Michael+H.

=**Wiki Post 1: Genetics - February 28th, 2014**=

=Can you use Genetic modification to improve the world around us?= We need trees to survive. Trees give us the fresh air we breathe, the paper we write on, and the furniture in our home, only just to name a few. We rely on trees for our basic survival. Without trees our planet would have died off many years ago and would never have flourished and developed into the place it is today. With genetic modification we can enhance the quality of our trees and the rate at which we can grow them. It is possible to modify a tree so that it will have the ability to grow and keep up with its increasing demand of wood. We can create super trees that can endure attacks from even the tiniest insects that originally could have been very harmful to, or maybe ever deadly to the tree. These trees would be a major breakthrough in science and would help pulp and paper mills everywhere. It is much more convenient for manufacturers to have trees that grow much faster and have a defense against disease that would have otherwise potentially killed hundreds of the trees on their land.


 * = [[image:http://media.treehugger.com/assets/images/2012/10/20121018-eucalyptus-plantation.jpg.492x0_q85_crop-smart.jpg width="354" height="197" align="left" caption="These trees are genetically enhanced. Could genetic enhancements actually be hurting us more than it helps us?"]] || [[image:http://b4fa.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/How-do-you-develop-a-new-crop-variety-by-genetic-modification1-1024x621.png width="296" height="206" caption="In this picture you can see by the affected tomato on the left, and the modified tomato on the right, that the effects of the modification are substantial. The same effect is true with trees."]] ||
 * Is Genetic Modification in trees as good as it sounds? **

=media type="custom" key="25251398"=
 * In this video he explains why he believes Genetic Modification is a serious problem.

Experts have said that genetically modified trees could be a very bad idea for the long term health of our environment. For example if you look at the trees in the picture above you can see that they do not make of a forest and look unnatural. Some scientists are also very concerned about what this could do the rest of the environmental systems in our world. Consider this, if we start creating forests that are completely modified, what happens if there are side effects? What if the trees are not as great as we think they are. Could this ruin our world if we plant these trees and allow them to pollinate and reproduce more trees like them? I personally have a great concern for this kind of issue. I believe that everything in this world came into existence in a way that is perfect. Everything is how it should be and if we have to modify the species around us in order to accommodate our way of life, we need to change.



I personally believe we should not touch genetically enhanced trees with a 10 foot pole. When i think about these things I can't help but think that we are simply trying to play "God". Any time we find ourselves in this situation we need to critically evaluate what are motives are. It is a very dangerous to start modifying the very fabrics and basis of live without fully knowing the effects of the decisions. we need to take a step back and realize that if we need our trees faster than they can even reproduce regularly, isn't that a sign that we are extremely abusing our resources?



**Further Readings:**

http://www.treehugger.com/environmental-policy/genetically-modified-tree-ban-called-for.html - This site talks about it as a problem and how it should not be allowed. http://www.csiro.au/Outcomes/Food-and-Agriculture/WhatIsGM.aspx - This site talks about what genes are and genetic modification. http://www.debate.org/opinions/should-the-modification-of-human-genes-be-pursued - This site houses a debate on the related topic of GE in humans. http://agbiosafety.unl.edu/basic_genetics.shtml - this site answers the basic question " what is GE?"

**Sources:** http://www.mnn.com/green-tech/research-innovations/photos/12-bizarre-examples-of-genetic-engineering/genetically http://oregonstate.edu/ua/ncs/archives/2013/dec/significant-advance-reported-genetically-modified-poplar-trees http://www.economist.com/news/science-and-technology/21577033-gm-species-may-soon-be-liberated-deliberately-wildwood http://www.watershedsentinel.ca/content/genetically-engineered-trees-canada http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=84PBebBWnDc

= **Wiki Post 2: Evolution - May 4th, 2014** =

=Can we still see the effects of evolution today?= Evolution is a way of life, we as species strive to survive and if we do, we continue to exist, if not we die off. This has been seen with many species who have either gone into the dark cave of extinction or have managed to survive thus far. Many times when we think of evolution we think strictly on humans and how far we have come, but often we fall into the trap of thinking that evolution has played its course and no longer has an effect. However, it is easy to see how evolution and the constant adaptation of species due to pressures in our world are still playing a severely dominant role in our world. We can see this in the species known as the Peppered Moth. Our world has become more and more polluted with our resent additions such as factories. =**How did this happen?**= The story of the peppered moth goes lie this. In the early 1800 the industrial revolution was in full effect. The world was finding faster and more efficient ways to do tasks and ways of transportation, but with every great idea it had its pros and cons. Back then the factories and other polluters were not seen in such a light as they are today. All of these polluters we used and smoke and supplies were consumed and released without a single apology or a single defense for the pollution that they were producing because no one realized the effect that it would have. This pollution changed reached all the lichen on the trees in that area and killed it. The lichen was turned to a dark blackish color which in turn, changed all of the bark on the trees from a whiter speckled color, to black and dark. this meant that the peppered moth was in for a world of hurt.
 * [[image:Yes Yes Moth!.jpg]] ||
 * This picture shows what the peppered moth would have looked like before the soot and smoke killed the lichen on the trees forcing the moths to adapt. ||

