Applied Biodiversity

957 words | 4 page(s)

Prompt Section 1:
Truffles that are Tubers that belong to the Pezizales order (phylum Ascomycota, kingdom Fungi). Truffles are “edible subterranean fungus that grows in temperate regions with calcareous soil.” (The Editors of Encyclopædia Britannica, 2013) These are regions that are mainly found in Europe, Asia, and in the forest of the Pacific Northwest. Truffles can be found on the roots of trees in spore sacs and comes in a variety of species. They are hard to grow and can take anywhere from five to twenty-five years to grow. When a truffle fully matures and is ready to be eaten it becomes a lightly marbleized color with a dark background. Finding truffles is extremely difficult and usually done on a hunt with trained dogs or pigs. There are also some people that have a highly “sensitive to the scent of truffles” (The Editors of Encyclopædia Britannica, 2013) and that can also locate them.

Originally made exclusively from the milk of Shorthorn cows because of its rich, intense flavour, Stilton, is a classic English blue cheese made in Leicestershire, Derbyshire, and Nottinghamshire, England. Stilton has a ivory yellow color and is “streaked with bluish-green veins of Penicillium glaucum mold.” (The Editors of Encyclopædia Britannica, 2013) Stilton cheese also has a wrinkly, crust-like rind and has a moist, creamy taste. Stilton is generally made in a cylindrical shapes of about nine inches and aged for up to eight months before it is ready to be eaten.

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Miso is“a high-protein fermented food paste consisting chiefly of soybeans, salt, and usually grain (as barley or rice) and ranging in taste from very salty to very sweet.” (Miso) Miso is made with the fungus Aspergillus oryzae that breaks researchers have found helps to lower cardiovascular problems and helps to break down some of the harmful elements within our digestive tract, such as daidzein and genistein. Miso also contains several antioxidants “like the minerals zinc and manganese, and phytonutrient antioxidants” (whfoods.org) In addition, miso is a good source of minerals our body needs like copper, vitamin K, protein, zinc, phosphorus, dietary fiber, omega-3 fatty.

Prompt Section 2:
A place that I have always wanted to visit is Alaska, so I wanted to learn about some of the invasive plants related to the area. I was surprised to learn that Alaska has several invasive plants such as Russian knapweed, Canada thistle, field bindweed, blue-flowering lettuce, and Austrian fieldcress.

Blue-flowering lettuce (Lactuca tatarica (L.) C.A. Mey. var. pulchella (Pursh) Breitung) is a bi-annual perennial from the family Asteraceae. It is a vascular, flowering plant from the Dicot group. Blue-flowering lettuce is also considered a noxious weed that is on the threatened list for plants.

Invasive plants can be a problem because they can take over an area, resulting in it choking, smothering and/or killing other plants in it’s path. [An invasive species that colonizes a new area may gain an ecological edge since the insects, diseases, and foraging animals that naturally keep its growth in check in its native range are not present in its new habitat.] (USDA.gov, 2009)

To avoid having invasive plants in your garden or area, you can contact the Department of Natural Recourses, plant societies, and/or garden center to ask about the types of plants that are considered as invasive within your area. You can also get rid of invasive plants by weeding, digging or pulling them out, suffocating them by placing a UV-stabilized sheet over them, burning them, and/or treating them with chemicals.

Prompt Section 3:
Animals have been used as resources in helping to find how various things will affect the lives and health of humans. These animals include both mammals and non-mammals. Two animals that have been used to help humans are the water flea and zebrafish. The Daphnia or water flea have been used for centuries because of its versatility and have been used in several medical research studies. Using the water flea has allowed scientists to [to investigate fundamental mechanisms of inheritance and development, cellular function, physiological systems, immunity response, disease, macromolecular structure/function relationships, and the genetic basis of complex phenotypic traits.] (“Daphnia”)

The zebrafish may be a small fish but has helped doctors and other researchers in “the study of vertebrate development and disease. Although not commonly known, chickens have also been used as experimental animals for humans health. “chicken has been responsible for critical discoveries in development, virology, immunology, oncology, genetics and evolution.”

Using chickens has allowed scientists to organize chromosome pairs, create large numbers of genomic resources, help with stem cell research, QTL analysis, and literature spans. Chicken use has also helped with [landmark contributions including the first retrovirus, demonstration of Mendelian genetics in vertebrates, oncogenesis, mechanisms of recombination, immunology, the molecular basis of vertebrate morphogenesis and pattern formation.] (“Trans-NIH Gallus Initiative.”)

    References
  • The Editors of Encyclopædia Britannica. (2013, March 8). “Truffle (fungus).” Retrieved October 15, 2014, from http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/607120/truffle
  • The Editors of Encyclopædia Britannica. (2013, February 20). “Stilton (cheese).” Retrieved October 15, 2014, from http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/566368/Stilton
  • Miso. (n.d.). Retrieved October 15, 2014, from http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/ miso
    whfood.org. (n.d.). “Miso” Retrieved October 15, 2014, from http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=foodspice&dbid=114
  • “None State Noxious Weeds List | USDA PLANTS.” (n.d.). Retrieved October 15, 2014, from http://plants.usda.gov/java/noxious?rptType=State&statefips=02
    USDA.gov. “Invasives.” (2009, December 22). Retrieved October 15, 2014, from http://www.usna.usda.gov/Gardens/invasives.html
  • Nair, S. (2011, November 19). “Best Ways to Get Rid of Invasive Plants.” Retrieved October 15, 2014, from http://www.buzzle.com/articles/best-ways-to-get-rid-of-invasive-plants.html
  • “Daphnia.” (n.d.). Retrieved October 15, 2014, from http://www.nih.gov/science/models/daphnia/
  • Rasooly, R., & Javois, L. (n.d.). “Trans-NIH Zebrafish Initiative.” Retrieved October 15, 2014, from http://www.nih.gov/science/models/zebrafish/

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