Ahnya's Scavenger Hunt

1. Lichen- Lichens are the partnership of two organisms, a fungus and a photosynthetic plant, growing together in a symbiotic relationship. Within the lichen, the photosynthetic organism provides both with food produced through photosynthesis. In return, the fungi provides both organisms with enough moisture to remain healthy. Lichens can survive in anyplace ranging from the arctic tundra to the hot deserts, however this one was found on a maple tree. 

2. Adaption of a plant- Jade plants, native to South African hillside slopes where rain is scarce during the summer, has adapted in order to ensure its survival. The thick, waxy leaves of the jade plant have tiny pores that only open at night, when temperatures are generally cooler, to absorb carbon dioxide. These pores close during sunlight hours to conserve the CO2 which will then be used in photosynthesis to produce sugars, the plant's natural food source. The small pores and waxy coatings of the leaves also allow for the plant to retain water in the hot, desert climates. 

3. Animal that has a segmented body- This American Carrion Beetle belongs to the arthropoda phylum, in which all organisms have segmented bodies. The three segments of such bodies are the head, the thorax, and the abdomen. This organism also belongs to the class insecta in which organisms also have 3 pairs of jointed legs, compound eyes, and antennae. 

4. Asexual reproduction- asexual reproduction occurs when offspring arise from a single parent. The resulting offspring will be exact copies of their parents due to the lack of genetic variation that would occur only in organisms capable of sexual reproduction. These ferns are examples of organisms that reproduce asexually- by spores. They are also capable of sending out runners underground to produce new organisms. 

5. Amniotic egg- An amniotic egg contains a developing embryo fed by a yolk, all encased within several membranes and hard shell. The membranes and hard shell prevents the vulnerable, developing organism from drying out on land, know as desiccation and protection from the environment and predators. The yolk provides the developing embryo with the needed nourishment while the amniotic fluid that surrounds the yolk and embryo provides the developing embryo with an environment in which to grow. This chicken egg is an example of an amniotic eggs because it contains a developing embryo fed by a yolk sac encased within a membrane and a hard shell. 

6. Exoskeleton - An exoskeleton is defines as an external skeleton that supports and protects an animal's body. Dragonflies are insects that have an exoskeleton to protect and support their body. The hard shell is formed in transition between stage two and three of its incomplete metamorphosis which protects the internal organs of the adult dragonfly.

7. Deuterostome Development - Deuterostome is derived from the a Greek word meaning "second mouth". In their embryonic development of a deuterostome, the first opening to develop will eventually become the organism's anus. This is opposite from protostomes, in which the first opening to develop in an embryo becomes the mouth. Their name of deuterostome comes from the fact that the second opening to develop in a deuterostome embryo will become it's mouth. Sea stars are from the phylum Echinodermata, which is one of four that can be classified as deuterostomes. (I did not have my green, spiky object with me when the opportunity arose to photograph the star fish so I used my thumb nail in it's place. The pictures underneath show the underside of a deuterostome [middle] and prove that it was my nail in the picture of the sea star. [bottom] )

8. Ectotherm- Ectotherm is an animal that relies on it environment's heat to determine is metabolic rate, commonly known as cold blooded organisms. Their body temperature depends on the temperature of their environment. This spider belongs to the arachnid class, a class of all cold blooded organisms. These organisms rely greatly on external sources of heat to keep their bodies as a safe temperature for necessary activities.

9. Adhesion and cohesion - Adhesion is the tendency for particles of different substances to cling to each other. Cohesion is the property of molecules sticking together by being mutually attracted to one another. Cohesion allows for surface tension which creates a film like state on the surface of a substance, in this case water, cause by the molecules attraction to eachother. In this instance, a leave has fallen on the surface of a pool but because the leave is not dense or heavy enough to break the surface of the water, it sits on top. You can see the surface tension by the slight puckering of the water's surface under the bottom left side of the leaf. 

10. Pollinator- A pollinator is an organism that moves pollen from the anthers (male part) of the flower to the stigma(female part). When the insect moves from flower to flower, pollen from one plant lands on another plant which allows for more variation and successful continuation of the species. In doing this, the flower gets fertilized and the pollinator gets fed from the flower's nectar. After fertilization, the flower produces seeds, which are then dispersed throughout the environment and new offspring emerge. In the picture above, the pollinator is the black insect on the left side of the flower emerging from the inner parts. 

11. Artificial selection- artificial selection, also called selective breeding, in the process in which humans breed plant and animals for particular traits or desired results. Corn was domesticated in prehistoric times by the Mesoamerican people. 86% of the corn crop grown in the US in 2010 was genetically modified to appeal to consumers nationwide. Corn (Maize) is the domesticated version of teosinte. The process of domesticating corns is thought to have started between 7500 and 12000 years ago. Prehistoric maize was much smaller, thinner, and produced far fewer kernels but through artificial selection, humans have turned the species into a larger, more bountiful, mass produced crop. In 2009, 390 million acres of corn were planted worldwide which produced about 800 million tonnes (1,000 kilograms). 

12. Seed Dispersal- Seed dispersal is the process in which seeds are moved away from the parent plant in order to have a better chance of survival. This can be done by the help of animals, water, or wind. In the case of the palm tree, coconuts are dropped as seeds which, although very large, float in water. Because palm trees are common along coast lines, water help to transport these seeds to a new location where they will germinate and grow into a mature plant, a process called hydrochory. Seeds can travel extremely long distances over water until they find a suitable land mass on which to grow. 

