Wednesday, December 31, 2014

Big Idea 2: Term 5

Calvin Cycle: Leaf cells, like those of this umbrella tree
 (Schefflera arboricola) perform the Calvin Cycle that uses 
atmospheric carbon dioxide to synthesize sugars. This 
endergonic set of reactions is powered by ATP and NADPH,
products of the light-dependent reactions.

Tuesday, December 30, 2014

Big Idea 3: Term 16

Phenotype: An organism's phenotype is its physical 
appearance (i.e., traits) that is the result of the unseen
genotype (genetic makeup). The Neanthe Bella Palm's
 (Chamaedorea elegans) phenotype would include aspects 
such as long, green leaves and thin stems.

Big Idea 2: Term 19

Heterotroph: Heterotrophs do not get nutrients from 
energy sources they make as autotrophs do; instead, 
they must rely on other organisms to supply them with
the necessities of life. For instance, this ant (belongs to
family Formicidae) cannot make its own sugars as 
plants do.
#2) Big Idea 1 Term 3: Adaptation of a plant

Nepenthes Sanguinea (depicted above) is a pitcher plant from the island of Borneo. It grown where the soil quality is very poor so it adapted to its environment by producing pitchers that contain a liquid filled with enzymes that break down the bodies of insects and small rodents that fall into the pitchers. The nutrients from these animals are absorbed by the pitcher and they give N. Sanguinea The atoms and molecules that it needs to grow.
#1) Big Idea 1 Term 2: Adaptation of an animal

      Pristella Maxarillaris has an air bubble in its body which is an adaptation to living in a large body of water. The air bubble allows the fish to keep from sinking whenever it is not swimming. Because of its ability to float, the fish can hide from predators in a stationary position. (such as between two rocks) Sharks do not have this air bubble and they must keep swimming to stay afloat or they will die.

Monday, December 29, 2014

Big Idea 1: Term 14

Chordate: The main distinguishing characteristics of chordates are
that each one has a notochord (for support), a dorsal nerve cord
(spinal cord), pharyngeal slits (gills), and a tail at some point his life.
I, like all humans, am a chordate. Note: My apologies for the multiple
dog pictures previously posted. Ignore the coonhound one.

Big Idea 2: Term 33

Stomata: The leaves of plants contain stomata on their epidermes.
These structures consist of guard cells and a stoma (pore) that allow
oxygen to exit and carbon dioxide to enter the leaf. This polka dot
plant (Hypoestes phyllostachya) would die without stomata because
it wouldn't be able to use CO2 in the Calvin Cycle.

Big Idea 2: Term 30

Phloem: Like all vascular plants, this China doll (Radermachera sinica)
has a phloem, which transports sugars (in addition to other biomolecules)
from leaf cells (where sugars are produced) to flower or root cells.

Big Idea 3: Term 11

Herbivory Responses: By natural selection, some plants have evolved
with mechanisms that prevent or discourage herbivores from preying on
 them. These include chemical defenses harmful to animals as well as
physical defenses like sticky/bad-tasting resins and thorns. This rose bush
(genus Rosa) has developed thorns to deter herbivores.

Big Idea 1: Term 14

Chordate: All chordates have, at some point in their
lives, a notochord (followed by a vertebrae column),
a dorsal nerve cord (spinal cord), pharyngeal slits 
(gills), and a tail. This coonhound is just one of many
examples of chordates. 


Big Idea 3: #10


10. Genetically modified organism (GMO) refers to organisms which have had their genes altered in order to make growing and cultivating them easier. This banana was genetically modified with resistance to fungi, nematodes, and bacteria.

Big Idea 3: #3


3. Eukaryote is a classification of organism. Eukaryotes contain membrane bound organelles, which differentiate them from prokaryotes. Eukaryotes are specialized by the membrane bound organelles such as a lemon.

Big Idea 3: #1


1. Diploid organisms have two sets of DNA. This allows for organisms to cross over in meiosis and this allows for genetic variation. By creating a diverse gene pool, a species has a better chance of survival and adaptation. This orange is a diploid organism.

Big Idea 3: #19


19. Seed Dispersal Method is the way in which plants spread out. The apple in this picture is an example of an apple tree's seed dispersal method. The apple is used by being eaten by other organisms and then, when the seed is pooped out, it will be moved to another position.

Sunday, December 28, 2014

Big Idea 3: Term 3

Eukaryote: If an organism's cells have nuclei and membranes
surrounding organelles (like mitochondria and endoplasmic
reticulum), then that organism is a eukaryote. All multicellular
organisms are eukaryotes, just like this palm tree (Arecaceae).

Big Idea 1: Term 8

Arachnid: All arachnids are eight-legged invertebrates
with jointed-legs. Of course, the most common and well
known arachnid is the spider, shown in the top-left corner
(blends in with wood floor), but there are others, like the
tick, scorpion, and Daddy Longlegs (Harvestman).

Big Idea 1: Term 6

Angiosperm: Angiosperms produce seeds (spermatophytes)
and bear flowers, unlike gymnosperms. The purple New
Zealand teatree (top) is an angiosperm. The key is on the
corner of the tree box (bottom-left).

Big Idea 3: Term 9

Behavior: The way organisms behave is how they respond to
environmental stimuli. In this case, the brown rat (Rattus
norvegicus) responded to the internal stimuli of hunger by
attempting to get the bait in the mousetrap. (Note: The rat was
not killed specifically for the purpose of this assignment; it
would have died either way.)

