Rakluz

2010

2010-08-01T20:49:00.000-07:00

AP Chemistry

2009-04-23T17:09:00.000-07:00

Dissemination of information is key to a community's success.

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The following may be helpful to anyone attempting to pass AP Chemistry (or, even any AP tests).

aptests.brinkster.net (which includes the following)

AP Chem Study Guide (1)
AP Chem Study Guide (2)

AP Bio Worksheet

2009-04-23T13:20:00.000-07:00

Elia, happy?

The following are the answers for Chapter 42: Circulation and Gas Exchange worksheet answers:
[Partial Credit: P.J.]

Structure Your Knowledge
.

First picture ever on this blog. The image shows the direction of blood flow. If you read the directions, this must be done on the picture. (Click to make larger)

a. Aorta
b. Pulmonary artery
c. Pulmonary veins
d. Left atrium
e. Left ventricle
f. Right ventricle
g. Posterior vena cova
h. Atrioventricular valve
i. Semilunar valve
j. Right atrium
k. Anterior vena cova
l
Test Your Knowledge (Multiple Choice)

C
C
D
E
A
B
A
B
A
A
C
E
C
A
A
D
B [On the back of the second page]
C
C
B
B [On the graph]
E
D
E
B
D
D
D
E
C
C
A
B
D

AP Bio - Protein Synthesis + Anatomy

2009-04-21T20:40:00.000-07:00

The following link will provide one with notes for Ch. 17, Protein Synthesis:

http://www.sharepdfbooks.com/TQW5G4XT8PSI/ap_bio_Chapter_17_notes.pdf.html

Notable Supreme Court Decisions

2009-04-13T21:56:00.000-07:00

Marbury v. Madison (1803) established the power of the judicial branch, allowing judicial review of all acts of the other branches (ex. Congress, President). Marbury permitted the Supreme Court to reject any law, if the Court deemed the act unconstitutional.

Fletcher v. Peck (1810) was the first case in which the Supreme Court ruled a state law unconstitutional. The Court held that a state cannot invalidate a contract if it had already made a deal; the decision being in accordance with the Contract Clause of the Constitution.

McCulloch v. Maryland (1819) was decided by Chief Justice John Marshall, the staunch federalist (one who believes in a strong national government). When Maryland began to impose taxes on the Second Bank of the U.S., the Bank’s influence began to wane. In McCulloch, the Court ruled that the federal government may make laws (or create national banks) under the “implied powers” – privileges granted indirectly by the Constitution. So long as the federal acts are constitutional, states may not impede with their functions, meaning they couldn’t tax the national bank. This case heralded the supremacy of the federal government, over the state one.

Dartmouth College v. Woodward (1819) reaffirmed the sacredness of private contracts and restricted the power of states to interfere with pacts between individual parties. Dartmouth, using Fletcher v. Peck as a precedent, strengthened corporations and encouraged business growth.

Gibbons v. Ogden (1824) was another case decided by the Chief Justice Marshall which sanctioned federal over state rights. In Gibbons, the Court held that the national government has the sole right to regulate interstate commerce, including navigation of boats between states.

Cherokee Nation v. Georgia (1831) declared that Native Americans, instead of being a sovereign people, were “domestic dependant nations”. The Court ruled that state of Georgia could continue pursuing the Indian Removal Act of 1830; Cherokees couldn’t challenge the Removal Act because they didn’t have control over their lands, anymore.

Worcester v. Georgia (1832) in many respects reversed Cherokee Nation v. Georgia. In Worcester, the Court declared that the laws of Georgia didn’t apply to the “distinct community” of Cherokee Indians. In response, President Andrew Jackson boldly announced that he was going to ignore the ruling.

Commonwealth v. Hunt (Massachusetts Supreme Court, 1842) was a pioneering case, in which the Court ruled labor unions were legal trade organizations and were constitutional, so long as they didn’t advocate violence.

Dred Scott Case (1857) declared that slaves could never be citizens, thus never could they be free. Chief Justice Taney ruled the Missouri Compromise unconstitutional, hoping to lay rest to the slave controversy in the mid-1800s. The Scott Case was overturned by the ratification of the 13th and 14th amendments to the U.S. Constitution.

Ex parte Milligan (1866) decided that martial law cannot operate where civil courts are properly functioning; this post- Civil War case affirmed that if common courts exist, civilians can’t be tried by military tribunals.

Civil Rights Cases (1883) were a group of cases that gave a very narrow interpretation of the 14th amendment, pronouncing that the amendment applied only to state governments’ actions; segregation was perfectly legal under private circumstances. This case was another step towards deconstructing any achievements of the Reconstruction period, allowing the plight of blacks to continue.

Wabash Case (1886) ruled that federal, not state governments, had the exclusive power to regulate interstate commerce (ex. railroad rates); leading to the creation of a national Interstate Commerce Commission. Note this case’s similarity with Gibbons v. Ogden.

Insular Cases (est. 1901) were several lawsuits that concerned the imperial nature of the U.S. (rule over Guam, Hawaii, Puerto Rico, Philippines). The Supreme Court decided that American laws and the Constitution didn’t necessarily apply to the colonies (or wherever the “flag flew”).

Lochner v. New York (1905) considered a situation in which a state attempted to enforce laws regulating work hours. The Supreme Court expressed that states didn’t have rights to enact labor rules that interfered with the “freedom of contract” between employers and employees. The case was a serious setback during the Progressive Era, when the government tried to improve working conditions.

Schneck v. U.S. (1919) involved the draft resistance movement during World War I. The Court ruled that “unpatriotic” speech was illegal during times of war; the decision being reversed later in the century.

Korematsu v. U.S. (1944) was in light of the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor. The U.S. government relocated Japanese-Americans to internment camps on the West coast, fearing that the Jap-Americans would begin spying for their Asian homeland. The Supreme Court ruled that the government was acting legally and, in effect, the Court “legalized racism” on the premise of national security.

NY Times v. Sullivan (1964) was a landmark case in which the Supreme Court held that the First Amendment protected speech, especially discourse that may be accidentally false and libelous of the government. The notion of “unpatriotic” speech being illegal was dismantled by this case.

Miranda v. Arizona (1966) was decided in favor of accused individuals; the police had to scrupulously follow procedural safeguards. For example, if an interrogator didn’t inform an accused individual that he/she has the “right to remain silent”, all evidence gathered from that interrogation was invalid.

Roe v. Wade (1973) was a divisive case in which the Supreme Court ruled that a woman has the right to terminate her pregnancy by abortion, under certain, minimal restraints. The milestone decision was based on the implicit “right to privacy”.

U.S. v. Nixon (1974) changed the course of presidential history when the Supreme Court severely limited the powers of the chief executive. In this case, concerning President Nixon’s Watergate affair, the Court asserted that executive privileges were not boundless, and the president was obligated to obey subpoena orders and had to hand over court evidence (ex. Watergate tapes).

AP Biology - Spring Break Work

2009-04-11T11:39:00.000-07:00

Credit: M.I., P.P., & G.C.

The following is the answers to the Biology II Review Questions packet (which has 70 questions). If you didn't do anything (academically productive) the entire spring break, and you're going to copy these answers (right or wrong - God knows), then please thank the individuals with the above initials.

There are groups of answers that are missing due to the negligence of two individuals. However, unless you're one of four people who did their part, please don't complain. Whining without reason is morally reprehensible.

1. E
2. A
3. A
4. D
5. B
6. D
7. A
8. C
9. B
10. C
11. D
12. A
#13-24 [Missing]
25. B
26. A
27. C
28. C
29. D
30.A

1. C
2. B
3. B
4. A
5. D
6. C
7. A
8. B
9.E
10. B
11. A
12. C
13. D
14. C
15. D
16. B
17. A
18. D
#19-28 [Missing]
29. D
29. D
30. B
31. C
32. E
33. A
34. B
35. A
36. D
37. A
38. B
39. C
40. A

Word Parts #9

2009-04-02T19:49:00.000-07:00

Thigmotropism - turning or bending response of an organism upon direct contact with a solid surface or object.·

Thigmatic prothrombin – relating to tightening of blood vessels ·

Thrombin - coagulation protein that converts fibrinogen into fibrin·

Thrombus- blood clot in a blood vessel·

Thorax- part of the body between the neck and the abdomen·

Thoracic- relating to or located near the thorax·

Appendectomy- surgical removal of the appendix·

Microtome- mechanical instrument used to cut biological speciments into thin sheets·

Hysterectomy- surgical removal of the uterus·

Trachea- airway in which through respiratory air passes in organisms·

Tracheophyte- vascular plants; plants that have lignified tissues for transporting water and minerals·

Transparent – see-through; material which light can pass through·

Transduction – transfer of genetic material between cells via bacteriophage vector·

Translocate- to transfer or displace·

Hydrotropism- growth of a plant towards or away from water·

Geotropic- growth of a plant in response to gravity·

Phototropism- is directional growth in which the direction of growth is determined by the direction of the light source·

Autotrophic- is an organism that produces complex organic compounds from simple inorganic molecules using energy from light or inorganic chemical reactions.·

Heterotrophic- an organism that uses organic substrates to get its chemical energy for its life cycle.·

Eutrophication- is an increase in chemical nutrients — compounds containing nitrogen or phosphorus — in an ecosystem, and may occur on land or in water.·

Univalve- having one shell or piece.·

Unicellular- being composed of one cell·

Urinalysis- physical, chemical, and microscopic examination of urine.·

Vaccination- the administration of antigenic material to produce immunity to a disease.· Vascular- relating to a dedicated transport system for water and nutrients·

Vas deferens- The tube connecting the testes with the urethra·

Vasectomy- surgical procedure in which the vasa deferentia of a man are cut for the purpose of sterilization.·

Viviparous- having the ability to raise young inside the mother; embryo stays inside· Vitamin- nutritional supplement providing key minerals·

