Did you know...

• Faeces (poop) smells largely because the microbes in your gut produce two stinky chemicals as they work to break down your food - indole and statole.

• Head lice suck blood for about 45 seconds every 2 - 3 hours, but they can go without a meal for up to two days if they are between heads - on a comb, towel or pillow.

• Dandruff is a mixture of dirt and dead skin cells stuck together with oil that oozes out of your glands on your head. If your head oozes too much oil, your dandruff becomes noticeable.

Today’s Class

1. Warm Up

2. Go over “The Case of the Peppered Moth”

3. Handout - Examining Diversity Concept Map

Quiz coming up!!

4. Asexual Notes

• Budding • Binary Fission

• Spore Production • Vegetative Reproduction

5. Work on Homework:

Handout - Asexual Reproduction

Warm Up

1. A feature that enables an organism to survive in its environment is called a/an:a. natural selection.b. trait.c. adaptation.d. mutation.

• Marc visits a wildlife sanctuary. The naturalist describes someunusual species that are protected at the sanctuary. Marc correctly recalls that a species is defined as a group of organisms that:a. live in the same habitat.b. adapt to environmental changes.c. have both exoskeletons and skeletons.d. are able to interbreed and produce young.

3. Which is an example of a behavioral adaptation of the snowshoe rabbit?a. It freezes when a predator comes near.b. It has white fur to blend with the snow during winter.c. It has large rear legs for hopping quickly.d It has large feet to stay on top of the snow.

4. A poplar tree’s niche includes its habitat and activities such as:a. removing carbon dioxide from the air and releasing oxygen to

the air.b. removing water and nutrients from the soil.c. providing food and shelter for a wide variety or organisms.d. All of the above.

• Snow algae has variation that allow it to:a. survive in cold temperatures.b. form a symbiotic relationship with plants.c. survive intense sunlight.d. both (a) and (c) above.

Answers

1. c

2. d

3. a

4. d

5. d

Hereditable Traits

Hereditable traits are characteristics that are passed on from

parent to offspring by passing on their genetic information.

Methods for passing on these traits are called reproductive strategies.

There are two major classifications:

1. Asexual Reproduction

2. Sexual Reproduction

Asexual Reproduction• Asexual reproduction occurs when ONE parent supplies the

genetic information to the offspring.

• Asexual reproduction produces offspring usually identical to parent.

Inherited characteristics are identical to the parent – “clones”.Many organisms reproduce this way.

• There are 4 methods of Asexual Reproduction.

(1) Binary Fission

Binary fission is used by bacteria and protozoans, which requires minimal energy. Their offspring (daughter cells) are identical to the parent cells. The organisms equally duplicates its contents, including its DNA, then it divides in half.

*Cell splits exactly in two to produce 2 identical individuals.

Examples:

Used by unicellular organisms.

• bacteria • amoebas

• protists • some algae

(2) Spore Production

Fungi, like mushrooms can reproduce asexually by forming single celled, reproductive structures called spores, with all its genetic information. They broadcast the spores and then the spores grow into new mushrooms.

*Spores produced by parent (similar to seeds).

*Spores produced by parent cells dividing, not union of cells.

*Each spore develops into a new individual.

Examples:

• many fungi • green algae

• some moulds • non-flowering plants (ferns)

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(3) Budding

A cell produces a group of cells called a “bud”, the bud then detaches itself to become independent.

*Parent produces a small bud.

*The bud is a smaller version of the parent.

*Bud detaches from parent and becomes a new individual identical

to the parent.

Examples:

• hydra • coral (uses this but bud does not detach)

• yeast

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(4) Vegetative Reproduction

*No seeds formed.*May involve taking a cutting from a plant (piece of plant placed in water develops into new plant).*Some plants grow runners which grow new plants on them.*Bulbs, tubers and suckers are also form of vegetative reproduction.

Examples:• Used by most plants.• cutting - coleus plant• tubers - potato plant• runner - strawberry plant• sucker - aspen tree

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Advantages and Disadvantages of Asexual Reproduction

Advantages

1. Only need one individual to reproduce.2. No genetic change – good if environment is stable.3. All individuals are producing offspring.4. More efficient at passing on genes.

Disadvantages

1. No recombination of genes.

Homework

• Asexual Reproduction Handout.

Due next class.

• All done - Work on your Final Project.