Stag Beetles

The male stag beetle uses it's jaws to pick up other stag beetles and throw them from the tree tops. Why does the beetle do this? Fighting for a mate. If he wins the battle he gets to further pursue the female up into the tree tops. But there's more than one male to battle with before they can reach the female. If the male defeats all the other males he will be able to mate with the female. Once he's mated with her he'll throw her out of the tree tops like he did with the other males. Talk about some anger issues. A male stag beetle may have to throw more than 50 other males from a tree in pursuit of a mate. It may also take days to reach the top of the trees where the female resides. These little beetles are persistent, and will do whatever it takes to get to a mate.


Lab Video - LIFE - Stag Beetle Segment.

http://i.telegraph.co.uk/multimedia/archive/02218/stag-beetles_2218702k.jpg

http://www.naturephoto-cz.com/photos/mraz/stag-beetle-08d240.jpg

Frogs That Cough

A new frog was found recently. These frogs are said to be found between Connecticut and North Carolina. What makes this frog so interesting is it's distinct call which sounds more like i's coughing than croaking. The frog, Rana kauffeldi (also known as the Atlantic Coast Leopard Frog), is finally being recognized after years of it's existence being discounted. The scientific name of the frog was in honor of ecologist Carl Kauffeld. Kauffeld had claimed the frog existed in 1937 but couldn't gain enough scientific recognition at the time. seventy years later they thought it was only fair to name this tiny frog after him. This new frog isn't considered a new species because of it being so closely related to two other leopard frogs, one from the north and one from the south. This frog is said to cough rather than croak. Researchers have yet to figure out why the call sounds more like a cough.



"New Frog Species Coughs Instead of Croaking" by Richard Farrell. December 3rd 2014. LiveScience

http://i.livescience.com/images/i/000/072/499/iFF/atlantic-coast-leopard-frog.jpg?1417632136

http://www.coloherps.org/reference/species/SpePics/PicRapi.jpg

Dawson's Bees

Amegilla dawsoni, more commonly called Dawson's Burrowing Bees, are only found in one area of the world. In Western Australia these bees nest by the thousands. They nest underground in burrows which is where the "burrowing bee" comes from. What makes them so remarkable is all of them are female. All the males fight to the death in mating season. Only the strongest survive this process which ensures that the offspring will have the best genes. Some of the females even become casualties during this process, being decapitated during these brawls. As soon as a female emerges from the ground the males swarm. Fighting over her until only the strongest males remain. After mating season is over what is left of the male population dies out, leaving only the females. They have laid their eggs in the burrows underground away from danger and care for them there.

Lab Class Video - LIFE the Dawson's Bee segment.

http://newsimg.bbc.co.uk/media/images/46710000/jpg/_46710846_bee.jpg

http://www.aussiebee.com.au/Images/dawsons-burrowing-bee-lg.jpg

Remote Controls

Electric eels are truly fascinating animals. They incapacitate prey using electricity. By producing up to 660-volts they shock their prey. Scientists have found that they are able to control their prey by producing this shock, which makes the fish they are targeting spasm involuntarily giving away it's location and preventing it from escaping. Electric eels aren't actually considered eels at all but instead are considered to be fish. They live in the muddy freshwater of the Amazon and Orinoco rivers of South America. They have very poor vision so, like a bat uses sonar to help find prey, electric eels send out low voltage pulses which they use as a sort of radar. They're one of several fish species that uses electrical pulses. 80% of their body is covered in cells that work as biological batteries. They also breath air, so they surface regularly.