Carnivore- those that only eat flesh or meat (of other animals)·

Herbivore- those that only eat plants·

Omnivore- those that eat both meat and plants·

Detritivore- heterotrophs that use decomposition to obtain nutrients

Ap Bio Vocab #8

2009-03-05T14:46:00.000-08:00

Credit: C.R

Monosaccharide - a carbohydrate, occurring naturally or obtained by the hydrolysis of glycosides or polysaccharides.
Polysaccharide - a carbohydrate, as starch, inulin, or cellulose, containing more than three monosaccharide units per molecule.
Saccharin - a crystalline substance 500 times sweeter than sugar; used as a calorie-free sweetener.
Dinosaur - reptile of the extinct orders Saurischia and Ornithischia, from the Mesozoic Era, certain species of which are the largest known land animals.
Brontosaurus - a huge quadrupedal herbivorous dinosaur common in North America in the late Jurassic.
Tyrannosaurus - a very large carnivorous dinosaur of the Upper Cretaceous Period of North America, characterized by small forelimbs and a large head.
Schizophrenic - a severe mental disorder characterized by: emotional blunting, intellectual deterioration, social isolation, disorganized speech and behavior, delusions, and hallucinations.
Schizocoelous - a false body cavity of higher metazoans, between the body wall and intestine, lined with a mesodermal epithelium.
Omniscient - having complete or unlimited knowledge, awareness, or understanding; perceiving all things.
Sclera - a dense, white, fibrous membrane that, with the cornea, forms the external covering of the eyeball.
Sclerotic - a disease related to the sclera.
Arteriosclerosis - degenerative changes in the arteries, characterized by thickening of the vessel walls and accumulation of calcium with, i copied this off ronald chumioque, consequent loss of elasticity and lessened blood flow.
Microscope - an optical instrument having a magnifying lens or a combination of lenses for inspecting objects too small to be seen.
Telescope - an optical instrument for making distant objects appear larger and therefore nearer.
Chromosome - any of several threadlike bodies, consisting of chromatin, that carry the genes in a linear order.
Somite - any of the longitudinal series of segments or parts into which the body of certain animals is divided; a metamere.
Somatic Cell - any cell other than a germ cell.
Sperm - a male reproductive cell; spermatozoon.
Spermatozoan - one of the minute, usually actively motile gametes in semen, which serve to fertilize the ovum; a mature male reproductive cell.
Spermatogenesis - the origin and development of spermatozoa.
Spermatophore - a capsule surrounding a mass of spermatozoa, produced by the male of various animal species and transferred to the female.Inspire - to inhale air into the lungs.
Expiration - the act of expiring, or breathing out
Stomata - slits in the epidermis of leaves, stems, etc., through which gases are exchanged.
Cyclostome - jawless fish, having a circular mouth.
Deuterostome - organism in which the anus appears first, developing at or near the blastopore, cleavage is radial and indeterminate.
Subnormal - below the normal; less than or inferior to the normal.
Subcutaneous - situated or lying under the skin, as tissue.
Substrate - the material or substance on which an enzyme acts
Superior - higher in place or position; situated above another.
Supraspinatus - a muscle of the back of the shoulder that arises from the scapula, and that rotates the humerus laterally and helps to abduct the arm.
Symbiosis - he living together of two dissimilar organisms, as in mutualism, commensalism, amensalism, or parasitism.
Synthesis - a complex whole formed by combining.
Synapse - the junction across which a nerve impulse passes from an axon terminal to a neuron, muscle cell, or gland cell.
Taxonomy - the science or technique of classification.
Taxidermy - the art of preparing and preserving the skins of animals and of stuffing and mounting them in lifelike form.
Technology -the branch of knowledge that deals with the creation and use of technical means and their interrelation with life, society, and the environment.
Technical - of, pertaining to, or showing technique.
Thermometer - an instrument for measuring temperature.
Thermal - of, pertaining to, or caused by heat or temperature.

AP Bio Vocab #7

2009-03-05T14:43:00.000-08:00

Tracheophyte- any plant of the former division Tracheophyta, comprising all the vascular plants.
Chlorophyta- large division of chiefly freshwater eukaryotic algae that possess chlorophyll a and b, store food as starch, and cellulose cell walls; classes Chlorophyceae, Ulvophyceae, and Charophyceae; obviously ancestral to land plants
Hydrophyte- a plant that grows in water or very moist ground; an aquatic plant.
Hydrophobia- an abnormal or unnatural dread of water.
Acrophobia- a pathological fear of heights.
Androphobia- a morbid fear of men
Pisces- the class of vertebrates comprising the fish and sometimes including, in certain classifications, the cyclostomes.
Cytoplasm- the cell substance between the cell membrane and the nucleus, containing the cytosol, organelles, cytoskeleton, and various particles.
Plasmodesmata- any of many minute strands of cytoplasm that extend through plant cell walls and connect adjoining cells
Platypus- a small, aquatic, egg-laying monotreme, Ornithorhynchus anatinus, of Australia and Tasmania, having webbed feet, a tail like that of a beaver, a sensitive bill resembling that of a duck, and, in adult males, venom-injecting spurs on the ankles of the hind limbs, used primarily for fighting with other males during the breeding season.
Platyhelminthes- a phylum of worms having bilateral symmetry and a soft, usually flattened body, comprising the flatworms.
Pneumonia- inflammation of the lungs with congestion
Pneumatic pressure- pertaining to air, gases, or wind pressure
Decapod- any crustacean of the order Decapoda, having five pairs of walking legs, including the crabs, lobsters, crayfish, prawns, and shrimps.
Pseudopodia- A temporary footlike extension of a one-celled organism, such as an amoeba, used for moving about and for surrounding and taking in food.
Polysaccharide- a carbohydrate, as starch, inulin, or cellulose, containing more than three monosaccharide units per molecule, the units being attached to each other in the manner of acetals, and therefore capable of hydrolysis by acids or enzymes to monosaccharides.
Polymer- a compound of high molecular weight derived either by the addition of many smaller molecules, as polyethylene, or by the condensation of many smaller molecules with the elimination of water, alcohol, or the like, as nylon.
Polymorphic- an organism having more than one adult form, as the different castes in social ants.
Posterior- situated behind or at the rear of; hinder
Post mortem- Occurring or done after death.
Prenatal- previous to birth or to giving birth
Prefix- to fix or put before or in front
Prelab- preparation before doing a laboratory experiment
Protoplasm- the colloidal and liquid substance of which cells are formed, excluding horny, chitinous, and other structural material; the cytoplasm and nucleus.
Prothrombin- a plasma protein involved in blood coagulation that on activation by factors in the plasma is converted to thrombin.
Protostome- any member of the lower invertebrate phyla in which the mouth appears before the anus during development, cleavage is spiral and determinate, and the coelom forms as a splitting of the mesoderm.
Prokaryote- any cellular organism that has no nuclear membrane, no organelles in the cytoplasm except ribosomes, and has its genetic material in the form of single continuous strands forming coils or loops, characteristic of all organisms in the kingdom Monera, as the bacteria and blue-green algae.
Pseudopod- a temporary protrusion of the protoplasm, as of certain protozoans, usually serving as an organ of locomotion or prehension.
Pseudocoelom- the body cavity of certain invertebrate metazoan animals between the body wall and the intestine, which is not lined with a mesodermal epithelium.
Psychology- the science of the mind or of mental states and processes.
Psychiatrist- a physician who practices psychiatry.
Pterodactyl- any of a number of genera of flying reptiles of the extinct order Pterosauria, from the Jurassic and Cretaceous periods, having a highly reduced tail and teeth and a birdlike beak.
Diptera- the order comprising the dipterous insects.
Archaepteryx- a reptilelike fossil bird of the genus Archaeopteryx, from the late Jurassic Period, having teeth and a long, feathered, vertebrate tail.
Pulmonary- of the nature of a lung; lunglike
Podiatrist- a person qualified to diagnose and treat foot disorders.
Centipede- any of numerous predaceous, chiefly nocturnal arthropods constituting the class Chilopoda
Renal vein- veins that accompany renal arteries; open into the vena cava at the level of the 2nd lumbar vertebra
Adrenal gland- one of a pair of ductless glands, located above the kidneys, consisting of a cortex, which produces steroidal hormones, and a medulla, which produces epinephrine and norepinephrine.
Rhinoceros- any of several large, thick-skinned, perissodactyl mammals of the family Rhinocerotidae, of Africa and India, having one or two upright horns on the snout: all rhinoceroses are endangered.
Rhinoplasty- plastic surgery of the nose.
Rhodophyta- lower plants; mostly marine and littoral eukaryotic algae
Rhododendron- any evergreen or deciduous shrub or tree belonging to the genus Rhododendron, of the heath family, having rounded clusters of showy, pink, purple, or white flowers and oval or oblong leaves.

Vocab Week #6

2009-03-01T16:10:00.000-08:00

Optical- of or relating sight

Myopia- a visual defect; short-sightedness

Hyperopia- a visual defect; far-sightedness

Optometrist- a person who is qualified to treat eyes

Ornithology- the study of birds

Ornithine- an amino acid; important in the formation of urea

Orthopedic- medical branch dealing with ligaments, muscles, and joints

Orthodontist- person who treats geometrical irregularities of teethOrthoptera- an order of manibulate insects

Nephrosis- a disease of the kidneys, characterized by large amounts of protein in urine

Metamorphosis- a change in habit and structure of an animal during development

Mitosis- process of cell division in which the nucleus divides; has four stages

Osteology- study of bones and their diseases

Periosteum- a dense fibrous membrane covering the surface of bones

Osteoporosis- brittleness of the bones, caused by lack of calcium

Otology- medical branch dealing with the ear

Otorhinolaryngology- the medical specialty that deals with diseases of the ear, nose and throat

Heterozygous- having two different alleles of the same gene

Odoriferous- having or giving off odor

Humorous- showing humor or wit

Oviduct- tube through which eggs are transported from an ovary

Ovulation- discharge of eggs from the ovary

Oviparous- producing eggs that hatch outside of the body

Parasite- an animal or plant that lives in or on another from which it obtains nourishment

Paramedic- person trained to give professional, emergency medical treatment

Parathyroid gland- any one of four endocrine glands situated above or within the thyroid gland that secrete hormones

Pathology- study of diseases

Pathogenic- capable of causing disease

Pandemic- a disease occurring over a wide geographical area

Pancreas- a large gland behind the stomach, that produces insulin and aids digestion

Panoramic- an unbroken view of an entire surrounding area

Paleontology- study of fossils and their historyPaleolithic-of or relating to the Stone Age

Pericardium- membraneous sac enclosing the heart

Phagocytosis- engulfing and ingestion of bacteria or other foreign bodies

Esophagus- tube in vertebrates through which food passes from the pharynx to the stomach

Bacteriophage- virus that infects and destroys bacterial cells

Phenotype- the physical form of an organism as determined by the interaction of its genetic make-up

Hemophilia- tendency to uncontrolled bleeding

Basophil- a leukocyte with granules easily stained by basic dyes

Photosynthesis- the process by which a plant uses sunlight to build up carbohydrate reserves

Phosphorus- a toxic flammable nonmetallic element which appears luminous in the dark

