Blog 13: Hypolith

BOW Pick an extreme organism from one of the two books. Research it why is it extreme
Find a picture Don't forget references.
  

A hypolith is a photosynthetic organism  that lives underneath rocks in climate extreme deserts such as Cornwallis Island and Devon Island in the Arctic.  These hypoliths thrive where extreme temperature and moisture stress limit the occurrence of higher plant and animal life. Several studies have reported the occurrence of green hypolithic colonization are dominated by cyanobacteria.  Thier habitat is created by the movement of rocks, which allow some light to reach their underside. These rocks are called quartz stones.  They serve as substrates for hypoliths.  Hypoliths trap moisture and are translucent to allow the penetration of light.  They also protect rocks from harsh winds.  The rocks on Cornwallis island appear to be greenish color because the hypolith appear as that pigment.  A hypoilith can be green, red, yellow depending on where the rock is located and the harsh climate. Hypoliths can probably double productivity for the polar desert ecozone in the future.

http://www.traveldoctoronline.net/photosynthetic-microbes-in-freezing-deserts-MTU3Mzc3MjM=.htm

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hypolith

http://www.nasa.gov/audience/foreducators/living-under-a-rock.html

http://www.livescience.com/133-wild-extreme-creatures.html

Blog 12: Prokaryote and Eukaryote Wordle

 A virus is an intracellular parasite that uses precursors of the host cell to reproduce.  It uses either the lytic or lysogenic cycle to reproduce.  Viruses that infect bacteria are called bacteriophages.  Viruses can only infect a limited amount of cells by knowing their host range.  They are viral emerging diseases in all living organisms.  Bacteria are prokaryotic cells therefore allow researchers to investigate genetics in the simplest true organisms.  Bacteria reproduces in a process called conjuction in which direct transfer of genetic material  occur between two bacteria cells that are joined together temporarily.  R plasmids are bacteria that have resistant genes that specifically kill antibiotics such as anmpicillin.  Bacteria must be treated right away before it spreads inside the host or else the organism's disease will turn into a virus.  A fungi gets its nutrtion from asorption.  Exoenzymes brake down complex molecules to simpler complex molecules that help in asorption.  The mycellium is the part where the fungi gets its food from the nutrients of the soil.  There are four types of fungi: Chytrids, zygomycota,   Glomeromycota,  Ascomycota( sac fungi) and Basidiomycota (Club Fungi)  Fungi can be found in any habitat they can infect a plant, animal and even food.

Blog 11: Cellular Metabolism Wordle

 
These words are very important to know when studying metabolism.  Metabolism manages the energy resources of the cell.  With the help catabolic pathways the process of cellular respiration in plants can occur in order to attain food for its survival.  Without plants, many autotrophic organisms will become extinct to the point were there existence may no longer be seen here on earth.  Bioenergetics study how these organism use their energy resources wisely.  The first law of thermodynamics help us understand that energy in the universe is constant, it can not be created nor destroyed.  For example, a cheetah obtains its chemical energy by eating its prey and this energy is converted into kinetic energy as the cheetah uses it to sprint across the grassy plains.  Metabolism plays a major role in the lives of living organisms.  It helps us adapt to new eating habits and if you go without food for a period of time it will adjust accordingly and slow down on its own.

Blog 10: Bacteria VS...

Bacteria vs. Virus

      Similarities                                             Differences

·         Have enzymes	·         Bacteria are prokaryotic cells
·         Both cause diseases(Pathogens)	·         Viruses are non-cellular
·         Do not have nucleus	·         Bacteria are spherical, rod, or spiral shaped.
·         Can survive extreme weather conditions	·         Virus are geometric shape
	·         Bacteria: Reproduction
	·         Virus: Replication
	·         Bacteria: can multiply on non-living surfaces
	·         Virus: must have a living host to multiply

 http://www.buzzle.com/articles/bacteria-vs-virus.html

http://www.hometrainingtools.com/bacteria-protists-viruses-science-teaching-tips/a/1205/

Virus vs. Prion

        Similarities                                             Differences

·         Contain proteins	·         Prions: do not have nucleic acid in cell structure
·         Host can be on mammals	·         Virus: Nucleic acid to help them reproduce
·         Need living cells to grow and reproduce	·         Virus: have protein coat
·         Are non-living things	·         Prions: cause brain diseases only
	·         Virus: produces many severe diseases

http://vspages.com/virus-vs-prion-2365/

http://learnsomescience.com/microbiology/viruses-viroids-and-prions/

Bacteria vs. Protist

       Similarities                                             Differences

·         Fusion of gametes	·         Protist: have membrane bound-nucleus
·         Are unicellular	·         Protist: Eukaryotic Cells
·         Cause diseases (pathogens)	·         Bacteria: Prokaryotic Cells
·         Divide by binary fission	·         Bacteria have a cell wall: therefore being spherical, rod, or spiral shaped.
·         Heterotrophs or autotrophs	·         Protist lack a cell wall: therefore can not stay n specific shapes.

