Other interesting blogs

The first blog I visited was Amanda’s. She explained the complex lactic acid process that occurs when we exert our muscles. I was really surprised that hydrogen ions are essential to the process, and when they leave, our muscles become acidic. They start hurting because of this acidity, but are not the cause of soreness the day after a difficult workout.

Next, I read Zach’s blog about stem cells. I learned that stem cells are known as “universal cells” and have many functions, which include the growth of organs and the curing of diseases. Although there are many benefits, stem cells are also difficult to work with because they must meet certain criteria.

Finally, I read James’ blog about nanotechnology. I was surprised to learn that nanoparticles can destroy cancer cells and are also used in some sun-screens. Unfortunately, these particles have settled in the brains of rats and could potentially be harmful.

Each of the sites I visited was very interesting, and I hope to learn even more about each topic! Chemistry is certainly a wide-ranging subject considering it is essential in all of the subjects that each member of the class is reasearching.

Which is better for the environment: organic or conventional farming?

I am sure you would like to think that what you eat has no effect on the environment, but unfortunately that is not true. You might think that organic farming is obviously the nature friendly choice, but that isn't true either. There are drawbacks and advantages to both organic and conventional farming, and we should all take note of them.

First of all, organic farming is a process that uses biological methods instead of chemical pesticides or fertilizers. Conventional farming uses these types of chemicals (some of which have caused some unpleasant environmental effects). So, organic farmers use compost and straw to nourish their soil and plants instead of chemical fertilizers. They also use methods like crop rotation and insect pest control instead of chemical pesticides. But all those natural chemicals can be bad in large quantities. If you've ever touched poison ivy, you know that natural chemicals are not always good. Rotenone, a natural insect deterrent, has been linked to Parkinson's disease and is sometimes sprayed in large quantities over plants while other man-made pesticides would only have to be used occasionally. Also, genetically modified food(uses the Bt gene which deters pests) may reduce the amount of pesticide needed, but insects will eventually become resistant to this chemical. Then, all the organic farmers who have been spraying their plants with this naturally occurring insect toxin will have to use something else. Who knows when genetically modified super-plants will overcome all others and become horrible weeds?

Truthfully, I don't know, but I think the best solution for growing plants is a mix between natural methods and man-made chemicals. Sometimes massive farms ignore the needs of the average plant and decide to smother it with chemicals. On the other hand, organic farmers drench their plants in naturally occurring chemicals instead of using a minimal amount of man-made chemicals. So, hopefully more farms will care about their plants enough to use such practices as crop rotation and natural fertilizers, but will also take advantage of the chemicals that have been created to make farming easier.

Basically, chemistry is quite important no matter what kind of farming you are doing. As a gardener, you should know about the Ph level of your soil, the nutrients that you are feeding your plants (Miracle Grow is the easy way out), and how to prevent pests from eating your plant. Thanks to chemists, there are some wonderful pesticides that can be used for farming, and there are some chemicals that we know not to use too much for farming. Knowing how chemicals will react to each other and affect the environment is essential, so chemistry has proven its worth yet again!

"It's not easy being organic." (Editorial Desk) The New York Times, May 27, 2006 pA13(L). Science Resource Center. Thomson Gale. 28 January 2008

"organic farming." Encyclopedia Britannica. 2008. Encyclopedia Britannica Online. 28 Jan. 2008 .

"Pesticides." World of Chemistry. Ed. Robyn V. Young. Online. Detroit: Thomson Gale, 2008. Science Resource Center. Thomson Gale. 28 January 2008

Organic stuff

So this time, I mostly researched farming. I learned a lot about pesticides, and some more natural alternatives. It's definitely a good thing that organic farming has increased in popularity, because there are some really bad effects of pesticides. There are definitely many benefits of pesticides, because they protect the contamination of our food, but organic farming has even better methods of growing safe food. Organic farming is not perfectly safe, but it is a better alternative to the chemical methods that most farmers have gotten used to. Hopefully, organic growing methods will continue to increase in popularity so less pollutants can be added to our environment.
Since I researched so much on farming for this blog, I have decided to split my topic into a few different categories. Farming will obviously be one category, but I also want to learn about how food gets to our supermarkets (or wherever you buy your food). So I hope to have one or two other categories about packaging, processing, and any other steps between the farm and our table. I hope I find some interesting information!

