Assignment 11

1. Diversity of Species in my Environment

I have all kinds of creatures living in my immediate environment. Well, for starters there are humans. I have a dog. There are cats, deer and raccoons that visit us from around the neighborhood. I have a variety of houseplants and outdoor plans. We have ants, spiders, earthworms, Sal bugs, fungus (including mushrooms), thrips, scale, and rust (a type of lawn fungus). We have robins and hummingbirds. We have moths, butterflies bees and mosquitoes. In the summertime we also get Blue Jays. We sometimes see Hawks and Herons.


2. Animal Cell Structure Website

I liked the animal cell structure web site because it illuminated some very basic things about cell biology that I did not know. For example, I didn’t realize that animal cells do not have a cell wall as do plants. This lack of cell wall allows for greater diversity of cells and tissues in the animal kingdom. I also didn't know that animal tissue is surrounded by an extracellular matrix composed of collagen, which when it hardens, becomes bones, shells and spicules.

3. Spike’s Gallery

Wow, I really like this website! These are gorgeous photographs. I especially liked fossil diatoms from Oamaru and Volvox globate. I think it's because I'm partial to blue.