BIOL 1012 by

Assignment 1

adelgad2_2 — 2025-08-30 00:51:24 UTC

This picture represents evolution as a spiral timeline with the earliest date starting in the middle. It shows how life on Earth has evolved over centuries. The spiral is labeled with the different phases of Earth’s evolution which helps point out when important milestones happened. It also shows pictures of species that were more dominant during specific periods. It helps visualize the rise and fall of a species as well as any changes it may have went through. If you look at the start of the spiral, it looks a bit less full and complex as the outer parts of the spiral. This shows distinct environmental transitions that reshaped ecosystems and gave way for new life. Overall, this spiral helps visualize the continuous process of evolution that is motivated by time, adaptations, and environmental transitions.

Assignment 2

adelgad2_2 — 2025-08-31 00:46:33 UTC

This beautiful looking fungus called Armillaria ostoyae which is commonly known as the honey mushroom, was discovered in 1998. Honey mushrooms are fungi in the Armillaria group, and the first large honey mushroom ever discovered was a 37-acre Armillaria bulbosa (later known as Armillaria gallica), which was discovered in Crystal Falls, Michigan by a team of botanists. Their discovery of such large fungi sparked an ongoing debate on what makes up an organism. The Armillaria ostoyae are considered to be the world’s largest known organism. They cover about 2,384 acres of land in Oregon’s Blue Mountains and said to be anywhere from 2,400 to 8,650 years old. Armillaria ostoyae causes Armillaria root disease which kills large areas of evergreen trees. They spread to new trees by growing along roots and using rhizomorphs, which are thread-like structures. This fungus has been able to survive thanks to great genes and a stable environment.

Assignment 3

adelgad2_2 — 2025-09-17 00:20:44 UTC

When we look at plants we use & see every day, it’s actually pretty easy to tell whether they are monocots or dicots by using the traits shown in this chart. Grasses such as rice, wheat, corn, sugarcane, & even bamboo are classic monocots. They grow with fibrous roots, have long, narrow leaves with veins running side by side, & their flowers usually appear in groups of three. A good example is corn. It is a monocot because its seed has just one cotyledon & its vascular bundles are scattered through the stem. Many of the fruits, vegetables, & trees we are use to seeing like beans, peas, mangoes, roses, sunflowers, & oak, are dicots. These plants usually sprout from seeds that split into two parts, which are the 2 cotyledons. They make strong taproots & have leaves with net-like veins. A bean plant is also a dicot because its seed divides into two perfect halves & its leaves show a net-like vein pattern. Even in kitchen fruits & vegetables, the difference shows up in how onions & garlic are monocots, while the above ground parts of carrots & potatoes are dicots. Paying attention to roots, leaves, & flowers makes it clear which group a plant belongs to, & it also helps us better understand how different plants grow & how they’re used in farming & food.

Assignment 4

adelgad2_2 — 2025-09-28 14:08:54 UTC

Echinoderms are a really interesting group of marine animals that you can find in every type of ocean, from shallow tide pools to the deepest parts of the sea. Sea stars, brittle stars, sea urchins, sea cucumbers, & crinoids are their five primary groups. Each of them has they’re own unique traits. They usually show pentaradial symmetry as adults, which is a starfish-like arrangement of five segments around a central point. But they actually have bilateral symmetry from birth which just means their bodies can be split into two equal halves like humans. Some of their features include a water vascular system that helps them with movement, feeding, & breathing. They also have pedicellariae, which are little claw-like structures that keep their bodies clean & safe. Echinoderms take on all kinds of roles in the ocean. Some are predators, others filter feed, scavenge, or eat sediment. One of the coolest things about them in my opinion is their ability to regenerate. They can regrow lost arms & in some cases, they can even rebuild an entire body from just part of their central disk. They’re really important for the environment too since they help control algae, recycle nutrients in the seafloor, & act as important predators that keep ecosystems balanced. On top of that, their skeletons are made of calcium carbonate which play a role in the ocean’s carbon cycle. All in all, echinoderms are extremely essential for keeping ocean ecosystems healthy.