Biological Collection Photo Blog - Sarah E

                                 Abiotic - The prefix A- means "without." Therefore, the term a biotic refers to something that's always been without life (non-living). It's a naturally occurring chemical or physical element that supports living organisms. Examples include rocks, water, the sun, soil, and oxygen. Many of these abiotic elements undergo a displacement of their location or form through cycles (storage and release or movement around the globe). They are included in every environment. Explanation : A rock is pictured above. This non-living part of an ecosystem represents something that's abiotic.

                                    Adaptation of an Animal -  An animal's ultimate goal is survival (avoiding extinction). This requires a species to have techniques for obtaining food and water, successfully reproducing, and protecting themselves from abiotic and biotic conflicts (like predators or harsh climates). An animal adaptation is any physical characteristic or behavioral habit that benefit's an animal's odds of survival. Examples include protective shells, colorful or bland markings, long necks, thick fur, larger ears, and extra bones. Explanation : A turtle is pictured above. This organism has adapted to its environment by developing permanent armor for predator and heat protection. When threatened by carnivores or heat prostration, a turtle hides in its tough shell to avoid confrontation with either of these conflicts. Its shell is also used to camouflage...

                                  Adaptation of a Plant - A plant adaptation is any inheritable feature that's developed to help a plant species grow, avoid damage from climate/predators, and easily reproduce.  They are meant to increase the probability of a plant's survival.  Examples include water retention, changes in leaf size, development of poisonous parts, and colorful flowers. Explanation: A cattail is pictured above. This plant adapts to living in both fresh and brackish water by developing extra space in its leaves, roots, and stem. This extra space allows needed oxygen to accumulate in the plant on warmer days when the dissolved oxygen concentration is significantly lower. Cattails also increase their survival rate by reproducing with both rhizomes and seeds. The seeds are covered in fuzz that makes transportation to a suitable growing environment easier.

  Asexual Reproduction - Asexual reproduction describes the formation of offspring without fertilization, gametes (reproductive cells), or the exchange of genetic material with a second organism. Because this process only requires one parent, offspring are always genetically identical.  This is necessary for single-celled organisms (bacteria/archaea) and some plant varieties. Two common methods of asexual reproduction include binary fission (division of the parent organism) and fragmentation (splitting off parts of an organism; common in plants). Explanation: The plant pictured above has grown multiple stolon (runner) plants that are still attached to the parent plant. Since they are genetically identical to the original vegetation, these stolons are considered to be a product of asexual reproduction; once these runners are detached from the parent plant, fragmentation will have occurred.

                                        Autotroph -  Since -troph refers to nourishment and auto- relates to independence, autotrophs are organisms that are capable of producing their own nourishment (food).  Commonly known as producers, autotrophs convert simple, inorganic substances to consumable energy forms (like glucose). Examples of autotrophs are plants, algae, and phytoplankton. Many autotrophs are commonly found near sunlight, but producers like methanogens (methane-producing bacteria) are located on the ocean floor. Explanation : Grass is pictured above. This autotroph makes its own food by using the sun's light energy for photosynthesis.

                                    Basidiomycete - Many fungi use spores for reproduction. A basidiomycete is any filamentous fungi that sexually reproduces with basidia cells. The basidia, located on the surface of a fungi's gill (the ribbed underside of a fungus), are club-shaped structures that contain spores. Because of the basidia's shape, basidiomycetes are often called club fungi. Explanation : A mushroom is pictured above. Since the mushroom has club-shaped reproductive cells underneath it's cap (basidia), it's a basidiomycete.