Yeast Observation

Part of the study on Fungi, we also observed yeasts reproducing.

Materials Needed:
* 1 T. Baker's yeast
* 1 T. sugar
* 2 C. warm water
* Methylene blue
* compound microscope
* depression slide
* cover slip
* cup or glass
* medicine dropper

Procedure:
1) In a glass, mix yeast, sugar and warm water. Allow the mixture to sit for about 10 minutes. You are waiting for the yeast cells to grow and multiply.

2)Using the medicine dropper, place a drop of the yeast mixture into the well of a depression slide. Add 1 drop of methylene blue stain. Place a cover slip over the sample and place on the microscope stage.

3) Focus on low power. Then, move to high power. Identify a reproducing cell and the tiny bubbles of carbon dioxide given off by the cells.

Getting to know Fungi

  Black mold: magnified @ 4/0.16x

In this activity, we will grow and observe a number of different fungi which are present in our environment.

Materials Needed:
* slice of hard cheese
* slice of bread
* orange, apple or banana peel
* 3 sealable plastic sandwich bags

Procedure:
1) Inoculate your growing media (bread, cheese and fruit peel) by gently wiping each across a dusty surface.
2) Place each item inside individual sandwich bags. Add 2 tablespoons of water to each bag and then seal.
3) Place all 3 bags in a dark, warm location for 4 to 5 days or however long it takes to see mold growing in each item.

After 8 days, we removed the samples. Except for the cheese which we need to redo, we got these:

The orange peel

The bread

After observing the molds (color, size, smell, etc), we cut an entire colony from the orange peel and the bread and mounted it on the microscope slide.

Woooow! we were blown by what we saw. "Cool, Mom" was what Gia's first reaction. We are now officially loving our microscope and what it can do! =D

The orange peel had black molds growing on it. After several researches, we found out that it is Aspergillus Niger.

Kingdom : Fungi
Class: Eurotiomycetes
Order: Eurotiales
Family: Trichocomaceae
Genus: Arpergillus

Aspergillus Niger: magnified @10/0.25x

The bread on the other hand, had green mold with white cover on it. It is said to be Penicillium mold.

Kingdom : Fungi
Class: Eurotiomycetes
Order: Eurotiales
Family: Trichocomaceae
Genus:Penicillium

Penicillium magnified @ 4/0.16x

Penicillium magnified @ 10/0.25x

 
Results of the cheese will be posted here soon.

What an awesome day spent experimenting and researching and getting to know Fungus/Fungi!!

Practicing the Use of the Microscope

 

In these succeeding activities, we familiarized ourselves with our newly-arrived compound microscope. We got excited with all the possibilities and discoveries we shall experience using it.

Our first activity was to learn how to prepare a wet-mount slide and observe that slide using the microscope.

Activity 1: 

* Cut a small letter "g" from the newspaper and place it at the center of the glass slide. Newspaper works best for this activity as it is fairly thin and allows light to pass through it for easier observation on the microscope.

Drawing what we saw: top - magnification @ 4/0.16x; below - magnification @ 10/0.25x

Activity 2:

We did the same for a piece of blue thread and Gia's hair.

Blue thread mounted on a slide

@ High magnification: 10/0.25x

Hair at low magnification: 4/0.16x

Hair at high magnification: 10/0.25x

Awesome first tries, right? Can't wait for the next experiments.

WLW Day # 4: Water as Solvent

Science Experiment # 3: Water as Solvent

Materials needed:

* chalk
* filter paper
* heat source
* lime powder or tablets
* phenolphthalein
* 2 pyrex beakers




Instructions:

* Crush some chalk
* Mix chalk into water in a beaker

* Pour the mixture through filter paper. The water appears to be "pure".
* Boil the water or let it evaporate away.

Q: What is left?

* In a beaker, mix lime powder or tablets and water.
* Filter until clear.
* Fill another container with water.
* Obtain some phenolpthalein (Hln or phph) and add a few drops to a glass of "pure" water.
* Add a few drops to the water mixed with lime.

  Q: What are the results?
  Q Relate to hydroponic gardening (growing plants in water instead of soil)?

What we learned:

* Water's power to dissolve substances (e.g. chalk + water)
* Substances can be transported when dissolved in water  (e.g. chalk + water or line + water)
* Water can carry out chemical reactions (e.g. lime+water+Hln)
* A clear water does not always mean "pure" water. It may carry substances or minerals.
* Application: Water passing through soil dissolves some of the minerals and transports them through the soil to plants and animals, and contributes to the salinity of the sea.

WLW Day 3: Thermal Properties of Water

Experiment # 2: Thermal Properties of Water

Materials Needed:

* 2 flat aluminum cake pans (disposable)
* sand
* thermometer
* a liter measure
* aluminum foil

Instructions:
* Punch holes in the bottom of one cake pan.
* Fill it with hot sand and cover with aluminum foil (shiny surface towards the sand)
* Place the thermometer in the sand. Record the temperature of the sand.
* Obtain one liter of cool water.
* Record the temperature.
* Pour it over the sand and collect the water as it drains out.
* Immediately record the temperature of the sand and the water collected.
* Record your results in a chart.

