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The image in this Padlet post, by way of National Geographic, is that of a phylogenetic tree. A phylogenetic tree consists of three main parts: The root, branches, and nodes. The root shows a distant common ancestor. From there, branches in the phylogenetic tree reveal how similar or dissimilar various organisms are to one another. After the branches come the nodes. These nodes show where the ancestral lines of the branches diverge to new evolutionary lines. I believe this image represents the concept of evolution by showing organisms becoming more complex and adapted to their individual environments. These individual adaptations thus speak to the concept of survival of the fittest: being able to survive long enough to pass one's genes along to the next generation.

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Padlet Assignment 2: Saccharomyces cerevisiae

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Padlet Assignment 2: Saccharomyces cerevisiae

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Saccharomyces cerevisiae (S. cerevisiae) holds a vital position in the culinary world at the commercial level. This species is more commonly known as brewer's yeast or baker's yeast. While this specific yeast is quite common when it comes to baking bread, brewing beer, and fermenting wine, it is also used in the modern era as a probiotic to help support gut health. In anaerobic environments, S. cerevisiae turns sugars into carbon dioxide and alcohol. This chemical reaction is known as fermentation and is what helps produce that complex glass of Malbec, amongst others, you're sipping while enjoying a perfectly cooked filet mignon. When it comes to baking bread, S. cerevisiae changes the physical properties of the dough through enzymatic reactions that are both started and ended through rising temperatures. While unknown to me until reading about this specific yeast, S. cerevisiae is responsible for the delectable taste and smell of freshly baked bread. In addition to the taste and smell attributes given to bread, this yeast does much the same with wine's various aromas and notes.

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Padlet Assignment 3: Monocots and Dicots

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Padlet Assignment 3: Monocots and Dicots

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Dicot and monocot are short for dicotyledon and monocotyledon, respectively. According to Oxford Languages (for both definitions), dicots are defined as flowering plants with an embryo that bears two seed leaves (cotyledons). Dicots represent the larger of the two groups with characteristics such as broad, stalked leaves with net-like venation, and floral parts in multiples of four or five. Monocots, short for monocotyledons, are defined as flowering plants with an embryo that bears a single seed leaf, typically with elongated stalkless leaves possessing parallel veins, and floral parts in multiples of three. As a Georgia native, the main dicots I see on a daily basis are Sugar Maples, Zinnias, Tulip trees, and River Birches to name a few. With monocots, the most commonly seen ones for me are the Trilliums and other various lilies, both in my yard as well as the woods. Short of hurting the plant, the easiest ways to tell whether you are looking at a dicot or monocot is to inspect its flowers followed by the arrangement of its leaves. In addition, to checking the plant's leaves and flowers for classification as monocot or dicot, the seed leaf itself can also provide insight.

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Padlet Assignment 4: Phylum Annelida (Earthworms and Leeches)

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Padlet Assignment 4: Phylum Annelida (Earthworms and Leeches)

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Phylum Annelida are segmented worms whose habitats include marine, freshwater, and terrestrial environments. Species of annelids include earthworms, freshwater leeches, land leeches, beardworms, fireworms, lugworms, Christmas tree worms, and many others. Within Phylum Annelida, all worms are metameric and possess bilateral symmetry. As their individual lifestyles go, most are free-living, and a few are either symbiotic or parasitic. Regarding Annelid body structures, they all possess three cell layers (triploblastic) and a covered in a cuticle designed to protect the cells below. Sensory systems include tactile organs, taste buds, photoreceptive cells, and some species even have eyes with lenses. I never thought of worms being able to see. Regarding reproduction, Annelids known as polychaetes are able to reproduce asexually. Each segment, while close to it's neighboring segment, possess a pair of ganglia and double ventral nerve cord. While their bodies are segmented overall, the digestive, nervous, and circulatory systems pass through the entire length of the worm. As growth goes, the oldest segments are at the head and the youngest are at the tail end.

