Name: Yanet Benitez

Topic: Virtual Field Trip, Exploration

Presenter: National Geographic, Newsela

Date: 5/11

I watched an online Exploration on 6 different subjects. They were named Cells to Self,

Bacteriopolis, Colored Shadows Demo, Soap Film Painting, squishy circuits and switches. In

Cells to Self a patient with cervical cancer named Henrietta Lacks had some of her cells

removed from her tumor; she died months later but her cells lived on. Researchers then used

them for vaccines and medical studies. Bacteriopolis, the researchers collected mud and

divided them into two sides adding raw eggs, and sunlight to one side and one without sunlight.

The aquarium then changed color by the different bacteria in there. The Squishy Circuits were

made up of play-dough, batteries, and hobby motors. Putting these together will make the lights

light on. The Colored Shadows Demo showed me that when an object is in front of the lights

red, blue and green on a white surface in a dark room it can change its color when the colors

overlap.

Out of all of these six topics, The Hela Cells is the most astonishing to me. Researchers

noticed Henrietta’s cells were different from other cells they were researching on. They noticed

in their studies that Henrietta’s cells divided and still living on even after being removed from

her. If only she knew how much her cells contributed to a good cause like vaccines, and medical

research. Without knowing it she was a lifesaver. I also find the Soap Film Painting interesting.

The Soap Film Painting to me is like how bubbles seem to have some color in them when

reflected in the sun. It’s so pretty how the soap film is made just by water and soap molecules

yet they are so colorful and show many colors. It is kind of like the Colored Shadows Demo, the

overlapping swirling light waves also causes the colorful colors to form.
 Bioluminescence is a light that is produced with a chemical reaction found in live

creatures living mostly underwater. There are some animals that have bioluminescence and live

on land like fireflies. But other creatures like jellyfish, squid and more, live underwater and use

this bioluminescence to their advantage. Most underwater creature’s bioluminescence is

blue-green. The land creatures' bioluminescence is also blue-green but depending on what

animal. Many animals use their bioluminescence for things like hunting prey, and defending

themselves against attackers. The anglerfish is one of the most known marine animals to use

the bioluminescence to hunt. They have an esca that lights up and attracts the smaller fish.

Brittle stars also use their bioluminescence to their advantage when a predator is chasing them

they can detach their glowing body parts tricking the predator to follow the light.