Summary

This is my first time writing reflective journal and of course there’s are many lacking. I will fix it up to make it better in the future.

From the first topic which is evolution until topic six which is plant hormones, I had obtained a lot of knowledge and learn many new things from these topics. Now, I love learning about evolution. It’s such an amazing process. Happening all around us, but in such a slow pace it’s hard to notice. Until you start looking more into it, then you will see evolution’s effects everywhere. I’m realized that I have to change my new learning mode not to be spoon-feed anymore. I’ll tried more  harder. I’m also got through many fun and exciting learning which are new for me such as watching video, use Venn diagram, group discussion, use mind maps tools and etc. These methods actually examples effective learning process.

This is week is the seventh week. Its means that this is the last week I’m with Dr. I have learned a lot of things with her. She taught me many things. I hope I can get lecture a good lecturer like her again. Thank you Dr. I’m going to miss you. Sayonara (Goodbye) Dr…

Week 6

Week of quizzes. The topic for this week is Pollination and the Development of Plant Embryo. This topic discuss about development of plant and animal, reproduction organ of plants and zygotic and somatic embryogenesis. Dr showed us two videos which was Double Fertilization in Angiosperms and Methods of Pollination. From these videos, I can understand more about this topic. This week, we did three SCL Group Activity in Venn diagram about zygotic vs. somatic embryogenesis, sexual vs. asexual plant and self pollination vs. cross pollination during class session. After that, Dr gave us a shocked because she had prepared two quizzes for us which are was Cell Division cycle Matching Quiz and Plant Sexual Reproduction.

My next topic is about The Regulation of Developmental and Differentiation Hormones. In this topic, we learned about the types of hormones and its function, the effect of hormones on the development plants. I had learned about this topic before in the secondary school and matriculation but not details like I had learned here. Then, Dr asked us to do  a quiz and individual activity which actually group work activity in putrablast about plant growth regulators.

In our life, learning is the important process to understand something it is. Always try harder and adapt a new thing that we had learned. 

Week 1

A new life start. Actually I still cannot accept the fact that I’m now at university. Many thing have changed. I have to adapt a new environment of university life. But what I can do now… Life must go on. My life as a university student begins now.

So Assoc. Prof. Dr Parameswari Namasivayam is my lecturer for the subject Cellular And Developmental Biology (BSM3001). We called her Dr Parames. Actually I still confused with other lecturer that we must call him/her as Prof and Dr. I’m afraid that I made mistake to call Dr Parames as Dr not Prof. Since all my classmate call  her Dr, I’m just follow them.  

Back to our topic, first week in the class is only learn introduction. Before Dr Parames start the lecture, she brief to us about how the marks given and when the test will be held. The first topic that we learn is Evolution and Charles Darwin.  I already got a homework from Dr Parames on the first day class which is watch the video. That video was about 1 hour duration. I never get homework to watch the video. I tried my best to watch that video because internet connection in my college was really bad. I only can watch it for a few minutes and it stopped because of lost connection. What a sad day. I have to woke up in the very early morning and had to buy data in order to watch this video which the title Endless Forms Most Beautiful. Actually after watch this video I still cannot understand about what video it is. I had to review many times and of course it takes more time. 

The internet was not really good actually but at least better than using wifi because the problem is line not the wifi. I’m not blame the Dr Parames for giving us this task. Actually I’m happy to learn more about evolution topic because when I was in matriculation I’m not quite understand about this topic and found that this topic was really boring because I don’t know the history of evolution actually. But now not anymore. The video actually about the story of Charles Darwin how he started the five year voyage and what he had obtained during his voyage. Along this video, Dr Parames give us some activities in putrablast to answer based on that video. Then, Dr Parames give us another task which also watch the video which has same duration with video 1. For sure I faced the same problem like watching the first video. The title is Natural Selection vs Artificial Selection. After that, Dr Parames give us  some activities based on video 2 and a quiz to answer  based on video 1 and video 2. If you not watch both of the video you can’t answer that question because it all were related.

Did you know what is evolution? In this topic, we need to learn about historical development of the theory evolution. After I learnt this topic, now I know that ideas on evolution prior to Darwin by Aristotle, Jean Baptiste Lamarck with his theory called Lamarck’s Theory and Charles Lyell before Charles Darwin can prove the truth of evolution and yet became Father of Evolution. Darwin’s evolutionary theory was natural selection. Natural selection was based on 4 main principle which is variation, overproduction, adaptation and descent with modification.

I think that’s all we have learnt . Basically I learnt more about  this topic and it make me can’t wait for the next lecture. Life is not easy actually and we should try adapt and learnt a new thing in our life to make it better and try to overcome the challenge we faced like Charles Darwin.

