Life Sciences Commons^™

An Investigation Into The Mechanistic Interplay Between Th1 And Th2 Cells In Allergic Disease, Christine Marie Rose

WWU Honors College Senior Projects

The incidence of allergic disease has increased steadily in western countries over the past few decades. Substantial amounts of research have been geared toward elucidating the mechanisms whereby some people develop allergies and others do not. As with all development theories, the question revolves around the debate of genetics versus environment - attempting to determine the relative contribution from heredity and nurture in the development of an allergic phenotype.

Heredity has long been identified as a risk factor for allergies. Children born of atopic (allergic disease attributed to heredity) parents are at an increased risk for developing atopy themselves. Consequently, …

Surveying The Invasion Of Smooth Cordgrass, Spartina Alterniflora, In Willapa Bay, Washington, Lee Wardle

WWU Honors College Senior Projects

In late July, I accompanied Keeley O’Connell on a field collection in Willapa Bay, Washington. The goal of our trip was to sample the mudflats invaded by the cordgrass Spartina altemiflora as well as the areas unaffected by the grass. Over the course of my senior year at Western Washington University, I have participated in the sorting of these samples and investigation of literature analyzing the effects of S. altemiflora in Willapa Bay. The following paper provides a description of what I have learned from the literature reviewed as well as a critique of my biology courses at Western as …