Q1: What is your explanation of the results?
Q2: How does the answer to Q1 apply to your blood circulating through your body when you are exercising?

What we learned:

 * Heat is transferred to water.
 * Water absorbs the heat.
 * Application: Perspiration cools our body as it absorbs the heat. How?

blood transfers heat from our muscles to ----> skin,  produces ---> perspiration ----> helps cool our body

WLW Day 2: Ionic Bonding

Science experiments time. . .

Experiment # 1: Ionic Bonding

Materials Needed:

2 inflated balloons                                          

thread                                                             

string                                                              

piece of material (nylon, wool, or fur)

nylon stocking

piece of white paper

Instructions:

* Tie the ends of the thread to the knotted ends of the balloons, and tie the middle of the thread to the middle of the string.

* Rub the balloons with a piece of material, and then pick them up by holding the ends of the string and stretching it to its full length.

   Q: What happens to the balloons when they are close together?

    Explanation: The material used to rub the balloons transferred electrons to the balloons.

   Q: What electrical charge does the balloon have now?

* Cut 2 3X12 inch strips of material from the nylon stocking.

* Place both strips on a piece of white paper and rub them briskly in your hand.

* With your fingers lift the 2pcs of nylon and hold them side-by-side.

    

    Q: What happened? Why?

* Now bring one of the nylon strips near one of the balloons.

   Q: What happened?

 What we learned:

 * atoms with the same charge, repel

 * atoms with opposite charge, attract/stick together = Ionic bond

    

We are almost ready. . . for Science

Made that trip to Sta. Cruz, Manila last week to scour for our Science experiment materials.

Our stash is almost complete for Unit 2 and we are ready to go! Gia and I can't wait to start with our Science experiments and activities. =)

The list of materials ( excluding common household items) for AOP Lifepac Science for Grade 10 consists of:

• Alligator clip leads, 2/pk
• Alpha Omega Biology Slide Set

  Ascaris mitosis, onion root tip, Diatoms, frog ovary, frog sperm, human blood smear, human bone, kidney section, muscle types section, motor neuron smear, Spirogyra, and Ulva microscope slides

• Battery, 6 volt, alkaline
• Beaker, glass, 250 ml
• Biuret reagent, 30 ml
• Calcium hydroxide, 30 g (lime)
• Chalk (calcium carbonate), 12/pack
• Cups & lids, 8 oz plastic, 3/pack
• Electrolysis electrodes (2)
• Filter paper, 10/pkg
• Forceps, stainless steel
• Funnel, plastic, 65 mm dia.
• Glucose test strips, 50 pack
• Graduated cylinder, plastic, 10 ml
• Hydrochloric acid, 30 ml
• Iodine solution (Lugol's) 30ml
• Lab apron, economy
• Litmus paper, blue, 100 strips
• Litmus paper, red, 100 strips
• Magnifier, tripod, 10X
• Methylene blue, 1%, 15 ml
• Osmosis Set
• P.T.C. test paper, 100/vial
• Petri dish, plastic, 2/pk
• Phenolphthalein solution, 15ml
• Pipet (medicine dropper)
• Potassium permanganate, 30 g
• Probe & seeker, chrome, 6"
• Protozoa Hatchery Kit
• Razor blade, single edge
• Safety gloves, size 8-8½ med.
• Safety goggles, full-size
• Sand, coarse, 1 lb.
• Scissors, dissecting, 4½"
• Screen, 20 mesh, steel, 4x4"
• Seeds, grass, 6 g pack
• Seeds, lima bean, 15 g pack
• Seeds, marigold, 300 mg pack
• Seeds, radish, 4 g pack
• Basic microscope slide set: 12 plain slides, 2 concave slides, coverslips, and storage box
• Sodium sulfate, 30 g
• Stirring rod, glass, 6"
• Teasing needle, straight
• Test tube rack, 6 holes
• Test tubes, small 13x100 mm
• Test tubes, x-large 19x150 mm
• Thermometer, Celsius, 12"

Yes! a very long list of items that. . . after the school year, we will have our own Science Laboratory! LOL!

Hopefully we will be able to complete them before the end of the school year. One Unit at a time. :)

Unit 2 (Basis of Life) will be about : 

* molecular models
* ionic and covalent bonding
* inorganic compounds experiment about solvent, thermal properties of water, acids,  bases and salts
* chemical reactions like electrolysis and using yeasts
* organic compounds like testing for starch, sugar, oil and protein in some food
* and,  properties of enzymes

So here's our stash (in photo) :

Grade 10 Unit 2 materials

stored securely (p.s. we need a bigger container soon)

Oh how this simple exercise of gathering all the materials reminds me of how I love Science back when I was in school. 

Rocking Science we should be!