Due Date Correction

On the assignment you received, it states that Part 4 of the Hot Zone is due on August 5. It also states that the 8th Biology scavenger hunt is due. The following are changes to these due dates:

Friday, August 5 - 7th Biology Scavenger Hunt post due

Friday, August 12 - 1. Complete Part 4 of the Hot Zone and comment about it

2. 8th Biology Scavenger Hunt post due

Make a note of these corrections please!

Also, if you have not been keeping up with your assignments, please get to it. Some of you are VERY late. These assignment are useful to do THROUGHOUT the summer - not so useful to do at the last minute. Plus, you'll just get stressed out. Please keep up with the due dates. If you are in a situation that you cannot meet the due dates, please e-mail me. Remember, these assignments are GRADED, and they will affect your 1st quarter grade. Let me know if you have any questions or concerns.

The Hot Zone (Part 3)

So, you should have completed 3/4 of the book, The Hot Zone, by now. If you haven’t, then it’s time to lock yourself in your room and read. I promise you, it’s a great read!! Don’t forget: It’s a TRUE story!!

It’s time to give us feedback:

1. Tell us what you thought about this section of the book.

2. Tell us a few things you learned from the book so far.

3. Tell us what questions you have so far.

Post your reply as a COMMENT on this page — NOT as a new POST.

Comments are due by Friday, July 29.

In two weeks we’ll expect you to blog about the whole book, so keep at it!

The Hot Zone (Part 2)

So, you should have completed at least half the book now. I promise you, the tension still builds!! Don’t forget: It’s a TRUE story!!

It’s time to give us feedback:

1. Tell us what you thought about this section of the book.

2. Tell us a few things you learned from the book so far.

3. Tell us what questions you have so far.

Post your reply as a COMMENT on this page — NOT as a new POST.

In two weeks we’ll expect you to blog about Part 3, so keep at it!

Ayah's AP Biology Scavenger Hunt Photos Part 3

Picture #11: This eleventh picture I took this summer is just a regular leaf from a tree in my back yard in Egypt. I chose this leaf because it is an example of bilateral symmetry. Bilateral symmetry is when an organism is equal on two sides if they were to be split in half. If we cut the leaf in half, we would find both sides of the leaf are equal. Picture #12: These two next photos I took for the scavenger hunt is a flower and I took out the anther & filament of stamen. The stamen , which is made up of the anther and the filament, is the male reproductive organ in self-pollinating plants. The anther of the stamen is where pollen is produced. Picture #13: This next picture was very hard to take, because there were alot of pigeons and I couldn't put them all in the picture. I found these pigeons right infront of the entrance into Masjid Al-Haram. So, I took a picture to demonstrate the word popualtion. Population is a group of individuals of one species living in a specific area. Picture #14: As you can see, this is a photo of vegetable oil. I thought it was the perfect example for a lipid used for energy storage. A lipid is an insoluable compound; fats, phospholipids, and steriods are in the category of lipids. Picture #15: This last picture shows a bracelet that is rusting. This gave me an idea to take a picture and post it here as an example of a redox reaction. A redox reaction is a chemical reaction when one or more electrons transfer from one reactant to another.

