Thursday, January 28, 2010

Wooden Bowls

This story shows responsibility and empathy. The son is responsible to support his dad, which is the least he can do after all the things his dad has done for him, such as raising him and giving him a good family. The son is also responsible to set a good example for his son and to teach him how to treat his elders with respect and sympathy. You should empathize people because no one is perfect and not everyone can be the way you want them to. You should try and understand their situatation, like in the story, the son should have been more understanding of his father considering his old age and the fact that he is his father. I can relate this to my grandfather because sometimes I get annoyed at him, but then I realize that I should try and be more considerate of his situation and age. The lesson this story teaches is that you should respect and be tolerant to your elders because someday, you are going to be like them too. You should try and enjoy every moment you can with them because they are not going to around for long.

Sunday, January 3, 2010

Basic Genetics Homework

The passing of traits from parents to a child is called heredity. Humans have 2 sets of traits, each set containing 23 chromosomes. An egg cell contains one set of chromosomes, while the sperm cell contains the other set of chromosomes. When the egg and sperm combine, they create a cell called zygote, which has two sets of chromosomes, half from the mother and the other half form the father.
A trait is a notable feature or quality in a person. Physical traits are characteristics of one's physical makeup such as hair color, eye color, and height. Behavioral traits are characteristics of the way one acts. An increased risk of getting a certain kind of health problem is also a trait that could be passed on to a child from a parent. Environmental factors can influence or change traits. A set of genetic information for each form is described as an allele. Homozygous is when you have two of the same allele for a trait. Heterozygous is when you have two different alleles for a trait. Traits are usually shaped by more than one gene; this called complex traits.