HUMANITY & THE WORLD BIOMESHUMANITY & THE WORLD BIOMES

Unit 2-5aUnit 2-5a

UnderstandingUnderstandingAquatic BiomesAquatic Biomes

Characteristics Of Aquatic Biomes

Aquatic biomes are characterized by…

Salinity – Freshwater, marine & estuary areas areidentified by the amount of dissolved salts

Water Depth & Flow – Fromshallow creeks to fast-movingrivers to deep ocean trenches

Available Sunlight – Reachesdepths of 50-100 ft

• Littoral Zone – Shallow areas with high sunlight, nutrients and biodiversity

• Benthic Zone – Deep areas without sunlight

Freshwater Biomes

Freshwater biomes:

Lakes & Ponds – Still bodies of water that can be over 1,000 feet deep

Rivers & Streams – Waterflowing from snowy mountains;Usually faster & more shallow

Wetlands – Inland areas saturatedwith water most of the year

• Swamp – Mostly trees & shrubs

• Marsh – Mostly tall grasses

Which of these biomes are not common in New Jersey?

Saltwater Biomes

Marine (saltwater) biomes:

Oceans – Five of them cover over 70% of our planet

Coral Reef – Limestone ridgesbuilt by coral polyps; High energy, nutrients & biodiversity

Coastal – Some species anchorto rocky shores while othersbury in the sand to resist tides

How often do tides occur?

The moon causes high and low tides twice per day!

Saltyish Biomes

Brackish Waters – A mix of ocean and fresh water

Estuary – Rivers flow to an ocean creating nutrient-rich,easily accessible areas

Mangrove Swamp – Trees andplants thrive in brackish water

These regions are often themost polluted due to runoff.

Where does litter in front of Edison HS go next?

From the storm drain, where does litter go?

And eventually, this waste will pollute our beaches!

Our Local Estuaries

Portions of Virginia’s Chesapeake Bay have become“Dead Zones”, regions withoutenough oxygen to support life.

After about 50 years andmore than $100 million spentthere has been almost noimprovement or recovery!

While parts of the New YorkHarbor are still contaminated,greatly reducing any wildlife,there has been improvementover the past few decades.

Chesapeake BayWhich three islands

can be seen in this image?

Significance Of Aquatic Biomes

Our aquatic biomes provide…

• Fresh water & food

• Areas for recreation

• Habitats for species

• Purifies wastewater

• Transportation of goods

• Protects from floods & erosion

• Creates clean electricity

How does human development threaten wetlands?

Let’s Review…What have you learned in this unit?

1. Which factors are used toidentify aquatic biomes?

2. Describe the differences ofwater from lakes, rivers, oceansand estuaries.

3. How do species survive thetidal conditions of a coastline?

4. Why is biodiversity higher nearcoastlines than in the deep sea?

5. Name five important functionsprovided by freshwater & marine wetlands.

HUMANITY & THE WORLD BIOMESHUMANITY & THE WORLD BIOMES

Unit 2-5bUnit 2-5b

Understanding Our Understanding Our Nervous SystemNervous System

The Nervous System

Nervous System - Transmits information concerning our senses, motion, and metabolism

Divided into two branches…

• Central Nervous System – The brain & spinal cord; The primary processing center of our body

• Peripheral Nervous System - Sensory & motor nerves found throughout the body

What do you already know about the nerves in a person?

Understanding Our Mind

Cerebrum – Largest part of the human brain;Responsible for learning, memory & intelligence

Of the four lobes, the frontallobe is most often linked tointelligence.

Lower Brain – Includes thecerebellum, thalamus, andmedulla oblongata

It is linked to many simplefunctions, including heart ratebreathing, senses, emotions & behavior

Can anyone tell me why alligators are so ornery?

Are You Smarter Than A…

How do we measure intelligence?

Ability to Learn – Use a complex social system to teach& protect their young

Solve Problems – Reasoning andthe ability to create & use tools

Communicate – Use languagesto signal & even create names

Plan for the Future – Createstrategies for foraging & hunting

Awareness of Self – Ability torecognize one’s self in a mirror

What is the difference between intelligence & wisdom?

