Mitochondrial Eve

For this blog I will talk to you, the reader, about Mitochondrial Eve. What is Mitochondrial Eve you ask? Well good thing I'm writing this blog and you asked because I will tell you.

Mitochondrial Eve was the first mother. She is your relative, my relative, and your friends' relative. How you ask can this be possible? Well it is because of the "powerhouse", or mitochondria, in all cells that make this possible. You see, mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) is only passed from mother to offspring without recombination. This means that it does not break and rejoin to form new DNA strands. So this means that every person can trace their mtDNA through their mothers and their mother's mother and so on, all the way back to the first female.

Mitochondrial Eve is believed to have lived around 200,000 years ago in Eastern Africa. She is not believed to be the first female ever, just the first female to produce a direct unbroken female line to the present day. She gets her name from the Biblical Eve and obviously after mitochondria.

 5 Different Types of People from Around the World:

Artist rendition of Mitochondrial Eve

Migration of humans over the years
 

5 Different Types of People from Around the World:

Swedish: Tall, Blue-eyed, blond, and fair skin.


French: Olive complexion, dark hair and eyes, strong facial features, and slender.


Chinese: Flat face, brown eyes and hair, and rounded chin.


German: Lighter hair, blue/green eyes, and average height.


Russian: Lighter skin, longer face, full lips, and lighter colored eyes.


Click here to see what the average person from around the world looks like!

Human Genome Project:

It was a thirteen year project in which the U.S. Department of Energy and the National Institutes of Health. The project originally was planned to last 15 years, but rapid technological advances accelerated the completion date to 2003. It had several project goals that included: identify all the approximately 20,000-25,000 genes in human DNA, determine the sequences of the 3 billion chemical base pairs that make up human DNA, store this information in databases, improve tools for data analysis, and more. Use the following three links to learn more about how we are slowly but surely identifying and learning more and more about what makes up our DNA!
Link 1
Link 2
Link 3

My son, Seymour Dale Jimmie Gordon, the Sunflower

The purpose of this blog is to track the progress of my offspring (not biological though, just a plant). We were given sunflower seeds, a small plastic cup, and some Miracle Soil from Dr. Rood. He gave us the mission to take that seed, plant it, love and nurture it, and finally blog about its daily progress in life. I plan on taking daily pictures, talking to him a lot, let him listen to music with me, watch television with me, and hopefully one day teach it to type on a computer so he blog about himself. So with that I say adieu.

Seymour Dale Jimmie Gordon planted on November  5, 2012

November 5, 2012 (Day 1):
Day one of this adventure into growing a sunflower. Today the morale is high, the soil is freshly watered, and the seed has been planted. No report of growth or signs of life yet visible to the naked eye. Will keep close eye on plant and report any changes in form.

November 6, 2012 (Day 2):

Day two of this adventure into growing a sunflower is about the same as yesterday. Today the morale is still high, the soil is still moist, and the seed has not been seen. Still no report of sprouting that I can tell. Will again keep close eye on plant and report any changes in form.

November 7, 2012 (Day 3):
Day three into this thing called parenthood of a different nature. I'm still experiencing a decently high morale for having a sunflower seed. It has been over 48 hours and still no signs of my son emerging from the soil, so I am worried he is trapped. I did research on the interwebs (or the internet for some people) and learned it will be at least 10-14 days to germinate. I guess I'm just a little anxious parent.

November 8, 2012 (Day 4):
Day four of being a parent and I'm hungry. I wonder if Seymour will like cheeseburgers and bacon? If he doesn't then I'm going to give him up for adoption. My morale is starting to decrease slightly. The newness of being a parent is slowly wearing off. Again I researched sunflowers and discovered Seymour has the potential to be 8 feet tall! He's gonna have a killer dunking style and make lots of money in the NBA! I'm excited to go to his basketball games as he grows up!

November 9, 2012 (Day 5):
Day five of being a parent is here and I feel good. I feel like I did something important and productive. Today is pay day, so I earned some cash that I am ready to blow on peanut butter, milk, and Oreos! Woot Woot! Oh and I watered Seymour Dale Jimmie Gordon and he liked it I think. I mean he's still hiding so I figure he will come out when he is finally ready. I mean I think he will really enjoy the view he has by the window. Today he also made friends with the pineapple on the counter next to him.

