Kerrin's Scavenger Hunt

1. Anther and filament of stamen:

In the Gerber daisy there are anthers and filaments of stamens. The inner green circle is actually greenish/white female stigmas which receive the pollen surrounded by green hairs that help in seed dispersal. The yellow circle surrounding that has larger male anthers and stamens which produce the pollen. 

2. Angiosperms: 

Hens and chicks, also known as Sempervivium, are angiosperms. As angiosperms, hens and chicks are seed bearing, but protect them with an ovary. Within the title of angiosperms, hens and chicks are eudicotyledons. Cultivation of this plant is very simple as it thrives in sunny dry spots and the rosettes produce baby chicks frequently in the spring and early summer. 

3. Auxin producing area of a plant:

This yellow tomato plant has many auxin producing areas. Auxin is a plant hormone that helps the plant grow through its cells, roots and fruits. On the tomato plant the stem divides into auxin producing areas where the tomato fruit grows. 

4. Xylem: 

The xylem is the vascular tissue of the plant that carries the water from the roots to the rest of the plant. In this sunflower plant the stem is made of xylem that carry the water and nutrients from the soil in the pot to the leaves and the budding sunflower. 

5. Territorial behavior: 

My dog, P-Nut, displays territorial behavior daily. He runs around the perimeter of our yard barking and marking trees to tell other neighborhood dogs and animals that this is his yard. Whenever another animal comes in our yard he barks aggressively. In this photo he is checking the lawn for other animal scents. 

6. Bilateral Symmetry:

In the image the black spot is a butterfly. When looked at from above the butterfly has bilateral symmetry. Each half looks identically opposite to the other if the butterfly was to be divided down the middle. 

7. Exoskeleton:

This dragonfly has an exoskeleton. Instead of having an internal skeleton like mammals, this insect has a protective outer skeleton. The hard outer encasement protects internal organs and helps connect muscles. 

8. Cuticle layer of a plant:

Basil has a cuticle layer. The shiny wax covering over the leaves and stem of basil protects the organelles inside. The wax covering also aides in water runoff and prevents certain animals and insects from eating it. 

9. Commensalism:

The oriental grass protects the mint from getting too much sun. The mint will not survive if it receives too much sun. It is a beneficial relationship to the mint because the mint stays healthy, but the relationship does not inhibit or benefit the survival of the grass. 

10. Seed dispersal (wind):

In the image there is pollen on the deck and the table. Plants use wind to spread their seeds. The seed of the plant is the embryo packaged along with a supply of food within a protective coating. The wind aids in the movement of the seed to grow in multiple places. 

11. Animal that has a segmented body:

There is a very small ant in this picture. The ant has a segmented body. The ant has an exoskeleton that is separated into different parts that make up the body. There is a segment for the head, for the body, etc. 

12. Genetically Modified Organism (GMO)

Plumcots are a GMO. It is a hybrid between a plum and an apricot. Scientists combined the two through asexual reproduction through budding an apricot and a plum parent. 

13. Amniotic Egg:

These unfertilized chicken eggs are amniotic. They contain membranes that protect the fragile embryo within the shell. The membrane is water-impermeable and fluid filled. 

14. Organisms on different levels of the same food chain:

There was a gang of turkeys in our side yard. They were eating the various plants we have growing there. Since there were no predators (like eagles or cougars) there hunting for the turkeys, the turkeys were able to eat the vegetation. They ate various bushes, grasses and seeds that they found. 

15. Pond ecosystem:

The pond ecosystem is very different than any other ecosystem. The environment is freshwater yet is shallow and still. At Borderland State Park Leach Pond has many organisms living there. On the surface many plants like lily pads flourish, you can hear frogs croaking and crickets chirping. Many organisms find their home in Leach Pond. 

16. Adaptation of an animal:

Frogs like the small one stuck to this leaf have adapted to stay attached to plants. Hexagonal patterns on the pad of its feet create fiction between the frog and the surface. Between these shapes are pores that release mucus to aid in stickiness. The mucus also allows for the frog to quickly clean off dirt and move to another surface when necessary. 

17. Detritovore:

These mushrooms are detritovores. Fungi are the most common detritovore. These organisms (also worms and sea cucumbers) decompose. This fungi is decomposing the wood because it is the only decomposer that can, as it has the enzyme responsible for decomposing lignin. Also known as bottom feeders detriovores can survive almost anywhere there is organic soil. 

