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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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