Phototropism- the growth of plants towards or away from a source of light

Chlorophyll- colored pigment found in chloroplasts of plants

Mesophyll- the photosynthetic tissue of a leaf, located between the upper and lower epidermis

AP Bio -Ch. 10 Photosynthesis Worksheet

2009-02-24T12:56:00.000-08:00

Cellular respiration is when cells breath. Simple

3. B

4. A

5. C

6. A

7. E

8. B

9. C

10. C

11. E

12. A

13. C

14. B

15. B

16. C

17. A

18. C

19. D

20. E

21. B

22. C

23. Both

24. Respiration

25. Both

26. Photosynthesis

27. Respiration

28. Respiration

Vocab Week 5

2009-02-23T18:11:00.000-08:00

Credit: F.J.
Metazoan- any animal having a body composed of many cells (exceptions: sponges and protozoans)
Metamere- a somite.
Metamorphosis- a profound change in form from one stage to the next in the life history of an organism
Thermometer- an instrument for measuring temperature
Hydrometer- an instrument for determining the specific gravity of a liquid.
Photometer- an instrument used to measure intensity of light
Millimeter- a unit of length equal to one thousandth of a meter.
Millipede- any terrestrial arthropod of the class
Diplopoda, having a cylindrical body composed of 20 to more than 100 segments, each with two pairs of legs.
Morphology- the branch of biology dealing with the form and structure of organisms.
Metamorphosis- a profound change in form from one stage to the next in the life history of an organism
Mortician- the undertaker, funeral director
Rigor mortis- the stiffening of the body after death.
Mortgage- a conveyance of an interest in property as security for the repayment of money borrowed.
Myocardial- the muscular substance of the heart.
Myomere- The segment within a metamere that develops into skeletal muscle.
Myoglobin- hemoglobin of muscle, weighing less and carrying more oxygen and less carbon monoxide than blood hemoglobin.
Myofibril- a contractile fibril of skeletal muscle, composed mainly of actin and myosin.
Mycology- the branch of biology dealing with fungi.
Streptomycin- an antibiotic produced by Streptomyces and used to treat tuberculosis
Basidiomycota- the basidiomycetes considered as belonging to the phylum Basidiomycota of the kingdom Fungi.
Mutant- a new type of organism produced as the result of mutation.
Mutagen- a substance or preparation capable of inducing mutation.
Mutation- the act or process of changing.
Neobiologist- new branch of biology regarding neuronal cellsneo-darwinism- the theory of evolution as expounded by later students of Charles Darwin, esp. Weismann, holding that natural selection accounts for evolution and denying the inheritance of acquired characters.
Nephron- the filtering and excretory unit of the kidney, consisting of the glomerulus and tubules.
Nephrology- the branch of medical science that deals with the kidney.
Neurology- he science of the nerves and the nervous system, esp. of the diseases affecting them.
Neuron- a specialized, impulse-conducting cell that is the functional unit of the nervous system, consisting of the cell body and its processes, the axon and dendrites.
Nocturnal- of or pertaining to the night
Taxonomy- the science or technique of classification.
Nomenclature- the names or terms comprising a set or system.
Autonomic- produced by internal forces or causes; spontaneous.
Ameboid- resembling or related to amebas.
Rhizoid- rootlike; one of the rootlike filaments by which the plant is attached to the substratum.
Android- an automaton in the form of a human being.
Physiologist- a specialist in physiology.
Bronchiole- a small branch of a Arteriole- any of the smallest branches of an artery, terminating in capillaries.
Omnipresent- present everywhere at the same time
Omnivorous- eating both animal and plant foods.
Omniscient- having complete or unlimited knowledge, awareness, or understanding; perceiving all things.
Carcinoma- a malignant and invasive epithelial tumor that spreads by metastasis and often recurs after excision; cancer.
Glaucoma- Any of a group of eye diseases characterized by abnormally high intraocular fluid pressure, damaged optic disk, hardening of the eyeball, and partial to complete loss of vision.
Sarcoma- any of various malignant tumors composed of neoplastic cells resembling embryonic connective tissue.
Oocyte- an immature egg cell of the animal ovary; in humans, one oocyte matures during the menstrual cycle, becoming an ootid and then an ovum, while several others partially mature and then disintegrate.
Oogamous- having small motile male gametes and large nonmotile female gametes

#4 AP Bio Vocab

2009-02-12T17:53:00.001-08:00

CREDIT: I.M.

Hydrology- the branch of geology that studies water on the earth and in the atmosphere: its distribution and uses and conservation
Hydrolysis- Hydrolysis is a chemical reaction during which one or more water molecules are split into hydrogen and hydroxide ions which may go on to participate in further reactions. It is the type of reaction that is used to break down certain polymers
hydrotropism -The movement of a plant (or other organism) either towards or away from water hypertension- a medical condition in which a person has very high blood pressure
hyperthermia- abnormally high body temperature; sometimes induced (as in treating some forms of cancer)
hypertonic- The solution on one side of a membrane where the solute concentration is greater than on the other side.
Hypodermic- Below the skin, subcutaneous.
Hypothalamus- A part of the brain that is vital in regulating many body functions, including the production of sex hormones.
Hypotonic- The solution on one side of a membrane where the solute concentration is less than on the other side.
Ichthyology- the branch of zoology that studies fishes
Osteichthyes- a class of fish having a skeleton composed of bone in addition to cartilage
Intercellular- located between cells
Interneuron- Any neuron that communicates only with other neurons
Intracellular- located or occurring within a cell or cells
Intravenous- within or by means of a vein
Intron- sequence of a eukaryotic gene's DNA that is not translated into a protein
Irreversible- things cannot be changed back to the way they were before.
Isogamete- either of a pair of conjugating gametes of the same size and structure
Isotonic- having approximately the same osmolality of the comparison solution.
Appendicitis- an illness in which a person's appendix is infected and painful.
Arthritis- a medical condition in which the joints in someone's body are swollen and painful.
Lactation- the production of milk by women and female mammals during the period after they give birth
Lactose- a type of sugar which is found in milk and which is sometimes added to food.
Lactase- any of a group of enzymes (trade name Lactaid) that hydrolyze lactose to glucose and galactose
Leucocyte- White blood cells, or leukocytes, are cells of the immune system defending the body against both infectious disease and foreign materials
Leukemia- malignant neoplasm of blood-forming tissues; characterized by abnormal proliferation of leukocytes; one of the four major types of cancer
Leucoplast- category of plastid and as such are organelles found in plant cells. They are non-pigmented
Bioluminescent- The emission of light by a living organism
Hemolytic- relating to or involving or causing hemolysis, meaning to break open—is the breaking open of red blood cells and the release of hemoglobin into the surrounding fluid
Lysogeny- the condition of a host bacterium that has incorporated a phage into its own genetic material
Macronucleus- The larger the two nuclei present in ciliate protozoans; it controls the nonreproductive functions of the cell
Micronucleus- A micronucleus is the smaller nucleus in ciliate protozoans, such as the paramecium. In fission it divides by mitosis, and in conjugation furnishes the pairing of gamete nuclei, by whose reciprocal fusion a zygote nucleus is formed, which gives rise to the macronuclei and micronuclei of the individuals of the next cycle of fission.
Malignant- dangerous to health; characterized by progressive and uncontrolled growth (especially of a tumor)
Malaria- serious disease carried by mosquitoes which causes periods of fever.
Osteomalacia- abnormal softening of bones caused by deficiencies of phosphorus or calcium or vitamin D
Marine- of or relating to the sea
Monomer- a simple compound whose molecules can join together to form polymers
Polymer- a chemical compound with large molecules made of many smaller molecules of the same kind.
Sarcomere- one of the segments into which a myofibril is divided
Meroblastic- In embryology, cleavage is the division of cells in the early embryo.
Mesoderm- the middle germ layer that develops into muscle and bone and cartilage and blood and connective tissue
Mesothorax- The mesothorax is the middle of the three segments in the thorax of an insect, and bears the second pair of legs.
Mesophyll- photosynthetic tissue of a green leaf.

President Obama

2009-02-07T21:08:00.001-08:00

*For the enzyme lab, scroll down.

Yesterday, in the New York Times, Alaa Aswany wrote an interesting op-ed piece. Here is an excerpt from the Egyptian, Dr. Aswany:

----"We saw Mr. Obama as a symbol of this justice. We welcomed him with almost total enthusiasm until he underwent his first real test: Gaza. Even before he officially took office, we expected him to take a stand against Israel’s war on Gaza. We still hope that he will condemn, if only with simple words, this massacre that killed more than 1,300 Palestinians, many of them civilians. (I don’t know what you call it in other languages, but in Egypt we call this a massacre.) We expected him to address the reports that the Israeli military illegally used white phosphorus against the people of Gaza. We also wanted Mr. Obama, who studied law and political science at the greatest American universities, to recognize what we see as a simple, essential truth: the right of people in an occupied territory to resist military occupation.
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-----But Mr. Obama has been silent. So his brilliantly written Inaugural Speech did not leave a big impression on Egyptians. We had already begun to tune out. We were beginning to recognize how far the distance is between the great American values that Mr. Obama embodies, and what can actually be accomplished in a country where support for Israel seems to transcend human rights and international law."

AP Bio - Enzyme Lab

2009-02-07T20:40:00.000-08:00

Procedure
1. a) Catalase
b) H2O2 (hydrogen peroxide)
c) H2O + O2 - water and oxygen gas
d) You could do a flame test
2. The boiled reaction doesn't happen like the un-boiled one because the heat effectively made the enzyme inactive by denaturing it
3. I observed bubbles. I think if the potato was boiled, the reaction wouldn't be as similar because the heat would have denatured the enzyme
~
Above 'Figure 2.4' - Base line Calculation
Final reading... 15.8mL
Initial reading... 7.9mL
Base line... 7.9mL
Uncatalyzed Rate of H2O2 Decomposition
Final...45.2mL
Initial...39.2mL
Amount of KMnO4...6mL
Amount of H2O2...3mL
What % of H2O2...33%
Enzyme-Catalyzed Rate of H2O2 Decomposition
Final...10.4mL
Initial...1.4mL
Base line...9mL
~
Analysis of Results
1. [Table varies on class period]
2. 0-10 seconds because the solution was more saturated with substrate than the enzyme
3. Near the end (180-360); the solution was less saturated with substrate and more with the enzyme
4. Sulfuric acid caused a decline of pH in the reaction mixture - causing the enzyme to be inactive. Enzymes have a certain pH range in which they operate or they become denatured and inactive.
5. Enzymes work by lowering the activation energy of chemical reactions. Temperature increases the reate of enzymatic reactions by supplyin energy to activate the reaction. If the temperature of is too high, the protein denatures and the enzyme becomes inactive.
6. Use an enzyme (amylase). After adding 5 grams of starch to water, add the enzyme. Heat the mixture in a beaker and record the time when the starch has been broken down. Use this beaker as the control. Use 3 other beakers, in each varying pH (by adding HCl), temperature (heat the water before adding the mixture), and enzyme concentrations (add more enzymes in the same volume).

