Juliana+B.

=**The Genetics of Eye Colour**=

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The genetics of your eye colour are all based on how much pigment you're producing. If you have blue eyes, you are not producing much pigment but if you have brown eyes, there is a lot of pigments being produced. There are two genes that mainly determine your eye colour. They work together to make pigment. The genes can be passed down from your ancestors and not show the mutation of blue eyes until you reproduce with someone else who has a gene mutation. That is how blue eyed children are possible from brown eyed parents.======

This picture is showing how the mutations of the two genes can determine what eye colour you will have.It explains that even with only one mutated gene, your eyes could result in no pigment.

.[[image:bio.gif width="323" height="249"]]
This picture shows the likely hood of what colour eyes would result from parents with each colour of eyes. For example,a baby with a parent with brown eyes and a parent with blue eyes would have a 50% chance for each colour.

__Here is a video to start you off with some basic knowledge on the subject.__
The video explains how blue eyes came into the picture and the timeline of eye colour change. It gives stats on eye colour as well as an explanation to why you have a certain eye colour. media type="youtube" key="qfSfNIzN7q8" width="560" height="315"

All together, there are 16 genes that determine your eye colour. There are two main genes which are OCA2 and HERC2. The HERC2 works as a switch to activate your OCA2 gene. The OCA2 gene activates proteins that produce pigments. If either genes have been mutated then it stops the process and pigments wont be produced. Every person has two of each of the main genes. They could be passed down through many generations. If a parent has 2 working genes then the baby will have brown eyes but if both parents have 1 mutated gene then there is a 25% chance that the baby will have blue eyes.

This picture represents the most rare eye colour in the world. Less than 2% of humans have green eyes. There is a mild amount of pigmentation in the eye and a golden tint. When it is mixed with the natural blue scattering of the eye, a green colour appears.



If you don't want to check out the scientific way of calculating your childs eye colour odds, there is a website that will do it for you! This is picture of the eye colour calculator. If you put in your eye colour family background, it will tell you what colour your children's eyes will be.



**__Further Reading:__**

 * http://genetics.thetech.org/how-blue-eyed-parents-can-have-brown-eyed-children (This site explains how eye colour is passed down. It has visuals and good explanations).
 * http://www.aclens.com/Most-Common-Eye-Color-c323.html (This website explains how common every eye colour is and a bit about each colour. Use this site if you are interested in learning more about your eye colour)
 * http://www.athro.com/evo/gen/genefr2.html (This is the eye colour calculator. You know you want to try it out!)
 * http://ghr.nlm.nih.gov/handbook/traits/eyecolor (This website talks about chromosome 15 and its role in eye colour genetics).

__**References:**__
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 * http://genetics.thetech.org/how-blue-eyed-parents-can-have-brown-eyed-children
 * http://www.aclens.com/Most-Common-Eye-Color-c323.html
 * https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eye_color
 * http://www.gbhealthwatch.com/Trait-Eye-Color.php

=The Evolution of the Wedding Dress= =Wikipost #2= =November 20th 2015=

In my research of topics, I came across the evolution of fashion. It was a topic discussed in class. While digging deeper into the subject I found another that spiked my interest. I hadn't thought that wedding dresses had changed much. I thought it had always been the typical white dress and the groom in a tux. As I had been reading further, I realized that wedding dresses had evolved quite a bit.

Here is a video to help you get an idea of what the dresses looked like back then:
media type="youtube" key="rKegRnTimFs" width="560" height="315"

To start things off, did you know that in the middle ages, wedding dresses were not traditionally white? I thought that a white wedding dress was a traditional as it got! Brides in the middle ages often wore a blue wedding dress as a sign of purity. That is where the "something blue" tradition came from that we follow now.

In 1603, Japanese brides wore a white kimono. This was the start of the white wedding dress. After the ceremony it was customary to put on a red silk kimono as a sign of "goodluck". Now brides have glitter and sparkles woven into their gowns.
 * The picture below is of a Victorian-style blue wedding dress.**


 * This is a picture of a traditional white kimono:**



In 1840, when Queen Victoria was marrying her cousin, she popularized the white wedding dress for the western world. Her train was 18 feet long and she had 12 people carrying it around for her. Now, brides typically have a 12-20 inch train which is no where near the 18 foot length that was very popular in the past.

In 1922, Coco Chanel had introduced knee length wedding gowns. They became very popular with brides along with a loose, low-waisted shape. Nowadays, only older brides who are getting remarried would wear a shorter wedding dress. It is not common now and sometimes seen as nontraditional.


 * This picture shows the idea of a short wedding dress:**



As late as 1937 blue dresses were still showing up among royalty. The Duchess of Windsor wore a pale blue dress which then became a very popular colour for a wedding gown again. In 1 947, Queen Elizabeth wore an ivory satin gown which is said to have symbolized spring and rebirth with the floral design. That was an important time for people after the world war 2 and the dress was said to give people a beacon of hope.

1950's was a time for lacy necklines and big skirts which is something we see variations of in our day in age.

In 1966 we saw a peak in the shorter dresses and less girly" styles. For example less lace and jewels. For the period of time between 1950's and 1970's is where brides fell off the traditional wedding dress train and tried different styles, mini skirts, ankle length, and tea dresses with big skirts.

