Genetically Modified Organism (GMO)

Definition: any organism whose genetic material has been altered using genetic engineering techniques. 

Connection: Bananas are prone to the disease Black Sigatoka which slowly kills the entire fruit. Bananas are genetically modified so they are able to grow without the threat of this disease.

Enzyme

Definition: any substance produced by a living organism that cause a specific biochemical reaction

Connection: Dairy products all contain enzymes that can be found in the cow the milk used to create the product came from. Some enzymes that can be found in milk are lipases (which breakdown fat), professes (breaks down protein) and lactoperoxidase which turns into a type of bacteria when mixed with another substance found in milk. 

Sources Cited

Milk Facts." Milk Enzymes. Milk Facts, n.d. Web. 15 Aug. 2013. <http://www.milkfacts.info/Milk Composition/Enzymes.htm>.

Seed Dispersal

Definition: the transport of movement of seeds away from the parent plant; seed dispersal relies on biotic(living)  and abiotic(non-living) factors , because of this the mobility of the seeds released by the parent plant is limited. 

Connection: In the picture you see cotton like material attached to a small brown seed. This particular plant reproduces by wind seed dispersal and heavily relies on the wind (an abiotic factor) to reproduce. 

Dominant vs Recessive Phenotype

                                    

Definition: observable characteristics of an organism caused by its genotype's interaction with its environment. In the organisms genome (where chromosomes are held) the recessive trait is only noticeable if their are two copies of the gene. If there is a dominant gene that gene will automatically be visible because it is a dominant trait. 

Connection: In the picture you can see the buds of a tree outside of my house. A majority of these buds are green but if you look closely you can see that some are a bright orange. The color of the bids is one phenotype of the tree; the dominant trait would be the green buds and the orange buds are the recessive trait. 

Commensalism

Definition: a type of relationship between two organisms in which one organism benefits the relationship and the other is not affected. 

Connection: Moss growing on a tree is a good example of commensalism. By growing on the tree the moss escape the clutter of leaves on the ground floor that block its source of light; and although the moss is growing on the tree it doesn't harm or benefit the tree at all. 

Phloem

Definition: Phloem is living tissue inside of plants that transports nutrients where they are needed.

Connection: In trees, phloem is located in the the inner-most layer of bark; here soluble organic material made during photosynthesis is transported throughout the rest of the tree.  

Sources Cited

Wikipedia contributors. "Phloem." Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia, 1 Aug. 2013. Web. 9 Aug. 2013.

Auxin Producing Area of a Plant

Definition: Auxin is a plat hormone that promote plant cell growth and is involved in regulating plant growth.

Connection: Auxin can be found in areas of new growth on a plant; this includes flower buds.