Introduction A gall is an abnormal growth that occurs on plant tissues. A plant growth is similar to a tumor or a wart that would occur on an animal; plant galls, however, are typically caused by various parasites and insects. In order for a gall to form, a female insect needs to implant an egg into a plant. It is important that the insect does so when the plant is maturing, this ensures the plants meristem is extremely active and prepared to grow a gall suitable for the insect’s young. The larvae and possibly the adult insect as well release chemicals into the plants that causes the growth of the plant. Multiple studies have been done in attempt to find the exact cause for the growth of plant galls, but studies have not reached a similar …show more content…
Since data were collected during November in Massachusetts when the weather was beginning to get colder, I think it’s fair to assume that more birds began to prey on galls making them easy target. Subsequently since birds tend to prey on largely more visible things, it would only make sense that larger galls would experience more predation. However, after looking back at the data it seems that not all galls that were predated were included in the data set. This alone is sufficient to make any claim stated within this report invalid.
Assuming data were well collected and results were justified, the results could have been more reliable if more places had been taken into account. The locations previously used as sites might have a larger avian population thus creating the illusion that larger galls are more largely predated. To prevent from these factors limiting results, future test might look at multiple predators and what size gall they are more likely to prey on. Abrahamson et al.’s article discusses the likely that smaller galls are more likely to experience parasite oviposition and larger galls avian
Wise, M. J., Abrahamson, W. G., & Cole, J. A. (2010).The role of nodding stems in the goldenrod–gall–fly interaction: A test of the “ducking” hypothesis. Manuscript submitted for publication, Available from American Journal of Botany. (0900227)Retrieved from http://www.amjbot.org/content/97/3/525.full
Planarians are free-living, carnivorous flatworms found in the Phylum Platyhelminthes, Class Turbellaria. Although the Phylum Platyhelminthes is known for having the animals with the most parasitic species, the class Turbellaria which consist of the Planaria, are a non-parasitic species. Platyhelminthes which translates to "flat worm" are triploblastic animals. This means that they have three tissue layers, the endoderm, mesoderm, and ectoderm. Planaria also are monoecious organisms, meaning that they have both female and male sex organs in one organism. Another characteristic of the Planaria is that they do not have a true body cavity, meaning that they are acoelomate organisms.
In biology class, we were learning about enzymes. Enzymes are proteins that help catalyze chemical reactions in our bodies. In the lab, we were testing the relationship between the enzyme catalase and the rate of a chemical reaction. We predicted that if there was a higher percentage of enzyme concentration, then the rate of chemical reaction would increase or it would take less time. We placed 1 ml of hydrogen peroxide into four depressions. Underneath the first depression, we place 1 ml of 100% catalase and make 50% dilution with 0.5 ml of water. We take 50% of that solution and dilute with 0.5 ml of water and we repeat it two more times. there were four depressions filled with catalase: 100%, 50%, 25% , 12.5 % with the last three diluted
3. Sol, D., D. Santos, et al. (1998). "Competition for food in urban pigeons: the cost of being juvenile." Condor: 298-304.
It just so happened that at the same time I read this book, I was reading The Storm Petrel and the Owl of Athena by Louis Halle. Half of The Storm Petrel is on the bird life of the Shetland Islands, another isolated natural system. Halle, though an evolutionist, devotes a whole chapter on how the Shetlands and other islands conserve species. (Halle. 1970, 155ff.) Where species have changed their habits, it is most often due to adaptation to humanity. He compares the wild starlings, house sparrows, and rock doves found on the Shetlands with the more domesticated versions of these birds found on the continents--and to some degree even in the main village of the Shetlands. The island birds are more like their original wild forebears. I mention this now because it will come back to haunt us later.
8. Taylor, Dan. 1998. Audubon Society Inspired to Action by Bird Die -offs . 17 Jan. 1998 . E-mail . Available bkus@sunstroke.sdsu.edu
Guppies that are more colorful are less likely to survive in environments with intense predation because they are easier to spot.
Schumann, Gail L., and Cleora J. D'Arcy. Hungry Planet: Stories of Plant Diseases. St. Paul: American Phytopathological Society, 2012. Print.