AP Bio Vocab #3

2009-02-05T16:07:00.000-08:00

[Credit I.M]
Eukaryote- organism with cells of a distinct membrane-bound nucleus
Eucoelomate- possessing a cavity coelom between the body wall and gut.
Extracellular- "outside the cell"
Exogenous- Originating externally.
Pheromone- is a chemical that triggers a natural behavioral response in another member of the same species.
Conifer- cone-bearing seed plants
Sporangiophore- a stalk or similar structure bearing sporangia.
Gastritis- is an inflammation of the lining of the stomach.
Gastrovascular- describes a part of the body involved in both digestion and circulation, e.g. the central body cavity of some jellyfish.
Gamete- sex cell
Gastrula- An embryo at the stage following the blastula
Gametophyte- multicellular structure that is haploid, containing a single set of chromosomes.
Microgamete- The smaller of a pair of conjugating gametes.
Genetics- is the science of heredity
Gene- is the basic unit of heredity
Fibrinogen- is a protein that plays a key role in blood clotting.
Carcinogen- any substance, radionuclide or radiation that is an agent directly involved in the promotion of cancer.
Glycogen- is the storage form of glucose in animals and humans.
Hypoglycemia- state produced by abnormally low level of blood glucose
Glycolysis- is the metabolic pathway that converts glucose.
Agnatha- class of jawless fish
Gonad- is the organ that makes gametes
Gonopore- is a genital pore in some invertebrates and especially some insects.
Archegonium- is a multicellular structure or organ of the gametophyte phase of certain plants producing and containing the ovum or female gamete
Graph-a representation of a set of objects.
Chromatography- process used to seperate chemical compounds within mixed substances.
Electrocardiogram- is a recording of the electrical activity of the heart over time produced by an electrocardiograph.
Gymnasium- an educational and sporting institution.
Gymnosperm- the group of vascular plants whose seeds are not enclosed by a ripened ovary (fruit).
Gynecology- medical specialty dealing with female reproductive system
Gynandromorphy- is an organism that contains both male and female characteristics.
Hemoglobin- the protein molecule in red blood cells.
Hemolysis- is the breaking open of red blood cells and the release of hemoglobin into the surrounding fluid.
Heterosexual- sexual attraction to people of the opposite gender.
Heterozygote- A person possessing two different forms of a particular gene.
Heterogenous -describe an object or system consisting of multiple items having a large number of structural variations.
Hepatitis- inflammation of the liver
Hepatic -A drug that acts on the liver.
Herbivore- is an animal that gets its energy from eating plants.
Herbaceous- is a plant that has leaves and stems that die down at the end of the growing season to the soil level.
Herbarium- collection of preserved plant specimens.
Herpetology-study of amphibians.
Herpatarium- usually a building at a zoo or private collection with different species of reptiles and amphibians.
Hominid- member of the family Hominidae: all of the great apes.
Homo sapiens- modern humans
Homogeneous-of the same or a similar kind or nature
Homosexual- sexual attraction between people of the same sex.
Homozygous- Having identical alleles for a single trait.
Histology- study of theanatomy of cells and tissues of plants and animals.
Histocompatability- is the property of having the same, or mostly the same, alleles of a set of genes called the major histocompatibility complex.

Enzyme Pre-Lab Questions

2009-02-04T16:14:00.000-08:00

1. Control was the H2O2 that was not added a catalase (enzyme)
2. Index of the initial concentration of H2O2 in solution
3. Potassium permanganate
4. Potassium permanganate will prevent the KMnO4 from causing H2O2 from decomposing
5. Catalase
6. H2O2
7.-
8. Process of reacting a solution (with unknown [concentration]) with one of known [ ]
9. The color - faint pink or brown
10. If the salt [ ] is too high--> interaction of charged groups will be blocked, new interactions will occur, and the catalase will precipitate
11. Will lose H+ ions and lose its shape
12. Enzyme will gain H+ ions & will lose many side chains
13. Pepsin - in the human stomach
14. Range of temp. which enzyme-catalyzed reaction goes fastest
15. Proteins are denatured
16. Activator
17. Inhibitor
18. Everywhere, almost in all animals
19. 2H2O2-->2H2O + O2 (gas)
20. Decomposed products
21. Time, in seconds
22. LOL, epic lulz
23. Measure

AP Bio - Week 2 (Notes, Vocab, Worksheet)

2009-01-27T14:46:00.000-08:00

*Ch. 2 Notes

Chem. Worksheet
A. H-Bonding
B. Found between water molecules
C. Amount of heat that must be abosrbed/lost for 1g
D. Heat of vaporization
E. Allows human respiration to effectively function
F. Evaporation
G. Rain results from the process of evaporation (and condensation)
H. Hydrogen bonds create space between molecules making the frozen ice "floaty"
I. Prevents oceans from filling up with ice.=
J. Aqueous solubility
K. Solubility of solutes/solvents with water
Multiple Choice
1.B 2.A 3.E 4.E 5.B 6.A 7.E 8.A 9.B 10.D 11.B 12.E 13.C (If you like chemistry; 14.C 15.E)

VOCAB #2
Chaeta- bristle of an annelid worm
Polychaete- class of marine annelid worms
Chloroplast- organelle responsible for photosynthesis
Chlorophyll- green pigment found in chloroplast, used for photosynthesis
Chondrocyte- specialized cells found in cartilage
Chondrichthyes- class of cartilaginous fish
Hypochondriac- being abnormally anxious about oneself's health
Chromatin- combination of DNA, RNA, and protein that make up chromosomes
Cytochrome- iron-containing proteins; important in plant cell respiration
Chromosome- single strand of DNA and protein found in cells
Chromatography- process used to seperate chemical compounds within mixed substances
Insecticide- chemical used to kill insects
Fungicide- chemical used to kill fungi
Suicide- the act of killing oneself
Circadian rhythm- daily rhythmic activity cycle exhibited by many organisms
Coelom- body cavity formed from embryonic mesoderm
Schizocoelous- type of coelom development found in protostomes; solid-masses of mesoderm split to form cavities
Enterocoelous- type of coelom development found in deuterostomes; pouches on the archenteron form cavities
Cooperate- to work together
Conjugation- temporary union of 2 bacterial cells
Commensalism- symbiotic relationship between organisms
Contraception- prevention of pregnancy
Countercurrent- flows going opposite directions
Cytology- study of plant and animal cells
Cytoplasm- protoplasm outside the nucleus of a cell
Erythrocyte- red blood cell
Deactivate- to block the action of an enzyme (or other biological agent)
Denaturation- to change the qualities of
Dentology- study of teeth
Dentist- person qualified to treat teeth
Orthodontist- dentist qualified to treat geometric abnormalities in teeth
Lupus erythematosus- connective tissue disease
Erythrocyte- red blood cells
Epidemic- Spreading rapidly and extensively by infection and affecting many individuals in an area or a population at the same time
Epidermis- the outermost and nonvascular layer of the skin
Gastroenterology- the study of the stomach and intestine and their diseases.
Enterology-study of disorders in the intestinal tract.
Endoparasite- a parasite that lives within the body of the host.
Endometrium- the uterine mucous membrane lining
Endodermis- layer of tissue deep in vascular plants
Hypercholesterolemia- refers to abnormally high levels of cholesterol in the blood
Anemia- health disorder resulting from lack of hemoglobin
Leukemia- a progressive, malignant disease of the blood-forming organs
Ectoparasite- a parasite living on the surface of the host's body.
Ectothermic-Of or relating to an organism that regulates its body temperature largely by exchanging heat with its surrounding environment.
Ectoderm-The outermost of the three primary germ layers of an embryo
Echinoderm- phylum of sea stars
Placoderm- any member of an extinct group of primitive jawed fishes
Dermatitis- describes an inflammation of the skin.
Hypodermic-applied or administered beneath the skin
Epidermis- the outermost and nonvascular layer of the skin

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AP Bio: Evolution

2009-01-22T16:26:00.000-08:00

I would strongly suggest anyone - who has spare time - to visit the following link. Just reading over the notes will likely refresh your memory.

CliffNotes: Evolution

If, under extreme circumstances - which no one should be under, other than Quais - you forgot to take notes, you can check them out at:

Wikibooks: Evolution

Fetal Pig Lab-Writeup

2009-01-08T15:23:00.000-08:00

P.J., in case you wanted to watch Al-Jazeera, go to http://www.livestation.com/aje

NOTE: I am still waiting on certain people to email me their parts on the 'Lab-Writeup'. Also, I would remind those individuals who are cooperating with me with the 'Midterm Review' to please give me their part by Friday 7PM. I would appreciate that, greatly.

Conclusion: After dissection and observation of the fetal pig, it was quite definite that the pig is by far the most complex organism that we have dissected yet. The mammalian creature possesses a four-chambered heart (with two atria and ventricles) - quite dissimilar with the three-chambered frog, four legs, and even a tail.

The complex biological nature of the frog, fundamentally stems from the reason that its diet is much more diverse, compared to previous organisms that we have dissected. The mammalian animal is an omnivore, meaning it eats both plants and animals, in large quantities. Their omnivorous nature plays a direct role in how their mouths have evolved; the upper roof of the mouth is ridged and hard, while a bit lower down it becomes softer.

Regardless of their complexity, I remain scared of pigs. I have not, and will never touch a pig.

Israeli-Palestinian Conflict

2009-01-05T15:28:00.000-08:00

Just remember - these genocidal crimes are a result of the taxes, we pay.

Ratio of Palestinian deaths to Israeli deaths:
500 : 4

http://www.un.org/News/Press/docs//2009/sc9567.doc.htm

The Pig - Worksheet

2009-01-05T15:01:00.000-08:00

Ladies and gentlemen, we are currently witnessing a genocide of a population in the Middle East.

NOTE: (I have updated the notes; scroll down to the previous post) I will update this post ASAP. Credit to: I.M., P.C, X.Y.

