Wednesday, August 31, 2011

Pre Med Conference at UC Davis Oct. 8 and 9

Some of you may be interested in pursuing a medical career. This is a great inexpensive conference to attend that will help you in pursuing this path. There are buses leaving from local colleges and universities, free housing options, and meal plans. The registration is between $40-45.00 if you sign up soon. Get more information here

Malaria and Algae

NPR had a story this morning about an organelle found in the malaria parasite that is now believed to have come from algae. Bio 120 students are learning about malaria in lab this week along with algae, so this story comes along at just the right time. Bio 200 students, we will be discussing malaria on Friday, so take a listen to the story here

Sunday, August 28, 2011

Planning to Transfer to a Four Year School?

Everyone at the college wants you to be able to successfully transfer to the school of your choice. If you are planning to attend a four year school next fall, then you will need to apply this fall. Our transfer center can help you! Check out their website here

There are workshops to help you, and there are counselors available to advise you who specialize in transfer students. They are very happy to help and answer questions for you. If you think you can't transfer due to financial reasons, academic reasons, you need to check with the counselors! They can help.

Wednesday, August 10, 2011

Tentacles at the Aquarium of the Pacific




All of these photographs are of animals from Phylum Cnidaria. They all can capture prey using stinging cells that paralyze the prey. However most also are algae farmers. Algae live in the animal's cells and to photosynthesis to make carbohydrates. Some coral animals get 90% of their food this way and die without their algae partners.

Thursday, August 4, 2011

Some review questions for final- summer 2011

Biome Review
1. What are two important factors in determining what type of Biome one will find in a given area?

2. What causes the seasons here in North America?

3. What are three strategies plants have developed to survive in the cold dry,and sometimes dark conditions of the Tundra?

4. What kind of adaptations have animals developed to survive in:
A. The tundra
B. The deserts
C. Coniferous forests

5. What is a rain shadow, and how does it account for different plant communities occurring at the same latitude, but on opposites sides of a mountain range?

6. In what biomes does fire play an important role, and what is this role?

7. To what kind of environmental stresses are the plants and animals in the chaparral adapted?

8. How is a deciduous forest different from a coniferous forest, other than the types of trees found in each?




Population Ecology and Interactions

1. Define resource partitioning and give an example of it.

2. How is a parasite different from a parasitoid?

3. How is a parasite different from a predator?

4. How are density dependent limiting factors different from density independent limiting factors? Give examples of each.

5. Coevolution happens also between parasites and their hosts. Why is this not surprising?

6. Define and give examples of the following: Mutualism, Commensalism, social parasite.

7. What are common strategies predators use to capture prey, and common defenses found in prey?

8. Draw a food web that could occur in your backyard or here at Cerritos. Include all the trophic levels we discussed in class.

9. Why are there fewer members of the upper trophic levels as compared with primary consumers or the producers?

10. What is carrying capacity?

Genetics

1. How is a genotype different from a phenotype?
2. What name is given to each of the following genotypes: TT Tt tt
3. Which of Mendel's laws discusses the separation of alleles in meiosis?
4. Which of his laws would describe the behavior of human chromosome 2 and 13 during meiosis?
5. In peas, tall is dominant over short. If two plants tall heterozygous plants were crossed, what proportion of the offspring would you expect to be short?
6. In one breed of chickens feather color is black, blue-gray, or white. How is feather color inherited and why do you think so?
7. If mom has 0 blood, and dad has AB blood, what proportion of the children will have B blood?