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.