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Protect eyes
Collects sound waves and channels to inner ears
Where air enters
Connecting cord from the developing fetus to placenta
A single large vein, carries oxygenated blood from placenta to fetus
Carry deoxygenated blood from fetus to placenta
Eliminates waste
Nipple surround by areola which gives outlet to the lactiferous duct
Where waste products and reproductive fluids are expelled from outside of the body cavity
Toof of the mouth from the nasal cavity; helps in sensing taste
Opening to the esophagus
Opening into the pharynx
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Connects mouth to stomach
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Produces bile
Digest food
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Where chyme and chemicals meet
Digests and absorbs nutrients
Thin membrane that holds the intestine together
Receives food, and is the last stop before waste is removed
Increases surface area in small intestine
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Stores waste
Secretes digestive enzymes that aid in digestion
Supplies fluids that aid in digestion
Stores bile
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Produces red blood cells; filters out waste
Filters blood
Propells + releases urine
Stores urine
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Male reproductive organ; produces sperm
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Reproductive tube where sperm travels during "mating"
The male mammalian copulatory structure; used to do "bang-bang" with #49
Female reproductive organs; produce eggs
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Where eggs eggs are fertilized and develops
Used to do "bang-bang"! (On a serious note - it is the birth canal and also has a dual purpose - it accomodates the penis and receives sperm during copulation)
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Encloses and protects the heart
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Aids in respiration
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Voice box
Pumps blood
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Biggest arteries; transports blood from the heart
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(Back end); Carries blood from body cells to sinus venosus
(Front end); carries blood from body cells to sinus vinosus
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Chordates / Vertebrates

2008-12-11T16:37:00.000-08:00

I will update this post as soon as the need arises; meaning it will be updated regularly. If one needs to contact, email at bluebeans[at]gmail.com.

A Disastrous Economy

2008-12-11T16:35:00.000-08:00

After more than a million jobs have been lost this year, with the U.S. dollar value rapidly decreasing, and an enormous real estate crisis, it is self-evident that America is in financial ruins; the question remains- how long will it take to recover? However; the real question that hard-working men and women angrily wonder is- who's fault is this?

Long time ago, before you and I were alive, in the beginning of the Industrial Revolution came a man, whose name history remembers quite well. Adam Smith, the Scottish philosopher, came to write one of the greatest and most influential scholarly pieces in human history- The Wealth of Nations. Smith in his magnum opus detailed how economies should use their markets to attain the ultimate tranquility.

Now we come closer to modern day- 1980s. During this era, Ronald Reagan's administration was widely hailed as the "cowboys that saved free-market ideologies." We know today that like Reagan's administrations, other White House administations are culpable for the current financial crisis. They often protested again social reforms that they claimed would contradict our nationalistic view of how the market functions.

Whenever the people advocated for progressive movements such as health care or pollution control, they met great opposition from the politicans (which were effectively controlled by corporations). What is interesting is the excuse they use to ignore democratic public opinion; businessmen say they are merely following Adam Smith's philosophy of a free-market.

That is exactly what previous White House administrations (similar to the one that the incumbent Bush administration is also saying); that we should never, under any circumstances interefere with the free-market, unless they're in big trouble. The problem is that Adam Smith never advocated for an uncontrolled market.

Smith realized that the "invisible hand" of the free-market was not a hand that kept everything in control. Rather, he strongly advocated for a government that controlled the excesses of the business class from ruining (by exploiting the idea of 'division of labor') the general society.

Capitalism, based on a market, is supposed to be kept in check by a goverment (essentially created by the people) is they type of economy that Smith was strongly in favor of. But the inevitable questions is why, why does the government need to control the market? Simple: because of 'externalities.'

Externalities are loosely defined as, "impacts on third-parties, not directly related with an economic decision." Example? Lets say- I love salmons, and a fishing company baits out all the salmon out of a lake. As a result of overfishing the entire ecosystem in that area will drastically suffer; thus the pain of the ecosystem is a negative externality.

Honest, intelligent economists understand that externalities will always occur when insatiable corporations make economic decisions that hurt the entire market (other than themselves and whoever they're dealing with). It is remarkably sad that men like Alan Greenspan and Henry Paulson (the former and current secretary of treasury, respectively) consider Adam Smith a father of capitalism, yet completely ignore his writings.

The 700 billion dollar bailout plan was widely condemned by the population and initially rejected by (the more populist of the two chambers of Congress) House of Representatives. Yet, eventually it got passed, supported by all major corporations (obviously, as they are the "masters of mankind" in the words of Smith), and both Obama and McCain.

This is the sad sign of a waning (or what never was) a true democracy. Despite strong popular opposition to the bailout, all major political figures supported it. Other proposals were there to fix the economy at this collapsing stage, yet all ignored. As Joseph Stiglitz wrote in The Nation, "the champagn bottle corks were popping" in Wall Street as soon as Bush signed the act, because they were gleefully surprised that once again (as many times in our modern style of "capitalism") the public became the suckers; bailing out carnivorous thieves out of an extra vacation.

December 11, 2008

Phylum Echinodermata Notes

2008-12-10T14:22:00.000-08:00

The following link shall provide the notes for Ch. 33 Invertebrate (echinoderms).

*Echinodermata Notes

If you want practice for the fill-in-the-blank quiz - or test, whatever you call it- the following link might be beneficial. Use the resource only after you have studied the notes.

http://docs.google.com/Doc?id=dcwcg4v9_105fzswrbfd

Arthropoda Notes (Ch. 33)

2008-12-05T02:07:00.000-08:00

The following link will provide you with the notes for Ch. 33- Phylum Arthropoda (Biology) notes:

Arthropoda Notes

Crayfish/Grasshopper Worksheet

2008-12-01T14:53:00.000-08:00

NOTE: The worksheet and lab write-up has been combined in this post because they both cover the exact same thing.

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The following link will emphatically provide you with the correct answers:

Los Answers

The following is the (incomplete) lab write-up for the crayfish and grasshopper dissections:

Grasshopper/Crayfish Lab

Purpose: Compare and contrast the grasshopper's and crayfish's structres in relation to their environment.

Problem: How do the structures of a crayfish and grasshopper compare and contrast in relation to their environment?

Hypothesis: The crayfish's body will be more suitable to acquatic environments; contrasting the body structure of the grasshopper which will be more suitable for terrestrial environments.

Materials: *1 Grasshopper*1Crayfish*1Dissection Scisson*1 Dissection pan*2 probs*Numerous dissection pins*Plastic gloves*Lab apron*Tape*Black marker

Procedure Grasshopper
Place the grasshopper in the dissecting tray. Locate the head, thorax, and abdomen. Observe the grasshopper carefully.Make a cut to the left of the mid-dorsal line. Be careful not to cut the organs underneath. In front of the thorax, cut down the left side to the bottom of the grasshopper. Cut down between the next to the last and last abdominal segments.Use your forceps to pull down the left side. Locate the large dorsal blood vessel.Use your scissors to cut the muscles close to the exoskeleton. Locate the finely branched trachea leading to the spiracles. Use forceps to pull skeleton apart, exposing internal systems. With dissecting pins, tack the flaps to the tray, thus keeping the body cavity open.Locate and identify structures associated with the internal morphology of insect.

CONCLUSION: Identify similar structures and shape and explain whe they may have these similarities:(structures that crayfish and grasshopper have in common, according to the orange sheet)1.Antenna: for sensing and feeding2.Compound eye: to see shape, color, movement, and tell the distance3.Walking legs: to walk on ground4.Stomach: to digest food5.Intestine: to absorb nutrients6.Anus: secrete solid waste7.Mouth: where food enters.

The following links may be helpful for the practical (crayfish/grasshopper); I suggest visiting all of them:

Biology - Chapter 33 (Mollusc)

2008-11-18T16:06:00.000-08:00

The following link will provide you with notes on Chapter 33's part of phylum mollusca:

Mollusc Notes

For today's practical, I would strongly suggest using the following links as a study guide:
Bioserve.fiu.edu or Occc.edu

Thanks

The Grief of Gaza

2008-11-18T13:32:00.000-08:00

Are you one of those Americans that have no clue what's going on in the world? Americans are often ridiculed for their lack of knowledge, regarding global affairs. So what does it mean to be an "enlightened American" intellectual?

A typical American intellectual (who dabbles in politics) will probably be a human rights activist, in some sort or other. He or she most likely will criticize the human rights situation in Tibet or in Darfur or Iran. Did you ever notice how enormous (I mean enormous) the media coverage is for the political rallies regarding Tibet or Darfur are? Well, there's nothing wrong with that, other than one thing.

Hypocrisy. Assume for a second that Adolf Hitler was still alive today (a hideous thought) and still killing millions of innocent people. Would it be an "enlightened" act if a German newspaper columnist vehemently condemned the crimes of Communist China, while completely ignoring that his government, led by Hitler, was killing millions? No; now turn the clock to the present.

It is absolutely outrageous, and Americans are morally obliged to be ashamed of themselves for ignoring a situation that their government has helped to create. While we hold rallies for things that are easy to criticize (Darfur, Tibet), we ignore and condone crimes that our government directly participates in.

You live in the United States.

Your government gives foreign aid to countries all over the world. Now, here's something rather interesting? Ready?

Here it is: one-third of all U.S. foreign aid goes to a country with a population that composes less than one-tenth of the world population. That country is Israel.

Since 1967, Israel has sustained the longest, most brutal occupation of a nation in recent history. Millions of Palestinians have been violated of their basic human rights for forty-one long years; this being the consensus of the world opinion, and all major human rights organizations.

In mid-2007, the people of Gaza (one of the occupied territories in Palestine), democratically elected Hamas. The Hamas are officially classified as a "terrorist" group by the United States, just as the U.S. during the South African apartheid-regime classified Nelson Mandela's party (the African National Congress party) also a "terrorist" group. Well, what was the reaction of these democratic elections? Since then, Gaza has been restricted of trade, transportation, and primitive liberty.

Since June of this year, Hamas and Israel agreed upon a ceasefire. On November 4, 2008 Israeli forces raided into Gaza killing six Palestinian militants which followed a "barrage of... Palestinian rockets on southern Israel," which followed Israeli air raids in northern Gaza.

One must realize that this ceasefire was emphatically broken by Israel, but what is so cruel and inhumane is the thing that follows the violation of the ceasefire.

Beginning on November 4th, Israel began enforcing a continuous blockade of Gaza. Not a single man or woman was allowed in or out of Israel. Not a single grain of food or vial of medicine was allowed to be transported to Gaza. Gaza, today has become today the largest concentration camp in the Middle East.

1.5 million completely innocent civilians are suffering from a steady rise in "chronic malnutrition" according to a leaked report from the Red Cross (November 15, 2008) that is drastically increasing as Israel continously isolates Gaza from the world.

