Invertebrates

An invertebrate is any animal without a backbone, or vertebra. Approximately 98% of all animals are invertebrates. They include everything from worms to squid to shellfish to spiders. Vertebrates are animals that do have a backbone, for example, a cat. Invertebrates have no complex skeletal system.

Whelks and conches, like the one who lived in this shell, have no backbones; they are invertebrates.

Kingdom

The Linnean system of taxonomy, or classification of organisms, is based on many subdivions and categories. They are: Kingdom, Phylum, Class, Order, Family, Genus, and Species. A species is part of a genus which is part of a family, et cetera. The traditional Kingdoms include Monera (now split into archaebacteria and eubacteria), Protista, Fungi, Plantae, and Animalia.

The "Animal Kingdom" theme park atWalt Disney World in Orlando, Florida is a pun on the various kingdoms of life. In this sense, the word refers to a kingdom as in a place (like their "Magic Kingdom")  full of the members of the kingdom Animalia.

Population

A population is all of a certain group of organisms of the same species that breeds together and lives in a certain area. It comes from the Latin word populus, which means "people."

These casts are replicas of corals from the population of coral that is off the coast of southern Florida. 

Fungi

Fungi are a group of organisms who are heterotrophic and eukaryotic. Some fungi are unicellular, but most are multicellular beings. They are often made of multicellular filaments called hyphae. They do not have chlorophyll, and are not plants, though they once were categorized as such. They obtain nutrition through absorption. In Latin, the word fungus means mushroom, which is one of the many various types of fungi.

I found these mushrooms growing in my yard.

Cnidarian

In Greek, the word "cnidos" means stinging nettle. The very diverse Cnidaria phylum contains thousands of species of animals. The have a structure in their stinging cells call a nematocyst. It resembles a spring-like coil . When the cnidarian stings its prey, the nematocyst uncoils and fires into the prey. Often, the sting contains some type of toxin that the cnidarian uses to stun or injure its prey. Most cnidarians are pretty much harmless to humans, though some are potentially deadly.

A jellyfish is one of the most recognized cnidarians. Jellyfish are often hunted by sea turtles, who may mistake plastic shopping bags like this one for a snack. If a turtle tries to eat this, it would probably choke to death. For this reason, it is important to ensure all garbage is disposed of properly, though, I'm sure the jellyfish wouldn't mind much.

Heterotroph

A heterotroph is something that must consume another organism to gain nourishment. They cannot provide themselves with food. Animals are heterotrophs.

Dogs in the wild (such as wolves) hunt for food. In domestication,  their owners provide them with food.  Either way, they must eat food in order to live. 

Autotroph

An autotroph is is an organism that has the capability of manufacturing its food from inorganic substances, using light energy or chemical energy. Most plants, as well as algae and certain strains of bacteria are autotrophs.

This plant uses the process of photosynthesis to "make food." It is an autotroph.

Herbivore, Carnivore, Omnivore

An herbivore is a heterotrophic animal that consumes plants. A carnivore is an animal that eats only meat; it preys on other animals. Animals that eat meat and vegetation are called omnivores.

Woody, as a human, eats both meat and plants, so he is an omnivore. Bullseye, a horse, feeds on grass. He is an herbivore.

Sharks often feed on seals and other marine animals. They are carnivores.

Stamen

The stamen is the male reproductive organ of a flower. It produces pollen. A stamen is made up of an anther and a filament. Plants reproduce sexually. The pollen from the stamen of one flower is transported (sometimes by a bee, sometimes a human, etc) to the pistil of another flower. By this fertilization process, a new plant is produced.

This rose flower has a pistil/stamen.

Xylem and Phloem

The Xylem of a plant is the system of tubes that helps to transport water and minerals throughout the plant. They help connect roots to the leaves. One could say that they are comparable to blood vessels in an animal. They also help to provide support for the plant. They are replaced annually. When you count the rings of a downed tree to figure out its age, you are actually counting layers of xylem.

You can see the rings formed by Xylem in this picture of part of a log.