Week 5

This week as known as week test. I’m having 3 test for 3 subject including this subject. The test will covered up from topic 1 until topic 4. If you were in my shoes. I’m so stress because it was my first time having a test in university life. I still confused what format it will be used. Not just a test but also I’m having some quizzes to answer and some SCL activities to do.

Learning topic for this week Division Cycle of Plant Cell and Totipotency. I never learned about totipotency before. Dr showed us tissue culture plant which tobacco plant. That plant was very cute. My friend snapped some pictures of it. But she was deleted that photos. So, I can’t show it to you. In this topic, we had discussed about totipotency and the factors that affect it and do comparison between division cycle of plant and animal cells. We learned about plant cell cycle in very details like cyclin-dependent kinases(Cdks), M-phase promoting factor, anaphase-promoting complex(APC). Just to share some information, totipotency is a ability of an individual plant cell/tissue/organ to regenerate into a whole plant under right condition and the factors that affect cellular totipotency are source of explant, nutrient media and constituents and culture environment. Actually  I quiet not understand about this topic especially about plant. But I’ll make notes or some revision in library to understand details.

After that, Dr ask us to play a game which she had uploaded in putrablast. I checked that game at the midnight and tried my best to play it. Unfortunately, I didn’t get the higher marks not because I don’t know the answer but I don’t know how to play that game. There’s no instructions on how to click and play that game. I’m so frustrated. I’m just play for one time because I have no time and to play it again. I’m sorry Dr. Secondly, we have to do another SCL Group Activity about Cell Division Concept Map in putrablast. I do it by myself because our  group didn’t have time to discuss about it.

Then, we have to go to the computer lab to answer a quiz on this topic. I was shocked and a little bit nervous because I didn’t prepare anything for this quiz even last minute preparation. So, I’m just answered with my own knowledge. But, I’m was happy because I’m doing a good job for this quiz and I didn’t expected for it.

The test is doing at last day which is in Thursday. I hope I can do it well in this test even it has only 10% carry marks. The objectives question is a little bit confusing before I think all the answer is correct. Maybe I didn’t well prepared for the topic 1 because most of the question came from this topic. But, nevermind I’ve already tried my best in this test and will fixed up in the next test.

No matter how busy of us, try to manage time well and have well prepared for the exam. Do not burn a midnight oil and take this matter slightly. Try to be serious person in doing something and try to explore more the things that we don’t know. 

Week 4

This week we will learn about mitosis and meiosis. I’m still remembered that when I was in secondary school, I’m also learned about this topic. I’m not understand at all and feel like this topic is very hard and start think why I’m not understand while my friend feel like easy topic. Then, I study hard by doing notes by referring to the textbook and revision book. I also read revision book many times in order to understand well this topic. Now I don’t feel like it is hard topic. The lecturer want to skip this topic because we’re already learn in matriculation, foundation or form six. But Dr still give us brief lecture to refresh this topic.

From part of mitosis, there is cell cycle in eukaryotes which includes interphase and M phase, interphase occupies most of the time in cell cycle which is included G1 phase, S phase and G2 phase. M phase can be separated to some period as prophase, metaphase, anaphase and telophase. After that, we do the SCL Group Activity in Venn diagram to compare and contrast chloroplasts and mitochondria. Our group doing a good job for this task. It’s such fun learning to do it together in group.

Next, our lecturer move to the next topic which is endosymbiosis. This is my first time hearing about it. Endosymbiosis theory is describes about the origin of chloroplast and mitochondria. This theory suggests that mitochondria and plastids in eukaryotic cells were once independent prokaryotic cells. Dr showed us a animation to learn more about endosymbiosis theory. You can find that animation in McGrawHill site. For me, I can find it in putrablast. Then, I reviewed this animation once again because I’m not so focus and understand when Dr gives us the explaination about this topic.

Overall, this week learning is not quiet hard to learn and fun to explore more. 

Week 3

This week I’m gonna discover about the topic discovery of cell which is cell theory and prokaryotic cell and virus together with that is certain new topic which I never heard before like prions and viroids. I’m tried to make a revision about this topic before Dr give us lecture. But it seem like I don’t quiet  understand about this topic. Certain topic like theory of cell, eukaryotic cell and prokaryotic I’ve already learn in Microbiology class.

