Non vascular plants cause the ice age

URL:http://news.sciencemag.org/sciencenow/2012/02/did-plants-freeze-the-planet.html
Article: Did Plants Freeze the Planet?
Author: Sid Perkins
Date: 1 February 2012
Summary:
Scientists have concluded that the introduction of plants, such as moss, are cause of the ice age. At that period of time, the CO2 concentration in the air was 14-22 times the current level. The presence of moss increased the amount of chemical weathering of silicate rocks. These rocks then reacted with oxygen and acid rain, slowly pulling CO2 from the atmosphere to form carbonate minerals that would temporarily lock away the CO2. By slowly taking away the CO2 the atmosphere temperature dropped, forcing the planet into an ice age.
Relativity:
In class we are learning about non vascular plants like moss.  

Vascular Plant Reproduction

Summary:
               This video begins with a introduction about alternation of generations. The sporophyte (diploid) generation of plants produces spores, which germinate and grow into the gametophyte (haploid) generation, which produces male and female gametes, which combine into a zygote, which grows into a sporophyte. Vascular plants provide us with food, oxygen, and some trivial stuff. Nonvascular plant reproduction is briefly explained (a different episode). Nonvascular plants are gametophyte dominant, so the sporophyte stage grows in or on the gametophyte. Vascular plants are the opposite, and the gametophyte grows on or in the sporophyte.
                Pteridophyte (includes ferns) reproduction is explained. Ferns reproduce a lot like bryophytes (nonvascular plants). The fern is the sporophyte stage and the gametophyte is tiny and has both male and female parts. Some ferns probably evolved to have seeds and then became extinct or evolved into gymnosperms.
               Pollen contains the male gametophyte in gymnosperms. Ovules are the female gametophytes and are fertilized by the pollen. The zygote becomes a seed, ripens, and grows into a sporophyte. The sporophytes produce pollen and ovules. Water isn't needed for gymnosperms to reproduce. Gymnosperms include conifers, ginkgoes, and cycads. Gymnosperms have cones for reproductive structures. The ovules are exposed on the cone scale surface. Female cones are large and spiky, but male cones are small and spongy and produce pollen. Pollen is spread by the wind. Seeds contain zygotes and food. Seeds have a tough casing to protect the zygote. Mature seeds fall from the cone. Some gymnosperms require certain conditions before seeds mature. The Lodgepole Pine seeds have to endure a forest fire before germinating. That way, they have no competition while growing.
                Angiosperms are flowering plants. Animals are used to pollinate flowers, and the pollinators and angiosperms probably co-evolved. The flowers provide nectar to the insects and the insects fertilize the flowers. It's a mutualistic relationship. The angiosperm's sporophyte is the plant, and the gametophyte is the pollen and ovum. Some flowers are both male and female, sometimes there are male and female flowers on one plant, and sometimes there are male and female plants. Flowers with both male and female parts are called perfect flowers. Sepals are green leaves that protected developing buds. Petals are colorful leaves that attract pollinators. The male organs, the stamens, consist of an anther which produces pollen and is at the end of a long filament. The female organs, the carpels, consist of an ovary which contains ovules, a neck called a style, and an opening at the top of the neck called a stigma. Pollination is the process of pollen landing on the stigma of a flower and fertilizing the  egg. Insects, birds, and some bats are pollinators. The fertilized ovule becomes a seed, and the surrounding ovary becomes a fruit. Biologically, a fruit is anything that develops from an ovary. Many things that you didn't think are fruits actually are. Some fruits are spread by wind and others are eaten and pooped out somewhere far away. The end.

Relevance:
               In class, we have been learning about all different kinds of plants, and mostly vascular plants. We have learned about their reproductive cycles. We learned about alternation of generations and how it is used by pteridophytes, gymnosperms, and angiosperms. We learned about pollen, seeds, flowers, and fruits, and the anatomy of each. We also learned about the differences between these different kinds of plants. We learned about how plants spread their spores, pollen and seeds, and how pollinators are important to angiosperms.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ExaQ8shhkw8
Creator: crashcourse
Uploaded Oct. 5, 2012

Dragon Blood Tree

Tree that weeps dragons blood among new discoveries

Article: Tree that weeps dragons blood among new discoveries
URL: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/earth/earthnews/9762699/Tree-that-weeps-dragons-blood-among-new-discoveries.html
Author: Richard Grey
Date: 23 Dec 2012

Summary: This is an article about a tree that was found in Thailand that oozes red sap, or "dragon's blood". The species was named Dracaena jayniana, or the Red Dragon Tree. Supposedly, the tree has medical properties. This may be true, because it is closely related to other plants with medicinal properties, however it is not confirmed. The sap, as of so far, looks mainly like a simple pick-me-up tonic. The exact location of this rare tree has not been disclosed because of the fear that people may come and collect clippings to sell. In addition to the tree, one species of snowdrop was discovered, fifteen new palm trees, and eleven new species of indigofera, a plant used to make indigo dye.

