Unit 9 Reflection
The main focus of this unit was taxonomy. Taxonomy is the study of naming and classifying organisms. We learned about the different characteristics that classify an organism into a specific category. Until the 20th century, all life was classified as either plant or animal. The purpose of taxonomy is to avoid confusion with common names, such as the puma and the mountain lion. Taxonomy is necessary because there are an estimated 8.7 million species on Earth, while only 1.2 million are classified. 86% of all land species and 91% of marine species remain undiscovered. There are seven different levels of organization, going from kingdoms to species. All organisms have a scientific name, known as a binomial nomenclature, which is comprised of two names. The first name being the genus and the second being the species. Also, all of the names are based on either Latin or Greek.
Another major component of the unit was the What On Earth Evolved presentations. I really enjoyed this project. I liked how we were able to decide what information would be on our presentation, as well as how far in depth we would like to go. This made the project more about learning and researching about our organisms, rather than filling out required criteria about them. I think this made me learn better, as well as making the process of completing the project more enjoyable. It was also good to get practice at public speaking because we usually do not get many chances to do so. I feel that it helped me improve on my public speaking skills. I was quite nervous through the first half of the presentation, however I felt a lot more comfortable in the second half. I also learned that I should stay standing straight up, because I ended up leaning on the counter during my presentation. I will now apply this to future presentations. I also enjoyed the fact that it was an individual project, because most of our assignments this year have been group work. I do enjoy group work, however it was nice for a change.
The second vodcast was about kingdoms and domains. There are five kingdoms: Monera, Protista, Plantae, Fungi, and Animalia. These kingdoms are all based on common traits. The Protista are very diverse, and either unicellular or multi-cellular. They can be plant or animal like. Plantae are non-vascular and vascular plants. Non-vascular meaning that they do not transport water or sugars. Vascular plants are seedless, so they reproduce through spores. Gymnosperms are plants that produce seeds in cones, while Angiosperms are plants that produce seeds in flowers. Fungi are decomposers, and they are found in all habitats. They are also heterotrophic. Animalia is the biggest kingdom with 800,000+ species. They are multi-cellular, as well as heterotrophs. They are classified by body symmetry, type of body cavity, and internal and external structures.
The next vodcast was about bacteria and viruses. Bacteria are very important because they are decomposers, meaning they recycle nutrients such as Carbon and Nitrogen. They are also very useful in biotechnology. They are used for various purposes such as fermentation for food, chemical and oil spills, biofuels, and medication production. Viruses are not cells. They are very small infectious particles consisting of nucleic acid enclosed in a protein coat. Viral genomes may consist of either double or single-stranded DNA or RNA. Depending on the type of nucleic acids the virus has, it is either a DNA virus or an RNA virus. When a viral genome enters a cell, the cell starts to make more viral proteins. There are two types of infection. The first is Lytic infection, when a virus enters a cell, makes copies of itself, and then causes the cell to burst. The other is a Lysogenic infection. This type of infection occurs when a virus integrates its DNA into the DNA of the host cell, and the viral genetic info replicates along with the host cell's DNA.
We also learned about invertebrates. An invertebrate is an animal that does not have a backbone. Roughly 97% of all animal species are invertebrates. Hox genes are very important because they control the early development of animals, as well as determine the position of cells differentiation. They essentially tell embryonic cells which body part to become. Mutations in Hox genes led to the vast diversity of animal species. There are 3 criteria that are used to categorize animals. They are body plan symmetry, tissue layers, and developmental patterns. The different phylums of invertebrates include Porifera, Cnidaria, Mollusks, and Annelids.
Lastly were the Chordates. All Chordates share 4 features at some stage of development. These features are a backbone, a hollow nerve chord, pharyngeal slits, and a tail. Also, most Chordates lose some or all of these traits in adult hood. There are seven different classes of vertebrates: Agnatha, Condricthyes, Osteicthyes, Amphibia, Reptilia, Aves, and Mammalia.
Below I have included my presentation.
Picture Credits: Previous Blog Posts:
http://tinyurl.com/lk3wlux http://tinyurl.com/kcqm96w
http://tinyurl.com/lskt6ov http://tinyurl.com/lpbpgbz
http://tinyurl.com/krpnj85
http://tinyurl.com/lbv8gdr
The second vodcast was about kingdoms and domains. There are five kingdoms: Monera, Protista, Plantae, Fungi, and Animalia. These kingdoms are all based on common traits. The Protista are very diverse, and either unicellular or multi-cellular. They can be plant or animal like. Plantae are non-vascular and vascular plants. Non-vascular meaning that they do not transport water or sugars. Vascular plants are seedless, so they reproduce through spores. Gymnosperms are plants that produce seeds in cones, while Angiosperms are plants that produce seeds in flowers. Fungi are decomposers, and they are found in all habitats. They are also heterotrophic. Animalia is the biggest kingdom with 800,000+ species. They are multi-cellular, as well as heterotrophs. They are classified by body symmetry, type of body cavity, and internal and external structures.The next vodcast was about bacteria and viruses. Bacteria are very important because they are decomposers, meaning they recycle nutrients such as Carbon and Nitrogen. They are also very useful in biotechnology. They are used for various purposes such as fermentation for food, chemical and oil spills, biofuels, and medication production. Viruses are not cells. They are very small infectious particles consisting of nucleic acid enclosed in a protein coat. Viral genomes may consist of either double or single-stranded DNA or RNA. Depending on the type of nucleic acids the virus has, it is either a DNA virus or an RNA virus. When a viral genome enters a cell, the cell starts to make more viral proteins. There are two types of infection. The first is Lytic infection, when a virus enters a cell, makes copies of itself, and then causes the cell to burst. The other is a Lysogenic infection. This type of infection occurs when a virus integrates its DNA into the DNA of the host cell, and the viral genetic info replicates along with the host cell's DNA.
We also learned about invertebrates. An invertebrate is an animal that does not have a backbone. Roughly 97% of all animal species are invertebrates. Hox genes are very important because they control the early development of animals, as well as determine the position of cells differentiation. They essentially tell embryonic cells which body part to become. Mutations in Hox genes led to the vast diversity of animal species. There are 3 criteria that are used to categorize animals. They are body plan symmetry, tissue layers, and developmental patterns. The different phylums of invertebrates include Porifera, Cnidaria, Mollusks, and Annelids.Lastly were the Chordates. All Chordates share 4 features at some stage of development. These features are a backbone, a hollow nerve chord, pharyngeal slits, and a tail. Also, most Chordates lose some or all of these traits in adult hood. There are seven different classes of vertebrates: Agnatha, Condricthyes, Osteicthyes, Amphibia, Reptilia, Aves, and Mammalia.
Below I have included my presentation.
Picture Credits: Previous Blog Posts:
http://tinyurl.com/lk3wlux http://tinyurl.com/kcqm96w
http://tinyurl.com/lskt6ov http://tinyurl.com/lpbpgbz
http://tinyurl.com/krpnj85
http://tinyurl.com/lbv8gdr
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