Jessica's Scavenger Hunt

1.   Adaptation of an animal

 Adaptation is the adjustment of an organism whether it be behavioral or physical to become better suited to its environment. We got my cat paddles when he was 5 months old and was raised to be an indoor cat. At first he was shy  and timid being in a new home but as he got older he adapted to living in the house and is now comfortable with us and his environment. For example, he has adjusted to the times we feed him and expects food at the same times everyday. 

2. Pollen

  Pollen is powdery grains that are produced by the anthers. It contains microgametophytes of seed plants that produce male gametes or male reproductive cells, which are found in many plants such as flowers. It can be transferred to the female reproductive structure called the pistil by both wind and certain insects.The pollen is located in the center of the flower.

 
3. Tropism

    Tropism is the turning or bending movement of an organism or a part toward or away from an external stimulus.  In this case the plant grew up on the tree next to it for support and/or more sunlight. The tree allows the plant growing on it a greater chance of survival.

      
 4.  Cohesion and Adhesion

Cohesion  is two similar materials being held together by attraction and force. Adhesion is two unlike materials being held together by attraction and force. In the picture, cohesion is the water sticking to itself to form water droplets and the adhesion is the water and leaves attaching to each other.

    

5. Different types of carbohydrates

Three different types of carbohydrates are simple and complex carbohydrates and fiber. Simple carbohydrates contain fewer molecules which make it easier for the body to break down and use as a quick source of fuel. You will find either natural or added sugar in these which is why the chocolate chips are an example of a  simple carbohydrate, because they contain sugar. Complex carbohydrates are harder to break apart and are also called starches. The pasta is an example of a complex carbohydrate. Lastly, Fiber cannot be completely digested by the body, therefore it is not used for energy. Instead it absorbs water as it passes through the body. The whole wheat bread contains fiber.

6. Amniotic Egg

                An amniotic egg is used for protection and contains yolk to nourish the developing organism. An embryo develops inside the amnion, which is a membrane protecting the embryo. These eggs are laid by reptiles, mammals, and birds. The image above is an amniotic egg produced by an emu. There is both an outer shell for protection and inside is the yolk to nourish the embryo.

7. Bilateral Symmetry

                In bilateral symmetry there is only one plane dividing the organism vertically into almost mirror halves. This plane is called the sagittal plane. Most animals are bilaterally symmetric and plants can be as well. In the picture if you fold the leaf in half vertically it will be almost identical.

8. Cellular Respiration

                Cellular respiration is when cells release energy from the chemical bonds of food molecules and provide that energy for essential life processes. This must be performed by all living things. It can be aerobic cellular respiration when oxygen is present like in the image above. As animals breath they are performing cellular respiration. They breathe in oxygen, nitrogen, and carbon dioxide. Each of these are then used for necessary life functions. For example cellular respiration produces CO2 as a metabolic waste, but carbon dioxide helps maintain the pH level in our blood. Too much carbon dioxide however would lower the blood's pH too much so we must exhale the extra CO2 to get rid of it. 

9. Cephalization

                Cephalization is when nervous tissue evolves over a long period of time and becomes concentrated towards one end of an organism. This process then eventually forms a head. An example of cephalization is a human head, which contains the brain. It sends and receives information to and from the rest of the body. It can be considered the “control center” of the body. 

10. Eukaryote 

 A eukaryote is an organism whose cells contain a nucleus and other organelles which are enclosed within membranes. Multicellular organisms such as animals, plants, and fungi are all considered to be eukaryotes including the bunny pictured.

11. Altruistic Behavior

Some animals do behave in ways that reduce their individual fitness but increase the fitness of other individuals in the population. For example, in numerous bird species a breeding pair receives help raising its offspring from other birds, especially feeding and protecting it from predators at the risk of its own health.

12. Ectotherm

An ectotherm is an organism that relies on environmental heat sources instead of  internal physiological heat sources. Many reptiles are ectotherms. In the picture the lizard is towards the top of the cage where the light enters to increase its body temperature.

13. Genetically Modified Organism 

 A genetically modified organism is an organism that has acquired one or more genes by artificial genes. A glowfish is injected with jellyfish DNA in order to give the fish the ability to glow under a blacklight.

14. Mating Behavior 

Some animals have rituals like peacocks Different animals have different mating behaviors in order to attract a mate. For example, both male and female peacocks grow feathers during mating season to attract each other. Once mating is over they shed their feathers.

