14 February 2008

Life Science

Five Kingdoms
Taxonomy is an artificial way of classifying things. Therefore, you may find
sources that give more than five kingdoms, such as six or eight. In this class, we’ll
be discussing five.

Monera
Composed of bacteria and blue green algae (cyanobacteria)
Decomposers OR producers
Two types of producers
1. Photosynthetic- produce energy using light-ex. the sun
- The oldest bacteria were heterotrophs. When the atmosphere cleared,
the sun hit the water and photosynthetic blue green algae grew.
2. Chemosynthetic- produce energy using chemicals, such as H2S
(hydrogen sulfide)
-these can be a producer for ecosystems in the dark
-Bob Ballard found many organisms below the point where light
reaches through the surface of the ocean and the chemosynthetic
producers are the base of those food pyramids near ocean vents.
-These environments are very hostile compared to those on land.
The temperature reaches 350 degrees and the pH reaches 0, the
most acidic. This would be extremely toxic if it were on land. The
pressure reaches near 14, 500 pounds of pressure per inch. Away
from ocean vents, there is very little ocean life to be found.
Bacteria
All bacteria have a cell wall that gives them a specific shape.
-Round-O-coccus
-Tuberculosis is a diplococcic bacterium.
-Rod-shaped-[]-bacillus
-Spiral-shaped-§- spirillum
- Strep-means the cells are aligned. OOOOO
- Staph- common bacteria
-occurs when you get a medicine-resistant strain,
which is most likely to happen in a hospital, because
the bacteria are exposed to antibiotics and the
resistant strains have a chance to get stronger in this
environment.
Bacteria divide every 20 minutes.
-Humans have had approximately 10,000 generations, while
bacteria have nearly that many in a year.
Protista
-Single-celled eukaryotes. In the last ten years, red, brown, and green algae have
been added to this kingdom because the reproduction of these algae is very
similar to other members of the Protista kingdom.
-The Protista kingdom is where locomotion, response to stimuli, sexual
reproduction, and true aerobic respiration originated.
Amoeba- move by pseudopodia
Paramecium- move by cilia
Stentor- move by cilia
Euglena- move by flagella
Volvox- move by flagella. These are round, because the rounded tips of
the Volvox cluster in the center, leaving the flagella sticking out. They roll
when they move.

If you cut a cross

section from cilia and
flagella, you’ll see the
same 9:2
configuration of
microtubules. This is
dictated by a certain
place in the DNA.

These microtubules enable movement by the loss and gain in water

pressure through the two main tubes.

Red Algae- Red algae have a wide variety of photosynthetic materials

instead of chlorophyll. Red algae are often found with coral and have a
symbiotic relationship with the coral. They are mostly multicellular,
marine algae, including many notable types of seaweed. Some secrete
calcium carbonate and play a major role in building coral reefs. Some red
algae are used to make products like agar and other food additives.
Agar is a gelatinous substance that is used as a solid substrate to contain
culture medium used in Petri dishes. Agar can be used as a laxative, a
vegetarian gelatin substitute, and a thickener for soups, in jellies, ice
cream and as a clarifying agent in brewing.

Brown Algae- Brown algae are generally found in saltwater. They are
eukaryotic algae, including many types of seaweed found in Northern
Hemisphere waters. They play an important role in marine environments
both as food, and for the habitats they form. They can be found in tide
pools as the base of those food chains.

Kelp is another type of brown algae and some varieties may reach nearly
200 feet in length. It can form underwater forests. Some types of kelp are
eaten by humans, as well. Sea urchins can cause the death of kelp forests
by eating the hold-tights that anchor the kelp. If this
happens, the sea urchin population must be
addressed and controlled.

Kelp reproduces by means of flagellate spores,

which are similar to sperm and eggs in humans.
They have a diploid generation, which is the large
plant that most people recognize. It produces spores
from specialized structures, and these divide by
meiosis before they are released. When they are
haploid, there are equal numbers of male (similar to
 sperm cells in humans) and female spores (similar to egg cells in humans).
The female spores float and the male spores swim. They are dispersed via
the current. Most brown algae have a life cycle which consists of an
alternation between haploid and diploid plants.

One product harvested from brown algae is algin. Algin is a

polysaccharide derived from brown seaweed found in the North Atlantic
basin. It is used in the food industry, the cosmetic industry, and in
medicine and dentistry. Some products it is used in include thickeners
for puddings, ice cream, jelly beans, toothpaste and floor polish.

Green Algae- Green algae are the most diverse group of algae. They are
primarily aquatic and eukaryotic. Green algae grow in a variety of habitats
and forms. They occur in filaments, sheets, or colonies. The filament
varieties are stringy. Sheets can be found on rocks or in ponds. One of the
characteristics of green algae is that it is "slimy" or slippery to the touch.
They don’t grow well in clear water, because they need nutrients to be
able to thrive. In some areas near Hawaii, the fertilizers used for golf
courses and hotels cause the green algae to flourish. These green algae
block out the sun available to other life forms below the surface of the
ocean, such as the red algae and coral that make up reefs. It can also
interfere with the fish populations. Green algae get their color from
chlorophyll, which they use to capture light energy to fuel the
manufacture of sugars.
Fungi
-Generally eukaryotic and heterotrophic. Some fungal species are exceptions and grow
as single cells.
-They are characterized by a chitinous cell wall. Most species have hyphae. Some
hyphae are touch-responsive and have developed as a self-protection mechanism for the
fungus.
-Sexual and asexual reproduction is commonly via spores.
-Many fungi are invisible to the naked eye.
-They are typically saprobes (get their nutrients from dead or dying things). They
generally live in soil, dead matter, or as symbionts of plants, animals, or other fungi. They
perform an essential role in ecosystems by decomposing matter and in nutrient cycling
and exchange.
-Fungi are currently being used as sources for antibiotics and various enzymes.
-Examples:
Yeasts
Molds
Food poisoning
Histoplasmosis (found in the droppings of bats and birds)
Athlete's foot, Jock itch, and Candida
Chestnut blight
Dutch elm disease
Mildew
Mushrooms