Autotroph - an organism that makes its own food. Through photosynthesis, autotrophs utilize carbon dioxide (from the air), water (pulled up from their roots), and light energy (from the sun) to make sugar. The autotroph then feeds off the sugar and gives off oxygen gas as a byproduct. Via the process of photosynthesis, a maple tree can produce complex organic compounds (sugars) from simple inorganic molecules (carbon dioxide), rendering it an autotroph.

Auxin producing area of a plant - a plant hormone that speeds up the growth rate of plant cells. Auxin can be found in the root tip and shoot tip of a plant. Without this natural stimulant, plant growth is stunted. One of the locations where auxin is produces on this jasmine plant is at the tip of the stem, right between the two leaves that are growing outward. Auxin also accumulates along the underside of the plant's roots.




Conifer leaves - leaves that are characteristically needle-like or scale-like and found on evergreen/ coniferous trees. Before I went bio-exploring, I held the ignorant assumption that conifer leaves had to be on trees. In actuality, conifer leaves can be found on not only trees, but also bushes and shrubs. Needle-leaved pine trees are what most of us think of in reference to conifers, but I found the following conifer leaves in a coniferous bush in my friend's backyard.



Commensalism - a relationship between two organisms in which one benefits and the other is neither helped nor harmed. The birds' nest in our Flowering Dogwood tree is an example of commensalism because the birds were able to make themselves a home while the tree remained unaffected.