"How Electric Eels 'Remote Control' Other Fish" by Verity Nye. December 5th 2014. LiveScience.

http://media1.s-nbcnews.com/i/newscms/2014_26/533741/140626-science-electric-eel_e13c5c1edebd90e2b35e0453c28a64e8.jpg

http://electricanimals.wikispaces.com/file/view/Electric-Eel.jpg/237008942/360x240/Electric-Eel.jpg

New Lizards Found

Deep in the Andes Mountains of Peru, in a place that has been explored very little, two new species of lizards were found. Lizards of both species have splotchy green and brown skin to help camouflage them. Both species were found in Cordillera Azul National Park, one was even named Enyalioides Azulae to honor the reservation. The second species was named after the Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi who helped fund the survey of the area. These lizards are in the category of woodlizards and thanks to the discover of these new species, Peru is now the country with the largest diversity of woodlizard. The people now feel that the area is a treasure that must be explored to see if any other unknown species appear. After the founding of these two species they believe that there are many more species in the park that haven't been discovered yet.

http://i.livescience.com/images/i/000/038/118/i02/Enyalioides-binzayedi-lizard.jpg?1363875552


http://i.livescience.com/images/i/000/038/119/i02/Enyalioides-azulae-male-female-lizard.JPG?1363875731

Dissection

 Today in lab we dissected 5 different animals. A grasshopper, an earthworm, a crawfish, a starfish, and a shark. I'm an animal lover so I was a bit reluctant to actually cut the animal but the feeling subsided when my love of science took over. The most incredible part was definitely dissecting the starfish. You could just never imagine that they are so simple yet so complex. The shark was amazing as well. Sharks are one of my favorite animals so although it was slightly upsetting to see it dead I was completely amazed by the dissecting process. Today's lab was the most fun I've had in a class. Our teacher makes it interesting and keeps us laughing. Through the eye watering aroma of the formaldehyde we learned and had an incredible experience that I'll never forget and I'm sure my classmates feel the same.

http://jb004.k12.sd.us/MY%20WEBSITE%20INFO/PICS/STARFISH_4.jpg

http://www.savalli.us/BIO370/Anatomy/AnatomyImages/DogfishDissectionLabel.jpg

Pollination by Animals

 It is estimated by scientists that about 90% of angiosperms employ animals as a means to transfer pollen. These animals include birds such as a hummingbird, bats, and different insects such as moths, butterflies, bees, and beetles. How the plant achieves the desired pollination is by offering the animal a meal. The flower provides nectar, which is a high energy fluid, and in return the animals transfer pollen from flower to flower. But what attracts the animals to the flowers in the first place? The colorful petals and the sweet smells of course. Birds are attracted to bright colors such as reds, and oranges but do not care for the smells, where as insects like bees are drawn to the flowers by the fruity scents they produce but are completely indifferent to what color the flowers are. Some flowers, like the Carrion Flower and the Rafflesia, attract carrion flies and beetles by producing a smell that mimics the stench of rotting flesh.


Biology: Concepts & Connections. Jane B. Reece; Jean L. Dickey; Martha R. Taylor; Kelly Hogan; Eric J. Simon; Neil A. Campbell. Chapter 17 - The Evolution of Plant and Fungal Diversity. Page - 353. Section 17.10 - Pollination by animals has influenced angiosperm evolution.

http://cdn.zmescience.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/bee.jpg

http://beeinformed.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/20070806_bat.jpg

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http://i0.wp.com/listverse.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/05/rafflesiaarnflw1.jpg?resize=550%2C412

Angiosperms

What are fruits? In scientific terms, a fruit is an angiosperm structure containing seeds, or a ripened, thickened ovary of a flower, which protects developing seeds and aids in their dispersal. An angiosperm is a flowering plant which forms seeds inside a protective chamber called an ovary. This means that some vegetables such as tomatoes, squash, and cucumbers are actually fruits. The grain and fleshy fruits that we consume are easily identified as plant products, but what else is considered to be an angiosperm or a "plant product?" Spices such as nutmeg, cinnamon, cumin, cloves, ginger, and licorice are all considered to be angiosperms. Black pepper is an angiosperm. The fruits are harvested before they ripen, then they are dried and either sold as peppercorns or are ground into a powder. In medieval Europe peppercorns were so valuable that they were used to pay rent, taxes, and even left in wills, and included in dowries.


