Monday 12 December 2011

What I Learned Today: Animal Sort Into Animal Tree

Animal sort into animal tree is sorting out the chordata for each different type of animal. The animals that were giving were the following:
  • Snake, Osteichthyes, Silkworm Cocoon, Octopus, Nectures, Peziza, Katharina Tunicta, Hermit Crab, Seahorse, Reptile, Spider, Mopila Mucosa and Coonstripe Shrimp.
Each animal goes into a different Phylum classification.

Phylum Chordata: Snake, Osteichthyes, Seahorse, Reptile, Necture (Phylum Chordatas are vertebratse)

Arthropoda: Silkworm Cocoon, Spider, Hermit Crab, Coonstripe Shrimp (Arthropoda have joined ependages)

Mollusca: Octopus, Mopalia, Katharina Tunicta ( Mollusca is marine animals )

Ascomycota: Peiza (Sub kingdom of fungi)

Below is a simple picture of the Animal Phylum tree:

Tuesday 6 December 2011

What I learned today: Obelia Medusa

Today I learned what Obelia Medusa is, and the structure/function of it. Obelia Medusa is a genus in the class Hydroza (Hydroza is a taxanomic class of predatory animals, which are solitary or colonial) and consists mainly of marine water and some fresh water animals. The Medusa is umbrella shaped. The tentacles on it have many nematocysts to assist in capturing prey. Extending into the cavity is the manubrium. The manubrium contains a mouth as its tip, and is surrounded by four oral lobes. Gonads can be seen on the outside of Medusa as well. Egg and sperm are released into the sea where fertalization takes place. The Zygote then devolops into plaula larva.

 Obelia Medus Parts: Below is a picture of Obelia Medusa. The parts for it are the ovary, tentacle, tenacular bulbs, circular canal, mouth, manubrium, gonad, gastrovascular cavity, radial canal, mesoglea

Obelia Medusa Labeled :

Monday 5 December 2011

Introduction to Animals

The characteristics of Animals are:
  • Heterotrophic, which means consuming food  (ingesting food)
  • Primarily diploid - A cell/organism containing two sets of chromosomes.
  • Sexual reproduction - Two individuals produce an offspring that has genetic characteristics from both parents.
  • Embryonic development: Zygote --> blastula --> gastrula

Animals are eukaryotic multicellular organisms composed of cells that don't have walls. Animals are either invertebrates or vertebrates. Invertebrate means without backbone. Examples are: Phyla porifera (sponge), Cnideria, Platyheiminthes, Nematoda, Annelida, Mollusa, Arthopoda, Echinodermata. Vertebrates are animals with backbones.