BioQuakes

AP Biology class blog for discussing current research in Biology

Author: cjobios

Stop! Don’t Smell the Roses!

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On February 27, 2014

In Student Post

800px-SneezeDuring the flu season, we all try to be a little more vigilant when it comes to germs. Even as a self-proclaimed “germaphobe,” I was not as lucky to escape the evil grasp of the disease. Aside from recognizing  the obvious perpetrators, who include those who refuse to cover their mouths, people who breathe just a little too close to me, and  grimy freshmen, I wanted to find out a little more about the  origin of diseases.

 An interesting area of research regarding the topic is being pioneered by Scott McArt and Lynn Adler of the University of Massachusetts Amherst. They are investigating how great a role flowers play in the transmission of diseases. Around 190 studies having to do with flowers and diseases they pass on have been dated back to the lat 1940’s. This research is important because it can “help efforts to control economically devastating pollinator-vectored plant pathogens.” Still, this topic is very new and not as conclusive as many would think. Despite this fact, “eight major groups of animal pathogens that are potentially transmitted at flowers” (by bees and other pollinators) have been discovered. It is unknown whether pathogens are transmitted via the chemical or physical traits of flowers. 

The main goal of the study was to attention to the need to further explore the relationship between flowers, their pollinators and diseases, as many people have expressed concern for “the pollinator declines caused in part by pathogens.” Do you agree that this is an area worth researching?

Birds and Migration: More Than Just the “V-Formation”

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On January 22, 2014

In Student Post

birds

For as long as we can remember, we have known that many species of birds migrate south during the winter, in a “V-formation.” Recent studies by ecophysiologist Steven Portugal have suggested that the classic formation helps birds to conserve the most energy possible. His investigation involved researching the Northern Bald Ibis, a bird that was extinct in Europe for around 400 years. Johannes Fritz has been working tirelessly to bring the Northern Bald Ibis out of extinction, by pioneering an human-led migration throughout Europe, for the past 12 years. (To discover more about these birds, and their emergence from extinction in Europe, check out this site.)

Through his studies, Steven Portugal has identified that his hypothesis was correct; the “V-Formation” does, in-fact, help a flock of birds conserve the most energy as well as “the birds’ formation fitted the theoretical predictions of aerodynamics.” The birds synchronize their flapping when they experience turbulence. He also found that the birds break their arrangement to those of “less-optimal positions.” This includes, birds going one-behind-the-other, and changing their wing-flapping patterns. This is all believed to prevent downwash, which is “the downward deflection of of an airflow,” as defined by the dictionary.

Thanks to the work done by Steven Portugal, Johannes Fritz and their respective teams, we have come much closer to discovering “the why” in bird-behavioral patterns, namely their flock formation during migration.

Brand New Species of Butterfly Discovered

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On November 21, 2013

In Student Post

Abstract Butterfly Vector Graphic

A new species of butterfly has been discovered in Texas, earlier this spring. Named after it’s founder’s wife, the Vicroy’s Ministreak (it’s scientific name is Ministrymon Janevicroy), went unnoticed as a “new” breed because it was mistaken for the Gray Ministreak, due to the similarity of appearance between the two butterfly species. The trademark difference of the Vicroy’s Ministreak, however, is it’s olive green eye. The Gray Ministreak is known for having a dark brown to black eye coloring. Other differences between he two species include the patterns on their wings as well as differences in genital structures. Some of these differences were noticed when both butterflies were examined when dead. The founder, Jeffrey Glassberg, mostly used a new method of study to differentiate between the two Vicroy and Gray Ministreaks; he used cameras and binoculars, instead of the standard net.

The Vicroy’s Ministreak can be found in greater population in southern America and even reaching down to Central America, in “dry deciduous forest and scrub.” They have also been spotted in fewer population some of the northern South American countries. This new species is thought to be among the last that will be discovered in North America.

For additional information about this new breed of butterfly, please check out the following websites:

http://www.pensoft.net/journals/zookeys/article/5081/abstract/a-butterfly-with-olive-green-eyes-discovered-in-the-united-states-and-the-neotropics-lepidoptera-lycaenidae-eumaeini-

and

http://www.brownsvilleherald.com/news/valley/article_ec43e8c4-c8cf-11e2-9218-001a4bcf6878.html.

Coral Reef Bleaching Puts Fish’s Ability to “Just Keep Swimming” in Danger

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On October 7, 2013

In Student Post

Coral reefs are vital sources of life for many sea creatures. The diversity of the underwater ecosystems surrounding coral reefs are, unfortunately, being put in danger because of coral bleaching. According to the National Ocean Service, coral bleaching is due in part by a process that is the result of damaged chloroplasts in coral cells which produce “toxic, highly reactive oxygen molecules during photosynthesis.” The main cause of this issue, is temperature; the coral respond to the drastic changes in temperature, whether they be hot or cold, by releasing the symbiotic algae that dwell in their tissues, which result in the coral taking on a white, “bleached” color.

Found on Flickr, Licensed under Creative Commons Licensing

Coral bleaching has both negative internal and external effects. Internally, the coral’s ecosystems are placed at risk because they “rely on live coral for food, shelter, or recruitment habitat.” This is a major issue, as we have the potential to lose certain, diverse, species that live off of and around coral reefs, which, in turn, could negatively influence the food chain. The external effect is that there will not be tourism revenue brought in from people who scuba dive to the coral reefs affected by bleaching. This is due to the fact that they will no longer be aesthetically appealing. Thus, leading to a negative economic state in tourism hot spots.

Unfortunately, the temperature of the Earth is out of human control, so there is little we can do to prevent coral bleaching, but we can use the rapidity of the bleaching as a marker to gauge the temperature of the world.

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