A Dog Eat Dog World

Imagine you're in Alaska, surrounded by white snow, snow, and more snow. Which animal do you think would survive longer in the wild, a white rabbit or a black one? If you guessed the white one, you're right! As scientists, our job is to ask why. Why does the white rabbit live longer? Because he has adapted to his environment. That means that he has inherited a trait that makes it easier for him to live longer in the place that he lives. With his white hair, it is easier to hide from predators who might want to eat him. Every living thing adapts to its environment somehow, even humans! Just think of some other ways that organisms have adapted to their environments:

* Zebras' eyes are on the sides of their heads, to make it easier to watch for predators.

* Cacti have spines to protect them from animals biting them open and drinking all their water.

* Chipmunks and bears sleep all winter so that they don't suffer from winter food shortages.

* Giraffes have long necks so they can reach leaves higher up on trees.

Plant and Animal similarities and differences

Similarities:

Both plant and animal cell have some similar structural elements. Some of the similarities is that both contain eukaryotic, which means they have a nucleus. The nucleus contains chromosomes. The nucleus is protected ans surrounded by the cytoplasm, which is a watery or gel-like liquid. Plant and animal cells also have a cell membrane that surrounds the cell itself. This allows for the cell to have control over what can penetrate the cell and what can't. These are some similarities between a plant and animal cell.

Differences:

Plant cells have a cell wall made up of cellulose. This helps the allow high pressure to built inside of the cell without bursting. A plant cell has to be able to carry large amounts of liquids through osmosis without being destroyed. Plant cells also used photosynthesis to convert sunlight into needed food for the plant. They also have chloroplasts, which has its own DNA.

Animal cells have small vacuoles and may have numerous ones. They never have the large single vacuole that takes up most of the space in plant cells. As well, under the microscope plant cells have a regular shape. An animal cell tends to carry greatly in appearance.

The Lowdown on Plant and Animal Cells

Both plant and animal cells contain :

-a cell membrane

-cytoplasm

-a nucleus

-a nuclear membrane

-vacuoles

-mitochondria



Plant cells also contain the following:

-cell walls

-chloroplasts (which contain chlorophyll)


All of these cell parts have a different function.Can you explore some of the links on this page to find what those functions are? Use the comment area to post your findings. READY, SET , RESEARCH!!

CELLS:Small but Important!

Look at the plant and animal cells above. Can you observe any similarities or differences? Plant and Animal cells are very similar but the few differences between them help create the differences we can see with the naked eye.All living things have cells , whether they are plant , animal or one of the many types of cells that make you who you are. Cells are the basic unit of all living organisms. Cells are so small they can only be seen under a microscope!

Genetics

Have you ever wondered how you have the same hair color as your mom or the same eye color as your dad?

When a sperm fertilizes an egg, their nuclei fuse together, and you now have a zygote which contains a full set of 46 chromosomes-23 from each parent. The combination of the genes you inherit, as well as envirnmental factors in utero and after you are born, will determine what you look like, your intelligence level, how prone you will be to certain diseases, and so forth...

How is genetic information passed on from parent to child?

Sperm Chromosomes contain tightly wound coils of DNA, sections of which are referred to as "genes."

From brain cell to toe cell

Every living thing in the world is made of cells. Every cell, no matter who it belongs to, has a very specific job that it has to perform. Most of the time, these single special cells group together to form something bigger; something that also has a specific job. That something those cells create is organ tissue. Every organ is made up of this special tissue (which is made up of those special cells). And all of these organs come together to create a specific organ system. There are all kinds of organ systems. In just your body, there are 10 major systems, each having at least two organs working together to perform a task. Can you think of any of these systems that you use everyday? How about your respiratory system, which allows you to breathe and includes organs like your lungs. Or what about your digestive system that includes your stomach and intestines? All of these systems work together to create one very special form of life: you! Isn't it neat to realize that there are so many little things that go into creating one big you?