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Phylum Annelida Part 1: General Characteristics

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Padlet Assignment 5: Homeostasis in Humans

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Padlet Assignment 5: Homeostasis in Humans

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Homeostasis includes the processes of how our bodies regulate our internal systems to keep them balanced. Translated from Greek, homeostasis means reaching a balance point and maintaining it. The processes of homeostasis are run by the hypothalamus, a region deep within the brain. The two main means by which homeostasis is maintained are negative feedback and positive feedback. Negative feedback is about changing course to keep the body from heading in an undesirable direction. An example of negative feedback is that of body temperature and generating heat when cold, or sweating when hot. Positive feedback is encouraging the body to keep on its current track and making the processes stronger. Positive feedback will continue until the catalyst is gone. An example of positive feedback is that of labor and delivery. During the labor process, contractions will continue to increase in magnitude and length as a result of oxytocin until the baby passes through the birth canal.

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Homeostasis is how your body maintains internal balance so its internal systems can run as effectively as possible.

What is homeostasis?

Homeostasis is how your body regulates your internal systems so they function correctly. Your body works best when its internal environment - including things like temperature or oxygen levels - is just right.

The term homeostasis comes from two ancient Greek words meaning "equal" and "holding still." In other words, homeostasis means reaching and maintaining a state of balance. In this context, balance isn't about keeping you from toppling over. It's about having the right balance of everything you need.

Balance is key because too much of even the most essential things can be harmful. For example, everyone knows that water and oxygen are good things, and you need them to survive. But drinking too much water too quickly can cause hyponatremia. And breathing pure oxygen for too long can cause oxygen toxicity. Both of those conditions can be deadly.

How does homeostasis work?

Homeostatic processes are automatic, and a specific part of your brain, the hypothalamus, runs them. There are two main ways that homeostasis happens:

Negative feedback

Positive feedback

Negative feedback homeostasis

Negative in this context doesn't mean bad. It means your body senses a change and tries to counteract or reverse the unwanted change. Most homeostatic processes in your body rely on negative feedback.

Examples of negative feedback homeostasis include:

Blood pressure. Your blood pressure keeps blood flowing up toward your head against the pull of gravity.

Body temperature. If you're too hot, your body makes you sweat to cool you down. If you're cold, your body makes you shiver to generate heat. These are examples of thermal (temperature) homeostasis.

Fluid balance. If you drink too much water, you'll soon feel the urge to pee to get rid of the extra fluid.

Oxygen levels. Your heart and breathing rates increase and decrease depending on how active you are. That's an example of respiratory and circulatory homeostasis.

Positive feedback homeostasis

Positive feedback homeostasis means the processes add to themselves and get stronger. That will keep on happening until the initial cause is gone.

Examples of positive feedback homeostasis include:

Labor and delivery. When labor starts, your cervix starts to stretch, which triggers nerve signals that go to your brain. Your brain releases the hormone oxytocin, which causes uterus contractions. The more your cervix stretches, the more oxytocin your brain releases and the stronger the contractions get. That stops once delivery is complete and your cervix returns to its normal size.

Hemostasis (blood clotting). When you have a wound that bleeds, clotting factors in your blood activate to seal the wound. They also call for reinforcements, summoning even more clotting factors. They'll keep on calling for more clotting factors until the bleeding stops.

Immune responses and inflammation. When you have an infection or injury, your immune system causes inflammation at that site. Inflammation is your body's way of shining a spotlight on a specific place so immune cells know exactly where to go. And immune cells at the scene will keep inflammation going as long as they need more help.

Why is homeostasis important?

You can't survive without homeostasis and the processes that drive it. And every disease or medical condition involves a disruption of homeostasis.

When you get hurt or sick, your body adjusts its homeostatic processes so you can recover. That's why you get a fever with infections or your blood clots when you have a bleeding wound.

Chronic conditions happen when something goes wrong and your homeostatic processes can't adjust enough to make up for it. For example, high blood pressure (hypertension) happens when your body can't keep the pressure within a healthy range. Osteoporosis happens when your bones lose calcium faster than your body can replace it.