It wasn't until the 1980's that the cinderella style wedding dress came back into the picture. In the 90's it was back to a minimalist simple white wedding dress with little embellishment. The 2000s brought the era of a non-white, colourful wedding dress. Many celebs wore a pink dress. 2010's brought more revealing wedding dresses into the picture with a twist on a traditional Victorian gown.


 * The picture below shows a popular style of a colourful weddding dress.**

The duchess of Cambridge brought back the idea of covering up and still being able to capture everyone's beauty as this decade had been the time of strapless dresses, it looks to be changing into a more conservative look.

I've learned that wedding dresses seem to go through a cycle of going from traditional to something completely different and then back to the conservative look.

__**References:**__
http://www.goodhousekeeping.com/beauty/fashion/tips/g113/wedding-dress-evolution/?slide=17 http://www.sheknows.com/beauty-and-style/articles/1097617/wedding-dress-fashion-over-100-years-video http://www.bbc.com/culture/story/20140503-how-wedding-dresses-evolved http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/100-years-wedding-dresses_560cbdeee4b0af3706df9791

__**Further reading:**__
http://www.bbc.com/culture/story/20140503-how-wedding-dresses-evolved http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/100-years-wedding-dresses_560cbdeee4b0af3706df9791 http://www.goodhousekeeping.com/beauty/fashion/tips/g113/wedding-dress-evolution/?slide=17 http://www.cosmopolitan.co.uk/fashion/style/news/a37408/wedding-dresses-evolution-infographic/
 * If you are interested in learning more about the evolultion of wedding dresses take a look a this site:**
 * If you want a more visual understanding of the subject, watch this:**
 * This website explains the more popular and public changes in wedding dress history:**
 * This website goes through the changes every decade:**

=Epilepsy= =Wikipost #3= =January 17th 2016=

Epilepsy is the general term for people who have seizures. Epilepsy is a chronic disorder. It causes recurrent and unprovoked seizures. Many people with epilepsy have more than one type of seizure along with other neurological symptoms. The human brain is the source of all human epilepsy. Although the symptoms of a seizure may affect any part of the body, the electrical events that produce the symptoms occur in the brain. The location, how it spreads, how much of the brain is affected, and how long it lasts all have profound effects on the human body. The factors listed determine the character of a seizure and how it impacts the individual. It is usually diagnosed when someone have one or more seizures for unidentifiable reasons. In up to 70% of all case of epilepsy in adults and children, no cause can be discovered.

This picture shows how all seizures are sourced from the brain and have neurological impacts on the body. A seizure occurs when a burst of electrical impulses in the brain escape their normal limits. They then spread to other close areas and create an uncontrolled amount of electrical activity. The electrical impulses can be transmitted to the muscles which causes twitches or convulsions.

This picture is showing all the words involved with epilepsy.



There are around 180,000 new cases of epilepsy each year. About 30% occur in children. Children and elderly adults are most often affected.

There is very rare amount of cases that the cause for epilepsy is clear. Most of the time, the known causes of seizure involve some injury to the brain.


 * Some of the main causes of epilepsy are:**


 * Low oxygen during birth


 * Head injuries that occur during birth or from accidents during youth or adulthood
 * Brain tumors
 * Genetic conditions that result in brain injury, such as tuberous sclerosis
 * Infections such as meningitis or encephalitis
 * Stroke or any other type of damage to the brain
 * Abnormal levels of substances such as sodium or blood sugar

This picture is showing what to do if someone around you is having a seizure. Many people are not well aware of what to do and it is important to spread this information. 

Although the causes of epilepsy are usually not known, certain factors are known to provoke seizures in people with epilepsy. Avoiding these triggers can help you avoid seizures and live better with epilepsy.


 * Known causes for seizures are:**
 * Missing medication doses
 * Heavy alcohol use
 * Cocaine or other drug, such as ecstasy, use
 * Lack of sleep
 * Other drugs that interfere with seizure medications

media type="youtube" key="SshVn6MUGxA" width="560" height="315" This video talks about the myths and misconceptions about people with epilepsy and also explains how we can treat it to defeat it!



This picture has been spread to raise epilepsy awareness. Its meaning is that approximately 1 in 26 Americans will have epilepsy at some point in their lives. That number is extremely high and that is why it is important to get treated.

http://www.epilepsy.com/learn/epilepsy-101/what-epilepsy http://www.webmd.com/epilepsy/guide/epilepsy-causes http://www.epilepsy.com/make-difference/public-awareness/1-26 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SshVn6MUGxA http://www.epilepsy.com/learn/types-seizures?gclid=Cj0KEQiAlO20BRCcieCSncPlqqMBEiQAOZGMnLLUZVHCnFw-zRRQCuyMUORfJq8zUGGUI7ccFA0fhTAaAolQ8P8HAQ
 * References:**

__**If you want to learn the basics of epilepsy, visit this website:**__ http://www.epilepsy.com/learn/types-seizures?gclid=Cj0KEQiAlO20BRCcieCSncPlqqMBEiQAOZGMnLLUZVHCnFw-zRRQCuyMUORfJq8zUGGUI7ccFA0fhTAaAolQ8P8HAQ http://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/epilepsy/home/ovc-20117206 __**This site has so much information on epilepsy from what its like living with it to how to treat it! Check it out:**__ http://www.efepa.org/ __**If you're looking to get involved or want to learn more, visit this site:**__ http://epilepsymatters.com/
 * Further reading:**
 * __This website gives you the information on the medical part of epilepsy:__**