BIO 181 - General Biology I Mod2 Act1_StudentVersion Lab Instructions:
Cell Biology Act I Mission Memo 2025-2026 Arizona State University
Greetings Fellow Explorer:
The spotted gliders in the Allurian Forest need your help! Many gliders have succumbed
to a mysterious illness. Thanks to your careful analysis, we now have a probable
diagnosis: cancer.
Still, cancer doesn't usually affect a large fraction of a population. Therefore, we must
learn what caused this widespread disease and decide how to treat it.
Use the following questions to guide your work:
● Are elevated concentrations of carcinogens in water, air, or soil to blame for the
widespread cases of cancer in spotted gliders? (Appendices 1 and 2)
● How could a malfunction in cellular communication have caused the cancer in
spotted gliders? (Appendix 3)
Universally in your debt,
The AI
Note: You will be using the program Microsoft Excel for this assignment. We have
provided links to Excel tutorials and transcripts where applicable, to help you answer the
questions.
, Appendix 1
Could the widespread cases of cancer in spotted gliders be
explained by elevated levels of carcinogens in the water?
Cancer results from mutations in genes that cause cells to reproduce uncontrollably.
Often, these mutations occur when certain chemicals from the environment—called
carcinogens—interact with the genetic material in cells.
At low concentrations, carcinogens present a low risk of cancer. However, an artificial
environment such as the Intergalactic Wildlife Sanctuary could contain elevated levels of
carcinogens. Some known carcinogens are found in the structural framework of the
sanctuary. Therefore, the carcinogens could have accumulated in the water, air, or soil of
the Allurian Forest.
The Intergalactic Wildlife Federation (IWF) follows the health and safety
recommendations of the Galactic Environmental Treaty, which limits the concentrations of
potentially harmful chemicals. This treaty specifies that drinking water should contain less
than 10 micrograms of a given carcinogen per liter (< 10 µg L-1). Any concentration greater
than this limit could increase the risk of cancer.
Your water samples from the Allurian Forest are critical for determining whether a
carcinogen could have caused the tumors in spotted gliders. Why? Since we don’t have
data on the concentration of carcinogens in the tissues of sick and healthy spotted
gliders, knowing the concentration of carcinogens in the water where the sick spotted
gliders were found is the next best set of information to help us determine if elevated
concentrations of carcinogens could be to blame for the widespread cases of cancer in
spotted gliders.
We will follow three steps to answer the question “Could the widespread cases of cancer
in spotted gliders be explained by elevated levels of carcinogens in the water?”
Step 1: Anticipate your analysis: Determine what you should observe if the
concentration of carcinogens in water exceeds the recommended limits. This step will
help us identify the evidence needed to build an argument in Step 3.
Step 2: Calculate the probability that the concentration of carcinogens in water
exceeds the recommended limit of 10 µg L-1: Determine whether the concentration of
, carcinogens in water likely exceeds the recommended limits. This step gives us the
evidence needed to build an argument in Step 3, when we will conclude if an elevated
concentration of carcinogens in the water could explain the widespread cases of cancer
in spotted gliders.
Step 3: Weigh the evidence and conclude if an elevated concentration of carcinogens
in the water could explain the widespread cases of cancer in spotted gliders: Construct
an argument to answer the question “Could the widespread cases of cancer in spotted
gliders be explained by elevated levels of carcinogens in the water?” Your argument
should draw on your calculations in Steps 1 and 2.
Cell Biology Act I Mission Memo 2025-2026 Arizona State University
Greetings Fellow Explorer:
The spotted gliders in the Allurian Forest need your help! Many gliders have succumbed
to a mysterious illness. Thanks to your careful analysis, we now have a probable
diagnosis: cancer.
Still, cancer doesn't usually affect a large fraction of a population. Therefore, we must
learn what caused this widespread disease and decide how to treat it.
Use the following questions to guide your work:
● Are elevated concentrations of carcinogens in water, air, or soil to blame for the
widespread cases of cancer in spotted gliders? (Appendices 1 and 2)
● How could a malfunction in cellular communication have caused the cancer in
spotted gliders? (Appendix 3)
Universally in your debt,
The AI
Note: You will be using the program Microsoft Excel for this assignment. We have
provided links to Excel tutorials and transcripts where applicable, to help you answer the
questions.
, Appendix 1
Could the widespread cases of cancer in spotted gliders be
explained by elevated levels of carcinogens in the water?
Cancer results from mutations in genes that cause cells to reproduce uncontrollably.
Often, these mutations occur when certain chemicals from the environment—called
carcinogens—interact with the genetic material in cells.
At low concentrations, carcinogens present a low risk of cancer. However, an artificial
environment such as the Intergalactic Wildlife Sanctuary could contain elevated levels of
carcinogens. Some known carcinogens are found in the structural framework of the
sanctuary. Therefore, the carcinogens could have accumulated in the water, air, or soil of
the Allurian Forest.
The Intergalactic Wildlife Federation (IWF) follows the health and safety
recommendations of the Galactic Environmental Treaty, which limits the concentrations of
potentially harmful chemicals. This treaty specifies that drinking water should contain less
than 10 micrograms of a given carcinogen per liter (< 10 µg L-1). Any concentration greater
than this limit could increase the risk of cancer.
Your water samples from the Allurian Forest are critical for determining whether a
carcinogen could have caused the tumors in spotted gliders. Why? Since we don’t have
data on the concentration of carcinogens in the tissues of sick and healthy spotted
gliders, knowing the concentration of carcinogens in the water where the sick spotted
gliders were found is the next best set of information to help us determine if elevated
concentrations of carcinogens could be to blame for the widespread cases of cancer in
spotted gliders.
We will follow three steps to answer the question “Could the widespread cases of cancer
in spotted gliders be explained by elevated levels of carcinogens in the water?”
Step 1: Anticipate your analysis: Determine what you should observe if the
concentration of carcinogens in water exceeds the recommended limits. This step will
help us identify the evidence needed to build an argument in Step 3.
Step 2: Calculate the probability that the concentration of carcinogens in water
exceeds the recommended limit of 10 µg L-1: Determine whether the concentration of
, carcinogens in water likely exceeds the recommended limits. This step gives us the
evidence needed to build an argument in Step 3, when we will conclude if an elevated
concentration of carcinogens in the water could explain the widespread cases of cancer
in spotted gliders.
Step 3: Weigh the evidence and conclude if an elevated concentration of carcinogens
in the water could explain the widespread cases of cancer in spotted gliders: Construct
an argument to answer the question “Could the widespread cases of cancer in spotted
gliders be explained by elevated levels of carcinogens in the water?” Your argument
should draw on your calculations in Steps 1 and 2.
