By: Sabrina Runco

BIODIVERSITY
Biodiversity is used to describe the massive variety of life on Earth; which
includes all species in one region or ecosystem such as plants, bacteria,
animals, and humans. Scientists have estimated that there are around
8.7 million species of plants and animals in existence which of 1.2 million
species have been identified and described presently, most of which are
insects. This means that millions of other organisms remain unsolved. 
All the species that are currently alive today have evolved exclusive traits
that make them distinct from other species. Scientists are fascinated in
how much biodiversity there is on a global scale, given that there is still
so much biodiversity to discover. However, much of the Earth’s
biodiversity is in jeopardy due to human consumption and other activities
that disturb and even destroy ecosystems. Pollution, climate change, and
population growth are all threats to biodiversity. These threats have
caused an exceptional rise in the rate of species destruction. Scientists
have estimated that half of all species on Earth will be eliminated within
the next century. Conservation efforts are necessary to preserve
biodiversity and protect endangered species and their habitats.
This article connects and extends my learning and knowledge of
Biodiversity in the studies in my course because for me Biodiversity
creates a life support system for Earth. Knowing that some species
create oxygen; others clean air and water, pollinate plants, manage
waste, and/or provide other ecosystem services and for me that is very
for us today and for our children in the future. Reading this article is
important, it extends my knowledge and understanding that I have gained
from this course giving me a better and understanding as to how species
adapt and live on earth in a more enhanced explication.
 Genetic Processes
This articles describes genetics and the study of genes, the units of heredity
and how the traits for which they carry coded information are transmitted from
one generation to the next. Genes are found inside the cells of all living things
which are passed on from parents to offspring. Genes contain instructions to
produce proteins that determine how the body is made and how it functions.
Some human traits that are controlled by genes include eye color, hair color,
and height. 
People have recognized for thousands of years that certain traits could be
inherited, and it took scientists several more decades to discover that genes
are made of a complex molecule called deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA). DNA is
constructed as a double helix; much like a twisted ladder and the hereditary
instructions carried by genes are stored in coded form in DNA.  
Presently, scientists use genetic material from the DNA of extinct animals and
plants to learn how those organisms evolved. From the picture, explorer Beth
Shapiro, an evolutionary biologist at the University of California, Santa Cruz,
extracts DNA from the remains of wooly mammoths, dodos, and other extinct
animals. She wants to better understand the genetic changes that caused the
demise of those animals. Other scientists may one day be able to use this
information to help prevent modern-day animals from going extinct.
This article connects and enhances my knowledge of this course by learning
and understanding about the genetic processes and about genetic memory, by
explaining how complex abilities and actual knowledge inherited along with
other more typical conventional physical and behavioral characteristics of all
types of species have been found. By comparing how animals and species
evolve in the world and to better understand the genetic changes that caused
the death of those animals and to observe the different features of living things
enhanced and connected my learning of the course.
 Evolution
This articles discusses ideas aimed at explaining how organisms change, or evolve, over time
which date back to Anaximander of Miletus, a Greek philosopher who lived in the 500s B.C.E.
He indicated that human babies are born helpless, and that humans must have originated from
some other type of creature who's young could survive without any help. He concluded that
those ancestors must be fish, since fish hatch from eggs and immediately begin living with no
help from their parents. From this reasoning, he proposed that all life began in the sea.
In science, the word “theory” indicates a very high level of certainty and scientists talk
about evolution as a theory. A theory is an idea about how something in nature works that has
gone through rigorous testing through observations and experiments designed to prove the
idea right or wrong. When it comes to the evolution of life, scientists suggested different
aspects of what later would become evolutionary theory.
When it comes to the theory of natural selection, organisms produce more offspring than can
survive in their environment. Those that are better physically equipped to survive, grow to
maturity, and reproduce. Those that are lacking in such fitness, either do not reach an age
when they can reproduce or produce fewer offspring than their counterparts. Natural selection
is sometimes summed up as “survival of the fittest” because the “fittest” organisms are those
most suited to their environment and are the ones that reproduce most successfully and are
most likely to pass on their traits to the next generation.
This means that if an environment changes, the behaviors that enhance survival in that
environment will also progressively evolve. Biologists have since observed numerous examples
of natural selection influencing evolution, and today it is known to be just one of several
mechanisms by which life evolves.
While reading this article, it connected and extended my learning and knowledge of evolution
by giving me a better understanding of evolution which is more enhanced and justified in a
more inspiring topic on the theory, and a better understanding on what went wrong, and how
society came about while discussing the topic on how organisms change, or evolve, over time.
 Internal Systems
Overactive Enzyme Discovered In Failing Hearts