Saturday, December 27, 2014

Big Idea 4: Term 20

R-strategist: Organisms that use the r-reproductive strategy
produce many young, but none of the progeny receives much
parental investment. Chances are that at least a few fortunate
offspring will survive until adulthood, and organisms like this
katydid (family is Tettigoniidae and looks like green splotch
near bottom) rely on these odds.

Big Idea 2: Term 27

Kreb's (citric acid) cycle: The first step of this cycle
combines oxaloacetate (4C) and acetyl CoA (2C) and
the product is citrate (6C). Oranges (shown above-
Citrus sinensis) contain citrate, a key intermediate of
the Krebs Cycle and respiration.

Big Idea 1: Term 24

Gymnosperm Cone: Gymnosperms are plants that
do not flower (not angiosperms), but still produce
seeds in the form of cones, so they are spermatophytes.
These seeds aren't enclosed, which is how the term
gymnosperm came to be (came from a Greek word
meaning "naked seeds").

Friday, December 26, 2014

Big Idea 3: Term 8

Flock, Herd, or Schooling: Many organisms (usually of
the same species) often group together, like these cattle (Bos
 primigenius) herds, for purposes of protection, territorial
gain, and easier access to basic necessities for survival.

Big Idea 1: Term 25

Gymnosperm Leaf: Gymnosperms produce seeds in the form of
cones, and their leaves appear here as pine needles on the Coastal
Redwood (Sequoia sempervirens). The key is dangling on one of
the lower branches.

Big Idea 2: Term 24

Hydrophobic: Hydrophobic molecules, such as vegetable oil,
share electrons equally (nonpolar), so no specific atoms have
positive or negative charges. Therefore, these molecules will
not bind to water, as seen here by the separation of vegetable
oil and water.

Big Idea 2: Term 23

Hydrophilic: Molecules that are hydrophilic, such as sucrose
(table sugar--C12 H22 O11), are attracted to water because
they are polar molecules, like H2O. Therefore, the positive
areas of one molecule attract and bond to the negative areas
of the other.

Thursday, December 25, 2014

Big Idea 2: Term 32

Saturated Fat: Saturated fats are fully saturated with hydrogen
atoms because there are no double bonds between carbon atoms.
Therefore, they can easily stack up, making them solids at room
temperature, like this bacon fat from Christmas morning.

Big Idea 3: Term 19

Seed Dispersal Method: In order to produce offspring,
plants must use a variety of methods, one of which consists
of animals consuming the fruit and then spreading the seeds
through defecation. In this photo, the apple tree's (Malus
domestica) fruit has been bitten out of.

Wednesday, December 24, 2014

Big Idea 1: Term 20

Fungi: The fungi kingdom includes a large number of eukaryotic
organisms that are detritivores, such as mushrooms (shown above
near upper-right corner), yeasts, and molds.

Big Idea 1: Term 27

Lichens: Lichens are a class of composite organisms (mutualistic
relationship) that often rely on parasitism or the decomposition of
organic matter to gain nutrients for their survival, seen here as green
blotches on the fence post.

Big Idea 2: Term 8

Cellulose: Cellulose is a polysaccharide (carbohydrate polymer)
that is the main component of plant cell walls, like those found in
grass (Graminoids), because its toughness provides the cell with
structure as well as protection.

Tuesday, December 23, 2014

Big Idea 2: Term 36

Transpiration: Plants release moisture into the atmosphere
via transpiration, in which water from the leaves' surfaces
evaporates. The ficus above can release water in this way.

Big Idea 2: Term 10

Cohesion of Water: Because of water's polar covalent bonds
(uneven sharing of electrons=small charges on different parts
of molecule), hydrogen atoms (+) of one water molecule are attracted
to oxygen (-) atoms of another. These hydrogen bonds allow water
molecules to form droplets like those shown here.

Monday, December 22, 2014

Big Idea 2: Term 4

Autotroph: An autotroph is any organism
that can get energy from an inorganic source,
like sunlight, rather than organic compounds.
They do not need to rely on these compounds
because they are able to convert energy from
one form to another; this orange tree (Citrus
sinensis) is an example of an autotroph.

Big Idea 4: Term 6




Competition: In biology, competition describes the
way in which organisms of the same (intraspecific)
or separate (interspecific) species attempt to use
environmental resources for their survival, often
at the expense of other organisms. Here, a plum tree
 (Prunus salicina) and Rosemary bush (Rosmarinus
officinalis) have limited space/resources, forcing them
to compete.

Saturday, December 20, 2014

Big Idea 2: Term 38



Xylem: Most plants contain a xylem, compound tissue that's
function is to draw water (containing other nutrients) up from 
the roots as well as to provide support for the plant. This
noble fir (Abies Procera) uses a xylem for these purposes.








Friday, December 19, 2014

Big Idea 1: Term 16

Coelomate: A coelomate is an organism that has a coelom,
or a bodily cavity that separates the digestive tract/organs
from the rest of the body. Most multicellular organisms have
one, including my dog (part Rhodesian Ridgeback, part
Labrador).

Wednesday, December 17, 2014

Big Idea 2: #10


Big Idea 2:
10. Adhesion is the use of hydrogen bonds between water molecules and other substances.  In this picture, the water molecules are adhering to one the water faucet, which prevents the water droplet from falling (the watch is my original photo object).

Sunday, December 14, 2014

This is the link to my instagram for the bioproject http://instagram.com/ap.bio.project/

Saturday, December 13, 2014

Grant Chin's Instagram Period 5
Follow this link on instagram to view all of my photos and explanations for the 2014 AP Biology Winter Project!!

http://instagram.com/ching17apbio/