NCLC 120
<Link to Learning Log 5>
The Making of the Fittest by Sean B. Carroll
Chapter 7~ Our Flesh and Blood: Arms Races, the Human Race, and Natural Selection
along with
the Learning Log 5 assignment
*Competencies: Critical Thinking and Group Interaction*
At the beginning of each week during the course of NCLC 120, we had to
complete a learning log assignment based on a single chapter from the
book The Making of the
Fittest by Sean B. Carroll. Each learning log consisted of four
to five synopsis questions, along with additional tasks. Each week, we
would learn more about different evolutionary concepts, such as natural
selection. At the end of the course, we had learned about immortal
genes, fossil genes, making new from old genes, and arms races within
other species.
This Learning Log 5 assignment was selected by me in particular because it was my last learning log of the course besides the extra credit assignment. From this Learning Log, it assisted me in understanding the relationship between a poison dart frog and its predator snake compared to a newt and the garter snake that the chapter talked about. Within the synopsis of the chapter, it mentioned the evolutionary concept coevolution, and the arms races among species. This was how I made my connection between the relationships that the poison dart frog and the newt each had with their individual predators. As toxicity of the one animal went up, resistance within the other animal went up, which is why it is called an arms race.
Another topic that the chapter discussed was skin color within humans, and how the pigment of melanin plays a large role. The more melanin that you have in your body, the darker your skin color will be. Also, melanin is the body's self-made form of sunscreen. As there is an increase in UV Radiation, there will be an increase in melanin within the body. This was where group interaction came into play the most. During class, we split up into groups to discuss the chapter. One person in my group came up with a most challenging concept saying how she does not understand why people are so racist because we all have the same type of melanin pigment in our body. Depending on where you live, and if genes were passed on, your skin may be darker or lighter. Both of the skin types are the same, so people should not have any reason to discriminate against any race.
The last example for evidence of my learning was about sickle cell anemia. Sickle cell anemia is when the shape of a red blood cell is abnormal and it turns into the shape of a half moon. Sickle cell anemia is a disease, so the body would naturally try and kill it through natural selection. However, if someone has sickle cell anemia, they are immune to malaria. Sickle cell anemia and malaria are both something that many Africans are dealing with. So, if malaria is not taken care of, sickle cell anemia will still exist.
Overall, reading the chapter made me learn more, but completing the assignment questions made me become a critical thinker in order to understand the chapter. Each example of learning that I provided is a form of me being a critical thinker. In the end, the group interaction during class is what helped me clear up my most challenging concept. The group interaction also allowed me to hear about how other people learned from the chapter. All in all, this learning log assignment taught me the most because I was able to use what I learned from this chapter into the poster project. This was the one assignment where I was truly able to apply what I learned to a whole other assignment.
This Learning Log 5 assignment was selected by me in particular because it was my last learning log of the course besides the extra credit assignment. From this Learning Log, it assisted me in understanding the relationship between a poison dart frog and its predator snake compared to a newt and the garter snake that the chapter talked about. Within the synopsis of the chapter, it mentioned the evolutionary concept coevolution, and the arms races among species. This was how I made my connection between the relationships that the poison dart frog and the newt each had with their individual predators. As toxicity of the one animal went up, resistance within the other animal went up, which is why it is called an arms race.
Another topic that the chapter discussed was skin color within humans, and how the pigment of melanin plays a large role. The more melanin that you have in your body, the darker your skin color will be. Also, melanin is the body's self-made form of sunscreen. As there is an increase in UV Radiation, there will be an increase in melanin within the body. This was where group interaction came into play the most. During class, we split up into groups to discuss the chapter. One person in my group came up with a most challenging concept saying how she does not understand why people are so racist because we all have the same type of melanin pigment in our body. Depending on where you live, and if genes were passed on, your skin may be darker or lighter. Both of the skin types are the same, so people should not have any reason to discriminate against any race.
The last example for evidence of my learning was about sickle cell anemia. Sickle cell anemia is when the shape of a red blood cell is abnormal and it turns into the shape of a half moon. Sickle cell anemia is a disease, so the body would naturally try and kill it through natural selection. However, if someone has sickle cell anemia, they are immune to malaria. Sickle cell anemia and malaria are both something that many Africans are dealing with. So, if malaria is not taken care of, sickle cell anemia will still exist.
Overall, reading the chapter made me learn more, but completing the assignment questions made me become a critical thinker in order to understand the chapter. Each example of learning that I provided is a form of me being a critical thinker. In the end, the group interaction during class is what helped me clear up my most challenging concept. The group interaction also allowed me to hear about how other people learned from the chapter. All in all, this learning log assignment taught me the most because I was able to use what I learned from this chapter into the poster project. This was the one assignment where I was truly able to apply what I learned to a whole other assignment.
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Page Updated March 2nd, 2009