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Charles Darwin Finches, also known an "Galapagos Finches" is a classic example of evolution by natural selection. 1831-1836 Darwin traveled around the world noticing animals on different continents and islands. When Darwin made it to the Galapagos Islands, he observed different species with unique beak shapes and realized it resembled another breed in South America. He figured the species he seen on the islands must've originated from the mainland in South America. After Research, Darwin argued that characteristics were passed down from parent to offspring. He also noticed more offsprings were produced than able to survive due to resources being limited. Competing to stay alive, (the birds of course) he reasoned that some offsprings who were passed down certain characteristics allowed them to win the limited resources and were able to survive over the individuals with differences, that are less able to compete. So because those certain traits were inherited & helped them compete successfully for the resources their genes will be better represented in the next generations to come. After this study, he called it "Descent with modification" or what we'd called this assignment, evolution.

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Hay Bacillus, also known as "Bacillus Subtilis," is a rod-shaped bacteria with a thick cell wall. It can be found in soil, inside of the bellies of humans and animals, even marine sponges. It's an example of a prokaryote, meaning it's a single celled organism without a nucleus or other complex parts that a bigger cell may have. Bacillus has an ability to make tough spores that helps it survive in tough conditions. Scientists first believed they needed oxygen to survive but after research, they realized it can survive without it too. This bacteria specifically is a big deal in science because it helped researchers study how bacteria grows and copies DNA. They're able to produce enzymes, making it useful in different industries playing a role in food and medicine producing. Hay Bacillus is one of the most studied bacterias in science. This site in particular, GBIF.org has a ton of info on it's classifications and where it's found, making it a great site to learn more.

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Bacillus subtilis (Ehrenberg, 1835) Cohn, 1872

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Global Biodiversity Information Facility. Free and Open Access to Biodiversity Data.

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Comparison of Monocotyledons and Dicotyledons 

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Both monocots and dicots form different leaves. The word mono- means one. Monocot have one cotyledon. Meanwhile, the word Di- means two explaining why Dicots have two cotyledons. A cotyledon is like a tiny food pack inside of a seed that helps a fresh plant grow. We see dicots in some meals we consume, like bell peppers, strawberries, spinach, and even peanuts. Monocot foods would be corn, bananas, onions, and wheat bread. My favorite flowers are roses. Roses are dicots. Flowers that fall under monocots would be tulips and lillies. Using the picture above for reference, I think we see dicot plants more often in our everyday adventures. The differences between these two plants start from the very beginning of their life cycle, and it starts with the seed. Within this seed, lies the plant embryo. Which leads each plant to blossom vast variations. 🌺

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Let's talk Cnidarians! Cnidarians are invertebrate animals like jellyfish, sea anemones, and corals. Being diverse creatures, they're both predators and prey! With their stinging cells, called, "Nematocysts", they're able to capture plankton, crustaceans, and small fishes. But on the other end, being prey to sea turtles, starfish, seabirds, and even other jellyfishes and certain crabs or fishes. These cute invertebrate phylas also can't swim as active of other creatures in the ocean, rather relying on ocean currents to help them move, known as jet propulsion. They exist in two body forms. The polyp, which is stationary and Medusa, meaning "free-swimming." They have an easy (but kinda gross) digestive sytem. Acting as both the mouth and anus, their food and waste passes through the same opening. Being vital to life, they shape our marine ecosystems with their unique ability.

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Homeostasis is how your body regulates your internal systems in order to function correctly. The term homeostasis comes from two ancient Greek words meaning "equal" and "holding still." Meaning, it's maintaining a state of balance. Balance is key because too much of anything can be bad for you. If something is out of balance, it's maintained through the four components working together called, stimulus, sensor, control center, and effector. Developed by Claude Bernard, he originated the term, "Milieu Interieur." Involving both physiological and behavioral responses, your mind and body seeks out survival behaviors when it feels out of balance. In conclusion, Homeostasis allows us to naturally adjust in order to adapt to sudden changes inside and out of the body. The components I listed earlier allows us to adjust to change. Ensuring our bodies work at the right level and live despite the challenges we face daily. Now when it doesn't work, it could lead to disease or death.

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Homeostasisrefers to the body's need to reach and maintain a certain state of equilibrium. The term is often used to refer to the body's tendency to monitor and maintain internal states such as temperature and energy levels at fairly constant and stable levels.

A Closer Look at Homeostasis

The term homeostasis was first coined by a psychologist named Walter Cannon in 1926.﻿﻿

These processes take place mostly without our conscious awareness.

Our internal regulatory systems have what is known as a set pointfor a variety of things. This is much like the thermostat in your house or the A/C system in your car. Once set at a certain point, these systems work to keep the internal states at these levels.

When the temperature levels drop in your house, your furnace will turn on and warm things up to the preset temperature. In the same way, if something is out of balance in your body, a variety of physiological reactions will kick in until the setpoint is once again reached.

Homeostasis

Your body has set points for a variety of things including temperature, weight, sleep, thirst, and hunger.

