Taxobox image Pholisma sonorae.jpg status G2 status system TNC regnum Plant ae unranked divisio Flowering plant Angiosperms unranked classis Eudicots unranked ordo Asterid s ordo unplaced familia Lennoaceae genus Pholisma species P. sonorae binomial Pholisma sonorae binomial authority John Torrey Torr. ex Asa Gray Gray Yatskievych Pholisma sonorae , commonly known as Sandfood , is a rare and unusual species of flowering plant Endemism endemic to the Sonoran Desert s to the west of Yuma, Arizona in the California Yuha Desert Yuha and Colorado Desert , and south in the Yuma Desert , where it is known from only a few locations. ref name cpc http centreforplantconservation.org Collection CPC ViewProfile.asp?CPCNum 3407 Center for Plant Conservation ref Description Pholisma sonorae is a perennial herb which grows in dune sand dunes , its fleshy stem extending up to two meters six feet below the surface and emerging above as a small rounded or ovate form. It may be somewhat mushroom mushroom shaped if enough sand blows away to reveal the top of the stem. It is a parasitic plant which attaches to the roots of various desert shrub s such as Eriogonum wild buckwheats , ragweed s, pluchea s, and Tiquilia plicata and Tiquilia palmeri T. palmeri to obtain nutrients. As a heterotroph , the Pholisma sonorae plant lacks chlorophyll and is grayish, whitish, or brown in color. It has glandular scale like leaves along its surface. The plant obtains water not from its host plants, but through stoma ta in its leaves. ref name cpc The plant blooms in centimeter wide flowers which are pink to purple in color with white margins. Uses This was an important food item for certain desert dwelling Native American peoples, including the Cocopah and the Hia C ed O odham . ref http herb.umd.umich.edu herb search.pl?searchstring Pholisma sonorae Ethnobotany ref Status The plant is rare and declining as its habitat of shifting dune sands is lost to development and damaged by off road vehicle use. r ... more details
italic title Taxobox name Parasitaxus usta status LR nt status system IUCN2.3 regnum Plant ae divisio Pinophyta classis Pinophyta Pinopsida ordo Pinales familia Podocarpaceae genus Parasitaxus genus authority de Laub. species P. usta binomial Parasitaxus usta binomial authority Eug ne Vieillard Vieill. de Laub. synonyms Podocarpus ustus Dacrydium ustum Nageia usta Parasitaxus ustus Parasitaxus usta Corail is a rare species of conifer of the family biology family Podocarpaceae , and the sole species of the genus Parasitaxus . It is a woody shrub up to 1.8 m found only in the remote, densely forested areas of New Caledonia , first discovered and described by Eug ne Vieillard Vieillard in 1861. It is generally mentioned that Parasitaxus usta is the only known parasitic gymnosperm . The species remarkably lacks root s and is always found attached to the roots of Falcatifolium taxoides another member of the Podocarpaceae . However, the question is still left open, as the plant is in any case not a haustorium haustorial parasite, which is usually the case with angiosperm s. Certain experts therefore consider the plant as a myco heterotrophy myco heterotroph . Recent studies suggest a close relationship between this species and the genus Lepidothamnus , especially with Lepidothamnus fonkii . The species was first described as Dacrydium ustum Vieill. other synonyms include Podocarpus ustus Vieill. Brogn. & Jean Antoine Arthur Gris Gris , and Nageia usta Vieill. Otto Kuntze Kuntze . The name is often cited as Parasitaxus ustus , but this is grammatically incorrect, as the genus name Parasitaxus is like Taxus feminine, with which the species name must agree Nickrent 2006 . The scientific name translates as Burnt Parasitic Yew. References IUCN2006 assessors Conifer Specialist Group year 1998 id 31002 title Parasitaxus ustus downloaded 11 May 2006 http www.conifers.org po pa index.htm Gymnosperm Database Parasitaxus ustus Nickrent, D. 2006 . http www.parasiticplants.siu.edu par ... more details
italictitle Taxobox name Corallorhiza maculata image Corallorhiza maculata 10222.JPG regnum Plantae unranked divisio Angiosperms unranked classis Monocots ordo Asparagales familia Orchidaceae subfamilia Epidendroideae tribus Maxillarieae subtribus Corallorhizinae genus Corallorhiza species C. maculata binomial Corallorhiza maculata binomial authority Constantine Samuel Rafinesque Schmaltz Raf. Corallorhiza maculata , or spotted coralroot , is a North America n Corallorhiza coralroot orchid flower. Varieties are also known as western coralroot and summer coralroot . It is found from Mexico and Baja California , through California and most of the United States except the Southeast, and across Canada . It grows mostly in Montane forest montane woodlands. Description