Biology: Concepts & Connections. Jane B. Reece; Jean L. Dickey; Martha R. Taylor; Kelly Hogan; Eric J. Simon; Neil A. Campbell. Chapter 17, Page 352, Section 17.9 Angiosperms sustain us -- and add spice to our diet.
Definitions - Glossary page 2 - Angiosperm; Glossary page 12 - Fruit.

http://www.course-notes.org/biology/topic_notes/28_evolution_of_plants/sites/www.course-notes.org/files/past/images/angiosperm.gif

http://www.nhptv.org/natureworks/graphics/stamen.jpg

Octopie or Octopuses

Believe it or not the plural form of octopus is actually octopuses. These amazing creatures have more than a few trick up their sleeves. They are about to camouflage themselves not by blending in, but by impersonating another species. Instead of trying to blend into the background they just take on the color and shape of specific objects. Octopuses are considered the master of camouflage. They can change shape, color, and even the texture of their skin. Scientists think that by producing key features of objects, octopuses are able to fool potential predators. The problem with camouflage is that an octopus not only has to hide from a fish looking down on it, but it has to hide from predators on eye level. Using shape shifting abilities the octopus can pick out key features in its environment and take on the form of whatever it desires. Octopuses are truly magical creatures to observe.


"Octopus Foil Predators by Stealing Identities" by Jennifer Welsh. May 23, 2012. LiveScience.

http://i.livescience.com/images/i/000/027/499/i02/octopus-as-conch.jpg?1337807002

http://images.nationalgeographic.com/wpf/media-live/photos/000/105/cache/octopus-coconut_10552_600x450.jpg

Woolly Mammoth Mummy

In the Siberian permafrost a woolly mammoth mummy was found. What's special about this particular woolly mammoth is that it has the most intact mammoth brain that scientists have ever seen. This mummified carcass was found near Russia on the Laptev Sea coast in 2010. Scientists have determined that this 39,000 year old mummy (which they've nicknamed Yuka) was only between the ages of 6 to 9 at the time of her death. The brain is so well preserved you can still see the blood vessels, the folds, and the cerebellum. They found that the forebrain was was in poorer condition, but they also found that in the cerebellum you could still see the grey and white matter. The investigators have also found nervous tissue. This mammoth is still the only mummy with a preserved brain. As well as having a preserved brain, the mammoths dura mater was perfectly preserved as well. The dura mater protects the brain, and the spinal column. The specimen was on display at Russian Geographic Society until November 6th. 


"Woolly Mammoth Mummy Yields Well-Preserved Brain." by Agata Blaszczak-Boxe.
November 7, 2014. LiveScience.

http://i.livescience.com/images/i/000/071/737/i02/yuka_1.jpg?1415169498

http://i.livescience.com/images/i/000/071/738/i02/yuka_2.jpg?1415169607

Snake Fungal Disease

Recently snakes across the Midwest and Eastern United States have been catching a deadly fungal disease. This disease leaves it's victim with cloudy eyes and swollen scales that have turned white. It also causes a dark grey material to cover the inside of their mouths and the skin to start peeling away, which leaves behind bloody sores. This disease that scientists are calling snake fungal disease, first appeared in Georgia in 2006. Since the first encounter there have been snake fungal disease has been reported in nine states from Florida to New Jersey as well as Ohio, Wisconsin, and Minnesota. The fungal infection has been confirmed in more than fourteen species of snake. The disease started in venomous snakes then moved to the non-venomous. It kills most snakes that catch it, and with venomous snakes already being more endanger than some others it's something that scientists need to stop soon.