Seymour makes friends with a local pineapple 

November 10, 2012 (Day 6):
Day six and the morale around the household is stable. I feel like I am close to loosing it. His mother is no where to be found, the cable is out, and there isn't any more macaroni in the refrigerator! UGHHH! Sometimes being a parent is so difficult. I think I will take him over to his future friend's house so he can have someone to sprout with. His soil is still moist so I did not water him today.

November 11, 2012 (Day 7):
Day seven of my journey of being a proud parent and an even prouder son of my dad for serving our great country with 28 years of service. Seymour has an outstanding grandfather and role model! I fed Seymour some more water because he hinted that he was thirsty. We also watched the NASCAR race at Phoenix today and saw Jeff Gordon being a boss. Seymour really enjoyed his first NASCAR race and even likes Danica Patrick! All I can say is, "THAT'S MY BOY!"

November 12, 2012 (Day 8):
Day eight of this exciting adventure and I am proud to report that Seymour Dale Jimmie Gordon has sprouted! He has the cutest green stem. I gave him a tiny plant/human high five (cyber five to you who's reading!). I watered him a little tonight and placed him again next to the window where he can get plenty of sunlight to perform photosynthesis and make his favorite plant food. According to the internet he is right on track for becoming a talented sunflower. I AM EXCITED! He takes after his great grandfather, John E. Wilson.

Seymour Dale Jimmie Gordon's first high five with his father

November 13, 2012 (Day 9):

Day nine of the journey that I unexpectedly began is being to really get exciting! Seymour is doing very well. He has begun to straighten out his stem and started to grow towards the heavens. I told him how proud I was of him. Seymour has expressed that he is ready to experience New China Buffet, but I told him he needed to get a little bigger and until then all he can have is water. I think he is a little upset at me.

Seymour growing towards the heavens

November 14, 2012 (Day 10):

Day ten of the adventure and my Seymour is still growing upwards and is as green as can be. I took him over to his friends house to have a sunflower play date with his friend Finley (which by the way, Finley hasn't even germinated yet! *Hehehe*). Seymour pretty much is better than her and every other sunflower out there! Every time I look at him, I am overcome with joy and happiness. He is going to go far in life. 

November 15, 2012 (Day 11):

Day eleven of being a parent and I am just so proud of my little boy! He is just defying all the odds. When I planted him, I was told that there was a fifty (50) percent chance of him being a dud. That really scared me because I don't know how to raise a dud. I'm not sure you could screw up, but if he was a dud then he could never be the first sunflower astronaut, the first sunflower president, or even the first sunflower NASCAR driver. I feel that he is destined to become great and as long as I continue to water him and he makes his little plant food, I think he will be able to achieve anything he puts his stem and leaves to.

Here Seymour is dreaming of one day becoming the first sunflower president

November 16, 2012 (Day 12):

Tonight Seymour watched his first movie with his old pops. He really enjoyed Top Gun! Now instead of becoming a basketball player and making lots of money, he wants to be a navel aviator and save the world from evil. I told him that I would still be proud of him even if he wasn't a fighter pilot, I wouldn't however be proud if he became a politician.  

November 17, 2012 (Day 13):

The morale at camp today was average. Seymour watched a lot of television, which mostly comprised of college football. So that's not too bad, seeing as how he was not on the street corner selling his leaves so kids could get high. I think he will be just fine when he grows up. 

November 18, 2012 (Day 14):

Today marks two weeks since Seymour was planted. He has really come a long way in two weeks. I am very proud to call Seymour Dale Jimmie Gordon my son. I love the little guy to death and would do anything for him as long as it is legal!!!

November 19, 2012 (Day 15):

Today was a perfect day for Seymour. We went to the park and played fetch with the football I got from Walmart. I want for Seymour to bulk up a little bit and I thought that if we went to the park and tossed the old pig skin, that maybe he would get jacked. Sadly he didn't. He is still just a thin stem with four leaves. But that's okay, he's still my boy!