And Mrs. V., i commented on Julia, Jen, and Laura's blogs.

Final Topic

I know I kind of got carried away in my research last time (I really wanted to learn about sodas), but I have decided that my final topic is organic vs. processed foods. I would like to look at how some chemical preservatives effect people, and how these foods are delivered to us. I would love to have a behind the scenes view of how many processed foods are made and what chemicals go into them. (Hopefully this blog won't be anything like The Jungle, which is such a good book.) This may still be a bit of a broad topic, but I don't want to limit myself too much and have a difficult time finding interesting information.
There are lot of processed foods that we eat on a daily basis, so I might also highlight a different food for each of my blogs. I learned a little more about sodas last time, and I think it would be interesting to learn about another food each time I blog. If you have any suggestions, let me know! I would like to have foods that have both organic and processed versions so I can compare the two. Since the holidays are coming up, I might look at cookies since they can be made from scratch, but there are also many processed versions. More suggestions are appreciated though!

Reliability

Since no one wants to be a ding-a-ling about internet research, we all have to realize that everything on the web is not true. At least when I am looking up stuff on the internet, I try to get as much information from .gov, .org, and .edu websites as possible. Since that's not always possible, it's always a good idea to look up the same information in multiple places (so you can see if all the sites agree). While most teachers dislike wikipedia, most articles have a list of sources that is, in fact, very credible. So, if your teachers don't want you to credit wikipedia, just use the other websites that are listed at the bottom of the article!
While there is bound to be false information on the internet, I doubt anyone will revert to using purely textbooks for research. And if you find false information, part of the learning process is realizing your mistakes and correcting them. Nevertheless, be a wary researcher and don't believe everything you read!

Preservatives

I began my research on organic foods by trying to find a simple definition of what organic farming is. I found a pretty good article that describes it (as seen on the right), but I then started researching more about preservatives. Almost all the food we eat, unless you grow all your food in your backyard, has to be preserved in some way. For example, in order to prevent the growth of mold in products such as fruit juice, bread, and cheese, antimycotics are added. Personally, I appreciate that kind of preservative, but I also researched food colorings, which don't seem so necessary.
Another interesting topic of discussion is genetically modified foods. While there is some fear of crops that will turn into super-weeds that can't be killed, new strains of foods can also be beneficial. For example, some new plants don't require pesticides because they are genetically modified to resist insects. Considering there is much concern surrounding pesticides, these genetically modified foods might be very beneficial!
And then I got to thinking about sodas. Personally, I try to drink as little soda as possible, but most people aren't like me, so I decided to research it. The first website I looked at (I am not sure how reliable it is) stated a very large correlation between drinking soda and being overweight or obese. I then looked at some information that the FDA posted about sugar substitutes (which was very extensive and interesting) which was very informative, but not all of it was very clear. Basically, there have been a lot of studies that prove that sugar substitutes don't cause cancer and aren't harmful. So don't be concerned if you drink soda, odds are you aren't going to drop dead from it. But I didn't really get a clear answer, is it really healthy? Does diet soda make you a thinner person, or does it rot you bones (like one of my friends says). In my opinion, water is never a bad choice, and if you are really concerned about your bones rotting away then drink more milk or take some calcium supplements.
So far, my research hasn't unearthed any deathly effects from eating processed foods. So don't be concerned. But at the same time, there are much healthier alternatives to fast food and sodas, so don't be ignorant about what you are eating. Remember, you are what you eat!

health food?

Recently, organic foods have become much more popular. Some consumers are afraid of all the preservatives and additives that are in processed foods. But do all those additives really have a grand effect? Is it the fats that are naturally in unhealthy foods, or these preservatives that can be blamed for the rising rate of obesity? Food science has always interested me, so I hope to explore more on this topic.