Covalent Bonds

A covalent bond is a force between two or more atoms that holds them together. The bond is provided by electrons that travel between the atom's nuclei, holding them together. In biology the covalent bonds are called strong bonds, because they are normally not broken under biological conditions unless an enzyme catalyst is present. There is a type of covalent bond called a polar covalent bond, which are important since these bonds allow the formation of another kind of weak bond called a hydrogen bond. Water is an example of a polar covalent bond, which is why I took a picture of this water bottle to represent the covalent bond.

Source: 
Covalent Bonds (December 12, 2006). biology-online.org. Retrieved on August 31, 2011, from
http://www.biology-online.org/dictionary/Covalent_bonds

Model Organism

A model organism is a non-human species that is extensively studied to understand certain biological happenings, which they hope to make discoveries that will provide a better understanding of these special happenings. Model organisms are used to understand genetics, tissues, organs, stem-cells, and much more. Many model organisms are used to hopefully find cures or treatments for certain human or other organism's diseases. Many viruses, , prokaryotes, fungi, plants, protists, and animals are model organisms used for multiple fields of research. This is a picture of a chicken with its chicks, but chickens are one of the very important animal model organisms, since their eggs are studied very closely and are excellent for micro-manipulation (like skin grafting), as well as being great exemplary animals in genetic breading.

Source:
Teaching With Model Organism (n.d.) wormclassroom.org. Retrieved on August 31, 2011, from
http://www.wormclassroom.org/teaching-model-organisms

Invertebrates

Invertebrates are animals without backbones which includes about 97% of all animals except for mammals, reptiles, birds, amphibians, and fish. Scientist usually break down invertebrates into 8 major groups which are Arthropods (which include insects and arachnids), sponges, cnidarians (like jellyfish), annelid worms (like earthworms), flatworms (tapeworms), roundworms or nematodes, mollusks (shellfish and slugs or snails), echinoderms (like star fish). Invertebrates are heterotrophs  since they must consume other organisms to survive. This picture is of an earthworms which are invertebrates since they have no back bones and are under the invertebrate category of annelid worms.

Source: 
Invertebrates. (n.d.) edHelper.com. Retrieved on August 31, 2011, from
http://www.mysciencesite.com/invertebrates.pdf

Fungi

Fungi is a kingdom of very important organisms, in terms of ecological roles. This is because fungi break down dead organic material which continues the cycle of nutrients through ecosystems. Most vascular plants could not grow without the symbiotic fungi, which inhabit their roots and supply essential energy. Fungi can also cause a number of animal and plant diseases that are more chemically and genetically similar to animals and other organisms which makes them hard to treat. Plant diseases by fungi include rusts, smuts, and leaf, root, and stem rots, and may cause damage to crops. Fungi are not heterotrophs since they do not have chlorophyll, which is why they absorb nutrients into their hyphae. Most fungi live as multicellular filaments which is the hyphae. Fungi reproduce through spored which can be asexual or sexually produced spores. Examples of fungi are yeasts, rusts, stinkhorns, ringworm, molds, mildews, and mushrooms, which is why this picture has the frog sitting next to two mushrooms.

Source: 
Fungi. (June 15, 2008). biology-online.org. Retrieved on August 31, 2011, from
http://www.biology-online.org/dictionary/Fungi



Q:What did the mushroom say after he got rejected for a date?
A: But I am a fungi!!!!!

Sepal

Sepals are located at the base of the flower structure which forms the calyx of the flower. The sepals are meant to protect the lower bud. Sepals are usually green but may be actually be the same color as the plant. That is why if you look closely to this picture under the rose are the little green leave like things, but they are the sepals.

Source: 
Sepal. (October 3, 2005). biology-online.org. Retrieved on August 31, 2011, from
http://www.biology-online.org/dictionary/Sepal

Stamen

A stamen is the male reproductive part of a flower that consists of pollen sac (anther) and a long supporting filament. This filament holds the anther in position, making the pollen available for it to be dispersed by the wind, insects, or birds. The pollen grains are produced here by meiosis which is required for an angiosperm plant to reproduce.  This picture shows the stamens clearly if you look at the inside of the yellow flower which looks like little rods with a small head tip on it.