This article explains how a certain enzyme, the CaM kinase II, keeps the cardiac
muscle flexible. It does this by rearranging phosphate groups to the giant protein
titin, by relaxing the muscle cells. Scientists have discovered that in failing hearts,
it does not pump enough blood around the body, and found an overly active CaM
kinase II and concluded that the phosphorylation of titin could be a new starting
point for the treatment of heart failure which scientists speculates.

For this research, scientists used heart cells of normal mice, mice that have no CaM
kinase II, and mice that produce more CaM kinase II than usual. In cells without the
enzyme, titin phosphorylation was reduced by more than 50 percent compared to
the normal state. In cells with more enzyme, titin phosphorylation was twice as
strong as in normal cells. The CaM kinase II is therefore crucial for the attachment
of phosphate groups to the giant protein titin. The scientists also identified two
regions within the flexible segment of the titin molecule which are phosphorylated
by the enzyme, namely the PEVK and N2Bus region. These sites contain several
amino acids of the serine and threonine, which have not changed much during
evolution.
As the study continued, scientists demonstrated that a lack or an excess of CaM
kinase II affected the stiffness of the muscle cells, causing cells without the enzyme
to become more stiffer, and the cells with the enzyme to become more flexible.
If they added CaM kinase II to cells that were not able to produce the enzyme
themselves, but in turn relaxed. In failing human hearts, the team found increased
activity of CaM kinase II in comparison with healthy hearts, which caused
excessive phosphorylation in the PEVK and N2Bus titin regions. Scientists
concluded that it seemed to alter the mechanical properties of the human heart
muscle.
This article connects and extends my learning and knowledge of internal systems
because this article fully explained how internal systems work and how
compilations may occur in the human body. With this information we can try to
create a way to test the levels of this enzyme to help prevent future heart failure.
We can also try to make some sort of medicine so that if the person does have
higher than normal enzyme levels then that a certain person can take the pill,
capsule or liquid to control those levels.
 Plants
This article discusses how green plants are so important to our environment,
they are the original power plants by capturing energy from the sun and
combine it with inorganic, or nonliving, materials to make organic molecules.
These molecules are the fuel that powers all other living things and have a
special talent to take power from the sun which makes plants the title of
producers.
Plants store energy from the sun in molecules that other organisms can use.
They achieve this with a biochemical reaction called photosynthesis which uses
the energy of sunlight to split water molecules into hydrogen and oxygen. It
continues this process by combining the hydrogen with carbon dioxide from the
air and minerals from the soil to make glucose and other more complex organic
molecules. Plants then release the oxygen as a by-product of these reactions.
Ecosystems where there is not enough sunlight for photosynthesis to occur are
powered by chemoautotrophs which is a major producer that do not use energy
from the sun by breaking apart inorganic chemical compounds, such
as hydrogen sulfide, and use the energy released to make organic molecules.
Only bacteria and certain other microorganisms are chemoautotrophs because
they are much less abundant than photoautotrophs. Some inhabit the soil, while
others live deep in the ocean, around volcanic features called hydrothermal
vents. Earth’s climate affects producers; and scientists are working to
understand how global climate change may be affecting plant growth while
researching how primary producers might be able to moderate climate change
through their ability to absorb carbon dioxide.  
The description in this article connects and extends my learning and knowledge
about how plants are a vary important aspect to humans and all of life itself. As
well as how plants work their magic of storing the energy from sunlight in
molecules that other organisms can use, and many more This article also gives
me an extended learning on more of what plants can do and what their primary
jobs, such as providing food for species and storing sunlight to provide energy
to all living things in order to live life. Before reading this article I already
knew so much about plants itself, but after reading this article I got a better
understanding and description about plants and gained more Knowledge.       
Biology Careers
 Marine Biologist
Biologists and related scientists conduct basic and applied research to extend knowledge of
living organisms, to manage natural resources, and to develop new practices and products
related to medicine and agriculture. They are employed in both laboratory and field settings
by governments, environmental consulting companies, resource and utilities companies,
chemical, pharmaceutical and biotechnical companies and health and educational
institutions. Marine Biologists plan and conduct studies of the environment, and of the
population, distribution, structure and functional characteristics and behaviour of plants and
animals, conduct ecological and environmental impact studies and prepare reports, study,
identify and classify plant and animal specimens, conduct experiments in plant or animal
growth, heredity and breeding, prepare reports and plans for management of renewable
resources, and may supervise biological technologists and technicians and other scientists.
Wages in Ontario range from as low as $26.71 to a mean of $41.03 and as high as
$60.36/hour. People working as a marine biologist have different job prospects depending
on where they work in Canada. As for Ontario, the job prospect is fair. The education
needed to pursue this profession is a bachelor's degree in biology or in a related discipline is
required for biologists. A master's or doctoral degree in biology or a related discipline is
required for employment as a research scientist in biology, and a Post-doctoral research
experience is usually required before employment in academic departments or research