"Mysterious Fungal Disease Proves Deadly in Wild Snakes" by Laura Geggel. November 12, 2014.
LiveScience.

http://i.livescience.com/images/i/000/071/981/i01/snake-fungal-disease3.png?1415743005

http://i.livescience.com/images/i/000/071/980/iFF/mud-snake-SCWDS.jpg?1415742680

Microscopic Fun

Throughout the semester we've had the opportunity to use microscopes in our lab classes. We were told to bring half a bottle of pond water to class one day to look at protists underneath the microscope. What one girl had was absolutely incredible and adorable. In her bottle was a salamander in the larva stage, with developing gills, forelimbs and hind limb "buds." It was amazing to see how he had developed so far and to think about all the changes he still had to go through on his way to adulthood. He wasn't very big, probably only a little over one inch long, and even though you could see things about him without the microscope looking at him under it was incredible. All the details you can't see with the naked eye were suddenly there until he decided he wanted to swim out from under the lens. Working with microscopes is one of my favorite things to do in class and it's always interesting. There's never any dull moments.

http://m5.i.pbase.com/o4/76/500676/1/134213525.ardrZLbv.genericsalamanderlifecycle.jpg

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Vestigial Structures

Vestigial Structures are structures that have lost their original function or seem to have no function at all. (Examples: coccyx, wisdom teeth, appendix, etc.) At one point in time these structures probably had some sort of function, but through the evolution process we may have had no further use for them. Vestigial structures aren't just found in humans they're also found in animals, such as a whale has remnants of a hind leg bones, and pythons have pelvic spurs (Which are thought to be the remnants of legs.) Monkeys have extrinsic ear muscles that allow them to move their ears in all directions. Humans have the same extrinsic ear muscles but for us they have no function. At one time for our ancestors perhaps the ear muscles helped them to locate food or know if an enemy was nearby. With all these vestigial structures, do you ever wonder what their purpose is?

http://evolution.about.com/od/evidence/tp/Vestigial-Structures-In-Humans.htm

Exploring Biology in the Laboratory - page 220 - Murray Paton Pendarvis; John L. Crawley.

http://faculty.uca.edu/johnc/vestigial_struct_c.jpg

http://s3.amazonaws.com/engrade-myfiles/4093608100303480/snake_ancestor.gif

Evolution

Life has a history. Every Species has changed over time, different species also share common ancestors. Species with common ancestors come from the same family tree or a phylogeny, this is where certain characteristics were passed on to certain descendants while other characteristics were passed to descendants on a different branch on the family tree. All phylogenetic trees are a hypothesis about the relationship among organisms. There are three domains these organisms fall under: Archaea, Bacteria, and Eukaryota. Homologies and analogies help to determine if animals have a common ancestor or not. For example, four limbs of tetrapods are a homologous characteristic Birds, mice, bats, and crocodiles all have four limbs, whereas sharks and other fish don't The ancestors of tetrapods evolved four limbs making this an inherited feature in their descendant. This presence means this group would be considered a homology.

http://evolution.berkeley.edu/evolibrary/article/evo_01
Biology Concepts and Connections - Pages 256 - 262 - Jane B. Reece; Jean L. Dickey; Martha R. Taylor; Kelly Hogan; Eric J. Simon; Neil A. Campbell.

http://uedata.berkeley.edu//media/2/51487_evo_resources_resource_image_252_original.gif

http://www.warrenhills.org/cms/lib/NJ01001092/Centricity/Domain/162/homologous%20tetrapod%20limbs2.jpg

DNA and RNA

DNA or deoxyribonucleic acid stores the genetic information for every living organism on the planet. It can also copy it and pass it from generation to generation. DNA and RNA are both nucleic acids that consist of long chains called nucleotides. These nucleotides are joined by a covalent bond formed between the sugar of one nucleotide and the phosphate of the next. The four nucleotides found in DNA are Thymine (T) and Cytosine (C) which are single ringed structures known as Pyrimidines, and Adenine (A) and Guanine (G) which are double ringed structures known as Purines. RNA (also known as ribonucleic acid) is different from DNA because the sugar in it is ribose instead of deoxyribose. Another difference is that instead of using Thymine like DNA does, RNA uses a nitrogenous base called Uracil (U.)