Since June 2008, Gaza has become a large concentration camp, but at least they had visitors. The UNRWA (UN Relief and Works Agency) was allowed to give limited humanitarian aid to Gaza, but now even that has been disallowed.

Millions of Gazans are starving and this act by Israel has been widely called a grave "war crime" by every self-dignified international organization, but why hasn't anything been done? Simple: billions of U.S. military and economic aid are being flushed into Israel. With the world sole superpower encouraging this type of inhumane genocidal behavior, what more can you expect?

The only powerplant in Gaza has run out of fuel, 780,000 people are completely starving, and Gaza is running low on critical medical supplies. The United Nations has repeatedly condemned this two-week long act of collective punishment. Collective punishment is strictly prohibited under the Fourth Geneva Convention, which everyone suddenly forgets when it comes to our "favorite ally" in the Middle East- Israel.

An impoverished population is suffering and what are the "intellectuals" of our country doing? How can such a decent and honorably society let such atrocities, not be ignored, but rathcondoned?

The American government is a government of the people, by the people, and for the people. So, when you pay taxes, you are responsible for what the money is spent on. If that money is spent on establishing a sustainable health care system, praise the Lord. But, if that tax money is used to starve 1.5 million impoverished Palestinians, you are morally obligated to -in the words of the Jefferson, "alter or to abolish" the government.

It is inherently unethical for any single American to pay taxes and peacefully sleep tonight, while realizing that their money is being used to slaughter poor, guiltless children in Gaza.

Clam Dissection Worksheet

2008-11-18T12:37:00.000-08:00

I think I have challenged myself enough, by taking AP Bio - next semester. You?

PRELAB QUESTIONS (CREDIT: S.J)

The adductor muscles
Incurrent and excurrent siphons with the gills allow water to move in and out of the clam.
No, because the mantle cavity covers the organs
With their foot. It digs and attaches to substrates, which allows the clam to move forward
A fold of tissue that drapes over the visceral mass and may secrete the shell

INVESTIGATIONS (CREDIT: S.J)

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-
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-
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Home to gills, anus, and excretory pores
Allows water to come in and out of the clam
Feeding and respiration
The ridged gill would function as a better filter
The water goes into the clam (incurrent) and goes over the gills. The food stays on the gills, then the cilia conveys it to the mouth (anterior)
Breaks down the particles and stores nutrients
Absorbs the nutrients and leads waste to the anus
No open circulatory in the pericardial area
The waste leaves with the exiting waste
COLUMN A: (coelom, digestive gland, stomach, mouth, anterior adductor muscle, palp, intestine, gonad, foot, mantle cavity) COLUMN B: (hinge, heart, posterior adductor muscle, anus, excurrent siphon, incurrent siphon, gill, and valve)

ANALYSIS & CONCLUSIONS

Shells are also called "valves". Clams have 2 (bi) valves
Because they filter incoming water over their gills
Clams have adopted gills (used to breathe underwater) which have mucus which allows them to eat underwater (they trap food particles).

Unscramble Mollusca

2008-11-14T10:57:00.000-08:00

The following link shall provide assistance to those who are confused with the unscramble/definition worksheet regarding phylum mollusca.

To challenge results in cheating.

Unscramble/Define Phylum Mollusca Terms

Le Lab de Earthworm

2008-11-06T10:57:00.000-08:00

Do me a favor; don't call me 'sir' anymore.

External/Internal Anatomy

Pick a number (answer ranges) from 36-41

Four pairs

Mouth and anus

Lines of segmentation are shown both outside (external) and inside (internal) at the same exact spot.

Kindly refer to the book (currently I'm at a location where the book is unavailable so I can't tell you the exact page number. However, I do believe the cross section diagram is found in the book somewhere in the 600s)

Closed

Esophagus

Seminal vesicles, seminal receptacles

Functions as excretory organs (has internal openings that collect body fluids and excretes them in a form of dilute urine)

Brain and the VNC (ventral nerve cord) which is located underneath the intestine.

Analysis and Interpretation

Hermaphroditism allow slow organisms (like earthworms) to mate without being too selective.

The brain, the beginning of the digestive system, and the five aortic arches are all located in the "head" end. Crucial components of the reproductive, digestive, and circulatory systems are all located at the "head" end.

Since the body wall is extremely thin, it is easy to see that earthworms have a "tube-in-within-a-tube" body structure; the nerves are surrounded by muscles which are surrounded by the skin (the outermost tube).

Each segment have setae which is used as an anchor. The bristles are dug in the dirt and as a result, the earthworm can pull itself up (effectively "locomoting").

Planarians lack a circulatory system because they use their outer skin to absorb oxygen which goes to all parts of their body. On the other hand, earthworms have internal specialized structures forming a circulatory system because it has a closed system (doesn't use their skin for circulation).

Concerning planarians, they use "flame" cells (at the end of their excretory tubules) that have beating cilia to push waste (e.g. water) out of the body through pores. On the other hand, earthworms also have tubular system, but more complicated; each body segment contains nephridia which contains a ciliated tubule that connect sit to a bladderlike sac which opens to pores in the earthworm's skin (where liquid is disposed of) and the anus (where solid wastage is disposed from).

Diagram - Label (NOTE: From top to bottom)

Mouth
Brain
Pharynx
Esophagus
Aortic arches
Seminal receptacles
Seminal vesicles
Crop
Gizzard
Dorsal blood vessel
Nephridia (i.e. protonephridia)
Ventral nerve cord (VNC)
Ventral blood vessels (located inside the VNC)
Intestine
Anus

Perú

2008-11-03T19:24:00.000-08:00

In the past week, I was busy, so I couldn't write much. Lo siento.

Perú, which was once the home to one of the greatest ancient civilizations has become today, a classic example of a third world country. Just like other geopolitical disasters, there usually is more than one factor playing into a nation's downfall.

In the post-World War II period, the United States combated "Communism". After the fall of the Soviet Union, the U.S. waged its "war on drugs", and now, in the post-September 11 world, we have re-kindled the "war on terror." All of the aforementioned are blatantly deceiving excuses for the U.S. government's attempt for violent domination of the world.

The fight against the Commies eventually ended killing the lives of millions of innocent Vietnamese, the "war on terror" was used effectively to kill more than a million civilians (both in Afghanistan and Iraq, just to mention a few cases). The war against drugs in Peru, allowed a corrupt leader with enormous U.S. support to brutalize his population.

In April of 1992, the president of Peru, Alberto Ken'ya Fujimori, dismissed the Parliament, suspended the judiciary, and froze the laws of Constitution. With poverty on the rise and an undemocratic leader in place, the U.S. funnelled millions of dollars of "counter-narcotic" aid, largely in the form of military aid. One must think, how would this aid be used?

Well, during the reign of Fujimori, hundreds of rondas, paramilitary groups with terrible human rights records were formed. The aid received from the U.S. had a specific target: to destroy political groups with leftist ideologies.

One of the rondas - El Grupo Colina, a paramilitary death squad terrorized the population of Peru (similar to the way the Sendero Luminoso terrorized the Peruvian population). With implicit U.S. backing, and the international community condemning, Grupo Colina killed 15 people, including an 8-year old child (in the Barrios Altos massacre), just to name a single incident.

With hundreds such incidents (most of them documented by poor peasants), Fujimori granted amnesty to convicted members of the death squad. The amnesty was ruled unconstitutional by the courts, but Fujimori suspended the legal system's right to criminalize Fujimori's corrupt actions.

The U.S. donated millions of dollar to Fujimori, through the 1990s (in the name of "anti-drug efforts"), but evidence shows that they more mostly used to terrorize political dissidents.

With the Organization of American States condemning the crimes of Fujimori, and Human Rights Watch astonished by the defiance of Fujimori in regards to the peasant population of Peru, the U.S. continued its support.

Today Peru is recovering, yet recovery is slow. Stifled of political, economic, and social growth Peruvians have suffered much. Yet, those are the outcomes of this "war on drugs."

Rakluz, November 3rd, 2008

Worm Worksheets

2008-11-03T19:01:00.000-08:00

“I have good looking kids. Thank goodness my wife cheats on me.” -R. Dangerfield

Feel free to use the following answers to help you understand the purpose of worms in life. With time being of essence, I'm sorry for not being able to abridge the following into a link.

Summary Sheet (Worms)

The planarians' mouth is located mid-way down the body (on the bottom) allowing it to suck up food underneath its body. For earthworms, their mouths also advantageous since their mouths can ingest (eat) up the soil, allowing its digestive system to filter out the nutrients, when they dig through the soil.
Planarians act as both predators and scavengers. They eat living (small invertebrates) and dead (or decaying) animals.
The setae allows earthworms to move because it serves as an anchor; the bristles jab into the dirt and slowly the earthworm moves.
Allows nutrients from the food (they eat) to reach all parts of their body.
The anterior end is more sensitive to touch, because it is at the anterior end that the auricles are located. Auricles are touch and smell detecting sensors.
The digestive cavity of planarians are different from the digestive system of earthworms because while the digestive cavity of planarians consists of a single opening (through which both functions for consumption and excretion), earthworms have two distinct openings (one used as a mouth and the other as an anus) connecting to their digestive cavity.

EARTHWORM WORKSHEET (Systems)

Septa
The digestive structures (from most anterior to most posterior): mouth, pharynx, esophagus, crop, gizzard, and intestine.
Earthworms possess a type of tubular excretory system called a metanephridia. The metanephridia has internal opening that collect body fluids. Each segment of a worm has a pair of metanephridia, which are immersed in coelomic fluid and surrounded by a capillary network. The internal openings of metanephridia are surrounded by nephrostomes (ciliated funnel). Fluids enter the nephrostome and passes through a coiled collecting tubule, which includes a storage bladder that opens to the external environment through the nephridiopore.
Earthworms have a closed circulatory system with two main blood vessels: dorsal vessels (carries blood towards the head) and ventral vessels (carries blood towards the tail). Earthworms use their body’s surface area to absorb oxygen from the soil. The oxygen is transported by the dorsal vessels to the five aortic arches (hearts) where it is pumped to the ventral blood vessels. The ventral blood vessels pump the blood to all the body segments (and organs) that require oxygen, using small body vessels within the segments that send blood from ventral vessels to the dorsal vessels forming a circulatory system cycle.
Hemoglobin
The circulatory system
Outer body skin
Its brain, which is connected to the ventral nerve cord, runs through the entire body, despite it being “segmented.” This connected and segmented nerve cord controls muscle contractions, consequently being responsible for locomotion. Earthworm’s responsive nervous system allows them to have touch, light, and vibration receptors throughout their outer body skin.
Cross-fertilization occurs when ova of earthworms (earthworms being hermaphrodites, possess both reproductive organs) are fertilized by another individual’s sperm. The cocoon (egg capsule) is formed by the clitellar gland. The cocoon, protected by a tough sheath (formed from the clitellum) is buried underground, is provided safety.

