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Biology Activities

Chapter 34

Activity 34A: Connection: DDT and the Environment.

Concept

This activity outlined the concepts of the use of pesticides in the control of crops and

animal insects. The use of pesticides in controlling the spread of insect caused infections on

plants and animals is a general idea. However, pesticides also have other side effects. The use of

pesticides has proved to outweigh the potential risks they are associated with. The Activity

analyses the use of the insecticide DDT. This is according to the two case studies, one in Africa

and one in the USA.

Learning

In the lesson, I was able to explore the role that pesticides play in the control of the

animal and plant infections that are normally caused by insects. I am now fully informed on the

controversies that relate to the use of insecticides mainly because of their side effects.

Specifically, the lesson enabled me to understand the suitability of the DDT insecticide for use in

cattle and other agricultural animals. I have developed an understanding of how the pesticide has

performed both in Africa and the USA. However, because of other factors that are normally
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involved in the process of the usage of insecticides, it is not easy to rate the effectiveness of a

pesticide.

Activity 34B: Adaptation to Biotic and Abiotic Factors

Concept

The activity explores the concepts behind the role that natural selection plays in the

suitability of organisms to reproduce and survive within an environment. The activity outlines

the anatomical, physiological and behavioral adaptations that are mainly a result of natural

selection. The activity identifies how these factors influence the survival and reproduction of

organisms within different environments. A number of factors often influence the survival of

organisms in their respective habitats. The adaptations enable only the fittest organisms to

survive.

Lesson

Through the activity, I was able to understand the different adaptations of animals and the

role they play on their survival. I did understand how different organisms are adapted to live in

different habitats. I was able to understand the concepts behind natural selection and how it

controls the existence of organisms at different generations. Normally, organisms in the same

habitat tend to have a common characteristic that enables them to survive and reproduce. The

behavioral mechanisms may act as a means of defense against predators or even the harsh

environmental conditions.

Activity C: Aquatic Biomes

Concept
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The activity outlines the proportion of the earth's surface the makes up the aquatic

biomes. The aquatic biomes cover a larger area as compared to the terrestrial biomes together.

The activity outlines the various categories of aquatic biomes. They are either marine or

freshwater. Water depth, oxygen content, temperature, and sunlight are some of the factors that

affect the life forms within the aquatic habitat. For marine habitats, salinity is also an important

factor.

Lesson

After taking part in the activity, I could explain the percentage of the earth’s surface

covered by the aquatic biomes. I also developed an understanding of the two types of aquatic

biomes. I can explain the factors affecting life forms in such habitats. The study explained the

different plants and animal species that make up the aquatic biomes. The marine biome makes up

the largest percentage of the earth's biomes.

Activity 34D: Terrestrial Biomes

Concept

The activity explores the terrestrial biomes as one of the major ecosystems making up the

earth's surface. The activity outlines the components of the terrestrial biomes as the grasslands,

deserts, and forests. The biomes are known for their predominant vegetation or important factors

within the environment. The activity outlines the factors that influence the distribution of

terrestrial biomes in various habitats. Climatic factors as rainfall and temperature are of

significant influence on the distribution of terrestrial biomes.

Lesson
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With this activity, I managed to explore the terrestrial biomes as a major component of

the earth’s surface. I understood the various factors that influence the distribution of terrestrial

biomes in different habitats. Also, the lesson touched on the different habitats that make up the

terrestrial biomes population. The distribution of terrestrial biomes is mainly influenced by the

climatic conditions of the habitats. The species of the life forms living in the various habitats

depends on the adaptability of the organism to the habitat.

Chapter 34

Thinking as a Scientist

Concepts

The activity explores the various approaches that scientists use in the study of various

behavioral characteristics of different organisms. The approaches are either through controlled

experiments or through observations. The activity outlines the different techniques used in the

experimental study of the characteristics of organisms. For a controlled experiment, all the

variables must be explicitly kept constant. The activity also outlines the factors that influence the

choice of sample size for an experimental study.