Image Corallorhiza maculata 0905.JPG thumb left The Corallorhiza maculata side petals are reddish, and the lip petal is bright clean white with deep red spots. This orchid is a myco heterotroph it lacks chlorophyll and gets food by parasitizing the mycelium of fungi in the family Russulaceae . The rhizome and lower stem are often knotted into branched coral shapes. The stem is usually red or brown in color, but occasionally comes in a light yellow or cream color. There are no leaves and no photosynthetic green tissues. The stalklike stems bear dark red scales and intricate orchid flowers. The Corallorhiza maculata flowers are small and emerge regularly from all sides of the stem. The sepal s are dark red or brown tinged with purple, long and pointed. The side petals are reddish, and the lip petal is bright clean white with deep red spots. It is usually lobed or toothed on the side and 7&ndash 10 mm. In some varieties, the lip is plain white without spots. Uses Several Native American groups historically used the orchid s stems dried and brewed as a tea for such maladies as colds, pneumonia, and skin irritation. External links Commons http ucjeps.berkeley.edu cgi bin get JM treatment.pl?8695,8700,8701 Jepson ... more details
italictitle Taxobox image Corallorrhiza trifida 05 mg k.jpg regnum Plantae unranked divisio Angiosperms unranked classis Monocots ordo Asparagales familia Orchidaceae subfamilia Epidendroideae genus Corallorhiza species C. trifida binomial Corallorhiza trifida binomial authority Jean Jacques Ch telain Ch tel. Corallorhiza trifida , commonly known as early coralroot , northern coralroot , or yellow coralroot , is a Corallorrhiza coralroot orchid native to North America and Eurasia , with a circumboreal region circumboreal distribution. Description Corallorhiza trifida is yellowish green in color, leafless, and partially Myco heterotrophy myco heterotrophic , deriving some, but not all of its nutrients from association with fungus fungi of genus Tomentella . ref name zimmer Zimmer, K., et al. 2008 . http www3.interscience.wiley.com cgi bin fulltext 119394724 HTMLSTART The ectomycorrhizal specialist orchid Corallorhiza trifida is a partial myco heterotroph. New Phytologist 178 2 395 400. ref It also contains chlorophyll , with which it supplies some of its own carbon nutrition via autotrophy . ref name zimmer Image Corallorrhiza trifida 06 mg k.jpg thumb center Closeup of a flower References reflist External links commons http ucjeps.berkeley.edu cgi bin get JM treatment.pl?8695,8700,8704 Jepson Manual Treatment Corallorhiza trifida http plants.usda.gov java profile?symbol COTR18 USDA Plants Profile Corallorhiza trifida http orchids.wikia.com wiki Corallorrhiza trifida Article on orchids wiki Maxillarieae stub Category Corallorhiza trifida Category Orchid species Category Flora of Asia Category Flora of Europe Category Flora of Finland Category Flora of Russia Category Flora of Canada Category Flora of the Northeastern United States Category Flora of the Great Lakes region North America Category Flora of the Northern United States Category Flora of the Western United States Category Flora of Alaska Category Flora of California Category Flora of the Sierra Nevada region ... more details
Taxobox color lightgrey status image image width domain Bacteria phylum Proteobacteria classis Proteobacteria Alpha Proteobacteria ordo Rhizobiales familia Bradyrhizobiaceae genus Rhodopseudomonas species R. palustris binomial Rhodopseudomonas palustris binomial authority Rhodopseudomonas palustris is a gram negative purple non sulfur bacteria , notable for its ability to switch between four different modes of metabolism. R. palustris has been found to grow in swine waste lagoons, earthworm droppings, marine coastal sediments and pond water. Although purple non sulfur bacteria are normally photoheterotrophic, R. palustris has the ability to switch between the four different modes of metabolism that support life photoautotrophic , photo heterotroph ic, chemoautotroph and chemoheterotrophic. This means that this bacterium can grow with or without oxygen it can use light, inorganic compounds, or organic compounds for energy it can acquire carbo n from either carbon dioxide fixation or green plant derived compounds and it can also nitrogen fixation fix nitrogen . This metabolic versatility has raised interest in the research community and makes this bacterium suitable for potential use in biotechnology biotechnological applications. Efforts are currently being made to understand how this organism integrates the various metabolic modules in response to environmental changes. The complete genome of the strain Rhodopseudomonas palustris CGA009 was sequenced List of sequenced bacterial genomes in the hope of getting more information about how the bacterium senses environmental changes and how it regulates its metabolic pathways accordingly. ref name Larimer Larimer et al. 2004 . Complete genome sequence of the metabolically versatile photosynthetic bacterium Rhodopseudomonas palustris . Nature Biotechnology , 22 55. doi 10.1038 nbt923 ref It was found that R. palustris has genes that encode for proteins that make up light harvesting complex es and photosynthetic reaction ce ... more details
