Tony's Scavenger Hunt

1.) Lichen

Lichens, like these, are organisms that exist as the result of a symbiotic relationship between a fungus (mycobiont) and a photosynthetic photobiont, most often either a green alga or cyanobacterium. They are capable of surviving in extreme environments such as deserts and tundras, even able to live on a rock such as this one. Scientists can use lichens to study the effects of environmental change such as pollution and ozone depletion, as they are sensitive to such changes.

 

 

2.) Hydrophobic

Hydrophobocity is the tendency of a nonpolar substance to repel water (which has polar molecules due to hydrogen bonding). Fats, alkanes, and oils are some common nonpolar and therefore hydrophobic substances. These blades of grass are naturally coated with a hydrophobic substance, which helps to minimize water loss and protect against various pathogens.

 

 

 

3.) Stigma & Style of Carpel

A stigma is the very tip of a pistil, connected to the ovary by the style, and is used to receive pollen grains which then travel down into the ovary and fertilize the ovules. Its surface is designed to catch pollen from wind, water, or insects and other pollinators. This flower has a long pistil surrounded by four stamens, with the stigma and style at the end.

 

 

4.) Anther & Filament of Stamen

Stamens are the reproductive parts in a flower that produce pollen. They are each composed of a filament, at the end of which lies an anther that contains microsporangia in which pollen grains develop. The pollen is usually spread by wind or with the help of pollinators. This flower has many small yellow anthers, visible in the center.

 

 

 5.) Flower Ovary

An ovary is a part of the female reproductive organ in flowering plants (angiosperms). It is classified as part of the pistil, and holds the ovules which will develop into seeds. Ovaries are located beneath the style and stigma, which receive pollen that is transferred down in order for each ovule to receive a pollen grain. This flower has a very long, thin ovary (green, far right), which has already been pollinated and is developing into a fruit.

6.) Adaptation of an Animal

This stick insect has adapted to have a very thin body and legs that assist it in camouflage. The brown body with green legs suggests the possibility of life in pine trees, near which it was found. This adaptation helps it to blend into its environment and keep it from being noticed by predators, increasing its fitness for survival.

7.) Bilateral Symmetry

Bilateral symmetry occurs when an organism is symmetrical around only one plane. Many animals are bilaterally symmetric, as are the leaves of most plants. Although plants themselves are usually not bilaterally symmetric, these honeysuckle leaves are.

8.) Cellulose

Cellulose is a polysaccharide found in the cell walls of plants, and is the most common organic polymer. Ruminants and termites can digest cellulose, but humans normally do not fully process it in our digestive systems. We grow grass on our lawns, which sadly is mostly inedible to us; however, it does make for happy cows.

 

9.) Gymnosperm

“Gymnosperm” comes from the Greek word for “naked seeds”. Gymnosperms are plants that have ovules and seeds not enclosed within an ovary. Conifers, cycads, and gingkoes are all gymnosperms. Many gymnosperms develop their seeds in protective, scaly cones. This pine sapling is a conifer.

10.) Introduced Species

Introduced species live in an area that they are not native to. They can become a serious problem in the ecosystem in which they have been introduced that lacks natural predators. The Japanese beetle comes from Japan, where it is not a major pest. However, in America, it is a destructive pest, and attacks many plants including this rose bush.

 

11.) Seed Dispersal (Animal)

Plants disperse their seeds in a variety of ways, ranging from simply letting the wind take seeds to new places (dandelions), to letting seeds float away on water, to having explosive seed pods. Some plants let biotic factors, animals, disperse their seeds. These burdock burrs are still developing, but when mature their hooked exterior allows them to attach to animals such as deer and the occasional lawn mower bag.

12.) Tropism

Tropism is the growth or turning of an organism, most commonly a plant, in response to a stimulus. These bamboo plants exhibit phototropism, growth towards light. The paler stems (left) were planted in one direction. New shoots (right) sprouted over time and grew toward the sun, and are healthier and darker as a result.

13.) Mutualism

Mutualism is a symbiotic relationship in which two organisms live together and both benefit as a result. Legumes, including these clover plants, are known for harboring nitrogen-fixing bacteria in their root nodules. The bacteria are given a safe place in which to live, and convert ammonia from atmospheric nitrogen gas in return which is used by the host plant for biological processes.

14.) Ethylene

Ethylene is a hydrocarbon with the formula C₂H₄. It is a colorless, flammable gas, and an important plant hormone that is used to force fruits to ripen in agriculture. It is given off by ripening fruits. Green tomatoes are often ripened by sealing them with a ripe banana which gives off ethylene that will speed the process.

15.) Chitin 

Chitin is a long-chain polymer and a derivative of glucose. It is found in the cell walls of fungi and in the exoskeletons of arthropods. It is also present in the beaks and internal shells of cephalopods, and in the radulae of mollusks. This dragonfly has a bright red exoskeleton and large, transparent wings that would not exist without the chitin molecule.

16.) Angiosperm





Angiosperms, also known as flowering plants, are seed producing plants and the most diverse category of land plants. Unlike gymnosperms, they produce flowers and fruit, and their seeds contain endosperm. The ovules develop inside an ovary, which becomes the fruit. These yellow daisies are angiosperms.

17.) Pollinator

Any biotic agent that transfers pollen from a flower’s male anthers to the female stigma of another or the same flower, which fertilizes the ovules, is a pollinator. Various insects, including flies and bees, are pollinators. Bats and birds are also pollinators, along with some other vertebrates. Humans often become pollinators either because of an absence of natural pollinators or in order to breed specific plants. This bumblebee is in the act of pollinating a flower.