Lesson

In this activity, I developed an understanding of the different approaches that are used in

the study of behavioral characteristics of organisms. I understood the reasons why scientist

chooses different approaches for different organisms. This mainly depends on the behavior of the

organism. After the activity, I was able to perform the experimental steps of studying the

characteristics of organisms.

Activity 35B: Honey Bee Waggle Dance.

Concept

The activity generally addressed the social formation of the honey bees. It addressed how

the bees communicate with one another to help identify the sources of food. The waggle dance is

one of the ways of communication in a worker bee. The communication in the bees can change a

flower boom and fade. The other worker bees sense the movement of a worker bee when it

returns to the hive. The round dance is used to communicate a nearby food source. The waggle

dance is specifically used to communicate both the distance and the direction of the food.

Lesson

In this activity, I managed to understand the concept behind the behavior exhibited by the

bees. Initially, I didn't know that bees use different patterns of movement as a means of

communication. Since the hive is always dark, the other bees can detect the dance pattern mainly

by sensing the sound patterns. I grasped the understanding of the techniques behind the waggle

dance and how the other bees get to understand it. The speed of the waggle can be used to

communicate the distance of the food location.

Chapter 36

Activity 36A: Techniques for Estimating Population Density

Concept

The concepts in this activity basically were the approaches that scientists use to study the

density of a population. The white-footed Guano Island mouse was used in this activity to

demonstrate the techniques for use in estimating the population size and density. The most

important step when estimating the population density and size is the understanding of the

behavioral characteristics of the organism. Population density basically is the number of

individuals of a species in a unit area. Live traps were used in the project to trap the mouse

overnight.

Lesson

After the activity, I was able to develop an understanding of the techniques of estimating

the population density of a given species in a habitat. I learned how a trap is used to capture the

white-footed Guano Island mouse. I developed an understanding of the behavioral nature of the

mouse. This is so important in shaping the distribution of the population of the species within the

habitat. Some behavior may include feeding habits, mating habits, among others.

Activity 36B: Investigating Survivorship Curves

Concept

The main concept of the activity was to understand the basics of using the survivorship

curves in the study of a population. Survivorship curves are the graphs developed to study the

survivorship and mortality of a species. The survival of the young ones varies from species to

species. Some produce several be young ones, but only a small portion manage to survive.

Others, however, produce just a small portion, with a larger percentage surviving to adulthood.

Others, however, have fairly constant survivorship.

Lesson

I was able to understand the concepts behind the use of a survivorship curve. I was able

to understand the variation in the survivorship rates of the young once of different species. I can

now interpret the survivorship curve for any given species of an organism. The study also

enabled me to understand the factors that influence the survivorship of organisms. The time at
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which the lives of organisms are at risk is mainly based on age, alongside other environmental

factors.

Activity 36C: Human Population Growth

Concepts

The concept in this activity was the trends in the growth of the population of human

species. Normally, the growth in population is influenced by environmental factors in the

respective habitat. Human is also subject to the same factors that influence the population of their

habitat. There is always the carrying capacity of every habitat. For humans, they are able to

modify their environment to meet the needs of the population.

Lesson

After the activity, I was able to understand the various factors that influence population

growth. The maximum capacity is the maximum number of organisms that a given ecosystem

can effectively sustain at a given time. It is the factors within an ecosystem that influence the

trend in population growth. Human activities often tend to modify the environment so they can

meet population demands. After the study, I now understand that activities as agriculture or even

technology innovations are means of modifying the environment to meet population demands.

36D: Analyzing Age Structure of Plants and Animals

Concept

The activity mainly analyzed the overall distribution of the population at different age

groups. There has been a rapid increase in the growth of the human population. However, the

growth in the population of the human has not been the same when comparing different
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countries. The distribution of population at different age groups vary from one country to the

other. Some nations have a young population while the population in some has a very high

average.

Lesson

With this study, I was able to understand the factors that influence the distribution of the

population at various age groups. Environmental factors play a critical role in shaping the

distribution of the population. They influence either the availability of the resources for the

population. The variation in population at different ages is mainly because of the differences in

immunity at all ages. I am, therefore, able to interpret the age structure diagrams after the

activity.