Teeth

Emer has researched and prepared another informative article about ....TEETH!  Well done Emer! 

The teeth help to prepare food for digestion by cutting and grinding it up. Each tooth is set into the jaw, which has a soft tissue covering called gum. During our lives we have two sets of teeth baby teeth (20) and later permanent teeth (32).

Parts of a tooth;

Enamel: A substance similar to the bone, though it is harder (the hardest substance in the body) and has no living cells. It consists of tightly-packed crystals of apatite, a mineral which contains calcium, phosphorus and fluorine.
Dentin: A yellow substance which forms the second layer inside a tooth. It is not as enamel but, like it, has many of the same constituents as bone. It also contains collagen fibres and strands of cytoplasm. These run out from the pulp cells in the pulp cavity. 
Cervix: The part of a tooth just below the surface, lying between the crown and the root.
Enamel: A substance similar to bone, through it is harder and has no living cells. It consists of tightly- packed crystals of apatite, a mineral which contains calcium, phosphorus and fluorine.
Cement: A bone- like substance, similar to enamel but softer. It forms the thin surface layer of the root and is attached to the jaw by the periodontal ligament.
Pulp cavity: The central area of the tooth, surrounded by dentin. It is filled with a soft tissue called pulp, which contains blood vessels and nerve fibre endings. These enter at the base of a root canal. The blood vessels supply food and oxygen to the living tissue, and the nerve fibre endings are pain receptors.
Different types of teeth and their functions:

Wisdom teeth: Four molars ( the third ones in line), lying at the end points of the jaws. They appear last of all, when a person is fully mature. Often there is no room for them to come through and they get stuck in the jawbone, or impacted. A few people never develop wisdom teeth.


Sources: The Usborne Illustrated Dictionary of Science

Salters Festival of Chemistry at UCC

Well done to our team of scientists who represented the Coláiste Muire 

at Salter's Festival of Chemistry in UCC recently! 

First year students on the team: 

Niamh Morgan, Niamh O'Shea, Ben Barrett and Tony Lynch 

As well as representing the school in the laboratory during the chemistry competition, the students also toured some important parts of the UCC campus. 

Ogham stones 

Honan Chapel 

At the end of the day, our students had an exclusive tour of a research laboratory from Coláiste Muire past pupil Paul Buckley, who is working on his PhD in atmospheric chemistry in UCC. Paul explained how each of the instruments in his lab are used to collect and analyse information about the quality of air in Ireland. 

Thank you to Salter's Institute of Chemistry and to the Chemistry department at UCC for organising and hosting this successful event.

The Brain

The Brain:



Functions of the brain:

FRONTAL LOBES: You use your frontal lobe nearly everyday. You use it to make decisions, such as what to eat or drink for breakfast in the morning, as well as for thinking or studying for a test. The frontal lobe is also where our personality is formed and where we can carry out higher mental processes such as planning. In addition, the frontal lobe is necessary to being able to speak fluently (without fault) and meaningfully.

PARIETAL LOBES: The parietal lobe carries out some very specific functions. As a part of the cortex, it has a lot of responsibilities and has to be able to process sensory information within seconds. The parietal lobe is where information such as taste, temperature and touch are processed. Humans would not be able to to feel sensations of touch, if the parietal lobe was damaged.

OCCIPITAL LOBES: The occipital lobe is important to being able to correctly understand what your eyes are seeing. These lobes have to be very fast to process the rapid information that our eyes are sending. Similar to how the temporal lobe makes sense of auditory information, the occipital lobe makes sense of visual information so that we are able to understand it. If our occipital lobe was impaired or injured we would not be able to correctly process visual signals, therefore, visual confusion would result.

TEMPORAL LOBES: The temporal lobe mainly revolves around hearing and selective listening. It receives sensory information such as sounds and speech from the ears. It is also key to being able to understand speech. In fact, we would not be able to understand someone talking to us, if it wasn't for the temporal lobe. This lobe is special because it makes sense of the all the different sounds and pitches(different types of sound) being transmitted from the sensory receptors of the ears.

CEREBELLUM: The cerebellum is one of the most identifiable parts of the brain due to its unique shape and location. It is extremely important for being able to perform everyday voluntary (done with purpose and intent) tasks such as walking and writing. It is also essential to being able to stay balanced and upright. Patients who have suffered from damaged cerebellums often struggle with keeping their balance and maintaining proper muscle coordination.

BRAIN STEM: The brainstem is the region of the brain that connects the cerebellum with the spinal cord. It consists of the midbrain*, medulla oblongata*, and the pons*. Motor and sensory neurons* travel through the brainstem allowing for the relay of signals between the brain and the spinal cord. Most cranial nerves* are also located in the brainstem.

