Sunday, August 31, 2014

Genetic variation within a population

Species all have certain genetic variations, or differences within a population. This variation allows a more diverse set of individuals to inhabit a population. For example this population of flowers has a visible genetic variation shown with color, we have utilized this for a visual appeal.  

Pollen

Pollen is a powder that contains the reproducing part of the plant. Pollen has to be spread around and that is why I have a picture of a hummingbird feeder because hummingbirds help spread pollen and without them and bees the flowers couldn't reproduce.

Heterotroph

Heterotrophs are organisms that cannot produce thier own food and must rely on autotrophs. For example my cat is a heterotroph because she can't make her own food.

Fermentation

Fermentation is the chemical breakdown of substance by bacteria or other micro organisms. Sugar converts to carbon dioxide and alcohol with yeast. Yeast is pictured above because it is used during the fermentation process.

Genetically modified organism


A genetically modified organism is an organism whose genetic information has been altered using genetic techniques. This apple has been modified to resist herbicide, be larger, have better color, and better tast.

Hydrophobic

Hydrophobic can translate to fear of water meaning that a substance cannot mix with water. For example oil.

Hydrophilic

Hydrophilic can translate to water loving, meaning that a substance an mix and dissolve in water for example salt.

Glycogen

Glycogen is a form of energy storage. In animals glycogen is mostly produced and stored in the liver or muscles. Glycogen can be found in carbs. And tortilla chips contain carbs.

Exoskeleton

An exoskeleton is the hard covering on an animal that provides protection and points of attachment muscles. For example ants have a hard outer shell protecting its vital organs.

Eukaryotes

A eukaryotes is any organism that is made up of complex cells with organelles in cytoplasm and contain genetic material. Plants such as dandelions are considered eukaryotes.

Eubacteria


Eubacteria are unicellular and very complex organisms, they lack a membrane enclosed nucleus. Yogurt is considered eubacteria because some eubacteria produces vitamins and foods that help the body.

Ethylene

Ethylene is a natural ripening hormone. It is contained in storage areas which can cause foods to prematurely ripen or wilt. It is an organic compound and is classified as an unsaturated hydrocarbon. It can be found in bananas causing them to prematurely ripen.

Epithelial tissue

Epithelial tissue covers the outside of our bodies and also our internal organs. Epithelial tissue is skin because it covers the entire body and under a layer of fur on a horse is skin.

Enzyme

Enzymes are used in cleaning detergents because certain kinds can be manipulated to break down the proteins that make stains. Enzymes are molecules that act as catalysts in certain chemical reactions.

Endotherm

Endotherms are capable of maintaining thier own body temperature, regardless of climate for example my cat or most warm-boddied organisms.

Endosperm

An endosperm is tissue produced inside the seed of plants around time of fertilization. There is an endosperm inside most flowering plants. This is a picture of sunflower seeds before being planted inside the seed is an endosperm that contains nutrients for the seed.

Ectotherm

Ectotherm means than an organism has to depend on a source of body heat and cannot produce it all on thier own. All cold blooded animals are considered ectothermic including amphibians, fish, insects and others.

Dominant and recessive phenotypes

A dominant and recessive phenotype a are different traits that you can see. A recessive trait would be the German shepherd on the right that had long hair and a lighter brown. The dominant trait is the German shepherd on the left with a short tan coat. 

Detritivore

A detrivore is a heterotroph that obtains nutrients by consuming detritus. Many decomposers are considered detrivore a including mushrooms and worms. 

Cuticle layer of a plant

The cuticle layer of a plant is the waxy covering on the surface of stems and leaves as shown in the picture above.

Commensalism


Commensalism is when two species live symbiotically with one other. Bringing no harm to either species for example the moss benifits from living off the tree but the tree is not affected positively or negatively.

Connective tissue

Connective tissue is tissue that connects, supports, or seperates other tissues. They tend to have a small amount of cells. For example a chicken foot pictured above has connective tissue

Coevolution


Coevolution is the influence of an organism helping out other organisms in thier evolution. For an example is a butterfly or a bee could drink the nectar from the plant and spread the pollen on other flowers and it can help it grow.

Cambium


Cambium is the single layer of cells between phloem and xylem that produces new cells that will change into other plant tissues. This increases the thickness in the stems and roots, and causes the formation of tree rings which is what I have pictures above. 