File Hyenas at stolen impala kill.jpg thumb right 250 px Spotted hyena s eating a dead Impala . Hyenas are one example of a consumer. Consumers are organisms of an ecological food chain that receive their energy by consuming other organisms. These organisms are formally referred to as heterotroph s, which includes animal s, bacteria and fungus . Such organisms may consume by various means, including predation , parasite parasitization , and biodegradation . Classification Consumers are typically viewed as predatory animals such as the wolf and hyena. However, herbivorous animals and parasitic fungus can also be consumers. Some carnivorous plants, like the Venus flytrap , exhibit both characteristics of a consumer and producer and therefore can be classified as both. ref cite web title Venus flytraps carnivorous ways enable it to do photosynthesis better url http www.ccmr.cornell.edu education ask index.html?quid 1294 publisher Cornell Center for Materials Research accessdate 9 February 2012 date 5 March 2008 ref Levels File FoodWeb.jpg thumb right 260 px A food web showing the organisms and their trophic level s. main Trophic level Within an ecological food chain, consumers are categorized into three groups primary consumer s, secondary consumer s, and the tertiary consumer s. ref http www.usoe.k12.ut.us curr science sciber00 8th energy sciber chains.htm ref Primary consumers are usually herbivores , feeding on plants and fungus. Secondary consumers, on the other hand, are mainly Carnivore carnivorous and prey other animals. Omnivores , who feed on both plants and animals, can also be considered as a secondary consumer. Tertiary consumers, sometimes also known as an apex predator , are usually on top of a food chain, capable of feeding on secondary consumers and primary consumers. Tertiary consumers can be either fully carnivorous or omnivorous. Human s are one such example of a tertiary consumer. Importance to the ecosystem Consumers dominate most of a food chain . ... more details
Taxobox image image width domain Eukaryota regnum incertae sedis classis incertae sedis ordo incertae sedis familia incertae sedis genus Kamera genus authority O.F.M ller Patterson & Z lffel, 1991 species Kamera lens species authority O.F.M ller Patterson & Z lffel, 1991 Kamera lens is a unicellular, flagellate organism and the only species of its genus Kamera . Though the species is known for centuries, it is poorly known. Its systematic position within the Eukaryota is unsure. Anatomy, nutrition and reproduction Kamera lens is a free living, swimming, heterotrophy heterotroph ic organism. The cell is small 6 7 x 2,5 3 micrometer in average ref name wood H. M. Woodcock Observations on Coprozoic Flagellates Together with a Suggestion as to the Significance of the Kinetonucleus in the Binucleata , In Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society of London. Series B, Vol. 207, 1916, p. 395 397 ref and ovate, the base of its both long flagella is below the tip subapical . A bag or rim at this place is missing. There is only one cell nucleus nucleus ref name wood . Ultrastructure Ultrastructural characters are not known. ref name ill David J. Patterson, Naja Vors, Alastair G.B. Simpson, Charles O. Kelly Residual Free Living And Predatory Heterotrophic Flagellates In Residual Free Living And Predatory Heterotrophic Flagellates In Illustrated Guide to the Protozoa, 2nd Edition. Vol. 2, Society of Protozoologists, Lawrence, Kansas 2000, ISBN 1891276239, p. 1302 1328. ref Kamera lens lives as a saprobiont ref name wood and can be found in hay infusion s too. William Saville Kent reported spore masses of it in such an infusion in 1880. ref name kent William Saville Kent A manual of the infusoria, including a description of all known flagellate, ciliate, and tentaculiferous protozoa, British and foreign and an account of the organization and affinities of the sponges , Vol. 1, 1880, p. 135 142 ref Taxonomy and history The first valid description as Monas lens has been publi ... more details