The brainstem coordinates motor control signals sent from the brain to the body. This brain region also controls life supporting autonomic functions of the peripheral nervous system*. The fourth cerebral ventricle* is located in the brainstem, posterior to the pons and medulla oblongata. This cerebrospinal fluid-filled ventricle is continuous with the cerebral aqueduct and the central canal of the spinal cord*.

Function

The brainstem controls several important functions of the body including:

• Alertness
• Breathing
• Blood Pressure
• Digestion
• Heart Rate
• Relays information between the Peripheral Nerves and Spinal Cord to the upper parts of the brain

~KEYWORDS~
*Midbrain*- A small central part of the brainstem, developing from the middle of the brain.

*Medulla oblongata*- The continuation of the spinal cord within the skull, forming the lowest part of the brainstem and containing control centres for the heart and lungs.

*Pons*- The part of the brainstem that links the medulla oblongata and the thalamus.

*Sensory Neurons*- Sensory neurons are nerve cells that transmit sensory information (sight, sound, feeling, etc.). They are activated by sensory input, and send projections to other elements of the nervous system, transfering sensory information to the brain or spinal cord.

*Cranial Nerves*- The cranial nerves are twelve pairs of nerves that can be found at the bottom surface of the brain. Some of these nerves bring information from the sensory organs to the brain, some can control muscles, and some are connected to glands or internal organs such as the heart and lungs.

*Peripheral Nervous System*- This is the nervous system outside the brain and spinal cord.

*Cerebral Ventricle*- It is one of a system of four communicating cavities (ventricles) within the brain that are continuous with the central canal of the spinal cord.

* Spinal Cord*- The cylinder shaped bundle of nerve fibres and associated tissue which is enclosed in the spine and connects nearly all parts of the body to the brain, it forms the central nervous system.

Prezi: Introduction to the Brain 

Serious Science: What is a Black Hole?

Have you ever wondered what a black hole is? Saoirse has done some research to give you an introduction to these mysterious structures... Well done Saoirse!

A black hole is formed when the center of a large star collapses in on itself. This event is called a Supernova. Unlike a Supernova, which is very bright, the resulting black hole cannot be seen as not even light can escape it. So how do we know they even exist? We know they exist because of the way dust, stars and other matter* are affected by it.

When the large stars collapses, their mass is condensed into a very small space. This causes the strength of gravity to increase.

The reason that not even light can escape from a black hole is because anything that enters it is ripped apart by this intense gravitational energy.*

Black holes are generally 10 to 24 times larger than the sun. However there are also ‘supermassive’ black holes which can be up to a million times bigger than the sun! Astronomers believe that ‘supermassive’ black holes can be found at the center of almost all galaxies, including our very own Milky Way.

So where do all the black holes go? In the 1970s, Hawking showed that a black hole will simply evaporate (giving out a final burst of energy) if it is not ‘fed’ more mass*.

*mass=made up of matter, a physical substance.

*gravitational energy=the force/energy caused by gravity.

Sources:

https://www.esa.int/esaKIDSen/SEM0V1BE8JG_OurUniverse_0.html

http://www.dummies.com/how-to/content/string-theory-defining-a-black-hole.html

http://www.ducksters.com/science/black_hole.php

http://science.nasa.gov/astrophysics/focus-areas/black-holes/

Revising: Food

First years are revising for the summer tests and making mind maps.
Well done Olivia and Ben for making these posters! They are detailed, colourful and very well laid out!

 Click on the picture to see it in more detail...

Transition Year Website!

Two Transition Year students; Vincent Savage and John Harrington have been nominated for an award for the Eir Junior Science Award for creating this Science website! This website is full of study notes for the Junior Cert. There is also study notes for History. I think it's really helpful as it breaks down each topic which makes it easier to revise. Once you have revised each topic it also gives you the option of testing yourself. Go check it out!

~ Emer

http://youngscientistsand.wix.com/strip-header-layout#!food/tfixp

The Eye

Abby has done some great work researching the eye... well done Abby! 

The Eye:

• The eye is a very important part of the body it lets us see things. The eye consists of many different parts, Each of these parts has a different function:

  

Different parts of the eye:

