https://padlet.com/crodri151/CAR_BIOL1020 BIOL 1020 en-us 2021-08-15 00:37:04 UTC 2021-12-02 01:46:25 UTC hello@padlet.com https://padlet.net/icons/png/1f331.png crodri151 https://padlet.com/crodri151/CAR_BIOL1020/wish/1687179935 As a house plant parent, it is my responsibility to know basic plant anatomy to take care of them successfully. Nodes are one of the essential parts of a plant for new growth. Nodes are where roots and sometimes new shoots come out from. We can create a new baby plant by cutting a leaf section of a mature plant with a node attached and placing the steam in water. This process is called propagation. It is also vital for the cutting to include a leaf because most of the chloroplast in the leaf will generate the energy needed to produce roots. Without the node or leaf sections, the propagated cutting will most likely die. Many small plant businesses rely on the propagation method to create new plants and sell them off. ]]> 2021-08-20 02:33:05 UTC https://padlet.com/crodri151/CAR_BIOL1020/wish/1687179935 crodri151 https://padlet.com/crodri151/CAR_BIOL1020/wish/1717110598 When considering the basic plant growth process, the first thing that comes to mind is how roots attain nutrients from the soil. To grow healthy plants, the soil must contain minerals, organic material, and the ability to retain water. Soil is essential in agriculture because the success of the crops depends on it. In the online article, a chart compares the three common particles found in all soils: sand, silt, and clay. Sand is easy to till however dries too quickly and does not retain water well. Silt is also easy to till and retains enough water and nutrients. Clay is difficult to till, and it retains too much water though it holds plentiful nutrients. The preferred soil media for farmers is a mixture of the three types named loam soil. 
 Farmers could also use peat soils rich in organic material or chalk soils with lime and calcium carbonates. However, loam soil might be the most cost-effect soil that produces the best results.
Now with the balanced soil media, plants can grow properly and produce crops. Another critical principle for plant growth is the nutrients in the soil media. Healthy soils should have a sufficient amount of carbon, hydrogen, nitrogen, oxygen, phosphorus, calcium, magnesium, sulfur, and potassium. While also having smaller amounts of manganese, copper, molybdenum, and chlorine. All nutrients have a role in plant growth that another element cannot replace. This is why good soil is necessary for plant growth.]]> 2021-09-05 05:10:43 UTC https://padlet.com/crodri151/CAR_BIOL1020/wish/1717110598 crodri151 https://padlet.com/crodri151/CAR_BIOL1020/wish/1752674588 One of my favorite facts about plants is how vining plants can climb up different kinds of materials. Climbable materials include wood, tree bark, plant trellises, rock, and even drywall at times. Vining plants have adapted to climb in nature. For example, Monstera deliciosa, a typical large house plant, is usually found in the wild, growing around trees. Vining plants climb in several ways, including aerial roots, tendrils, twining stems, or adhesive discs. The Monstera deliciosa plant uses aerial roots that grow from steams and stick to rough surfaces. Another method is tendrils, which are leafless stems that wrap around the vertical surface. Tendrils enable vines to grab onto materials like fences and poles. A vine that uses tendrils is the Vitis vinifera, also known as the grape plant.
 
Similarly, twining vines have adapted to grow around vertical surfaces without tendrils. Instead, the main stems of the plant weave through the spaces in a fence or trellis. Twining plants did not adopt physical characteristics to help them attach to surfaces, but their growth pattern enabled them to grow around objects. The last method is perhaps the strangest form of attachment. Adhesive discs grow from the stems of plants and appear as small circular patches connected to the surface. They can attach to smooth surfaces, unlike the other types. The Virginia Creeper plant is an example of this form of attachment.  