Relevance: This article relates to our study of plants and our previous study of classification. The article tells of a tree with red sap. In class, we learned that a tree is composed of layers, one of them is the xylem. The xylem is the area of the tree in which the sap is produced.

Nonvascular Plants Reproduction

Summary:

The descendants of the first plants are still among us today, and they are the liverworts, hornworts, and mosses. The main thing about nonvascular plants is that they dont have specialized conductive tissue. They also have limited growth potential they don't have the wood to keep up the mass or the tissue to be big. 

They need water for reproduction.

Plants evolved a reproduction cycle where they take on 2 different forms of their lives called alternation of generations evolved first in algae.

In land plants, one generation called the gametophyte produces sexually by producing gametes and eggs and sperm (haploid). When sperm and egg fuse, rise of second generation called sporophyte generation which is asexual(diploid). The sporangium capsule produces haploid reproduction cells called spores.
Reproduction cycle needs water for sperm to move.

If spores lands on moist ground, it germinates and produces protonema that gives rise to buds which will grow to patch of moss which is a colony of haploid gametophytes which will mate and the generation alternations will continue.

Relevance to Class:

In class, our current unit is about the plants and we specifically learned about alternation of generations and vascular plants. This video is a crash course explaining the basic idea of vascular plants for further understanding. It mentions key vocab words like sporophyte, gametophyte...etc. that we need to learn.

Source:

Link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iWaX97p6y9U

Creator: crashcourse

Uploaded: Oct. 1, 2012  

Methods of Pollination

Article:
Plant Reproduction: Methods of Pollination

URL:
http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/media/68461/Some-of-the-different-ways-plants-are-pollinated

By:
Encyclopedia Britannica

Summary:
One method of pollination is where insects bring pollen from one plant to another. While trying to get food, the pollen attaches to them, later pollinating the other plant. The size and shape of the flower suits the bee that is obtaining food from it. Wind is another method of pollination. The pollen grains in this case are smaller and lighter, and made in large amounts. Pollination is important because it ensures fertilization will take place and that there will be a new generation of plants. Some plants, such as Dandelions, self-pollinate if needed. Self-pollination is sometimes unavoidable, but self-pollination doesn't always mean self-fertilization.

Connection:
The connection that this video has with what we learned in class is it talks about pollination of flowers and brushes upon fertilization. In the notes, we learned about more ways of pollination but the bee spreading the pollen was the main way. We also learned that inorder to fertilize, plants need pollen.

Ryan Page - 3rd Term Biomedia Report

Why Sourdough Bread Resists Mold

By: Ryan Page

3/7/13

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130221194239.htm (Link is somehow not working so just copy and paste it in a browser to have the article come up)

Summary:

It has been proven, through testing by University of Alberta, Edmonton, that sourdough can resist mold, as opposed to ordinary baked bread and ordinary dough. During the production of the "sourdough," bacteria convert the linoleic acid found in any ordinary bread dough, and converts it into a compound that acts as a "Powerful Anti-fungal Activity" in sourdough bread. This means not only is it easily stored for longer without refrigeration, but many people enjoy the taste, saying it is more natural and unique. This is definitely true, as no pesticides have to be added to insure the quality of the bread. Thus, Sourdough bread is all around better in health, nutrients and taste! Part of the reason why the resistance might work with the linoleic acid, is sourdough also has an extra fermentation step, were the lactic acid bacteria is present.

Connection:

This connects to our current term because we not only studied mold, but we studied different bacteria and the antibiotics that can inhibit those bacteria. We even did a complex lab to see what remedies (such as cinnamon and turmeric) can be a natural resistant/antibiotic to bacteria. This sourdough example is really cool, because it is a natural resistance that many people can relate to, because it is about BREAD!