institutions.
For me becoming a marine biologists is exciting because a Marine biologists really can save
the planet. Research, passion, sharing of knowledge about marine life is all interesting to
me. But truly, I would be blessed and lucky enough to work at least for a part of my live in
beautiful tropical locations, diving and snorkeling with sharks, mantas and schools of fish
everyday, and that would be the real joy of pursuing to become a biologist.
Neurologist
•Neurologist specialists in clinical medicine diagnose and treat diseases
and physiological or psychiatric disorders and act as consultants to other
physicians. They are specialists in laboratory medicine, surgery and
supervise surgical procedures and the development of diseases in
humans. They are also specialists in clinical medicine usually work in
private practice or in a hospital. Their job duties consist of being specialists in
clinical medicine, diagnose and treat diseases and physiological or psychiatric disorders,
order laboratory tests, X-rays and other diagnostic procedures, prescribe medication
and treatment and refer patients for surgery, act as consultants to other physicians, and
may conduct medical research. Wages in Ontario are very competitive and range from
$87,883 to as high as $530,314. People working as a neurologist have different job
prospects depending on where they work in Canada. As for Ontario, the job prospect as
a neurologist is very good. The education needed to pursue this career is a bachelor of
science degree or In Quebec, completion of a college program and one year of pre-
medicine university studies is usually required, graduation from an approved medical
school and specific specialty training are required. Completion of the certifying
examinations of the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada and Licensing
by the provincial or territorial licensing authority are required.
I would be interested in being a neurologists because I would be able to treat a variety
of conditions affecting the central and peripheral nervous systems including diseases
such as stroke, epilepsy, Lou Gehrig’s disease, multiple sclerosis, Alzheimer disease,
Parkinson disease, brain tumors, and countless others. Our lifestyle preferences can
make a huge difference in what our daily lives look like and neurology is more diverse
than ever before which would definitely interest me.
Medical Genetics
Medical genetic specialists diagnose and treat diseases and physiological or
psychiatric disorders and act as consultants to other physicians. They study the
nature, cause and development of diseases in humans while occasionally perform
surgery and supervise surgical procedures. Specialists in clinical medicine usually
work in private practice or in a hospital. Genetic specialties performs duties
such as Specialists in clinical medicine, diagnose and treat diseases
and physiological or psychiatric disorders, order laboratory tests, X-
rays and other diagnostic procedures, prescribe medication and
treatment and refer patients for surgery, act as consultants to other
physicians, and may conduct medical research. Wages in Ontario
range from $87,883 to $256,583 and as high as $530,314. People working
as a medical genetics’ specialist have different job prospects depending on where
they work in Canada but as for Ontario the job prospect is fairly good. The
education needed to become a medical genetic specialist is a bachelor of science
degree or In Quebec, completion of a college program and one year of pre-
medicine university studies is usually required, graduation from an approved
medical school and specific specialty training are required. Completion of the
certifying examinations of the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada
and Licensing by the provincial or territorial licensing authority are required.
In medical genetics, no two days are the same and every day is interesting. I would
enjoy direct patient care, with some supervisory and administrative work, some
academic and teaching work, and clinical research. I also like the fact that, having
long appointments, I could get to know an individual and their family and
sometimes saw different members of the same family over many years.
Educational requirements consist of a bachelor's or master's degree in agriculture
or in a related science is required. Membership or eligibility for membership in a
provincial institute of agrology is usually required. In Quebec, membership in the
Ordre professionnel des agronomes is mandatory.
Family physicians diagnose and treat the diseases, physiological disorders
and injuries of patients. They provide primary contact and continuous care
toward the management of patients' health. They usually work in private
practice, including group or team practices, hospitals and clinics. Residents in
training to be general practitioners or family physicians
Doctors examine patients and take their histories, order laboratory tests, X-
rays and other diagnostic procedures and consult with other medical,
evaluate patients' physical and mental health, prescribe and administer
medications and treatments, provide acute care management, vaccinate
patients to prevent and treat diseases, advise patients and their families on
health care including health promotion, disease, illness and accident
prevention, provide counselling and support to patients on health and lifestyle
issues, perform patient advocacy role, co-ordinate or manage primary patient
care, provide continuous care to patients, supervise home care services,
report births, deaths, and contagious and other diseases to governmental
authorities.
Doctors' wages range from $81,805 to $408,283. and the job opportunities
for General practitioners and family physicians are good in Ontario over the
next 3 years especially people working as a family physician. As for
education, a bachelor's degree or In Quebec, completion of a college
program and one year of pre-medicine university studies is usually required.
Graduation from an approved medical school and two to three years of family
medicine residency training are required. Completion of the qualifying
examinations of the Medical Council of Canada and Licensing by the
provincial or territorial licensing authority are required.