The other component of circulation through plants is the phloem. The phloem helps to distribute sugars (product of photosynthesis) to the rest of the plant. Unlike xylem, the phloem is alive for the plant's entire life; it is not replaced annually. When you see sap dripping from a tree, it usually is from the phloem.

Traditionally, maple syrup is made by boiling large amounts of sap from sugar maple trees.  In modern times, however, many commercial brands of "maple" syrup rely on chemicals to produce their taste and actually contain no maple. You can still find 100% natural maple syrup, but it's not as common on grocery store shelves.

Bacteria

Bacteria are microscopic unicellular organisms who lack membrane enclosed organelles; they are prokaryotic. Bacteria are classified into different types based on their shape. THey are mostly asexual. "Many bacteria form a single spore when their food supply runs low. Most of the water is removed from the spore and metabolism ceases. Spores are so resistant to adverse conditions of temperature and dryness that they may remain viable even after fifty years of dormancy." Human interact with bacteria in a number of ways. Certain types of bacteria are used commercially to help produce products such as yogurts and cheeses. Other types of bacteria are dangerous to humans and can cause illness. Still others exist symbiotically with us, living within the digestive tract, not causing any harm.

The purpose of hand sanitizers like this one are to kill bacteria that may cause illness. During the Swine Flu scare a couple years ago, they became increasingly more popular.

Mutation

A mutation is a disruption in a gene. The change is permanent and alters the amino acid production that the gene coded for. Some changes are subtle and have no visible effects, while others have drastic and life altering effects. Evolution and adaptation occur through mutations that occur over long periods of time.

The one red berry in this bunch is a disruption in the normal pattern of green berries.
Note: this berry's color is not a result of a mutation, it simply illustrates the idea of one little difference altering the whole.

Fermentation

Fermentation is an anaerobic cellular process in which organic food is converted to simple compounds. Fermentation produces ATP. The amount of ATP produced by fermentation is significantly lower than the amount of ATP produced by cellular respiration. This process occurs in fruit, fungi, bacteria, yeast, and animal muscle. Humans control the process to produce bread, alcohol, and vinegar. The process is anaerobic, but does may occur in the presence of oxygen. It occurs in muscle tissue when the oxygen supply to the muscle is low.

Fermentation is controlled to produce alcohol.

Photosynthesis

Here is everything anybody needs to know about photosynthesis:

Just kidding. Photosynthesis is the process by which plants convert light energy to chemical energy. They store the energy as sugar. Organelles in plant cells, called chloroplasts, are the site of photosynthesis. Within the chloroplasts are thylakoids which contain chlorophyll, the green pigment that gives plants their color. Plants absorb light from the sun in order to perform this. The formula for photosynthesis is 6CO2+6H2O+light---------> C6H12O6+6O2.

This Bamboo plant performs photosynthesis in order get energy.

Base

A base is the opposite of an acid. It has a pH above 7.0. They have bitter tastes and are slippery to the touch. The aqueous solution of a base is capable of conducting electrical currents. They can turn a red litmus test blue. When they react with acids, they form salt and water.

Baking soda is basic.

Acid

An acid "is a chemical compound that disassociates in a solution, releasing hydrogen ions and lowering the pH (it is a proton donor). An acidic solution has a pH below 7.0." They have a sour taste (but don't go around tasting random acids!),  are capable of turning a litmus test red, and can form salts when they react with bases, metals, and alkalis. The word acid comes from the Latin word "acere," meaning sour.

The sour taste found in limes and other citrus fruits  is a result of all the acid  inside.

Carbon

Carbon is an element. Its atomic weight is 12.011. Different forms and variations of carbon include soot, charcoal, graphite, and diamond. In fact, the word carbon derives from the Latin root "carbo" which means charcoal. With sufficient weight and temperature, it is possible to transform graphite into diamond.
                                                                               

What is usually called the 'lead' of a pencil is in fact graphite. You can also write with charcoal.

Welcome

The identifier that I have decided to use is the "Coin of Excellence" that I earned in JROTC during my freshman year. It will appear in each photograph that I upload.