Source: 
Stamen. (October 3, 2005). biology-online.org. Retrieved on August 31, 2011, from
http://www.biology-online.org/dictionary/Stamen

Aggregate Fruit

An aggregate fruit is a type of fruit that develops from a single flower of many pistils (ovaries). The flower is simple with one corolla, one calyx, and one stem, but has many pistils. Each is fertilized separately, so if one does not pollinate successfully then the fruit will be misshapen.  Examples of aggregate fruit are strawberries and raspberries, which is why these pictures are of strawberries and raspberries.

Source: 
Aggregate Fruit. (June 5, 2009). biology-online.org. Retrieved on August 31, 2011, from
http://www.biology-online.org/dictionary/Aggregate_fruit

Simple Fruit

A simple fruit is a type of fruit that develops from a single or compound ovary with only one pistil. Simple fruits cans either be fleshy or dry. Fleshy fruit are those which parts or all of the fruit consists of a fleshy wall, but some fruits are also known as drupes since they have leathery, fibrous, or pulpy outer layers with a pit enclosing one or more seeds (like peaches). Dry simple fruits can either be dehiscent (opening to discharge seeds), or indehiscent (not opening to discharge seeds), some dry fruits are like peanuts and carrots. This picture represents a simple fruit since the banana falls under the category of a fleshy simple fruit since its walls are pulpy and fleshy. 

Source:

Simple Fruit. (June 5, 2009). biology-online.org. Retrieved on August 31, 2011, from 

http://www.biology-online.org/dictionary/Simple_fruit

Multiple Friut

Multiple fruit is a type of fruit that develops from the ovaries of many flowers growing in a cluster or that are fused together into a large fruit. Each flower cluster has its own calyx and corolla. A pine cone is are examples, which is why i took this picture of this pine cone.

Source:
Multiple Friut. (June 5, 2009). biology-online.org. Retrieved on August 30, 2011, from
http://www.biology-online.org/dictionary/Multiple_fruit

Angiosperm

Angiosperm are vascular plants that have stems, roots, and leaves, but unlike gymnosperm their seeds are located in flowers (gymnosperm do not have their seeds located in their flowers). Angiosperm eggs are usually fertilized and developed into a seed an ovary that is usually in a flower. The flowers of angiosperm have male and female reproductive organs, which have to undergo pollination before they can reproduce. Angiosperm are broken down into two groups of monocots and dicots. In this picture is of an angiosperm because it has a flower with many seeds located in it.

Source:
Angiosperm. (n.d) Nature Works. nhptv.org. Retrieved on August 30, 2011, from
http://www.nhptv.org/natureworks/nwep14f.htm

Gymnosperm

Gymnosperms are a group of plants that have no flowers and whose seeds are not enclosed by a ripened fruit. This is why these seeds are surrounded in ovary walls, which is why many gymnosperms' seeds are born in cones and are not visible. Most gymnosperm are evergreens, which is why I took a picture of this pine tree.

Source:
Gymnosperm. (October 3, 2005). biology-online.org. Retrieved on August 30, 2011, from
http://www.biology-online.org/dictionary/Gymnosperms

Dicot

A dicot is a group of flowering plants belonging to the class Magnoliopsida of angiosperms, characterized as by having two cotyledons in the seed that may emerge from the ground when it is germinated. Dicots usually have floral parts in multiples of four or five and have their vascular system with the xylem and phloem in the steam. The ring of phloem is near the bark and the xylem forms the inner ring. A dicot usually has net-veined leaves like in this picture and that is why this picture represents a dicot because of its net-veined leaves.

Source:
Dicot. (July 13, 2009). biology-online.org. Retrieved on August 30, 2011, from
http://www.biology-online.org/dictionary/Dicot

Monocot

A monocot is a group of flowering plants belonging to the class liliopsida of angiosperms, which are characterized by having only one cotyledon in the seed. The number of flower parts are in multiples of three along with having the vascular system arranged by xylem and phloem in paired bundles, which are dispersed throughout the stem. Another key characteristic of monocots are that the leaves usually have paralleled veins. This picture is the frog laying on grass which is a monocot and can be distinctly seen with having parallel veins if looked at closely.