18.) C4 Plant

 C4 carbon fixation is a method of carbon fixation, like C3 and CAM photosynthesis. It produces a 4-carbon molecule during carbon fixation, instead of the 3-carbon molecule produced during C3. The C4 pathway is efficient in minimizing carbon loss, but uses more ATP than the C3 pathway; therefore, each performs best in certain conditions. About 3% of land plants are C4 plants. Scientists are attempting to engineer C4 rice (normally a C3 plant) that could increase crop yields. Maize (corn) is a C4 plant.

 

19.) Exoskeleton

An exoskeleton is an external skeleton, unlike an endoskeleton that protects and supports an animal from the inside. Because it surrounds the animal’s body, as the animal grows the exoskeleton is either shed if it is closed or added to if it is open. Molluscs, arachnids, crustaceans, and insects have exoskeletons, along with some vertebrates. Exoskeletons contain chitin and may also contain calcium carbonate which strengthens them. This large spider has an exoskeleton.

 

 

20.) Ectotherm 

Ectotherms are organisms that cannot internally regulate their body temperature. The term “cold-blooded” often refers to reptiles or amphibians, although ectothermy is also displayed in insects and other animals. Some ectotherms either live in an environment in which the temperature is constant, or can function at varying body temperatures. Others need to regulate their body temperatures. Many insects warm up by vibrating their flight muscles. Reptiles and amphibians, such as this frog, bask in the sun when it is cool and take shelter during the hottest part of the day.

21.) Spore and Sporophyte

A spore is an asexual reproductive unit adapted for survival and dispersal. It is meant to survive unfavorable conditions for extended periods of time. Many plants, fungi, algae, and protozoa use spores for reproduction. Most spores are haploid cells produced through meiosis in structures called sporangia found in diploid sporophytes. They eventually go on to perform mitosis and develop into a gametophyte, which then produces gametes in a system of alternating generations. Ferns are known for producing visible spores underneath their leaves when mature. The fern as we know it is the sporophyte stage of the organism’s life cycle.

22.) Adaptation of a Plant

In New England, evergreens like this fir are known for keeping their leaves throughout the year and do not lose their leaves in the autumn like deciduous trees. They have adapted to keep their leaves because of nutrients, as deciduous leaves lose nutrients when they lose their leaves. They are also able to continue photosynthesis year-round. Retaining leaves is possible for these evergreens because their leaves are needle shaped and waxy, another adaptation that helps to conserve water in winter conditions.

 

23.) Modified Root of a Plant

Tubers are modified structures in plants. They are enlarged growths used to store nutrients for use in winter and/or dry months, and are found on stems or roots. Sunchoke is widely cultivated for its root tubers which are used as a vegetable. Unlike many root tubers, instead of starch they store the carbohydrate inulin. These plants are still growing as of August, but by the end of autumn their roots will have become round and swollen.

24.) Pollen

Pollen is a powder that contains the microgametophytes of seed plants, responsible for producing the sperm cells. Grains are produced in the microsporangia of flower anthers or in male cones of other plants. They are transferred to the stigma of a pistil through pollination. The grains have a protective coating that opens up during germination, producing a pollen tube that carries the sperm to the ovule. Tiny pollen grains are a common cause of seasonal allergies. The anthers of this hibiscus flower are covered with bright yellow pollen.

 

25.) Cuticle Layer of a Plant

A plant cuticle covers the epidermis of leaves, shoots, and some other plant organs as a form of protection. It is a thin film of waxy lipids and hydrocarbons synthesized by the epidermal cells. The cuticle helps conserve water with its hydrophobic properties. It is also a physical barrier that prevents pathogens such as viruses, bacteria, and fungal spores from harming the plant. Cuticle layers are often shiny and visible, for instance on the leaves of this pepper plant.

 

 

 

26.) r-strategist

r/K selection theory describes how organisms have adapted to have reproductive strategies that focus on either quantity (r selection) or quality (K selection). Organisms that favor K-selection display traits such as longer life span, larger size, and the production of fewer offspring that often require extensive parental care; K-strategists tend to do be adapted to a stable environment with a population near carrying capacity. r-strategists, like this crabgrass, focus on reproducing quickly and in numbers due to an unpredictable environment. They often have small size, high reproductive capacity, fast maturity, shorter life spans, and the ability to disperse offspring effectively.

27.) Succession (Secondary)

Ecological succession occurs in two ways: primary and secondary succession. Primary succession takes place after a new, usually soilless substrate capable of supporting life is left open to organisms after events such as a lava flow or retreated glacier. Pioneer species settle first, opening the pathway for the development of a new ecosystem. Secondary succession, shown here, occurs after an ecological disturbance such as flood, volcanic eruption, or in this case fire has destroyed the plant life on a substrate that previously supported vegetation. In the ashes, small plants have already taken root.

 

28.) Autotroph

Autotrophs are capable of producing organic compounds such as carbohydrates from available resources in the environment, usually through photosynthesis or using energy from inorganic chemical reactions. They are usually the lowest but most vital level of any food chain, as the first trophic level that directly or indirectly provides energy to all others. Plants, like this bean plant, are widely known as photosynthetic organisms.

 

29.) Endergonic Reaction

An endergonic reaction is one in which more energy is absorbed than is released by a system. It requires energy to take place. Photosynthesis is an endergonic reaction which takes place in the leaves of this wild grape plant. Energy is absorbed from sunlight to produce glucose and oxygen from water and carbon dioxide. This reaction is vital to the role of many autotrophs as the first trophic level and primary producer of a food chain.

30.) Detritovore

Detritovores are often part of the last trophic level of a food chain, in that they are heterotrophs that consume decomposing plant and animal matter and feces. They are an important part of the decomposition process, along with other decomposers such as bacteria and fungi that do not actually consume decaying matter. Detritovores exist in most substrates of soil and seafloor; this earthworm is a common and well-known example of a detritovore.