How Messages Travel

While our body depends greatly upon chemical signals, electrical signals of the nervous system

are much faster!

Neurons – Cells of the nervous system that communicate by transmitting electrical impulses

Information received by the dendritetravels down the axon to the synapsewhere an neurotransmitter relays themessage to another dendrite.

We are born with over 100 billionneurons in our brain & spinal cordthat cannot regenerate or multiply!

Why are brain & spinal injuries considered so serious?

What Makes Us Move?

Motor Neurons - Cells that convert electrical signals into voluntary or involuntary muscle movement

Messages are typically sent fromthe brain to the body at nearlythe speed of light but sometimesthat’s not fast enough!

Spinal Reflex – A self-protectingmotor response that typically originates from the spinal cord,not the brain; Ex: knee-jerk reflex

Where are involuntary muscle groups found in your body?

Let’s Review…What have you learned in this unit?

1. Describe the two divisionsof our nervous system.

2. What are the differencesbetween the cerebrumand the lower brain?

3. Name five of the waysused to describe intelligence.

4. What are neurons and howdo they work?

5. Compare and contrast aknee-jerk reaction with breathing while you’re asleep.

HUMANITY & THE WORLD BIOMESHUMANITY & THE WORLD BIOMES

Unit 2-5cUnit 2-5c

How We InterpretHow We InterpretThe WorldThe World

This Homunculus Man

represents the relative

density of sensory neurons throughout

the human body

Types of Senses

Sensory Neurons – Specialized neurons that convert stimuli into electrical signals; These include…

Is it true that humans have only five senses?

Receptor Stimuli Locations

Thermoreceptor Temperature change

Skin &hypothalamus

Pain receptors Tissue damage Everywhere except the brain

Photoreceptors Light Eyes

Chemoreceptors Chemical Tongue & nose

Mechanoreceptors Movement & pressure

Skin, ears & muscles

How We See The World

Our sense organs include…

Eyes – Use rods & cones to sendimages along the optic nerve

Ears – Tiny bones (the anvil, stirruphammer & eardrum) sense vibrations;Semicircular canals help us balance

Nose & Tongue – Taste buds andolfactory receptors in the nosedetect chemicals

Skin – Touch includes temperature, pressure & pain

Information sent from these organs goes to the thalamus and is then relayed to different lobes of

the cerebrum.

Animal Senses

Some animals have much stronger senses than us.

Dogs can smell different forms of cancer in people,

while an eagle can see a Rubik's cube from a mile away!

Other animal senses include…

Echolocation – Sounds helpbats and dolphins “hear” apicture of their surroundings

Infrared Vision - Detects heat

Magnetic Sense - Some birds,bees & fish can align their bodieswith the Earth’s magnetic field for navigation

Threats To Our Nervous System

Methyl mercury – A toxic compound that is absorbed by fat cells in organisms causing severe neurological damage

Because methyl mercury is notsoluble in water it cannot beflushed out of the body oreasily removed from ecosystems

Biomagnification - A build-upin the concentration of toxinsmoving up the food chain

Bioaccumulation – The build-up oftoxins within an organism from eating contaminated food

Due to mercury, the FDA states people shouldn’t eat

shark or kingfish and only 2 servings of tuna per week.

50 ppm

9.6 ppm

1.20 ppm

0.24

ppm

0.06 ppm

Threats To Our Nervous System

The myelin sheath that covers the axon of a neuron

can be irreversibly damaged by…

Multiple Sclerosis – An incurabledisease causing the body to attackits own neurons

THC – An ingredient in marijuanathat can damage neurons affecting…

* Coordination* Response time* Short-term memory

Marijuana contains many harmful chemicals yet evidence supports the medical benefits for some

of its components.

Let’s Review…What have you learned in this unit?

1. Describe the five types ofsensory neurons in your body.

2. Explain how we are ableto have vision, hearing, smell,taste and touch.

3. Which other senses do wehave and which senses arewe lacking?

4. What is methyl mercury andwhy does is it more problematic in top predators?

5. Explain how myelin is damaged & why it’s dangerous.