November 20, 2012 (Day 16):

Seymour is doing just dandy. He is really liking his new window spot in the apartment. I believe he has grown a lot more now with more  sunlight for him to be able to produce his plant food. Father and son stayed up and watched the Indiana University game. I can see Seymour at the rate he is growing, becoming a great basketball player and being recruited by Indiana University. #GoIU

November 21, 2012 (Day 17):

The morale at camp is very high. The Thanksgiving break is upon us. I told Seymour that we would be traveling to my home in Warner Robins. He was very excited to go out and see where I grew up as a child. He was sad however and asked if his friend Finely could come along. I told him that she was going home with her mommy. He didn't seem too sad. 

November 22, 2012 (Day 18):

Today was Seymour Dale Jimmie Gordon's first Thanksgiving. When we were going around the table and saying what we were thankful for, he said that he was thankful for instinctively knowing how to swim because he claims the first day I gave him too much water (I beg to differ). Seymour really liked the deviled eggs that Aunt Trisha made, the turkey that his grandmother prepared, and the cranberry sauce that his great grandmother made from hand. I'm not sure he will ever like just eating his own plant food when we get back to Mercer. 

November 23, 2012 (Day 19):

At 3:00 AM when the doors of the Target opened up, Seymour barrel rolled to the back of the store to be the first in line to get some new electronic device that he was wanting. He said that he wanted it because he gets bored in the apartment just listening to the television while I am in class. This is his one expensive gift that he gets for Christmas.

November 24, 2012 (Day 20):

Today Seymour was very lazy. All he did was lay on the couch and watch the college football games, then again his father did too. We decided to play a game where him and I would be the television announcers for the game. He was funnier than a hyena playing a banjo at a Dave Matthew's concert. He even made comment that the USC cheerleaders were very attractive. THAT'S MY BOY!!!

November 25, 2012 (Day 21):

Today we arrived back to Mercer from our adventure to Warner Robins for Thanksgiving Break. Seymour was getting a little home sick and he was very anxious on the car ride back. He kept escaping his seat belt and rolling down his window and sticking his leaves out. I got a couple of weird glances from people passing us. He seems to be happy being reunited with his friend Finley. 

November 26, 2012 (Day 22):

It was a not a bad day at all. Seymour seems to still be excited to be home even though his mother is no where to be found. However his friend Finley came over to play with him, while I went to class. When I got back they were playing checkers and had spilled the Jenga blocks everywhere. I asked Seymour if he and Finely even knew how to play Jenga and he told me and I quote, "Duh dad. I'm a sunflower, not an idiot." I didn't respond. 

November 27, 2012 (Day 23):

It was a very rainy and dreary Tuesday which means that morale at home base was average. Seymour just sat by the window all day watching the rain droplets fall from the sky like a skydiver plummeting to the ground. He seems to have gotten taller and has begun to grow more leaves. He is longing for it to be warm enough for him to go outside and play with the other sunflower plants. Oh how his life seems to just be flying by. 

November 28, 2012 (Day 24):

 After the nice rain that we had yesterday, Seymour wanted to venture outside to "just get out of that apartment" and I mean who can blame him. He would be even more bored if his friend didn't stay and play with him while I went to class.

November 29, 2012 (Day 25):
Seymour's leaves are looking mighty fine today. There are four of them and they are all spread out. He continues to look out the window, growing towards the sun like a boss. I really do not get tired of looking at him because he makes me mucho proudo.

November 30, 2012 (Day 26):
This Friday Seymour received some water because he was very thirsty. He also requested a peanut butter and honey sandwich. He said that he was getting tired of eating his plant food and that he "just wanted something different man."

December 1, 2012 (Day 27):

After watching the devastating loss to Alabama, Seymour was happy that UGA left it all out there on the field. I mean he is right, I'm sure the coaches don't want to have to clean up all the blood, sweat, and spit that is littering the playing field. He is so smart.

December 2, 2012 (Day 28):

Today Seymour wanted to go out shopping and get supplies to make Christmas ornaments. He told me that he wanted to mark his first Christmas being apart of my life and he thought what better way than to make ornaments with his old man. What a champ I am raising in my apartment, if only his mother could see the man her son is becoming!