Report: Marine Symbiosis

James McClung

Biomedia Report: Term 3

Article:
     Unusual Symbiosis in Marine Microorganisms Fertilizes Ocean by Fixing Nitrogen
URL:
     http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/09/120920141141.htm
By:
     ScienceDaily

Summary:
     Recently, scientists from the University of California, Santa Cruz, have managed to identify a mutualistic bond between nitrogen-fixing cyanobacteria and single-celled algae in marine environments. It appears these two species play a key role in providing their ecosystem with usable nitrogen. The algae plays host to the bacteria as the two cooperate to fix nitrogen from the atmosphere into a useful form. Interestingly, the cyanobacteria has no photosynthetic capabilities, which scientists hypothesize is a result from having such a close connection with the algae, which can photosynthesize. In other words, the cyanobacterium, whose ancestors evolved into chloroplasts, no longer needs to photosynthesize. The algae provides it with carbon, and it provides the algae with nitrogen.
     Although the cyanobacteria found in the green algae are probably completely dependent on the green algae for survival, it is not yet considered an organelle. Perhaps the most interesting part of the discovery of these species' unique symbiosis is that the cyanobacteria may be evolving to become an organelle, just like the mitochondria and chloroplasts did so long ago. It would be completely unique from these two, as it does not process or create food, it fixes nitrogen.

Connection:
     In class, we are currently learning about the evolution of plants, among other things. Plants evolved from green algae, which we recently learned as part of plants' evolution. The green algae and cyanobacterium involved in the mutualistic relationship are evolving to completely rely on each other for survival, as did early cells and chloroplasts that eventually became plants as we know them today.

Citation:
     University of California - Santa Cruz. "Unusual symbiosis in marine microorganisms fertilizes ocean bu fixing nitrogen." ScienceDaily, 20 Sep. 2012. Web. 7 Mar. 2013.

Carl Lang Biomedia Term 3

Article:  Key Developmental Mechanism in Plants Explained for First Time 

Source: Science Daily News. 

Connection By: Carl Lang

Summary: A team of researchers for the Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory have uncovered the operation of a mechanism in plants called Homeobox genes. the genes need to be active in order for stem cells to maintain their non specialized status. When the stem cells are needed to develop into special structures such as stem or leaf cells, the Homeobox genes are switched off, and specialization can begin. without these genes plants would just be a varying sized blob of non specific cells. 

Connection: This connects to our current unit on the life cycle of plants. While this article seems to go a little more in depth in terms of the growth and development of plants, the principle of sporophyte an gametophyte life cycles still apply.

Gymnosperms vs Angiosperms

Gymnosperms vs Angiosperms

Summary:

Gymnosperm means literally "naked seed". Angi means vessel or ovary, while sperm means seed. Gymnosperms originated around 360 million years ago. Gymnosperm species are divided into cycadophyta (cycads), ginkgophyta (ginkgos), gnetophyta (gnetophytes), and coniferophyta (conifers). Gymnosperms rely on the wind to pass on their seeds. The gametophytes are contained in cones. Angiosperms are flowering plants. They originated around 200 million years ago. They cover 90% of the Earth's vegetative surface.  Flowers aid in pollination; they use sweet scents, bright colors, and nectar to attract pollinators. Flowers cannot be wind-pollinated. Insects, bats, and birds pollinate flowers. Angiosperms go through a double fertilization, which results in a zygote and an endosperm. The zygote develops into an embryo. The fruit around it is the ripened ovary. When an animal eats a fruit, it is inadvertently helping to disperse the seed; the seed is pooped out a distance away from the parent plant. Angiosperms can be divided into monocots (lilies, grasses, orchids, palms, etc) or dicots (roses, buttercups, maples, oaks, sunflowers, etc), or neither (water lilies, Amborella).

Relevance to Class:

We have learned about gymnosperms and angiosperms and their differences in class. We have also learned about the life cycles of both gymnosperms and angiosperms, especially angiosperms. In the notes, there was a chart showing the diversity of plants (angiosperms, gymnosperms, bryophytes, and pteridophytes).

Video Information:

Link/URL: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cq9P2FU1Lgg

Author: bluedoorlabsMedia

Date: August 22, 2012

 

Vascular Plants

by crashcourse

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h9oDTMXM7M8

 

 

Summary

     This video really explaisn why vascular plants have come to dominate the planet. It all has to do with the fact that vascular plants can move materials from one part of the plant to another, allowing them to grow bigger and spread farther. The video first specifies the three types of tissue, vascular tissue, ground tissue, and dermal tissue and explains what they do. It also talks about primary growth and secondary growth. Secondary growth is when the plant gets wider, not just taller, while in primary growth the plants just gets taller. It talks about how plants have three main organs, the roots, stem and leaves and explains each organ's function. All three organs have all three tissues that deal with water. Next, the video talks about how the plant deals with water, starting of with how water gets into the plants, through the epidermis. Plants get their water from root hairs in the roots. Then the water goes to the vascular tissue xylem. It talks about the different types of cells and their functions in plants. Now, water goes through the plant through the xylem and enters the leaf, specifically the mesophyll. Then the water goes into the ground tissue. Photosynthesis happens, the sugar made is transported to other parts of the plant through the second type of vascular tissue, the phloem. It concludes with talking about how AWESOME plants are!