Biology Concepts and Connections - Chapter 10: Molecular Biology of the Gene - pages 184 - 185 - Jane B. Reece; Jean L. Dickey; Martha R. Taylor; Kelly Hogan; Eric J. Simon; Neil A. Campbell.

http://www.astrochem.org/sci_img/dna.jpg

https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwOty5Dp-Iz_XXfFQi_UNyXlnimsek_5ykATb8342REcKtGzdAMqE0RlbbgP45M0ngkEI4oL2H81BQz34f8_Eg9MzkORI4kxzQFNOcK5A5ES_aCJetZIf2p1dZAa3Sf902mvMpnv27Zts/s1600/rna_and_dna.jpg

Panda Triplets

A panda at a zoo in southern China gave birth to triplets. These are the first known surviving triplets, since the mortality rate is so high with twin and triplet panda cubs the zoo announced the miracle birth 2 weeks after the babies were born. In the wild it is rare for cubs to survive because of the mothers ability to only care for one cub at a time. Even so, a set of twins is more likely to survive than a set of triplets would be. Baby pandas are born blind, they are also small and undeveloped which causes them to need constant attention. Because of this is would be difficult for the mother to provide constant attention to triplets. They will wait one-hundred days to name the panda cubs, which follows a Chinese tradition. This will also help to keep people from getting too attached to them in case something were to happen.

 

Triplets! Giant Panda Gives Birth to 'Rare' Trio in China - Laura Geggel - August 14th, 2014 - LiveScience

 

http://i.livescience.com/images/i/000/069/249/iFF/Panda1.jpg?1407966608

http://static.guim.co.uk/sys-images/Guardian/Pix/pictures/2014/8/28/1409233068205/Giant-panda-triplets-014.jpg

Fish Do Feel Pain

Many people think fish can't feel pain, or that they're too simple minded to feel pain. That's basically like saying fish aren't alive, or fish aren't a source of meat. Scientist have researched and studied fish for years and they come to the conclusion that the pain system in fish is almost identical to the pain system of mammals. There has never been any form evidence that any animal could survive without the ability to feel pain. Fish always appear cautious. Fish have nociceptors and opioid receptors within their nervous systems. In fish, the nociceptors are connected to the brain in a way that is almost identical to that of a mammal and a human. This means that fish feel the exact amount of pain that we would feel. With all the evidence that scientist have come up with to support that fish are able to feel as much pain as we can, why don't people believe that fish can feel pain?

Forget the Pseudoscience --- All Fish Feel Pain - by Ila France Porcher - October 17th, 2014 - LiveScience

http://smallshipsafaris.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/fish15.jpg

http://stuffpoint.com/fish/image/418175-fish-tropical-fish-mandarinfish.jpg

Puppy-Sized Arachnid

When we think of spiders we think of the small little jumping spiders we see hopping around or of a black widow with only the red hourglass for color. But what about puppy sized spiders? The Goliath Bird Eater of Northern South America is the biggest spider in the world with a leg span that reaches up to a foot and a body the size of a large fist. It has several defense mechanisms including a pair of 2 inch long fangs. Although it's venom isn't poisonous to humans being bitten by the spider would feel like driving a nail through your hand. Despite its name, the Goliath Bird Eater doesn't actually eat birds. Since it hunts during the nighttime, it would rarely encounter a bird. Its diet consists of mostly earthworms and other insects that it finds in the foliage on the forest floor. These spiders aren't very common. Piotr Naskrecki, an entomologist and photographer at Harvard University's Museum of Comparative Zoology, says that in the last 10 to 15 years, he's only come across this spider three times.

