Microscope Lab Day + Extra Credit + Your Inner Fish/ New World Example

Today in class, we did a lab using SUPER DUPER high tech microscopes.

First, we looked at a dead flea:

Note: not my picture. http://cdn.orkin.com/images/fleas/flea-exterior-interior_1162x1248.jpg. 

Then, we looked at some skin cells from James' cheek.

Next, we looked at a plant with a drop of water.

Finally, we looked at a slab of algae from saltwater.

The point of the lab was to get used to the microscopes and observe plant and skin cells.

Extra Credit:

This is the answer to the problem that was emailed to us.

Key:
BB = black Lab, no chocolate gene 
Bb = black Lab, carries chocolate gene 
bb = chocolate Lab, no black gene

Yellow is produced by the presence of a recessive epistatic gene which has the effect of masking the the black or chocolate genes.
EE = no yellow gene 
Ee = yellow carrier but apears either black or chocolate 
ee = yellow Lab

So....
EEBB =Basic Black (BB)
EEBb =Black that carries Choc. (Bc)
EeBB =Black that carries Yellow(By)
EeBb =Black that carries Yellow and chocolate (Byc)
eeBB =Yellow (Yy) [does not carry chocolate]
eeBb =Yellow that carries Chocolate (Yc)
eebb =chocolate pigmented yellow ~ No Black Pigment (NBP)
EEbb =Chocolate (CC) [does not carry yellow]
Eebb =Chocolate that carries yellow (Cy)

From: http://www.blueknightlabs.com/color/coatcolor.html

Because:

In the picture, it is about half of the puppies black, and half of the puppies chocolate, so the punned square above would make sense.

Embryology:

Embryology is the comparing of embryos. Species, such as salamanders, chickens, and fish, look completely different as adults, but look very similar as embryos.

http://www.nature.com/nrg/journal/v7/n11/images/nrg1918-f2.jpg 

Scientists use these embryos to discover the similarities within different species.

"Limbs as different as bird wings and frog legs looked very similar during their development" (99).

Embryology in Today's World

Embryology is used to help parents that cannot conceive naturally, conceive.

It previously had been a tedious and error-ridden job. However, new technology, called IVF Technology, has been created to make this job easier, faster, and more effective. 

Eeva (Early Embryo Viability Assessment test) is an example of this technology. The €100,000 Eeva is really new technology, as the first birth occurred today using its technology.

Here's a picture of the happy couple:

Embryology Manager Tony Price said of Eeva: “The main advantage of this technology is that we are able to identify embryos which have an extremely low chance of advanced development, and these can be excluded from use in treatment.”

IVF systems will continue to be used and make artificial conception a cheaper and more effective option in the future.

http://www.dailyecho.co.uk/news/10873585.Baby_is_first_to_be_born_in_Southampton_using_new_IVF_technology/