This is the bibliography of all of my sources:

1. &. (n.d.). ACID properties - definition of ACID properties in the Medical dictionary - by the Free Online Medical Dictionary, Thesaurus and Encyclopedia.. Medical Dictionary. Retrieved August 15, 2011, from http://medical-dictionary.thefreedictionary.com/ACID+properties 
2. Bacteria. (n.d.). RCN D.C. Metro | High-Speed Internet, Digital Cable TV & Phone Service Provider. Retrieved August 15, 2011, from http://users.rcn.com/jkimball.ma.ultranet/BiologyPages/E/Eubacteria.html 
3. Biology4Kids.com: Plants: Xylem and Phloem. (n.d.). Rader's BIOLOGY 4 KIDS.COM. Retrieved August 15, 2011, from http://biology4kids.com/files/plants_xylemphloem.html 
4. Carbon. (n.d.). Periodic Table of Elements and Chemistry. Retrieved August 15, 2011, from http://chemicool.com/elements/carbon.html
5. Characteristics Of Invertebrates | Interesting Animals. (n.d.). Interesting Animals - Learn Interesting Facts About Animals. Retrieved August 15, 2011, from http://interestinganimals.net/characteristics_of_invertebrates/characteristics_of_invertebrates.html
6. Cnidarians. (n.d.). Acadia Oceanside Meadows Historic Inn, Downeast Maine Bed and Breakfast. Retrieved August 15, 2011, from http://oceaninn.com/the-nature-preserve/cnidarians 
7. Helmenstine, �. M., & Ph.D.. (n.d.). Acids and Bases Terms - Definitions of Acid Base Terms.Chemistry - Periodic Table, Chemistry Projects, and Chemistry Homework Help. Retrieved August 15, 2011, from http://chemistry.about.com/od/acidsbases/a/acidsbasesterms.htm 
8. Life Science Reference - Biology Online. (n.d.). Life Science Reference - Biology Online. Retrieved August 15, 2011, from http://biology-online.org/dictionary/population 
9. Life Science Reference - Biology Online. (n.d.). Life Science Reference - Biology Online. Retrieved August 15, 2011, from http://biology-online.org/ditctionary/fermentation 
10. Life Science Reference - Biology Online. (n.d.). Life Science Reference - Biology Online. Retrieved August 15, 2011, from http://biology-online.org/dictionary/heterotroph 
11. Life Science Reference - Biology Online. (n.d.). Life Science Reference - Biology Online. Retrieved August 15, 2011, from http://biology-online.org/dictionary/fungi 
12. O'Neil, D. (2010, September 14). KINGDOMS OF LIVING THINGS IN THE LINNAEAN CLASSIFICATION SYSTEM. Palomar. Retrieved August 15, 2011, from anthro.palomar.edu/animal/table_kingdoms.htm
13. Photosynthesis. (n.d.). Biology at Clermont College - University of Cincinnati. Retrieved August 15, 2011, from http://biology.clc.uc.edu/courses/bio104/photosyn.htm 
14. Sharpe, �. (n.d.). Omnivore, Hebivore, Carnivore, What's the Difference?. About Freshwater Aquariums - All About Freshwater Aquariums and Fish. Retrieved August 15, 2011, from http://freshaquarium.about.com/od/feedingfis1/f/omnivore.htm 
15. Stamen - Definition and More from the Free Merriam-Webster Dictionary. (n.d.). Dictionary and Thesaurus - Merriam-Webster Online. Retrieved August 15, 2011, from http://merriam-webster.com/dictionary/stamen 
16. What is a Mutation?. (n.d.). Learn.Genetics™. Retrieved August 15, 2011, from http://learn.genetics.utah.edu/archive/mutations/index.html 
17. autotrophy - definition of autotrophy by the Free Online Dictionary, Thesaurus and Encyclopedia.. (n.d.). Dictionary, Encyclopedia and Thesaurus - The Free Dictionary. Retrieved August 15, 2011, from http://thefreedictionary.com/autotrophy 

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