Goliath Encounter: Puppy-Sized Spider Surprises Scientist in Rainforest - by Tanya Lewis - October 17th, 2014 - LiveScience.

http://i.livescience.com/images/i/000/071/168/iFF/theraphosa4.jpg?1413584886

http://pixdaus.com/files/items/pics/8/92/561892_2564c2726ffd0fa8b0e6dd9b30e0eecb_large.jpg

Plant Cells and Animal Cells

Plant and animal cells are alike in a lot of ways, but they also have several differences. Both are eukaryotic cells, meaning they have a membrane enclosed nucleus that houses the DNA, as well as membrane enclosed organelles. Plant cells have chloroplasts, central vacuoles, a cell wall, and plasmodesmata none of which are present in animal cells. Both plant and animal cells have nuclei that contain the cells genetic structure, along with RES and SES, a Golgi Apparatus, Mitochondria among other things. Plant cells contain Chloroplasts convert sunlight into energy so that the plant can later release fuel to preform certain activities, this is called photosynthesis. Chloroplasts are in packs that hold green chlorophyll molecules, this is what gives the plant its color. 

Source - Chapter 4 - A Tour of the Cell. Biology: Concepts and Connections. Neil A. Campbell, Eric J. Simon, Kelly Hogan, Martha R. Taylor, Jane B. Reece, Jean L. Dickey.

http://www.life.umd.edu/cbmg/faculty/acaines/bsci124/07-08-PlantCell-L.jpg

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Chemical Basis

Coral reefs are one of the most diverse ecosystems on the planet. Even the coral itself is made of calcium carbonate skeletons from small coral animals. Yet the coral reefs are in danger of being destroyed by atmospheric CO2. When the carbon dioxide dissolves in water it causes a reaction which forms an acid, this makes the water more acidic and causes damage to these beautiful coral reefs and all life that lives there. 10% of the worlds coral reefs have already been destroyed. In the Philippines the destruction of coral reefs is the worst. 70% has already been destroyed and only 5% is said to be in "good" condition. Humans contribute to the desecration of coral reefs, directly and indirectly. Indirectly through the pollution of the earth and water around coral reefs. Directly through global warming and carbon dioxide. We destroyed the environment. Coral reefs must have clean, clear water. Without this they cannot survive.

Sources - Chapter 2 - The Chemical Basis of Life. Biology: Concepts and Connections. Neil A. Campbell. Eric J. Simon. Kelly Hogan. Martha R. Taylor. Jane B. Reece. Jean L. Dickey.

http://oceanworld.tamu.edu/students/coral/coral5.htm - Coral Reef Destruction and Conservation. Author Unavailable. Date Unavailable.

http://static.guim.co.uk/sys-images/Guardian/About/General/2011/2/23/1298488013408/Coral-reef-near-Fiji-007.jpg

http://earthshare.typepad.com/.a/6a00e554936bef8834017eeb1f69a8970d-450wi

Hearing Aids

Bats are very intelligent creatures, there's no denying it, but the Spix's disc-winged bat (which has suction cuplike discs on it's wings and feet)  has figured out a way to use a leaf as a hearing aid. Disc-winged bats don't roost in a cave like most bats do, they prefer the unfurling leaves of plants which form tubelike shapes. It's a pretty hectic lifestyle due to the fact that the leaves only stay in a tube shape for a day. The bat has to find a new place to sleep every morning. These bats also tend to stay in a group of about 5 or 6, and they may stay together like this for years, which is rare in bats. Although they live together and should recognize each others sound they can't seem to tell if they're talking to a friends or a stranger. After recording different types of communication calls from bats they played them through a leaf to see if it worked like a megaphone of sorts. They found that it only amplified the sounds by a decibel or two. The cries were distorted however, due to the fact that not all frequencies of sound are amplified equally. This explains why the roosting bat can hear it's friend but not recognize them.

Source - Speak Up! Costa Rican Bats Use Leaves as Hearing Aids by Stephanie Pappas.
Published - October 15th 2013.

http://i.livescience.com/images/i/000/057/933/i02/bat-roost-131015.jpeg?1381853561

http://s1.ibtimes.com/sites/www.ibtimes.com/files/styles/v2_article_large/public/2013/10/16/bat.jpg?itok=chmCJvr6

http://www.wqed.org/birdblog/wp-content/uploads/2013/10/mammals_disk-winged-bat_rsz_alanwolf.jpg

