The extinction of species has been an ongoing cycle since life first formed on Earth. Some species have died out through natural selection, meaning they were unable to adapt quickly enough to the changing environment. Others have been plucked from existence by humanity’s work, whether it be by over-hunting, habitat destruction, or other means. Whatever…
The genetic code for a protein is defined as degenerate because there is more than 1 codon that can code for an amino acid. Codon bias is the probability that a given codon will be used to code for an amino acid over a synonymous codon. This report will be exploring codon bias for Arginine…
-A species of organism that can indicate an area of pollution by its presences or absence in that specific area. Lichen – How does it indicate air pollution? Lichen is a moss like plant that grows on exposed areas such as on rocks and on trees. Lichen relies on nutrients that it absorbs from rainwater…
Description Barn owls live in many parts of the world. Their upper body is covered in grey feathers, dark, ribbon lines and pale spots. An owl’s lower body consists of white with several black marks, just like a Dalmatian! Their faces are heart-shaped and white with brown edges. The eyes of a barn owl are…
Location The Tundra is located in the northern regions of North America, Europe, Asia, as well as a few regions of Antarctica. The Tundra is the second largest vegetation zone in Canada. It can be divided clearly into three different sections: the High Arctic Tundra, the Low Arctic Tundra and the Alpine Tundra. The latter…
The peregrine falcon belongs to a group of birds called the Falconiformes. This group includes vultures, kites, hawks, eagles, and falcons. Other than vultures, all of these birds hunt and kill other animals for food. Falconiformes are equipped with hooked beaks and strong talons, making them excellent predators. All Falconiformes are daytime hunters. The peregrine…
The Branta sandvicensis, or Hawaiian goose looks similar to the Canada Goose except only the face, cap, and hindneck are black; and Nene have buff-colored cheeks. The males and female have the same plumage. The feet of this goose are not completely webbed like the other geese. Lots of calls have been described but the…
In Malay orang means “person” and utan is defined as “forest’. Thus Orangutan literally means “Person of the Forest”. Orangutans are found in the tropical forests of Sumatra and Borneo. They are the most arboreal of the great apes and move amongst the safety of the trees from one feeding site to the next. They…
The manatee popularly called the sea cow is any of the species of large water animals in the genus Trichechus. There are three species of manatee with T. inunguis found in the Amazon and Orinoco river systems; T. manatus is found in central Florida and along the Gulf of Mexico and Caribbean coasts; and T.…
Sharks are one of the most feared sea animals. They live in oceans across the world but are most common in tropical waters. There are over three hundred fifty species of sharks. They can be broadly categorized into the following four groups: Squalomorphii, Squatinomorphii, Batoidea, and Galeomorphii. The shark family Sphyrnidae that includes the Hammerheads…
Frog is the common name for a species of amphibian that also includes toads. A very common question is “what’s the difference between frogs and toads?”, the answer: none, except for the fact that toads lack the powerful legs that frogs have. “Where can frogs and toads be found?”, one might ask. They live in…
Fire ants have been in the United States for over sixty years, and almost every American that lives in or frequently visits the quarantined states which they inhabit has had an unpleasant run in with these troublesome critters. Inhabitants of the Southeast who have ever stood unwittingly atop a fire ant mound know that the…
Dolphins are mammals closely related to whales and porpoises. Dolphins have a powerful and streamlined body. They are found in all seas and oceans. Dolphins can be told apart from porpoises by their nose, which is beaklike, and also their conical teeth. Porpoises have a flatter nose, sharper teeth, and a more solid body. There…
Among the many hundreds of thousands of astonishing organisms with which we must share this earth, there is one seemingly ordinary group of specimens which fascinates many people beyond all others. There is nothing too extraordinary in the proportions or appearance of ants, but it is their history and culture that induces a second look.…
The history of our species is rife with violence, from ancient wars to random, vicious assaults, violence seems to pervade it. It also seems to be a big part of our present society, everyday we hear of some new person who has been brutally gunned down for no reason, another soldier who has been shot…
– the study of categorizing organisms Binomial Nomenclature – two-part scientific naming of organisms – the first word identifies the genus and the second word is the species Example: Ursus americanus – Ursus horribilis – Ursus arctos – Ursus maritimus – NOTE: the format: capitals and italics Levels of Classification (7) or Taxa: “King…
With the large diversity (variety) we need to sort or take inventory of everything (classify and name) classifying involves arranging living and nonliving things into groups which we can then study separately we also must give everything a name so that we can exchange information with others around the world. Naming Scientists have developed a…