December 3, 2012 (Day 29):

Today Seymour surprised me by making waffles! I woke up this morning to breakfast in bed. He said he got up pretty early to make the waffles, fresh squeezed orange juice, toasted bagel with cream cheese, and the latest edition of The Cluster. I have such a wonderful sunflower!

December 4, 2012 (Day 30)
I woke up this morning only to find my son dead. It looks like he went peacefully during the night. He was a good son and will always be remembered. 

Sgt. Rodney Maxwell Davis

This blog is about the only Medal of Honor recipient from Macon, Georgia, Rodney Maxwell Davis. Davis was a Sergeant for the United States Marines, served his country, and made the ultimate sacrifice  even though no one asked him to.


Davis was born on April 7, 1942 in Macon, Georgia to Gordon N. Davis and Ruth A. Davis. He grew up in Macon and graduated from Peter G. Appling high School on May 29, 1961. It was later that he decided to enlisted in the United States Marine Corps. He reported to basic training, completed it, and then was stationed at Camp Lejeune, North Carolina in December 1961. There he underwent Individual Combat Training and graduated in February. Rodney Davis was a fine Marine and was promoted all the way up to Sergeant on December 1, 1966.

He was then sent overseas to the war zone in August 1967. It was here in Vietnam that Rodney Davis would prove just what kind of leader he really was.

On September 6, 1967, he was operating his unit on a search and clear mission during Operation Swift. It was then that Davis and his men were attacked by a very large North Vietnamese force. Much of his platoon was pinned down by enemy mortar fire, heavy automatic, and small arms fire. He went from man to man, giving them encouragement to fight the enemy. Suddenly an enemy grenade fell in the trenches and without hesitation Davis fell on the grenade.

He saved the lives of his fellow Marines from sure death. This selfless act earned the nation's highest military decoration: the Medal of Honor. He also earned the Purple Heart, Vietnam Military Merit Medal, and the Vietnam Gallantry Cross.

The frigate USS Rodney M. Davis (FFG-60) was named in his honor.

Sergeant Davis is survived by his wife, Judy P. Davis, two daughters Nichola Davis, and Samantha J. Davis-Steen.

Medal of Honor Citation

The President of the United States in the name of The Congress takes pride in presenting the MEDAL OF HONOR posthumously to

SERGEANT RODNEY M. DAVIS
UNITED STATES MARINE CORPS

for service as set forth in the following CITATION:

For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty while serving as the right guide of the Second Platoon, Company B, First Battalion, Fifth Marines, First Marine Division, in action against enemy forces in Quang Nam Province, Republic of Vietnam, on September 6, 1967. Elements of the Second Platoon were pinned down by a numerically superior force of attacking North Vietnamese Army Regulars. Remnants of the platoon were located in a trench line where Sergeant Davis was directing the fire of his men in an attempt to repel the enemy attack. Disregarding the enemy hand grenades and high volume of small arms and mortar fire, Sergeant Davis moved from man to man shouting words of encouragement to each of them firing and throwing grenades at the onrushing enemy. When an enemy grenade landed in the trench in the midst of his men, Sergeant Davis, realizing the gravity of the situation, and in a final valiant act of complete self-sacrifice, instantly threw himself upon the grenade, absorbing with his own body the full and terrific force of the explosion. Through his extraordinary initiative and inspiring valor in the face of almost certain death, Sergeant Davis saved his comrades from injury and possible loss of life, enabled his platoon to hold its vital position, and upheld the highest traditions of the Marine Corps and the United States Naval Service. He gallantly gave his life for his country.

