Biology Collection #1: Jessie-Mara

These pictures were taken during my recent trip to the Philippines.

1. Pollen - Found in most plants, pollen is the fine powder made by flowers that contains the small male gametes vital for reproduction. The hibiscus flower that I found holds pollen, and if visited by a pollinator, like a bee or a butterfly, reproduction would be possible.

2. Pollinator - Though not as efficient as the bee, the butterfly can also serve as a pollinator. It is able to transfer pollen from flower to flower, allowing fertilization.

3. Adaptation of an animal - Can you spot the crab? I almost couldn't. I thought it was amazing that this crab could easily camouflage itself in the tiny pebbles on the beach. This crab's species has adapted to the environment by changing its colors to match its surroundings.

4. Thorn of a plant - I actually brushed against this euphorbia plant on accident and it really hurt. As you can see, the stem is covered with thorns. The purpose of these thorns is to protect the plant from any natural dangers and threats.

5. Fruit (fleshy with seed) - The soursop, also called guyabano, is just one of the many and various fruits that can be found in the Philippines. My aunt climbed a tall tree to retrieve this green, prickly fruit. In the picture, you can see that the soursop has a soft, white flesh with several large, black seeds.

6. Gastropod - My cousins and I were crossing a small river stream and found this snail. Gastropods are a large class of mollusks, which includes snails.

7. Animal that has a segmented body - The caterpillar is an ideal example of having a segmented body. Its body is divided into segments and consists of three parts: a head, a thorax, and an abdomen.

8. Autotroph - Almost any kind of plant is an autotroph, an organism that is capable of making its own food from inorganic substances using light or chemical energy. This is a picture of a sugarcane plant. Through the process of photosynthesis, it can produce its own food and flourish.

9. Arthropod - This spider that I found while walking through the rainforest is the perfect representation of an arthropod. Arthropods are invertebrate animals that share the characteristics of having segmented bodies, exoskeletons, and jointed limbs.

10. Insect - I shot this picture of a red dragonfly while I was hiking in the mountains. I thought this was the best representation of an insect, which the dictionary defines as "a small arthropod with six legs and generally one or two pairs of wings".