One prominent theory of human motivation, known as drive reduction theory, suggests that homeostatic imbalances create needs. This need to restore balance drives people to perform actions that will return the body to its ideal state.﻿﻿

How Does the Body Regulate Temperature?

When you think about homeostasis, the temperature might come to mind first. It is one of the most important and obvious homeostatic systems. All organisms, from large mammals to tiny bacteria, must maintain an ideal temperature in order to survive. Some factors that influence this ability to maintain a stable body temperature include how these systems are regulated as well as the overall size of the organism.﻿﻿

Some creatures, known as endotherms or "warm-blooded" animals, accomplish this via internal physiological processes. Birds and mammals (including humans) are endotherms. Other creatures are ectotherms (aka "cold-blooded") and rely on external sources to regulate their body temperature. Reptiles and amphibians are both ectotherms.

Homeostasis is also influenced by an organism's size, or more specifically, the surface-to-volume ratio. Larger creatures have a much greater body volume, which causes them to produce more body heat. Smaller animals, on the other, produce less body heat but also have a higher surface-to-volume ratio. They lose more body heat than they produce, so their internal systems must work much harder to maintain steady body temperature.

Behavioral and Physiological Responses

As mentioned earlier, homeostasis involves both physiological and behavioral responses.﻿﻿ In terms of behavior, you might seek out warm clothes or a patch of sunlight if you start to feel chilly. When you start to feel chilled, you might also curl your body inward and keep your arms tucked in close to your body to keep in the heat.

As endotherms, people also possess a number of internal systems that help regulate body temperature. As you probably already know, humans have a body temperature set point of 98.6 degrees Fahrenheit.﻿﻿ When your body temperature dips below this point, it sets off a number of physiological reactions to help restore balance. Blood vessels in the body's extremities constrict in order to prevent heat loss. Shivering also helps the body produce more heat.

The body also responds when temperatures go above 98.6 degrees.﻿﻿ Have you ever noticed how your skin becomes flushed when you are very warm? This is your body trying to restore temperature balance. When you are too warm, your blood vessels dilate in order to give off more body heat. Perspiration is another common way to reduce body heat, which is why you often end up flushed and sweaty on a very hot day.

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How Homeostasis Maintains the Body's Equilibrium

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Homeostasisrefers to the body's need to reach and maintain a certain state of equilibrium. The term is often used to refer to the body's tendency to monitor and maintain internal states such as temperature and energy levels at fairly constant and stable levels.

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Let's talk Pneumonia. Pneumonia is an infection in the lungs. Becoming inflamed and filled up with pus or fluids, it can be caused by bacteria, fungi, and viruses. Potentially life-threatening, the COVID pandemic revealed the importance of proper care behind this disease. With every second of the day, we're constantly inhaling whatever is in the air around us. Things such as pollen, smoke, dust, and even germs being produced by humans. When they talk, cough, spit, sneeze- anything that involves someone opening their mouth honestly. Our respiratory system constantly works to fight these infections daily against the harmful microorganisms. If an infection occurs, symptoms like sharp or stabbing pains can be felt when coughing and breathing. Referring back to COVID, it increased a lot of Pneumonia cases. There's three different types of Pneumonia. Viral, bacteria, and fungal organisms lie in this illness. Due to inflation, there was better treatment strategies for pneumonia including steroids, better respiratory methods, and medications. After gaining awareness, it led to more people getting the pneumococcal vaccine which helps protect against this sickness.

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Being the coldest terrestrial’s biome, the Arctic Tundra is a cold, frozen landscape. A tree-less biome, specified by cold temperatures and permafrost. There's two types of tundras, Alpine and Arctic. They're both located in the northern area. However, Alpine refers to "Alps" meaning a high mountain range, while Arctic is found on high latitude masses. Where the summers are short and cool, this biome is the northernmost region that's known for being stark and rocky. There's poor nutrients, preventing plant growth. A few animals that have adapted to this environment are polar bears, penguins, arctic foxes, and the cutest, (in my opinion) harp seals. With their warm furs & thick feathers being key factor, they're able to survive these harsh and cold climates. Acting as a carbon sink, this unique ecosystem shows fascinating adaptations of its plants and animals.

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Biodiversity is the variety of all living things and their interactions. From bacteria to plants, from people to animals, the rwide range of life on earth is extremely incredible. All of these living things exist in their own environments or ecosystems. These ecosystems can be oceans, deserts, forests, and even cities. The more biodiversity, the more secure life on earth is. If we allow earth to flourish, we're able to benefit from what it can produce. We need almost all organisms in order keep the food we eat in supply. The medicine we use to help us stay healthy and alive? Comes from the strange plants from around the world. Our planet's biodiversity gives us all the things we need for free, only if there's lots of it. However, we are instigating the loss in biodiversity by transforming our natural habitats into cities, farms and roads. In the ocean, we're overfishing, littering, (plastic pollution) and mining causing habitat loss. A few ways to help our earth sustain life a little longer is to reduce waste, protect our green spaces surrounding us, and to think globally, and act locally.