So, I can remember these part especially scientists who gave a great contribution for discovery of cell like Robert Hooke who start the invention of microscope in 1660s, discovered cell while looking through a slice of cork and had described cell as tiny boxes/honey comb while his book Micrographia describes the microscopic world, Anton van Leeuwenhoek who used his made microscope to view sample from pond and discovered single cell organisms, Schleiden & Schwann had made a theory that all living things is made up of cell, Virchow through his theory of cell division and theory spontaneous generation had proven by Louis Pasteur. These scientists was a great people for these discovery and I cannot imagine how they can discover about these. Then, Dr Parames show us a video about Wacky History Of Cell Theory. I can learn and know more about this topic. Thank you Dr.

In this topic, we also learn about modern cell theory, capsules/slime layer, bacterial and archae cell membrane, nucleoid region, flagella and pilli, endospores, plasmids, reproduction and metabolism. New thing for me to learn is prions which is an infectious agent that is composed primarily in protein, prion protein, and prion disease. The second is viroid which is small circular RNA molecules without protein coat and usually infect the plant. These think is unique right?

Then, we do SCL Group Activity which is create a Venn diagram that illustrates the similarities and differences between eubacteria and archaebacteria during the class session. It’s a good idea for us to work in group and try to finish on time. We actually gain more knowledge because we do some research in many websites include youtube while doing this exciting activities. By doing this, actually we have learn the knowledge because of course we read the information while surf the internet right? After that, we also had being given SCL Group Activity about Introduction to Cells and Cell Theory to do together in group. We had divided the task who gonna do this, this and this. I do the part similarities and differences between eukaryotic and prokaryotic cell. I searched these information in the internet and notes.

Lastly, I’m very enjoy the part that we had to do Venn diagram. And everyone seem like very happy and enjoy as well. Learning is not just come up from read the notes but also in other way like doing mind map, activities, do some research in library, search in internet and etc. We have to take a chance to accept this way in our learning process.

Week 2

History Of Life is the second topic in my subject. In this topic, we learn all about the first thing came in this life. Life also have beginning. We learn how earth exist, origin of life which is from chemical evolution and need 4 requirement for these existing. We also learnt about prebiotic broth hypothesis through Miller-Urey’s Experiment. This hypothesis proposes that organic molecules formed near earth’s surface in a sea of organic soup or on rock or clay surfaces. We learn about protobionts evolve and polymers evolve and RNA World theory. At first, I have no idea about what is it. In RNA World, we have to think which one is the first genetic material? RNA or DNA? Like chicken or egg puzzle. Which one came first. The answer is RNA is the first genetic material because   The discovery of ribozymes in the 1980's led to the "RNA world" hypothesis. In the RNA world (a term coined by Nobel laureate Walter Gilbert), RNA handled the tasks now managed by DNA and proteins- storing genetic information and catalyzing biochemical reactions. One of the limitations of this idea has been the lack of a plausible route to the creation of two base chemicals that make up genetic material--cytosine and uracil (which occurs in RNA only). This led to the suggestion that alternative bases might have been used as raw material for the first genetic material. After that, we learn about the first organism was prokaryotes and the first autotrophs which is cynobacteria.  After I learned this topic, I’m still blurred because I feel hard to understand especially the part of origin of life. Not because of my regilion. It just part of understanding the process of life happened. For me it’s hard to understand same with evolution topic. I know that as a Muslim, we believe that Allah had created all this nature and creature. But it's not influenced me at all to learn more about this interesting topic.

 Last lecture for this topic is systematics, taxonomy and classification. I don’t feel this topic is hard because I had learnt these when I was in secondary school but not very details and continue learnted in the matriculation. I found that this topic is very interesting and exciting to learn. We also learned in subject Microbiology in the topic of Microbial Nomenclature and Systematic. I just found out that hierachy that arranged the species in an ascending series of inclusive categories or taxa (kingdom, phylum, class, order, family, genus, species) actually we call Linnaeus Classification Categories and this name was taken from Caralus Linnaeus. Then, I  know that evolution also produces biodiversity and all living things actually are classified by characteristics into 6 kingdoms of life which are eubacteria, archaebacteria, protista, plantae, fungi and animalia.

After that, Dr Parames gives us group work to do which are emind map about origin of life and quiz on classification in putrablast. We have to construct an online mind map by using mind map tools. My group decide to do it in a popplet.  I still remember that our 3 of us (actually 4 group member and one of us cannot came due to some reason) discuss about the quiz at the foyer in our faculty at 5.30pm. We finished this quiz about 6.45pm. After that, my friend and I together go back to the college because one of our members is international student so she can go back by using a bicycle. It was really memorable day for me.

Overall, this topic is very interesting to explore more. The part that we have to use mind map tools is a very creative idea to try out more tool in online and it awesome. At first I admit that I don’t like to use this popplet because think that it is very hard to use but if we try to explore new thing’ it actually such a good thing to us too. Popplet doesn’t take a lot of tine but make our learning efficiently.