/S/ RICHARD M. NIXON

Ocmulgee Indian Mounds

     For this blog, I will blog about our field trip to the Ocmulgee National Monument (otherwise known as the Ocmulgee Indian Mounds) on October 23, 2012. We traveled there to study and learn about the different types of soil. Dr. Rood led the class into the woods, off the unbeaten path, to show us the different layers of soil. We had just learned about the different levels of soil in the classroom, but to get to see it in real life was pretty cool.
     Dr. Rood first showed us the forest floor and how the top layer is made up of dead leaves, branches, and other things that use to be living. Now it is slowly decomposing on the top, but it is still identifiable to most people. He then pulled back a little bit of the top layer to show the next part. It was less identifiable to me, but it was no problem for him. You could see how much more decay had occurred. Next he pulled back even more of the top layer to show the soil and you could clearly see how the decaying leaves and twigs just kinda became the top soil. It was very dark in color and I bet better than any bag of Miracle Grow soil you could buy at the store.
     Then Dr. Rood raced through the woods like a young boy just happy to be outside, surrounded by nature. He ran and then jumped into a small creek ravine that runs through the park. In the creek he showed us the different layers of soil in the ravine walls. I was amazed how he was able to just name all the different parts of the soil, not to mention the trees and plant life along the paths.
     After we were done exploring the forest and looking at soil, we made our way to the Ocmulgee Earth Lodge. We saw what the inside looks like and learned a little of the history. It was constructed by the people of the Mississippian culture and the floor inside is 1,000 years old. Also that the structure is nearly a perfect circle and that there is a large bird effigy at the head of the structure where the chief would sit.

One of the Indian Mounds 

Soil

In this blog I will attempt to educate you about soil with text and pictures. However I will not be able to provide you with a delicious taco to eat as you read, so I am sorry. Soil is the dirt, rocks, minerals, and other  organic materials that make up the thing we call ground. It has three main components such as clay, sand, and silt. Soil got its name based on how it was composed. Below is a colorful chart that shows the naming process based on the percentage of clay, silt, and sand in the soil.

Let's now talk about biomes. Biomes are defined by climate and geography. Below you see a common chart that is used to determine what type of biome a certain area is based on the amount of precipitation it receives annually and the average temperature. 

Below is a map of the world and all of the major biomes. You will notice that the biomes are not the same based on the latitude lines because of the air cells ushce as the Hadley Cells, Ferrel Cells, and Polar Cells. For instance you will notice that the eastern part of the United States has the same biome as western Europe because of the Ferrel Cells or Westerly winds. 

Now lets look at the different types of soils. There are twelve different soil types: Alfisols, Andisols, Aridisols, Entisols, Gelisols, Histosols, Inceptisols, Mollisols, Oxisols, Spodosols, Ultisols, Vertisols. Each one can be found in a different place on earth. Click HERE to learn more.

Georgia's official soil is the Tifton soil series. This type of soil is what makes up most of the Southern Coastal Plain. Click HERE to read more about the official state soil. Ultisol (genus) is what you will find in Georgia. 

Below is the Munsell Color System that helps scientist to identify soil based on three criteria: hue, value, and chroma. Professor Albert H. Munsell is the brilliant man who came up with this system for classifying soil, which was later recognized and used by the USDA as the official soil. If you would like to learn more then you should click HERE.

Different Rocks and Minerals

Introduction

     There are three main different types of rocks: igneous, metamorphic, and sedimentary. Igneous rocks is formed when magma or lava cool and harden. Metamorphic rocks are formed when the original rock undergoes a tremendous amount of heat and pressure. Sedimentary rocks are formed when material is deposited in a certain area and then over time accumulate and form a solution. Each rock type is fascinating and will be discussed later in this blog.
     Each rock is made up of different minerals. A mineral is a substance that occurs naturally and is solid at room temperature. Each mineral has its own unique shape, which is a result of the chemical structure. There will be more minerals discussed later in this blog.

Igneous Rocks

This is a Diorite rock. It is a coarse-grained, intrusive igneous rock that contains a mixture of feldspar, pyroxene, hornblende and sometimes quartz. It is a very pretty rock in the fact that it is sort of shiney and black and white. Diorite is a very rare rock and can only be found in a few places around the world, one of them being in Minnesota.

For more information about igneous rocks click HERE

Metamorphic Rocks

This is a Gneiss rock. It is a foliated metamorphic rock that has this distinct banded appearance. It typically contains mostly quartz or feldspar minerals which give it those distinct stripes. People tend to confuse this with granite. You are able to tell that it is a metamorphic rock because of the clearly defined lines that are formed when the rock was squeezed together. 

