Molecules of Life

Mars

October 6, 2011 in Space

On Wednesday, March 18th, 2009, the Molecules of Life Project blasted off to Mars with Ms Schuster’s 3rd grade class piloted by Concordia University Masters of Art Education student Alexandra Beneteau and Université de Montréal Chemistry Department Post-Doctoral Fellow Tarek Kassem. In a discussion on what we would need to go to Mars, the students were well prepared and knew that the so called “red planet” was composed of iron oxide rocks, similar to those found on earth and that the 4th planet also may possess water. They hypothesized that plants could be grown in the carbon-dioxide rich atmosphere of Mars to produce oxygen by photosynthesis, assuming obstacles such as the colder temperature and lack of a protective atmosphere from the sun’s UV radiation could be surmounted on Mars. Tarek showed the students that they could burn different salts found on Mars using a hot flame to detect their composition, using for examples lithium, sodium, potassium and copper salts which exhibited red, yellow, violet and green colored flames (see: http://chemistry.about.com/library/weekly/aa110401a.htm). Alexandra brought us down to earth yet back in prehistoric times as she explained that the same iron oxide minerals found on Mars were used by cave-people in France to paint pictures of the animals they hunted about 15,000 to 20,000 years ago. The minerals hematite, jarosite and goethite provided respectively pigments for blood red, yellow ochre and brown colors. Painting in the style of the primitive earthlings, who used coal to trace a dark outline of their figures which were filled in using iron oxide pigments, the students used similar pigments, obtained from Mars, to paint cave images of animals that they could imagine might have lived in the harsh climate of Mars.
Thankful for their astrochemical experience, the students thanked MLP Team Mars for taking them on a field trip to the red planet and the caves of France.

Tags: Mars, Red Planet
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Cosmic Ice

October 6, 2011 in Space

Wednesday May 13th, attempting to nucleate a crystalline matrix, Ms Schuster’s 3rd grade class sensed the need for order in the members of their crystal lattice, before being asked to warm up to the idea of the amorphous state, which is adopted by cosmic ice, as MLP took them on another journey into space with more astrochemistry piloted by Concordia University Masters of Art Education student Diana Rodriguez and Université de Montréal Chemistry Department Doctoral Student Béatrice Lego. Ice has been observed to have 12 different crystal structures and two amorphous states. Looking at pictures of the hexagonal structure adopted by ice in the crystalline state, the students considered how the molecular structure leads to the six pointed and six-sided shapes of snowflakes. Considering images and a model of cosmic ice, the students stretched their minds around ideas of an amorphous ice form collecting different simple molecules that may react to form prebiotic precursors in space. Challenged to comprehend something amorphous, the students were asked to consider the roles of ice in ice cream. Given the proposal to make ice cream, one student remarked “is this not cooking?” The students were then asked to consider the key difference between a scientific experiment and cooking, the need for a hypothesis, and so the “ice cream hypothesis” was born: can one make ice cream without ice? Employing all the usual ingredients, except ice, Béatrice showed how liquid nitrogen could be used to cool the bowl to make nearly instant ice cream, which the students confirmed tasted as good, if not better than store bought gelato.

Enjoying the magnificent taste of ice cream and the unusual nature of cosmic ice, the students thanked Diana and Béatrice for wetting their enthusiasm for ice in crystalline and amorphous forms.

This marks the end of MLP at FACE this semester. Starting to present at other schools, MLP goes to École Paul Bruchési on May 14th.

Thanks again for all of your assistance and have a great Summer.

For information on the Cosmic Ice Laboratory see: http://www-691.gsfc.nasa.gov/cosmic.ice.lab/

On ice structure: http://www.tms.org/pubs/journals/JOM/9902/Schulson-9902.html

On ice cream structure : http://www.foodsci.uoguelph.ca/dairyedu/icstructure.html

Tags: Cosmic Ice
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Ion Channel Proteins

October 6, 2011 in Protein

On Monday, February 25th, 2008, the students in Mrs Shuster’s third grade class at École F.A.C.E. School were charged-up by the discussion of university students Christine Sherrington (BFA Art Education, Concordia U.) and Nazim Ait Yahia (B.Sc., U. Montréal) as they presented “ion channel proteins” in our fifth Molecules of Life Project (MLP) in Montreal.

Christine and Nazim ask the students many questions and created a discussion that illuminated the presence of ions in food, such as calcium in milk, and sodium and chloride in salt, as well as the importance of ion channel proteins for controlling the flow of such ions into the cells of the body.

Employing a battery, two wires and a light bulb to create a circuit, Nazim illuminated the students with thoughts on the flow of ions from high to low charge and related ion channels to switches that regulate the flow of ions in and out of cells.

Showing an animation, Christine discussed how the ion channels form protein pores through the lipid (fatty) membrane of the cell.

The students then tied on masks to become ions, and aligned themselves into two lines touching hands with their partners to form an ion channel protein. Listening to Latin rhythms, the students danced the “ion channel salsa” in which they took turns being passed along the channel as ions, and passing their fellow students through the channel behaving like the side-chains of the amino acids which control the flow of ions in the ion channel protein. Like ions flowing into a cell to form salts, the salsa dancers were dancing the mambo in the channel until the music stopped and the gates of the ion channel closed. When the music resumed, the gates reopened and the dancers continued dancing into the cell.

…cha, cha, cha, mambo, mambo, mambo, salsa, salsa, salsa, ion, ion, ion, stop!

Finally, we discussed the importance of ion channels in regulating the functions of different cells and tissues, such as the contractions of muscle cells, the rhythm of the heart beat and the flow of signals through the nervous system. Experiencing the great potential of this learning experience, we thanked team ion channel for regulating a positive flow of MLP movement.

For some Neuroscience For Kids:

http://faculty.washington.edu/chudler/ap.html

For a neat animation on ion channels involved in heart action:

http://www.cellsalive.com/channels.htm

for a basic review on ion channels:

http://www2.montana.edu/cftr/IonChannelPrimers/beginners2.htm