Sorry Ms.Azam about the delay of these pictures; there was no internet at all at the places I went and plus i was travelingPicture #16: The sixteenth picture that I took for the Ap Biology Scavenger Hunt is a picture of honey. Honey is in the category of simple carbohydrates. A simple carbohydrate is a carbohydrate that is made up of a single sugar. Honey is rich in simple carbohydrates. Picture #17: This next picture is a picture of regular cereal. Cereal is an example of complex carbohydrates. Complex carbohydrates are made up of different kinds of sugars. since they are complex, they are harder and it talkes longer to break down than simple carbohydrates. Most complex carbohydrates are found in cereal, bread, and pasta. Picture #18: This picture is obviously a picture of grapes and grapes contain a sugar named fructose which is an example of monosaccharides. Monosacchrides generally has molecular formulas that are multiple of CH2O. Picture #19: This next picture I took is just regular table sugar; one of the best known carbohydrate. Table sugar is in a category of carbohydrates named disaccharides. Disaccharides are carbohydrates that are made up of two monosaccharides and is joined by a covalent bond formed between two monosaccharides called glycosidic linkage. Disaccharides can be found in table sugar and lactose, the sugar of milk. Picture # 20: I took a picture of this potato because potatoes are one of the examples of food that contain polysaccharides. Polysaccharides are carbohydrates that contain many or thousands of monosaccharides that are of course joined by glycosidic linkage. Some polysaccharides are used for engery for the cells, and some are used for building structures that protect cells. Starch is the main polysaccharide and it can be found in potatoes. Picture #21: This first picture that I took is obviously a picture of garlic. Studies show that garlic contains a carbohydrate named oligosaccharides. Oligosacchride is a type of carbohydrate that contains few monosaccharides in its structure and it is mostly found in plants such as onions, garlic, and asparagus. It is known to be very good for helping the intestines and the digestive system. Picture #22: I took a picture or batteries because it reminded me something Ms. Azam said when I was in Biology (H). She compared ATP to a charged battery. So that gave me the idea to take a picture of batteries. ATP is adenosine triphosphate that releases free energy when its phisphate bonds are hydrolyzed. Picture #23: This next picture is obviously of salt. Salt is an example of a hydrophilic substance. Hydrophilic means to have an affinity for water or to love water. As we all know, sodium chloride is soluable in water, so that proves that salt is hydrophilic. Picture #24: In this picture, there is a cup of water mixed with oil. You may be asking why have I done that. Well, I did thid because I wanted to prove to all of you that oil is hydrophobic. To be hydrophobic is to "be afraid" of water or to have an aversion of water. Being hydrophobic is the opposite of being hydrophilic. Picture #25: This last picture that I took is an egg from a chicken. This egg is considered to be an amniotic egg. An amniotic egg is an egg that comes from reptiles, birds, and egg-laying mammals, such as a platypus. Picture #26: I know this picture is very vague about the message I'm trying to put out there, but here are two peafowls or peacocks. The one on the right is the male and the one on the left is female. This picture is supposed to be an example of mating behavior, but since it was not the season for breeding, the male did not show off its feathers to the female, like I wanted. So mating behavior is very self explanatory; it means the behavior animals have in order to mate. Peacocks are the most common example out there, because since the male is colorful and has a beautiful and colorful fan of feather it will try to attract the dull female so they can mate. One way birds behave when they try to mate is by displaying their beauty, like the peafowls. Picture #27: This next picture, as you can see, is an elephant at the Cairo Zoo. Elephants are well-known to be loyal and to be a k-strategist. A k-strategist is a kind of animal or species that uses a survivial and reproductive strategy by living long and have a few offspring. Picture #28: This picture shows a regular dog; a mammal. This dog like all other mammals are endotherms. Endotherms are animals that their energy to remain a constant body temperature. Endotherms are usually mammals and birds and are warm-blooded. Picture #29: This next picture shows a family of monkeys and I was surprised when I researched about how monkeys can be pollinators. I mean we all the know the most obvious example of a pollinator: a bee, but it was really hard to picture a bee with my camera. A pollinator is an organism that somehow transfers pollen from one flower to another. Picture #30:It's mango-picking season in Egypt, right now and luckily we have our own mango tree in our backyard. My family always wait until the green mangoes ripen into the orange mangoes. So, from my research I found