Making bio-diesel and bio-ethanol

Bio diesel and bio ethanol are currently considered as the future of fuel for vehicles, other heavy machinery, and power in general. The process has many steps and is currently costly. The idea is to take used oil or to take corn or plant matter and break it down into diesel fuel or  ethanol, depending on the material. Bio deisel requires the use of old grease or vegetable oils. below is a chart of the step required to make bio diesel.

This process, if streamlined, can drastically reduce the need for fossil fuels. Bio ethanol has a similar method but requires plant matter such as corn or reed. Below is a diagram of a typical bio ethanol plant.

 

Both of these method for producing alternative fuels are a good start to finding alternative energy. Bio ethanol runs into problems because it cuts into corn supply, which is a major food source for the whole world, which in turn has negative effects on the economy. It will be interesting to see where future of alternative fuels takes us.

Mitochondrial Eve

Mitochondrial DNA is a replication of the the DNA from the mother. All mitochondrial DNA comes from the mother is replicated and not changed. This means that the same DNA code has been passed down from mother to mother since when humans first walked the earth . Scientists estimate this woman lived from 150 to 200 thousand years ago. 

Mitochondrial DNA only makes up .001% of our DNA, but it is the only DNA that is not in the nucleus. The mitochondria are the powerhouse of the cell. Any they are inherited from the mother.

Amphioxus

The amphioxus are members of the invertebrate subphylum Cephalochordata of the phylum Chordata. they are small, fish-like creatures. generally less that 3 inches in length.  They are not particularly good swimmers though. Although they have no defined head and no eyes, they are closely related to vertebrates. They feed off of food particles in the water

They are generally found in the mud, sand, or gravel at the bottom of the ocean. They are found in access off the coast of China. They are also commercially fished. Below is a diagram of an amphioxus.

Macon Dog Park

For this lab we were supposed to go visit the dog park in Macon and take examples of the creek water to examine the bacteria content. Unfortunately, when we got halfway to the dog park it started raining so we turned around. We were told to discuss the dangers of bringing a young dog, or an unvaccinated dog to the park because of the ease of spread of disease. This holds true, unlike humans, who are in contact with multiple humans on a regular basis. 


Dogs are not brought together often, with the exception of a dog park. this means that many new diseases, or fleas, are introduced to your dog every time you bring man's best friend to the park. Your dog (especially the youngest) doesn't have the immunity for all of the new diseases it is introduced to. Causing a health hazard for your dog. 

Darwin's Dilema

For one of our labs we watched a movie about Charles Darwin's struggle with Precambrian period fossil records. The Burgess shale, located in Canada, is an archaeologist, and paleontologist's  playground. The layers in the shale demonstrate species evolution from all the way back to the Cambrian period.


Darwin's struggle is that, before the Cambrian period, there are no longer fossil records of life. The movie suggests that all life came to be in a matter of about two minutes. This, to me, seems to help further prove the fact that there is an intelligent creator although Evolution may have occurred and still be occurring.


This movie gave me evidence towards my beliefs. I respect Charles Darwin for his many contributions to the scientific community but at the same time I disagree with his view on the beginning (or creation) of life. His dilema in this movie only further proves my case. If he were alive today, It would have been interesting to talk to him to see his views.

Hitachi Experimental Forest

I really enjoyed this lab the most out of all the labs. For this lab we went to the experimental forest a couple miles north of Macon. The hike through the woods down to the river was not only a relaxting break from classes but also a learning experience about many different plants and about the controlled burning of forests to preserve them.


 The pine beetle has been a large factor in the decreasing number of pine trees in the last decade. the controlled burning not only rids the area of pine beetles but also clears out the underbrush, allowing for more light to reach the forest floor and for other plants and animals to live. We walked all the way down to the river and spent a couple minutes at the edge of the river relaxing. Several different pictures were taken on this trip, unfortunately i don't have any of them so i don't have a picture for this post.

Jackson Springs

For this lab we crossed the Ocmulgee and went to Jackson springs park. We were given chisels and hammers to break off rock samples to evaluate and classify them. Among some of the rock samples found were both regular and rose quartz, granite, and feldspar. Also we saw the line on the road bridge across the river where the river waters from the flood rose too. 


After the walk to the river, we filtered sand and dirt from the bottom of the creek to find small samples of inorganic and organic materials. Below is a picture of the creek and the tunnel under the road.