For more information about metamorphic rocks click HERE

Sedimentary Rocks

This is a limestone rock. It is composed of mostly the minerals calcium carbonate (CaCO3). A lot of limestone is formed from dead sea organisms' skeletons and other material build up in the water. Other limestone forms as water evaporates and forms stalactites and stalagmites. It is very soluble when in contact with water or other weak acids. Limestone is commonly used in building materials and even in toothpaste.

For more information about sedimentary rocks click HERE

Quartz

This mineral is known as quartz. It is a commonly found mineral in the Earth's crust and nearly every type of rock has some quartz in it. Quartz is made up of a continuous framework of SiO2. Its crystals have a hexagonal shape and colors range from colorless (without imperfections) to black (many imperfections) and nearly every color inbetween. Quartz scores a 7 on the Mohs hardness scale out of 10. Because of its hardness it is used in jewelry.

To learn more about quartz click HERE

Outside Lab

Overview

     The lab on September 25, 2012 took place around Mercer University's campus. We walked from the Science and Engineering Building to Tatnall Square Park and observed many different types of trees, bushes, and flowers. We learned how to identify the different plants based on their leaves, scents, and texture. We also took a couple of measurements to figure out the height of a couple of trees. It was a very interesting and informative session.

3 Types of Trees

Pecan Tree (Carya illinoinensis):
     One of the first trees that we came across was a Pecan Tree. It is native to south part of the United States. It is famous for its nut, the pecan, and whether or not it is pronounced "pea-can" or "pah-con." The word "pecan" originates from an Algonquian word that means a nut that requires a stone to crack, according to Wikipedia.
     I also calculated the height of the tree using a simple formula. I stood a distance back from the base of the tree and used a used a clinometer to find the top of the tree. I then measured the distance from the base of the tree to where we were standing and that measurement was my 'B.' Then I measured the height from the ground to my eye and that measurement was my 'A.' I then added A + B to get the height of the tree. In this instance the numbers in the formula were 69 cm + 1920 cm = 1989 cm.

Douglas Fir (Pinaceae pseudotsuga):
     The last tree that we measured on our adventure was the Douglas Fir. After using the same A + B = height of the tree formula, we found out that it was 2064 cm. The Douglas Fir's wood is used in construction because of it's ability to withstand high weight loads. They are native to the west and east coasts of the United States.

Bradford Pear (Pyrus calleryana):
     This tree is native to China and Vietnam, but has taken root here in America. The Bradford Pear tree is notorious for its white five-petal flower and atrocious odor in early spring. The trees are very resistant to sickness and are destroyed more often than not by storms.

3 Types of Bushes

Loraetalum (Loropetalum chinensis):
     This bush has the burgundy color leaves in the spring and the long narrow pink flowers. It can grow to be up to 10 feet tall and 10 feet wide.

Virginia sweetspire (Itea virginica):
     This bush is commonly referred to as Virginia sweetspire. It is an easy plant to care for because it is a very adaptable plant. It can either be grown in the presence of full sunlight or partial sunlight. When it blooms, it has a sweet aroma and tiny white flowers.

Sago palm (Cycas revoluta):
     This plant is not a palm at all, but a cycad according to Wikipedia. It has the appearance of a palm tree that has stopped growing because it is low to the ground. It is a very poisonous plant to both animals and humans if it is ingested.

3 Types of Flowers

Snapdragons (Plantaginaceae antirrhinum):
     This flower received its name because the flowers resemble a dragon's mouth. You are able to open and close the flowers when you squeeze them. When their flowers bloom, they are either a red, white, or pink. A snapdragons grow to either be 6-8 inches tall (dwarf), 15-30 inches tall (medium), or 30-48 inches (tall). They are perennial plants and usually grow best in full or partial sun.

Angel Trumpets (Datureae brugmansia):
     These flowers received its name because they look like angels are playing trumpets from heaven. They produce a fragrance in the evenings during mating season to attract the pollinating moths. The plant grows to be between 2.6-4.9 feet tall. They now mostly planted to be ornamental plants.

Monkey Grass (Ophiopogon japonicus):
     This type of flower is a low growing flower. Its leaves are 20-40 centimeters long, its flowers are white, and its fruit is a little blue berry. It is mostly grown as an ornamental ground-cover. It was used in traditional Chinese medicine for yin deficiency.