Bog 16: Beak of the Finch Key Ideas

"Natural selection takes place within a generation, but evolution takes place across generations" (79).
Evolution is a big theme in the book. Jonathan Weiner tries to emphasize the importance of evolution in his book by bringing out the fact that there is currently 13 different types of finches on the Galapagos Islands. What started off as one species has now become 13. The reason for this is because the birds started to be separated on different islands and adapting to different niches: food, environment, etc.

"Beaks are to birds what hands are to us." (50)

Although this book mainly focuses on birds and their changes on the island, but out there in the natural world there are tons of animals that abide by this rule. There are plenty of animals that also change and adapt. Natural selection occurs in changes in things that may not be noticeable, like different spot patterns in guppies.

"The survivors would bend and twist and diverge to either side as if to minimize competition making themselves as different as possible." (55)
Evolution occurs because it is necessary for only one type of animal occupy one niche at one time. When there are two different species occupying a niche, competition will arise. Competition will result in one species to change and adapt to a different environment.

A Fear of Phermones Article

This article explains how humans, not only animals can release a type of phermones to other humans. The examples used in the article, such as the moth and fish, the fish uses chemical signals to track down specific members of their own species and signals the changes of the status of other fishes. On the other hand, for moths, they release what is called bombykol into the air to attract the opposite sex. As shown in the primates, the females react to estradiol that also attracts males. As much as I support the evidence of these phermones used in animals, I also agree how females who live or hangout a lot experience similar menstrual cycle dates. Overall, I do support the view of this article and some of the points it makes is pretty accurate.

Beak of the Finch: Lit. Circle Reading

This is an important and timely book for at least two reasons. In the first place, it has both the fact of evolution and the most powerful theory ever devised for explaining it readily comprehensible to the general public. The author joins the company of writers and demonstrates an admirable capacity for expressing complex ideas simply and clearly. Secondly, Weiner's masterpiece provides a scientifically compelling refutation not only of the claims of Creationists, but also of the criticisms of many dissenting evolutionary theorists concerning the adequacy. Both objectives are achieved through the immersion of us in an exciting and carefully documented account of the ongoing operation of what Darwin had presciently surmised to be the major force driving evolution: the engine of natural selection.
Weiner manages this largely by centering his book on the heroic and groundbreaking work of Peter and Rosemary Grant in the Galapagos Islands, and by moving back and forth between their research project and the almost accidental discoveries of Darwin that began in the same area approximately a century before. This approach introduces in us a sensation of mystery unraveling that equals in fascination the best of modern detective thrillers.

Citation:
Weiner, Jonathan. The Beak of the Finch: A Story of Evolution in Our Time. New York: Knopf, 1994. Print.

Major Plant Divisions

Pteridophytes
Vascular cryptogams and are the first vascular land plants. The main plant body is the sporophyte, which is differentiated into true roots, stems and leaves. Their xylem is lack of companion cells. The sporophytes reproduce by spores, borne in sporangia. Sporangia are usually borne on fertile leaves called sporophylls. Pteridophytes are mostly homosporous, but some are heterosporous with microspores and megaspores.

Angiosperm
These plants are vascular, and they have seeds, like the gymnosperms. The add on that makes them so advanced is their ability to have flowers. The main advantage of the flower is to protect the plant’s seeds. Unlike gymnosperms, whose seeds are exposed to weather, animals, and people, angiosperms have their seeds surrounded by flowers, which can offer incredible protection. Many angiosperms have an inner layer that surrounds the seed, storing food and protecting the seed from harm, and an outer layer that protects the seed from the elements or animal attacks.

Bryophytes
Bryophytes are simple, green, land plants. Unlike higher plants such as ferns and flowers, they lack specialised woody water conducting vessels. Their relatively delicate, nonvascular structure limits the size to which they can grow. Bryophytes are nonvascular terrestrial plants that first emerged about 420 million years ago. They form the nonmonophyletic grouping Bryophyta and include mosses (Bryophyta), liverworts (Hepatophyta) and hornworts (Anthocerotophyta).

Gymnosperms
Gymnosperms are naked seeded spermatophytes, originated 350 millions years ago. Most of them have become extinct and some are represented by a few living species called living fossils. The main plant body is the diploid sporophyte, which is woody and perennial and differentiated into root, stem and leaves.

http://www.preservearticles.com/201101102902/gymnosperms.html
http://bryophytes.plant.siu.edu/bryojustified.html
http://www.wisegeek.com/what-are-angiosperms.htm
http://www.preservearticles.com/201101102901/pteridophytes.html
Images from google

On Societies as Organisms Article

In On societies as Organisms, Thomas points out that the writers of books on insect behavior go to great lengths to distinguish the uniqueness of insect life. Furthermore, it is political incorrect to imply in any way that the "operation of insect societies has any relation at all to human affairs". Nevertheless, Thomas admits that it's difficult for a bystander watching an ant colony not to do exactly that. He writes that ants are "so much like human beings as to be an embarrassment". They farm and they raise livestock. They launch armies into war and use chemical sprays to alarm and confuse their enemies. They also capture slaves. But because ants are part of a collective society, we don't like the idea that they are not something totally foreign.

Thoughts for Countdown Article

In Thoughts for a Countdown, Thomas discusses further how all cellular life on this planet is interconnected and similar. I agree with his statement because all of us in this world are human and we have lives. We communicate with each other to make this planet a greater place to live in. He discusses the custom that was prevalent throughout the Apollo program that astronauts returning from space would be ushered into isolation wearing surgical masks. The implication is, of course, that the astronauts may have brought a strange virus. He states that this whole notion is built on a faulty understanding of science and biology. He points out that most of the associations on this planet between living things are cooperative.

