Category: Inheritance 1: Behavior and Reproduction (MS)

Use argument based on empirical evidence and scientific reasoning to support an explanation for how characteristic animal behaviors and specialized plant structures affect the probability of successful reproduction of animals and plants respectively.

Inheritance & Variation of Traits, Inheritance 1: Behavior and Reproduction (MS), Inheritance 2: Genes and Growth (MS), Inheritance 2: Role of DNA (HS), Inheritance 4: Population Genetics (HS), Inheritance 5: DNA Technology (MS), Interdependent Relationships in Ecosystems, IR 1: Ecosystem Interactions (MS), IR 3: Ecosystem Stability (HS), Life Science, Natural Selection & Evolution, NSE 1: Evolution Evidence (HS), NSE 2: Evolution Factors (HS), NSE 4: Adaption (HS), NSE 4: Fitness (MS), NSE 5: Natural Selection (MS), NSE 5: Population Flux (HS), S&F 1: Cells (MS), S&F 1: DNA to Proteins (HS), S&F 2: Cell Function (MS), Structure and Function

Amoebae, Giant Viruses, and Virophages

GwynneL.

https://doi.org/10.3389/fcimb.2017.00527 SUMMARY: In 2003, scientists discovered that giant viruses infected amoebas. These giant viruses are so big that they were mistaken for bacteria for the longest time. It wasn’t until scientists realized they contained no ribosomal DNA that these organisms were reclassified as viruses. From there, even more giant viruses were discovered. Some of the… Continue reading Amoebae, Giant Viruses, and Virophages

Inheritance & Variation of Traits, Inheritance 1: Behavior and Reproduction (MS), Inheritance 2: Genes and Growth (MS), Inheritance 2: Role of DNA (HS), Inheritance 4: Asexual/Sexual (MS), Inheritance 4: Population Genetics (HS), Inheritance 5: DNA Technology (MS), Life Science

Sexual reproduction in parasitic protists

GwynneL.

Sexual reproduction and genetic exchange in parasitic protists SUMMARY: Sexual reproduction is often murky in parasites because it’s difficult to observe. There are two other ways to determine if an organism has sex: differences in genomes and genes for meiosis. However, in parasites, there are exceptions to this rule in that some organisms may have… Continue reading Sexual reproduction in parasitic protists

Inheritance & Variation of Traits, Inheritance 1: Behavior and Reproduction (MS), Life Science, Natural Selection & Evolution, NSE 3: Trait Selection (HS)

Insights into transgenerational epigenetics from studies of ciliates

GwynneL.

Insights into transgenerational epigenetics from studies of ciliates SUMMARY: This article summarizes what we know about ciliate epigenetics so far. The first section is an introduction to their weird nucleus situation: ciliates have two types of nuclei, the macronucleus and the micronucleus. Several examples of ciliate epigenetics are given in sections 2 and 3. Some… Continue reading Insights into transgenerational epigenetics from studies of ciliates

Inheritance & Variation of Traits, Inheritance 1: Behavior and Reproduction (MS), Inheritance 1: Mitosis (HS), Inheritance 4: Population Genetics (HS), Interdependent Relationships in Ecosystems, IR 1: Ecosystem Interactions (MS), IR 2: Affecting Biodiversity (HS), Life Science, M&E 3: Food Webs (MS), M&E 5: Changing Ecosystems (MS), Matter & Energy in Organisms/Ecosystems, Natural Selection & Evolution, NSE 1: Evolution Evidence (HS), NSE 2: Evolution Factors (HS), NSE 3: Trait Selection (HS), NSE 4: Adaption (HS), NSE 4: Fitness (MS), NSE 5: Natural Selection (MS), NSE 5: Population Flux (HS)

De novo origins of multicellularity in response to predation

GwynneL.

De novo origins of multicellularity in response to predation SUMMARY: Chlamydomonas are common, single-celled green algae that are flagellated and can move around. They’re a strange cross between plants and protists. In this study, scientists subjected chlamydomonas to predation by paramecia (common freshwater ciliates) and observed that after about 750 generations, the chlamydomonas took on… Continue reading De novo origins of multicellularity in response to predation

Inheritance & Variation of Traits, Inheritance 1: Behavior and Reproduction (MS), Inheritance 2: Genes and Growth (MS), Inheritance 4: Asexual/Sexual (MS), Inheritance 4: Population Genetics (HS), Inheritance 5: DNA Technology (MS), Life Science

Environmental DNA sequencing primers for eutardigrades and bdelloid rotifers

GwynneL.

Environmental DNA sequencing primers for eutardigrades and bdelloid rotifers SUMMARY: This article talked about using soil eutardigrades and bdelloid rotifer primers to quickly and easily identify these organisms directly. Due to the fact that there are so many types of microorganisms in soil, many of which are still unidentified and unable to be cultured in… Continue reading Environmental DNA sequencing primers for eutardigrades and bdelloid rotifers

Inheritance & Variation of Traits, Inheritance 1: Behavior and Reproduction (MS), Inheritance 2: Genes and Growth (MS), Inheritance 2: Role of DNA (HS), Inheritance 4: Population Genetics (HS), Life Science, S&F 1: DNA to Proteins (HS), S&F 2: Body Systems (HS), S&F 3: Body Systems (MS), Structure and Function

Variation in the human immune system is largely driven by non-heritable influences

GwynneL.

Variation in the human immune system is largely driven by non-heritable influences SUMMARY: This study was a twin study. The researchers looked at different elements of the immune system: T-cells, NK cells, B-cells, cytokines, etc. and saw that the development of these cells were influenced by non-heritable factors such as the environment and random epigenetic… Continue reading Variation in the human immune system is largely driven by non-heritable influences