Earthworm Functions

1. Entrance to the digestive tract
2. Immediately after the mouth (part of the digestive tract); used to suck up food
3. Part of the digestive tract that food passes through (between pharynx and the crop)
4. Part of the digestive tract where the food is stored temporarily
5. Functions as the “stomach” and its where the food is grinded
6. Enzymes chemically break down and digest the food
7. Opening for waste removal
8. (Cerebral ganglion) connects to the nerve cord, and allows it to sense touch, detect light, and control muscle movement.
9. Connects the ganglia in each segment to the cerebral ganglia (the brain) allowing it to coordinate movement.
10. Functions as hearts and pumps blood into the ventral blood vessels
11.Supplies blood (containing oxygen) to all the segments of the body
12. Transports oxygen to the aortic arches
13. Where eggs are produced
14. Produces sperm
15. Used for storage and development (of sperm) prior to mating
16. Stores sperm immediately before fertilization occurs
17. Has key reproductive function (produces mucus that binds two earthworms as they mate, and produces a cocoon that protects the egg as it matures)
18. Tubes used for the excretory system

Invertebrate Worksheet

2008-10-28T15:45:00.000-07:00

"Very few drink at the Fountain of Knowledge. Most just gargle."

With sincere belief that all those who click that following link retain their knowledge and (if they're using it to complete the worksheet), write the responses to the questions in their own words.

Thanks.

Invertebrate Worksheet

USFP: Change, But No Change

2008-10-21T07:54:00.000-07:00

With the 2008 presidential election nearing to a close, it is surprising to see that an enormous amount of the world population expect there to be great change. "Change" is what Obama promises, but after very little analysis, one can see that the Obama-administration (if elected) would continue most of the policies that previous administrations have followed. With time of essence, I will only convey remarks regarding why his view on the Middle East crisis is morally flawed.

Barack Obama as a major presidential candidate (and the chance of potentially becoming president of the United States) sparked fear in the hearts of those who support the government of Israel. Yet, he assuaged all those fears when in a speech to AIPAC he said that Jerusalem must remain "undivided". On Obama's official website, he is depicted as a staunch supporter of the policies of Israel and endorses "increased foreign aid" to Israel for "military and economic assistance."

After observing the segment on American foreign policy in the vice-presidential debates, one would come with the conclusions that there was a contest (between Obama's VP candidate and McCain's VP candidate) to see who is more pro-Israel. With the fact being established that the Obama ticket (composed of Obama and Biden) is highly pro-Israel, we must analyze why being pro-Israel is a position of moral defectiveness.

After Israel invaded West Bank, East Jerusalem, the Golan Heights, and the Gaza Strip, the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) passed Resolution 242 ordering "withdrawal of Israeli armed forces" from the occupied territories. Since the occupation of those four territories (in 1967), the Security Council has condemned Israel more than 50 times, and the UN General Assembly (a better consensus of the international body at large) has condemned Israel 321 times (Capital Magazine). One should note that UN Security Council Resolutions are legally-binding and they become a part of international law (ICJ Advisory Opinion: Namibia, 1971).

The government of Israel happens to be committing the exact same crimes, under the common law, that were committed by Hitler and the Nazis, i.e. the "crime against humanity" (UN Human Rights Commission).

Israel, for more than 41 long years, has sustained a brutal occupation on the Palestinian people. The almost half-a-century long occupation is explicitly illegal and has formed Palestinian territories into the world's largest prison.

When under occupation, people of the occupied-territory are sacred under international law regarding occupation (e.g. Fourth Geneva Convention, Hague Convention of 1907).

Article 49 of the Fourth Geneva Convention prohibit forcible transfer of people from the occupied territories, regardless of their motive, while also criminalizing the civilian population of the Occupying Power from migrating to the occupied territories (i.e. the Occupied Palestinian Territories). The UNSC also has ruled on the act of Israel establishing hundreds of settlements (in the Palestinian territories) and evicting thousands of Arab villagers from their home; specifically UNSCR 446, saying,

"the policy and practices of Israel in establishing settlements in the Palestinian and other Arab territories occupied since 1967 have no legal validity."

Israel, since 1967, has established 120 settlements in the Occupied Palestinian territories while kicking out Palestinians, demolishing their homes and allowing hundreds of thousands of Israelis to settle in the land, which was once owned by Palestinians.(B'Tselem) The illegal settlements are not only violations of the law, but in flagrant defiance of condemnations issued by the UN Security Council, Human Rights Watch, Amnesty International, the EU, and the entire international consensus, excluding the United States in most cases.

The practice of building settlements in occupied territories was criminalized because it was exact same act conducted by the Axis Powers during World War II. Acquisition of land by force is one of the simple reasons that why millions of Palestinians suffer day and night, while the United States keeps funnelling billions of dollars into the military budget of Israel.

While keeping to the critique of the Obama ticket, one should look at the remarks of Joe Biden during the vice-presidential debate. Biden condemned the Palestinian elections of 2006 for a simple reason: Hamas won. For more than half-a-century, the United States has conducted a practice of punishing populations who elect officials (democratically), but not the way the U.S. wants them to vote.

In 1953, the CIA removed Mohammed Mossadeq and established the brutal dictator- Shah Reza Pahlavi. In 2006, when West Bank and the Gaza Strip elected Hamas, a resistant group (of the Israeli occupation), the U.S. government (e.g. Biden) immediately condemned the elections, and cut off aid to Gaza. Gaza faced one of the largest humanitarian crises (since the occupation began) and the 1.1 million Gazans were blocked from the world, by Israel. The entire world watched as millions of innocent people were prevented from shipments of food and medical supplies by the harsh blockade established by Israel, with the U.S. condoning this entire atrocity. Under customary international law, the rights (humanitarian) of an occupied populace are strictly sacred.

But the 2006 Gazan humanitarian crisis isn't an isolated incident. For more than forty-years Israel has pursued belligerent and unlawful actions on the entire Palestinian people (e.g. building settlements, destroying homes, illegally interrogating, restricting movement) which are violations of international law. Article 33 of the Fourth Geneva Convention and Article 50 of the Hague Convention of 1907 proscribe collective punishments of occupied persons.

While not mentioning the occupation itself, almost every aspect of the occupation of the Palestinian territories happens to be illegal. Israel doesn't allow free movement of Palestinians; the policy being in breach of (Article 12 of) the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights.

Yet, somehow, the American intellectual opinion seems to convey the message that peace and progress is coming to the Middle East. The intellectuals cite the Israeli "disengagement" from Gaza. Contrary to the intellectual opinion (in the U.S.), Gaza happens to still, be under illegal occupation. Israel controls all of Gaza's land crossings, its airspace and territorial waters, its resources, and its population (by military incursions). Gaza, as it has been for years now, is under a cruel occupation that seems to be not only ignored, by the U.S. government, but rather- encouraged.

The arguments made against the Palestinian people, is one of many illusions. The prejudiced intelligentsia contend that Israel is invoking its inherent right of self defense. Why would a self-defending country acquire land by force, punish a collective body for crimes they didn't commit, kill thousands of innocent people (disproportionately), demolish homes of civilians, achieve one of the most heinous human-rights records in modern history, and sustain an illegal occupation condemned by the international consensus?

Self-defense is never, ever in a form of woeful aggression. Since the second Intifada (Uprising) the proportion of killing Palestinian civilians to the deaths of Israeli civilians is extremely high (which isn't unprecedented), but largely ignored.

John Pilger, the British journalist made an interesting point that shows the blatant hypocrisy of the U.S. intelligentsia:

"When Iraq invaded Kuwait in 1990, it was ordered to withdraw by the United Nations Security Council. When the Iraqis failed to comply, they were attacked with such force that tens of thousands were slaughtered. When Israel seized the West Bank of the Jordan and Gaza, it was ordered to withdraw by the same UN Security council. That was 35 years ago, and the occupation goes on."

Millions of completely innocent Palestinians, men, women, and children who have done no wrong to be placed in a world which no human should face, have waken up for years knowing that no change is coming. For 41 long, ruthless years the Palestinian people have been suffering from every type of abuse a human could suffer (murder of children and civilians, destruction of their homes, torture, wrongful incarceration, confined movement, restricted supplies of medicine, food, fuel, degradation of their human rights, etc.) and they realize that little change is coming.

Yet, one must realize that this sustained savage assault on the lives of Palestinians would simply be impossible without American involvement. With Israel forming .001% of the world population, Israel receives more than three billion USD annually with two-thirds of it being military aid (from the U.S. government). (Congressional Research Service Report). Fortunately, for those who support acts of terrorism, Israel has effectively utilized the money and resources (given by the U.S.) to purchase arms and bulldozers that destroy more lives of innocent beings.

Instead of organizing seminars and protest rallies against the genocide in Darfur (where one of our rivals- the Chinese, have established oil rigs) and the terrible (yet, true) human rights record in Tibet, Americans instead are morally obliged to protest something to which their own government and own tax money contribute to: specifically the distress of the Palestinian people. The words of Molière still ring true, "Hypocrisy is a fashionable vice, and all fashionable vices pass for virtue."

After witnessing or hearing the testimonies of the Palestinians, who have had the courage to live up to the brutish occupation, which bleeds the hearts of many, one would be aghast to still hear politicians such as Obama declare their unequivocal support for Israel.

With the entire world realizing that condemnation of Israel to be uncontroversial , including the International Court of Justice in their 2004 opinion, both presidential candidates of the United States in 2008 still ignore the international consensus.

The verification that Obama is a true supporter of Israel was succinctly exemplified when Shmuel Rosner wrote, "Obama Supports Israel. Period." (Haaretz). Maybe the Israeli government hopes that Obama (like the previous Democratic president) will drastically augment military aid to Israel. These hopes wouldn't be futile at all, because Obama's website, itself states that his ticket would urge for the increase of military aid to Israel. But, in regards to hope for the Palestinian people? Forget it.

"The way Palestinians are treated is the way we were treated in apartheid South Africa," said Archibishop Desmond Tutu when he witnessed the status of the Palestinians. After waiting 41 years for the illegal Israeli occupation and its subsequent abuses (with essential U.S. backing) to end, I think the Palestinians have to survive couple more murders, couple more unlawful incarcerations, and a couple more years in their prison-like homeland, until real change comes.