For me, there are many reasons for being a doctor such as helping others in
an incredibly significant way makes me feel good since most people value
their health above everything else. Learning everything there is to know
about the human body, being trusted with sensitive information, being in a
position of power are a few points that entice my interest in being a doctor.
My goals moving forward is to pursue academic excellence and with a little
luck and pray I hope to make it.
 Agronomist
Agronomist are agricultural representatives, consultants and specialists which assist and
advice farmers in all aspects of farm management, cultivation, fertilization, harvesting,
soil erosion and composition, disease prevention, nutrition, crop rotation and marketing.
They are employed by businesses, institutions and governments or may be self-employed.
They following duties such as
provide counselling and advisory services to farmers on crop cultivation and fertilization,
harvesting, animal and poultry care, disease prevention, farm management, farm
financing, marketing and other agricultural subjects, conduct research, analyze
agricultural data and prepare research reports, Liaise with researchers, educators and
government or business managers on matters pertaining to farming and agriculture.
Wages for an agronomist in Ontario range from $14.25 to as high as $49.01 and people
working as an agronomist have different job prospects depending on where they work in
Canada, however in Ontario the prospect is fair. As for education, a bachelor's or master's
degree in agriculture or in a related science is required. Membership or eligibility for
membership in a provincial institute of agrology is usually required. In Quebec,
membership in the Ordre professionnel des agronomes is mandatory.

I would be interested in being an Agronomists because they have a wide range of work,
but their role is best summed up as a “crop doctor”. They are concerned with the health
and well-being of crops used for food production, fuel, and land reclamation which is very
interesting. As an agronomist, I can use my natural curiosity and enthusiasm for science to
help solve some of the toughest problems currently facing humanity. A career in agronomy
will keep me in the center of scientific efforts to increase the supply of high-quality food,
feed, fiber, and energy, as well as protecting and conserving our environment.
 Works Cited

National Geographic Society. “Biodiversity.” National Geographic Society, 9 Oct. 2012,

www.nationalgeographic.org/encyclopedia/biodiversity/.

National Geographic Society. “The Interconnected Systems of the Human Body.” National Geographic Society,
Nov. 2019, www.nationalgeographic.org/activity/interconnected-systems-human-body/.

National Geographic Society. “Theory of Evolution.” National Geographic Society, 5 June 2019,

www.nationalgeographic.org/encyclopedia/theory-evolution/.

“Explore an Occupation - Job Bank.” Jobbank.gc.ca, 2019, www.jobbank.gc.ca/trend-analysis/search-occupations.

S‌ ociety, National Geographic. “Genetics.” National Geographic Society, 23 Aug. 2019,

www.nationalgeographic.org/encyclopedia/genetics/. Accessed 16 Mar. 2021.

“Plants Are Trying to Keep Pace with Carbon Emissions, Study Finds.” Environment, 16 May 2019,
www.nationalgeographic.com/environment/article/plants-help-absorb-carbon-emissions-for-now. Accessed 16 Mar. 2021.
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