 

Relevance

     This video is relevant to what we are studying because we are specificaly studying about the different types of tissue like the dermal, vascualar and ground tissue. We are also learning about how water is moved around in the plant, through transpiration and capillary action and such.

 

 

Angiosperm Life Cycle

Angiosperm Life Cycle

By: Ankit Datta

Summary of video:
This video summarizes the reproductive cycle of angiosperms. Angiosperms are flowering plants that have a specialized organ called an ovary to produce seeds and protect it while it is still forming. This video discusses: the parts of the flower, pollen development, egg development, pollination, double fertilization, seed development and fruit development. First, the parts of the flower. A flower has sepals which cover growing buds, petals, filaments ( the long and skinny, tube-looking things) and anthers (yellow buds on the filament) which together, combine to make the male part of the flower. This is also the structure in which pollen is produced. The female part of the flower is made up of: the stigma (the opening of the vase-looking structure), the style (the long neck), and the ovary (the bottom swollen part). These three together form the carpel which is the female part. Next, the video addresses pollen development. Pollen develops inside the stamen where a diploid microspore mother cell undergoes meiosis and then mitosis to become pollen grains which are male gametophytes. Next comes egg development. Ovules inside the ovary produce eggs. Inside, a diploid megaspore mother cell undergoes meiosis to form megaspores. Only 1 out of 4 survives and then goes on through 3 rounds of mitosis to make an egg and an endosperm. Next is pollination. Wind and pollinators help plants pollinate where a pollen grains lands on the stigma. Next is double fertilization where the pollen grain has two parts: tube and generative. The tube cell attaches onto the egg cell and the generative cell makes two sperm, one for the egg to produce a zygote and one for the endosperm to make a triploid endosperm. Next is seed development. The ovule slowly over time becomes the seed and everything inside becomes the seed. Finally, there is fruit development. The ovaries swell and the petals fall off and the ovary grows completely to become a fruit.

Relevance to class:

This video discusses angiosperms and its life cycle. In this unit, we discussed plant evolution and how angiosperms were the last to evolve and are the only type of plant that have ovaries and flower in order to attract pollinators. We are also discussing the different parts of a flower and this video adequetly describes each part and its functions.

Video URL: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AykzPemLs7Q
Creator: Craig Savage
Date published: April 9, 2012

Enhancing genes to Evolve Quickly

 Summary:
Scientists and researchers in Spain have been working on zebra fish, they have found out that adding a genetic switch called an enhancer will turn up a gene called Hoxd13 at the tips of developing fins. Adding more Hoxd13 produced limbs that had more cartilage and less fin material on the zebra fish. The researchers reported on Dec. 11, that ancestors of four-legged creatures may have acquired these enhancers, which lead them to limb development.

Relevan
We recently learned how evolution occurs and how it takes generations to do. With modern technology such as the one in article, researchers are now able to speed up the process of it to study. This method can speed up the evolution from sea creatures to four legged animals in just a matter of days or weeks. The article also shows how the process of evolution is just the changing of a gene. Like in the article, the switch from fins to limbs is just a adding more of a gene.

Article Info:
Url: http://www.sciencenews.org/view/generic/id/346972/description/News_in_brief_Fins_to_limbs_with_flip_of_genetic_switch
Author: Tina Hesman Saey
Date of Publication: December 12, 2012

Richard Tang

Plants Use Caffeine to Lure Bees, Scientists Find

Summary:

A new study shows that the naturally caffeine-laced nectar of some plants encourages bees to return to those flowers. Plants want pollinators to stay "faithful" and to come back to the plant again, by producing sugary nectar and distinctive scents. The intriguing part is that plants are now using a psychoactive drug to influence the memorability of the plant. In Dr. Wright's experiments, the bees associated a reward with an odor, and as she refined her experiments, it became clearer that caffeine had a significant effect on memory.

Relevance to Class:

As we've studied in class, plants often go to great lengths to attract pollinators (in this case, bees), including fragrances, bright colors, and of course, the nectar itself. This is so that the pollinators who drink nectar from a flower move from plant to plant, they also spread the pollen, the male haploid gametophytes. These then fertilize the egg, and the plant can reproduce.

