Notes, summaries, assignments, exams, and problems for Biology

Adaptation of Xylem to its Function

• Long, made from cells joined end to end to form tubes/vessels
• Cell walls thickened with lignin, a hard, strong material
• Lignin makes cell walls waterproof
• Cells have no cytoplasm or organelles (no cell contents)
• No end-to-end walls between cells
• Pits in the walls for water movement between vessels

Define Transpiration

Loss of water vapor from plant leaves by evaporation of water at the surfaces of the mesophyll cells followed by diffusion of water vapor through the stomata.

Leaves have many more stomata in their lower epidermis than they do in their upper epidermis, and most transpiration happens there.

Factors Affecting Transpiration

• The large internal surface area provided by the interconnecting air spaces between

Asexual Reproduction in Plants

Asexual reproduction is the process through which an organism produces other organisms without the participation of more than one parent.

Methods of Asexual Reproduction

Runner or Stolon

Runners or stolons can produce buds that develop into new plants that are clones.

Fragmentation

Fragmentation occurs when a small part of the plant falls off onto the soil and begins to grow into a new plant.

Budding

Each bud will grow like a clone of the original plant that produced it, such as a potato.

Gemmation

Gemmae are shed and dispersed to other areas, where they grow to produce new individuals.

Vegetative Propagation

Vegetative propagation happens when someone takes a part of the plant and replants it in another place.

Animal Tissues

Types

Recognize the following words and give Pinyin for them:

• 住院 zhùyuàn
• 学期 xuéqī
• 专业 zhuānyè
• 基础 jīchǔ
• 时间 shíjiān
• 要求 yāoqiú

Make up sentences with the given words:

• 这学期你们开了几门课？我想去医院看朋友。
• 窗户上挂着一个牌子。在病历里夹着吗？什么时候可以出院？
• 我昨天晚上一点才睡觉。学校下个星期六开运动会。我们留学生可以参加吗？

Choose the proper words to fill in the blanks:

• 你的解剖实验报告写完了吗？
• 星期一我已经把请假条交给老师了。
• 还是不能确定是肺癌还是肺结核。
• 这是一部关于中国历史的电影。
• 上星期卡瓦不是来借过你的词典吗？

Common rescue drugs for allergic shock:

• Immediately subcutaneous

Central Nervous System

Cerebrum

The cerebrum interprets information sent by sensory receptors, regulates muscle activity, and is involved in emotional and intellectual processes. It has two hemispheres joined by the corpus callosum, which is made up of neuron axons. The cerebrum also has a superficial layer of gray matter called the cerebral cortex.

Thalamus and Hypothalamus

The thalamus and hypothalamus produce hormones and control the endocrine system.

Cerebellum

The cerebellum controls motor coordination, posture, and balance. It has two hemispheres and a central zone.

Brainstem

The brainstem connects the brain to the spinal cord. It includes the medulla oblongata, which regulates blood pressure, heartbeat, and respiration.

Hemispheric Specialization

There... Continue reading "Human Nervous System: Structure, Function, and Disorders" »

What are we made of?

Carbohydrates, Fats, Proteins, Water.

Metabolism:

All chemical reactions that take place inside the body.

Carbohydrates:

Include sugars and starches. Contain three types of atoms: carbon, hydrogen, oxygen.

Sugars: The simplest kind of carbohydrates are the simple sugars or monosaccharides, such as glucose and fructose. If two monosaccharides join, a disaccharide is formed.

Polysaccharides:
If many simple sugars join together, a molecule called a polysaccharide is made. (Starch and glycogen are polysaccharides.)

Carbohydrates Functions:
Energy: Energy is released by respiration. The carbohydrate used in respiration is usually glucose.
Transport: Animals transport glucose around the body, plants transport sucrose.
Storage: Plants store... Continue reading "Understanding Carbohydrates, Fats, Proteins, and Enzymes" »

Darwinism

Charles Darwin (1809-1882) and Alfred Russel Wallace (1823-1913)

Basic Principles of Darwinism

1. Individuals within a population have anatomical, physiological, and behavioral differences.
2. Each species produces more offspring than can survive to reproductive age, leading to competition.
3. Competition for resources (struggle for existence) explains why many offspring die.
4. Natural selection favors individuals with advantageous variations.
5. Surviving individuals pass favorable variations to their offspring.

Survival of the Fittest

Individuals with favorable characteristics survive and become more common, potentially leading to new species over generations.

Example: Giraffes

1. Giraffes initially had varied neck and leg lengths.
2. Natural selection favored

Plant and Animal Classification

Sperm whale - Animalia from stomata plants expel oxygen from their

Cork oak - Plantae leaves, the CO2 from respiration and excess

Crayfish - Animalia of water

Rosebush - Plantae

Starfish - Animalia the transport of substance in the plant take care

Pine tree - Plantae in the stem which travel through the vessel, branches and veins of the leaves

Iberian lynx - Animalia

Holm oak - Plantae

Gymnosperm: Angyonsperm

Seed are not in a fruit, they are in a fruit

Type of leaves: evergreen, deciduous

Flowers: hermaphrodite

Appearance: trees, shrubs, cereals

The Sounds of Language

A Guide to Phonetic Symbols

Consonants

Sensory Receptors and Sensory Nerves

Sensory Receptors

Information from the environment and internal organs is detected by sensory receptors. These receptors can be:

• Surrounded by cells (not neurons)
• Connected with a neuron (sensory nerve) in which they will generate action potentials
• Specialized to respond to one particular form of energy

There are many different types of sensory receptors:

• Mechanoreceptors - detect touch and pressure
• Thermoreceptors - detect cold and warmth
• Nociceptors - detect pain
• Electromagnetic receptors - detect light
• Chemoreceptors - detect taste, smell, blood O₂ and CO₂ concentration, blood glucose, amino acids, and fatty acids

A receptor can be excited by:

• Mechanical deformation - stretches the receptor, opening ion channels
• Application