• SCLERA-  This is the opaque layer on the outside of the eye, its function is to protect the eye.
• CORNEA- This part of the eye acts like a window, it controls and focuses the amount of light allowed into the eye.
• PUPIL- This is the part of the eye which light passes through.
• LENS- This is the part that lets us see shapes as they are and at different distances, it allows the real image to be formed at the retina.
• IRIS- This is the coloured part of the eye, it helps control the amount of light entering the eye. when the light is bright, this part of the eye closes the pupil to let in less light and when there is low light this part of the eye opens the pupil to let in more light.
• CILIARY BODY- This part of the eye realeases a clear liquid called aqueous humor, it also changes the shape of the lens when your eye focuses on something.
• CHOROID- This part of the eye looks mainly at helping the outer layers of the retina, it also controls heat and pressure, whilst absorbing excess light to try and avoid reflection.
• RETINA- This part of the eye is a light-sensitive layer at the back of the eye, it converts light energy that reaches it into signals which are then sent to the brain by the optic nevre.
• FOVEA CENTRALIS- This part of the eye is tiny but responsible for providing us with our most clearest, sharpest vision, by having a healthy fovea, it is the key to reading, watching T.V, driving and other activities that need to see things in detail. this part of the eye has no blood vessels. 
• OPTIC NERVE- This part of the eye transfers visual images (what we see) to the brain from the retina through electrical impulses, it is made up of nerve cells.
• SUSPENSORY LIGAMENT- This is the part that supports the eye, it forms a hammock beneath the eyeball for this support.
• BLOOD VESSELS- These are capillaries and arteries throughout the eye.
• OPTIC DISC (BLIND SPOT)- This is the part of the eye where the *ganglion cell axons* leave the eye, because there is nothing overlying this, it results in a blind spot in each eye.

The Optic Nerve (Blind Spot):

• To find your blind spot here is a quick experiment:

- Put your right hand over your right eye, and stare at the black dot.

- Move closer or further away, and you will find you can't see the ➕ anymore, this is because that is your blind spot!

The Retina:

• Here is a picture of Miss McCarthy's retina:

 

Science behind music

Emer has spent some time studying the science behind music... Well done Emer! 

The Science Behind Music 

• Music plays a huge role in teenagers lives. 

Although we find music as a luxury, it is also a necessity. Research shows that we should listen to more music than we do. 

Teresa Nakra, the professor of music at The College of New Jersey says "Music is exercise to the brain". "It engages your brain in different levels of thinking". 

When we listen to music the brain dissects the song that we are listening to. The brain is trying to follow the downbeats and upbeats of the drum, while recognizing the different octaves and notes of the horns and the voice. 

Research shows that the brain produces brainwaves from music with a strong and defining beat. those brainwaves determines our level of concentration and alertness.

Different types of music has different has different effects on us:

CLASSICAL MUSIC ~ This slows down your heart and breathing rate, this is why you would usually listen to it when you're relaxing.

ROCK MUSIC ~ This clears our minds when in the middle of stressful activities.

POP MUSIC ~ Pop music has the same effect on us as rock music.

BLUES MUSIC ~ Calms down your nerves.

REGGAE MUSIC ~ Calms you down when your angry.

LOVE SONGS ~ Makes you feel better after a breakup.

DANCE MUSIC ~ Makes you feel good.

RAP MUSIC ~ Can alter your mood.

HEAVY METAL ~ Can have a negative effect on your mood.

COUNTRY MUSIC ~ Can lead to depression.

Besides being a background or a mood enhancer, music can also be a person's companion.Robert Young McMahon has said that "music can be or friend, especially in times of loneliness".

Revising graphs (second year physics)

Flash Mob at Coláiste Muire

Coláiste Muire flash mob takes the internet by storm!

We are very excited to see the response online to the the flash mob organised by the PE department to promote mental health awareness this week at school. Well done to Ms. Moriarty and all the students who practiced and prepared for yesterday's outstanding success.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GqSqoYsPCpY 

We have even been featured in the Irish Examiner!

There's no stopping the students of Coláiste Muire!

Revision... where to start

When you are faced with a long list of chapters to revise for the summer tests or even the whole book for your state exams in June, it can feel intimidating.

The first thing to remember is that you have already learned this material, so you are not learning it all from scratch. Don't worry if you don't remember everything straight away, when you start to revise, you will recognise a lot more than you expect.

Here is one way of breaking all of that revision into manageable chunks:

1. Make a list of topics/chapters that you need to revise. 
2. Challenge yourself to get all of the important information in that chapter into one page. You might need to make a rough version first. 
3. Practice answering past exam questions or the questions at the end of the chapter. 

Here is an example of the list of topics that my second year science classes need to revise: 

My students have done an amazing job of creating a one page summary of topics in physics. Here are a few examples of their work. You can see that even though they are all revising the same topics, each poster is quite different. Using colour and little sketches or pictures helps to make the poster really stand out.   

Remember that there are three steps to help you get started: 

1. Make a list 
2. Put everything you need to know on one page 
3. Practice answering questions 

"Tús maith, leath na hoibre"

Miss McCarthy 

Wellbeing Week Posters: Smoking is bad for your health

Well done to my first year science class who did some amazing work over the holidays to produce these posters for Wellbeing Week. The idea was to create a poster which showed the negative effects that smoking can have on your health, and focusing on the lungs as we have been studying breathing. Here are a few of my favourite posters!

Physics Revision Chart!

