Sunday, August 14, 2016

Hermaphrodite


In this picture is an earthworm. an earthworm is an example of a Hermaphrodite. Hermaphrodites are organisms that have both the male and female reproductive system or just something else completely. Worms have both male and female reproduction organs which is what causes them to be Hermaphrodites. Some examples of Hermaphrodites are snails, slugs, plants, and other like them.

Keystone species


In this picture you can see grass. Grass is an example of a keystone species because of a large amount of animals that rely on it for food. A Keystone species is an organism that a lot of other species largely depend on, so if the species were removed the ecosystem would change drastically. some examples of Keystone species are grass, bees, plankton, kelp, etc.  

Gymnosperm leaf


In this picture is a branch of pine leaves. A Pine leaf is also known as a Gymnosperm leaf. A Gymnosperm leaf is a downsized version of a megaphyll, which means that they still are connected to a vascular system. The leaves of a Gymnosperm plant can be small and scaly, needle-like, or have a wide blade. Gymnosperms are usually evergreen plants, this means that they do not lose their leaves during the changing of seasons.    

Autotroph


In this picture is a baby tree. Trees are examples of Autotrophs. Autotrophs are organisms that can make their own food using carbon dioxide or light. Other examples of autotrophs are algae, some bacteria, grass, and other plants.

Amniotic egg


In this picture you can see a chicken egg. A chicken egg is also an example of an Amniotic egg. An Amniotic egg is a shell incased embryo with a fluid filled amnio sac and a yolk to feed the organism until it is fully functional. Examples of animals that lay these eggs are reptiles, birds, and some mammals (like the platypus).

Detritivore


In this picture you can see a type of shelf fungus. Shelf fungi are also known as Detritivores. Detritivores are animals that feed on dead organisms, in this example it is feeding of a dead tree stump. Examples of Detritivores are Fungi, worms, millipedes, and a variety of beetles.

Endotherm


In this photo you can see my two dogs, Colby and Hanna. Dogs, a long with other mammals, are also known as endotherms. Endotherms are animals that are capable of producing their own source of body heat. Some examples  of endotherms are mammals and birds.

Friday, August 12, 2016

Lichen


In this picture is a piece of rotting wood with lichen on it. Lichen is an organism that usually is made up of a fungus that grows symbiotically with algae or some cyanobacterium. Lichen usually takes up a crust-like or branching form on rocks or tree trunks. In the case of the lichen above, it seems to be a little more crust-like.

Exoskeleton


In this picture you can see a beetle, specifically a Horned Passalus. This beetle has a tough Exoskeleton to protect its soft insides from the rest of the world. An Exoskeleton is a tough layer on the outside of an animal, it is much like a humans skeleton except it supports the animals body from the outside instead of on the inside. Some examples of animals with Exoskeletons would be mollusks, arthropods, and crustaceans.

Population


In this picture you can see a collection of anthills. This collection of anthills is an example of population. A Population is when a group of the same species lives in a singular area at the same moment in time. A group of anthills would be an example of population because they are all of the same species and they are residing in the same area at the same time.

C4 Plant


In this picture is some grass. Grass is an example of a C4 plant since it is better at photosynthesis in hot, sunny weather. Other examples of C4 plants are crops like sugarcane and corn. C4 plants fix the carbon into C4 in their cytoplasm before they begin their calvin cycle.

Gymnosperm cone


Within this picture you can see a pine cone. A pine cone is an example of a Gymnosperm cone. A Gymnosperm is a plant that has unprotected seeds, their seeds usually form into cones. Some examples of Gymnosperms are conifers, cycads, and ginkgo.

Monday, August 8, 2016

C3 Plant


In this picture you can see some oak trees. Oak trees are an example of a C3 plant. C3 plants are the most common kind of plant, in fact they include about 95% of all the plants on earth. C3 Plants are the most efficient at photosynthesis in cooler, wetter climates. C3 plants change CO2 into a tree carbon compound before beginning the Calvin cycle for photosynthesis.

