind of writer other than the papers or notes I write for my classes. I am definitely most comfortable with writing academic papers for English.

• What is your impression of scientific writing?

I think scientific writing is similar to an academic journal or scholarly article. It is probably pretty dry, boring, and straight to the point, with its main purpose being to inform other scientists or people who are interested in the subject.

Answer this question after you watch the video

• How do Wilson’s ideas fit with your experience or ideas about scientific writing?

Wilson’s ideas are very different from what my ideas were of scientific writing. He said that scientific writing can be creative and poetic which is most definitely not what I would expect of it.

• What, if anything, surprised you about Wilson’s description of scientists, and their emotions and values as they fit into the process of science?

I was surprised when he said that scientists and passionate and excited to perform experiments in the lab. It does seem to be accurate though because if you are in that profession, I wouldn’t expect you to be bored and uninterested. I thought it was funny that he said scientists can’t be psychopaths because they are so level-headed and focused on the outcome of their observations and experiments.