italic title Taxobox name Globigerinida fossil range M Jurassic Contemporary regnum Protista phylum Rhizaria classis Foraminifera ordo Globigerinida familia Globigerinacea genus Globigerina species G. bulloides Globigerina bulloides d Orbigny is a species of Heterotroph heterotrophic Plankton planktonic foraminifer with a wide distribution in the photic zone of the world s oceans. It is able to tolerate a range of sea surface temperature sea surface temperatures , salinity salinities and water densities, and is most abundant at high southern latitudes up to 40 S , certain high northern latitudes up to 80 N , and in low latitude upwelling regions. The density or presence of G. bulloides may change as a function of phytoplankton bloom successions, ref NOAA National Geophysical Data Center http www.ngdc.noaa.gov mgg geology hh1996 bulloides.html . ref and they are known to be most abundant during winter and spring months. ref Deusser, W. G., Ross, E. H., Hemleben, C. and M. Spindler, 1981. Seasonal changes in species composition, number, mass, size, and isotopic composition of planktonic foraminifera settling into the deep sargasso sea. Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology, vol.33 pp.103 127. ref Like other planktonic foraminifera, G. bulloides carbonate Test biology tests found in marine sediments obtained from ocean cores can be used to reconstruct temperature record climatic histories , and to align Integrated Ocean Drilling Program marine sediment cores with one another or with Axial precession astronomy astronomical cycles . In this vein, 18O oxygen isotopic analyses of these forams from drill cores in the North Atlantic have helped precisely date the timing of the Pliocene climate Global cooling and Northern hemisphere glaciation onset onset of northern hemisphere glaciations in the late Pliocene , 2.5 3 million years ago. ref Bartioli, G., Sarnthein, M., Weinelt, M., Erlenkeuser, H., Garbe Scheonberg, D. and D. W. Lea, 2005. Final closure of Panama ... more details
italictitle Taxobox name Thermococcus kodakarensis domain Archaea regnum Euryarchaeota phylum Euryarchaeota classis Thermococci ordo Thermococcales familia Thermococcaceae genus Thermococcus species T. kodakarensis binomial Thermococcus kodakarensis binomial authority Atomi et al, 2004 REF name Atomi 2004 Thermococcus kodakarensis is a species of thermophilic archaea . The type strain, Thermococcus kodakarensis KOD1 is one of the best studied members of the genus . History T. kodakarensis was isolated from a solfatara near the shore of Kodakara Island, Kagoshima Japan REF name Morikawa 1994 . The isolate was originally named Pyrococcus kodakarensis KOD1, but reclassified as a species of Thermococcus , based on 16S rRNA sequence REF name Atomi 2004 . Early research with T. kodakarensis was directed mostly at it thermostable enzymes, but its relative ease of handling and genetic manipulation facilitated by natural competence has made it an attractive system for the study of several biological processes REF name Sato 2003 REF name Sato 2005 . Properties T. kodakarensis cells are irregular cocci 1 2 M in diameter, often occurring in pairs, and are highly motile by means of lophotrichous flagella . The cell wall consists of a layer of di ether and tetra ether lipids, and an outer glycoprotein coat REF name Atomi 2004 REF name Morikawa 1994 . T. kodakarensis is an obligate anaerobe , and a heterotroph , growing rapidly on a variety of organic substrates in the presence of elemental sulfur , producing hydrogen sulfide gas. The generation time is estimated to be 40 minutes under optimum conditions REF name Morikawa 1994 . The requirement for elemental sulfur is relieved when pyruvate or starch is used for growth. In the absence of sulfur, hydrogen is produced instead of hydrogen sulfide REF name Atomi 2004 . Growth is possible at temperature ranging from 60 100 C, with an optimum at 85 C REF name Atomi 2004 . Like other marine organisms, high salt concentrations are require ... more details
taxobox name Chrysiogenaceae regnum Bacteria phylum Deferribacteres classis Deferribacteres small Huber and Stetter 2002 small ordo Deferribacterales small Huber and Stetter 2002 small familia Deferribacteraceae small Huber and Stetter 2002 small subdivision ranks Genera subdivision Calditerrivibrio small Iino et al. 2008 small Denitrovibrio small Myhr and Torsvik 2000 small Deferribacter small Greene et al. 1997 small Flexistipes small Fiala et al. 2000 small Geovibrio small Caccavo et al. 2000 small Mucispirillum small Robertson et al. 2005 small The Deferribacteraceae are a family of bacterium bacteria , given their own phylum Deferribacteres . ref Huber, H., and Karl Stetter Stetter, K.O. . Family I. Deferribacteraceae fam. nov. In Bergey s Manual of Systematic Bacteriology, 2nd ed., vol. 1 The Archaea and the deeply branching and Phototrophic heterotroph phototrophic Bacteria D.R. Boone and R.W. Castenholz, eds. , Springer Verlag, New York 2001 . pp. 465 466. ref Phylogeny see also Bacterial taxonomy The currently