Laura Chen's Digital Scavenger Hunt Set #2

 

 

This is a picture of a lobster, which is a crustacean that has an exoskeleton made of the protein chitin and calcium. This external shell protects and supports the attachment of its muscles. The exoskeleton is made out of separate plates that are connected by thin membranes. This segmented exoskeleton creates joints, which allows the lobster to move its body and appendages. When a lobster grows, it must shed its exoskeleton through a process called molting. During this process, the tissue layer under the exoskeleton detaches and secretes a new exoskeleton. When the new skeleton is completely formed, the old skeleton will split along specific points that are weak. Once the old exoskeleton is removed, the lobster's mobility will be limited, since the new exoskeleton isn’t firm enough to keep the limbs stiff.

 

In this picture, it show the stems holding the flowers upright toward the sun. The stem is a necessary part of a plant, since it provides support to help keep the flower vertical. This allows the plant to change the light energy it obtains from the sun into chemical energy through the process of photosynthesis. In addition, pollinators have a better chance of pollinating the flower when it’s upright. Stems can also carry water and minerals up from the roots to the leaves, as well as taking food back down to be stored and distributed to the plant. The tubes in the stem that obtain the water and minerals are the xylem and the tubes that carry the food back down are called the phloem. Without a stem, a flower would have difficulty growing and obtaining the necessary nutrients and water to prosper.  

 

This is a picture of my friend's eye, in which we can see the pupil. The pupil is the opening in the center of the iris that can either expand or contract, depending on the amount of light entering the interior of the eye. After the light passes through the pupils, it comes in contact with disk-like lens. These lenses focus images onto the retina, which is a layer just inside the choroids. The shape of the lens is determined by the ciliary muscles, which contract when the eye focuses on a nearby object. This contraction pulls the choroids toward the lens, reducing the tension on the ligaments and causing the elastic lens to become thicker and rounder. This specific change is called accommodation, which allows the diverging light rays from a close object to be bent and focused. When the eye focuses on a distant object, it requires less bending and allows the ciliary muscles to relax. Through this process, it allows humans to use their pupils to focus on both nearby and distant objects.

 

This picture shows the chrysalis a caterpillar has made on a plant in my yard. A caterpillar goes through a transformation called metamorphosis to become a butterfly. This process has four different stages, which are egg, larva, pupa, and adult. In the first stage, the eggs are covered in chorion and lined with a waxy layer to protect and prevent dehydration in the egg. The egg is then attached to a plant by the female butterfly, which will be the food source for the caterpillar once it hatches. In the larva stage, the caterpillar will eat and sheds its skin approximately 4 or 5 times. The food eaten during this time will be stored and used later when it transforms into an adult. The pupa stage can be considered the transition stage, since the caterpillar will create a chrysalis to encase itself in. In the chrysalis, the insect’s body is liquefied by digestive fluids, causing the body to restructure itself using specialized formative cells. This process is called histogenesis and once it’s in the adult stage, the butterfly’s primary behavior is to find a mate and produce viable offspring to carry on their genes.

This is a picture of the skin on my left arm. The skin acts as a waterproof, insulating shield that helps guard the body against temperature, damaging sunlight and harmful chemicals. It's made up of three layers and the outermost layer is known as the epidermis. This layer consists mainly of cells called keratinocytes, which are made from the tough protein keratin. These cells create several layers that constantly grow outwards as the exterior cells die and flake off. The epidermis also contains defensive langerhans cells, which alert the body's immune system to viruses and other infectious agents. It’s bonded to the dermis, which gives the organ its strength and elasticity. This layer also contains blood vessels that help regulate the body temperature by increasing or restricting the blood flow to the skin. The last skin layer is the subcutis, which contains fat that can be used as a fuel reserve, in case there's a food shortage in the body.

This picture shows different fishes in a glass tank that all share the common feature of gills. Gills allow fish to absorb smaller concentrations of available oxygen in the water, while maintaining an appropriate level of sodium chloride in their bloodstream. They’re located on either side of the body, just behind the head. This particular arrangement increases the surface area when the gills are immersed in water. Within the water, a fish can reduce the amount of pressure in their mouth cavity by lowering the floor of its mouth and widening the operculum. This causes the water to rush in; however, an inward fold of skin in the bottom of its mouth forms a valve to keep the water from rushing out. The pressure is then increased, leading the water to be forced through the operculum opening and across the gills. Gills are vital organs for fishes, since it allows them to breathe oxygen, while allowing them to keep an appropriate amount of sodium chloride in their blood.

 

This picture shows a horseshoe crab I found on the beach when I went fishing with my uncle. Horseshoe crabs are known as arthropods, which can be found on the sea floor in warm climates. They may appear to resemble crustaceans; however, they’re more closely related to arachnids. Horseshoe crabs have a hard outer shell, five pairs of legs and a long, thin tail. This tail helps the horseshoe crab flip itself back upright or change direction while swimming. They breathe through their book gills, which are thin plates on the abdomen. These creatures have a specific nesting season, since it only takes place during high tides in the three days before and after a new or full moon. During this season, male horseshoe crabs move parallel to the shoreline and intercept females as they go by. Once a male spots a female horseshoe crab, he will attach himself to her with his specialized front claw. As the female lays her eggs, he will fertilize them. Once they’re done, they will return back into the water.

This picture shows pieces of kelp that has been moved onto the beach by the water. Kelp is a type of brown seaweed that grows in regions with cold coastlines and can form extensive undersea forests. It thrives on sunlight and takes in nutrients and minerals that are present in the water around it. As a result, kelp can contain types of protein, carbohydrates, and essential fatty acids. In addition, eating kelp can have several benefits on the human body that will help treat various disorders. Once digested, it has a type of therapeutic effect on the body, such as strengthening the immune system’s functions or increasing resistance to infections. Kelp is also beneficial to the nervous and endocrine systems, since it will enhance the jobs of the adrenal, thyroid, and pituitary glands. This type of alga has numerous advantages and serves a large amount of purposes in the body; however, those that have high blood pressure or thyroid problems should consult their healthcare practitioner before using or digesting it.