15. Parasitism

Parasitism is when one organism called a parasite benefits at the expense of the host. When a mosquito bites a human it benefits from the blood, but humans develop an allergic reaction to the bite, creating an itchy bump on the surface of the skin.

16. Vestigial Structures

 Vestigial structures are structures in an organism that had importance in ancestors but now no longer serve a purpose. An example of this would be the wisdom teeth in humans. They served a purpose in our ancestors, but today most people get their wisdom teeth pulled because we no longer make use of them and they can often cause pain and dis align the other teeth.

17. Radial Symmetry

Radial symmetry is a body shape with many equal parts. In the middle of the sand dollar there is a star which is equal to eachother.  Also, the slits on each side are equal.

18. Asexual Reproduction

 In asexual reproduction a single individual is the sole parent and passes copies of all its genes to its offspring. An example of an asexual organism is a starfish.

19. Xylem:

                                                     

Xylem is one of the two types of transport tissue in vascular plants. Xylem came from a Greek word meaning "wood". The best-known example of xylem is wood.  In the wood it transports water and some nutrients. In the picture is a branch of a plant consisting of wood which transfers water and nutrients to its leaves.

20. Cellulose:

CelluloseiIs a polysaccharide made up of a linear chain of anywhere from several hundred to thousands of linked D-glucose units. Cellulose serves as an important of the primary cell wall of green plants.

21. Coleoptiles:

 A coleoptile is the covering of the young shoot of the embryo of a grass seed. In the picture the embryo a grass seed grew into grass.

22. Sporophyte: 

In organisms undergoing alternation of generations, the multicellular diploid form that results from a union of gametes and that meiotically produces haploid spores that grow into the gametophyte generation. An example of a sporophyte is a pine tree. The tree itself is the sporophyte and inside the reproductive pine cones are the miniature gametophyte stages.

23. Turgor pressure:

Turgor pressure is the force directed against a cell wall after the influx of water and the swelling of a walled cell due to osmosis. This occurs in green plants  that do not contain wood, because the turgor pressure is used for support. When the plant loses water it loses support as well and begins to wilt. In the picture above the plant is able to stand upright due to turgor pressure.

24. seed dispersal:

Seed dispersal is the movement or transport of seeds away from the parent plant. Since plants have a limited amount of mobility they rely on other ways to disperse their seeds. One way of dispersing their seeds to reproduce is by wind. The wind carries the seeds from the plant through the air and the seed will soon enough land in another location and begin to grow. Since wind or air is not visible the picture above is of outside. 

25. Anther & filament of stamen:

                                          

This is where the pollen is produced and carried. The anther is where the pollen is specifically carried and the filament is a small stem like structure that holds up the anther higher so there is a more likely chance a pollinator will come and it can then pollinate another plant. In the red flower the yellow in the middle is where the anther and filament are located.

26. Cambium: 

                                                   

The cambium is the thin formative layer between the xylem and phloem of most vascular plants that gives rise to new cells and is responsible for secondary growth . An example would be the cambium layer between the bark and wood which is responsible for increases in tree diameter and create the rings in wood like in the picture.

27. Exoskeleton: 

Chiton directly right of my nose

 An exoskeleton is a hard encasement on the surface of an animal that provides protection and points of attachment for muscles. In the picture above, the circled organism is a Magnificent Chiton.  It is a marine mollusk having a mantle covered with eight calcareous plates. These plates are used for protection and attachment of muscles.

28. Modified root of a plant: 

                                                   

 Each linage of plants have followed their own unique evolutionary path and in many plant groups stems roots have become modified by natural selection in different ways. Some vines form adventitious roots that assist the plant in clinging to a substrate. In the picture the root was modified in order to climb up the tree.

29. long-day plant
                                             
A long-day plant is a plant that flowers only after being exposed to light periods longer than a certain critical length, such as seasons. An example would be lettuce, because it blooms only when it recieves more that 12 hours of light.

30. Cuticle layer of a plant
                                                     
The cuticle layer of a plant  is a protective film covering the epidermis of leaves. It functions as a permeable barrier for water and other molecules. In the picture the leaves have a cuticle layer which is located on the surface of the leaves. When it rains the water drips off of the leaves to the roots instead of being absorbed by the leaves.