accepted taxonomy is based on the List of Prokaryotic names with Standing in Nomenclature LSPN ref See the List of Prokaryotic names with Standing in Nomenclature . Data extracted from the cite web url http www.bacterio.cict.fr classifphyla.html Deferribacteres title Deferribacteres accessdate 2011 11 17 ref ref See the National Center for Biotechnology Information NCBI http www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov Taxonomy Browser wwwtax.cgi?mode Undef&id 200930&lvl 6&lin webpage on Deferribacteres Data extracted from the cite web url http www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov Taxonomy taxonomyhome.html index.cgi title NCBI Taxonomy Browser publisher National Center for Biotechnology Information accessdate 2011 06 05 ref and the phylogeny is based on 16S rRNA based LTP release 106 by The All Species Living Tree Project ref See the All Species Living Tree Project http www.arb silva.de projects living tree . Data extracted from the cite web url http www.arb silva.de fileadmin silva d ... more details
Expand list date August 2010 File BUFFALO159.JPG thumb right 250px Water buffalo This is a list of herbivorous animals . Herbivore s are animal s that are adapted to eat plants. Herbivory is a form of predation in which an organism heterotroph consume s principally autotroph s ref name Campbell Campbell, N. A. 1996 Biology 4th edition Benjamin Cummings, New York ISBN 0 8053 1957 3 ref Page needed date September 2010 such as plant s, algae and photosynthesizing bacteria . More generally, organisms that feed on autotroph s in general are known as primary consumers . Mammals Mammals formally Mammalia are a class biology class of vertebrate , air breathing animal s whose females are characterized by the possession of mammary gland s while both males and females are characterized by hair and or fur, three middle ear bone s used in hearing sense hearing , and a neocortex region in the brain. Some mammals have sweat glands , but most do not. Some mammals are herbivorous, and some are not. Herbivorous mammals include Main Bovinae bubalus Buffalo Citation needed date August 2010 Cape Buffalo Citation needed date August 2010 Cattle Citation needed date August 2010 Tamaraw Citation needed date August 2010 Carabao Citation needed date August 2010 Saola Wisent Yak Kouprey Giant Eland Main Equidae Horse Zebra Main Rodentia Capybara Citation needed date August 2010 Chinchilla Beaver Octodont Others Chevrotain Citation needed date August 2010 Chinkara Citation needed date August 2010 Deer Elephant Panda Giraffe Goat Gorilla Guinea Pig Hippopotamus Kangaroo Koala Citation needed date August 2010 Llama Citation needed date August 2010 Manatee Citation needed date August 2010 Megabat Fruit Bat Citation needed date August 2010 Okapi Citation needed date August 2010 Rabbit Rhinoceros Sambar deer Citation needed date August 2010 Sheep Tapir Citation needed date August 2010 Wildebeest Citation needed date April 2012 Wombat Citation needed date August 2010 Birds Birds Class biology class A ... more details
italic title taxobox name Monotropa uniflora image Indian pipe PDB.JPG regnum Plantae unranked divisio Angiosperms unranked classis Eudicots unranked ordo Asterids ordo Ericales familia Ericaceae genus Monotropa species M. uniflora binomial Monotropa uniflora binomial authority Carolus Linnaeus L. Monotropa uniflora , also known as the Ghost Plant , Indian Pipe , or Corpse Plant is a herbaceous perennial plant , formerly classified in the family Monotropaceae , but now included within the Ericaceae . It is native to temperate regions of Asia , North America and northern South America , but with large gaps between areas. ref Ray Neyland, Melissa K. Hennigan http www.bioone.org perlserv ?request get abstract&issn 0008 7475&volume 069&issue 04&page 0265 A Cladistic Analysis of Monotropa uniflora.. ref It is generally scarce or rare in occurrence but is common or even ubiquitous in some areas, such as many parts of eastern North America. Unlike most plants, it is white and does not contain chlorophyll . Instead of generating energy from sunlight, it is parasitic , more specifically a myco heterotroph . Its host biology hosts are certain fungi that are mycorrhiza l with trees, meaning it ultimately gets its energy from photosynthetic trees. Since it is not dependent on sunlight to grow, it can grow in very dark environments as in the understory of dense forest. The complex relationship that allows this plant to grow also makes plant propagation propagation difficult. The plant is sometimes completely white but commonly has black flecks and a pale pink coloration. ref David Matthews http greengenes.cit.cornell.edu indianpipes Indian Pipes, Ithaca NY ref Rare variants may have a deep red color. The stems reach heights of 10 30 cm, clothed with small scale leaf leaves 5 10 mm long. As its scientific name suggests, and unlike the related Monotropa hypopitys but like the closely related Monotropastrum humile , the stems bear only a single flower , 10 15 mm long ... more details
