Conservation Programmes
Conservation is the maintenance of the biosphere and enhancement of biodiversity locally. Conservation of species ensures the conservation of existing gene pools. For ethical reasons it is important to conserve potentially useful genes for future generations of humans as well as for the survival of the species itself. Present-day plants and animals used in agriculture and horticulture have been developed from plants and animals that were originally in the wild. Breeding increases genetic uniformity with the loss of rarer alleles. In the past breeders may have neglected some important qualities, such as resistance to cold and disease etc. These need to be added back into highly cultivated varieties, using the wild plants and animals as a gene bank. If habitats, and the wildlife that live in them, are threatened, this may no longer be possible. There is also concern about the progressive destruction of the tropical rainforests. Among many trees and shrubs are medicinal properties. The extinction of any plant species before its chemical properties have been investigated could amount to an incalculable loss. In recent years there has been much concern about the loss of gene pools and legislation has endeavoured to prevent the extinction of endangered species. These are some of the steps which have been taken: . Habitat Protection – Nature Reserves – SSSI 2.
The Benefits of Biodiversity And Threats To It.
________________ ________________ ________________ 2. Biodiversity is the variety of species on earth; extinction is the loss of species. Many new causes of extinction and lack of biodiversity have arisen which are directly attributable to human influences such as use of resources. ________________ ________________ ________________ ________________ 3. Reasons for species becoming endangered or extinct include: natural selection; habitat destruction such as deforestation and loss of hedgerows; pollution such as PCBs and oil; hunting and collecting; competition from domestic animals. ________________ ________________ ________________ Biodiversity is the variety of species on the earth. [Or if you prefer: Biodiversity is a contraction of “biological diversity” and refers to the number, variety and variability of living organisms. It embraces two different concepts: one is a measure of how many different living things there are and the other is the measure of how different they are.] The benefits of biodiversity are: . Food for humans and for cultivated animals 2. Medicinal and pharmaceutical resources 3. Potential agents for crop improvement (e.g. disease resistant genes) or biological control 4. Future resources (resources that are not yet identified) 5. Contribution to climate stability 6. Recovery from unpredictable events 7. Pollution breakdown and
The aim is to record the data growth of Duckweed and see what nutrients help duckweed grow quicker
Experimental Investigation Task| Table of Contents Abstract: Introduction: Aim: Hypothesis: Variable (Independent Variable) Dependent Variable (Quantities) (Qualitative) Materials: Method Discussion: Conclusions: Reference: ……………………………………………………………………………………..……9 Abstract: Duckweed species are small floating aquatic plants found worldwide and often seen growing in still waterways or ponds. They can survive and recover from extremes of temperature nutrient loadings, nutrient balance and PH. It belongs to the Lemnaceae family, a group of smallest flowering plants with no leaves or stems, through some have roots. It can produce varieties of duckweed but they rarely do and live in aquatic environment with no soil. A nutrient helps duckweed grow like nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium. It also helps to convert waste and sewage water into pure water. The variable of this report is whether the duckweed are going to be put in normal water or water with added nutrients and which type of nutrients it will be. The aim is to record the data growth of Duckweed and see what nutrients help duckweed grow quicker. They will examine to see if duckweed will grow or die and what will be the effect of
Is eating the best solution to deal with over-breeding species?
Is eating the best solution to deal with over-breeding species? There are four solutions we have found to deal with the over-breeding species. They are eating, sterilization, and translocation hunting. We are going to explain these methods by different cases. Eating Eating means the prey eaten by the higher trophic level species. It can apply on most species. This method can reduce the number of species in a short period of time and tackle the over-breeding problem. The case below can use the method of eating to solve the problem of over-breeding. “In Thames River, which is located in United Kingdom, Daisy Crabs are over-breeding. They affect the ecosystem of Thames River seriously. The warm river provides abundant of food for Daisy Crab and there are barely natural force can limit their population, so they keep on breeding in Thames and start occupying tributaries of the River Thames. Other species in River Thames, such as fish and microorganism, would reduce due to food lacking and prey on consumer. “ Eating the daisy crabs is suitable in this case because this method can reduce the number of Daisy Crab immediately. Besides, European do not eat Daisy Crab, but Chinese do, so they can export Daisy Crab to some Asian countries. Not only they can reduce the Daisy Crab population in river, but also bring the economic benefits. In comparison with other methods, we found
Overfishing - The End Of The Line
The End Of The Line What is the issue? The main issue to be discussed in this essay is that we are taking too much fish out of the sea for human consumption. So this is not giving them a chance to reproduce and to sustain fish stocks around the world. However the real challenge is to get people to know the danger of what is happening and what we need to do about it. How do we know that this is the problem? We are becoming more aware of this problem thanks to oceanographers, environmental campaigners and even films like The End of the Line which highlights major issues in the fishing industry. Graph analysis: This graph shows the world’s fish stocks in 2004, so not very long ago. Only 23% of the world’s seas are moderately or under exploited for fish. On the other hand most of the seas are either fully exploited meaning fish have minimal chance of reproducing or over exploited so fish have no chance to reproduce. Shockingly 7% of fish population is dying out fast and is continuing to do so at a very pace. Only 1% of fish is recovering, a very poor statistic.
Describe examples of adaptations to the environment shown by organisms within the ecosystem.