Source:

URL: http://www.nytimes.com/2013/03/08/science/plants-use-caffeine-to-lure-bees-scientists-find.html
Author: James Gorman
Date of Publication: 7 March 2013

Monocots Vs Dicots

Video Information:
         
           Title: Monocots vs Dicots Explained
           URL:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gI2RxzAT-ww
           Youtube channel: http://www.youtube.com/user/robnelsonfilms

Summary of Video:

Monocots and dicots are two different types of angiosperms. Both plants share similar features, but these features are slightly different and determine whether the plant is a monocot or dicot.

Monocots usually have petals in multiple of three. Monocots have parallel veins. They have fibrous, spreading veins. Monocots have vascular bundles scattered all around the stem. Monocots seeds have one cotyledon in the seed.

Dicots have petals in multiples of 4 or 5. Dicots are net-veined. Taproots are dicot. Dicots have vascular bundles at the edge of the stem. Dicots have two cotyledons in the seed, or dicotyledons.

Relevance to Unit: 

This video shows five key, distinguishing characteristics between monocots and dicots. These two groups are mostly what make up angiosperms, which evolved most recently in evolutionary history. The distinct characteristics between these two groups show the different acquired traits between monocots and dicots, though these characteristics are homologous structures.

 

Peter Rakauskas's Blog Post

 

 

 

The Trapping Mechanism in Pitcher Plants

Wes Major

expertvillage

N.D.

http://www.ehow.com/video_4427854_the-trapping-mechanism-pitcher-plants.html

 

Summary of Video

The video is a neat description of how two different types of pitcher plants catch their prey.  They are much more passive than other carnivorous pants such as the Venus flytrap.  While the flytrap will close on its prey using its own power, the pitcher plant attracts prey with the smell of sweet nectar.  When the insect tries to land on the plant, it slips on a slippery substance and falls into the plant's pit of digestive enzymes, where it is ingested.  The next plant uses a similar trapping method, but it is made to capture flying insects who, when inside of the plant's hook-like chamber, believe that the white spots on the inside of the chamber are ways to get out, and will bash up against the side of the wall and knock themselves out, causing them to fall into the digestive enzymes of the plant.  

 

Relevance to Class

In class, we are learning about plants as our unit, but more specifically we are learning about what feeds a plant and how it gets these nutrients.  The swamps where the pitcher plant lives do not have the appropriate nutrients in their muddy soils, so the plants have taken to consuming other creatures, namely insects, to fulfill their nutritional needs. 

Similarities and Differences between Archaea and Bacteria

Relevance to class

In the beginning of term 3, we learned about archaea and bacteria in unit 8 (Microbes). In our class notes, we know that Bacteria is 1 of 3 domains. Archaea is another domain, just like bacteria. However, in the Biology textbook, there are many differences between archaea and bacteria. They are similar because both are prokaryotes. But their main differences are their cell structure, habitats, and genetic makeup. Bacteria Bacteria RNA polymerases are small/simple, while archaea have complex polymerases similar to eukaryotes. Introns are only in archaea, not bacteria. Bacterial cell walls are made of peptidoglycan, not found in archaea cell walls. These are the main differences between archaea and bacteria.

Summary: 

-Similarities between archaea and bacteria:
Archaea and bacteria have a few similarities in which they share. They are both prokaryotes, without any complex cell structure like eukaryotes. Archaea and bacteria have cell walls on the outside, providing structural support, and lets certain elements/substances pass through for cellular work. Bacteria is 1 of 3 domians, and Archaea is another domain. Both distinguish almost identical looks when looking through a microscope, since they are both prokaryotes. Bacteria and archaea both reproduce using binary fission, and move around using flagella.
-Differences between archaea and bacteria:
Archaea and bacteria have a lot of differences with each other. Becteria has cell wall made of peptidoglycan, whereas archaea don't. Both have different lipid composition. Archaeal lipids don't have any fatty acids, which are found in the other 2 domains (bacteria and eukarya). Archaea have side chains (polymers) made up of units of isoprene (chemical compound composed of C5H8). Archaea and bacteria similarly have 70S ribosomes, but archaea has a different shape. Archaea also has a complex RNA polymerases, bacteria has a more simple RNA polymerases. Archaea and bacteria are metabolically different from each other. Archaea dosn't use the process glycolysis  to break down glucose. Most types of archaea don't have Kreb's Cycle pathways, but few types do.