taxobox image Chimaphila2.jpg regnum Plantae unranked divisio Angiosperms unranked classis Eudicots unranked ordo Asterids ordo Ericales familia Ericaceae genus Chimaphila species C. umbellata binomial Chimaphila umbellata binomial authority Carolus Linnaeus L. Benjamin Smith Barton Barton Chimaphila umbellata Umbellate Wintergreen , Pipsissewa , or Prince s pine is a small perennial flowering plant found in dry woodlands, or sandy soils. It is native throughout the cool temperate Northern Hemisphere . It grows 10 35 cm tall, and has evergreen shiny, bright green, toothed leaves arranged in opposite pairs or whorls of 3 4 along the stem. Leaves have a shallowly toothed margin, where the teeth have fine hairs at their ends. The flower s are white or pink, produced in a small umbel of 4 8 together. Ecology Although it has green leaves year round, it receives a significant portion of its nutrition from fungi in the soil that is, it is a partial Myco heterotrophy myco heterotroph , which is not surprising as related plants, such as Pyrola , are partial or full myco heterotrophs . ref cite journal title Parallel evolutionary paths to mycoheterotrophy in understorey Ericaceae and Orchidaceae ecological evidence for mixotrophy in Pyroleae journal Oecologia volume 151 issue 2 date March, 2007 doi 10.1007 s00442 006 0581 2 pages 206 217 author Leho Tedersoo, Prune Pellet, Urmas K ljalg and Marc Andr Selosse pmid 17089139 ref Taxonomy Image Chimaphila umbellata 26031.JPG right thumb Fruit of C. umbellata subsp. occidentalis There are four subspecies Chimaphila umbellata subsp. umbellata Europe, Asia Chimaphila umbellata subsp. acuta southwestern North America Chimaphila umbellata subsp. cisatlantica northeastern North America Chimaphila umbellata subsp. occidentalis northwestern North America Uses Some Indigenous peoples of the Northwest Plateau Plateau Indian tribes used a boil of prince s pine to treat tuberculosis . ref name hunn cite book last Hunn first Eugene S. t ... more details
DISPLAYTITLE Stentor protozoa Taxobox name Stentor image Stentor roeseli composite image.jpg image width 200px image caption Stentor roeseli domain Eukarya regnum Chromalveolata superphylum Alveolata phylum Ciliate Ciliophora classis Heterotrich ea ordo Heterotrichida familia Stentoridae genus Stentor genus authority Lorenz Oken Oken , 1815 Stentor , sometimes called trumpet animalcules, are a genus of filter feeding, heterotroph ic ciliate protist s, representative of the heterotrich s. They are usually horn shaped, and reaching lengths of 2 millimeters, they are among the biggest known unicellular organisms. Appearance and characteristics The body, or Cortex anatomy cortex , is generally horn shaped, hence the association with the Stentor Greek herald and the former name trumpet animalcule , with a ring of prominent cilia around the anterior bell that sweep in food and aid in swimming. Some reach several millimeters in length, making them among the largest microorganism single celled organisms . Stentor can come in different colors. As in many freshwater protozoans, the Stentor has a contractile vacuole . Because the concentration of salt inside the cell and in the surrounding freshwater is different, Stentor must store water that enters it by osmosis and then discharge it from the vacuole. They can Regeneration biology regenerate , and small fragments can grow into full organisms. Each cell has one often elongated macronucleus and several micronucleus micronuclei . Ecology These protists are common worldwide in freshwater lakes and streams, only S. multiformis has been recorded from marine, freshwater and even terrestrial biotopes. They are usually attached to alga e and other detritus. Some Stentor species can live symbiotically with certain species of green algae Chlorella . After being ingested, the algae live on while their host absorbs nutrients produced, whereas the algae, in turn, absorb and feed on the Stentor s metabolic wastes. Stentor s react to outsid ... more details
