Blog # 14

In biology many organisms have been dissected so far, grasshoppers, fish, squid, clams, starfish and a few more. After dissecting these organisms and comparing their internal and external organs it seems that many of them have many differences and some similarities. The clam and squid for instance both live in water and are marine animals, however the only exoskeleton the squid has is the ink pen while the clam has its exterior shell. In addition, the clams are
animals that move as a young then at maturation they stop moving and stay in one place, on the other hand, squids move around using water sucked in from it's siphon and jetting it out. Moreover, the other difference between the squid and clam is the digestive system, the squid and clam both suck in their food but the squid has a parrot-like beak that helps break down food.The similarities between the clam and the squid is that both organisms have a siphon. Furthermore, the squid has a mantle that can be seen immediately while the clam also has a mantle but could only be seen when the shell is opened.

Clam




Squid

 


















http://faculty.orangecoastcollege.edu/mperkins/zoo-review/clam-mussel/clam-mussel3.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Squid

Blog # 13

In this week, the most interesting dissection was the squid dissection. It was a simple dissection that wasn't that hard but definitely the most fascinating dissection. The part that really kept my attention was the part when we had to remove the "pen" from the squid. In addition, i learned some things that i didn't know about squids; they have beaks. [O_o] I also enjoyed figuring out how to use the "pen" and figuring out how to use the ink sac. I was really amazed that the squid even had a "pen" that looked similar to a birds wing but without the feather. It seems squids have more in common with birds than i thought especially since squids are marine animals and birds are mostly animals of the sky.    :]

Squid

Dissected Squid

Blog # 12

We shouldn't be using pestisides; and the number one reason the effect of pestisides on humans when we eat the produce that pestisides have been used on. In addition, the companies that sell the pestisides are getting a hefty profit while farmers have to pay for more and more pestisdes. Also the pestisides manage to kill the pest but there is always some pest that are able to survive the pestisides. The surviving pest are now not only immune to the pestisides but are also stronger. So when these pest reproduce the brand of pestisides no longer work on the pest so farmers have to buy more pestisides and therefore making the plant even more dangerous for the consumers. An easier and inexpensive way is to get rid of the pest naturally by buying other bugs that eat the pest and not the plants like ladybugs.

http://mrswolfgang.edublogs.org/2009/03/18/are-pestisides-good-or-bad/

Blog # 11

The sexual reproduction in plants include two alternations between meiosis and fertilization. For the alternative part of meiosis the chromosomes reduce from diploids to haploids number. It is the opposite in fertilization where the haploids are increased to diploids after the two nuclei of gametes fuse together. Therefore these variation have to occur alternatively in order for sexual reproduction to run smoothly.
http://users.rcn.com/jkimball.ma.ultranet/BiologyPages/A/Alternation.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alternation_of_generations

Blog #10

Dissection is an important part of biology because dissection makes it easier to explain some ideas of biology. When there is a dissection lab it is easier to understand the ideas when the student is working on the dissection hands on rather than just reading about the parts of an animal or plant in the book or looking at graphs or diagrams. Sometimes people learn easier by doing the lab than reading about it so its the same about dissection, when some students read about the lab in the book they may become confused but they may understand it if they are actually working on the dissection. Another thing is that dissection makes it easier for students to see the similarities and differences between two animals or plants when they are doing the dissection than when they are look at a picture in the book. The animals that should be included in biologically study are probably frogs, rats, small sea creatures and plants such as flowers. Some rare creatures should also be included but may not be a good idea to be dissected.
  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dissection
http://uscunion.sc.edu/Biology/dissection.htm

Blog # 9



Competition



Commensalism

A   competition interaction is between two species or organisms where the fitness of a species/organism is lowered with the presence of another species/organism. The shortage of resources such as food, water, and territory that both species/organism require the use of. Competition happen both within the species/organism and between species/organisms. Competition is one of the biotic and abiotic that affect community structure. Interaspecific competition is competition between two different species. An example of competition interaction is when two trees are growing next to each other and are competition for sunlight.

Mutualism

Commensalism is an interaction where one organism benefits the other organism but the organism being used isn't damaged or harmed. A good example of commensalism are condors, condors eat dead animals and benefit from the meat. Another example is like in the picture above a fish living in an under water plant, the fish can hide from predators in the plant and the plant doesn't get harmed by the fish. Mutualism is when two organisms or species interact and both of them benefit from each other. Like in the picture above of the bee and the flower both of these organism benefit from each other, the flower gets pollinated by the bee and the bee gets pollen to make honey for its hive.

Predation

A predation interaction is were a predator feeds on its prey. The prey in this case the prey could of already been dead or killed by the predator. The act of predation always has the result of the prey being dead. A spider going in to kill its captured meal of an insect would be an example of predation. Or a barn owl capturing and eating a field mouse.

A parasitism interaction is a relationship between two organisms or species where one organism benefits at the expense of the other organism. The parasite would benefit from its host while the host suffered or slowly dies while the parasite thrives. Parasites could also be a virus or bacteria. A mosquto feeding of a live animal is an example of parasitism because the mosquto would gain from the host but the host not only doesn't gain from the parasite but also loses nutrients.



             Parasitism

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Parasitism

http://www.cbu.edu/~seisen/ExamplesOfPredation.htm

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Predation

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mutualism

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Commensalism

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Competition_(biology)



Blog # 8

This semester i learned about a lot of things including the usual, geometry, english, etc. One thing i really surprised me was that i acctually like the book my english class is on right now, not saying that i didnt like the other books that we read in class but this one, To Kill a MockingBird has become my favorite book. It might be because it is so different from all the books i have read in class and at home on my own time. The book is heavily detailed and the gradually build to the conflict is amazing. What i really learned in geometry is that no matter how much i have studied when i take a test i have to, absolutely have to check ALL the answers before i turn the test in. Mandarin is mostly the same, i dont really pay attention there beacause im trying to finish my homework so i wouldnt have a huge load after swimming. One thing that is really confusing me is how to be able to volenteer at the YMCA and still be able to join the badminton club when the sceduals are overlaping into each other. I think i am going to be kicked out of the badminton club because even if i had time my parent dont really approve my idea of joining the badminton club since my skills are so horrid. Still i was hoping to at least be able to go sometimes but its pretty hard with opposing parents and a voleenteer job to go to. So far i have managed to go to practice at the  right time so i wouldnt be cut out of the club but i dont know about later. Another thing that is troubling me is next year as a softmore. For next year i had signed up for English honors, Alg. 2 honors, Chem, World History Ap, Mandarin, and a type of physical education. But what im worried about is that all the honors and aps will make it too hard for me and ill start to fail all the classes...should i drop a class? Which one? Anyways in biology i really learned about alot of things i hadnt know about like for one that there are two different pyramids. :D