Source info:
URL: http://www.colorado.edu/eeb/EEBprojects/schmidtlab/studentres/EBIO3400/Lecture11.pdf
Publisher/creator: University of Colorado
Date visited: 3-7-13

Wasp Flowers

Wasp Flowers

Video Info:
Link: http://www.bbc.co.uk/nature/adaptations/Pollinator#p00lx7qx
Date of Publication/latest update: 2013
Publisher: BBC

Summary:
In the warmer parts of Europe there are certain orchids that have figured out a good way to spread their pollen. The orchids look very similar to female wasps. They have blue patches similar to the wings of female wasps as well as fur that is similar to the fur that covers a wasp's abdomen. They also produce the same identifying perfume that a female wasp makes. This draws in male wasps, and as the bee investigates the orchid, the flower's pollen carrier becomes attached to the bee's head. When the bee flies away and encounters another flower of the same species  some of that pollen rubs off onto the new flower. Through this process, the flowers are able to spread their pollen and become fertilized.

Significance:
In our current unit we are studying the structures of plants and their purposes. This video demonstrates the way the flower can manipulate animals into spreading their pollen by using the flower. We investigated the flower during our last lab as well as the video we watched in class.

Cancer

What is cancer?

Video URL: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rCvZqeHyXIY

Summary

This video provides a basic overview about what cancer is with graphics to help explain the process. In the video, cancer is defined as "a group of over one hundred diseases characterized by abnormal,  uncontrolled cell growth." In a human body, cells grow and develop, multiply, and then die. However, cancerous cells don't "die" and instead continue reproducing. Over time, this mass of cells, called a tumor, can be harmful to the body. The cancer becomes most harmful when it reaches metastasis: when the malignant (uncontrolled) cells penetrate the tissue from the organ in which they developed, and into the circulatory system. The circulatory system carries blood throughout the body, and the cancerous cell can then travel to different parts of the body. Cancer is a leading cause of death in the United States especially because a cure has not yet been found.

Relevance to Class

This video about cancerous cells is relevant to class because we have studied cell division and cancer. Cell division is the normal, controlled division of cells that replace themselves. However, when it gets out of control, the cells are called cancerous cells and divide uncontrollably. We have previously learned about the terms associated with cancer that the video mentioned: metastasis, benign tumors, and malignant tumors. The tumor becomes malignant, or harmful, when it undergoes metastasis and travels through the bloodstream. Normal cells would replace themselves at a constant rate and continue to grow and perform their functions, which these cancer cells do not.

Video Information
URL: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rCvZqeHyXIY
Author: Women's Medical Video
Date Published: November 8, 2012

By Tara Jawahar

"Trees are Freaking Awesome" - Water flow in trees

Summary
Shouldn't trees have a height limit? Water can only be sucked up a tube that's less than 10 meters, so how do roots transport water all the way up an 11 meter tree? Unlike in gasses, there can actually be negative pressures (less than a vacuum) in liquids. The xylem tubes are so thin that the surface tension is strong enough to keep the meniscus from breaking. Usually, at such low pressures, the water in the tubes would spontaneously boil. However, there are no air bubbles - ever - in the tube, which means that there is no site for the liquid to turn to gas. Also, most of the water sucked up by a tree's roots simply evaporates instead of being used for cellular processes.

Significance
We're currently studying plants, and this video gives detailed background into the process of transpiration and how the water can be sucked up a plant thats hundreds of feet tall.

Video Info
YouTube Link
Author: 1veritasium
Date of Publication: October 30th, 2012

2.7 Million-Year-Old Fungus

http://science.nbcnews.com/_news/2013/03/07/17225644-27-million-year-old-fungus-found-deep-under-seafloor?lite

Summary

          Researchers are claiming that they have recently discovered a 2.7-million-year-old fungus. They found this community of fungi at the bottom of the ocean in 2.7-million-year-old mud. Genetic information is telling us that this fungi is not related to modern-day fungi which shows us that this fungus is "ancient and isolated". Not only can this discovery provide for some interesting research on the history of fungi, but it can surely provide antibiotics from the newly discovered fungi. Researchers have also took some RNA and figured out that these fungi are still active. Also, the fungi and the sediments had similar amounts of carbon. This led researchers to believe that they "contribute to [the] recycling [of] carbon in the seafloor".

Relevance to Class

          Recently, in term 3, we learned about fungi. This article talks about the discovery of a 2.7-million-year-old fungus. Also, in term 2, we learned about antibiotics. This article mentions how this newly discovered fungus could be used as antibiotics. Lastly, back in term 1, we learned about different cycles, including the carbon cycle. This article even talks about how the fungus most likely helps recycle carbon.

