Migg Posted February 6, 2009 Report Share Posted February 6, 2009 So a bit of background - i'm doing Biology at higher, got an A* at GCSE and it's probably without doubt the only subject I'd consider doing my EE on. The one off-putting prospect is that I have to do an experiment to go with my EE. The reason why it's particularly annoying for me is that I really want to base it on Darwinian theory (evolution). I've ordered the Origin of species for a bit of background reading (considering I have until November to complete the essay) but I've been reading around the internet and I found Endosymbiotic theory seriously interesting. As much as it pains me to do it, here's a [u][url="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Endosymbiotic_theory"]wikipedia[/url][/u] link. The basic principle is that Eukaryotic cell organelles evolved from what were previously independent prokaryotes which formed an intimate symbiotic relationship with a host (opinions divided as to wether the host was pro/eukaryote) and over time the two co-evolved into one organism - ie. modern eukaryotic life. I'm sure it's pretty simple to see the problem with attempting to carry out a practical as I have 9 months, not several million years to prove/disprove the theory or at least investigate it. I'm not entirely sure what's required of the practical, but is there anything I can possibly carry out in college to go alongside this topic idea or should I just look for another? And while I'm at it, are there any 'classic' evolution-based EE ideas at all? Any help is greatly appreciated =] Reply Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
moneyfaery Posted February 6, 2009 Report Share Posted February 6, 2009 Any 'classical' EE ideas will garner you a failing mark because they are 'overdone'. It IS possible to do a research-based essay, however, assuming you're aiming for the highest mark possible, it would be more beneficial for you to conduct an experiment. Evolution is a tough topic. Most biology EEs utilize plants, fungi, bacteria, or organisms of some sort that can be easily manipulated. Reply Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Migg Posted February 6, 2009 Author Report Share Posted February 6, 2009 [quote]Any 'classical' EE ideas will garner you a failing mar[/quote] When I said "are there any" I didn't mean "are there any I could use?" It was more of a 'get thinking along the right lines' kind of thing. I won't be satisfied with a topic I didn't come up with myself but I just wondered if anyone knew of any evolution-related EEs which have fetched at least a decent mark. I'm told looking over and reading past students' essays are good ways to get inspiration and familiarity with the structure and expectations of the EE. Thanks =] Reply Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
moneyfaery Posted February 6, 2009 Report Share Posted February 6, 2009 [quote name='Migg' post='35825' date='Feb 6 2009, 04:21 PM']When I said "are there any" I didn't mean "are there any I could use?" It was more of a 'get thinking along the right lines' kind of thing. I won't be satisfied with a topic I didn't come up with myself but I just wondered if anyone knew of any evolution-related EEs which have fetched at least a decent mark. I'm told looking over and reading past students' essays are good ways to get inspiration and familiarity with the structure and expectations of the EE. Thanks =][/quote] My mistake for misinterpreting. To the best of my knowledge - no. And I looked over countless EEs while writing mine (biology). Like I said before, if you really want to do bio, I think it's best to choose a topic that involves experimentation, and more precisely, plants, bacteria, or some other sort of organism (could be hamster, fish, etc). My personal suggestion would be to ditch bio and go for something else though. Some of my friends wrote chemistry EEs and they spent a lot less time than I did. In hindsight, I don't even think mine was that good. Reply Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
avrila Posted February 6, 2009 Report Share Posted February 6, 2009 Your idea seems interesting. Not many people like evolution but you did. Well, I know about this EE project by a senior but I'm not sure how this can be related to your interest about endosymbiotic. I just want to share this with you since you ask for senior's work as reference. Last time, one of my senior did on how fungi develop in books in the library. How long does it take for the fungi to grow in books that is located at different shelves? His theory was, books at the lower shelves will develop fungi first compared to the upper part. The reason could be humidity and temperature. I think it sounds interesting. He got an A if I'm not mistaken. Other than that, my teacher also told that one of her student do research about ant. Yes, ANT. He makes research at the school field on different type of ant. I am not sure what he is focusing on about the ant but this EE receive an A as well. As you can see here, a good research does not really have to be so extravaganza. It can be as simple as the two examples above. Just look around you and think out of the box about things that can be investigated on. There must be ONE for you. All the best with your EE... p/s: I've just submitted my EE on chemistry. Feel so glad. Reply Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
avrila Posted February 8, 2009 Report Share Posted February 8, 2009 Hi Migg, Just wondering whether you have chose your RQ or not... I suggest you to read on EE guide in the Biology Course Companion book. (The book with tiger as the front cover) I come across it just now and found out that it might be useful for beginners. Reply Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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