An example of an amniotic egg is a chicken egg, as shown above. Some mammals, birds, and reptiles lay eggs.

This egg contains amniotic fluid in order to keep the embryo from drying out. It has a yolk sac in order to sustain the embryo and provide food. The outer shell, or amniotic membrane, is water impermeable for protection. Also, with the shell of the chicken egg shown above, it aids in gas and water exchange for the embryo. the amniotic egg serves as an aid in distribution of the egg in different environments.
A segmented body is a division of an animals body plan, whereby the body is divided into functional units. These units form 3 sections, whether individually or together with other segments. The sections are called the head, thorax, and abdomen. Arthropods, meaning animals with jointed appendages such as the dragonfly pictured above, have segmented bodies. A pollinator is an animal that transfers pollen from the anther of one flower to the stigma of another flower. The anther is the male part of a flower that produces pollen, while the stigma is the sticky part of a flower which receives pollen. For flowers that are not self-pollinators, insects, such as the bumble bee pictured above, greatly aid in pollination. A niche is an organisms role and purpose in its environment or ecosystem. A caterpillar or similar organisms niche in the environment surrounding my house was to eat this leaf and break that down for nutrients. One common example of an organism composed of only one cell is amoeba. Amoeba can be found in many places on Earth, on of which is standing water like this puddle in my neighborhood. Asexual reproduction is reproduction without the fusing of sex cells, or gametes, such as eggs and sperm. Strawberry plants can reproduce asexually via stems called runners and shoots that grow out of their stems that become new plants.

Endosperm is the innermost tissue in seeds that nurture the embryo. A good example would be a coconut. An endotherm is an organism that produces heat on its own. It can shiver, raise its metabolism, etc. An example would be a lizard. Homologous structures are the organs/parts of different species that are the same thing, but have different uses and adapted shapes. An example would be a dogs paw and a human hand. A dogs paw does not have any fingers because it does not need any. A littoral zone organism would be a duck. Littoral zone is that area of a body of water, such as a lake that is near or rises up to the shore. Littoral zone organisms typically live around this area. Hydrophilic means water loving. Something that is hydrophilic would be highly attracted to or would dissolve in water. An example would be sugar or salt. Keystone species are an a important species in that it would disrupt the balance of the ecosystem, should the species be removed. An example would be mussels. Mutualism is a symbiotic relationship between individuals belonging to different species. In this type of relationship, both individuals benefit from the association. For example, the lichens growing on the tree pictured here are examples of mutualism. The lichen, pictured here as the green splotches of growth on the tree, are associations of millions of green algae or cyanobacteria held together in a mass of fungal hyphae. Each partner provides something the other could not obtain, both benefiting from their union. The fungus receives food from the alga and in return, provides the alga with a suitable habitat. Lichens are associations of millions of cyanobacteria or green algae held in a mass of fungal hyphae. Lichens are examples of mutualistic relationships. The mutualistic relationship between alga and fungus is so unique and special that, though they were single organisms, lichens are actually single organism. There are many different types of lichens. In most lichens, each associate provides something the other could not provide alone. The fungal mycelium provides a suitable environment for the alga, helping it to absorb and retain minerals and water; in return, the fungus gets food from the photosynthetic partner. Lichens can live where there is little or no soil