Welcome back to school everyone! We have only eight weeks to go until the summer tests begin! Second years don't forget to revise your physics calculations and definitions... a lot of them are related to length or distance in some way. I created this chart to show how all of these quantities are connected. Remember, if you have a question, write it down and don't forget to ask before it's too late!

Happy revision,
Miss McCarthy

The Physics Behind a Roller Coaster

Eireann has spent some time researching the physics behind roller coasters! Well done Eireann! 

At the start of a roller coaster ride, the cart is pulled to the top of the first hill but after that, the cart must complete the ride independently.  The roller coaster is moved along the track because the energy converts from potential energy to kinetic energy. The roller coaster can be wooden or steel, the experience of the ride will change depending on the material it is constructed with. They can be all shapes or sizes. It may have a loop or it may not have a loop.  Wooden roller coasters sway a lot more compared to steel roller coasters. 

Inertia allows the roller coaster to glide along the tracks without an engine. Isaac Newton was the scientist who discovered inertia, it was his first law of motion.

“An object at rest tends to stay at rest unless acted on by an unbalanced external force. An object in motion will stay moving in the same speed and same direction unless acted on by an unbalanced external force.”

Read more about roller coasters at the following websites: 

http://www.learner.org/interactives/parkphysics/coaster.html

http://www.explainthatstuff.com/

https://www.loc.gov/rr/scitech/mysteries/rollercoaster.html

Does chocolate make us happy?

By Saoirse Flanagan
Have you ever noticed that you may feel slightly happier after eating chocolate? The ‘feel-good-feelings’ one experiences after eating chocolate is not just because it tastes good, it’s a result of the 300+ naturally-occurring chemicals it contains!

One of these chemicals is called anandamide, which is also found naturally in the brain. Anandamide causes the production of dopamine.The results of this chemical on the brain can be described as a blissful feeling or ‘intense well-being’.

Phenylethylamine (a.k.a. The Love Drug) is a natural ‘upper’ found in chocolate which makes your heart pound a little faster. It produces a pleasant feeling and some say it’s the feeling of being in love!

Another reason chocolate makes us feel good is because it releases endorphins into the brain. Endorphins reduce our perception of pain, helps reduce anxiety and depression and, as a result, triggers a positive feeling in the body.

I suppose you can conclude that a little bit of chocolate wouldn’t do too much harm!

Sources:
http://www.streetdirectory.com/food_editorials/snacks/chocolates/five_reasons_why_we_love_chocolate.html

http://www.explainthatstuff.com/scienceofchocolate.html

https://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/comfort-cravings/201402/why-do-we-crave-chocolate-so-much

Well done Saoirse!!!

Student Spotlight: density, flotation and the human body

By Stevie Girasole 

Flotation  

Flotation is the phenomenon related to the relative buoyancy of matter. 
Understanding flotation is useful, for example when adding material to the hull of a watercraft to keep the hull afloat. 
Flotation is used in process engineering, as a method for the separation of mixtures e.g de-inking which is a process that takes ink from paper to make it a blank page again.  

Density  

The density (also known as the volumetric mass density) of a substance is its mass per unit volume. The symbol most often used for density is ρ, although the Latin letter D can also be used.  

Density or the volumetric mass of density is calculated by dividing the mass of the object by its volume, e.g: 

Mass of object = 5g 

Volume = 10cm3 
Density = mass/volume = 5g/10cm3 = 0.5g/cm3

How does the human body float in water? 

The density of water is 1g/cm3 and the average density of the human body is 1.062g/cm3 so therefore, the human body should not float. But there's an exception to this concept. In the human body, obviously there's extra muscle and fat, in ordinary water, fat will float because of its density of 0.9094g/cm3 so the more fat you have in your body, the more likely you are to float, but, if you have muscle you will sink because of its density of 1.0599g/cm3.  

Well done Stevie! 

May the force be with you...

Here is a list of questions we will be exploring in the topic of forces this week:

• What is a force?
• What is the unit of force?
• Describe three forces and their effects

Why do we get blisters?

• What is friction?
• Name three examples of friction from everyday life
• Explain the effect of lubrication

We will be using springs and weights in some lessons... 

• Investigate the relationship between the extension of a spring and the applied force
• What is Hooke’s Law?

• What is weight? 
• Is weight a constant value? 
• What is the difference between weight and mass?
• What is the relationship between the mass of an object and its weight in newtons on the surface of the earth?

What on earth does he mean? ;) 

• Find the centre of gravity of a thin lamina;
• Investigate the role of centre of gravity in design for stability and equilibrium

Why is that a horrible present???!

• Investigate the law of the lever
• Name two everyday applications of levers

Work is done when a force moves an object... 

• Define and give the units for work, energy and power
• State the relationship between work and power and perform simple calculations based on this relationship