out that there is a plant hormone named Ethylene that ripens fruit. So,I took a picture of a green mango and then I took another picture of an orange mango to demonstrate how ethylene kind of works. Picture #31:This photo shows a boiled egg and we all know that eggs are filled with protein, but it also is filled with enzymes. Enzymes are types of proteins that spead up chemical reactions. In the human body, there are many chemical reactions that occur in the body, so in order for all of those chemical reactions to happen more fast. The enzymes in eggs are mostly present in the egg whites. Picture #32: These next two photos that I took are of bread and beer. One thing that beer and bread have in common is that they both are made by a process named fermentation. Fermentation is a process in which carbihydrates, or sugars, are broken down into carbon dioxide or alcohol. There are two different kinds of fermentation: 1.) alcohol 2.) lactic acid. Both bread and beer are made by alcohol fermentation. Picture# 33: These next two pictures that I took for this scavenger hunt are of lettuce and spinach. These two vegetables are both examples of long day plants. Long day plants are plants that flower when exposed to certain amounts of sunlight in a certain period of time or season. Longdays plants flower in the summer. Picture #34: I really wanted to take a photo of a real sponge, but aparently we did not go to the beach in Egypt, so I took a picture of this sponge. Now, a sponge is an organism that reproduces by asexual reproduction. Asexual reproduction is a type of reproduction in which there is only one parent; in sexual reproduction there are two parents in order to have an offspring. Some organisms like some plants, ameoba, and bacteria reproduce asexually. Picture #35: Next, I took a picture of dry active yeast for my next category. Yeast is one the most common examples of unicellular organisms, so that's why I picked it. "Uni" means one and "cellular" means cells, so that means unicellular organisms are organisms that have only one cell. Other living things are multicellular organisms, such as humans, which means to have more than one cells. Unicellular organisms ususally reproduce by asexual reproduction. Some other examples of unicellualr organisms are some bacteria and ameoba. Picture #36: These next two pictures of flour and popcorn both represent the category that I chose for these two pictures. Popcorn and flour are both products or examples of endosperms. An endosperm is the tissue that surrounds the embryo of a flowering seed. Endosperms are nutritional and vital to the human diet, because it brings nutrition to us int he form of starch and protein which is part of the food pyramid. Most of the smalls things we humans eat today are endosperms. For example, wheat is an endosperm that is grounded up into flour, which makes most of our food.Picture #37: This a picture of ground up ginger; I couldn't find the real plant, so I just took a picture of the ground ginger. Ginger is a root, but it is also called a rhizome. A rhizome is a plant that grows horizontally, it grows underground, and can grow out root systems and shoots. Also, from the shoots grows new plants. Picture #38: For the category or word "exoskeleton", I took a photo of a crab as an example of an organism that has an exoskeleton. An exoskeleton is an outer hard covering that protects all of the organism's muscles and inner body. Other organims that have an exoskeleton to protect their body are the lobster, the spider, and the oyster. Other organisms have a skeletal system within their body like the human being.Picture #39: This is a picture of a tray of shrimp; some shrimp are littoral zone organisms, so that's why I took a picture of shrimp. The litroal zone of the ocean is the ocean zone that is nearest to the shore and it is the shallowest. Many organisms, such as crabs, algae, and clams live in this zone. Littoral zone organisms are well-known for adapting to their environment very well, because strong waves or tides move them around a lot. Picture #40: This is a picture of a pine cone and we all know that the pinecone is the most common example of a gymnosperm cone. A gymnosperm cone is a type of seed from a specific kind of seed-bearing plant. The seeds include conifers. Most pine trees produce cones and those cones are definately gymnosperm cones. Picture #41:Here is a photo of two mangoes and from the looks of it, the second mango, the one on the right, there is something strange about the huge mango. There is a simple explanation for that; the mango is a genetically modified organism. A genetically modified organism is an organism that has their genetic history modified in order to satisfy our needs, in a way. For example, scientists inject gentic material into fruits in order for the fruits to become bigger and look more appealing. Picture #42: In these two pictures, there is a lion and a tiger in their cages. Lions and tigers are organisms in the same genus, but are different species, by lions and tigers are from the genus "Panthera", but are from different species; tiger=tigris, lion=leo.

