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Hot Zone Part 4

Hi guys,
 Hot Zone.....what a great read......if only I could remember it. Just kidding. But legitimately, I finished it over a month ago. Anyway, Part 4 included a breakdown of the author's trip to Africa and his journey inside the cave. Due to his lack of training and inexperience, this seemed like a sketchy decision. I would have paid one of the scientists, who were probably very interested in the book, to travel with me in order to maintain safety. And then, Richard Preston didn't find a thing. This didn't particularly bother me as much as it did my classmates. I liked how it added some mystery and a threat to an ever-increasing risk. All in all, as has been previously said by others, the book was a good read. Once I actually got started, I was very interested as Richard Preston does a great job at making you want more.
Thanks,
JD

Alas the book finally comes to an end. I think that Richard had a lot of guts to go into the cave and overall, the book was really informative and captivating despite how it ended. I agree with everyone else that it was sort of disappointing but I feel that the knowledge that it contains makes it worth reading. I'm definitely going to recommend this to everyone I can.

Scavenger Hunt Post #8

Hydrophilic is something that can be dissolved by water and polar substances. Sugar and salt are examples of hydrophilic.

 The flower ovary is where  the embryo seed lies and it is the same place where the pollen is received. It is located below the petals.

A gymnosperm cone is a vascular plant that has seeds not in a ovary. Males are usually located at the top of the tree while females are located at the bottom of the tree.

 Hydrophobic is the tendency of non-polar objects to exclude water molecules. This vocabulary word describes the separation of water and the leaf in the picture above.

A long-day plant is a plant that flowers after being exposed to light periods longer than a certain length. Basil is an example of a long-day plant. 

Hot Zone Part 4

            I hate to sound like I'm copying what everybody else is saying but I was a little let down with the way the book ended. I'll admit I wouldn't have gone in that cave like Richard Preston did at the end. Knowing everything that had happened in there, I would never go anywhere near that place. I believe this book was a GREAT source of information about viruses and I have a feeling it will have helped us prepare a little bit for when we study them later on in the year. I would highly recommend this book to anyone that shows an interest in science.

Scavenger Hunt Post #8

           1. Ectotherm - the short definition for this would be a "cold-blooded" animal. Such animals that could be classified as this are reptiles, amphibians, fish, etc.

           2. Homeostasis - this is the property of an organism that is able to maintain and regulate its own internal environment. My dog has been able to do this for almost 12 years, equivalent to 61 human years.

           3. Gibberellin - these are certain plant hormones that regulate growth and influence various developmental processes. This is a plant in my back yard.

          4. Long-Day Plant - this is a plant that flowers after being exposed to light periods longer than a certain critical length, as in the Summer. Spinach, lettuce, potatoes, and some types of wheat are examples of long-day plants.

 I forgot to include this one last week so I'm doing it here.



          5. Cambium - this is a type of plant tissue that is present in a thin layer which forms new cells on both sides. Once again, this picture is of the opening of a cut plant from above.

Scavenger Hunt Post 8

Ethylene is a colorless flammable gas that occurs naturally in certain plants. It also can be obtained from petroleum and natural gas. It is a plant hormone that ripens and colors fruit.

K-Strategist species have fewer off spring and all of these off spring usually survive. The require a long period of care from parents. Dogs are k-strategist.

R-Strategist species have a large number of off spring but all are not expected to live. These organisms are typically smaller and live in changing environments. Fish are r-strategist.

A niche is a specific place that an organism inhabits. This is my fish's niche.

Radial symmetry is the regular arrangement of body parts around a central axis. This star fish has radial symmetry.

Scavenger Hunt Post #8

Frond- A frond is a large divided leaf. Here is a young palm frond that fell to the concrete at Hilton Head.

Ethylene- This a hydrocarbon that releases a faint sweet, musky odor when pure. Here is a mango that has released ethylene.

 Gymnosperm cone- It is the gametophyte of the plant. here is a pine cone. Female cones are at the bottom of the tree and produce seeds while the male cones are at the top of the tree where they produce pollen.

 Lichen- It is an organism that grows with both a fungus and a photosynthetic partner in a symbiotic relationship. Here is a lichen on a tree.

Connective Tissue- a tissue of the body that connects ligament, organs, and
other tissues in the body. Here is an elbow that contains connective tissue.

Scavenger Hunt 8

Genetic variation within a population is taken from a lot of different genes and alleles. Populations have to be able to adapt to the changing conditions in order to survive. They change by adding and subtracting alleles. Some alleles help, some hurt, and some are neutral. Fingerprints are neutral variations. This is my attempt at taking my fingerprint.
 