13. Eukaryote- A eukaryotic cell is a cells that contains a true nucleus and has membrane bound organelles. Eukaryotic organisms can be unicellular or multicellular, as in the case of this beetle. Because this beetle is a eukaryote, its cells contain organelles such as mitochondria and golgi apparatuses and belongs to the domain Eukaryota. This beetle also has two types of cell division, one for body cells - mitosis, and one for gametes - meiosis. 

14. Angiosperm- Angiosperms are the plants that produce flowers and produces seeds within an enclosure, generally within some variation of fruits. This crab-apple tree is an angiosperm because the seeds of the plant are contained within the tiny cherry-like apples of the tree which ripen and fall off in the autumn. The flowers that come before the fruits aid in pollination and the reproduction of the tree. 

15. Anther and Filament of Stamen- The stamen of a plant is the pollen-producing male reproductive organ of a flower. The filament is the pollen-saturated  bulb like structure at the end of a stalk, the filament, that physically holds the pollen. It is here that the pollinators will pick up the pollen from plant A and transfer is to either the female part of the same plant or transfer is to plant B for pollination. 

16. Cellular Respiration - Cellular respiration is the set of metabolic reactions and processes that takes place in an organism's cell that converts nutrients into a usable source of energy, adenosine triphosphate, for the organism. In these reactions, large macromolecuels are broken into smaller ones which releases energy from the bonds in the process. In the case of the ruby-throated humming bird, their food source, primarily various types of carbohydrates, specifically sugars, a broken down to provide energy for the individuals activities. 

17. Adaption of a plant- An adaption is a trait that an organism modifies through evolution in order to better survive and become more fit in it's environment. This milkweed plant has adapted the toxic white sap as a defense against predators. This sap is harmful to predators, with the exception of select insects, and helps ensure the plant's survival. Also, the milkweed plant has extremely long roots to help it stay firmly planted in high winds, also ensuring it's survival. 

18. Genetically Modified Organism- A genetically modified organism is an organism whose genes have been altered by humans in order to achieve a specifically desired outcome. In the case of these green bell pepper, their genes have been modified to produce larger and more bountiful fruits that better provides for humans. 

19. ATP- ATP or adenine triphosphate is a molecule that helps with intracellular energy transport within an organism. When the ATP molecule loose a phosphate, becoming ADP (adenine diphosphate), energy is given off that an organism can use for daily processes. This flower is an example of an organism that uses ATP on the cellular level. 

20. Cuticle layer of a plant- The cuticle of a plant is the protective film that covers the outside of a plant leaves. The layer provides that plant with protection from unwanted intruders, such as dirt and microorganisms, and from solar UV radiation. The waxy layer help prevent the plant from wilting and drying up. 

21. Gymnosperm- The word gymnosperm means "naked seed" in Greek. A gymnosperm is a plant that produces seeds that are not covered by an ovary, but are rather open to the elements. Some gymnosperms produces cones that protect seeds until they are ready to form a new plant. This pine tree is an example of a gymnosperm because it doesn't produce any flowers or fruits, but cones to house it's seeds. 

22. Autotroph- An autotroph is an organism that produces complex organic compounds through either photosynthesis or chemosynthesis. These organic compounds provide the organism with a food source. This flower is part of a plant that is an autotroph because it makes it own food through reactions rather that hunting for its food. In this case, the plant uses the chlorophyll in its chloroplasts on the cellular level to convert carbon dioxide, water, and sunlight into glucose, its food source, and energy and the bi-product, oxygen.

23. Lipid Used for Energy Storage- Butter, made from cow's milk, is a saturated lipid that stores energy. An organism consumes the compound which will be broken down into smaller molecules which releases energy for use. 

24. Pollen- Pollen of a plant contains microgametophytes which produce male gametes, sperm. Each sperm cell is coated in a hard coating that will protect the cell on its way to the pistil. Once it arrives at its destination, the pollen will fertilize the plant which will produce seeds ensuring the survival of the species from one generation to the next. 

25. Phloem- Phloem is the living tissue in vascular plants that carries organic nutrients to various parts of a plant. In trees, the phloem is the innermost layer of the bark. It carries the plant's sap, which is mostly water and rich sugars the plant uses for food, throughout the organism to be used where it's necessary. 

26. Mutualism- Mutualism is a form of symbiosis and is when two different organisms have a relationship in which they both benefit. In the case of this sunflower, the sunflower will produce large seeds that are an excellent food source for various species of animals, such as birds and rodents. The animals will eat the nutritious seeds and in doing so will spread them through the environment either by them sicking to the animal or by their presence in the animal's waste. The animals benefits by having a food source and the sunflower benefits by having it's seeds dispersed throughout the environment. 

27. Ethylene- Ethylene is a plant hormone, widely used in commercial agriculture, which forces the ripening of fruits. Ethylene is found in these tomatoes because they have ripened. 

28. Keystone Species- A keystone species is a species that has a disproportionately large effect on its environment compared to its size and abundance. This wild bee is considered a keystone species because it pollinates thousands of flowers throughout a season although it is very small. It is crucial to the continuation of many plant species. 

29. Detritovore - A dertitovore is a heterotrophic organism that obtains its nutrients through consuming decomposing plants and animals as well as fecal matter. These organisms are crucial to every environment because they recycle matter that would otherwise clog the environment. This mushroom is a type of fungi which are detritovores. 

30. Flower Ovary- The ovary of a flower is the part of the pistil in which the ovules are housed. In the example of the zucchini, the flower ovary happens to be the developing fruit which houses the seeds. 

31. Cellulose- Cellulose is an organic compound found in plants. It is an important structural component of cell walls in green plants, like the zebra grass in the picture above. It is the most abundant polymer on earth and in used to produce paper. Humans have a hard time digesting cellulose because of it's chemical makeup while animals such as cows, which have four stomachs, have evolved to be able to break down the macromolecules.