Hay Infusion Organisms
Diatoms are a major group of algae, and are among the most common types of phytoplankton. Most diatoms are unicellular.
Diatoms have a unique "shrinking division" mode of asexual reproduction. After cell division, the two valves of the test separate. Each forms the epivalve of a daughter cell, and new hypovalves are secreted within each of the parent valves. The result is one cell that is the same size as the parent cell, and one cell that is slightly smaller. Due to the rigidity of the test material, growth of the cell is impossible once the test is secreted. Thus, the average diatom size gets progressively smaller with each round of replication.
Diatoms have a unique "shrinking division" mode of asexual reproduction. After cell division, the two valves of the test separate. Each forms the epivalve of a daughter cell, and new hypovalves are secreted within each of the parent valves. The result is one cell that is the same size as the parent cell, and one cell that is slightly smaller. Due to the rigidity of the test material, growth of the cell is impossible once the test is secreted. Thus, the average diatom size gets progressively smaller with each round of replication.
Paramecium
aurelia are unicellular organisms belonging to the genus Paramecium of the
phylum Ciliophora. Most
paramecia undergo cell division, binary fission, dividing the cell into two new
cells that rapidly grow and develop into the new organisms. This process can
happen up to three times a day if the conditions are right.
Bacillus is a genus of Gram-positive, rod-shaped (bacillus) bacteria and a member of the phylum Firmicutes. Bacteria
cells are asexual and contain no membrane-enclosed organelles or nuclei.
Bacterial cell division occurs by a process known as binary fission. Rod-shaped
bacteria elongate to twice their original length. This is followed by
invagination of the cell membrane, and the formation of a septal ring in the
middle. The elongated bacterial cell
splits down the middle, forming two daughter cells.
Chlorophyta is a division of green algae, informally called chlorophytes. The name is used in two very different senses, so care is needed to determine the use by a particular author. Sexual
reproduction is common, with gametes that have two or four flagella. Asexual
reproduction is by cell division, motile or nonmotile spores and fragmentation.
Protozoa are a diverse group of unicellular eukaryotic organisms, many of which are motile. Different
modes of reproduction are present in animal-like protists namely: binary
/longitudal fission, conjugation and fragmentation.
- Here is an excellent video of binary fission in the protozoa Stylonychia. Watch as this organism splits apart via binary fission and one becomes two in this amazing process.
Flow of Energy
Using these two pictures as visuals, I will give a description of energy flow throughout my plot. Please reference both pictures in comparison to the description. The Sun is the major source of energy in an ecosystem. Plants will capture it during the process of photosynthesis. These organisms are called producers and are the foundation of any ecosystem. The organisms that feed on plants are called primary consumers. They are herbivores and take this energy from the plants and transfer about 10 % of it into their bodies to be passed up the food chain. A large majority of the energy is given off as heat. The animals that eat the primary consumers are called secondary consumers. These organisms
will only keep 10 % of the energy they consume in themselves to be passed up the food chain to the next level. So as you can see the amount of usable energy is being diminished as the food chain gets longer. This is the reason why there are so many plants and very few top consumers like hawks, lions, and the like. Minerals are matter, which cannot be created nor destroyed so they are recycled. The carbon, phosphorus, oxygen, and water cycles are examples.