Mosaic Monday-Science Fair Week!

Science is not exactly pretty or aesthetically pleasing.

But you have to try...


My son went back to school today and brought in his Science fair project!

His project was about the circadian rhythm in a gerbil! We actually bought his gerbil for the experiment. Don't worry, we didn't harm her, maybe just confused her a little.
The experiment was to play with the circadian rhythm, by altering the light pattern of the gerbil's environment. The tank was kept in the closet for 10 days.(she was well fed). A bike speedometer was attached to the exercise wheel and her activity was recorded every twelve hours. Lights on for 12 hrs off for 12 hrs. Sometimes the light was on during the day, sometimes at night. Sometimes the lights were on or off for 24 or 36 hours straight. What we learned: Circadian rhythm is mainly an internal system control by nature not environment. A nocturnal animal is a nocturnal animal and the light has little to do with it. INTERESTING!!:)


My son included a quiz along with his display. How much do you know about the circadian rhythm?
Take the quiz and find out:

Circadian Rhythm Quiz

1. How long ago was reliable evidence for the existence of endogenous (internal) 24-hour rhythmicity first recorded
in an animal?
A. 1 year
B. 10 years
C. 25 years
D. 50 years
E. 100 years

2. Which of the following descriptions does not apply to circadian rhythmicity?
A. A process that can be found in bacteria, plants, fungi, and animals
B. A process that cycles in intervals of approximately 24 hours
C. A process that is rhythmic only in the presence of environmental cycles
D. A process that can be synchronized by environmental cycles

3.What is an "actogram"?
A. A unit of mass equivalent to 10-15 grams
B. A machine that records circadian rhyhms
C. A cyclic nightmare
D. A plot of activity over time

4. The period (cycle length) of circadian rhythms is determined
A. Mostly by nature (genetic inheritance)
B. Mostly by nurture (history of environmental exposure)
C. Equally by nature and nurture
D. By neither nature nor nurture

5. How long ago is circadian rhythmicity believed to have evolved?
A. Several trillion years
B. Several billion years
C. Several million years
D. Several thousand years

6. Why are nocturnal organisms active at night?
A. Because their eyes are specialized for night vision
B. Because their circadian system is unresponsive to light
C. Because their active phase is genetically timed to subjective night
D. A and C

7. The "master circadian pacemaker" in the mammalian brain is located in the
A. Suprachiasmatic nucleus
B. Preoptic area
C. Thalamus
D. Hippocampus

Answers:
1.E, 2.C, 3.D 4.A, 5.B, 6.D, 7.A


I helped my his with his display by creating this little clipart in illustrator. My school is coming in handy if not with a paying job at least to help my kids with their school work.:)



We printed it out on an 8'x10" sheet of paper, mounted it on foam baord, cut it out and attached it to the banner for a little extra piazza!

Science is FUN!
Happy Mosaic Monday!

Visit more fun, beautiful, interesing and educational(?) mosaics at Mary's Little Red house