Tabanidae: Horseflies and Deerflies

Life Cycle of Tabanus, Chrysops, and Haematopota

The life cycle of horseflies and deerflies (genera Tabanus, Chrysops, and Haematopota) is closely tied to water and is notably long, typically lasting 1-2 years.

• Oviposition: Females lay eggs on plants or stones located close to water bodies.
• Larval Stage: Upon hatching, the larvae enter the water. They are not swimmers but feed on organic matter and plankton. They undergo several larval stages.
• Pupation: The final larval stage burrows into the mud and transforms into a pupa.
• Adult Emergence: Orthorrhaphous adults emerge from the pupa.

Ecology and Ethology

These flies are commonly found in meadows and woodlands near water collections. Ethologically, they are highly...

GMO - Genetically modified organisms


Benefits and Risks
Advantages
Key benefits of biotechnology are:
·
Superior performance. By GMO crop yield increases, giving more food for fewer resources, reducing crop losses as well as environmental factors

• Reduced pesticide Whenever a GMO is modified to resist a particular pest is helping to reduce pesticide use associated with it that often cause widespread environmental damage and health. ^[

• Improved nutrition can be reached by introducing vitamins and protein on food and reduce the allergens and natural toxins. You can also try to grow in extreme conditions as auxiliaries to the countries that have less food available.

Improves the development of new materiales.La application of biotechnology...

Understanding the Endocrine System: Glands, Hormones, and Functions

Exocrine vs. Endocrine Glands

Exocrine glands have ducts that secrete substances such as mucus, saliva, cerumen, sebaceous oils, and sweat.

Endocrine glands produce hormones (chemical messengers) and secrete them directly into the bloodstream.

The Pituitary Gland: Master Regulator of Hormones

The pituitary gland (hypophysis), often called the "master gland," primarily functions to secrete vital hormones into the bloodstream.

Key Pituitary Hormones and Their Functions

• ACTH (Adrenocorticotropic hormone or corticotropin): Stimulates the release of steroid hormones by the adrenal cortex.
• TSH (Thyroid-stimulating hormone or thyrotropin): Targets the thyroid gland and triggers the release

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English Vowels

Short Vowels

• /ɪ/ (as in: sit): Front, unrounded, between close and half-close.
• /ɛ/ (as in: dead): Front, unrounded, between half-close and half-open.
• /æ/ (as in: cat): Front, unrounded, between half-open and open.
• /ʌ/ (as in: does): Between front and central, unrounded, half-open.
• /ɒ/ (as in: dog): Back, rounded, between half-open and open.
• /ʊ/ (as in: good): Between back and central, rounded, near-close.

Long Vowels

• /i:/ (as in: sweet): Unrounded, almost fully closed.
• /ɜ:/ (as in: bird): Central, unrounded, between half-close and half-open.
• /ɑ:/ (as in: fast): Almost fully back, unrounded, fully open.
• /ɔ:/ (as in: hawk): Back, rounded, between half-close and half-open.
• /u:/ (as in: shoe): Almost fully back, rounded, almost fully

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Siphonaptera (Fleas)

Fleas have three pairs of legs, a segmented body, and are 0.5 to 4 mm in size. They can jump 33 times their size. Ctenidia are hairs on their body. The female spermatheca is where the eggs are stored. They have a complete or holometabolous life cycle. The adult lays eggs, and in three weeks, the larvae emerge. In 9-15 days, the pupa stage is reached, and then the adult. Males and females feed on blood. The larvae feed on the feces of the adult fleas. The pupa is covered with earth and is motionless until the temperature changes.

• Pulex irritans (Human flea)
• Ctenocephalides canis (Dog flea)
• Ctenocephalides felis (Cat flea)
• Xenopsylla cheopis (Rat flea)
• Tunga penetrans: The female introduces itself inside the skin, producing a wound

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Meiosis

2-step cellular division of primitive germ cells (46, diploid)  mature germ cells (23, haploid)

Lyon Hypothesis

genetic activity of 1 of the X chromo in each cell of a female embryo; when X chromo in female is inactivated = Barr body forms; X chrome dispersed into nucleus; gross abnormalities

Trisomy 21

Down Syndrome; 3 identical chromo at the same allele; most frequent; fissured tongue; macroglossia, slanted eyes, low IQ, hypodontia

Trisomy 13

poor prognosis; 3 chrom on 13; bilateral cleft lip/palate, microphthalmia/anopthalmia

Karyotype

a photographic representation of of a person’s chromosomal make-up; gross abnormalities

Turner Syndrome

lack X chromosome from father; no Barr bodies on smear; webbed neck, short statue

Klinefelter

extra X chrom...

Biology 105/106: Exam 1 Study Material

This document outlines key concepts for Biology 105/106 Exam 1, covering fundamental principles of science, life, cells, metabolism, and energy, along with essential lab topics.

Chapter 1: The Scientific Process

• Science as a Process:
  1. Observation: Noticing phenomena.
  2. Question: Forming a formal hypothesis.
  3. Hypothesis: A testable explanation for an observation.
  4. Experimentation: Testing the hypothesis.
  5. Data Analysis: Drawing conclusions from results.
  6. Communication: Sharing findings and restarting the process with new questions.
• Hypothesis vs. Prediction: Understand the distinction.
• Experiments:
  • Controls: Elements kept constant to ensure valid results.
  • Variables:
    • Independent Variable: The factor manipulated by the experimenter.

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Electron Transport Chain

Cytochrome P-450 - NADH cytochrome reductase: This enzyme facilitates the hydroxylation of many substrates. Therefore, it is important in the synthesis of steroid hormones and detoxification processes. Cytochrome b5 - cytochrome b5 reductase NADF4: These endoplasmic reticulum (ER) membrane proteins exhibit asymmetry, with one face oriented towards the hyaloplasm and the other towards the lumen. Carbohydrates are attached to lipids and proteins facing the luminal side.

Synthesis of Exportable Proteins (Rough Endoplasmic Reticulum)

The cell synthesizes proteins that either remain within the cell or are exported to other locations. These locations can be extracellular, as products of secretion, or intracellular. Protein synthesis...

DNA replication involves several steps:

1. Initiation: Initiator proteins bind to the origin of replication.
2. Unwinding: DNA helicase unwinds the DNA strands.
3. Single-strand binding: Proteins bind to exposed single-stranded DNA to keep them apart.
4. Topoisomerase: Moves ahead of replication fork and removes torque by making a double-stranded break in one DNA double helix and passing another segment of helix through it.
5. Primase: Lays down an RNA primer (10-12 nt long) that provides a 3’OH group to start synthesizing DNA.
6. Elongation: DNA polymerase III synthesizes DNA on both strands in the 5’-3’ direction. The leading strand is replicated continuously, while the lagging strand is replicated discontinuously.
7. Removal of RNA primers: DNA polymerase I removes

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Types of Joints (Articulations)

Joints are classified based on their structure and the degree of movement they permit.

Fibrous Joints (Synarthroses)

These are immovable joints where bones are united by fibrous connective tissue.

• Suture

  Immovable joints found only between flat bones of the skull, united by short fibrous tissue.

  • Serrate (Toothed): Interlocking, joined by fibrous tissue.
  • Squamous (Scale): Overlapping, found in areas like the temporoparietal articulation.
  • Plane (Flat): Bones joined by flat, opposing surfaces.
  • Schindylesis: A peg-and-groove joint (e.g., vomerosphenoid articulation).

• Syndesmosis

  Bones united by a longer, stronger band of fibrous tissue (e.g., distal tibiofibular joint).

• Gomphosis

  A peg-in-socket joint (e.g., dentoalveolar joint,

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