Picture #43: The first of the two pictures I took from the two, was a place really close to the Nile River in Egypt; the second picture I took was when I was traveling from Jeddah to Medina. Both look different and it's because they are two different biomes. Biomes are major ecological environments or habitats. The first picture shows a grassland and the second picture shows a desert.

Sophias scavenger hunt

Sophia's scavenger hunt post : )

1)     Exoskeleton: is the protective or supporting structure covering the outside of the body of many animals, such as the thick cuticle of arthropods. In the picture below is a tarantula, an awesome picture I took at the San Diego zoo.  : ) a tarantula is categorized as an exoskeleton covering because it’s an invertebrate, therefore, relies on the exoskeleton for muscle support.

2)     Population: all the organisms that both belong to the same species and live in the same geographical area. The picture below represents a population of beautiful flamingos in the same area. This is another picture I took at the San Diego zoo. : )

3) Ectotherm organism- An ectotherm animal is one who cannot regulate its own body temperature, so its body temperature fluctuates according to its surroundings.  A turtle, in the picture below is an ecotherm organism, because like all ectothermic (coldblooded) animals, turtles depend on the sun as an external source of heat to maintain life and normal activity.

  4 )K-strategist- Its reproductive strategy. A species can either follow K, the strategy of humans and nearly all other mammals such as elephants, which means to have few offspring and invest resources in trying to help each survive.Growth Pattern - large body, long juvenile period; population grows exponentially and then stabilizes around a max value. Population Size - smaller, but stable
Environment - stable, diverse ecology Reproductive strategy - mate choice, pair bonds, large investment, parental care, few offspring. In the picture below are two elephants that are adorable! I love elephants <3

 5)Xylem-Xylem is woody tissue that carries water and minerals throughout the plant and provides the plant with mechanical support. In the picture below you can notice the xylem, when the tree is cut down and you can see the rings in the stump.

 6)Lipid used for storage-A lipid is a fat-like molecule that does not have the ability to dissolve in water.They include many natural oils, waxes, and steroids. The picture below is oil which is a lipid becasue its a fat-like molecule.

7) Rhizome: horizontal, underground plant stem capable of producing the shoot and root systems of a new plant. Rhizome takes it name from plants such as bamboo, aspen, or ginger that spread via a connected underground root system. In the image below is an example of a rhizome which is bamboo. : )

8)      Different biomes:  A biome is a large geographical area of distinctive plant and animal groups, which are adapted to that particular environment. For example, the land of San Diego, California has much greenery from palm trees to savannas. In contrast to the desert area of Las Vegas, Nevada.

   savannas of palm trees ^^^^

desert of Nevada ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^


9 ) Homologous Structure - Homologous structures are body parts that are alike because the species in question share a common ancestor. These structures may serve the same or different functions. For example, the picture below represents bones from a bear such as the legs,arms,paws,and etc. of a bear are considered homologous structures because of the evolutionary relationship between bears and humans.

10) Littoral zone organism-The littoral zone is the part of the ocean closest to the shore. The littoral zone is from the shoreline to 600 feet  out into the water. Since, i was in California I was lucky enough to take a picture of a littoral organsim which is a snail. I have never seen a snail on the side walk in Illinois so I was so fascinated i was like STOP, I need to take a picture. So, below is a really cool picture of a snail . : ) Hope your as fascinated as I was!

11) ATP-adenosine triphosphate is energy needed to preform daily life functions for a human being. In the picture below "rocky" is boxing; in order to preform boxing a person uses ATP to have the energy to box.

12) Endotherm-Endothermic animals are those that must generate their own heat to maintain their body temperature. These animals are commonly referred to as "warm-blooded." An animal that is endothermic is categorized as an endotherm, and this includes all mammals. In the picture below is a duck which represents a endothermic animal, becasue  ducks generate their own heat.

