CONTACT: David Christy, 916-353-4436, christy@wapa.gov

In deuterostomes, the mesoderm is produced from pouches of:

                        (W) Ectoderm                                (X) Endoderm

                         (Y) Body Cavity                            (Z) Coelom

On Saturday, February 24, local high school students will tackle tough questions like this one with hopes of winning a spot at the U.S. Department of Energy's National Science® Bowl in May.  The competition will begin at 9 a.m. at Woodcreek High School, Roseville.  The regional event is sponsored by Western Area Power Administration's Sierra Nevada Region, Sacramento Municipal Utility District, City of Roseville Electric Department, Roseville Joint Union High School District, Navigant Consulting Inc. and Energy Solutions Co.

The National Science Bowl is an academic competition among teams of high school students. Since the program began in 1991, it has brought together more than 60,000 high school mathematics and science students - as well as their teachers - from across the country. The program is designed to encourage students and their teachers to achieve educational excellence in the sciences. Competing teams are quizzed on scientific topics in biology, chemistry, physics, astronomy, earth science, computer science, and mathematics. Last year, a team from Mira Loma High School won the Sacramento-area competition.

The Roseville event is the second of three regional contests in the Western Area Power Administration's Sierra Nevada Region. Enterprise High School won the regional competition held February 10 in Redding. The final event will be March 3 in Modesto.

The first-place winner of Saturday's tournament will join 52 other high school teams from across the country competing for the title of 2001 U.S. Department of Energy National Science Bowl Champions in Washington, D.C., on May 4-7.

WHO:              26 teams - more than 100 students.
WHEN:            Saturday, February 24, 2001, 9 a.m.
WHERE:  Woodcreek High School, 2551 Woodcreek Oaks Blvd., Roseville.

ANSWER:       (X) ENDODERM