Biodiversity is the the variety of live found in different environments and ecosystems around the world. Any living organism, plant animal or even microorganism increases or contributes to the biodiversity. Epiphytes greatly increase the biodiversity of rainforest. An epiphyte is…
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There are basically two types of plants that live on land: those with vascular tissues (xylem and phloem for carrying water and nutrients through the plant’s body) and those that do not. The first plants to conquer the land were…
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A “Phylogenetic relationship” can be defined as being a reference to a timeline in the past that a species shared common ancestors. Our understanding about phylogenetic relationships hinges on the patterns we see within evolutionary changes occurring along the passage…
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The most important gymnosperms are the conifers but even the rare species are valuable for what they can tell us about plant evolution and also as important members of their respective ecosystems, contributing food, shelter and clean air to the…
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Deep in the forest, under the giant trees, lie the ancient pteridophytes, the ferns. They are not conspicuous or dominating, seldom reaching more than a meter or so high, with the exception of the tree ferns. They never flower and…
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In microbiology, there are many different techniques used to identify microbes. Differential media typically provide general information regarding identity. * Bacterial Identification * Tools like differential media and stains help microbiologists to narrow down the microbial suspects, but don’t necessarily…
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New research provides more evidence that ancestors of modern choanoflagellates may be the evolutionary bridge linking single-celled and multi-celled organisms. Choanoflagellares are single-celled eukaryotic cells classified as protozoans; tiny organisms that more closely resemble animals than plants. These tiny organisms…
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Differential stains and media can provide preliminary identification of microbes, but to identify Gram- bacteria to the species, a more sophisticated test is required. * Bacterial Identification * Differential staining of bacteria can provide preliminary information when a medical technician…
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Endospore staining involves application of a series of dyes. Malachite green stains the endospores and safrinin dyes vegetative cells pink. Here is the endospore stain procedure. But before discussing the procedure for staining endospores, it is important to understand what…
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Although bacterial reproduction results in the generation of clones (vertical gene transfer), prokaryotes can undergo genetic recombination through the horizontal gene transfer methods of transformation, transduction, and conjugation. * Vertical Gene Transfer (VGT) * Bacteria reproduce through binary fission, a…
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