For Palestinians who have already suffered decades of a brutal occupation with unequivocal support from previous White House administrations, more unequivocal support for Israel, isn't the change they can believe in.

Rakluz, October 18, 2008

AP Calculus

2008-10-20T13:17:00.000-07:00

To practice some AP AB Calculus problems, you might be interested in downloading a .pdf at the following link. Please notify if the link has been broken.

http://www.sharepdfbooks.com/G67T2ZZIDFPA/AP_MC_Exam.pdf.html

NOTE:

#5-D
#11-D
#15-B
#19-B
#21-C

Thanks.

Ap Links

2008-10-20T03:45:00.001-07:00

After (very little) observing many different sites, it is quite easy to say that the best links for

Ap Biology: http://www.biologysap.com/
http://www.course-notes.org/Biology

and for

Ap Chemistry: http://www.sciencegeek.net/APchemistry/index.shtml
http://www.chemmybear.com/groves/apchem.html
http://en.wikibooks.org/wiki/AP_Chemistry

For ALL Aps, the CollegeBoard page with free-responses from previous years ( http://www.collegeboard.com/student/testing/ap/prep_free.html ) should be visited.

"The Right War" - Rakluz

2008-10-14T15:34:00.000-07:00

The war in Iraq is widely criticized, from the left-wing intellectuals to the right-wing intellectuals. It has become a fashionable act to do, to criticize the Iraq War. Criticism isn't always for the right reasons.

When a war, like the one in Iraq, costs USD 3 trillion (Stiglitz and Bilmes) and 4,000 U.S. soldier deaths (iCasualties.org), then it becomes a "dumb war" (Obama).

Criticisms of the Iraq War should mainly be focused on the solidarity of the victims. The death of a million innocent Iraqis (Opinion Research Business), with the U.S. being the chief perpetrator of those crimes is something that "left-leaning" intellectuals forget to mention when they criticize the war. While the deaths of 4,000 U.S. soldiers are no minor footnotes in the study of the Iraq War, the economic destruction and the pillage of Iraq is much more significant. Yet, it is only significant to the citizens of a country we invaded.

The war in Afghanistan is the "real front in the war against terror" according to the mainstream of intellectuals and often called the "right war" (Time magazine). Let us look at the reasons why the war in Afghanistan is entirely illegal and should be condemned as much as the one in Iraq:

With the the Pentagon and the World Trade Centers being attacked on September 11, 2001, President Bush called these attacks "acts of terrorism." Note, he did not call them "armed attacks." With both the FBI Director and deputy director of the CIA publicly admitting the lack of any evidence linking the government of Afghanistan to the September 11 attacks, the Bush administration quickly held the government of Afghanistan culpable of the attacks. Despite persevering attempts by President Bush to get UN Security Council approval for a bombing campaign on Afghanistan, the Council refused. One should note that the Council did act, quite definitively.

UN Security Council Resolutions 1368 and 1373 harshly condemned the September 11 attacks as incidents of terrorism and urged the enforcement of international conventions against terrorism.

With the UN Security Council approving any bombing campaign on Afghanistan, the Bush administration began to use the excuse of 'self-defense.' In the annals of international law, the necessity for self-defense must be explicitly "instant, overwhelming, leaving no choice of means, and no moment for deliberation."(Webster).

The U.S. was under attack in only one case, in which the perpetrators weren't even identified, and which our "right for self-defense" was finally invoked in October of 2001 (after three weeks). Let's not even mention that the right of self-defense is only allowed when a state is under "armed attack" not "terrorist attack".

"To intiate a war of aggression, is not only an international crime; it is the supreme international crime differing only from other war crimes in that it contains within itself the accumulated evil of the whole." (Jackson). The aforementioned assertion is the core of the Nuremberg Principles, which was later ratified by the UN General Assembly.

If the United States had real suspicions of Osama bin Laden (and was serious about stopping terrorism), it could have followed a rather conventional method of acquiring justice, a method advocated by the UN Security Council and unsurprisingly- Mullah Omar, the head of the Taliban. Omar, less than ten days after that attacks said he was willing to extradite Bin Laden, if the United States handed over evidence to the supreme court of Afghanistan (BBC). Following this request would be the norm according to international law. The Bush administration vehemently rejected the request.

Article 2, Section 2 of the UN Charter mandate all states to "settle their international disputes by peaceful means" (in this case, abiding my Omar's request would have done the job). If, under the circumstances that the supreme court of Afghanistan did not extradite Bin Laden to the United States after being provided with substantial evidence, then the United States (again following the norms of international law, not the norms of a rogue state) would invoke the rights granted in the Montreal Sabotage Convention of 1971. With both Afghanistan and the United States being signed parties to the Convention, the United States would refer the dispute to the International Court of Justice in accordance with Article 14 of the Montreal Sabotage Convention.

Failure to follow these principles of international law lead to rogue nations (in this case- the United States) acting like Italy (when it was defiant of the League of Nations) in the Second Italo-Ethiopian War of 1935.

The Bush doctrine. which allowed for nations that harbor terrorists to be as culpable as terrorists themselves, seem to be of the utmost hypocrisy. Should the United States be bombed for harboring Orlando Bosch (and refusing to extradite him to Cuba), who was called a terrorist by the FBI and harboring Ronald Reagan and his administration, who were convicted for their acts of international terrorism by the International Court of Justice (Nicaragua v. United States)?

Under no sense was the United States invoking their right of self-defense against the sovereignty when they waged a war of aggression ("the supreme international crime") while the its own intelligence communities (i.e. both the CIA and FBI) admitted that the allegations against the government of Afghanistan (for the attacks of September 11) were unsubstantiated. When Mullah Omar, did offer an extradition deal, White House spokesman, Ari Fleisher said the administration had refused to deal with the Afghan government (being in complete defiance of the UN Charter).

The U.S. was not under an armed attack nor was it under continuous attack. There exists absolutely no pretext for its invasion of Afghanistan. The word 'invasion' in the previous sentence is used largely euphemistically, replacing the word 'destruction' or 'murderous campaign.'

Condoning the war in Afghanistan is the same as condoning the killing of 20,000 civilians, solely in 2001, which happened as a result of American air strikes and ground invasions (The Guardian), which is in flagrant violation of Article 49 of the Geneva Conventions (note: High Contracting Parties, such as the U.S. are obliged to prosecute violators of the Conventions). With thousands being killed every year, as a result of this war, there exists little opposition inside the United States. As millions of Afghans are "short of food and at risk of starvation" (UN High Commissioner for Refugees) as a direct result of this war, little do the "liberal" intellectuals do other than laud the war in Afghanistan as the "Right War."

The eloquent words of Bertrand Russell, the Welsh philosopher and mathematician relate directly to the little opposition against the U.S. foreign policy:
"It is in the nature of imperialism that citizens of the imperial power are always among the last to know - or care- about circumstances in the colonies."

Biology Notes (Chapter 31)

2008-10-12T19:23:00.000-07:00

The notes for Chapter 31 (on fungi) is at the following link:

Fungi Notes (Ch. 31)

Psych. Study Guide (Ch.6,7,8,9)

2008-10-11T08:28:00.000-07:00

The following link provides the (psychology study guide) for chapters 5,6,7 and 8. Expect the link to be updated.

Chapter 5,6,7, and 8 Study Guide

The Other September 11 - Rakluz

2008-10-09T21:01:00.000-07:00

On September 11, 1973, a true act of international terrorism was committed, perpetrated by the government of the United States.

Project FUBELT commissioned by President Nixon and Secretary of State Henry Kissinger, and acted out by the CIA planned to turn the tables in Chile. The problem in Chile was the Salvador Allende who was one of the few truly democratically elected leaders in the world. Kissinger found one big flaw in this man. Allende, Chile's president, called himself a socialist.

He planned to establish a free-health care program, create a public education system, and provide free milk for kids. These policies enacted by the Allende-administration, were crucial for the social and economic growth of modern Chile. As a direct result of the aforementioned actions, Chile's industrial growth rose 12 percent. Analyzing Allende's policies, one will see that an enormous amount of Americans would also support free-health care and free education while not opposing the policy of free-milk for little children.

But Kissinger saw fault in all of these policies and especially when he saw that Allende was the democratically elected president of a country. So on September 11, 1973, Allende was removed from power by his military in a CIA-backed coup.

The head of the new junta emerged and Augusto Pinochet declared himself the ruler of Chile. While the U.S. funnelled millions of dollars to Pinochet, the dictator slaughtered thousands of political dissidents and another tens of thousands of innocent civilians were brutally tortured. That is what essentially describes the Pinochet reign.

When looking for who was culpable for placing Pinochet in power, we should look at the orders that President Nixon gave to the CIA; "Make the economy scream [in Chile to] prevent Allende from coming to power or to unseat him."

When the U.S. ambassador to Chile heard that Allende had been democratically elected he said, "Once Allende comes to power we [U.S. government] shall do all within our power to condemn Chile and all Chileans to utmost deprivation and poverty."

When the U.S. government decided that the citizens of Chile weren't good enough to know who to vote for (Kissinger), the U.S. decided for them, in a definitive manner with no other options. They usurped the elected president and put in place a dictator who killed thousands, but other than the nation of Chile and the rest of the world, who cares? Who in America remembers about the "other September 11"?

On both September 11ths (whether in 1973 or 2001) acts of terrorism were committed, but how could we all forget about ones that we commit?

Biology 2 - PLANTS (Ch.29,30)

2008-10-02T20:46:00.000-07:00

The chapter 29 and 30 notes from Biology 2 Honors are at the following link:

Biology 2 (Plants - Ch.29,30)

-The Seeing Eye

Psychology (Myers) - Ch.1, 2, 4 Study Guide

2008-09-26T21:47:00.000-07:00

The following is the link to the study for chapters 1, 2, and 4 for the David G. Myers (Exploring Psychology, Seventh Edition) book.

The study guide is extremely to-the-point, yet comprehensive.

Psychology (Ch.1, 2, 4 Study Guide)

Chemistry II Honors - Ch.4

2008-09-26T17:08:00.000-07:00

The following are the topics that should be studied for the Chapter 4 test:

Memorize:

Solubility rules
Oxidation rules
Activity series

Know the

7 strong acids
which bases are the strongest
net ionic equations
strong-weak electrolytes
M(1)V(1)=M(f)V(f)
redox equations
titrations

"A lot of the questions on homework (regarding neutralization and net ionic equations) will be on the test."

UPDATE: After much, this chapter requires no study guide.

Thank You,

TheSeeingEye