WHS AP Biology 2011: June 2011

Thursday, June 30, 2011

Bilateral Symmetry

Asteroidea (Starfish)

Location: Aquarium in Chicago, USA

Jellyfish (Scyphozoa)

Location: Chicago Aquarium, USA

Vestigial structure in animal

Homo sapiens

Vestigial structure: plica semilunaris
(The picture doesn't show the structure that well.)

Location: Westborough, MA

Radial Symmetry

Asteroidea (Starfish)

Location: Aquarium in Chicago, USA

Arthropod

Orchestia mateusi

This beach flea belongs to the phylum Arthropoda.

N 41.648, W 70.126

Arthropod

Orchestia mateusi

This beach flea belongs to the phylum Arthropoda.

N 41.648, W 70.126

Mollusks

Mytilus edulis

These mussels are part of the phylum Mollusca.
N 42.270, W 71.608

Mya arinaria

These soft-shell clams are also of the phylum Mollusca.

N 42.270, W 71.608

Exothermic Organisms

Formica fusca

Ants are exothermic since all insects derive their body heat from outside their bodies.

N 42.256, W 71.633

Pomoxis annularis

The white crappie is also exothermic and derive its body heat from the environment.

N 42.261, W 71.644

Interaction between science and technology

Picture 1 (left):
Solanum lycopersicum
(Tomatoes)
There is a lot of technology being used. For example, the greenhouse "absorbs" the sunlight and holds on to it longer. This helps the tomatoes grow. The tomatoes are high up so that more sunlight can reach it.

Picture 2 (right):

Fragaria (Strawberry) and Allium cepa (Onion)

The roots of both plants are in the large pipes because water (mixed with other artificial "ingridients") flows through the pipe, giving the roots necessary amount of water. The people maintain water amount and frequency at which the plants are watered. (The onions are in the back, the strawberries are in the front.) The plants are in a greenhouse, which is a technological "invention".

Location: Disney World (Epcot, I think), Florida

Turgid vs. Flaccid Organism

Ocimum basilicum

This sweet basil plant is flaccid and has its leaves hanging down loosely since it has not been watered and the wall of the cells are losing their rigidity.

N 42.256, W 71.633

Ocimum basilicum

This sweet basil plant has been sufficiently watered and is turgid, thus its leaves are supported and not hanging down since the water is maintaining cell pressure, keeping the cell walls rigid.

N 42.256, W 71.633

Predation

This Brown Recluse spider, Loxosceles reclusa, has caught a bug and is now devouring it in this picture shown here.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/13084997@N03/

Introduced species

Oriental bittersweet, Celastrus orbiculatus, an invasive plant, was introduced to America and closely resembles American Bittersweet, but can be distinguished by its more rounded leaves.

Found near Hocomonco Pond, Westborough.

This bush honeysuckle, Lonicera maackii, is another invasive plant that was introduced to America found near Hocomonco Pond.

Biomes

Freshwater lake and Temperate forest
Hancock, MA

Freshwater lake
Hopkinton Park, MA

Marine/Intertidal Zone
Marina Beach, Tamil Nadu, India

Hydrothermal vents (Source: http://www.oceanexplorer.noaa.gov/)

A biome is defined as a "large ecological region characterized by similar vegatation and climate and all living organisms in it." So, hydrothermal vents kind of fit the description. I also thought that they are in a way part of the ocean, which consists of many biomes.

Coral reefs (source: http://www.ucmp.berkeley.edu/)

Grassland

135 E main St, Westborough, MA

C3 and CAM organisms

Both examples found at 17 Cook Street, Westborough

Acer palmatum (Japanese Maple Tree), is a type of C3 organism

Epiphyllum hookerii, is a type of CAM organism

5 Different Biomes

Biome: Hot and Dry Desert

Source: http://www.blueplanet

biomes.org/

images/dry_desert.jpg

Biome: Tundra

Source: http://www.marietta.edu

/~biol/biomes/images/

tundra/alaskapipeline1.jpg

Biome: Wetland (Found in MA)

Source: http://www.massreal

estatelawblog.com

/wp-content/uploads/

2011/05/wetlands.jpg

Biome: Littoral Zone (Found in MA)

Location: Sandra Pond Road Westborough, MA

Biome: Temperate Deciduous Forest

(Found in MA)

Location: Sandra Pond Road Westborough, MA

Organisms in Different Kingdoms

Fucus gardneri

Brwon algae of the Kingdom Chromalveolata, formerly of Protista

41.648, W 70.126

Microcystis aeruginosa

Cyanobacteria, blue-green algae, of the Kingdom Bacteria

N 42.261, W 71.644

Penicillium roqueforti

Blue cheese mold of the Kingdom Fungi

N 42.270, W 71.609

Syringa vulgaris 'Krasavitsa Moskvy'

Beauty of Moscow Lilac of the Kingdom Plantae

N 42.260, W 71.631

Larus delawarensis

Ring-billed gull of the Kingdom Animalia

41.648, W 70.126