Science Biology : assignment 2 : Describe examples of adaptations to the environment shown by organisms within the ecosystem ? Rabbits : They are small, flexible, and fast-moving. Their size helps them stay underground and in small bushes or other spaces as such. They are very flexible, which helps them run, avoid enemies, and hide. They also have very large feet that let them hop long distances and run. so they are more easily adapted to there in environment . Living organisms cannot live isolated from their non-living environment. Living and the non-living environment interact with each other to form a stable system. A natural self-sufficient unit of the world comprising a biotic community (living organisms) and its abiotic physic-chemical environment (non-living environment) is known as an ecosystem. The geographic area providing uniform conditions for life is called biotope. (Greek - bios-life; topes - place). An ecosystem has
The Importance of Water in Living Organisms
The Importance of Water To Living Organisms Without doubt water is the most important of all molecules discovered, and undiscovered. Water plays an extraordinarily vital part in the every day life of each living organism; from providing a perfect environment for the reproductive cells of animals, to warning proteins of potential problems in DNA and its solvent characteristics that enable countless chemical reactions to take place. I can hardly give water the commendation it deserves for it is of such phenomenal importance to every living thing on this earth. It is the chemical structure of water that gives it such unique and useful qualities. The water molecule is slightly polarised. This means it has a very slightly negative end - the oxygen atom - and a very slightly positive end - the hydrogen atom . . .this is called a dipole. (Heinemann Advanced Science Biology). The hydrogen and oxygen atoms of different molecules attract and are linked by a hydrogen bond. Alone one hydrogen bond is very weak, but many together are very strong. As water has a dipole it means that many polar and non-polar substances, in particular ionic substances, will dissolve in water. Therefore, it is vitally important in living organisms that water can act as a solvent as all chemical reactions in cells take place in an aqueous solution. As well as all chemical reactions, it is the medium in which
Mining with Microbes.
Mining with Microbes A new method of extracting metals from their ores is being developed that is more, than others before. This alternative technique uses Thiobacillus ferro-oxidan and Thiobacillus thio-oxidan bacteria to leach metal elements from their ores. These bacteria live by oxidising ions found in insoluble minerals of copper. When the bacteria oxidise the S2- ions in the copper mineral, the valuable metal ions are left in solution, from which they can be removed. The microbes work best in acidic conditions (pH 2-3) and in a warm temperature (20-55oC). Firstly, the tailings of ore from previous copper mining are laid on an impermeable. The bacteria are then sprayed onto the piles of ore, in an acidic solution, and left to work. The Thiobacillus ferro-oxidan and Thiobacillus thio-oxidan (T. ferro- and T.thio-oxidan) microbes oxidise S2- and Fe2+ ions thus releasing the copper into solution. The equations for the reactions the bacteria use to live are summarised below: Fe2+ › Fe3+ + e- and S2- + 4H2O › SO42- + 8H+ + 8e- This results in the release of Cu2+ ions into solution: 4CuFeS2 + 17O2 + 4H+ › 4Cu2+ + 4Fe3+ + 8SO42- + 2H2O The solution is then drained off and the Cu2+ ions are removed from the solution using a different solvent (ligand) like kerosene. The 97 Ligand takes up Cu2+ ions in the following reaction: Cu2+(aq) + 2LH (organic) - CuL2
Respiration of yeast
4 JULY 2006 BIOLOGY COURSEWORK ~ RATE OF RESPIRATION OF YEAST INVESTIGATION INTO WHAT AFFECT DOES THE CONCENTRATION OF GLUCOSE HAVE ON THE RATE OF RESPIRATION OF YEAST Experiment Aim The aim of this investigation is to carry out a practical and observe how the concentration of glucose (sugar) affects the rate of respiration of yeast. I will write a report explaining how the intensity of the concentration of glucose affects how fast yeast respires. What Is Respiration? For a body to be fit, all the muscles and organs are required to be working correctly. For them to work perfectly, the cells that build up the tissue of that particular function need energy. That energy is provided by respiration. Respiration is needed in every single type of cell, including single celled micro-organisms. But there are two types of respiration: * Aerobic respiration * Anaerobic respiration Aerobic respiration~ Oxygen and glucose are transported into a cell. If it is respiration in a human cell, oxygen is inhaled, and glucose is taken from starch. If the conditions are appropriate, the enzymes around the cell speed up the process of the entrance of these two chemicals into the cell. When the oxygen and the glucose enter the cell, water and carbon dioxide (along with some energy) are released from the cell. The carbon dioxide and the water leave the cell. The chemical formula for this
Should the widespread use of antibiotics continue?
Should the widespread use of antibiotics continue? History and the problem The first use of antibiotics has been recorded as the use of tetracycline, found in 1000 year old mummies (The antibiotic paradox, Dr. Stuart Levy). Penicillin, the fist-recorded discovery was in 1928 by Dr. Alexander Fleming, but it wasn't until Drs Florey and Chain began work that it became useable or even generated an interest. It wasn't until 1942 that penicillin was in a useful form: Name Date Penicillin 1942 Streptomycin 1943 Cephalosporins (discovered) 1945 Chloramphenicol 1947 Chlor-Tetracycline 1947 Methicillin 1960 Ampicillin 1961 Gentamycin 1963 Cephalosporins (developed) 1964 The problem with the widespread use antibiotics is that it leads to overuse and improper dosage. The problem with overuse aside from side effects - which include discolouration of enamel, liver and kidney failure and reduced bone growth, (from natural alternatives to antibiotics, By Dr. John McKenna) is the development of antimicrobal resistance. Antimicrobal resistance can occur in many ways, and can render antibiotics useless against resistant bacteria. Microbiotic resistance in bacteria can occur via many methods ranging from the secretion antibiotic inactivation enzymes (e.g. penicillinases) to the modification of ribosomes to change the target of the antibiotic, and also via the transferring of genes