and are rugged. They can also withstand severe drought. However, many do not withstand air pollution, and if the minerals they get from the air are severely ruined, it could cause the death of lichen. Lichen grows in various locations including tiny crevices in rock and on trees, such as that pictured here. Lichen is the shelves of green splotches of growth on the tree. Cellular respiration is the aerobic harvesting of energy from molecules of food. It is the energy-releasing chemical breakdown of molecules of food, like glucose, and the storage of potential energy in a form the cells can use for work. The process of cellular respiration involves glycolysis, the citric acid cycle, and oxidative phosphorylation, which consists of the electron transport chain and chemiosmosis. Glycolysis, which takes place in the cytoplasmic fluid, is a multistep chemical breakdown of one glucose molecule into two pyruvate molecules. The citric acid cycle, which takes place in the mitochondrias matrix, is a metabolic cycle. It is fueled by acetyl CoA (formed after glycolysis). In this, chemical reactions complete the breakdown of glucose into CO2. The cycle provides most of the NADH molecules that give energy to electron transport chain. The electron transport chain release energy to make ATP, and is located in the inner membrane of mitochondria, plasma membrane of prokaryotes, and thylakoid membranes of plant chloroplasts. Chemiosmosis is the ARP production using energy from hydrogen ion gradients across membranes to phosphorylate ADP. All aerobic organisms including animals and plants, such as the Lagerstroemia (Crape Myrtle) pictured, perform cellular respiration. The littoral zone (also called the intertidal zone) is the area where the sea and land meet, in between the low and high tide zones. The littoral zone is vertically divided into vertical zones: spray zone (usually dry), high tide zone (wet during high tide), middle tide zone (alternating between wet and dry), and low tide zone (usually wet). This intricate marine ecosystem is found along coastlines, and is plentiful in oxygen, nutrients, and many different organisms, including isopods, mussels, crabs, sea anemone, sea stars, barnacles, and hermit crabs, such as the one shown in the picture here . Much of this environment is washed by tides every day, so organism that live are usually adapted to daily changes in moisture, salinity, temperature, and water turbulence.

A eukaryote is an organism with eukaryotic cells. A eukaryotic cell is a type of cell that has a membrane-enclosed nucleus and other organelles enclosed by membranes. All eukaryotes are grouped into the various kingdoms of domain Eukarya. Members of the domain Eukarya are protists, which make up multiple kingdoms), Kingdom Fungi, Kingdom Plantae, and Kingdom Animalia. The mold shown on the lemon pictured here belongs to Kingdom Fungi of the Domain Eukarya. A heterotroph (other-feeders) is an organism that cannot make its own organic molecules of food and needs to get them by consuming other organisms or their organic materials. A heterotroph is also considered to be a consumer or decomposer of the food chain. Most prokaryotes are heterotrophic. They obtain their carbon molecules from organic compounds. Some heterotrophs, called photoheterotrophs, can receive energy from sunlight. Chemoheterotrophs obtain energy and carbon from organic molecules. All animals, such as the Green Cheek Conure bird pictured, are also heterotrophs. Predation is an interaction between species in which one species, the predator, kills and eats the prey. Snakes, such the one hidden inside the log in the picture here, are examples of predators. Snakes eat animal prey, including lizards, insects, or even larger animals, such as antelope. Since eating and avoiding being devoured are prerequisites to reproductive success, the adaptations of both preys and predators are refined through natural selection. Many predators have acute senses that allow them to locate their prey. Predators that chase their prey are usually fast and swift. Camouflage is a very common defense against predators. An ectotherm is a cold blooded animal, an animal that uses their environment to help regulate their internal temperatures. Animals can express both ectothermic and endothermic properties. For example, turtles are ectothermic, but during the time in the sea, their body temperature is higher than the water around them. This shows that animals can express both features. The thorns on a rose show an adaptation of a plant. Though roses are still eaten by wild animals, the thorns can reduce being eaten by some predators. Also, the thorns can hook on to other plants or objects, helping them grow upward. The adaptations of plants have taken a

long time to become what it is now, because it takes generations to modify the genes. Albinism is a sign of genetic variation within a population. Albinism is when there is no melanin present in the hair, skin and eyes. This causes the animal to look white. There is no melanin present because there is an absence or defect of the enzyme that aids in the production of melanin. This rabbit has white fur, while rabbits living around the surrounding area had brown fur. Cambium is a layer inside a tree that consists of actively dividing cells. It generates growth for the plant and is filled with undifferentiated cells which can differentiate any time into different types of cells. In plants, cambium is found between xylem and phloem. As the plants mature, they grow larger caused by the growth of cambium inside the plant. Cambium leaves rings inside the tree as it matures and grows.