Refimprove date April 2009 Image Koala melbourne zoo.jpg right upright thumb With its eucalyptus only diet, the koala can be considered a specialist species. A generalist species is able to thrive in a wide variety of environmental conditions and can make use of a variety of different Natural resource resources for example, a heterotroph with a varied Diet nutrition diet . A specialist species can only thrive in a narrow range of environmental conditions or has a limited diet. Most organism s do not all fit neatly into either group, however. Some species are highly specialized the most extreme case being List of feeding behaviours By food type monophagy , others less so, while some can tolerate many different environments. In other words, there is a Continuum theory continuum from highly specialized to broadly generalist species. Image Waschbaer auf dem Dach.jpg left thumb Generalists such as raccoon s are sometimes able to adapt to urban environment s. Omnivore s are usually generalists. Herbivore s are often specialists, but those that eat a variety of plants may be considered generalists. A well known example of a specialist animal is the koala which subsists almost entirely on eucalyptus leaves. The raccoon is a generalist because it has a natural range that includes most of North and Central America, and it is omnivorous, eating berries , insect s, Egg biology eggs and small animal s. Monophagous organisms feed exclusively or nearly so on a single other species. The distinction between generalists and specialists is not limited to animals. For example, some plants require a narrow range of temperatures, soil conditions and Precipitation meteorology precipitation to survive while others can tolerate a broader range of conditions. A cactus could be considered a specialist species. It will die during winters at high latitude s or if it receives too much water. When body weight is controlled for, specialist feeders such as insectivore s and frugivore s have larger ... more details
The term anthroposystem is used to describe the anthropological analogue to the ecosystem . In other words, the anthroposystem model serves to compare the flow of materials through human systems to those in naturally occurring systems. As defined by Santos, an anthroposystem is the orderly combination or arrangement of physical and biological Natural environment environments for the purpose of maintaining human civilization...built by man to sustain his kind. The anthroposystem is intimately linked to Economic system economic and ecosystem ecological systems as well. Unsourced image removed Image Husar3.png 300px thumb Both the anthroposystem and ecosystem can be divided into three groups producers, heterotroph consumers , and Recycling recyclers . In the ecosystem, the producers or autotroph s consist of plants and some bacteria capable of producing their own food via photosynthesis or chemical synthesis , the consumers consist of animals that obtain energy from grazing and or by feeding on other animals and the recyclers consist of decomposer s such as Fungus fungi and bacteria. br In the anthroposystem, the Factors of production producers consist of the energy production through fossil fuel s, manufacturing with non fuel mineral s and growing food the consumer s consist of humans and domestic animals and the recyclers consist of the decomposing or recycling activities i.e. Sewage treatment waste water treatment , metal and solid waste recycling . br Unsourced image removed Image Husar2.png 300px thumb The ecosystem is sustainability sustainable whereas the anthroposystem is not. The ecosystem is a closed loop controller closed loop in which nearly everything is recycled whereas the anthroposystem is an Open loop controller open loop where very little is recycled. In contrast to the ecosystem, the anthroposystem s producers and consumers are significantly more spatially displaced than those in the ecosystem and thus, more energy is required to transfer matter to a ... more details
italic title Taxobox type bacteria name Rhodobacter sphaeroides regnum Bacteria phylum Proteobacteria classis Alphaproteobacteria ordo Rhodobacterales familia Rhodobacteraceae genus Rhodobacter genus authority van Niel 1944 Imhoff et al. datum 1984 Rhodobacter sphaeroides is a kind of purple bacteria a group of bacteria that can obtain energy through photosynthesis . Its best growth conditions are anaerobic organism anaerobic phototrophy photoheterotroph photoheterotrophic and photoautotroph photoautotrophic and Cellular respiration aerobic chemoheterotroph chemoheterotrophy in the absence of light. ref cite journal author Mackenzie C, Eraso JM, Choudhary M, Roh JH, Zeng X, Bruscella P et al. title Postgenomic adventures with Rhodobacter sphaeroides . journal Annu Rev Microbiol year 2007 volume 61 pages 283 307 pmid 17506668 doi 10.1146 annurev.micro.61.080706.093402 ref R. sphaeroides is also able to nitrogen fixation fix nitrogen . ref name mmg.uth.tmc.edu http mmg.uth.tmc.edu sphaeroides introduction introduction.html De Universiteit van Texas over Rhodobacter sphaeroides ref It is remarkably metabolically diverse, as it is able to grow heterotroph heterotrophically via fermentation biochemistry fermentation and Cellular respiration aerobic and anaerobic