13)CAM plant- A plant that utilizes the Crassulacean acid metabolism (CAM) as an adaptation for arid conditions. CO2 entering the stomata during the night is converted into organic acids, which release CO2 for the Calvin Cycle during the day, when the stomata are closed. below is a picture of a CAM plant.. a group of cactuses that are just so beautiful!

14) Seed dispersal- plants need to disperse their seeds away fromt themselves to stop overcrowding and to create new colonies. Nearly all seeds ae produced within fruits. these fruits. thsere frutis enable seeds to be dispersed in a variety of ways. one way of seed dispersal are from birds. Birds eat the fruit then it digests and passes throught the bird and the feces of the bird is unharmed and surrounded by fertilizes

15) bilateral symmetry- is a type of symmetry in which the right side of an organism is congruent to the left side of an organism and vise versa. An example of bilateral symmetry would be humans. In the picture below is an a manican representing a human of bilateral symmetry.

16 )Frond- The word frond refers to a large leaf divided into smaller leafs. I remember encountering a frond on vacation so I skimmed through the pictures and found myself standing by one. Therefore, I dont have a authentic tag because i was in the picture but i cropped myself out. The picture below is a pierfect example of a frond on a sunny day in california.

17)Amniotic egg- Mammals (monotremes only), birds, and reptiles give birth to amniotic eggs, which contain a yolk to nourish the developing organism. Amniotic eggs protect the developing organism, as well as aid in gas and energy exchange. Int he picture below is a batch of organic eggs from my very own house.

18)Homeostatsis- The term which we very often go over in our science classes. Homeostatis as we all know is the ability or tendency of an organism or cell to maintain internal equilibrium by adjusting its physiological processes. The picture below is an example of homeostatis becasue a thermos regulates while conserving the same temp inside the container. which is a great example of homewostatsis.

19)Fermentation- in a simple less complicated definiton of fermentation: fermentation is the conversion of a carbohydrate such as sugar into an acid or an alcohol. I have taken a picture of sugar to desribe fermentation because its the first step to undergoe fermention.

20) flower ovary- some might not know that flowers indeed have reprodutive oragans and one of them is the ovary.The ovary is a part of the female reproductive organ of the flower. its the part of the pistil which holds the ovule and is located above or below or at the point of connection with the base of the petals and sepals. the picture below is a flower representing the reproductive organ ; the ovary

21) parasitism- a relation between organisms in which one lives as a parasite on another. A parasite is an organism that spends a significant portion of its life in or on the living tissue of a host organism and which causes harm to the host without immediately killing it. An example of a paratism are mosquittos, becasue mosquittos benefit from their hosts blood which casues the house to have distress while the other is benefiting. the picture below are mosquittos and flies that were stuck to a insect catcher.

22)

redox reaction- Redox reactions, or oxidation-reduction reactions, primarily involve the transfer of electrons between two chemical species. The compound that loses an electron is said to be oxidized, the one that gains an electron is said to be reduced. There are also specific terms that describe the specific chemical species. A compound that is oxidized is referred to as a reducing agent, while a compound that is reduced is referred to as the oxidizing agent. Example of a redox reaction or a oxidation recation would be a banana with brown spots because of the reaction from oxygen.

23)

autotrophs-, such as plants and algae, which can use energy from sunlight (photoautotrophs) or inorganic compounds (lithoautotrophs) to produce organic compounds such as carbohydrates, fats, and proteins from inorganic carbon dioxide.

24

 cellular respiration-Cellular respiration is the set of the metabolic reactions and processes that take place in the cells of organisms to convert biochemical energy from nutrients into adenosine triphosphate (ATP), and then release waste products.

25)cuticle later of a plant-
The cuticle layer of a plant is a non-cellular protective layer that protects the epidermis of the green parts of leaves. It also provides support for the plants much like human skin. The coating of the leaf in this picture is the cuticle layer.

