Unit 9 Reflection

Unit 9

Hello Readers it is finally the end of another unit and as always I am here to give you a summary on what I learned and what I take away from this unit. Unit 9 was very classification based and is a huge run down of most, if not all of the different organisms in our world, from elephants to bacteria. In fact that brings us to our first topic of bacteria. I learned that they come in 3 basic shapes: Spheres, Rods, and Spirals. The cell walls are made of peptidoglycan and that most move with flagellum.

As shown above.

Chemoheterotrophs: Eat other Bacteria
Photoautotrophs: Use light to convert carbon and water into compounds
Chemoautotrophs: Get energy from chemical reactions

Aerobes, need oxygen to survive, unlike Anarobes which oxygen kills them. The very adaptive ones are Anaerobes which can need a mixture of both to survive.

Some uses of bacteria are:

• Decomposition
• Fermentation
• Medicine
• Biofuels

 Moving on to a different classification are Viruses. By definition a Virus is: very small, infectious particle consisting of nucleic acid enclosed in a protein coat and in some cases a membrane envelope.

They usually multiply by taking over a cell and using it's resources to make more copies of itself, eventually killing the host cell. A well recognized Virus is the Bacteriaphage which injects its' DNA in cells to multiply ans kill the cell.The reason we get sick from Viruses make us sick is because they kill our cells or they produce toxins.

Our next stop is Fungi. Fungi is most commonly know as mushrooms but there are others such as Bread Molds. They have cell walls made of chitin and absorb their food through nyphae. Fungi use spores to reproduce and disperse, and have many uses.

Some are:

• Food
• Antibiotics
• Hallucinations

Some can be harmful pathogens to humans such as Athlete's Foot and Ringworm.

Now we get to plants, and they are a good indicator of evolution because they are so diverse. If you want more on genetics or diversity click on this Link. One major adaptation to get away from the riverbanks was the cuticle. It is a waxy protective layer that stopped plants from drying out, and an extreme example of this are those very waxy cacti. They also got more adept at vascular systems to allow resources to get through the plant. A huge advantage was pollen because it allowed reproduction without free standing water.

The major plant Phyla are:

• Mosses (Bryophyta)

seedless non vascular plants

• Ferns (Pterophyta)

Has supportive vascular system, with roots and leaves

•  Cone plants (Gymnosperms)

cone is reproductive structure and the pollen is in male cones and eggs are in the scales of the female cones

Some of the others include Cyrads (Palm Tree like), Ginkgos (last one left), Conifers (most common).

• Angiosperms

Largest plant Phylum and are the dominant plants on earth. Their flowers are the best because of easy pollination. Fruit allows for easy seed dispersal.

Monocots: leaf veins parallel, and have flowering parts usually in 3's, Vascular tissue in stem

Dicots: Leaf veins net like, Flowering parts in 4's or 5's, Vascular tissue in rings of stems

Moving to Invertebrates! They are in the Animal Kingdom and usually reproduce sexually. Most have what are known as Hox genes, which control early development. These are 97% percent of all animal species and are grouped by; body symmetry (Bilateral (halved) or Radial (from a center point)), Tissue layers, and development patterns.

• Sponges and Cnidarians

Most primitive animals on earth, are filter feeders and have 2 forms

1. Polyps (anemones)
2. Medusa (jellyfish)

has 4 classes:

1.  Scyphozoans (Jellyfish)
2. Anthozoans (Coral, Anemones)
3. Hydrozoans (Hydra)
4. Cucozoans (Boxjelly)

• Flatworms

Are mostly parasitic and come in 3 classes:

1. Planarians
2. Flukes
3. Tapeworms

• Molluska 

These share radula, mantle and ctenidia

3 classes are:

1. Gastropods (snails and slugs)
2. Bivalyes (Clams, Oysters and Mussels)
3. Cephalopods (Octopus, Squid and Cuttlefish)

Segmented Worms:

• Earthworms
• Marine Worms
• Leeches

An extinct species is Arthropods, which had chitin exoskeletons and segmented joints

• Trilobites

Now extinct

• Crustaceans

live in oceans, streams and land. Usually have abdomen, cephalotothorax, 2 pairs of antennae, exoskeleton, and a carapace.

It includes:

1. Decapods
2. Barnicles
3. Isapods

• Chelicerates

have special dagger like mouths.

• Insects

 live on land and have 6 legs, 3 pairs of legs, 1 pair of antennae, and head thorax and abdomen

• Myriapods

Have long bodies with paired legs, open circulatory system, uses antennae as sensors, and have compound eyes.

• Echinoderms

Have internal skeleton made of ossicles, have good digestive system, are regenerative, and uses water vascular system.

The last group we identified was Chordates. All of them have some common traits (like a backbone) and an endo-skeleton allows them to grow bigger than invertebrates. They all have 4 features while developing; notochord, hollow nerve cord, pharyngeal slits, tail.

• Agnath

These are jawless fish and there are only 2 species left;

1. Hagfish
2. Lampreys

• Condrictheyes 

these would be considered a sharks and "regular fish". They are cartilaginous fish with jaws that are highly successful.

2 classes are:

1. Condrictheyes (Sharks)
2. Osteictheyes (Regular Fish)

They must move to breath, and have bones and swim bladder.

•  Osterictheyes

Bony fish with jaws

• Amphibia

4 limbs, water and land dwellers, Include

2.Salamanders

long body, 4 limbs and tail, 300+ species

2.Frogs and Toads

3000+ species, can be poisonous

3.Caecilians
legless, burrowing, 160+ species

All of these listed are amniotes, 2 circuit blood vessels.

3 Chambered heart: Reptiles and Amphibians
4 Chambered heart: Birds and Mammals

Ecto: Cold blooded
Endo: Internally warm blood

• Reptiles

Ectotherms with scales, eggs, and 3 chamber hearts and include:

• Turtles, Tortoises, and Terrapins

bony shell, 200+ species

• Snakes and Lizards

Shed skin, flexible skull, have Jacobson organ

• Crocodillians

semi-aquatic, 23+ species

• Birds (Avians) 

hollow bones, wishbone, feathers

•  Mammals

 Active, large brained, endothermic, have hair, jaws, good ears



Thanks for reading!!!

Here is more on a project I did

https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/12mQx-N86bFId2EL_Suw99pZHYAuVE7ixedxe-HYaP2U/edit?usp=sharing




https://impremedia.net/bacterial-flagellar-motor-animation/

https://www.alamy.com/stock-photo-bacteriophage-viruses-infecting-bacterial-cells-86901377.html 

https://sciencing.com/fungus-vs-mold-5529716.html