organism anaerobic respiration. R. sphaeroides has been isolated from deep lakes and stagnate waters. ref name mmg.uth.tmc.edu R. sphaeroides is one of the most pivotal organisms in the study of bacterial photosynthesis. It requires no unusual conditions for growth and is incredibly Photosynthetic efficiency efficient . The regulation of its photosynthetic machinery is of great interest to researchers, as R. sphaeroides has an intricate system for sensing O2 tensions. ref name Kaplan2001 Cite journal last1 Oh first1 JI. last2 Kaplan first2 S. title Generalized approach to the regulation and integration of gene expression. journal Mol Microbiol volume 39 issue 5 pages 1116 23 month Mar year 2001 PMID 11251830 doi ... more details
italictitle Taxobox name Cryptothallus mirabilis image image width regnum Plant ae divisio Marchantiophyta classis Jungermanniopsida ordo Metzgeriales familia Aneuraceae genus Cryptothallus species C. mirabilis binomial Cryptothallus mirabilis binomial authority Malmb. ref name Malmborg cite journal last Malmborg first S. von year 1933 title Cryptothallus nov. gen. Ein saprophytisches Lebermoos journal Annales Bryologici volume 6 pages 122 123 ref Cryptothallus mirabilis is a species of Marchantiophyta liverworts in the family biology family Aneuraceae , and was first described in 1933. ref name Schuster V cite book last Schuster first Rudolf M. year 1992 title The Hepaticae and Anthocerotae of North America volume V pages 574 579 location Chicago publisher Field Museum of Natural History isbn 0 914868 20 9 ref Plants of this species are white as a result of lacking chlorophyll , and their plastid s do not differentiate into chloroplast s. ref cite journal last Sigee first D. C. year 1969 title The fine structure of plastids in the apical region of the gametophyte of Cryptothallus mirabilis Malmb. journal Transactions of the British Bryological society volume 5 issue 4 pages 820 822 ref Apart from lacking chlorophyll, Cryptothallus is very similar to the genus Aneura , and the validity of recognizing Cryptothallus as a separate genus has been questioned by Renzaglia, who suggests it may be considered merely as an achlorophyllous species of Aneura . ref cite book last Renzaglia first Karen S. year 1982 title A comparative developmental investigation of the gametophyte generation in the Metzgeriales Hepatophyta series Bryophytorum Bibliotheca volume 24 location Vaduz publisher J. Cramer ref Cryptothallus mirabilis is a subterranean Myco heterotrophy myco heterotroph that obtains its nutrients from the abundant fungus fungi growing among its tissues rather than from photosynthesis . Until recently, it was the only species of bryophyte known with this combination of cha ... more details
Image Copepodkils.jpg thumb right 300px A copepod Calanoida sp. Zooplankton IPAc en icon z o . p l k t n are heterotroph ic sometimes Detritivore detritivorous plankton . Plankton are organisms drifting in oceans, seas, and bodies of fresh water . The word zooplankton is derived from the Ancient Greek language Greek zoon lang grc , meaning animal , and lang grc Latn planktos lang grc , meaning wanderer or drifter . ref cite book last Thurman first H. V. year 1997 title Introductory Oceanography publisher Prentice Hall College location New Jersey, USA isbn 0 13 262072 3 ref Individual zooplankton are usually too small to be seen with the naked eye, but some, such as jellyfish, are large. Clear left Ecology Image Jelly 4.JPG thumb right A jellyfish Aequorea victoria Image Meganyctiphanes norvegica2.jpg thumb right Krill Northern krill Meganyctiphanes norvegica Zooplankton is a categorisation spanning a range of organism sizes including small protozoa ns and large metazoa ns. It includes holoplankton ic organisms whose complete biological life cycle life cycle lies within the plankton, as well as meroplankton ic organisms that spend part of their lives in the plankton before graduating to either the nekton or a Sessility zoology sessile , benthos benthic existence. Although zooplankton are primarily transported by ambient water currents, many have Animal locomotion locomotion , used to avoid predators as in diel vertical migration or to increase prey encounter rate. Ecology Ecologically important protozoan zooplankton groups include the foraminifera ns, radiolaria ns and dinoflagellate s the latter are often mixotroph ic . Important metazoan zooplankton include cnidaria ns such as jellyfish and the Portuguese Man o War crustacea ns such as copepod s and krill chaetognath s arrow worms Mollusca molluscs such as pteropod s and chordate s such as salp s and juvenile fish. This wide phylogeny phylogenetic range includes a similarly wide range in f ... more details
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