In our Biology Lab we did a laboratory experiment on fermentation, alcohol fermentation to be exact. Alcohol fermentation is a type of fermentation that produces the alcohol ethanol and CO2. In the experiment we estimated the rate of alcohol fermentation by measuring the rate of CO2 production. Both glycolysis and fermentation consist of a series of chemical reactions, each of which is catalyzed by a specific enzyme. Two of the tables substituted some of the solution glucose for two different types of solutions. They are as followed, Table #5 substituted glucose for sucrose and Table #6 substituted the glucose for pH4. The equation for alcohol fermentation consists of 6 Carbons 12 Hydrogens 6 Oxygen to produce 2 pyruvates plus 2 ATP then finally the final reaction will be 2 CO2 plus Ethanol. In the class our controlled numbers were at Table #1; their table had 15 mL Glucose, 10 mL RO water, and 10 mL of yeast which then they placed in an incubator at 37 degrees Celsius. We each then measured our own table’s fermentation flasks every 15 mins for an hour to compare to Table #1’s controlled numbers. At
Plant defences are those mechanisms employed by plants in response to herbivory and parasitism. According to Hanley et al. (2007), “the tissues of virtually all terrestrial, freshwater, and marine plants have qualities that to some degree reduce herbivory, including low nitrogen concentration, low moisture content, toxins or digestibility-reducing compounds”. The type of chemical defence may be species specific (Scott 2008). The defences that plants possess may be in the form of chemical production or in the form of physical defences such as thorns or spikes and even through reinforced, rigid leaves. “The compounds that are produced in response to herbivory can either have a direct effect on the attacker itself (e.g. toxins or digestibility reducers), or serve as indirect defenses by attracting the natural enemies of the herbivores” (Bezemer & van Dam 2005). This essay will focus on chemical plant defences and in particular the effects of terpenes, phenolics, nitrogen-based defences as well as allelopathy in plants.
The variation in finches is one in three and the variation in sparrows is four in ten thousand.
The “Fast Plant” experiment is an observation of a plants growth over the span of twenty-eight days. The objective is to observe how plants grow and use their resources throughout the span of their life. In our lab we observed the Brassica rapa, a herbaceous plant in the mustard family which has a short cycle which makes it a perfect plant to observe in this experiment. Like other plants the Brassica rapa must use the resources in the environment to create energy to complete itʻs life cycle and reproduce. By observing the plant it is easy to see in what organ or function the plant is using itʻs energy and resources and if overtime the resources switch to other part of the plants. By conducting this experiment we are able to observe where and how plants allocate their resources throughout their life by harvesting plants at different points in their life.
LAB REPORT 1st Experiment done in class Introduction: Agarose gel electrophoresis separates molecules by their size, shape, and charge. Biomolecules such as DNA, RNA and proteins, are some examples. Buffered samples such as glycerol and glucose are loaded into a gel. An electrical current is placed across the gel.
The organism Branta canadensis (Canada goose) exhibits a variety of adaptations to enhance its ability to survive and reproduce. One such trait is the anatomy of the bird’s eye, which “[has] an outer…membrane that… is white and fluffy” and “serves” several important functions (Herrmann, 2016, p. 76). On the one hand, the structure “protects… the eyes of the Canada goose” from being damaged “when it is asleep” (Herrmann, 2016, p. 76). On the other hand, its color prevents predators from approaching a sleeping goose and harming it, as the eyes appear open and watchful, even when they are closed (Herrmann, 2016, p. 76). The utility of this adaptation in terms of the Canada goose’s survival is clear: if the Canada goose lacked this adaptation, it would be more likely to fall prey to other animals while it is vulnerably sleeping, and its ability to produce the maximum number of offspring possible would be compromised. This is a morphological adaptation, as it relates to the
Insect pollination as we all know, is the process that enables reproduction and fertilization by the transfer of pollen performed by insects. Insects are some of the oldest pollinators of plants. Pollinating insects date back to 140 million years ago. Since then, due to how effective insect pollinators are, these flowering plants have become the major group of terrestrial vascular plants. Flowering plants, also known as angiosperms, have imperative roles within our ecosystems, both natural and agricultural. For instance, insects provide food, fiber and shelter for wildlife and humankind alike (2007). It is commonly know that in humans, high levels of fruit and vegetable consumption are associated with decreased risk of chronic disease (Calderone 2012). Aside from these important roles, plants have also been considered as a viable option for fuel sources (Calderone 2012). There are around 300,00 species of flowering plants in the world and without pollination, the reproductive process would be very difficult since pollination causes the production of seeds (Calderone 2012). Of the 300,000 plant species worldwide, a little over 3,000 of these plants have been used as a source of food. Close to 300 of these species are grown around the world today and only 12 of these plants make up about 90 percent of the food sources in our world. These 12 include the grains...