26) Long Day plant- Plants that require long period of light exposure like the picture below : )

I thought this picture is beautiful and one of my facorite trees!

27)

Pollen: The spores on a plant that contain the male gamete, found in the center of this flower.

28)Fungus is eukaryotic and includes microorganisms. Yeast is a fungus that helps bread rise.

Eubacteria-Eubacteria are complex and single celled. Yogurt is an example of a good eubacteria.

30)C3 Plants- C3 plants first incorporate CO₂ into a 3-carbon compound. Rice is an example of a C3 plant.

31) Disaccharides-
Two monosaccharides that are joined together. Because of this joining, a molecule of water is removed. Milk is a disaccharide.

32)

Hydrophobic:These molecules repel water molecules,  oil is a commonly known  becuase it does not mix well with water.

33) A protein that is capable of speeding up a chemical reaction. Many detergents use enzymes to help remove stains.

Enzyme-

34) epithelial tissue- Covers the entire surface of the body of an organism & fufills specific needs & functions. The skin on myhand protects whats inside & its sensory perception enables my sense of touch.

35)hydophilic- Hydrophilic substances dissolve well in water, like sugar in water.

36) Analogous structure- Analogous structures are those structures that do the same thing, but they evolved from entirely different lines. For example, the human eye and the insect eye both do the same things, but they evolved completely separately. The picture below is an example of the human eye.

37) Connective tissue- Connective tissue adds support and structure to the body.  Most types of connective tissue contain fibrous strands of the protein collagen that add strength to connective tissue. One of the many examples of connective tissues is cartilage. In the picture below, the ear of the teddy bear is referring to a human ear which contains cartilage.

38) Adaption of a plant-In drier, temperate create forests to have a thick bark helps to limit moisture evaporation from the tree's trunk. Since this is not a concern in the high humidity of tropical rainforests, most trees have a thin, smooth bark. The smoothness of the bark may also make it difficult for other plants to grow on their surface. The picture below is an example of a tree that has adapted to humid temperature by having thin smooth bark.

39) Animal that has a segmented body-a body divided into segments that are often grouped into larger functional units. An example of a segmented animal is ants. Sorry, I tried getting a close up of an ant but all you can see is a tiny black dot.

40) prokaryote- Prokaryote meaning an organism that does not have a nucleus. In the picture below are some cherries that developed bacteria on them; meaning bacteria are organisms that have no nucleus. Therefore, bacteria are categorized as a prokaryote organism.

41)

      Niche: the status of an organism within its environment and community (affecting its survival as a species). The spider and its home – the web – represent that.

42) Requires only one parent. Strawberries are fruits that are grown asexually.
Asexual Reproduction-

43) Evidence of different alleles for the same trait- This means that there are different possibilities of outcomes for one trait. This picture represents this statement because these flowers have different alleles, colors, for the same trait, color. One flower can be pink while the other is blue or purple.

44

Ethylene: Items such as tomatoes are ethylene producing. Ethylene is a gaseous organic compound that increases ripening time.

45) Simple Carbohydrates: simple carbohydrates are made up of either on or two sugars they are found naturally in fruits vegetables and some milk products

46) Modified stem of a plant: The stem of these plants have thorns, something that most other plants do not. These thorns help protect the plant from natural predators.
47) Gymnosperm leaf: seed-bearing plants that don’t produce flowers. They release pollen into the air to the female ovule, causing fertilization. Their seeds develop without a protective covering.

48)

C4 Plants: These plants use a process of CO2 fixation in photosynthesis and example of a C4 plant is grass

49) Gymnosperm’s do not produce seeds inside fruits, but instead outside the ovum. The seeds are formed and protected by these cones.

Gymnosperm Cone:

50 ) : ) <3333!Genetically modified plant- These organisms and foods have altered genetic makeup by combining genes of different organisms, much of the food we eat daily had been genetically modified, such as this broccli. broccli is geneticall modified with cauliflower and pea plants = broccli : )