A Love That Never Dies

700 years have passed, and these skeletal lovers are still locked in an eternal embrace. The couple was found during an excavation of  a "lost" chapel in Leicestershire, England. Not the first, probably not the last, it's definitely not uncommon to find the skeletons here in a lover's embrace. Archaeologists and volunteers have spent four years uncovering the "lost" chapel of St Morrell. They've found evidence that this hillside was use more than 2,000 years ago, in the Roman times. There are indications that there may have been a Roman temple on the hillside once. Through radiocarbon dating, archaeologists have discovered that 11 skeletons excavated so far date back to the 14th century. All of the skeletons uncovered were laid in an east-west orientation, which was the Christian tradition at this particular time in history. Not only have the skeletons been found at the excavation but Roman cavalry  helmets, and several silver pennies have been found, which can tell when this chapel was used the most.

Source - 700-Year Embrace: Skeleton Couple Still Holding Hands. by Laura Geggel. 

Published - September 19th 2014. 

http://i.livescience.com/images/i/000/070/369/iFF/skeletons-holding-hands.jpg?1411158130

http://www.vcoins.com/backoffice/upload/product_image/200/k/5/kz9A2jFTpH33D5Gaf24Nc6Zsrw7W8K.jpg

Lonesome George

Lonesome George, the last known giant turtle from the island of Pinta in the Galapagos Islands, died of old age in June of 2012. After two years of working tirelessly taxidermy experts have managed to preserve George's body for years to come. As of September 19th 2014 his body will be on display for a limited amount of time at the American Museum of Natural History, after which he will be transported back to the Galapagos Islands where he lived for 40 years. Scientists estimate that his lifespan was around 100 years or more, he was 5 feet long and weighed 165 pounds. During his life George served as a sort of poster child for conservation efforts in the Galapagos Islands. His life and death serves to make a worldwide discussion and help gather support for conservation efforts not only in the Galapagos but all across the world. He will be on display in New York City until January 4th 2015.

Source - Lonesome No More: George the Giant Tortoise on Public Display in NYC - by Elizabeth Palermo. Published - September 19th 2014.

http://www.livescience.com/images/i/000/070/341/original/lonesome-george-10b.jpg?1411079451

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/e/e5/Lonesome_George_-Pinta_giant_tortoise_-Santa_Cruz.jpg/1280px-Lonesome_George_-Pinta_giant_tortoise_-Santa_Cruz.jpg

The Cell Cycle

The cell cycle consists of seven different processes in which a cell divides to create a new, exact copy of the original cell. Interphase is the first process. During interphase the cell grows to synthesize new molecules and organelles. It doubles the original content and contains two centrosomes. The chromosomes in the nucleus are duplicated. Next is prophase. Changes occur in the nucleus and the cytoplasm. The chromatin fibers are more tightly coiled, which forms discrete chromosomes. Each chromosome appears as two identical sister chromatids. In the cytoplasm, a mitotic spindle forms as microtubules grow rapidly from the cenrtosomes. They begin to slowly move away from each other pulling the chromosomes in half. During prometaphase the nuclear envelope breaks in into fragments. At metaphase the mitotic spindle is completely formed. Anaphase starts as the centromeres of each chromosome pull apart. They then move towards opposite poles of the cell. The poles then move further and further apart causing the cell to elongate. At the end of anaphase, both sides of the cell have an equal number of chromosomes. In telophase the elongation that started in anaphase continues, daughter nuclei appear at the poles and envelope the chromosomes. Telophase is the reverse of prophase. The final stage, cytokinesis, usually occurs at the same time as telophase. This is when the division of the cytoplasm happens. In animals a cleavage furrow forms and the cell splits into two new cells.

Source - Biology: Concepts and Connections by Neil A. Campbell - pages 130 - 131.

 http://www.bdbiosciences.com/wcmimages/apoptosis_analysis_cellcycle_phases_lrg.jpg

http://www.micro.magnet.fsu.edu/cells/fluorescencemitosis/images/mitosisintrofigure1.jpg