A hermaphrodite organism is one that does not have separate sexes. They act as the female and male reproductive parts. Snails, slugs, and some fish are examples. This isn't a picture of a snail or a slug but it is a picture of what snails and slugs do. They eat my mom's basil. 
 
 Mycorrhizal fungi is a fungus that is essential to the growth of most plants. It gets on the roots and prevents diseases and insect problems. This is sort of a natural fertilizer. This plant most likely has mycorrhizal fungi.
 
Homologous structure is one that is from the same descendent but evolved in different ways. The moth’s wings and the dragonfly’s wings are homologous structures.


A eukaryote is an organism that has cells with a nucleus and organelles closed with a membrane. Animal cells, plant cells, and fungi cells are all eukaryotes.

Ectotherm - this is an organism that depends on external sources to maintain body heat. Here is a frog that lives on the wall of my pool!

Endotherm - this is an organism that maintains it's own body heat. Here are the two hottest, and coolest guys you will ever have the price ledge of being acquainted to. They are endothermic.

Ethylene - this is a hormone is fruits that controls ripening! Here is an apple!

Gibberellins - these are plant hormones that control stem growth, flowering, and germination. My coleus contains gibberellins.

Pollen is the fine, powdery substance, which contains a gamete, from the male part of the plant in order to reproduce. These trees produce pollen in the spring time.

Scavenger Hunt Numero Siete (good luck, seven is a lucky number)

I'm too tired to try and attempt humor so here are my pictures with definitions.

This picture is of a genetically modified organism. No, not Leland. Technically, the GMO is not in the picture. Cows are genetically modified to produce more milk. Typically, these organisms are modified through genetic engineering techniques.

Phebe's dog Pawley is an endotherm. Endotherms represent nearly all birds and mammals. They are classified as such because their body sustains equilibrium on its own without being affected by natural surroundings.

This beautiful elbow is only that way because of the connective tissue underneath the skin. These tissues are given the primary task of protecting and supporting all surrounding tissues and organs.

Right in the middle of this picture, you will notice a bee landing on the flower. This type of behavior, where two species evolve together, is called coevolution.

This mushroom, a fungi, produces spores which help it to reproduce. When conditions are favorable, spores yield fresh fungi.


That's it for this week guys,
Thanks,
JD

Scavenger Hunt Post #7

   

           This is a type of organism that contains a eukaryotic cell. Eukaryotic cells contain a nucleus and other organelles enclosed in membranes. A cat is such type of an organism.

          A niche is a specific area in which an organism inhabits, or lives in. This aquarium is this turtle's niche.

     
         This plant contains both a xylem and a phloem. These are specific layers of tissue inside the stem of a vascular plant. The picture is not great but it is a plant stem cut in half.

        Fermentation is a metabolic process that turns sugars into acids by the use of yeast. The process of making wine is a great example of this.

         This dog is giving us an example of territorial behavior. The animal feels threatened and is willing to try and defend itself because it believes we are a threat to it.

Scavenger Hunt Post 7

 This Spider has a segmented body composed of an Anthrax and a Thorax. Sorry it's smushed.

 That tiny speck in the middle is an ant. Ants, like most insects have exoskeletons which is a hard outer shell that protects the internal organs and body. Again sorry it's smushed.

 Bees are an example of a pollinator. Pollinators are organisms that help to spread the pollen of plants during the reproductive cycle. Hope this counts, since i couldn't find a real one.

 Dogs are an example of an endotherm, which is an organism that maintains a stable internal temperature.

A niche in Biology is an area where a specific organism inhabits. This house would be an example of the niche for my family.

The Hot Zone Part 4

The end of this book was a let down. While I agree with Maggie, Phebe, and Ruthie that Richard Preston was extremely brave in going to that cave, I don't understand why he put that part in if he didn't find anything. Overall the book was very interesting and informative about viruses and how they work, especially the slate wipers. It's crazy how four small unknown proteins in Ebola can cause so much damage.

Scavenger Hunt Post #7

Epithelial Tissue covers  and lines the whole surface of your body. It is made up of cells closely packed together. Skin is a good example of Epithelial Tissue. 

 Connective Tissue supports, connects and separates different tissues and organs. In your feet and knees there is connective tissue.

Endotherm is an organism that maintains its body temperature at a comfortable temperature. Mammals are a good example of Endotherms because we are warm-bodied.

Autotrophs are organisms that produce complex organic compounds from simple substances. They are able to make their own food and don't depend on anyone to make it for them. Plants are an example of an Autotroph. 

Mutualism is a way two organisms of different species exist in a relationship. Each person in the relationship benefits. An example of mutualism is a bee getting pollen from a flower. Here is a flower with pollen, but i didn't get the bee. Sorry!