AP Biology Photo Collection

This photo is of fish in a manmade pond. These fish demonstrate genetic variation within a population. They are all a type of goldfish, but they have different colors and patterns. Some are all orange, others are white, and others have both colors. Genetic variation is a difference in DNA strands, which can cause different traits. Species are rarely identical.

In this photo on top of the flower there is a small worm. Worms are detritivores, or decomposers, and are hermaphrodites meaning that they have both sexual organs. There are hundreds of different types of worms, and they typically live in the ground where they can break down organic matter and get moisture to survive. This is a very small type of worm.

This is an image of a succulent. Succulents are one example of crassulacean acid metabolism plants (CAM) which are plants have developed a way of living in dryer environments. They are able to hold in more water by closing their stomata in the day, reducing the amount of evaporation from the leaves. This allows plants like succulents to go longer without rainfall, making it easier for them to survive in desert climates. 

This is a pineapple plant, which is an example of a C4 plant. Many of the plants we eat are C4 plants. The 'C4' refers to how the plant photosynthesizes, using the C4 carbon fixation pathway. These plants also have different leaf anatomy and are better adapted to live in warmer climates with lots of sunlight.   

This a the frond of a fern plant. Fronds are divided the divided of leaves of ferns and palms.  This is another example of the different types of leaves that plants can have. They are larger and have more surface area for photosynthesis, but also hold the sporangia on the underside of the leaves. Sporangia contain spores for reproduction. Ferns are a very old species of plant, and there development can be dated to over 300 million years ago.

This is a cicada shell. These can be found usually latched to trees in the summer months. This represents an exoskeleton, because it is what is shed by the nymph cicadas to expose there wings and adult skin. Exoskeletons are the outer protective layers on organisms. They are often referred to as shells.  

These are members of the phylum Basidiomycota, which are commonly called mushrooms. This and the phylum Ascomycota  make up the kingdom of fungi. They can reproduce sexually and asexually, and produce a special type of seed called a spore.

This is a picture of a rose which has a bee on its center collecting pollen. This represents a pollinator, because the bee will fly from flower to flower carrying pollen. Once pollen has access to a new plant, it is able to fertilize it. Pollinators help plants as well as gathering pollen to make their own honey and feed the hive.

This is a picture of a raspberry stem. It is difficult to make out the thorns, but they are an example of the modified stem of a plant. Thorns protect the plant from being eaten by grazing animals. Plants that produce fruit/berries need a way of making sure that their seeds are able to develop fully with out being eaten and then are dispersed. Spines on plants are another modified part of a plant, but they are modified leaves. 

This is the underside of a rock where there are Pillbugs. Pillbugs are small insects that have the ability to roll into small balls to protect themselves. This photo represents detritivores, which means decomposer. Pillbugs are detritivores meaning that they break down organic matter for food. 

This is another milkweed plant, but specifically a milkweed seed pod. When the seed pod dries and cracks open, the seeds will be released. This is a photo to represent one type of seed dispersal. The small brown seeds all have strands of fluffy fibers attached to them that can catch the wind and be carried away from the plant. Rather than just dropping the seeds to the ground, this type of seed dispersal ensures that the plants will spread. This is wind seed dispersal.

This is a bee, which is representing a Eukaryote. There are two types of organisms; prokaryotes and eukaryotes. Eukaryotes have a nucleus and other membrane bound organelles. Prokaryotic cells smaller and simpler with no nucleus. Bacteria are prokaryotes, which are located everywhere on earth. Humans, plants, animals, and insects are all examples of Eukaryotes.

These needles are the leaves of gymnosperms. A gymnosperm is a plant that has seeds that are unprotected (cones). Pine, fur, spruce, cypress, and redwood trees are all examples of gymnosperms. These needles are different from other leaves, but serve the same purpose of storing water and absorbing sunlight. Unlike other leaves, they can last for multiple years and remain green all year round.

This is a milkweed flower that is providing pollen for several insects. This picture represents introduced species, because there is a Japanese beetle on the flower. Japanese beetles are an invasive species in North America, where it has few natural predators. There is also a bee on this flower, which is gathering pollen, thus representing a pollinator.

This is a picture of a pine cone. Pine cones are the seeds of gymnosperms. This is a female cone, which are the larger scaly cones that we often see scattered across the ground near pine trees. Male cones are higher up in the trees, and produce pollen rather then seeds.

These are pine needles, which are the modified leaves of a type of evergreen tree. Different plants have different structures of leaves according to what they require. Needles were developed in order to hold more water then regular flat leaves. They are better for colder climates and have a resistant waxy layer on the needles. 

This is a picture of lichen that is growing on rocks next to a pond. Lichens are symbiotic organisms that can be found with in many different forms and locations. They are able to photosynthesize like plants do, but are not actually plants. Lichens often live with fungi and mosses, because they are able to produce food. This benefits the lichen because the filaments of the fungi can protect them and collect water. 

This photo is of a piece of moss that is growing by a pond. Moss is an example of an autotroph, which is an organism that makes its own food. Plants are the most common examples of autotroph because they can photosynthesize. 

This is a photo of flowers that I found and represent pollen. While I was taking this picture I noticed many pollinating insects flying around and landing briefly on the centers.  The orange/yellow color on the center is the pollen dust that will be carried from plant to plant on the feet of insects.

This is a corn plant. Corn is one of the plants that is genetically modified, called a GMO. This means that genes from a foreign organism is inserted into another plant. This is done to large crop plants to make it produce more and grow larger foods. Corn is the most modified crop. GMO's are also engineered to act as pesticides for themselves (be resistant to pests).

This apple is an example of flower ovary. Fruit trees flower, and that flower develops into a fruit to contain its seeds. A piece of fruit is the ripened ovary of the flower, and is dropped from the tree to carry its seeds to a new location to reproduce.

This is the shell of a turtle. It is a protective hard layer that contains the turtle's organs. This is an example of the adaption of an animal, because this type of bony structure evolved in reptiles to protect them. It also enables the turtle to have something to tuck its extremities in when it has to hide or in order to hibernate under the mud in a body of water during the winter.

This is a chicken egg, which represents a amniotic egg. The eggs of most reptiles, mammals, and birds are amniotic. This means that their eggs contain fluid membranes that cushion the egg, and a yolk that provides nutrients. 

This is a sunflower, which represents the tropism of an organism. Tropism is the adjustment or movement of a plant or animal in response to external stimulus. In this case, sunflowers exhibit phototropism, by orientating themselves towards the sun to absorb the most light for photosynthesis.

This plant represents Bilateral Symmetry. If split down the middle, each side would be identical. In nature, most things are not perfectly symmetrical; in this image part of the leaves have been eaten by insects.