Some diseases happen because homeostatic processes malfunction and make things worse. Examples include:

Allergic reactions. Allergies happen when your immune system reacts to something that it thinks is a threat. Mild allergies may just be unpleasant. But if the reaction is too strong, that homeostatic process can be dangerous. For example, a bee sting causes brief pain and mild swelling for most people. But a sting can cause deadly anaphylaxis for someone with an allergy.

Autoimmune diseases. These happen when your immune system malfunctions and mistakenly attacks part of your own body. The reaction itself would likely be normal and healthy if the target were an infection or injury instead of your own healthy tissues.

Cytokine release syndrome (CRS) or sepsis. Immune system reactions naturally strengthen with time and will stop once the initial cause is gone. But those processes can rapidly become dangerous if your immune system reacts too strongly early on. That's why CRS and sepsis can become deadly so quickly.

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Homeostasis is a state of balance, and your body regulates its own systems to reach and maintain it. It's key to how all your body systems work.

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Padlet Assignment 6: Osteogenesis Imperfecta (Brittle Bone Disease)

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Padlet Assignment 6: Osteogenesis Imperfecta (Brittle Bone Disease)

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Osteogenesis imperfecta (OI) is known as brittle bone disease, and is the most common connective tissue disorder that is heritable. The most abundant protein in bone is that of Type I collagen. It's these abnormalities in Type I collagen that can present as OI. Regarding prevalence of OI, it is estimated at approximately 1 in 20,000 live births. People with OI that is caused by mutations in bone protein have a 50% chance of having a child affected by this disorder. The clinical features of this disorder are divided into skeletal and extra-skeletal. Skeletal includes excessive and/or atypical fractures, short height, scoliosis, and deformities of the basilar skull. Extra-skeletal includes hearing loss as a result of conductivity. This hearing loss is seen in 50% of adults by age 50, and in 5% of children with OI. All told, there are thirteen different classifications of Osteogenesis imperfecta. Type XIII presents with recurrent fractures, hyper-extensible joints, and higher-than-normal bone mass.

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The biome being being discussed in this particular Padlet is that of the boreal forest. Oftentimes, the boreal forest biome is known by its Russian name 'taiga,' which, when translated, means 'coniferous forests.' The boreal forest, or taiga, is defined as growing in high altitudes where freezing temperatures occur six-to-eight months of the year. Boreal forests span across Canada, China, Finland, Japan, Norway, Russia, Sweden, and the United States. Within boreal forests, the most common trees are the coniferous variety such as spruce, fir, and other species adapted to surviving in the cold. Calling boreal forests home are many endangered species. Some of the endangered fauna include grizzly bears, woodland caribou, wolverines (not the blue and yellow guy), and Siberian tigers. In addition, the wood bison is one creature calling the North American taiga its home. The boreal forest biome also plays a role in environmental balance through carbon sequestration, purifying water sources, and regulating the world's climate.

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The main question posed within this video is, "Why is biodiversity important?" Per the Oxford Dictionary, biodiversity is defined as the variety of life in the world or in a particular habitat or ecosystem. This variety of life helps provide many things ranging from the food we eat to the spiritual and cultural customs we celebrate as humans. As stewards of the flora and fauna around us, humankind has the honor of responsibility in taking care of the created natural world. Not to exploit what is God-given, but to take care of it and only take what is needed to survive so that life for every plant, animal, and microorganism can continue without a threat to existence. If we, humanity as a whole, continues down the path of consuming what is provided on Earth without an eye to the future, life will become much more difficult for all. Any example of this consumption without care is evidenced in our global ocean. Marine life, without proper care and management, will continue to diminish. In the years of 2016-2017, it is reported that half of the corals in the Great Barrier Reef died due to rising ocean temperatures. If what helps produce the oxygen we breathe is crippled, all life will be thrown into a tail-spin. Despite corals being small individuals, it's often the smallest lives that support and serve as the foundation for everything else. Just as with a building, if the foundation is weakened, the building will fall at the slightest storm to rise up. Humankind, and all life on Earth, is at a precipitous edge and only with careful consideration can we take a step back to safety.

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Why is biodiversity important - with Sir David Attenborough | The Royal Society