Honeybee Project Reflection
Honey bees are important because they are an integral and essential part of the environment. Without honeybees, over 40% of our food would no longer be produced. Too many plant species would die out because of their dependency on honeybees. The earth would never look the same, and life would suffer. After the plant species died out, populations of herbivores would dramatically decrease, effecting the entire food chain. As a result life in every ecosystem would be much more difficult to sustain.
For this project, I chose to study the evolutionary adaptions of certain orchids to attract pollinators, including honeybees. After my research, I created an art piece. In this art piece, I depict an orchid found in China, Dendrobium sinense, and its primary pollinator, the wasp Vespa bicolor. The orchid is a white flower with a dash of orange on its lip, and the wasp has a long body with black stripes encircling. The research I conducted for this project focused on the various adaptations that species of orchids have evolved to possess, specifically on adaptations of these orchids to attract pollinators in the order Hymenoptera, which encompasses sawflies, wasps, bees, and ants. D. sinense orchids have adapted to attract V. bicolor wasps by imitating the alarm pheromones of bees and reproducing this imitation, in the form of a chemical compound that is a large component in the flower’s ‘scent’. A wasp in the area smells this compound and ‘pounces’ on the orchid, in the process collecting and transferring the pollen of other orchids. This orchid, D. sinense, is entirely dependent on the wasp as its pollinator and therefore this adaptation. If I redid this project, I would have given myself more time to more slowly create my art piece and produce a more clean cut, aesthetically appealing piece. At the same time, I was extremely proud of the product and am proud of what I was able to accomplish in the time I had.
For this project, I chose to study the evolutionary adaptions of certain orchids to attract pollinators, including honeybees. After my research, I created an art piece. In this art piece, I depict an orchid found in China, Dendrobium sinense, and its primary pollinator, the wasp Vespa bicolor. The orchid is a white flower with a dash of orange on its lip, and the wasp has a long body with black stripes encircling. The research I conducted for this project focused on the various adaptations that species of orchids have evolved to possess, specifically on adaptations of these orchids to attract pollinators in the order Hymenoptera, which encompasses sawflies, wasps, bees, and ants. D. sinense orchids have adapted to attract V. bicolor wasps by imitating the alarm pheromones of bees and reproducing this imitation, in the form of a chemical compound that is a large component in the flower’s ‘scent’. A wasp in the area smells this compound and ‘pounces’ on the orchid, in the process collecting and transferring the pollen of other orchids. This orchid, D. sinense, is entirely dependent on the wasp as its pollinator and therefore this adaptation. If I redid this project, I would have given myself more time to more slowly create my art piece and produce a more clean cut, aesthetically appealing piece. At the same time, I was extremely proud of the product and am proud of what I was able to accomplish in the time I had.
Dissection Project Reflection
What animal did you choose to dissection and why?
What did you learn about the animal through this dissection?
What did you learn about yourself during this dissection?
For our dissection project, we had three choices of animals to dissect: cats, fetal pigs, or dogfish sharks. I chose to dissect the dogfish shark because I have an interest in marine biology. Through this project, I learned so much about the anatomy of a dogfish shark. To me their bodies were surprisingly complex for how small in size they are. I studied all of the different systems inside the shark's body, but what stood out to me was the shark's digestive system, especially its large intestine. Since the shark's body is a lot smaller than the human's and more streamlined, its large intestine is a spiral valve instead of a piece of convulted tubing. Being able to physically see it and hold it made the experience that much more meanignful. I learned from it that I am not squeamish about dissections, except for the smell. It also helped to reaffirm me idea of being a marine biologist, because I enjoyed it so much.
What did you learn about the animal through this dissection?
What did you learn about yourself during this dissection?
For our dissection project, we had three choices of animals to dissect: cats, fetal pigs, or dogfish sharks. I chose to dissect the dogfish shark because I have an interest in marine biology. Through this project, I learned so much about the anatomy of a dogfish shark. To me their bodies were surprisingly complex for how small in size they are. I studied all of the different systems inside the shark's body, but what stood out to me was the shark's digestive system, especially its large intestine. Since the shark's body is a lot smaller than the human's and more streamlined, its large intestine is a spiral valve instead of a piece of convulted tubing. Being able to physically see it and hold it made the experience that much more meanignful. I learned from it that I am not squeamish about dissections, except for the smell. It also helped to reaffirm me idea of being a marine biologist, because I enjoyed it so much.
Crime Scene
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