Unit 9 Reflection

 This unit was all about life, and how it is classified. Taxonomy is the study of the classification of organisms. We learned about the hierarchical structure and how life is classified through taxonomy. We also learned about binomial nomenclature, which is the widely accepted process of naming species and showing their relationships to the genus in an organized manner. It was developed by a Swedish botanist named Carolus Linnean, and this form of organization is now called the Linnean system. Here you can see a diagram of the different levels of classification in taxonomy.

   Why also learned about phylogeny, and how you can observe common ancestry through phylogenetic trees and cladograms. This relates to what we learned about in the last unit regarding evolutionary relationships. We then went into depth about each of the levels of classifications, and some real world examples that help us to remember.
  First, we talked about domains and kingdoms. There are 3 domains and they are based on biochemical and genetic differences. The first domain is Archea,  which are archaebacteria that are considered extremophiles. They can only survive in the most extreme environments, places that we would think no life could ever exist. I find this fact fascinating because it is a reminder that not everything is about humans and how they live, and that this world is a vast and diverse place. The second domain is Bacteria, and it's the base of all life. There are many types; symbiotic bacteria, cyanobacteria, and actinomycetes bacteria. The third domain is Eukarya, and it consists of plants, animals, fungi, and protists.

  We then learned about bacteria and viruses and established similarities and differences between the two. Bacterial cell wall composition can be used by scientists to classify bacteria into two groups; gram-positive (a lot of peptidoglycans), and gram-negative (little peptidoglycan). We also learned about bacterium and their anatomy, spirals, cocci(spheres), and bacilli(rods). We talked about their different conditions for living, and their metabolism.

• Chemoheterotrophs- heterotrophic bacteria take in organic molecules
• Photoautotrophs- use light to convert CO2 and H2O into carbon compounds
• Chemoautotrophs- use energy directly from chemical reactions involving ammonia, hydrogen sulfide, nitrites, sulfur, or iron.
• Obligate aerobes- must have oxygen to survive
• Obligate anaerobes-can't have oxygen, botulism from canned foods
• Facultative anaerobes- alternative between oxygen and fermentation depending on change in environment

  We also learned about viruses, and how they are small infectious particles, not living cells.We also learned about the composition of viruses, and how they consist of nucleic acid enclosed in a protein coat and sometimes a membranous envelope.
   We also learned about fungi, and the different examples. Fungal cell walls are composed of chitin, plant cell walls are made of cellulose and they absorb food through long strands of fungi known as hyphae. Mycelium is underground hyphae that resemble roots of a plant. They also have a fruiting body, an underground reproductive system. Spores, like gametes, are haploids(single cells), and they can develop into a multicellular organism without fusing. There are three main types of fungi, Sac Fungi, Bread Molds, and Club Fungi.
   The major plant phyla include Bryophyta(mosses), Pterophyta(Ferns), Gymnosperms(cone-bearing plants), and Angiosperms(flowering plants). There are two major types of Angiosperms, Monocots(single seed leaf), and Dicots (two seed leaves).
  The animal classes can be classified as invertebrates and vertebrates. There are many phyla of invertebrates, Porifera(sponges), Cnidaria(specialized tissue), Platyhelminthes(bilateral, flatworms), Annelida(earthworms), Echinoderms(starfish and sea urchins), and Mollusca(snails and oysters). Here you can see a diagram of the different phyla from the kingdom Animalia.

   There are 5 kingdoms in taxonomy, Animalia, Monera, Fungi, Plantae, and Protista.
We went deeper into the different groups and classes of each phylum, but mainly just emphasized the phyla their unique characteristics.

• Porifera-specialized cells but no tissues, sessile, no symmetry
• Cnidaria-specialized tissue, 2 body forms: polyps and medusas
• Platyhelminthes-bilateral animals, incomplete gut, parasitic
• Mollusca- complete digestive tract, 3 classes: Gastropods, Bivalves, and Cephalopods
• Annelida- segmented bodies, coelom, 3 groups: earthworms, marine worms, and leeches
• Arthropoda-exoskeleton of chitin, segmented bodies, and jointed appendages 
• Echinodermata-maternal skeleton made of interlocking ossicles, water vascular system, complete digestive system, most reproduce sexually
• Chordata-vertebrates and some invertebrates, endoskeleton made of bone and cartilage

   There are 7 classes of vertebrates: Agnatha(Jawless fish), Chondrichthyes(cartilaginous fish with jaws), Osteichthyes(bony fish with jaws), Amphibia(four limbs, water/land), Reptilia(amniote egg surrounded by membrane), Aves(birds, presence of feathers, also amniotes), Mammalia(mammals, presence of hair, also amniotes).
  Also, I was a bit overwhelmed with all of the different phyla and classes, so I decided to do the extra credit assignment. Below you can see the concept map I made that outlines almost everything we learned about in this unit. It has been a very useful studying tool so far, and it was really fun to make.

  I still wonder about some things, like all of the organisms that we haven't discovered. Over time will taxonomy change when we make new discoveries? I also wonder how what we learned about the last unit can relate to this unit. What kind of vestigial and homologous structures can we see between the different phyla and classes? I found it really fascinating what we watched in class, in "Your Inner Fish." Just to remember that we are all connected, and with the evolutionary evidence right in front of you, is mind-blowing.
  A big part of this unit was our "What on Earth Evolved?" Presentations. I did mine on Archaeopteryx, and I really enjoyed the process. My topic was something not many people knew about, and the toughest part was trying to describe a transitional reptile and bird fossil and keep the class engaged. I overcame this obstacle in 3 ways. I made sure I used good public speaking skills. I made my slides aesthetically appealing. I also related the facts to concepts we learned in class. It was a lot of fun, and I learned a lot of things. In the future, I now know I should elaborate on the topics that I find interesting and worth to share because that will also keep people interested. Although I enjoyed presenting my Archaeopteryx project, next time, I would challenge myself to do something different, like a physical project. Below you can see my presentation.

Works Cited

Kingdom Animalia. Digital image. Eduvictors. N.p., n.d. Web. 10 May 2017. <https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEim4uelG9fkMP0Nn8wbX1Jp5mCfVrgwerdNp9W8UmEGrBFP3LmhG9hrwDXcqgVRxXuye7qeKTLZsQAkqLrZToRkfX1VRDJGfPD_MpRByg_mFXXaxV3N3xhmRtJZxCMH14wf39WSpAZ8IsJU/s1600/cl9SciCH7Fig6.jpg>.

Levels of Classification. Digital image. Grade 11 University Biology. N.p., n.d. Web. 11 May 2017. <https://uoitbio2013.files.wordpress.com/2013/02/picture1.png?w=627>.

The Three Domains of Life. Digital image. N.p., n.d. Web. 11 May 2017. <http://www.windows2universe.org/earth/Life/images/domains_sm.gif>.