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This is an image of a green "leaf bug," as many people would call it, and the adaptation this insect has acquired through the species' evolution is not uncommon. Camouflage is a common adaptation that allows an organism to blend in with its environment. This adaptation is a prime example of evolution as it is a trait that aids in the survival and reproduction of an organism within its environment. This insect has evolved to have a coloration similar to its natural environment. The camouflage hides the insect in its environment to protect it from predators, lengthening its lifespan and allowing it to survive to maturity and reproduce. This trait is also considered an example of an advantageous trait as it aids the insect in its survival, giving it an "advantage" in its environment. This trait also helps protect this insect from the process of natural selection, as natural selection favors the survival of advantageous traits. Overall, this image of the "leaf bug" shows evolution working at its best, an adaptation of an advantageous trait to this insect, that was acquired to protect it, allowing it to mature and reproduce, so its offspring will hopefully show the advantageous trait of this camouflage as well.

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Prokaryotes, Fungi, and Protists: Padlet Assignment 2

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Prokaryotes, Fungi, and Protists: Padlet Assignment 2

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Aspergillus niger, or commonly known as black mold is a fungus that is known as a common contaminant of food, it is considered safe in trace amounts. Though in trace amounts it is not harmful, it can cause infections and sickness in large quantities. It is attributed to the cause of some cases of pneumonia. This fungus has several different strains, and can be cultivated easily in laboratory conditions. Black mold is used industrially to convert biomass into biofuels, "by breaking down cellulose and hemicellulose from plant cell walls, into a substance which is later converted into second-generation ethanol" (News Medical, 2018). It has been found that this fungus can be used in gene editing for gene targeting purposes. Aspergillus niger is easily removed with the use of basic antifungals and it is not considered to be a dangerous fungus. In many cases enzymes produced from this fungus can be used in medications.

Source: https://www.news-medical.net/life-sciences/What-is-Aspergillus-niger.aspx

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Diversity of Plants: Padlet Assignment 3

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Diversity of Plants: Padlet Assignment 3

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Both monocots and dicots are important, and we use both and see both daily. The plants that we as humans use the most often, however, like rice, wheat, and corn, are monocots. Most of the plants used in large-scale agriculture are monocots, so our grains and wheats used to make bread and flour and many of the products humans consume are products of a monocot.

Conversely, many garden plants are dicots. Plants like tomatoes, apples, coffee beans, peas, and carrots are all dicots. So, it is easy to see how many of the plants we use and see are also dicots.

Though the type of plant we most use now is a monocot, dicots are also very important to our diets today. Both monocots and dicots are types of plants that play a large role in the human diet.

Source: https://www.farmcreditofvirginias.com/blog/monocots-and-dicots

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Diversity of Animals: Padlet Assignment 4

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Diversity of Animals: Padlet Assignment 4

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Classification:

Cnidarians are aquatic animals found in both freshwater and saltwater environments. There are two types of cnidarians, Swimming Medusae and Sessile Polyps, both have tentacles around the mouth. Cnidocytes are a specialized type of cell that these organisms use to capture their prey. There are five classes of cnidarians Anthozoa, Syphozoa, Cubozoa, Hydrozoa, and Staurozoa.

Anatomy:

Cnidaria is a phylum that includes over 10,000 species that most commonly have a simple and symmetrical shape like a bell. Cnidarian bodies are made of a substance called Mesoglea, which is a nonliving jelly substance. The Mesoglea is found in-between two layers of tissues, and cnidarians have a single body cavity for respiration and digestion. They do not have a central nervous system, but they do have a collection of neural tissue.

Video Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=owLiWglZ1-4

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What Are Cnidarians? | Learn all about the phylum of jellyfish, coral reefs, sea anemones, and more!

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Homeostasis in Humans: (Chapter 16-18 Animal Structure and Function) Padlet Assignment 5

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Homeostasis in Humans: (Chapter 16-18 Animal Structure and Function) Padlet Assignment 5

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Homeostasis is the process inside an organism that maintains balance; just like any organism, human bodies also strive for equilibrium. The activity of major body systems inside human bodies helps to maintain homeostasis. The endocrine system plays a crucial role in homeostasis within the human body as it regulates the activity of the body's cells. The release of hormones into the blood is controlled by a stimulus that either causes an increase or decrease in the amount of hormone secreted. The human body's response to a stimulus changes internal conditions and may become a new stimulus. This mechanism is called feedback regulation.