Source:
Monocot. (July 13, 2009). biology-online.org. Retrieved on August 30, 2011, from
http://www.biology-online.org/dictionary/Monocot

Endotherm

An endotherm is an organism (birds, mammals, some fish and insects, even some plants) that are capable of generating their own heat energy to maintain a high core temperature. They usually do this by metabolic means of through aerobic activity (or biochemical mechanisms in some plants) and this is why they are considered warm blooded since these organism usually have higher temperatures than their environment. To maintain there body temperature at a core temperature they must go through balancing heat gain and heat lose (homeostasis for some organisms like mammals), which they do by exercising or having thick layers of fat or skins and then loose heat by sweating, panting, or going into cooler shelters.  This is a picture of my hamster which is an endotherm since it is a mammal and has a layer of fur to keep its temperature at constant.

Source: 
Kunz, Thomas. (March 19, 2008) Endotherm. eoearth.org. Retrieved on August 30, 2011, from
http://www.eoearth.org/article/Endotherm

Ectotherm

An ectotherm is an animal whose body temperature varies with the temperature of its surroundings; any animals except birds and mammals. They are considered cold blooded animals and cannot regulate their own body temperature. As a result from this these animals must depend on an environmental heat source to survive and have relatively low metabolic rates. This is a pictures of turtles which are ectotherm since they must bask in the sun (like many reptiles) like they appear to be since that is how they regulate their body heat through sun light's heat.

Source:
Ectotherm. (October 3, 2006) biology-online.org. Retrieved on August 30, 2011,from
http://www.biology-online.org/dictionary/Ectotherm

Omnivore

An omnivore is an organism that eats both plants and animals to obtain energy to survive. They can be both first level consumers by eating plants or second level or higher consumers since they eat other animals if they are predators, but some may be scavengers as well. This picture is of bear (black bear), which are omnivores (execpt giant panda and polar bears) since they eat fruits such as berries as well as eating meat like fish.

Source: 
Omnivore. (November 26, 2006). biology-online.org. Retrieved on August 30, 2011, from
http://www.biology-online.org/dictionary/Omnivore

Carnivore

A Carnivore is an organism (usually animals or some plants) that must eat animals through predation or scavenging. They are consumers, more specified as second level or higher leveled consumers. This is a picture of my dog but dogs are carnivores since even though some have been domesticated to eat plants, (or other not meaty foods) naturally they eat strictly meat just like their close cousins the wolves and foxes.

Sources: 
Carnivore. (May 11, 2008) biology-online.org. Retrieved on August 30, 2011, from
http://www.biology-online.org/dictionary/Carnivore

Herbivore

A herbivore is an organism that must consume vegetation to obtain energy to survive. Herbivores are consumers since they eat producers (autotrophs) to survive. In this picture is an elephant, which is a herbivore because it eats primarily leaves, bark, and fruits from trees and shrubs.

Source: 
Herbivore.(May 11, 2007) biology-online.org. Retrieved on August 30, 2011, from
http://www.biology-online.org/dictionary/Herbivore

Heterotroph

A heterotroph is an organism that is unable to synthesis its own organic carbon-based compounds from inorganic substances, thus it must feed on organic material produced/available from other organisms. Heterotrophs are the consumers in the food chain, so if they are animals they are either carnivores, herbivores, or omnivores, but fungi and bacteria are also heterotrophs. This picture is of a bull which is a heterotroph more particularly an omnivore because it must feed on plants (producers) to survive.

Source:
Heterotroph. biology-online.org. Retrieved August 30, 2011, from
http://www.biology-online.org/dictionary/Heterotroph

Autotroph

An autotroph is an organism that is capable of making nutritive organic molecules from inorganic sources through photosynthesis (involving light energy) or chemosynthesis (involving chemical energy). Autotrophs are the producers in a food chain. Autotrophs can either be photoautotrophs or chemoautotrophs. The reason why this picture contains an autotroph is because it is a plant which creates nutritive organic molecules through sunlight (photosynthesis) and is a producer of a food chain.

Source:
Autotroph. biology-online.org. Retrieved on August 30, 2011, from
http://www.biology-online.org/dictionary/Autotroph

My Mascot

This is my Mascot for my biology project.