18. C3 Plant:

C3 Plants are your everyday plants. Because this flower is inside the petals are beginning to close as it is darker than outside. In the allusion of night the petals close the stoma and open during the day to photosynthesize CO2 and release O2. 

19. Mutualism:

Bees and flowers have a non-symbiotic mutual relationship. Both species benefit from this relationship. The bee has hairs all over its body (even its eyes!) that attract the flower's pollen. After attaching to the bee, the seeds can be dispersed to other flowers and pollination occurs. The benefit for the bee is that it helps in the growing of fruits and plants that can protect them from wind and the process of pollination puts the bee in full sun. The nectar and pollen are required to raise the bee's young. 

20. Mating Behavior:

In the background on the right of my thumbnail are 2 turtles. They are engaging in mating behavior. There may have been fighting for dominance while the female was choosing a mate. Choosing a mate depends on few things for turtles except the females space for sperm storage and the males desirable species qualities.  

21. Cellulose:

Sunflowers are a plant that create cellulose. Cellulose helps make up cell walls in plants. It is a natural polymer made of a long chain, polysaccharide. As this sunflower grew in the sun it went through cellular respiration easier than if it went through dark respiration and in turn has more cellulose.  

22.  Dominant vs. recessive phenotype:

These yellow grape/cherry tomatoes are a mutation. The small ovular shape is due to a naturally occurring mutation. The color, however is due to a recessive gene. Traditionally, tomatoes are red in color. The recessive gene has been used as a specialty plant. The dense foliage in the yellow tomato plant help create a more rich, sweet fruit. 

23. Phloem:

The summer squash plant contains phloem. Phloem is the tissue in the vascular system. Since the plant has relatively long stems, this tissue aids in transporting nutrients throughout the plant. The cells that make up that tissue are sieve-tube cells and phloem fibers. Nutrients like water and food travel through the vascular system to the fruit and leaves of the plant. 

24. Aposematic coloring:

Coleus come in many bright colors. As in many animals that use bright colors to ward of predators, this plant has a bright color to show it is poisonous. Although non-toxic to humans, coleus are poisonous to dogs, cats and horses. 

25. Modified stem of a plant:

My mom has a vegetable and herb garden in our backyard. In this photo there is a tomato plant. In order for the tomato plant to grow tall without bending over and breaking she has tied the stem to a wire frame. After being tied to the frame the tomato plant grew in a different direction. The modification of this stem actually aided the plant in bearing more fruit than if it had simply bent over constricting the flow of nutrients up the stem. 

26. Commensalism:

Moss and trees are a very common symbiotic relationship. Commensalism is when one organism is helped by the relationship, while the other organism is neither helped nor harmed. Moss grows on trees which aids it in survival by allowing it to escape the leaf cover and suffocating block of sunlight of the ground. The tree is basically unaffected by this relationship. 

27. Gymnosperm:

Pine trees are conifers that make up a majority of the gymnosperm group. Gymnosperms are seed bearing plants that have 'naked' or unenclosed seeds. These seeds grow on the end of scales or leaves and can modify into cones, like the pine cone in the photograph. 

28. Seed dispersal (wind):

Maple trees have a very special way to spread their seeds. They have samaras (a.k.a. helicopters) as their fruit. They come in pairs, each seed contained in a nutlet and attached to a flattened wing of fibrous tissue. The shape of this pair is very unique and is meant to help the seeds spin as they fall  and are blown around and go further distances.  

29. Endotherm:

There is a squirrel in this picture. A squirrel is a warm-blooded mammal that maintains a homeostasis that includes a high temperature. Internal bodily processes generate the heat through processes such as metabolizing sugars and fats. The fur on the squirrel's body is also an insulator that helps the small body keep in heat. 

30.  Artificial selection:

My dog P-Nut is a mutt. His breed is a combination of dog breeds. We know for sure he is part chihuahua and different terriers. The owners used selective breeding to combine common lap dogs for a hybrid. Humans interfere on the process of natural selection to cause desirable traits in an organism.   The traits chosen from these breeds were the small size, calm demeanor, and short hair.