The End

Well, when I started this blog, I thought it would just be for me and my teachers. Turns out, I've gotten a lot of hits from random people googling the phrases on my blog. Thanks for reading!

AudienceRefresh   Now   Day   Week   Month   All time 2009 May – 2011 August

Pageviews by Countries United States 525 Hong Kong 23 Germany 8 Philippines 2 India 1 Pageviews by Browsers Internet Explorer 197 (35%) Chrome 187 (33%) Safari 88 (15%) Firefox 87 (15%) Pageviews by Operating Systems Windows 450 (80%) Macintosh 58 (10%) iPad 31 (5%) iPod 13 (2%) Linux 5 (<1%)

Meristem

Meristem is the undifferentiated tissue from which new cells are formed at the tip or root. This tree in my yard has meristem in its roots.

Courtship behavior

Courtship behavior is the actions between mutually attracted individuals of the opposite sex. Male peacocks  spread their colorful tail feathers, like the ones pictured at my house, to attract female peacocks.

Long-day plant

A long-day plant is a plant that flowers only after being exposed to light in periods longer than a certain critical length, like in summer. Lettuce, such as the kind pictured here from the grocery store, is a long-day plant.

Homologous Structures

Homologous structures are body parts that are alike because, according to the theory of evolution, the species in question share a common ancestor. For example, the human ear ossicle is similar to the fish jaw bone. This is a picture of my ear to represent the human ear ossicle and a picture of salmon at Publix to represent the fish jaw bone.

Lipid used for energy storage

Lipid is a fatty or waxy organic compound that s readily soluble in non-polar solutions. Oil, such as the olive oil in my kitchen, is a lipid used for energy storage in animals.

Lichen

A lichen is a simple plant consisting of a fungus, usually of the subdivision Ascomycotina, that grows symbiotically with algae. It usually forms a low crust-like or branching growth on rocks, walls, or trees. This is a picture of lichen growing on a tree near my house.

K-strategist

K-strategists are organisms that produce small numbers of offspring at a time and protect their young. Dogs, like my friend's dog who's pictured, are K-strategists.

Krebs Cycle

The Krebs Cycle is the complex series of chemical reactions in all cells that utilize oxygen as a part of their respiration process.This plant goes through the Krebs cycle in its mitochondria.

Introduced Species

Introduced species are species that humans have placed into an ecosystem or community, accidentally or intentionally, in which it doesn't naturally occur. This is a picture of a Chinese elm tree in my yard which is not native to America, but was brought here by humans.

Heterotroph

A heterotroph is an organism that derives its nutritional requirements from complex organic substances. All animals, such as my friend's dog who's pictured, are heterotrophs.

Hydrophobic

Hydrophobic means to not have a tendency to mix with, dissolve in, or be wetted by water. Oil is hydrophobic; to demonstrate this, I mixed some oil from my kitchen with water in a glass.

Hydrophilic

Hydrophilic means to have a tendency to mix with, dissolve in, or be wetted by water. Salt is hydrophilic; to demonstrate this, I mixed some salt from my kitchen with water in a glass.

Homeostasis

Homeostasis is the property of a system, either open or closed, that regulates its internal environment and tends to maintain a stable, constant condition. Birds, like the one that lives in this bird nest in my yard, exhibits homeostasis. If you look carefully, you can see the bird's tail in its nest.

Hermaphrodite

A hermaphrodite is an organism that has both male and female reproductive organs. Most flowering plants, like this rose found in my house, are hermaphrodites.

Gymnosperm Cone

A gymnosperm is a vascular plant having seeds that are not enclosed in an ovary. Most gymnosperms store their seeds in cones like the pine cone pictured from my backyard

Glycogen

Glycogen is a substance deposited in body tissues as a store of carbs. Glycogen is found in human muscles, like the ones demonstrated by my mother in the picture. 

Gibberellin

Gibberellin are plant hormones that regulate growth and influence various stages of the developmental process. Gibberellin are found in young leaves, like the ones pictured from my yard, of plants.

Genetically Modified Organism

A genetically modified organism, or GMO, is an organism whose genetic material has been altered using genetic engineering. Tomatoes, such as these from my kitchen, are often genetically modified to appear shinier and become resistant to diseases.

Flower Ovary

A flower ovary is an ovule-bearing lower part of a pistal that ripens into fruit. This is a picture of a zucchini blossom from my yard. In the bottom middle of the blossom is the flower's ovary. 

Frond

A frond is the leaf or leaflike part of a palm or fern. This is a picture of a fake palm tree found in my house. The green leaflike parts are its fronds.