In the Picture above you can see the moth before and after the industrial revolution. It is clear to see that this moth has to adapt in order to survive. The dark moth was able to survive very easier after the revolution so it multiplied. media type="custom" key="25809294"
 * > [[image:naah.jpg width="341" height="230"]] ||
 * > This picture is a before and after for the moths evolution ||

This video is an extremely simplified version of the concept and how the moths evolved.


 * [[image:smithlhhsb122/No No Moth!.jpg width="256" height="194" align="center"]] ||
 * This is the black moth after it has adapted to its surrounding in order to survive. ||

This moth is a great example of a modern day scenario where a species needed to adapt in order to survive. If this moth had not have done this it would have died off and we would have no more of these moths and they would have gone extinct.



=**Further** Readings:= http://evolution.berkeley.edu/evolibrary/news/140403_rootworm - this site explains evolution vs genetic engineering http://biologycorner.com/worksheets/pepperedmoth.html - this helps you simulate it http://evolution.berkeley.edu/evolibrary/article/evo_25 - this explains natural selection http://news.discovery.com/animals/zoo-animals/fish-evolution-conservation.htm - this shows many other species evolve.

=Sources:= [] [] [] [] []

=__Wiki post #3 - Paralyzed spinal cord__=

What is the problem?
The problem with this the severe in your spinal cord is that the neurons are no longer able to carry a signal from your brain to the rest of your body anymore. You see, the spinal cord is part of the center nervous system, as we learned in class, and is the highway for all of the signals from the brain to travel on. Therefore a severe in this pathway will literally stop the flow of the signal from happening at all. This may not sound like a very big deal to you now, But i am not finished yet. The cells that make up your spinal cord are also that of a unique variety. They do not have the ability to self health as other cells do. For example if you cut your skin with a knife while chopping onions, it is noot a big deal because the skin will reheal, however, if your split your spinal cord that is it. you can not simply grow a new spinal cord because it is unfortunately unable to repair itself and is therefore un able to become fully functional again. This means that you will always have to live with the spinal cord that you have and it will never ever heal.

How does this happen?
This can happen in a number of different ways. Some can be born paralyzed and some are involved in an accident of sorts that causes this injury to come upon them. This injury can include anything from falling out of a tree to even getting into a car accident. All of these scenerios can prove to be very dangerous when it comes to your health and mobility. You see, your spinal cord is carefully protected by what if commonly refered to as your spine. It is a collum of bone in which your spinal cord runs right though the hollow center. An injury that leaves you in a paralyzed state in more than likely one that hat the ability and enough force to break the spine and then once the spine is broken then to break the spinal cord. This is not very likely but it is however a very permanent injury. This can leave you in a wheel chair for the rest of your life.



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=How can this be helped?=

There are no definite answer for sure as to whether or not is it possible to cure a paralyzed state for a human but it is definitely under research. There are two different ways that the scientists are looking into and that is the idea that the severe can be somehow rehabilitated with an electric pulse. The idea of the electric pulse is so that the signal can pass through the gap more freely. The other method, and that of which i belive to be a much more promising route is stem cell research. We may not be able to repair our damaged cells, but if we can put in new ones all the better! These stem cells would be placed at the site of the injury and they would be used to make a new connection to the spinal cord.

=Further Readings:= http://citizensvoice.com/news/exoskeleton-gets-paralyzed-man-on-his-feet-1.1287452 http://www.miamiproject.miami.edu/ http://motherboard.vice.com/en_ca/blog/science-is-getting-closer-to-finding-a-cure-for-paralysis http://www.nbcnews.com/health/health-news/wind-my-legs-stimulator-helps-paralyzed-men-move-again-n73796 =Sources:= http://www.brainandspinalcord.org/spinal-cord-injury/cure-for-paralysis.html http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-202207/Stem-cells-offer-cure-paralysis.html http://www.foxnews.com/health/2014/04/08/device-zapping-spinal-cord-with-electricity-helping-paralyzed-men-move-legs/ http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/paralysis.html