My Science Classroom Boos

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I hate to admit it but it's true. Sometimes, when we are used to facing students who would eat up all what we give, we ran out of reasons when few good students dared to ask questions, particularly when these are very basic information that we have already overlooked or forgotten. Let me share with you some basic questions thrown by students which confused me. Let us have a throwback of my science classroom boos when I was only starting as a retooled biology teacher 10 years ago.

Why is bamboo a grass?

My Answer: Bamboo is not a tree, it is a grass because... well, what is the difference between a bamboo and a tree? (A student said bamboo does not bear flowers). Me:I don't think so. There are many grasses that bear flowers.

Scientists say: The bamboos are a group of woody perennial evergreen (except for certain temperate species) plants in the true grass family Poaceae, subfamily Bambusoideae, tribe Bambuseae.
Grass is the common word that generally describes monocotyledonous green plants. The family Poaceae (or Gramineae) are the "true grasses" and include most plants grown as grains, for pasture, and for lawns (turf). They include some more specialized crops such as lemongrass, as well as many ornamental plants. They also include plants often recognized to be grasses, such as bamboos, maize or some species of weeds called crab grass.

A tree is a perennial woody plant. It is most often defined as a woody plant that has many secondary branches supported clear of the ground on a single main stem or trunk with clear apical dominance.

Are reptiles really cold-bloodied? What is meant by poikilothermic?

My answer: Are they? Are you sure? Uhmmm, yes lizards are cold, snakes are cold, frogs are cold. But how about crocodiles and alligators. A book said that they are exothermic..errr...poikilothermic. I am confused. Are all of them really cold-bloodied?

Scientists say: Reptiles, or members of the class Reptilia, are air-breathing, cold-blooded amniotes that have skin covered in scales or scutes as opposed to hair or feathers. They are tetrapods (having or having descended from vertebrates with four limbs) and lay amniote eggs, whose embryos are surrounded by the amnion membrane.

A poikilotherm is an animal whose internal temperature varies along with that of the ambient environmental temperature. Most, but not all, ectotherms are poikilothermic. The opposite of poikilothermy is homeothermy, referring to animals that maintain a constant body temperature. The term is used as a more exact description of the vernacular "cold-blooded".

What is being studied in the field of epidemiology?

 My answer: Yeahhh... I've heard the term often recently during the outbreak of A(H1N1) virus. (A student said, it studies epidemia). Me: Honestly, I don't know, but I think it has something to do with diseases.

Scientists say: Epidemiology is the study of factors affecting the health and illness of populations, and serves as the foundation and logic of interventions made in the interest of public health and preventive medicine. It is considered a cornerstone methodology of public health research, and is highly regarded in evidence-based medicine for identifying risk factors for disease and determining optimal treatment approaches to clinical practice. In the study of communicable and non-communicable diseases, the work of epidemiologists ranges from outbreak investigation to study design, data collection and analysis including the development of statistical models to test hypotheses and the documentation of results for submission to peer-reviewed journals.

What is agrostology?

 My answer: What's that? I haven't heard that term in my whole life? (A student insisted it as the study of grasses based on the book she is using.) Me: Oh, the study of grasses is graminology. Who is the author of that book?

Scientists say: Agrostology, sometimes graminology, is the scientific study of grasses. It typically encompasses the true grasses (the family Poaceae), as well as the more grasslike species of the sedge family (Cyperaceae), the rush family (Juncaceae), and the bulrush or cattail family Typhaceae. Grasslike plants are also referred to as graminoids.

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