URL: http://science.nbcnews.com/_news/2013/03/07/17225644-27-million-year-old-fungus-found-deep-under-seafloor?lite

Author of Article: Becky Oskin

Date of Publication: March 7, 2013

By Rachel Levine

Plant Evolution

Summary

Paul the person talking surveys the Kingdom Plantae. He begins with a short description of the phylogeny of land plants. He then describes the defining characteristics of plants, including cell walls, embryophytes, alternation of generation and photosynthesis. He briefly describes the sporophyte and the gametophyte. He finishes with brief discussion of plant evolution and includes major divisions, like bryophytes, ferns, gymnosperms, and angiosperms. He touches upon a little bit of everything in the beginning to the end he is going through the evolutionary process of plants.

Relevance 

The relevance of this article to what we have been studying in class is plants. We discussed the history of plants he also goes through that in the video. We saw how plants work the video shows us that too. Most importantly he talks about reproduction and how it all works and we did that in this unit fro a long time during the notes.

Article Info:

URL: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X4L3r_XJW0I

Author: Bozemanbiology

Date of Publication: Published on Apr 9, 2012

Mycelium

Mycelium

Summary:
This video shows how how the mycelium of fungi grows and how it gets food and nutrients for the fungi.
The mycelium is a mat of hyphae that forms the feeding body of the fungus. Basically, the fungus has no roots or leaves, so it relies highly on the mycelium to get the energy they need. The mycelium produces digestive acids and then uses them so it could spread farther into the ground to find more dead plant tissue. But to get a lot of nitrogen, the mycelium searches for the microscopic worms called nematodes. The mycelium produces loops and while they are being created, they produce a chemical to attract the nematodes to the loops. After the nematode has gone through the loop, the loop suffocates the nematode and gets the nitrogen from it.

Relevance to Class:
This video relates to the microbes unit that we went through. We learned about fungi and the mycelium and how the mycelium gets the food for the fungi. We also learned how they get nutrients from the worms by using the loops that are summarized above.

Article Info:

URL:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0n04wCkIpuQ

Author: Fernando Castro

Date of Publication: Published on May 4, 2010

Haploid Diploids?

New Insights Into Plant Evolution

Summary

Scientists have identified a particular gene for the first time that regulates the "alternation of generations" trait in land plants. They found this gene, now known as KNOX2, when studying moss. This gene causes the diploid generation to develop as a haploid generation which causes the phenomenon alternation of generations. The team's studies greatly support a theory put forward in the last century proposing that the "complex diploid body was a novel evolutionary invention." These new findings may prove very useful as mutations in the gene cause plants to skip a generation. If scientists could harness a gene that skips the gene scrambling haploid generation it may prove very useful in agriculture. With this new discovery they could genetically engineer plants with desirable characteristics to skip the haploid generation and essentially create clones of themselves.

Relevance

This article talks about the gene that regulates alternation of generations in land plants which is an adaptation we discussed in class and was detailed in the textbook. Furthermore, the gene was found in moss, a bryophyte, one of the first land plants, which we also discussed in class and was detailed in the textbook.

Article Information

URL: http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/03/130301123314.htm
Author: Monash University
Date of Publication: February 28, 2013

Biofilm: Nasty stuff

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=twxPyvdc-EE

Biofilm: Bacteria’s way of living

Summary

This educational video talks about biofilms and their purpose. Biofilms are colonies of millions of bacteria “glued” together with polysaccharides. These polysaccharides have the consistency of mucus. Biofilm allows the bacteria to grow wherever there is water, meaning that they are present in a very wide variety of environments. Like cities, biofilm allows the bacteria to work together to find food, survive attacks, and spread. Some biofilms, like dental plaque, consists of hundreds of different bacteria working together to thrive (and cause dental problems).
         Bacteria that live in biofilm end up being almost 1000x more resistant to antibiotics than lone bacteria; this means that almost 80% of infectious bacteria, including those that cause plague and chorea, live as biofilm. These resistant films of bacteria can cause so much damage that they might have to be surgically removed from the human body. Scientists are only recently figuring out how to deal with severe biofilm infections.

Relevance:

In class, we had learned about the different types of microorganisms, especially bacteria. We learned that intestinal bacteria formed films on the surface of the large intestine, and that many bacteria had the capability to produce slime. This video reveals that many infectious bacteria also create these slimy films, and use it to their advantage.

