Chicken Wing Dissection - Class Response

Today, the class observed as Mrs. Rousseau dissected a chicken wing to show us the makeup of tissues. We observed the tissues and what other tissues they attach to. The skin is an epithelial tissue, and it attaches to muscle tissue. Fat also attaches to muscle tissue. When we were observing the muscles in the wing, Mrs. Rousseau located the two that bend and straighten the elbow joint. The flexor bends the joint, then the extensor pulls in the bone in the other direction to straighten it. We observed this movement and made a connection to a human arm flexing. We were able to see muscles, tendons, joints, and ligaments working together. When it came down to the bone, we observed the cartilage, which is connected to the bone. This was cut open, and we observed the bone marrow, which was a red color. We discovered and observed many parts, though we did not see any nerves. This observation of this dissection was helpful in making connections to a human body and better understand makeups of the human body.

October 11, 2011 - Diffusion Experiment

In science class yesterday, we completed a diffusion experiment. To begin, a beaker was filled halfway with water. Then, a teaspoon of corn starch was placed into a plastic bag, which was secured shut and submerged in the water in the beaker. The last step of the preparation was to drop iodine into the water. After sitting for about fifteen minutes, the iodine should have diffused into the plastic bag, which is permeable to liquid substances. The mixture of iodine and water should have entered the plastic bag, changing the starch from a translucent white color to a dark purple color. However, only a small portion of the bag's contents were changed to the purple color, and it was a lighter shade than expected. This may have been because the iodine was not given enough time to complete the full process of osmosis. When this experiment was put in place for an extended period of time by Mrs. Rousseau, the process worked out, and the iodine diffused into the starch. Overall, this experiment was a great way to learn about osmosis and diffusion.