Enzyme Catalysis Lab in the book!

Our AP Biology classes finished up AP Lab #2 this morning.  We had varying results ... second block AP Group of Terika, Keith and David had the best results ... close to ideal data!   In this lab, the amount of hydrogen peroxide (the substrate)  catalyzed by catalase (the enzyme) increased with the time intervals (10, 30, 60 ... 240 , 360 seconds).  We will hand this lab data sheet in tomorrow after everyone finishes graphing the ideal data.  We used sulfuric acid in this lab so had to goggle up!  Daniel went a little over the top with this safety issue using ... is that 3 or 4 goggles!

One of the problems with this lab is the catalase (which is shipped separately) came in during our big snow break ... I came in to look for it twice but it had been delivered to the Central Office where it was room temperature for at least a day or more ... thanks to Jimmy Barlow to noticing it and bringing it back to the high school and putting it in the freezer. This might have been a factor.  

Students were able to do several titrations using a burette ... all in all a good lab!  Tomorrow, we will do a review of Ecology and start our study of biochemistry.  Later this week we will do Lab #4 - Photosynthesis.

In Selected Topics in Science, we finished our Regeneration Lab (regeneration the head of a planarian over a two week period).  We talked about how that happens ... genes are activated to make proteins that rebuild not only its head but also its brain ... real life applications and fixing neural tissue problems in humans ... Alzheimer's and spinal cord problems ... 

We also started our Plant Growing Contest using pea seeds.  This contest will continue for three weeks through which we will be talking about photosynthesis, crops and horticulture.

We also worked on and took a few notes on Replication of DNA, Transcription of DNA to RNA ... and, Translation of mRNA to a protein.  This will lead into our study of DNA and Genetics.  Tomorrow we will prep up a chromatography lab and continue to work on these concepts.

Congrats to Erika for being selected a semi-finalist for Emory Scholars (Emory University / Atlanta) ... this is a really big achievement and a prestigious honor!  Wow!

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