Model organism

Presumably your self-awareness begins at conception, and thus there is self-awareness even at the cellular level. Now if you, and here 'you' could be a plant or a microbe, respond to stimuli (external or internal), then you are self-aware, albeit awareness of self comes in degrees - a mammal is more self-aware than a cactus even though both can respond to stimuli. If you respond to stimuli in a way that's not predictable by the laws of physics then you are self-aware. A rock cannot be a 'you'…

the variety of organisms that make up a community It has two components: • SPECIES RICHNESS: is the total number of different species in the area • RELATIVE ABANDANCE: is the proportion each species represents in that certain measured area. we recognize three types of biodiversity 1.genetic diversity 2.species diversity and 3.ecosystem diversity ( COUNTRY LIFE ,April 2011.) Species diversity means a measurement of species richness and evenness as well as the variety of organisms…

Ancient Greek debated whether living organisms were composed of endlessly divisible fluid or indivisible subunits. However, this debate was settled and closed with the invention of the microscope which is the required material to understand and observe cells. Let us begin with the ABC’s of the Cell Theory which splits into 3 major parts: All living beings are made up of cells Cells are the basic unit of structure in all organisms All cells come from preexisting cells. To have a deeper…

1.5. Enzyme-Polysaccharide Interactions Proteins and enzymes have become an integral part of many industrial processes as well as being applied both in cosmetics and in therapeutics. Due to advances in biotechnology and genetic engineering, mass production of protein and enzymes has become feasible. Use of enzymes is environmentally friendly as they catalyse reactions under mild conditions against polluting inorganic catalysts which works in the extremes of pH and temperature. However, this can…

The symbiosome is a key area of research at present, it is defined as the organ which the organism produces to entrap the microbe internally* (V. Clarke et al 2014). The symbiotic relationship between plants and fungi is an essential one for benefiting fully from Mycorrhizae, which then helps the land plants absorb the essential nutrients such as phosphorus and nitrogen. The interaction between plants and microbes allows for essential functions of the plants such as growth, germination and…

Introduction There are many bioactive compounds that can be found around us. Bioactive compounds mostly can be found in both plants and animals. It is a compound that has an effect on a living organism, tissue or cell. It also can have an influence in our health. A few examples of bioactive compounds included flavonoids, caffeine, carotenoids, carnitine, choline, coenzyme Q, creatine, dithiolthiones, phytosterols, phytoestrogenss, glucosinolates, polyphenols, prebiotics, and taurine. Carotenoids…

As the basic building blocks of all living things, cells are the smallest essential units of life. However, even though cells are competent self-sustaining units, their survival depends on receiving and processing information from the outside environment (whether that information applies to the stock of nutrients, temperature change, or variations in light levels). Cells have different functions; getting nutrients from food and turning them into energy, give structure to the body, carry out…

surrounded by a protective, virus-coded protein coat called a caspid. They are classed as non-living because they cannot surive on their own. Conversley, bacteria are single celled livng microbes. The cell structure is simpler than that of other organisms as there is no nucleus or membrane bound organelles, but much more complex than a virus. Instead their control centre containing the genetic information is contained in a single loop of DNA. Some bacteria have an extra circle of genetic…

MYCORRHIZAE AND FORESTRY What is Mycorrhiza: Albert Bernard Frank (1885), in his study of relationships between soil microbes and plants, introduced the Greek term ‘mycorrhiza’, which means ‘fungus roots’. Mycorrhizas are highly evolved symbiotic association between roots of most higher/vascular plants and certain specialized soil fungi (Ascomycetes, Basidiomycetes and Zygomyectes) that colonize the root cortex during periods of active plant growth both in the natural environment and in…

Terrorist groups and armies can develop more powerful biological weaponry. The weapons can be resistant to medicines, and can target at people who carry specific genes. The genetically engineered organisms that are used for biological weapons have the capacity to reproduce faster, and this will create larger quantities in the four shorter periods of time. This implies that the level of devastation is likely to increase as well. A lot of uncertainties…