Animal with a Segmented Body: Spider (Araneae)

The web that will become the graveyard of many unsuspecting insects, pictured above, is the product of the segmented Spider. Segmentation is the subdivision of the body along an organism’s length into recurring segments. The Spider has a segmented body. The Arachnid is segmented into three parts: a head, a thorax and an abdomen. The head is the region of the Spider that contains  eyes and mouthparts that are adapted to fit the need of the arachnid. The evolution of the segmented body is believed to be an adaptation producing movement, resulting in mobility and flexibility for an organism. With increased movement and range of motion, an organism has a greater chance of survival.

Pollinator: Honey Bee

Honey, pictured above, is a byproduct of nectar. Nectar is collected by honeybees. A Honey Bee is a pollinator. A pollinator is an organism that collects pollen from the anthers of one flower and deposits the pollen on the stigma of another flower that it visits. This leads to pollination, which is the transfer of pollen from a flower’s anther to the stigma of the same or different flower. The Honey Bee is a pollinator because as it sucks nectar from a flower, the pollen from the anthers of the flower become attached to the legs and body of the bee. When the bee perches on another flower to drink its nectar, the pollen gets deposited onto the stigma of the new flower, completing pollination. If the flower accepts the pollen, the sperm that reside inside the pollen grains will be released into the stigma, travel down the style and will fertilize the flowers’ eggs in the ovary.

Basidiomycetes: Shiitake Mushrooms

The Basidiomycetes are the most recognizable group of the kingdom Fungi, including the mushrooms. The characteristics of this group include their distinct club-shaped and spore-producing structure called a basidium, hence the name Basidiomycetes. The Shiitake Mushrooms, which are pictured above, are basidiomycetes. They can reproduce both asexually and sexually, using spores that will settle in moist areas and germinate, producing more fungi.

Homeostasis: My mother experiencing Goosebumps

Homeostasis is the process of maintaining the stability of an organism’s internal environment even when the external conditions surrounding the organism are constantly changing. My mother, as shown above, is demonstrating the remarkable work of homeostasis at hand. During the winter months, temperatures can plummet from the 70s to the 40s overnight. Although it is not yet winter, humans may feel a bit chilly within a car, a department store or even within their own homes. In order to maintain internal stability, the human body begins to involuntarily shiver and produce goose bumps. Shivering allows for some muscle contractions, producing heat that helps keep the body at the constant and comfortable temperature of 98.6 degrees farenheit. Goosebumps are a a byproduct of erector pili muscles within the epidermis raising the hair on the human body, trying to insulate the body by trapping a layer of warm air against the skin. However, this mechanism is not to effective due to the fact that not much bodily hair inhabits the surface of the human body.

Modified Root of a Plant: Hala Tree

The Hala Tree, as pictured above, has modified roots. The Hala tree’s roots, which will form the underground root system of the tree, begin descending from the trunk of the main tree and its branches. The roots elongate vertically from the trunk and branches to form the root system within the soil. The nutrients obtained through the soil allows for the aerial roots to undergo secondary growth, becoming thicker in girth and stronger. The aerial roots form a support system for the branches, earning them the name “columnar roots”.

Modified Stem of a Plant: Asparagus (Asparagus D. Sprengeri)

The Asparagus plants has modified stems in the form of tendrils. Tendrils are thin, threadlike structures that will “climb” and attach to a plant or a stationary structure. By attaching to another plant or structure, tendrils assist the asparagus plants by giving them support, stability and mobility.

Modified Leaf of a Plant: Cacti

Cacti have modified leaves in the form of prickly spines. Spines are thin, sharp and rigid structures that cover the entire exterior of the cacti above. Spines assist cacti not only in protection against predators, but also as prevention from dessication and sun damage. Spines also condense moisture from the atmosphere and drip the resulting water onto the ground to be collected by the cacti’s roots, providing a water supply to the cacti.

Modified Leaf of a Plant: ‘MO’OMOMI ‘OHAI (Sesbania Tomentosa)

The ‘MO’OMOMI ‘OHAI (part of the pea family) has modified leaves in the form of tendrils. Tendrils are thin, threadlike structures that will “climb” and attach to a plant or a stationary structure. By attaching to another plant or structure, tendrils assist the pea plants by giving them support and stability.

Population: Moisture Ants

A population is a group of organisms that are part of the same species and who are interacting with each other in the same biome. These Moisture Ants, shown above, are an example of a population as the ants gather food for the colony.

Spore: Staghorn Fern

A spore is a cell that can generate a new organism without the need of coalescing with another cell. This Staghorn Fern, as shown above, has haploid spores that are kept within sporangia, which act as a protective chamber for the spores. Spores are found within seedless vascular plants, such as ferns or club mosses. With their resistant and tough-walled structure, spores are idyllic for dispersal in seedless vascular plants.