http://www.wisegeek.com/what-are-protists.htm

http://www.hometrainingtools.com/bacteria-protists-viruses-science-teaching-tips/a/1205/

https://docs.google.com/viewer?a=v&q=cache:WYWQn1F83CkJ:www.mccd.edu/faculty/bio1/bio1lectures/Bacteria_wo_copyright.pdf+&hl=en&gl=us&pid=bl&srcid=ADGEESiQRiWGE-aT5DigPDNTxGLCMNEmwDYOxLgkECp_cSSLWIXi44t9eB59FbnCPiHQmtENVSUu8W8FxDytSRZMx7WGhAy-GmuNdIt-R_aDF4O9IDUocHZipafXw83WN56Z2_SiS7tp&sig=AHIEtbQaUlepLeya8mDOjCxgYFxlzjRiiA

Blog 9 : Transformation and Transduction

In bacterial transformation, bacteria and DNA are mixed together to create a "heat shock".  "heat shock" is a process that induces the bacteria to take in plasmid DNA.  With the ionic shield in place, the DNA is swept through the adhesion zone(admit plasmid DNA).  Only transformed bacteria that contain two types of resistance genes could grow in the presence of the antibodies, tetracyline and kanamycin.  As a result after bacterial transformation was a recombined plasmid containing both the (tet) and the (kan) gene.  Same methods could be used recombine genes from eukaryotic and prokaryotic organisms.
Transduction occurs in the lytic cycle or the lysogenic cycle.  In Transduction, genetic information is transferred between cells using bacteriophage ( virus particle).  It does not require cell to cell contact and does not demote DNA.  Specialized transduction uses specialized phage, in which some of the phage's genetic material has been replaced by bacterial chromosome. The phage particles carry the same amount of the bacterial chromosome(genetic material). The phage can introduce their DNA into the recipient bacterium through recombination,the breaking of genetic material to join other genetic material. Finally, host cell obtains phage DNA and genes from the previous host.  

Transformation

Transduction

Sources
http://www.dnalc.org/view/15916-DNA-transformation.html
http://www.bookrags.com/research/transduction-wog/

Blog 8: Cell Size

What shape (radius, villi and dimples) and size allow a cell to have the highest rate of diffusion?
The following properties are needed for a cell to reach its highest diffusion rate of 4.64  A cell must have a ratio of 10:1 for its radius.  Its villi percent should be 50% on the cells surface area.  Dimples on a cell have no effect on diffusion rate therefore the percent of dimples of cell surface area is not required.  The cell must have an oval shape and its surface area should be approximately 988.77 and its volume 3.91 in size.

Cellular Respiration and Photosynthesis

      

REFERENCES

http://www.buzzle.com/articles/photosynthesis-and-cellular-respiration.html

http://www.differencebetween.net/science/difference-between-cellular-respiration-and-photosynthesis/

 Cellular Respiration                         Similarities                                Photosynthesis

●     Occurs day and night	●     Both occur in two stages	●     certain part of photosynthesis can only occur during daylight
●     Occurs in the mitochondia	●     Both are aerobic	●     occurs in chloroplasts
●     uses NAD+ to transfer hydrogen ions	●     Generate ATP by chemiosmosis	●     uses NADP to transfer hydrogen ions
●     occurs in two phases: light reactions and dark reactions (Calvin cycle)	●     Have an electron transport chain	●     occurs in three phases: Glycolysis, Krebs cycle and Electron transport chain
●     process where food made by photosynthesis is converted in to energy for plants	●     Both utilize ATP for energy	●     process where plants use sunlight to produce food
●     occurs in plants and some bacteria	●     Both involve exchanging of oxygen and carbon dioxide	●     occurs in all living organisms
●     uses the glucose produced from photosynthesis to create ATP	●     Both have alternate pathways; C3, C4 and CAM(photosynthesis) and fermentation(cellular respiration)	●     Requires energy to produce glucose
●     turns sugar back into CO2 and H20		●     Turns CO2 and H20 into sugar