All forms of climbing have contributed to the success of vining plants in nature. Where most plants other than trees lie low to the ground, they constantly battle for resources. So climbing on trees and rocks was a characteristic that would give them an advantage in receiving more sunlight and protection from animals. These adaptations have also made it easier to farm many fruits that grow on vines. Watching a plant grow onto vertical surfaces by itself (or with a bit of assistance) is a fascinating detail of nature!]]> 2021-09-20 01:51:42 UTC https://padlet.com/crodri151/CAR_BIOL1020/wish/1752674588 crodri151 https://padlet.com/crodri151/CAR_BIOL1020/wish/1787712247 In every type of biome, there are plant species unique to the area and may not exist anywhere else in the world. Just like It is essential to protect animals, it is also vital to preserving the plants so they won't go extinct. In recent years house plants have become more popular as more people collect plants, causing the demand for rare plants to skyrocket. Plant poaching is now a notice threat causing some rare plant species to go extinct in the wild. In the state of California, plant poaching has become a significant issue. In the desert areas of California, there are 26 native species of rare Dudleya succulents that are being stolen from the ground. Other succulents that are being poached include cacti, wild orchids, and carnivores plants. Many of these plants are transported to China, Japan, and Korea, valued for their beauty and rarity. Plant poaching is a severe offense that deprives the land of natural beauty and disturbs the natural ecosystem between the animals that rely on them.  ]]> 2021-10-03 17:56:09 UTC https://padlet.com/crodri151/CAR_BIOL1020/wish/1787712247 crodri151 https://padlet.com/crodri151/CAR_BIOL1020/wish/1818600762 Most people will get a few things from the fresh produce section on a regular run in the grocery store. One of the most common items people grab is bananas. Bananas are one of the most popular fruits globally, recognizable by their unique shape and color. Many are not aware that the banana the whole world loves almost went extinct. The banana that people consume today is not the same one from many years ago. The Gros Michel Banana was the fruit that everyone knew in the early 1900s. However, somewhere along in the 1950s, a type of fungal Panama disease (Also known as banana wilt, a disease only harmful to banana plants.) began infecting all banana plantations around the globe. Farmers of the large plantations had to burn down all plants on the land because the disease was soil-borne. Agricultural scientists and farmers were able to save the fruit from extinction by asexually breeding another variety. The fruit that people now enjoy today is known as the Cavendish banana. Although scientists were able to prevent the extinction of the plant, other strains of the disease are still a threat to the species. This should serve as a lesson that the foods in the produce section could change or even disappear. Genetic engineering is more than just making foods larger; it secures the plants' future and the human diet.]]> 2021-10-15 02:05:48 UTC https://padlet.com/crodri151/CAR_BIOL1020/wish/1818600762 crodri151 https://padlet.com/crodri151/CAR_BIOL1020/wish/1856078755 One of the significant issues with agriculture deals with the amount of land and water it requires. With an increasing global population and decreasing availability of land, farming is becoming more and more necessary. Vertical farming is one innovation that is helping with agricultural land space.After reading the unit 6 notes about modern agriculture, I thought back to when I first learned about vertical and cubic farming. Indoor vertical farming is so fascinating because the outside environment is replicated indoors. Usually, farming takes a large amount of land, yet modern technology has revolutionized farming. Of course, the plants grown in this method are simple leafy crops, but they will still provide humans with nutritional food.  In the video, David describes vertical farming as a mission to provide cities and communities worldwide with fresh, nutritious food. I hope that every community in need could attain cubic farming technology so they can sustain themselves. ]]> 2021-10-31 01:33:42 UTC https://padlet.com/crodri151/CAR_BIOL1020/wish/1856078755 crodri151 https://padlet.com/crodri151/CAR_BIOL1020/wish/1876793879 The use of herbal medicines is deeply rooted in Chinese history. The Chinese believe that life is balanced by energy. There is also the idea that the energy that flows in humans is called Qi. Moreover, when a person becomes ill, they need herbal supplements to regain energy. The Chinese have been recording information about plants and their medical uses since the 12th century. Traditional Chinese herbal medicine (TCHM) is the official name given to the collection of medicines.  The people have not forgotten the practice, and many still use many natural medicines today. It is noted that millions of people travel to China seeking the help of TCHM practitioners. The practice is also used in combination with pharmaceutical drugs to help with treatment. Some Chinese herbal medicines have also been proven to help with a wide variety of conditions such as asthma, epilepsy, irritable bowel syndrome, menstrual pain, Headache, and dementia. It is impressive how they have used herbal remedies to treat serious health concerns long before pharmaceutical companies have researched treatments.]]> 2021-11-09 01:17:35 UTC https://padlet.com/crodri151/CAR_BIOL1020/wish/1876793879 crodri151 https://padlet.com/crodri151/CAR_BIOL1020/wish/1924120971 Whenever technology and nature mix, it can lead to major benefits. I have previously mentioned vertical farming; however, I still cannot get the concept out of my head. Vertical farming is such an incredible innovation that I would like to see expand. The current vertical farms have proven to be sustainable in environmental, economic, social, and health factors. It requires a large amount of cooperation to introduce these farms anywhere. Scientists, engineers, farmers, politicians, business leaders, and others in local communities work together to create and maintain these farms. The technology within vertical farms can be expensive but remains an essential investment. It promotes health in the communities where ever they are placed. They eliminate the need for regular farming with land space and water usage. Vertical farming is a major step to providing communities with the materials they may need to have a sustainable food source. I would like to see these farms be integrated into regular society and not just for businesses.  It is visually inspiring and a sign of hope for a sustainable future. ]]> 2021-12-02 01:46:25 UTC https://padlet.com/crodri151/CAR_BIOL1020/wish/1924120971