Science, Part 1

Question 1: Give an overview of animal reproduction. List the six stages of development.

Answer 1: As a rule, animals produce sexually. Evolution has ensured that separation into male and female structures maximizes the chances for successful fertilization and nutritional support to the offspring. It has also played a role in shaping behaviors of animals to assure these goals.Humans have a pair of primary reproductive organs, one for each gender: the sperm-producing testes in males and the egg-producing ovaries in females. These organs have supplementary ducts, glands, and supporting structures. Human males produce sperm continually from puberty onward. Females produce and release eggs on a monthly cycle. Hormones such as estrogen, progesterone, FSH, and LH control this cycle.The six stages of development are gamete formation, fertilization, cleavage, gastrulation, organ formation, and the growth and development of specialized tissues. All tissues and organs arise from three germ layers: the endosperm, ectosperm, and mesoderm of the early embryo. Embryonic development requires the help of some embryonic membranes including the yolk sac, amnion, chorion, and allantois.

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Question 2: Define ecology.

Answer 2: Ecology is the science of the relationship between organisms and their environment, where the environment refers to the physical and biological world of the organism. A relationship between an organism, the physical world, and all other species is the scope of ecology.Ecology translates literally into “the study of the family household.” The term was used originally by the German zoologist Ernst Haeckel in 1866. He limited his definition to the study of animals in relationship to their environment. This definition has been broadened and deepened over time to be more inclusive. The basic unit of ecology is the ecosystem, viewing the totality of the environment as a system of related parts functioning as a unit. Ecosystems have two interacting parts, the biotic, or living component; and the abiotic, or physical component. These two entities weave the complex and sophisticated set of relationships that make up ecology.

Question 3: Explain adaptation as it applies to ecology.

Answer 3: In the biosphere, there are an infinite number of possibilities in which organisms live. Temperature, light, climatic conditions, and many other factors are constantly in flux, forcing an organism to adapt in order to survive. Any form of life must maintain a reasonably constant internal environment within a range of conditions to be viable. This range is the limit of tolerance for the organism. The population and distribution of organisms depends on these tolerances and environmental variation. An organism lives in a habitat, which defines its niche. Niche in this sense includes all biological and environmental factors at work in the habitat. Organisms in large niches are called generalists, while those in small niches are termed specialists. Generalists have a wider range of tolerance than specialists, able to adapt more readily to a wider variation of conditions than specialists, which need more specific conditions in order to survive.

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