Fermentation

Fermentation is the chemical breakdown of a substance by bacteria, yeasts, or other microorganisms, typically involving effervescence and the giving off of heat. The sugar in grapes ferments to become alcohol like in the wine bottle from my kitchen.

Exoskeleton

An exoskeleton is a rigid external covering for the body in some invertebrate animals. Crustaceans, like the one that once lived in this conch shell found in my house, have exoskeletons. 

Eukaryote

Eukaryotes are organisms that consist of a cell or cells in which the genetic material is in the form of chromosomes contained within a distinct nucleus. Yeast cells, like the ones found in my refrigerator, are eukaryotes.

Eubacteria

Eubacteria are a type of bacterium that typically have simple cells with rigid cell walls and often flagella for movement. Some eubacteria can cause diseases and are supposedly killed by this hand sanitizer found at my house.

Ethylene

Ethylene is a flammable hydrocarbon gas, C2H4, of the alkene series. It occurs in natural gas, coal gas, crude oil, and is given off be ripening fruit such as the ones from my kitchen pictured.

Epithelial Tissue

Epithelial tissue is the membraneous tissue covering internal organs and other internal surfaces of the body. This is a picture of my leg which is covered in such tissue.

Commensalism

Commensalism is an association between two organisms in which one benefits and the other derives neither benefit or harm. A bird living in a tree branch from my yard as shown in this picture is an example of commensalism.

Ectotherm

An ectotherm is an organism that regulates its body temperature with its surroundings. Fish, like these shrimp from my freezer, are ectotherms. 

Endotherm

An endotherm is an organism that generates heat to maintain its body temperature. All mammals, such as my dog in this picture, are endotherms.

Endosperm

The endosperm is the nutritive tissue within seeds of flowering plants. The endosperm surrounds and is absorbed by the embryo. Coconut water is an example of endosperm and is found in coconuts. This is a picture of coconut shells found at my house.

Enzyme

An enzyme is a substance, such as proteins, produced by a living organism that acts as a catalyst to bring about a specific biochemical reaction. Chicken is an example of a protein, and it is found in this chicken soup in my kitchen.

Cuticle Layer of a Plant

The cuticle layer of a plant is the non-cellular protective layer covering the outer cell layer of the green aeriel parts of land plants. This is a picture of a flower in my yard that has a cuticle layer on it.

Connective Tissue

Connective tissue is a kind of tissue that binds, connects, supports, or separates other tissues or organs. Cartilage, such as the kind found in my mom's nose, is a type of connective tissue.

Cellular Respiration

Cellular respiration is the metabolic process whereby certain organisms obtain energy from organic molecules. It is also a process that takes place in the cells and tissues durning which energy is released and carbon dioxide is produced and absorbed by the blood to be transported to the lungs. Plants such as this flower found in my yard go through cellular respiration.

Cambrium

Cambrium is a cellular tissue found in all plants which phloem, xylem, or cork grows by division. In woody plants, this results in secondary thickening. Cambrium is found in this (dying) hydrangea from my yard.

Phone Case

This isn't really biology, but I got a new case for my phone. This will be what my phone will look like in pictures from now on.

Calvin Cycle

The Calvin cycle is the second stage of photosynthesis which doesn't require light to occur. Durning the cycle, energy is released from the ATP drives the production of organic molecules from carbon dioxide. This is a picture of a fern that, along with all plants, goes through the Calvin cycle.

CAM Plants

CAM, short for crassulacean acid metabolism, plants go through a type of photosynthesis in which CO2 is taken up and stored durning the night to allow the stomata to remain closed durning the day which decreases water loss. This is a picture of a pineapple found in my kitchen which, along with many succulent plants, is a CAM plant.

Biological Magnification

Biological magnification is when substances such as fertilizers, heavy metals, or pesticides get into the water of a lake or other body of water and are eaten by fish. The fish are, in turn, eaten my birds or humans. The substances become concentrated in the inner tissues and organs of the organisms and can harm them. This is a picture of a bag of fertilizer found in my house.

Auxin Producing Area of a Plant

Auxin is a plant hormone that causes the elongation of cells in shoots and is involved in regulating pant growth. This is a picture of a tomato plant found on my deck. The tomato plant, along with all plants, makes its auxin in its shoot apical membrane and the auxin travels downward in the phloem.

Autotroph

An autotroph, or producer, is an organism that produces complex organic compounds from simple inorganic molecules using energy from the photosynthesis or chemosynthesis. This is a picture of an evergreen tree found in my backyard which is an example of an autotroph.