Article Info:

URL: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=twxPyvdc-EE

Author: scishow (Hank Green)

Date of Publication: Published on Dec 11, 2012

Works Cited: http://dft.ba/-381R

Fossilized Microbe Found in Leech Cocoon

http://www.labnews.co.uk/news/fossilised-microbe-discovered-in-200-million-year-old-leech-cocoon/

Fossilized Microbe Discovered in 200 Million Year Old Leach Cocoon

Summary:

This article talks about how palaeobiologists at the University of Kansas have discovered a ciliate fossil that was embedded in the wall of a fossilized leech cocoon in rock that has been dated to 200 million years ago. The microbe is part of the Vorticella family and is an unicellular protozoan that moved in the water with the help of the cilia on its body. It is the first fossil found for the Vorticellidase family and the chances of it being fossilized were very slim. The specimen was found in rock samples from Timber Peak in the Eisenhower Mountain Range in Antarctica and was extracted using a technique called cuticular analysis where scientists analyze the cuticle to classify the organism and then destroy the rock using many different acids. The organic content is then put on a slide and observed through a microscope. Leeches cocoon themselves just before laying their eggs, then their eggs in the cocoon are left in area close to the parent. The team of scientist think that the microbe got stuck in the wall of the cocoon and was fossilized. This discovery suggests that researchers should look closer into cocoon fossils that act like conservation traps, much like amber.

Relevance to Class:

In our previous unit, microbes, one of our topics were protists, specifically animal-like protists called protozoans. We learned that some protists have cilia to help them move in the water. The microbe in the article, as previously mentioned, is a single celled protozoan that moved in water by using cilia. We also talked about fossils and how organism may be fossilized in amber or rock, but we never talked about organisms being fossilized in leech cocoons.

Article Information:

URL: http://www.labnews.co.uk/news/fossilised-microbe-discovered-in-200-million-year-old-leech-cocoon/

Author: Laboratory News

Date of Publication: January 4, 2013

Plant Life Cycle Vs. Human Life Cycle

Video:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ru9d3HX9uH8

Summary:

Plants have lived on land for approximately 500 million years. The video contrasts the human life cycle to a plant life cycle. In both of these cycles, there is a diploid stage and a haploid part. In the human life cycle, the haploid part of life are the gametes (eggs and sperm) and the diploid part is a person. In this way, the human life cycle only has one multicellular body (a person). In a plants life though, there end up being two multicellular bodies. These two bodies are the sporophyte and the gametophyte. As the video says, the sporophyte creates sporangium which eventually create spores. The sporophyte is diploid, while the spores are haploid. This is possible because meiosis occurs and ultimately makes haploid spores. The second multicellular body is the gametophyte. The gametophyte is a haploid body that creates haploid gametes through mitosis. After these gametes are created, an egg and a sperm (both of these are gametes) fuse together through fertilization and create a diploid zygote. Then the cycle can repeat like this again and again.

Relevance to Class:

This unit has been about plants. This means we have been learning about plants came about, their anatomy and how they reproduce. Therefore, this video is very similar to what we had done earlier this week. In fact we got a diagram similar to the one in the video and were told to fill it out. Although I found it helpful to have another perspective on this very important cycle. In addition, earlier this year we had studied how humans reproduce through meiosis. In this way, I appreciated how the video contrasted these two cycles that I was already familiar of.  

Video Information:

URL:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ru9d3HX9uH8

Date of Publication: Feburary 28, 2012

Creator's Youtube Username: DrDiclonius

Plant Diversity

Plant Diversity

Summary

This video explains plant diversity starting with the abiotic and biotic factors as well as the sexual reproduction and overview of each group of plants.  Byrophytes, Pteridophytes, Gymnosperms, and Angiosperms are the four groups of plants and this video explains all the adaptations of each group from pre-history to the present. The video goes chronologically and explains each type of group when it developed in contrast to the other groups of plants. It uses dividing factors like vascular tissue, flowers, the ability to conserve water, leaves, roots, fruit, spores, etc. A fun overview video with a good tune to go along with.

Relevance

In class, we are currently learning about the different types of plants and the grouping factors as well as the adaptations for each. We also learnt about plant reproduction and the various types of plants that are in each group like mosses, pine trees, etc. Also, the video has a few rudimentary cladograms that show the evolution of the groups relative to the other groups of plants. We are reminded about the sexual and asexual reproduction in plants and the different types of factors that can affect a plant's evolution and life. Well known plants that are mentioned in the video include hornworts, liverworts, and pine trees. 

Information

URL: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4yTjFJ5naas

Date Published: Feb. 11, 2013

Posted By: Luke Leach