Frond


In this picture is a fern. A fern is also part of a group called the Fronds. Fronds have large compound leaves, which means that they have a bunch of tiny separated parts all connected to a rachis (the center of the leaf). Examples of Frond plants are Palm trees, ferns, and other similar plants.

Bilateral Symmetry


In this picture is a butterfly, specifically a yellow swallowtail. A butterfly is an example of Bilateral symmetry due to its completely identical patterns on both wings. If you were to split this butterfly right down the middle, then both of the sides would be identical. Bilateral Symmetry is the property of an item when it is divided once by a line and the two halves on either side are completely identical.

Wednesday, July 27, 2016

Commensalism


This is an Ivy vine growing on an oak tree. Ivy growing on trees is an example of Commensalism. Commensalism is when two organisms are in a relationship where one benefits and the other isn't harmed but it also doesn't gain anything. The Ivy on the Oak tree benefits by being able to have support for itself so it can get sun better, while the Oak tree doesn't benefit, but it also isn't damaged by the Ivy.

Ectotherm


This is a Blue Tailed Skink, he is a reptile. Reptiles are part of a collection of animals that are Ectotherms. An Ectotherm, also known as a cold-blooded animal, is an animal that relies on outside sources of heat to warm their bodies up. Ectotherms have no internal way to regulate their body heat which is why they require an outside source of heat. Most Ectotherms are seen sunning out in the open during the day to help create body heat.

Flower ovary


This is the base of a flower, this is where the flower's ovary is located. Most flower ovaries are located there. Flower ovaries are the base of the pistil, which is the female part of a flower. The ovaries hold things called ovules, which develop into seeds when they are fertilized. The ovary of a flower is usually what ends up turning into fruit on a fruit tree.

Cuticle layer of a plant


This is a leaf, as you can see in this picture. If you look at the leaf you can see that it is kind of shiny. This shiny part of the leaf is called the Cuticle. The Cuticle of a plant is a water resistant layer that protects the epidermal cells.

The Anther and Filament of Stamen


This is the Stamen, the male part of a flower. The Stamen of a flower consists of two parts, the Anther and the Filament. The Anther of a flower is the pollen producing part of the Stamen. The Filament of a flower is what supports the anther of a flower, it holds the anther up so pollinators can get to it.

Pollinator


This is a Bumble Bee on a flower. Bumble Bees are the most widely known pollinators. A pollinator is an animal that helps spread pollen from flower to flower. Pollinators help fertilize the seeds of flowers by transferring pollen from the Anthers, to the Stigma. Pollinators help flowers reproduce since they are unable to move by themselves.

Animal with segmented body


This is an ant, although the picture is a little unclear due to the minuscule body size of an ant. Ant's have three main segments on their body a head, a thorax, and an abdomen. An ant is what most people would consider an animal with a segmented body. Animals with segmented bodies were built this way to allow flexibility and they tend to have repetitive segments.

Pollen


This is a flower, on the flower you can see little yellow specks. The little yellow specks on the flower are pollen. Pollen is produced by the male part of the flower, also known as the stamen. Each of the small yellow specks of pollen contains a male gamete, which can fertilize the female part of the flower, also called the pistil.

Saturday, July 23, 2016

Mating behavior


These are two bunnies, and although they are domesticated and have no genitals, they still feel the need to do this. Mating behavior is something that an animal does to attract a mate and repopulate. This behavior is sometimes a thing that animals will do to show dominance over another animal (like with the bunnies in this picture). Most animals do not enjoy the process of mating, unlike humans, so their main goal with these kinds of actions is to reproduce.

CAM Plant



This is a cactus, which is considered a CAM plantCAM plants usually reside in hot dry climates, like a desert. CAM plants have adapted themselves to avoid water loss during the long hot days by only opening their stomata at night. This means that this plant is only able to get CO2 at night, which delays the photosynthesis process for these plants until daylight. The CAM plant group consists of all succulent plants, so not just cactuses are in this group.