Lives of a Cell Article

The Lives of a Cell by Lewis Thomas goes to argue that the world is kind of like a cell, along with many other points. I agree with him because this world is a big ball consist of many different organelles that work together to make this cell function properly. Thomas cleverly gives his readers a tour of general cell biology that i think nearly anybody can understand by forming numerous connections between the human condition and the way any other biological organism works. What sets this apart from any other didactic biology textbook is that Thomas injects biology with thought, analogy, and metaphor while also explaining relatively recent discoveries and delving a bit into the history of biological discoveries. He explores the hypothetical and the quietly obvious, which is actually where the strength of this book lies but of course everything dies. What makes this article so addicting is that Thomas flips our perspectives on these simple matters, even at times poking fun at our neurotic human nature or our views on science. He brings up the oddest, yet simplest questions: What if we are the product of bacteria and viruses? What if they make us for their survival and not vice versa?

Cell Poem

Cell Wall Cell Wall Cell Wall.

Why so strong?

The plant cell wall is a remarkable structure.

It provides the most significant difference. 

It is rigid and gives plant cells a great finish. 

While most cells have a outer membrane,

None is comparable in strength to the plant cell wall's bearings. 

Cell Wall Cell Wall Cell Wall
Why so poor?
The cell wall is composed of cellulose fiber,

polysaccharides, 

and proteins. 

In new cells the cell wall is thin and not very kin. 

This allows the young cell to grow and not shrink.

When the cell is fully grown, 

it may retain its primary wall, 

sometimes thickening it, 

sometimes flattering it.

On the whole, each cell's cell wall interacts with its "mall" to form a tightly bound plant core.

Cell Diversity Wordle

There are smaller pieces to cells that include proteins and organelles. There are also larger pieces called tissues and systems. Cells are small compartments that hold all of the biological equipment necessary to keep an organism alive and successful on Earth. There are millions of different types of cells. There are cells that are organisms onto themselves, such as microscopic amoeba and bacteria cells. And there are cells that only function when part of a larger organism. The cell is the smallest unit of life in our bodies. In the body, there are brain cells, skin cells, liver cells, stomach cells, ect. All of these cells have unique functions and features. One major difference in cells occurs between plant cells and animal cells. Many animals have skeletons to give their body structure and support. Plants do not have a skeleton for support and yet plants don't just flop over in a big spongy mess. The cell wall is a rigid structure outside of the cell membrane. The chloroplast allow plants to harvest energy from sunlight. Specialized pigments in the chloroplast absorb sunlight and use this energy to complete the chemical reaction.
http://www.wordle.net/show/wrdl/4682547/Untitled

Cellular Metabolism Wordle

Cellular metabolism is the sum total of all the biochemical reactions taking place within a cell. It includes all the reactions involved in degrading food molecules, in synthesizing macromolecules needed by the cell, and in generating small precursor molecules, such as some amino acids , for cellular needs. It also includes all reactions involving electron transfers (oxidationreduction, or redox, reactions). Metabolism takes place in sequences of biochemical reactions called pathways. It is the set of chemical reactions that occur in living organisms in order to maintain life. Cellular metabolism involves complex sequences of controlled biochemical reactions, better known as metabolic pathways. These processes allow organisms to grow and reproduce, maintain their structures, and respond to environmental changes.
http://www.wordle.net/show/wrdl/4682538/Untitled

Exemplars of Phyla of Protozoa

Phylum Sporozoans are nonmotile, unicellular protists that are commonly parasitic on vertebrate animals. The microorganisms invade red blood cells where they multiply, eventually escaping from the ruptured cells. The disease is characterized by spells of fever and chills, associated with the simultaneous rupture of red blood cells. Malaria is one of the most widespread diseases throughout tropical regions of the world, and it is transmitted through the bite of the female Anopheles mosquito.

Phylum Ciliophora are fringed with hairlike cilia which propel them through the water. Conjugation is a form of sexual reproduction in which the individual cells fuse together and swap nuclear DNA in the form of small micronuclei. It involves the division and fusion of micronuclei from opposite paramecia. After conjugation, each paramecium continues on its way, genetically altered from its brief encounter because of different chromosomal combinations. The genetically altered paramecia continue to produce clones of themselves by asexual cell division, a process known as fission.

Phylum Rhizopoda includes a large group of protists that move by means of pseudopods. Most Rhizopodians use their pseudopods to capture prey and also for locomotion. Rhizopods are heterotrophic, feeding on a wide range of bacteria, algae and other protists. Some Rhizopodians are important parasites. Entamoeba histolytica causes amebic dysentary and another Entamoeba is a common symbiont in the human mouth where it feeds on bacteria and human macrophages.

Phylum Zoomastigophora are named for the flagella that they use to move themselves. They engulf and consume their prey by phagocytosis. Most zooflagellates live alone, but some species form colonies of cells. They are found in the gut of termites, and are used to digest the cellulose in wood. Some Zooflagellates are not symbiotic, but parasitic.



http://waynesword.palomar.edu/trnov01b.htm
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC372943/
http://library.thinkquest.org/27819/ch7_8.shtml
http://staff.jccc.net/pdecell/protista/rhizopoda.html
Images from Google