Cellular Respiration


Cellular respiration is a bodily process in which a plant goes through photosynthesis and produces glucose. once glucose is produced then cellular respiration can occur. Through cellular respiration your body Uses energy from glucose to convert it into ATP and co2.
Pictured above is a plant that contains glucose and can start the process of cellular respiration.

CAM Plant

CAM Plants are a type of plant that uses crassulacean acid metabolism in photo respiration as an adaptation to hot enviroments. They take in co2 at night and close during the day. They also are water-storing plants. Pictured above is a type of succulent that has these characteristics and is considered a cam plant.

Calvin Cycle

The Calvin cycle is the second stage of photosynthesis. It occurs in the stroma and the cycle incorporates co2, into organic molecules. Plants like the grass in my picture go through the Calvin cycle because they use photosynthesis. (I had to change my token because I lost my other token)

Analogous structures

Structures of different species that have similar functions but have different evolutionary origins, for example I have a picture of my dogs hind legs and my horses hind legs that have the same function but come from different origins.

Thursday, August 14, 2014

C4 plant

A c4 plant is a plant in which the co2 is first fixed into a compound containing four carbon atoms before entering the Calvin cycle of photosynthesis. Many summer annual plants are c4 plants. For example corn or sugar cane. (The corn pictured is just started)

C3 Plant

C3 plant is a plant which the co2 is first fixed into a compound containing three carbon atoms before entering the Calvin cycle of photosynthesis. Most plants are c3 plants including lemons. They are commonly seen on a trip to the grocery store. 

Tuesday, August 12, 2014

Biological magnification

Biological magnification is a process where a substance increases in concentration in organisms and moves farther down the food chain. For an example, a small animal may ingest something that had a toxic substance on it, then a larger animal eats the smaller animal, now the larger animal has some toxic substance too. This cycle continues and the concentration increases as the toxic substance travels up the food chain. As pictured above bug contol or pesticide is one of the most common substances to go through this process.

Bilateral symmetry

Bilateral symmetry is a property of being divisible into symmetrical halves. So this butterfly is an example of bilateral symmetry because if you were to cut it right down the middle, you would have mirror-image halves. Animals with bilateral symmetry have left and right side  and they have a specific body form.

Batesian mimicry

Batesian mimicry is where an animal will mimic the appearance of a species that a predator will avoid. In this picture I have a butterfly, it is hard to see but the butterfly's wings have eyes that looks like a species that would eat the butterfly's predator. Basically like blending in with its surroundings.

Basidiomycete

Basidiomycete is a type of fungus that includes mushrooms, puffballs, rusts and many others. Pictures above is rusts it is a type of fungus. Rust usually affect vigorously growing plants.

Auxin producing area of a plant

The auxin is a plant hormone that causes the elongation of cells in plants. It regulates plant growth and is found in new shoots or buds on leafy plants. Auxin can be found in the stem tip as shown on this flowery tip.

Autotroph

An Autotroph is any organism that has the ability to form oxygen and glucose. This tree is an example because it goes through photosynthesis and produce oxygen and glucose.

ATP

ATP is part of photosynthesis and cellular respiration. The plants will produce glucose through sunlight and then animals will consume the glucose to create ATP. The plant pictured is producing glucose for an animal to eat and to continue on the process. ATP is energy that every living utilizes in daily processes.

Asexual reproduction

Asexual reproduction is the reproduction from one parent only. The offspring inherit all of the traits from its parent, becoming an exact replica of its parent. The strawberry patch that I have pictured above has spread the same way, the parents produce shoots that start a new plant.

Archaebacteria

Archaebacteria is a domain of a single celled microorganism. These microbes are prokaryotes, meaning they have no nucleus. Many archaea thrive in extreme conditions such as hot sulfur pools or in minerals and rock deep inside the earth. As the boiling water above represents these harsh conditions that the archaebacteria can live in. They even found a new group of archae in an acid mine drainage, they called it arman.  

Anther and filament of stamen

The stamen is the male reproductive part of a flower. It produces pollen, and consists of the anther and stalk. The anther is the sac in which pollen grains develop and is located at the stamen's tip. The filament is the stalk that supports the anther. The flower I have pictured has small filaments and anthers that are hard to see but you can kinda see it in the very bottom flower. The pollon on the anther will spread by animals and wind to other flowers. 

Animal with a segmented body

A segmented body is a division of an animal's body plan. There are 3 different sections, whether individually or together with other segments. The sections are called the head, thorax, and abdomen. The dragonfly pictured has a segmented body.