Negative feedback- The response to a stimulus reduces the original stimulus.

Positive feedback- The response to a stimulus increases the original stimulus.

Negative feedback loops are the most common in biological systems, as this process is meant to return the body to homeostasis. Thermoregulation is a negative feedback loop that maintains ideal body temperature. When the body temperature rises, receptors in the skin sense the temperature change, and the brain causes a physical response that increases sweat production and causes blood vessels near the skin's surface to dilate. This process effectively helps to reduce body temperature.

Source: https://flexbooks.ck12.org/cbook/ck-12-advanced-biology/section/17.4/primary/lesson/homeostasis-and-the-human-body-advanced-bio-adv/

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Celiac Disease: (Chapter 16-18 Animal Structure and Function) Padlet Assignment 6

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Celiac Disease: (Chapter 16-18 Animal Structure and Function) Padlet Assignment 6

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Celiac Disease

Celiac Disease is an autoimmune disease affecting the small intestine, it is linked to gluten ingestion and is genetically inherited. Celiac Disease affects the duodenum, which is the tract that adsorbs iron from the diet. Iron-deficiency anemia is a frequent sign of Celiac Disease both in children and in adults. A study is conducted within this article containing male and female subjects of two groups, adults and Children/ adolescents. This study finds that within the adult group there were higher levels of female subjects than male subjects with Celiac Disease and Iron-deficiency anemia. This was reasoned to have a high probability of being linked to the menstrual cycle. The adolescent and children group were found to be present with malabsorptive Celiac Disease which with their reduced iron storage and high iron demand makes them more susceptible to Iron-deficiency anemia. The study concluded that adults had higher rates of Celiac Disease and Iron-deficiency anemia, than adolescents and children. The reasoning for this is still unknown but the study theorizes that this may be because the children are able to recover as they grow older.

Source:

https://research.ebsco.com/c/lgmlga/viewer/pdf/sv4vjrf7f5

Citation:

Valvano, Marco, Chiara Giansante, Antonio Vinci, Massimo Maurici, Stefano Fabiani, Gianpiero Stefanelli, Nicola Cesaro, Angelo Viscido, Claudia Caloisi, and Giovanni Latella. 2025. “Persistence of Anemia in Patients with Celiac Disease despite a Gluten Free Diet: A Retrospective Study.” BMC Gastroenterology 25 (1): 128. doi:10.1186/s12876-025-03712-6.

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Ecology and Ecosystems: Padlet Assignment 7

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Ecology and Ecosystems: Padlet Assignment 7

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Deserts are characterized by their hot temperatures and the drastic change in temperature from hot to cold at night. Another characteristic of the desert is high evaporation rates and low precipitation rates. They also typically have sparse vegetation, small hardy grasses and cacti, and low humidity rates. Deserts are usually located at latitudes 30° north and south.

Animals that live in the desert have adapted to its harsh environment, needing little water, and adapted to extreme heat. Many of these creatures are also nocturnal, being awake at night instead of during the day. Some of these animals include camels, lizards, snakes, and small rodents. Deserts have a low biodiversity due to their harsh climates, as these animals have all had to adapt greatly to survive their ecosystem.

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Biodiversity is a term that represents the total variety of all life on Earth. Our planet has a very rich biodiversity, which is beneficial because higher biodiversity rates increase the security of the planet. We as humans rely on all of the species of plants and animals on Earth. These plants and animals keep the food we eat in supply and the air we breathe clean. Human activity has dramatically decreased biodiversity across the world. We have destroyed habitats, reduced species growth, and driven some species to extinction. Biodiversity is dropping rapidly across the world, This is devastating for the ecosystem, and in turn devastating for humans as well. Though climate change is viewed as the most important environmental crisis we face today, biodiversity loss is equally, if not more important.