Week of September 17 to September 21: Biological systems

9/17/2018

Week of September 17 to September 21: Biological systems

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animals live in communities that coexist with other communities of animals

We have an interdependent system of systems that we call the ecosystem
Each being occupied a trophic level: each of several hierarchical levels in an ecosystem, comprising organisms that share the same function in the food chain and the same nutritional relationship to the primary sources of energy.

Trophic Levels

Trophic Level

Where It Gets Food

Example

1st Trophic Level

Producer: Makes its own food

Plants make food

2nd Trophic Level

Primary Consumer: Consumes producers

Mice eat plant seeds

3rd Trophic Level

Secondary Consumer: Consumes primary consumers

Snakes eat mice

4th Trophic Level

Tertiary Consumer: Consumes secondary consumers

Hawks eat snakes

Biosphere: the regions of the surface, atmosphere, and hydrosphere of the earth (or analogous parts of other planets) occupied by living organisms.

Abiotic Factors: non-living components of a biosphere

water
oxygen, air
sunlight
temperature
soil/rock/ sand

Biotic Factors: all living components of a biosphere from single celled beings an onward

Symbiosis: interaction between two different organisms living in close physical association, typically to the advantage of both.

a mutually beneficial relationship between different people or groups.

ecosystems of the chihuahuan desert

Cyanobacteria: phylum of bacteria that obtain their energy through photosynthesis, and are the only photosynthetic prokaryotes able to produce oxygen.

Cryptobiotic (biological) soil crust: a living groundcover that forms the foundation of desert plant life.

This knobby, black crust is dominated by cyanobacteria, but also includes lichens, mosses, green algae, microfungi and bacteria.
When wet, Cyanobacteria move through the soil and bind rock or soil particles, forming an intricate web of fibers. In this way, loose soil particles are joined together, and an otherwise unstable surface becomes very resistant to both wind and water erosion.
The soil-binding action is not dependent on the presence of living filaments. Layers of abandoned sheaths, built up over long periods of time, can still be found clinging tenaciously to soil particles, providing cohesion and stability in sandy soils at depths up to 10cm.
Nitrogen fixation is another significant capability of cyanobacteria. Vascular plants are unable to utilize nitrogen as it occurs in the atmosphere.
Cyanobacteria are able to convert atmospheric nitrogen to a form plants can use. This is especially important in desert ecosystems, where nitrogen levels are low and often limiting to plant productivity. Soil crusts have other functions as well, including an ability to intercept and store water, nutrients and organic matter that might otherwise be unavailable to plants.

Nitrogen fixation is a process by which nitrogen in the Earth's atmosphere is converted into ammonia (NH3) or other molecules available to living organisms.

Nitrogen-fixing bacteria: are microorganisms present in the soil or in plant roots that change nitrogen gases from the atmosphere into solid nitrogen compounds that plants can use in the soil.

Nitrogen fixing bacteria: contain symbiotic bacteria called rhizobia within nodules in their root systems, producing nitrogen compounds that help the plant to grow and compete with other plants. When the plant dies, the fixed nitrogen is released, making it available to other plants; this helps to fertilize the soil.

Cyanobacteria: Photosynthetic Prokaryotes

Stomatolites: or stromatoliths, fossils, are layered mounds, columns, and sheet-like sedimentary rocks that were originally formed by the growth of layer upon layer of cyanobacteria, a single-celled photosynthesizing microbe.

Animals have learned how to photosynthesize by absorbing genes from photosynthesis species.

animals work in teams where all have equal access to resources even though they have different functions, any time they have access to different, or more energy costing resources, the extra energy is used for the benefit of the entire group

How a Bee Becomes Queen

The bee that comes out first kills the others

ants

Modular communications: ant communication is to a large extent chemical, we investigated the pheromone functions involved in foraging and alarm behaviour

They just go with what everyone else is doing, it works for them but probably not for us

Group think: the practice of thinking or making decisions as a group in a way that discourages creativity or individual responsibility.

humans strive for a world that is beyond insect politics

We learn from animals but we are human beings
A school is a human biological system
We are skilled in finding ways to work together and are skilled in conflict resolution
We practice empathy and want everyone to feel respected and included
When we see that someone is left out, we integrate them
We are currently shifting from a model of authoritarian to egalitarian concepts of education
We understand self governance and do not need to subscribe to any one philosophy or system
We do not need to be told what to do or conform to anything

animal farm

Just some references to things that happened in the past, we have come a long way since then

equality in human systems

Humans in the current system are sad because they are not paid living wages that allow them to build healthy communities
they are not asking for communism, they just want to be able to have housing security, food, and clothing as a result of their work
Inequality can stress our biological system

schools are a place for democracy and customer service, schools are responsible for providing ways to involve parents and community members. decisions may be made DEMOCRATICALLY.

Claiming Human Rights

Article 12

1. States Parties shall assure to the child who is capable of forming his or her own views the right to express those views freely in all matters affecting the child, the views of the child being given due weight in accordance with the age and maturity of the child.

2. For this purpose, the child shall in particular be provided the opportunity to be heard in any judicial and administrative proceedings affecting the child, either directly, or through a representative or an appropriate body, in a manner consistent with the procedural rules of national law

Convention on the Rights of the Child

symbiosis

Symbiosis: A close, interdependent relationship between different species

Symbiosis: Mutualism, Commensalism, and Parasitism

Parasitism: benefits one species while the other is harmed: ticks, parasitic fish lice

Mutualism: symbiosis that is beneficial to both organisms involved: cleaner fish that help bigger fish get rid of parasitic fish lice, birds that eat fleas off a cow

Commensalism: benefits one organism but the other one is neither harmed not helped: Remora fish that hitch a ride on turtles or sharks

examples of beings working together

Lichen

A lichen is a synthesis of two organisms, one fungus joins with green algae or photosynthetic bacteria called cyanobacteria, sometimes both
It can be said that The fungus benefits more from the symbiosis and is acting as more of a parasite on the photosynthesizers that it has trapped
In lichen the symbiosis is between a fungus and photosynthesizing algae or cyanobacteria
The fungus envelops the cells of the algae or cyanobacteria with tentacle like structures called hyphae
The sugars leak out and feed the fungus, sugars from the algae or cyanobacteria
In exchange the fungus creates a habitat for the algae or cyanobacteria
- more moisture and less sun
Thallus: the vegetative body formed by lichen
Without algae or cyanobacteria he fungi look like a heap of hyphae
On it's own the fungus cannot form any structures
Without the fungus the algae live in colonies and their cells look very different
So cyanobacterial cell are not very changed by their symbiotic relationship